Some hostages are still trapped after an Islamist Massacre at a shopping mall – A former high-ranking Chinese official is jailed for life – Mexico’s President gives up hope for scores of people lost in a gigantic town-killing mudslide.

Armed members of the terrorist group al-Shabab are still holding an unknown number of hostages in an upscale shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya.  The attack has left at least 39 people dead.  Gunmen stormed the Westgate Mall on Saturday, ordering Muslims to leave the mall and indiscriminately firing on shoppers who couldn’t get out.  Hand grenades were also used.  On its own Twitter account, al-Shabab said it had “on numerous occasions warned the Kenyan government that failure to remove its forces from Somalia would have severe consequences,” admitting the attack is revenge for Kenya helping Somalia al-Shabab’s attempt to take over southern Somalia and putting under harsh Sharia law.

The terrorist attack at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, a cosmopolitan city, has international implications:  Two Canadians, including a young female diplomatic staffer are among the dead.  The US says an unspecified number of Americans were wounded.  UK and New Zealand says its citizens are impacted.  France condemned the “cowardly attack” that claimed at least two of its citizens.  Videos and photos from the scene clearly show a number people of different nationalities were at the mall, and al-Shabab brought a lot of attention on itself from a lot of countries that can do something about it.  President Uhuru Kenyatta addressed his nation, letting them know that members of his family are among the dead.

At least 72 people were killed when two suicide bombers struck at a funeral in the predominantly Shi’a sadr City neighborhood of Baghdad, Iraq.  One bomber was in a car, the other on foot.  It was the deadliest attack on a gruesome Saturday, in which 96 people lost their lives in sectarian violence in Iraq.

A Chinese court sentenced former politburo member Bo Xilai to life in prison for Bo Xilai life in prison for taking bribes, embezzlement, and abuse of power.  Bo will likely appeal his sentence, but this effectively ends the political and public life of the biggest rival to President Xi Jinping.

Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto says 68 people missing in a mudslide that covered half of the southern village of La Pintada.  If confirmed, that brings the death toll to 170 lives lost from the past week of deadly tropical weather on both coasts. 

French police have seized a record haul of 1.3 tons of pure cocaine found on board an Air France cargo plane, on a flight that reportedly originated in Caracas, Venezuela.  The drugs were stashed in suitcases and were believed to be intended for sale in France, with a street value of A$287 Million.  Six people were arrested.

Germany holds Parliamentary elections today, and Angela Merkel’s ruling conservative Christian Democratic Party is expected to win the most votes.  But Merkel’s current coalition partners, the Free Democrats, may not pass the 5 percent threshold required for holding seats in Parliament.  If that’s the case, Merkel’s third term in office would likely come with a coalition with the Social Democrats.