More than 700 killed in stampede near Mecca
During the annual Hajj, the Islamic pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, at least 717 people were killed and 863 were injured in a stampede in the city of Mina, which is three miles from Mecca. Each year, millions of worshippers travel from Mecca to Mina as part of the rite, and this year, as travelers were coming from each direction, chaos ensued. This is the deadliest event to occur during the Hajj in 25 years.
Colombian government and Farc to make peace
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and Farc leader Timochenko agreed to sign a peace deal within six months in a meeting facilitated by Raul Castro of Cuba. Farc, or the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia—People’s Army, was created in 1964 and is a terrorist organization whose original goal was to meet the needs and address the concerns of the rural population. The Colombian government has attempted to find peace with Farc since Santos was elected in 2012, but Farc has interrupted this process by violating cease-fire agreements.
Volkswagen admits to manipulating diesel emissions tests in Europe
Volkswagen said it used the same falsified tests in Europe as it did in the U.S., according to Germany’s transport minister. The car manufacturer said that it used a software to manipulate emission test results in the U.S., and affected car models include the 2009 to 2015 Jetta, Beetle, Audi A3 and Golf and the 2014 to 2015 Passat. Diesel-fueled vehicles are more popular in Europe than in the U.S., and the scandal has prompted German officials to consider public prosecution while the U.S. plans criminal investigation. The British government is also setting up its own investigation of car emissions and will retest suspect engines. It called for the European Commission to conduct a sweeping investigation in all of Europe. As a result of the scandal, VW stocks have drastically fallen.
Al Jazeera journalists released by Egypt
Two Al Jazeera journalists, Mohammed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed, who were jailed in Egypt for false news broadcasting, were pardoned by President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi. Fahmy, a Canadian, and Mohamed, an Egyptian, were part of a group of 100 prisoners who were released.
Anti-ISIS army chief found dead in Iraq hotel
Colonel Stephan Spoettle was found dead in his hotel room in the city of Irbil, said the German armed forces. Spoettle was a German army chief in the U.S.-led coalition of forces against ISIS and was the head of a German training unit in northern Iraq. The German armed forces also said there is no evidence that Spoettle took his own life or that a third party was involved.
Suicide bombing in Yemen mosque leaves at least 25 dead and 36 injured
ISIS announced that it was behind a suicide bombing that left at least 25 dead and 36 injured in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, on Sept. 24. Two explosions struck the mosque; the first hit the exterior of the mosque, and the second was aimed at the worshippers as they fled the building. The United Nations said that since March 26, almost 5,000 people, about half of which were civilians, have been killed in Yemen as a result of on-ground fighting and air strikes.
