Myanmar’s first free election since 1990

Myanmar held its freest election on Nov. 8 as the long process of forming the country’s next government gets underway, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The Wall Street Journal reported many of the 30 million participants were voting for the first time after the country suffered under militaristic rule for nearly five decades, the last five years of which were under a quasi-civilian government.

Although more than 90 parties are contesting, the main fight is between opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy and the ruling Union Solidarity Development Party, made up largely of former junta members, stated the source.

In the first junta-allowed elections in 1990, Suu Kyi’s party claimed an overwhelming victory ,but a shocked army refused to seat the winning lawmakers with the excuse that a new constitution first had to be implemented, reported the source. Despite her popularity, Suu Kyi’s is also barred from the presidency due to a constitutional amendment, informed the Wall Street Journal.

Leatherface actor, Gunnar Hansen dies

Per the Associated Press, a spokesperson confirmed Gunnar Hansen, who played the iconic villain Leatherface in the original “Texas Chain Saw Massacre,” died Nov. 7 at the age of 68 due to of pancreatic cancer at his home in Maine.

Hansen starred in the 1974 film that became a classic among horror-movie aficionados and spawned a series of sequels, informed the Los Angeles Times. In the movie, friends visiting their grandfather’s house are haunted by Leatherface, a chain-saw wielding killer.

“Hansen’s character in the movie is one of the most iconic evil figures in the history of cinema,”  his agent Mike Eisenstadt said.

According to the Associated Press, Hansen is survived by his partner of 13 years, Betty Tower.

Navy missile mistaken for possible UFO

The United States navy fired an unarmed missile from a submarine off the coast of Southern California on Nov. 7. It created a bright light in the sky which left residents in California, Nevada and Arizona questioning about a possible celestial sighting, Ventura County Star reported.

According to the news source, a statement from the Pentagon confirmed that Navy Strategic Systems Programs “conducted the scheduled Trident II missile test flight at sea from the Kentucky, an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine, in the Pacific Test Range off the coast.”

The lack of information about the streak of light around 6 p.m. led to a flurry of calls to law enforcement agencies and lit up social media regarding speculations ranging from a flare to a comet ,to a nuclear bomb to a UFO, the Ventura County Star stated.

Commander Ryan Perry said the launches are conducted on a frequent basis to ensure the continued reliability of the system and that information about such test launches is classified prior to the launch, according to the source.

Per the Ventura County Star, it wasn’t clarified whether the test was related to the rerouting of nighttime flights into and out of Los Angeles International Airport because of an active military airspace from Nov. 6 – Nov. 12.

Local fires threaten homes and businesses

Brush fires in Moorpark and Thousand Oaks have been fully contained county fire officials repored on Nov. 8.

According to the Ventura County Star, there were no known evacuations, injuries or damaged structures in either blaze.

Firefighters said they worked overnight Nov. 7, mopping up hot spots and building a fire line around the Princeton Ave. Fire.The 44-acre fire began around 2:15 p.m. on Nov. 7 and although it threatened a mobile home park, several businesses and a campground, the fire is now 100 percent contained, stated the source.

Per the Ventura County Star, the Potrero Fire, a 29-acre blaze near Thousand Oaks, had been 90 percent contained by Nov. 8 morning and 100 percent contained by the night of Nov. 8. Helicopters, planes and more than 330 firefighters responded around 1:38 a.m. on Nov. 7  to the fire that burned in the hills South of Thousand Oaks and North of Lake Sherwood, reported the source.

Kristen Hansen
Staff Writer
Published November 11th, 2015