By Yadnom Awu/ Asaba
America
Democrats Make Huge Gains In Mayoral, Guber Polls In America
…New York Gets Youngest , First Muslim Major
In a potential.pointer to the fate of the upcoming midterm parliamentary polls in America, the opposition Democratic Party has won all three major elections held across parts of the country yesterday
In the vital poll for the seat of Mayor of New York, the most economically buoyant city in the world , the Democrats won through Zohran Mandani.
Mandani becomes the first Muslim and the youngest Mayor in the history of the city.
He clinched 50.4 per cent of the total votes, leaving Cuomo, a Democrat who vied as a centrist independent candidate with 40 per cent.
The poll was also historic because of the huge turnout of more than 2 million , the most since 1969.
In the two governorship elections, the Democrats emerged victorious through its female candidates n Virginia and Nes Jersey.
The party won through its candidate , Abigail Spanberger in Virginia , and Mikie Sherill in .New Jersey, thus becoming the first female Democratic Party member to hold that office.
Reacting to the development, President Trump downplayed the outcomes.
He attributed the failure of his party, the Republican Party, to the shutdown of the American Federal Government for which he blamed the Democrats.
The shutdown, the longest in American history, is in its 36th day.
Both the first a d second terms of the Trump presidency have been marked by shutdowns.
The attempt to deploy the strategy of filibuster to overcome the shutdown because, despite several efforts, the Senate could not make the 60 votes benchmark
Israel
Israel Confirms Identity of Body of Hostage Received From Hamas
Israel has confirmed that the body of the hostage it received last night from Hamas is that of its soldiers.
It identified the soldier as of Israeli/ American descent.
His remains brought to 21, the number of bodies that Hamas has returned to Israel under a Ceasefire deal that was brokered by a coalition of countries led by America.
By the count, Hamas has seven more bodies to hand over to Israel through the Red Cross.
America
Seven Die In UPS Plane Crash In Kentucky
Seven persons died and 11 others were injured when a cargo plane belonging to United Parcel Services ( UPS) crashed shortly after take -off in Kentucky.
The plane had taken off from Louisville Airport, but for as yet unknown reasons, crashed in a heap of wreckage shortly afterwards.
The identities of the dead and the injured were yet to be ascertained at press time.
The Governor of the state of Kentucky, Andry Shebear has warned that the death toll could rise, given the severity of the injuries.
Sudan
200,000 Civillians Trapped In Al- Fasher – UN
The United Nations (UN) has warned that more than 200,000 civillians remained trapped in the Sudaneses city of Al- Fasher.
It added that they remained in inclement. circumstances and that the Rapid Support Forces( RSF) which seized control of the city from the army penultimate Sunday, had not created the right environment for those desirous of leaving to do so.
About 63,000 persons have fled the city since it’s fall to the RSF, and the vast majority of them have spoken of inhuman treatment of victims by the RSF .
According to them, troops of the rebel group had caused mayhem in the city, the capital of West Darfur Region, by the Indiscriminate killing of civilians , rapes and robbery.
The group had said that it had arrested some of those allegedly behind the violations, including one Saudi Lulu, suspected of being one of the artiwheads of the rights violators.
Al- Fasher, base of the last stronghold of the Sudanese Army in Darfur, had been under relentless siege by the RSF for more than 17 months before its collapse and fall penultimate Sunday.
Palestine
Hamas, ICRC Intensity Search For Bodies of Remaining Hostages
The Palestinian group, Hamas, backed by experts from the International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (ICRC), has intensified the search for the bodies of seven Israeli hostages it is yet to turn into Israel.
The search is covering all of Gaza and its adjoining areas, including those behind the Yellow line still under Israeli military control.
The search is also being supported by experts from Egypt,which has also provided the heavy machinery required for the tedious exercise.
So far, 21 bodies have been handed over to Israel via the ICRC, under the aegis of the ceasefire brokered by a coalition of countries led by America .
It had handed over 20 living hostages to Israel under the ceasefire deal which began on October
10.
Israel, by the terms of the deal, was expected to hand over the remains of 15 Palestinians for every one dead Israeli hostage turned in.
Bosnia
10 Die In Nursing Home Fire
Ten persons have died and scores of others wounded in a rare fire incident at a nursing home in Bosnia .
Details of the incident were not available but local media sources said the facility housed the aged.
The Phillipines
Typhoon Claims 66 Lives
A typhoon has swept through the low- lying coastline of The Phillipines , causing huge human and property losses.
The huge storm hit the vicinity of Sabu, leaving a strew of wreckage in its wake.
The typhoon is the latest to hit the country and locals say search and rescue efforts are continuing
