Author: Lucy Feickert
Kenya. Ten to 15 al-Shabab extremists, including several Americans, stormed an upscale mall in Nairobi, Kenya, on Saturday and began firing at civilians, targeting non-Muslims, including women and children. According to the Somalia-based, al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab’s Twitter account, the attack was in retaliation to Kenya’s invasion of Somalia. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta declared the government’s continuing determination in fighting the al-Shabab and the terrorist acts they orchestrate. The Kenyan police reported on Sunday that “most” of the hostages held overnight by al-Shabab forces have been rescued and that police forces have taken over most of the mall. Sixty-eight people had been killed in the standoff by Sunday evening and more than 175 people injured.
Associated Press
China. The Intermediate People’s Court in Jinan, Shandong province, have reached a verdict on the trial of politician Bo Xilai, finding him guilty of bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power. Xilai has been sentenced to life imprisonment for taking bribes and damaging China’s national interests, as well as the interests of the Chinese people. Xilai has 10 days to appeal the sentence, although BBC correspondents reported it would be unlikely for Xilai to win such an appeal. The trial, which was public by China’s standards, has brought crisis to the Chinese Communist Party, as Xilai was a candidate for China’s Politburo Standing Committee, a top decision-making body in the country.
BBC News
Washington D.C. This Sunday a ceremony was held honoring the 12 victims of the Washington, D.C. Navy Yard shootings. President Obama declared the necessity for greater gun control laws, his frustration with the political system and that change in gun control has to come from the American people. Obama eulogized the victims, naming each and sharing a small piece of their individual lives at the ceremony. The Navy Yard shooting follows numerous mass shootings which have occurred during Obama’s presidency and efforts to pass strict gun control laws that failed in the Senate last spring.
The New York Times
Wales. After realizing many patients involved in fights did not report them to the police, a hospital in Cardiff, Wales, began reporting information to authorities in an effort to reduce violence. After removing patient-identifying information, the hospital would provide law enforcement with details about where fights were occurring, which allowed the police to target areas more prone to violence. This program, estimated to cost the city $338,000, has significantly lowered crime throughout Cardiff.
National Public Radio
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