69 killed in Nigerian protests
On Oct. 23, Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, commented on the death of 51 civilians, 11 police officers and seven soldiers in an emergency meeting to find ways of ending the unrest due to recent protests. Protests began on Oct.r 7, demanding the abolishment of a notorious national police unit, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). Although the unit was dissolved only days later, the protests have continued, with shootings in Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city, on Oct. 27. At an emergency meeting, Buhari said his administration was committed to fulfilling the needs of the protesters. However, he said that his government would not “Fold its arms and allow criminals who had hijacked the protests to continue to perpetrate hooliganism.”
$500 million worth of cocaine found hidden in a charcoal shipment
Police in Paraguay found a record-breaking 2.3 tons of cocaine hidden among a charcoal shipment bound for Israel on Oct. 20. According to BBC, “Charcoal, a key Latin American export, has become a popular cover for trafficking cocaine across international borders.” This was the largest drug seizure police have made in Paraguay. The drugs were found in a container at a private port in the city of Villeta near the capital, Asunciόn. So far, two people have been arrested, one of which is a former director of a state TV channel. The police said that the cocaine parcels were found in one of six suspected containers and that the five remaining containers that have yet to be searched could contain drugs as well. Euclides Acvedo, Minister of the Interior, stated “The final haul could amount to more than three tons.”
Greenpeace claims that contaminated water could damage human DNA
According to a statement released from the environmental campaign group, Greenpeace,“Contaminated water from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant contains a radioactive substance that has the potential to damage and alter human DNA.” This statement follows media reports suggesting that the Japanese government plans to release this water into the open ocean. Reported plans state the water would first be diluted inside the plant in a process that would take several years. In the report “Stemming the tide 2020: The reality of the Fukushima radioactive water crisis,” released on Oct. 23, Greenpeace claimed that the contaminated water contained “dangerous levels of carbon-14,” a radioactive substance that “has the potential to damage human DNA.” The group went on to accuse the Japanese government of suggesting the water was “treated,” misleading the public by giving the impression the water“only contains tritium.” The government has not ultimately made any changes in regards to the water treatment, but instead is holding off on any decisions while listening to concers. However, observers think that one could be announced within the following month.
Hundreds mourn the death of Syrian Mufti
Hundreds attended the funeral of the Sunni Muslim Mufti of Syria’s capital, Damascus, who was assassinated by a car bomb last Thursday. The Mufti, Sheikh Mohammad Adnan al-Afiyuni, died after his vehicle was targeted with an explosive device from outside of the city. al-Afiyuniwas known as an ally of the president, Bashar al-Assad, often conducting talks with rebels throughout regions in the country. The government now controls most of the country after nine years of civil war, more than 380,000 deaths and 13.2 million others displaced inside and outside Syria. al-Afiyuni died in the town of Qudsaya, near the capital, reported state news agency Sana.
