Buzz
Staying informed with all the news can be overwhelming. To make things easier, we've compiled a list of the most jaw-dropping moments of the past month. And what a month it has been.
October brought with it fallen monarchs, currency crashes, fierce storms in the Caribbean, and a spate of unsettling clown sightings that left many on edge. Yet, amidst all this chaos, 10 stories emerged as the most unbelievable of all.
10. The Longest-Reigning Monarch in History Passed Away
On October 13, King Bhumibol Adulyadej passed away in Bangkok. He had reigned over Thailand for an astounding 70 years, a record unmatched by any other current monarch. His death sent the country into a state of chaos.
The Thai people have such a deep devotion to their royal family that it puts the British to shame. Insulting the monarchy, even in reference to pets, is a criminal offense that can lead to a 15-year prison sentence.
Naturally, Adulyadej's passing halted life across the nation. Crowds gathered, chanting, “Long live the king!” While vigilante groups attacked anyone who dared smile or didn’t wear black in public. In the corridors of power, whispers of potential civil unrest echoed through the military junta.
Thailand remains a society divided. Adulyadej was the binding force, and now, with his estranged son Vajiralongkorn next in line, fears of the country’s fractures deepening are growing stronger.
9. The British Pound Reached a Historic Low
Just a few months ago, the British pound was considered one of the most stable currencies worldwide. But following Brexit, it plummeted, with its value spiraling downward against the dollar. This month, it hit its lowest point yet, reaching rock bottom.
On October 11, the pound reached an all-time low, the weakest it has ever been. When compared to other global currencies, sterling is at its most devalued in recorded history. While official records from the Bank of England only date back to the 1970s, London’s Financial Times reported that this slump is the worst in 166 years of British history.
At the time of writing, the pound is only outperformed in weakness by currencies like the Argentine peso, the South African rand, and the Venezuelan bolivar.
Curiously, there's a lack of consensus in the UK over whether the pound's devaluation is beneficial. Brexit supporters argue it will boost exports, while opponents fear it will lead to a dramatic drop in living standards.
8. The Oregon Bundy Militia Was Found Not Guilty
Back in the cold month of January, armed members of the Bundy militia took over a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon, protesting against land grazing rights. The standoff ended with one militia member being shot on a desolate road, and the others arrested. The FBI believed the case was straightforward and would be easily resolved.
They were mistaken. On October 27, a jury in Portland acquitted the entire militia.
Reactions were deeply divided. On one hand, land rights advocates cheered the unexpected win. On the other, left-wing groups argued that the jury had allowed a group of antigovernment militants to go free simply because they were white.
Others pointed fingers at the FBI for being overconfident. In an open letter, four jury members stated that they would have been willing to convict the Bundys for trespassing, but the Feds had overreached by pushing for the more difficult-to-prove charges of sedition and conspiracy.
7. Japan Was Struck By a Shocking Suicide Bombing
On October 23, three powerful explosions rocked Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, destroying a car park, killing one person, and injuring three more. News outlets worldwide quickly began asking, “What happened?”
Japan is not involved in the Middle East conflict. It's one of the few countries ISIS has not directly encouraged its followers to target. There are no active right-wing militias, its far-left groups mostly attack US military bases (and even then, only sporadically), and the nation’s only homegrown terrorist organization—the doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo—was dismantled by authorities after the 1995 Tokyo subway gas attack.
The reason behind the tragedy was perhaps even more shocking than the explosions themselves. Toshikatsu Kurihara, 72, a former officer of the Japanese Defense Force, apparently destroyed his own car and then detonated himself as part of a complex suicide tied to personal issues. His tragic act left three people hospitalized, two with severe injuries.
6. Colombia Rejected Peace
In last month's roundup, we shared the news that Colombia was on the brink of achieving peace. After years of talks, the government had finally struck a deal with the Marxist insurgents of FARC to end a civil war that had spanned 52 years and claimed around 250,000 lives. At that point, we mentioned that the deal still needed to be ratified by a referendum, with polls predicting a victory for the pro-peace camp.
How wrong they were. On October 2, a narrow majority of Colombians, 50.2 percent, voted to reject the peace deal.
The rejection dealt a severe blow to Colombian politics. The “No” campaign was led by former president Alvaro Uribe, who wielded the referendum as a political weapon to attack President Juan Manuel Santos. As of now, Santos, the FARC, and Uribe are scrambling to find a compromise that could salvage the peace agreement and avoid the threat of renewed civil conflict.
5. Haiti Endured Another Devastating Disaster
Haiti, still reeling from the 2010 earthquake that decimated Port-au-Prince and claimed 230,000 lives, was hit again this October by a catastrophic event. Hurricane Matthew ravaged the country, leaving around 1,000 dead and 800,000 homeless. Even weeks later, the situation threatens to spiral into something even worse.
Following the 2010 quake, poor sanitation led to a cholera outbreak that claimed another 10,000 lives. Since Hurricane Matthew’s landfall, nearly 3,500 new cholera cases have been reported. With sanitation services failing and infrastructure in ruins, hundreds of thousands of people are left cut off from clean water and basic necessities.
As a result, there’s widespread fear of a repeat of the 2010 catastrophe. As of now, aid agencies are racing to vaccinate the population against cholera before it spirals out of control.
4. The Universe Became Incredibly, Incomprehensibly Large
October 13 marked a stunning revelation in the field of astronomy. After two decades of estimating that our universe contained about 200 billion galaxies, scientists dramatically revised that figure. It is now believed that the universe contains a staggering two trillion galaxies, ten times more than previously thought.
A staggering 90 percent of all galaxies remain beyond our reach, too faint and distant to be detected by current telescopes like Hubble. Scientists were only able to deduce their existence through extraordinarily advanced calculations based on the visible galaxies' masses. To balance the numbers, they concluded that an additional 90 percent of galaxies must be out there, hidden from view for now.
Fortunately, these hidden galaxies won’t remain out of sight for too much longer. In 2018, the James Webb Space Telescope will be launched, and it will be powerful enough to study at least a few of them.
3. The Battle of Mosul Turned Into the Battle for Iraq’s Very Soul
Since mid-2014, Mosul has served as the de facto capital of ISIS in Iraq. While ISIS’s other strongholds crumbled, Mosul remained firmly in their grip. But by October 17, that grip began to slip. Iraqi special forces, backed by Iranian Shiite and Kurdish militias, launched an offensive to retake Mosul, ISIS’s last major foothold in Iraq. As of now, the apocalyptic battle continues to unfold.
The Mosul offensive stands as the largest military operation in Iraq since the 2003 US invasion. Airstrikes have relentlessly hammered ISIS positions while jihadi car bombs tear apart advancing forces, all amidst the constant roar of machine gun fire. If Mosul falls, ISIS will effectively vanish from Iraq.
Unsurprisingly, ISIS isn’t retreating without a fierce fight. Jihadists are using civilians as human shields, rigging the city with explosives, and committing grotesque massacres. Around one million refugees are expected to flee. Mosul’s fall might be inevitable, but the daunting task of cleaning up ISIS’s horrors is only just beginning.
2. The US Election Spiraled Into Madness
Back in 2012, it was common to claim that America deserved better than a presidential race between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. Fast forward to 2016, and we see that fate is mocking our earlier naivety. Obama and Romney were dignified, engaged in meaningful debates, and only entangled in petty scandals. Clinton and Trump, however, spent October descending from bad to worse to downright despicable.
To summarize, Trump faced multiple accusations of sexual assault, refused to commit to accepting the election results, and was tied to allegations of Kremlin connections. Meanwhile, Clinton had her email scandal reignited after the FBI uncovered thousands of previously “lost” emails. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid even accused FBI Director James Comey of violating the Hatch Act to help Trump—a very serious charge.
1. Anti-‘Rasputin’ Protests Erupted Across South Korea
A century ago, Tsar Nicholas II fell under the influence of a notorious religious charlatan—Rasputin, a shadowy figure who wielded disproportionate power. Rasputin pulled the strings of government policy behind closed doors, which eventually led to widespread public outrage and protests. Fast forward to today, and it seems South Korea may have its own Rasputin-like figure—this time a woman poised to bring down the president.
Like Rasputin, Choi Soon-sil has ties to a strange religious cult. Like Rasputin, she is said to hold near-total sway over South Korea’s president, Park Geun-hye, influencing everything from defense decisions to her fashion choices. And just like Rasputin, Choi has become a widely despised figure.
Since October 29, South Korea has seen massive protests calling for an investigation into the relationship between Park and Choi. Park’s approval ratings have plummeted to unprecedented lows, with opposition politicians demanding her impeachment. On October 31, Choi was placed under emergency arrest in a Seoul detention center, where she can be held for up to 48 hours without a warrant.
