The Goings-On: October in the News
The Goings-On: October in the News
Edited by Nadia Dupuis and Lisa Hood
Edited by Nadia Dupuis and Lisa Hood
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Amidst an ever-changing world order, October of 2023 was especially significant for many regions. International media had new headlines each day, with stories both bad and good.
But before we begin talking about the recent, around-the-world occurrences, it is important to explain the purpose of this new series. The Goings-On series will be used to inform LHS students about recent news in a verifiable and unbiased fashion, which is becoming increasingly difficult to find with the growing influence of politics in social media. The articles will also be used to highlight events in the news that may not be discussed as much as others. Now, onto this past month’s news:
First and foremost, headline news: This month’s biggest headline has been the Hamas attack on Israel. On October 7, the Palestinian militant group, Hamas, launched a surprise cross-border attack on Israeli territory, leading to about 1,400 Israeli deaths. After this, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) to launch a counter-attack on Gaza and other Hamas hotspots to weed out militants. The counter-attacks and further violence on both sides have led to about 7,300 Palestinian deaths. The United Nations sent out aid to areas affected. Recently, communications between Gazans and the rest of the world have been cut out, and aid has been very slow to come in. Protests are ongoing around the world, and in the United States, both cases of antisemitism and islamophobia have been on the rise.
Now moving on to news from some other regions of the world. First, Afghanistan has been hit by brutal earthquakes this past month, largely affecting women and children. Aid has been hard to distribute, and the Taliban’s Ministry of Disaster Management has given a death toll of well over 4,000. The Taliban’s extremist policies led to the shutdowns of many NGO centers employing women, minimizing aid and assistance. Some female NGO workers have said that after the earthquake, they have been harassed by Taliban officials, being blamed for the earthquakes.
In Europe, France has recently seen a great rise in bedbug infestation, causing panic among locals and tourists alike. The infestation has come at a rather inconvenient time, with the French government occupied by setting up for the 2024 Summer Olympics.
In Iceland, over 100,000 women and non-binary individuals, including Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdóttir and other women in her Cabinet, went on strike, demanding equal pay and an end to gender-based violence. This led to shutdowns and shortages in all industries since the country’s population is only about 380,000. This sets a model precedent, as Iceland has been ranked the most gender-equal country in the world by the World Economic Forum for 14 years in a row.
Recently, South Africans rejoiced after their men’s rugby team defeated New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup final, making history as the first men’s team to win the title four times.
In Mexico, Hurricane Otis has hit its Pacific coast, specifically the city of Acapulco, with a rising death toll currently at 39.
In the United States, a shooting in Lewiston, Maine led to 18 deaths and a two-day manhunt, ending in authorities finding the shooter dead. This is now the 565th mass shooting to occur in the U.S. in 2023. Also in U.S. news, the 2024 Presidential Election is underway, and former Vice President and Republican presidential candidate Mike Pence has formally withdrawn from the race.
Now we have finally come to the end of the first edition of The Goings-On. I hope you enjoyed this informational piece, and please make sure to continue your knowledge of current affairs through verifiable sources.
Sources
Bjarnason, Egill. “Women in Iceland Including the Prime Minister Go on Strike for Equal Pay and an End to Violence.” AP News, 24 Oct. 2023, apnews.com/article/iceland-women-strike-equal-pay-970669466116a2b1a5673a8737089d46.
Frankel, Julia. “These Numbers Show the Staggering Toll of the Israel-Hamas War.” AP News, 27 Oct. 2023, apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-death-toll-numbers-injured-5c9dc40bec95a8408c83f3c2fb759da0.
Kumar, Ruchi, and Hikmat Noori. “Quakes Killed Thousands in Afghanistan. Critics Say Taliban Relief Efforts Fall Short.” NPR, 25 Oct. 2023, www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/10/25/1206876604/quakes-killed-thousands-in-afghanistan-critics-say-taliban-relief-efforts-fall-s.
Radford, Antoinette. “Mike Pence: Former US Vice President Withdraws from 2024 Presidential Race.” BBC News, 28 Oct. 2023, www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67252297. Accessed 30 Oct. 2023.
Schofield, Hugh. “Bedbug Panic Sweeps Paris as Infestations Soar before 2024 Olympics.” BBC News, 3 Oct. 2023, www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66995977.
Simelane, Nobuhle, and Damian Zane. “South Africa Rugby World Cup: The Springboks Give Hope to a Troubled Nation.” BBC News, 29 Oct. 2023, www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-67254346. Accessed 30 Oct. 2023.
Stevenson, Mark, and Maria Verza. “Hurricane Otis Unleashes Massive Flooding in Acapulco, Triggers Landslides before Dissipating.” AP News, 25 Oct. 2023, apnews.com/article/hurricane-otis-mexico-acapulco-8daa7fcfa6d538ae2ca672fe54a31519.
“What We Know so Far about the Mass Shooting in Maine.” AP News, 26 Oct. 2023, apnews.com/article/maine-shooting-what-we-know-40e373f7f2f0e0fb012ad4b26f4b78cd
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