1. Navy SEALs target al Shabab leader in Somalia
A Navy SEAL team led a raid against an alleged al Shabab leader in a Somali village on Saturday. The man, who remains unidentified, is said to be linked to the group's horrific shooting attack in a Kenyan shopping mall last month, a slaughter that claimed the lives of at least 72 (61 of whom were civilians). The SEALS were reportedly forced to abort their mission before capturing or killing the al Shabab leader, though specific details remain unclear. [CBS News]
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2. U.S. captures al Qaeda leader in Libya
American forces took Nazih Abdul-Hamed al-Ruqai, better known as Abu Anas al-Liby, a Libyan militant accused of taking part in the 1998 bombings of the American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, into custody on Saturday in Tripoli. The terrorist had a $5 million bounty on his head, and his capture ends a 15-year manhunt. [New York Times]
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3. Suicide bomber kills dozens in Baghdad
A suicide bomber detonated explosives in a crowded cafe in a Sunni neighborhood in Baghdad, killing several dozen people, most of whom were Shiite pilgrims passing through the square. Sectarian violence is quickly escalating in Iraq, prompting many to draw comparisons between Iraq and Syria. [Reuters]
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4. Cancelation of Obama's Asia trip boosts China
In light of the recent government shutdown, President Barack Obama has canceled a long-planned trip to Asia, prompting controversy and, unintentionally, a surge in influence and popularity for China's leader, Xi Jinping. "It shows that China has a functional government and America doesn't at the moment," said Kerry Brown, a China expert at the University of Sydney. This is the third Asia trip that Obama has canceled. [Washington Post]
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5. Ireland votes to keep its Senate
After a vote in a referendum on Friday, Ireland has decided to keep its upper house of parliament open despite Prime Minister Edna Kenny's proposal to eliminate it. Kenny suggested this action in an effort to save money in a country that was forced to accept a bailout from the European Union in 2010. [Al Jazeera America]
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6. Chilean frost threatens one of world's largest fruit sources
The season's frost — the worst seen in Chile in over 80 years — has wrought an estimated $1 billion worth of damage to the South American nation's fruit crops, leading the country to declare a state of emergency. Chile is among South America's most productive fruit exporters. Wine production, in particular, has been hit hard by the frost, jeopardizing employment and the nation's economy in general. [Reuters]
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7. Madonna reveals past rape
Pop icon Madonna has revealed to Harper's Bazaar that she was raped at knifepoint on a Manhattan rooftop at the age of 19. She also remembered being held up at gunpoint, and that her apartment was broken into multiple times before she began to break into the music industry in the early 1980s. "I was defiant," she said, "hellbent on surviving." [Daily Mail]
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8. Teen couple in Morocco arrested for posting smooch on Facebook
A pair of young lovebirds have been arrested for violating public decency laws by posting a photograph of themselves kissing in front of their high school in the Moroccan town of Nador. Their arrest has caused a stir, provoking a raft of copycat posts and a sit-in at the juvenile detention center where the youngsters are being held. [Al Jazeera]
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9. The moon will dance with three planets tonight and Tuesday
Forty minutes after sunset tonight, Saturn will hover above the crescent moon, Mercury will be visible to the moon's lower left side, and Venus will shine brightly in the sky. This event is called a "triple conjunction" and is best visible using binoculars. [Yahoo]
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10. Red Sox open 2-0 lead over Tampa Bay
Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz belted two home runs in Boston's 7-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday, giving the Red Sox a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five American League Division Series. Major League Baseball's three other playoff series are all tied 1-1. [ESPN]
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