Domestic
A shooting last Wednesday left one National Guard member dead and one seriously injured. After authorities identified Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal as the prime suspect in the shooting, the United States halted asylum decisions and the process of issuing visas to individuals from Afghanistan. Many people from Afghanistan came to the United States as part of the Special Immigrant Visa program, which enabled those who had assisted U.S. troops as part of wartime efforts to enter the United States.
Animated movie “Zootopia 2” has earned over $556 million globally since its release last Wednesday. “Zootopia 2” is the sequel to the 2016 film starring rabbit Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman). The sequel is the sixth biggest opening in North America for 2025. Almost half of the film’s earnings were from China, clocking in at over $272 million. This is the second biggest nonlocal film opening, behind “Avengers: Endgame.” These earnings mark a high point for the movie industry, which has fallen behind expectations this year.
International
A fire in a Hong Kong high-rise apartment complex has left at least 146 dead. The fire occurred at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district. Three individuals have been arrested in connection with the fire and are expected to be charged with manslaughter as a result of negligence. The buildings, which were under construction at the time, had bamboo scaffolding, which allowed the fire to spread quickly. The fire burned for 40 hours before it was contained and is the deadliest in Hong Kong in decades.
Intense flooding and mudslides caused by Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka, a country in South Asia, have resulted in over 465 deaths. Sri Lanka is still recovering from an economic crash in 2022, further hampering the emergency response. Indonesia and Thailand have also been hit hard by the cyclone, with 755 and 177 reported deaths, respectively. In Thailand, the first compensation payments, totaling $7.6 million, have been distributed to over 26,000 affected people.
