Jaylen Smith, 18, on Thursday became the Mayor of an Arkansas town after a run-off election this week, making him the youngest black mayor in US history.
The university student will now serve as the leader of Earle, Arkansas, a town of 1,800 residents, according to unofficial results reviewed by AP.
"Citizens of Earle, Arkansas, it’s official!" Mr Smith said in a Facebook post. "I am your newly elected Mayor of Earle, Arkansas …"
"It’s time to build a better chapter of Earle, Arkansas. I would like to thank all my supporters for stepping up getting people to the polls. I am truly grateful for you all."
Mr Smith joins other Americans who have run for office just after they turned the legal age of 18, but became the youngest black mayor.
“I’m excited for Jaylen [Smith] and the entire community in Earle as he becomes the youngest-ever African American mayor elected in the country," Frank Scott Jr, president of the African American Mayors Association, told CNN.
Mr Smith's win comes as part of the midterm elections, which saw many firsts.
Nabeela Syed became the first Muslim and youngest member of the Illinois General Assembly, joining other Muslim and Arab Americans elected across the country.
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
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5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
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The Little Things
Directed by: John Lee Hancock
Starring: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto
Four stars
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
