Buzz
Staying current with the news can be a daunting task. To save you time and effort, we’ve gathered the most jaw-dropping stories of the week. While the week leading into August may have seemed relatively quiet, beneath the surface, significant shifts were taking place in geopolitics, medicine, politics, and history—shifts that could soon trigger a major news upheaval.
10. The Whistle Was Blown on Venezuela’s Election Fraud
On Sunday, July 30, Venezuelans cast their votes for a new Constituent Assembly. Or did they? Just after Nicolas Maduro’s party claimed victory (an easy task since no opposition candidates stood for election), the company that provided Venezuela’s electronic voting system blew the whistle on election fraud.
Despite Maduro’s claim of a 41.5 percent turnout, or eight million voters, Smartmatic CEO Antonio Mugica exposed that the government had deliberately inflated the numbers by over a million.
The revelation that Caracas had exaggerated the voting turnout by a million would severely tarnish Maduro’s reputation. However, the truth could be even worse. Reuters obtained a memo from within the government suggesting that fewer than four million Venezuelans had cast their votes. This would mean the turnout was under 20 percent, and the government had essentially doubled the real number of voters.
These numbers matter because Maduro is attempting to alter the constitution and needs at least some semblance of legitimacy to carry out the change. The specifics of the new constitution remain unknown, but it is widely believed that it will further solidify Maduro’s status as a rising dictator.
9. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Stepped Down
Remember just a few weeks ago, when this column mentioned that the future of Pakistan’s PM was dependent on a Microsoft font? Well, that future is no longer in question. On Friday, July 28, Nawaz Sharif was declared unfit for office by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He resigned on the spot.
Surprisingly, this isn’t the first time Sharif has been ousted from Pakistan’s highest office. He was removed on corruption charges in 1993, only to return to power before being overthrown in a 1999 coup. His departure is also not particularly uncommon for Pakistan, where 18 prime ministers have served since the country’s inception, none of whom completed a full term in office.
The National Assembly acted swiftly to appoint a successor. On August 1, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi stepped in as the latest caretaker PM, holding the position until Sharif’s brother, Shahbaz Sharif, can contest the upcoming by-election in 40 days. If Shahbaz wins (spoiler: he will), Abbasi will step down, and Pakistan will welcome its 19th official PM.
8. Britain Hosted Its Largest IRA Trial in Years
Since the signing of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, dissident Irish Republican terrorism had largely faded from mainland Britain. That was until last year, when it almost made a return. A combined police operation between England and Northern Ireland uncovered a plot to steal bombs and ammunition from the military to carry out violent attacks. The real surprise came when it was revealed who was behind it: Ciaran Maxwell, a member of the prestigious Royal Marines.
Maxwell was linked to the Continuity IRA, a breakaway group responsible for bombing Belfast and Dublin in 2005 and murdering a police officer in 2009. While stationed at Norton Manor Camp in Somerset, he managed to smuggle out mortars, ammunition, pipe bomb materials, and even two antipersonnel mines. In essence, he was a major security threat among Britain’s elite soldiers, capable of causing massive destruction.
Fortunately, Maxwell was arrested in August 2016 before he could execute his plan. This week, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison. The case has sparked concerns in the UK that, even after two decades since the Troubles, dissident Republican terrorism may still resurface.
7. We Took a Major Step Toward Curing the Common Cold
For years, people have asked, “Why can we send a man to the Moon but can’t cure the common cold?” If recent research from Edinburgh Napier University is any indication, this question may soon be a thing of the past. After a groundbreaking discovery this week, the team may have found a potential cure for rhinovirus, the leading cause of the common cold.
The breakthrough is based on something known as antimicrobial peptides, which are naturally occurring components of both human and animal immune systems. Thanks to some remarkable scientific innovation, the researchers were able to make these peptides target the rhinovirus within infected lung cells, opening up the possibility of a whole new class of treatments to explore and develop.
If you're reading this while battling a stuffy nose and a head full of congestion, here's the bad news: we're still in the very early stages of this discovery. A lot more research and experimentation will be needed. But here's the silver lining: once that's done, we may finally have a cure for the most frustrating illness in human history.
6. Two Forgotten Treasures Were Recently Rediscovered
Throughout history, humanity has lost countless irreplaceable treasures to wars, natural disasters, and sheer folly, making it astonishing that anything has survived. However, one reason we still have things left is that we're rediscovering lost artifacts at an impressive pace. Just this week, archaeologists uncovered ancient Roman ruins in France, while publishers in Texas stumbled upon a missing play by Peter Pan author J.M. Barrie.
The Roman ruins were discovered in the town of Vienne, just outside Lyon, and they were truly remarkable. Entire mosaics depicting mythological scenes were found, along with the remnants of an entire neighborhood that had been abandoned after a fire. These ruins are believed to be one of the most significant Roman excavations in the past 40 years—a bold claim, but one that the released photos seem to support.
Meanwhile, in Texas, publishers from The Strand Magazine uncovered a previously missing play by J.M. Barrie at the Harry Ransom Center. Titled Reconstruction of a Crime, the 33-page farce has apparently never been published or performed until now.
5. Catastrophic Floods Claimed Hundreds of Lives in India
Monsoon season in India is always unpredictable. The rains are so intense they could flood an entire continent, and with it come tragic loss of life every year. This year, however, the devastation has been particularly severe.
The western state of Gujarat was nearly swallowed by floods, forcing tens of thousands to flee during the peak of the disaster. This week, the waters have finally started to recede, revealing the tragic aftermath, with the death toll standing at 218 at the time of writing.
As the waters continue to pull back, the death toll is expected to rise. So far, Gujarat alone has claimed over 700 lives, with the state being the hardest hit across the entire country.
Vijay Rupani, the Chief Minister, described it as the 'flood of the century,' pointing out that the water levels haven’t been this high in over 112 years. In one village, a heartbreaking discovery was made: 17 members of a single family were found drowned together.
The government has pledged 200,000 rupees ($3,140) to assist the families of those lost, but the situation remains dire. At least another week of rainfall is expected before the monsoon season ends.
4. John McCain Prevented the Obamacare Repeal
This week, it's clear that John McCain is a master at serving up cold revenge. Recently diagnosed with brain cancer, the Arizona senator has a longstanding grudge against President Trump after Trump mocked McCain's military service, compounded by a recent rift with his own party leadership.
In a dramatic move last week, McCain left his sickbed in Arizona, traveling over 3,200 kilometers (2,000 miles) to cast his vote in favor of opening a debate on repealing Obamacare. Many Republicans thought McCain was back on their side, but it turned out he was just waiting for the perfect moment to personally strike at the president’s agenda.
With Senators Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) already signaling their no votes, every other Republican was crucial for the repeal bill to pass. Everything seemed on track until early Friday morning, when McCain shocked Washington by rising and casting a no vote.
Had McCain been pro-Obamacare, he could have stayed in the hospital and the debate would never have taken place. This was clearly a personal act of revenge against the president, GOP leadership, and anyone in his party who had wronged him. Whatever the impact on policy, McCain’s actions prove one thing: he’s not a man to be crossed in Congress.
3. Vietnam Orchestrated a Cold War-Style Abduction in Berlin
Before the Berlin Wall came down, Berlin was notorious for political kidnappings. Dissidents fleeing the Eastern Bloc were often seized at gunpoint and forcibly returned over the border.
Since 1990, such covert operations, akin to John le Carre thrillers, had been nonexistent. But this week, everything changed. On July 24, Vietnamese asylum seeker Trinh Xuan Thanh was abducted in broad daylight from Berlin's streets by armed men. By Monday, he reappeared . . . on Vietnamese state television, claiming he had voluntarily surrendered.
Thanh was a senior official at PetroVietnam, the state-owned oil company. Earlier this year, he was accused of financial mismanagement. Claiming that the charges were politically motivated, he fled to Germany with his family, where he was eventually tracked down and abducted.
Berlin has openly accused Hanoi of orchestrating the abduction and, in retaliation, expelled a Vietnamese diplomat. Hanoi denies these allegations, but the circumstances make it difficult to imagine any other scenario.
If the accusation proves true, it would mark the most audacious act by the typically peaceful communist state. Such a blatant violation of both international and German law would undoubtedly have serious ramifications. Though it might not seem like it, this diplomatic rift between Hanoi and Berlin has the potential to escalate into one of the most significant international incidents in recent years.
2. North Korea Launched an Even More Dangerous Missile
North Korea's missile tests have become so frequent that they seem almost routine. Just in the first seven months of 2017, there were 12 launches or attempted launches. However, it's the last two tests that have caused real concern among the international community.
On July 4 (as we covered here), the Kim regime successfully tested an ICBM with the range to strike Alaska. However, last Friday’s launch was even more alarming. Experts believe this new missile could potentially reach Chicago or LA, and may even be capable of hitting Boston or New York.
Before you rush out to buy stock in nuclear bunkers, it’s important to note there’s still some uncertainty about whether North Korea could successfully launch a nuclear strike on the US. While it's one thing for a missile to be theoretically capable of hitting NYC, it's a whole different story to actually deliver a missile that won’t veer off course, disintegrate mid-flight, or plunge into the ocean. The general consensus is that Pyongyang hasn't quite mastered this feat yet.
But here’s the catch: the word “quite.” Whether we like it or not, North Korea is now a nuclear power, and estimates suggest they could have a missile capable of reliably targeting the US by early 2018. After that, the future is anyone’s guess.
1. Hamburg Was Rocked By An Islamist Knife Attack
Following the tragic Berlin truck attack in December 2016 that claimed 12 lives, Germany remained on edge. While there were no additional fatalities from terrorist attacks, the lingering sense of imminent violence was palpable.
That tension boiled over last Friday in Hamburg. A 26-year-old Palestinian, identified only as Ahmed A., entered a supermarket, grabbed a knife, and began slashing and stabbing shoppers. He continued his rampage until locals subdued him.
The brutal assault left six people injured, with one tragically dying from their wounds. As he carried out the attack, Ahmed shouted 'Allahu akbar,' and later told authorities he sought martyrdom through his actions.
In a surprising twist, ISIS did not claim responsibility for the attack, and it appears Ahmed had no direct ties to the group. Instead, connections to Fatah, the violent ruling party of the West Bank, were uncovered.
Ahmed had been denied asylum and was living in a notoriously violent refugee shelter in Hamburg. Just as he was about to be deported, he launched his attack. He is now under suicide watch to prevent any escape from justice.
