Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Arabian king’s advisory council recommended Friday that the government relax its ban on female drivers. The council suggested that women be allowed to drive if they over the age of 30, do not wear makeup and do not drive past 8 p.m. Eligible women would still need a male relative’s permission to drive a car, according to one council member. It is still unclear whether the government will accept these new recommendations. Saudi Arabia is currently the only country that bans female drivers, a mandate with origins in Shariah law. Muslim clerics fear that relaxing the ban would promote “licentiousness,” or lack of sexual restraint.
New York Times
North Korea. Photos released by the North Korean regime reveal that supreme leader Kim Jong Un is now able to walk without the use of a cane. Some have speculated that he had surgery to remove a cyst from his left ankle, which may have been caused by Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome. Rheumatologist Dr. Robert Bunning studied the photographs of the 31-year-old Korean leader and suggested he could have developed this problem from weight gain. It appears he has recovered well from the surgery after six weeks out of the public eye.
CNN
Denmark. A video depicting members of the Danish National Chamber Orchestra eating hot chile peppers while they played has gone viral, receiving over 2 million views in one week. Each performer is seen eating a chile pepper before the starting piece “Tango Jalousie” by composer Jacob Gade. According to the Chamber Orchestra’s official website, the ensemble was established in 1937, and consists of 42 members today. When asked about this strange ritual, concertmaster Erik Heide said, “I think chile is a good ingredient to have in many parts of your life, and also music.”
Los Angeles Times
Colombia. Colombian fisherman Solano Salazar was rescued by the Colombian Coast Guard Nov. 5, two days after his boat capsized. The coast guard boat, which was on a routine drill, found him clinging to a foam cooler 22 nautical miles off the southwest coast of Colombia. The 47-year-old fisherman had gone fishing with his partner, whose location still remains unknown. Salazar explained that they were out at sea when a storm hit and their boat began to sink. He was still recovering in the hospital at press time.
The Guardian UK
