This week's news by the numbers: October 19–25
This week's news by the numbers: October 19–25
Stacker distills the week's news from around the world into key facts and figures. This week's takeaways includes the teacher strike in Chicago, protests in Iraq, and the presidential election in Bolivia.
Click through to read more about some of this past week's biggest headlines.
Chicago teacher strike leads to 300,000 out of school for 7 days
No agreement has been reached in a week-long teacher strike in Chicago. The walkout has forced school cancellation for the district’s 300,000 students with Friday marking the seventh day of closure. The strike, involving the Chicago Teachers Union and Chicago Public Schools is focused on resolving issues of class size, staffing, teacher pay, and benefits.
President Evo Morales declares victory with 10.5-point lead
Bolivian President Evo Morales declared victory after election votes were tallied this week. With a total of 47.07% of the votes, Morales appeared to have a 10.5-point lead over former president and candidate Carlos Mesa. In Bolivia, outright victory can be declared with a 10-point lead over the next-closest candidate, eliminating a second-round ballot. Critics have claimed fraud in the vote count, and protests over Morales’ victory are ongoing.
23 protestors killed in Iraq
Twenty-three people were killed in the latest clash between Iraqi police and anti-government protesters on Friday. The protests over government corruption and mismanagement began on Oct. 1 in the capital city of Baghdad. According to the Associated Press, an inquiry into the initial protests determined that security forces used excessive force, killing 149 people and wounding 3,000.
39 people found dead in U.K. truck
On Wednesday, 39 people were found dead inside a refrigerated truck in a U.K. industrial park in what appears to be a human trafficking operation. While the investigation is ongoing, officials report that the victims are believed to be Chinese and Vietnamese migrants. Four people have been arrested in connection with these deaths so far.
1,000 troops being removed from Syrian border, hundreds being sent to protect oil fields
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced on Friday that the U.S. will send several hundred combat troops and armored vehicles to protect Syria's oil fields from Islamic State militants. These reinforcements are happening while 1,000 troops are being removed from Syria's border with Turkey. The troops being withdrawn faced backlash from Kurdish civilians earlier this week. People threw fruit, hurled insults, and held signs echoing sentiments of betrayal. One such sign read: "To the U.S. Army who are leaving northeast Syria now. Tell your children that the children of the Kurds were killed by the Turks and we did nothing to protect them."
