## Zimbabwe orders cull of 200 elephants amid food shortages from drought

Authored by theguardian.com

Zimbabwe will cull 200 elephants as it faces an unprecedented drought that has led to food shortages, a move that tackle a ballooning population of the animals, the country’s wildlife authority has said.

Zimbabwe had “more elephants than it needed”, the environment minister said in parliament on Wednesday, adding that the government had instructed the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority (ZimParks) to begin the culling process.

The 200 elephants would be hunted in areas where they had clashed with humans, including Hwange, home of Zimbabwe’s largest natural reserve, said the director general of ZimParks, Fulton Mangwanya.

Zimbabwe is home to an estimated 100,000 elephants – the second-biggest population in the world after Botswana.

Zimbabwe and Namibia are among a swathe of countries in southern Africa that have declared a state of emergency because of drought.

The move to hunt the elephants for food was criticised by some, not least because the animals are a major draw for tourists.

Namibia’s cull of elephants has been condemned by conservationists and the animal rights group Peta as shortsighted, cruel and ineffective. »

### Analysis Shows Trump Loyalists Have 'Infiltrated' Election Boards in Key States

Authored by commondreams.org

The authors found that election deniers have majority control of 15 county election boards in those states and of the statewide board in Georgia.

"With 102 deniers on election boards in the swing states, the potential for creating chaos is enormous," Pearson added.

The three Republicans on the five-member Georgia state election board support Trump's baseless claims that the 2020 election was rigged. »

### Arizona’s 1864 abortion ban is officially off the books

Authored by apnews.com

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona’s Civil War-era ban on nearly all abortions officially is being repealed Saturday.

Abortion has sharply defined Arizona’s political arena since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Republican lawmakers, who hold a narrow majority in both chambers, derailed discussions about repealing the ban. »

### Colorado teen shot in the face by town councilman after going to home to ask permission to take homecoming photos

Authored by nbcnews.com

A 17-year-old Colorado boy was shot in the face Tuesday by a town council member after he and a friend went to a home to ask permission to take homecoming photos on the property, police said.

The shooting happened around 4:15 p.m. at a home on Pleasant Park Road in Jefferson County, the sheriff's office said.

Brent Metz, the boyfriend of a woman who lives at the home, was arrested in connection with the shooting. »

### Dutch government eyes emergency laws to curb migration – DW – 09

Authored by dw.com

The Netherlands is looking to use crisis laws to reduce the number of asylum seekers entering the country.

The new government, led by nationalist Geert Wilders' anti-Islam PVV party, said on Friday it would declare a national state of emergency so that it could alter certain asylum laws.

The European Union is also likely to push back because member states have already agreed on their migration pact. »

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