Africa
South Africa rugby player accused of using racial slur
South Africa rugby player Bongi Mbonambi was accused of using a racial slur toward an England player during a Rugby World Cu semi-final match. After the match, Mbonambi appeared to refuse to shake England’s Tom Curry’s hand, the person who accused him of using the slur. South Africa’s rugby union has launched an investigation into the incident and said it takes it very seriously.
Cholera outbreak hits Sudan
Around 817 suspected cholera cases have been reported in three Sudanese states. Local media reported that 35 people have died from cholera in the area recently. Recently, the UN said months of conflict in Sudan left millions of people at risk of cholera and other diseases. Conflict between the country’s army and a paramilitary force has already left hospitals overwhelmed in the region.
Asia
China crackdowns on some dogs
Officials in China are targeting dogs that are stray, unregistered and “oversized” after a two-year-old was viciously attacked by a Rottweiler. The attack left the toddler with a ruptured kidney, fractured ribs and lacerations across her body. Officials in Shandong, Jiangxi and Hubei Provinces said that captured stray dogs will be put down if an owner cannot be found for them. China lacks strong animal cruelty laws which could offer protection for pets.
India announces space travel goals
Officials in India are hoping to send an astronaut to the Moon by 2040 after recently becoming the first country to land a spacecraft on the Moon’s south pole. Last month, the country also launched a rocket to study the Sun and is hoping for a space station by 2035. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently asked scientists in the country to begin to work on missions to Venus and Mars.
Europe
World’s oldest dog dies
The world’s oldest dog Bobi, a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, died at the age of 31 years old in Portugal. He became the world’s oldest living dog and the oldest dog ever in February. The previous oldest dog lived to be 29 during the 1930s in Australia. Portuguese’s government pet database confirmed Bobi’s age. Officials credited Bobi’s long life to the peaceful environment he lived in.
Postal workers killed during Ukraine missile attack
Six postal workers in Ukraine were killed while 16 other people were injured after a missile hit a distribution center. Images showed the building with windows blown out. The victims were between the ages of 4 and 19 and the region’s governor blamed Russia for the attack. Russia did not comment on the strike and has previously denied targeting civilians during its invasion of Ukraine.
Latin America
Haiti arrests suspect in president’s murder
Officials in Haiti have arrested a man accused of ordering the assassination of President Jovenel Mosie. Joseph Felix Badio was arrested for the attack and was charged with murder, attempted murder and armed robbery. Mosie was killed in his bedroom in 2021, and his death caused a prolonged political crisis in Haiti. Media in Haiti reported that Badio had been fired from his position as an anti-corruption official a few months before the assassination.
Ecuador elects youngest president in country’s history
Voters in Ecuador have elected businessman Daniel Noba as the country’s next president. Noba, age 35, is a centrist and said he would “give back a smile and peace to the country.” Ecuador’s murder rate has quadrupled between 2018 and 2022 and opinion polls shows security was voters’ main concern ahead of the election. Noba is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School and appeared to have appealed to younger voters.
North America
Trump fined for breaking gag order
Former U.S. President Donald Trump was fined $5,000 by a New York judge for violating a gag order in his civil fraud trial. The judge said Trump failed to remove a social media post mocking a clerk at the court. Trump’s lawyer apologized on his client’s behalf and said it was an inadvertent mistake because aides forgot to remove the post from the campaign website. The post was removed from social media platforms.
Maryland judge shot and killed
Judge Andrew Wilkinson in Maryland was shot and killed outside his home last week. Police named Pedro Argote as the suspect in the case and accused him of targeting Wilkinson over a custody battle. Wilkinson presided over a divorce case involving Argote. He was 52 and became a judge in 2020 after working as a lawyer for more than 20 years.
