Compiled by Brittany Beermann
SOMALIA
Five years ago, in March 2012, a fishing ship was hijacked by Somalian pirates off the coast of Seychelles; the passengers on board, originally 29, are from multiple countries—from China to Taiwan to the Philippines to Cambodia. The hostages were released on Saturday, Oct. 22. It is still unknown whether a ransom was paid or not.
JAPAN
In Utsunomiya, near Tokyo, an ex-soldier, 72, committed suicide by blowing himself up in a public park, injuring three others. A second explosion caused a fire in the park’s parking lot, while the ex-soldier’s house was burned to the ground. Police are investigating the three pyro-related incidents and have found the man’s suicide note.
HAITI
During a riot in Arcahaie on Saturday, Oct. 22, a guard was killed outside a prison, and 174 inmates escaped. So far, a dozen have been recaptured, according to Inspector Garry Derosiers. U.S. citizens were warned by the embassy in Haiti not to go to that area, since the prison break was violent. The identity of the individual who murdered the guard and the method of the prisoners’ escape are still under investigation.
AUSTRALIA
Two males and two females were killed in an alleged malfunction of the Thunder River Rapids ride in Dreamworld, the country’s largest water park, in Coomera. A witness said that the raft suddenly flipped over and everyone was screaming.
NORWAY
In Halden, on Monday, Oct. 24, a nuclear reactor at the Institute for Energy Technology malfunctioned and leaked radioactive iodine, a by-product of its uranium power. However, it has been confirmed by experts that the amount leaked has low environmental risk. The incident was not reported until Tuesday, Oct. 25. Rather, it was kept under wraps until the leak was stopped later that day by the staff.