LIBYA:
When she was just fifteen years old, an ordinary Libyan girl named Soraya began an unimaginable life as one of Col. Muammar Gaddafi’s sex slaves, many of whom were members of the Amazonian Guard, the all-female group Gaddafi famously championed as an indication of his feminist beliefs.
Trapped in a complicated labyrinth of moldy, dark, sweaty tunnels, Soraya passed her days waiting to be summoned to the President’s quarters for all kinds of crazy sex. From role playing, to urination, to multiple partners, Soraya endured it all. She had no choice but to adhere to Gaddafi’s cocaine-driven fantasies and she answered to “whore,” which was all he ever called her.
Now that he is dead and she is free, she sits alone in her apartment and insists, “I didn’t dream it!”
MYANMAR:
Lo Hsing Han wore many hats in his 80-year lifetime. From poor boy in the northern hills of Myanmar, to commander of a 3,000-man militia, to “godfather of heroin,” to owner of a lucrative conglomerate, to criminal sentenced to death, to “important broker for peace talks,” this recently deceased husband and father certainly made his mark.
HAITI:
Though Haiti is still one of the poorest countries in the world, one man has begun changing the lives of shantytown dwellers near Port-au-Prince. Daniel Tallias, a local resident, has committed to cultivating a garden filled with greenery and vegetables to rejuvenate the garbage-ridden area. Both kids and adults are deeply involved in the maintenance of Jaden Tap Tap (Tap Tap Garden) and Tallias hopes it can be a sign to the future generations that all hope for a better future is not lost in Haiti.
[CNN]
NIGERIA:
All schools in the Yobe state of Nigeria have been shut down following an attack by Islamic extremist group Boko Haram, whose name translates to “Western education is sacrilege,” that killed 29 teachers and students. The government declared the area in a state of emergency in May, cutting off all mobile phone lines. Many believe if mobile phones had been operating, the tragedy could have been avoided. Boko Haram shows no signs of slowing its attacks on schools, despite the Nigerian government’s attempts to fight back.
[Gaurdian]
THAILAND:
After an American passenger refused to pay the $2 fee on the meter of his taxi in Bangkok, the driver pulled out a machete and hacked the man to death. Some of the attack was caught on camera, and the police soon found the driver. He is facing murder charges as well as charges of carrying a weapon in public without reasonable cause. [ABC]
SYRIA:
Things aren’t looking up in Syria. In an attempt to unify and organize the rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad’s rule, a prime minister was elected to head an interim government. Unfortunately, Ghassan Hitto, the group’s chosen leader, has resigned, though the exact reasons are unknown. An American citizen, Hitto has refused to begin talks with Assad, a sentiment the new leader, Ahmad Assi al-Jarba has echoed.
[NYT]
