Rallies in Zimbabwe for the resignation of President Robert Mugabe.
Zimbabweans protest in the streets. (Image courtesy of EPA)
Throughout the week, cities in Zimbabwe have been filled with citizens demanding President Robert Mugabe to resign. A rally on Saturday was supported by many regional leaders, the army, and veterans of Zimbabwe’s war for independence who were loyal to Mr. Mugabe until last year. Mr. Mugabe has been in power since Zimbabwe first gained independence in 1980, and it is believed that he was planning to assign his wife, Grace Mugabe, as his successor. Zimbabweans want Mr. Mugabe to step down in hopes that a change in leadership will resolve current issues with the economy, unemployment, and quality of life in general. The military has confined him to his residence, and there has been no official response from Mr. Mugabe or his wife Grace.
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A rendering of a possible floating city. (Image courtesy of Blue Frontiers)
Floating cities may become possible in coming years.
The Seasteading Institute has been working on creating sustainable structures in international waters as part of the Floating Island Project. Earlier this year, the French Polynesian government allowed the Seasteading Institute to begin testing in their waters, and construction of the first floating buildings could begin soon. The core idea behind seasteading is to give people a chance to redesign society and government, as the “city” is located in international waters. Unfortunately, even if the Seasteading Institute can construct sustainable structures, there is no telling whether or not a community could succeed. One innovator on the Floating Island Project, Mr. Quirk, and his team are planning to build about a dozen structures by 2020 and hopes to see floating cities by 2050.
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Violence between Muslims and Buddhists in Sri Lanka.
Vandalised property in Galle province. (Image courtesy of BBC)
On 17 November police arrested nineteen people due to violence in Galle province in southern Sri Lanka. Four people were injured and arrests were made for spreading false messages and rumours that contributed to the violence. Riot police and army troops were deployed, and a curfew was set by MP Manusha Nanayakkara from 6 pm to 6 am to prevent further violence. Ten vehicles were destroyed, most of which belonged to Muslims, and sixty-two homes and businesses were attacked. The outbreak of street violence was sparked by an incident between a Muslim woman and a Buddhist man driving a motorcycle.
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Doctors attending to a bird flu patient. (Image courtesy of Agence France-Presse — Getty Images)
Health concerns increase as bird flu spreads in Asia.
Global health agencies have become concerned about bird flu in Asia but are trying to avoid alarmism. Particular bird viruses from the H7N9 strain have been able to infect people, and have continued to spread to new cities. While most subjects that tested positive for the infection had been exposed to live poultry, it has also been suggested that the virus could be passing from person to person. In September, it was revealed that the H7N9 can be lethal to birds, and in October researchers discovered that a strain of H7N9 from China could transfer between and be lethal to ferrets. This has been a source of alarm for virologists, as ferrets and humans suffer from very similar effects of the flu.
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Infamous head of the Sicilian Mafia dies.
“Toto” Riina in prison. He was recorded saying that he regrets nothing. (Image courtesy of ALAMY)
Salvatore “Toto” Riina, known as the ‘boss of all bosses’ in the Sicilian Mafia, died of cancer on 17 November. Riina was notorious for being one of the most brutal members of the Mafia and died while serving twenty-six life sentences. He was believed to have ordered over one hundred and fifty murders both before and after being incarcerated. Prior to being jailed in 1993, Riina was wanted and in hiding for almost a quarter of a century. He was known to murder his enemies, which worried many members of the Mafia who then began to co-operate with investigators in fear for their lives. During his final days, Riina was in a medically induced coma, and family members were allowed to visit him in the hospital.
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