Guinea. The death toll for a recent outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa has passed 100, according the World Health Organization. Confirmed Ebola cases have occured in Guinea and Liberia with suspected cases also appearing in Mali. There is no vaccine for the virus, which kills between 20 and 90 percent of victims, but Doctors Without Borders suggest that hygienic practices such as washing hands could help contain the disease.
BBC News
Los Angeles. A staged reading of the latest script from Director Quentin Tarantino took place last Sunday at the United Artists Theater in Los Angeles. Tarantino had hoped “The Hateful Eight” would follow his previous film, “Django Unchained,” but decided to cancel production when the script was leaked. Leading Hollywood actors played in the reading, including Samuel L. Jackson and Tim Roth. Tarantino said the performance was based on the first draft of the script, and he intends to make changes to it. It is unclear what the director will do with the script and whether it will ever make it to the big screen.
The Hollywood Reporter
London. Officials at the North Korean embassy in London are defending their leader’s haircut from mockery. The embassy issued a complaint to Britain’s Foreign Office, criticizing a large advertisement posted at a salon near the embassy that features a head shot of North Korean President Kim Jong Un and the phrase “Bad Hair Day?” The ambassador called the ad “a provocation” and demanded the U.K. take “necessary action.” According to workers at the salon that posted the advertisement, they hoped to play on Un’s recognizable haircut and current rumors of a law compelling all North Korean men to adopt the style.
Reuters
Beijing. Results of an extensive corruption investigation of Chinese party leader Zhou Yongkang were published along with thousands of pages of documents on Saturday. The investigation, launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping, reveals vast business connections among Zhou’s family and close associates. The family’s interests extend across multiple sectors of the Chinese economy, including divisions of the oil industry. The results verify public suspicions that party members use their position to enrich their families. Xi said the disclosures demonstrate a serious commitment to fighting top-level corruption, but critics question whether the finances of Xi and his allies would be released.
The New York Times
Seoul. The captain and crew of the ferry that sunk off of South Korea last week have been condemned by the country’s President Park Guen-hye. Radio transcripts released last Saturday reveal the captain panicked and failed to act to evacuate passengers in time. Guen-hye said that the actions of the crew were “akin to murder.” The captain is facing charges for not seeking help from other ships and for violating seamen’s law.
CNN