North America’s largest city might stun the hemisphere with how it will handle the war on drugs – A Malaysian court says Allah is only for Muslims – And apparently an enormous cash prize isn’t enough to make some leaders do the right thing.

Declaring the war on drugs a failure that can’t be won, some lawmakers in North America’s largest city are readying a series of bills to decriminalize marijuana.  Mexico City legislators say the measures would free up police to deal with real problems, while defunding the drug cartels.  Among the proposals will be setting up cannabis clubs to grow and sell weed, and allowing people to possess up to 30 grams.  Enjoy the playlist.

Six Communist Party investigators in China have been sentenced to up to 14-years in prison for torturing and drowning a fellow party official.  The sentences were handed down last month, but not reported by the Chinese media.  The six, including five from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, repeatedly submerged victim Yu Qiyi’s head underwater several times during his interrogation for alleged corruption.  The case highlights Communist Party discipline, which operates outside China’s legal system.

A Malaysian appeals court says non-Muslims may not refer to their god or gods as “Allah”, even if those non-Muslims are Christians speaking about the God of Abraham, worshipped by Jews, Christians, and Muslims.  Christians argue that for centuries they have used the word to refer to God and that the ruling violates their rights.  Critics allege the ruling Malay-Muslim Party is using the ruling to burnish its Islamic street cred among voters.

Iran is getting ready to launch another monkey into space, within the next few weeks.  An earlier effort in 2011 failed, and doubts were cast on Iran’s most-recent attempt to launch and retrieve a monkey, when Tehran’s space agency presented a different monkey to the media after the landing.  Iran denies it is using its space program to develop a delivery method for nuclear weapons.

Gunmen released four Red Cross and Red Crescent workers who were among seven kidnapped over the weekend in rebel-held territory.  The fate of the other three is unclear.  There was no claim of responsibility for the kidnapping of the medical aid workers, but it happened at a checkpoint manned by rebel fighters belonging to an al Qaeda affiliate.

And the winner of this year’s Mo Ibrahim Prize for Good Governance in Africa is.. no one.  For the fourth time in five years, there is no winner and no leader can claim the cash prize worth more than A$5.3 Million.  Sudan-born telecoms entrepreneur Mo Ibrahim established the prize to encourage African leaders to leave power peacefully, instead of by force, coup, or ICC trial.  Only one leader met part of the criteria, Kenya’s Mwai Kibaki, who stepped down voluntarily at the end of his term.  However, Kibaki’s term in office included election violence in which at least 1,200 were killed in 2007.

Italy is deploying surveillance drones and triple the number of Naval ships it had in the Mediterranean Sea, after back-to-back tragedies involving capsized immigrant ships.  At least 20 vessels of various sizes are patrolling Europe’s southern border, including at least one with an amphibious transport dock to take in refugees.  Hundreds drowned in dual disasters off Lampedusa and Malta, while attempting to seek asylum in Europe.

Police in Leeds, Britain have arrested a 10-year old boy for allegedly killing an elderly church volunteer.  79-year old Victor Hepworth suffered a head injury when cops found him lying in the street.  Hepworth reportedly also had a heart condition.  Cops plan to interview the 10-year old suspect, who has since been bailed.