Presidential Candidates Face-Off in the Final Debate.
Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton debates Republican nominee Donald Trump. (Image courtesy of Mark Ralston/Associated Press)
On 19 October 2016, the presidential nominees for the Democratic and Republican parties, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, respectively, faced off in the third and final presidential debate. Mediated by Fox News’ Chris Wallace, the debate was held in front of a live audience at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The candidates clashed about various issues and debated topics such as abortion and Syria. Wallace also questioned the candidates on their scandals, with both of the candidates’ charitable organizations meriting a mention. Clinton was asked about the recently released information about her senior aide’s email by WikiLeaks, while Trump was asked about allegations that he sexually assaulted women. The Republican nominee was also questioned about his claims that the election is unfairly ‘rigged’ in Clinton’s favour.
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Scientists Fear a Crash Landing for the Mars probe.
The European probe suffered from mechanical failures within the final few seconds before landing. (Image courtesy of The Telegraph)
Scientists are still uncertain whether the Schiaparelli probe successfully landed on Mars, or crashed. The European lander was part of a mission to search for evidence of life on Mars, and was specifically intended to test technologies for the descent and surface exploration of a future rover. However, during its landing, its thrusters fired later than expected, and then lost contact with Earth. Scientists have yet to make contact with the probe, but they did manage to obtain data on its entry into the planet’s atmosphere and the deployment of the probe’s heat shield and parachute.
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Nintendo Announces the Nintendo Switch.
The new Nintendo Switch, which includes detachable controllers, will be released in March 2017. (Image courtesy of polygon.com)
Nintendo, the technology gaming giant, is planning to release their newest portable gaming device called the Nintendo Switch. Along with this, they are re-introducing cartridge games, as seen on previous 3DS’ and gameboys, and “joy-cons”, which are small controllers on the device itself. The new device is advertized for its portability. The Nintendo switch is presumably able to be played in any location, without main supply or internet connection. Some critics are concerned about the durability of the moving hardware parts of the device.
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6.2 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Kurayoshi, Japan.
The earthquake caused a blackout for some residents. (Image courtesy of the Associate Press)
On 19 October, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake shook Japan. The earthquake was approximately 6.3 km in depth and hit the city of Kurayoshi, near Osaka. Even though power has since been restored, almost 80,000 homes were initially in a state of blackout. There have been reports of damage to housing and some casualties as well. Aid groups are providing basic care and material support if needed.
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UN Warns of War Crimes in Syria.
Attacks on Aleppo has led to severe damage to the city. (Image courtesy of Associated Press/SANA)
Top UN officials are calling the bombing of Aleppo “crimes of historic proportions”, especially after recent resurgence in violence. UN and many other worldwide organizations are condemning these attacks and urging nations to send aid. Since there is no safety assurance, the UN is unable to carry out medical evacuations. Some cluster bombs being thrown over the city are claiming the lives of innocent civilians. While the UN has mentioned a ceasefire and the EU is denouncing these acts as atrocities, so far little action has been taken.
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