Articles in this Cluster
09-12-2025
Thirteen inmates died over the weekend in a prison in Ecuador's coastal city of Machala, bringing the total number of deaths in the prison to 44 in the past month. The deaths are believed to be the result of asphyxiation, and an explosion caused by a drone was reported outside the prison. The incident is under investigation, and autopsies are being carried out to determine the causes of death. Ecuador's prisons have been plagued by violence, with at least 663 prisoners dying since 2020 due to overcrowding, corruption, and weak state control. The country's president, Daniel Noboa, has adopted a hardline policy against organized crime, declaring the country to be in a state of internal armed conflict.
Entities: Ecuador, Machala, SNAI, Daniel Noboa, Nayib Bukele • Tone: neutral • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
09-12-2025
A 26-year-old Chicago man, Joshua Michals, studying at Goldsmiths University in London, has been found guilty of murdering his on-and-off girlfriend, 31-year-old Zhe Wang. Michals stabbed and choked Wang in March 2024 after a disagreement about getting tested for sexually transmitted diseases. He then called his father to secure a lawyer before alerting the police. The prosecution argued that Michals 'flew into a rage' and killed Wang, while Michals claimed self-defense. The police investigation found evidence of a 'growing source of tension' between the couple due to Wang's repeated requests for Michals to get tested for STDs. Michals was arrested with bloodstained clothes, and his phone records showed a history of conflict with Wang.
Entities: Joshua Michals, Zhe Wang, Chicago, London, Goldsmiths University • Tone: neutral • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
09-12-2025
Nigerian authorities have uncovered an extensive organ-harvesting ring in Imo State after weeks of covert surveillance. The ring, led by a man named High Chief Stanley Oparaugo, allegedly lured victims to a hotel where they were robbed, abducted, and taken to a nearby mortuary to be killed and have their organs harvested for sale. Over 100 decomposed and mutilated corpses were found at the mortuary. The police are still searching for Oparaugo, and maximum security has been deployed in the area.
Entities: Nigeria, Imo State, High Chief Stanley Oparaugo, Jessy Best Hotel, Ngor Okpala • Tone: neutral • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
09-12-2025
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that 63 children were killed in attacks on a kindergarten and hospital in Sudan's South Kordofan state. The attacks, which occurred on December 4, 2025, also resulted in the deaths of over 100 people, including the 63 children, and injured 35 others. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) claimed control of the strategic Heglig oilfield in the same region. The WHO condemned the attacks, and the Sudan Foreign Ministry blamed the RSF for using drones in the strikes. The incident has drawn international attention to the ongoing civil war in Sudan, which has been ongoing for two and a half years.
Entities: Sudan, World Health Organisation (WHO), Rapid Support Forces (RSF), South Kordofan state, Heglig oilfield • Tone: negative • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
09-12-2025
A California mother, Cherie Townsend, has been convicted of first-degree murder for stabbing a 66-year-old retired nurse, Susan Leeds, 17 times in her Mercedes-Benz SUV in a parking garage at the Peninsula shopping mall in 2018. Townsend committed the crime in an attempt to steal $2,000 to fund her daughter's cheerleading trip to Florida. The conviction came nearly a decade after the murder, following a complex investigation and trial. Townsend's defense argued that there was no direct evidence linking her to the crime, but prosecutors presented DNA evidence and testimony from a criminologist that tied her to the scene. Townsend faces 26 years to life in prison and is set to be sentenced on January 23.
Entities: Cherie Townsend, Susan Leeds, Peninsula shopping mall, California, Florida • Tone: negative • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
