Africa
Kidnappings continue in Nigeria
Officials in Nigeria are searching for hundreds of school children that were taken from the town of Kuriga last week. Meanwhile, another 15 students were kidnapped over the weekend, along with four women. The kidnappings that took place last week mark the largest mass abduction from a school since 2021.
Senegal prepares for presidential election
Senegal recently announced that the country’s presidential election will take place on March 24. Last month, President Macky Sall postponed the election, which led to widespread protests. His opponents accused him of trying to extend his term of office, which is set to expire on April 2 after 12 years in power. The country is the only one to have never had a military coup in mainland West Africa.
Asia
Pilots fall asleep on Indonesia flight
Officials in Indonesia are investigating two pilots who were found to have fallen asleep for 28 minutes mid-flight. The flight was traveling from Sulawesi to the capital of Jakarta, and both pilots have been suspended. The plane briefly veered off course but landed safely. The pilots were deemed to be fit to fly prior to the flight.
Creator of best-selling Japanese comics of all time dies
Akira Toriyama, the creator of the Japanese comics, “Dragon Ball,” has died at age 68. He suffered an acute subdural hematoma, or a type of bleeding near his brain. His comic series debuted in 1984 and is popular around the world. Toriyama died on March 1 and his family and a few of his friends attended his funeral.
Europe
Skiers found dead in the Swiss Alps
Police in Switzerland discovered the bodies of five missing skiers in the Swiss Alps. The victims were all Swiss nationals and are between the ages of 21 and 58 years old. The group was traveling from Zermatt toward Arolla along the Swiss-Italian border. Officials are still searching for a sixth missing person.
Russian student jailed over wi-fi network name
A student from Moscow State University was sentenced to jail for 10 days after renaming his wi-fi network to “Slava Ukraini” or “Glory to Ukraine.” He was found guilty of displaying “symbols of extremist organizations” and was arrested last Wednesday. The “Slava Ukraini” saying has been used as a rallying cry for supporters of Ukraine.
Latin America
Former president of Honduras found guilty of drug charges
A federal court in the United States found Juan Orlando Hernández, the former president of Honduras, guilty of drug trafficking charges. He was convicted of conspiring to import cocaine into the United States and possessing weapons like machine guns. Hernández, who denied any wrongdoing, was president of Honduras from 2014 to 2022.
Peru Prime Minister resigns
Alberto Otárola, Peru’s Prime Minister, has resigned from his positions because of allegations that he attempted to use his power to help a woman earn lucrative government contracts. Audio clips between him and a 25-year-old woman were leaked on television. The woman, Yazire Pinedo, was awarded two contracts for work in the defense ministry in 2023, earning her $14,000. Otárola denied any wrongdoing, and an investigation has been launched.
North America
U.S. military ship heading to Gaza
The United States is sending a military ship to Gaza carrying equipment to build a temporary pier. The ship set sail from Virginia on Saturday. The Gaza Strip is facing famine and children are starving to death. Over the weekend, the United States airdropped more than 11,500 meals to the area, including rice, flour, pasta, and canned food.
Escaped inmates charged with murder of American couple
Three escaped inmates from Grenada, a Caribbean island, were charged with the murder of an American couple. The couple, Ralph Henry and Kathy Brandel, were aboard a ship when the suspects hijacked it. It is believed the suspects threw the couple overboard and then sailed away to the island of St Vincent. Henry and Brandel went missing in late February.
