Buzz
Staying on top of the news can feel nearly impossible. That’s why we’ve made it easier by gathering the most impactful, bizarre, or downright jaw-dropping stories of the week.
This week, as we passed the midpoint of October, the world of geopolitics was absolutely buzzing. Two independence movements collided with governments that weren’t about to let go, fresh new leaders stepped into power in two major nations, and China unveiled its strategy to become the global powerhouse of the 21st century. Throw in a monumental scientific breakthrough, and it seemed as though this week was trying to squeeze in the entire year’s worth of groundbreaking stories in one go.
10. Somalia’s Worst Terrorist Attack Ever Struck Mogadishu
On Saturday, militants affiliated with the Al-Qaeda-backed Al-Shabaab group rammed two massive truck bombs into the heart of Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu. They exploded in two different neighborhoods, two hours apart, during the peak of the day. The bombings resulted in a horrifying number of casualties. As of now, over 320 people are confirmed dead, with around 400 still missing.
With the death toll steadily rising, these twin bombings could become the deadliest terrorist attack since 9/11. They’re definitely the deadliest Somalia has ever faced. When even a conflict-ridden nation like Somalia sees such devastation, it highlights just how terrible these attacks truly are.
The bombings underscore the reality that the fall of ISIS won’t spell the end of Islamist terrorism. They also risk dragging the US into yet another overseas war. The Trump administration had made the elimination of Al-Shabaab a key objective. Given that these bombings are reportedly in retaliation for a US raid in August, it’s possible that Washington could be pulled into another conflict with Islamist extremists.
9. A Leading Opponent Of The Maltese Government Was Killed
Malta, a small island nation with fewer than half a million residents, is part of the European Union, operates as a functioning democracy, and, according to Transparency International, ranks as less corrupt than countries like Greece, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.
This is why the tragic story of Daphne Caruana Galizia is so disturbing. A well-known Maltese journalist, she was a vocal critic of the current government and played a key role in exposing the Panama Papers scandal, which forced Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to call a snap election. (His party regained power.) This week, she was killed when a bomb planted under her car detonated. She leaves behind a mourning family.
Her assassination was shocking not only due to its brutal nature but also because of the dark consequences it hints at. Galizia had made powerful enemies among Malta's political elite, and now her son has accused the government of being behind the murder. While Muscat denies the accusation, it appears that whoever is responsible likely has ties to Malta’s powerful circles.
8. Iraqi Forces Took Control of Kurdish Territory
Back in September, we reported that Iraq’s Kurdish region had voted for independence. This referendum was contested by Baghdad due to the inclusion of cities like Kirkuk, which had been taken by ISIS from Iraq and recaptured by the Kurdish Peshmerga from ISIS.
This week, Iraq’s Prime Minister al-Abadi responded to the Kurds’ independence claims, and it was far from a friendly “Sure, go ahead.” Iraqi tanks rolled into Kirkuk, and the army that had once defeated ISIS crumbled with hardly any resistance. Within hours, the Peshmerga were forced to retreat to the borders they held before 2014.
The swift defeat dealt a major blow to the Kurdish government of President Barzani, who had spearheaded the referendum. Kirkuk, a critical oil-rich city, is vital for a potential Kurdish state, and without it, independence would be difficult. This also raised global concerns. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps supported Iraqi forces, strengthening Tehran’s influence in the Middle East. This situation put the US—who backed the Iraqi military’s push on Kirkuk—in the uncomfortable position of aligning with Iran.
Another fledgling independence movement faced challenges elsewhere. After Catalan nationalists passed a controversial referendum on October 1, Spain took formal action this week to revoke the region's autonomy. The crisis remains unresolved.
7. ISIS Lost Control Of Their Syrian Stronghold
In June, a fierce series of battles led to ISIS being driven out of their Iraqi stronghold, Mosul. At the time, we pointed out that they still held considerable territory in Syria to offset this loss. Well, that territory is now shrinking as well. This week, Raqqa, ISIS's Syrian capital, was captured by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), marking a significant defeat for the terrorist group, who is now on the retreat.
The positive news: ISIS is now reduced to a few key territories in Syria, with places like Deir ez-Zor likely to soon fall to government forces. They've almost been completely ousted from Iraq, and their once-ambitious vision of a caliphate stretching from the Middle East to Europe now seems like an absurd pipe dream.
The downside is that while ISIS may have lost its territorial strongholds, the organization itself is far from eradicated. They still have footholds in Libya, Yemen, and Afghanistan, with affiliates as distant as Nigeria and the Philippines. Historically, major defeats for ISIS in Iraq and Syria have been followed by devastating attacks in the West. We can only hope this doesn’t happen again.
6. We Witnessed the First Ever Collision of Two Neutron Stars
Neutron stars are the remnants of stars that go supernova but don’t have enough mass to collapse into black holes. These superdense objects, measuring about 19 kilometers (12 miles) across, are so compact that a single teaspoon of their material would weigh a billion tons. This week, we finally observed the aftermath of two of these extraordinary objects colliding at high speeds. The results were nothing short of spectacular.
According to Mansi Kasliwal, a leading expert on neutron stars, the energy released by the collision was so immense that it “outshone the 100 billion stars in our galaxy by about a billion-fold for the 50 or so seconds it lasted.” In other words, an astronomical amount of energy was unleashed. But the truly mind-blowing part wasn’t the energy—it was how we knew exactly where to look for the explosion.
Gravitational waves from the collision were detected by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) back in August. This detection allowed scientists to pinpoint the exact region where the event occurred. Considering that gravitational waves were only detected for the first time in 2016, this achievement is incredibly impressive.
5. Portugal's Wildfire Death Toll Surpasses 100, Threatens to Overthrow Government
Since June, Portugal has been ravaged by a relentless series of devastating wildfires that have scorched much of the country's rural areas. After 64 lives were lost over the summer, another wildfire on Sunday claimed 41 more victims. The shocking rise in the death toll is now so severe that it’s putting the entire government’s stability at risk.
Portugal, a country accustomed to hot and dry conditions, has always faced wildfires, but never before has the death toll reached triple digits. Across the nation, silent protests have erupted, with citizens blaming government incompetence and inadequate responses for exacerbating the crisis. In response, the country's interior minister stepped down on Wednesday. Now, the opposition is demanding that Prime Minister Antonio Costa follow suit.
Costa still enjoys significant support from the public, meaning his government is unlikely to fall at this point. Nevertheless, the opposition has moved forward with a no-confidence vote set for next week.
4. Austria and New Zealand Elected Record-Breaking New Leaders
Sebastian Kurz of Austria is often compared to Emmanuel Macron, the centrist French president. Like Macron, Kurz made a stunning political debut with an ambitious run for the presidency, leading the OVP party. And like Macron, Kurz is exceptionally young—just 31, while Macron is 39. His victory in Austria's Sunday elections was resounding, making him the youngest elected leader in the world when he assumes office as chancellor.
Kurz is a political novelty in Austria, with his stances on immigration, Islam, and tax breaks echoing some of President Trump’s views. Yet, he also staunchly supports the European Union, aligning him with leaders like Macron and Merkel. He has also prioritized gender equality by ensuring 50-50 gender representation on his list of ministerial candidates. His supporters believe this unique blend of left- and right-wing policies could provide the boost Austria needs.
On the other side of the globe, Jacinda Ardern made history as well. After her left-wing Labour Party narrowly placed second in New Zealand’s September elections, she formed a coalition with the nationalist New Zealand First Party, led by Winston Peters. Ardern will become the country’s youngest prime minister since 1856 and its first-ever female leader.
3. We Discovered Russian Intelligence Had Manipulated US Protest Groups To Cause Division And Chaos
Among them was a group linked to BLM that facilitated self-defense classes for black activists, a Texas secessionist group that organized anti-Islam rallies in Houston, and a collective focused on gun rights. Additionally, there were groups advocating both for and against LGBT rights, immigration, and black rights, with a combined membership of over a million people.
At first glance, these sound like typical fragments of the diverse and often chaotic political landscape of the US, right? Not exactly. This week, it came to light that some of the most influential online activist and protest groups from recent years were actually orchestrated by Russian intelligence. Their intention? To amplify existing divisions within American society to a point of collapse.
The respected Russian news outlet RBC uncovered these revelations on Tuesday. Their investigation showed that some of the most active groups on both sides of the US political divide had been directly controlled from Saint Petersburg. The Kremlin poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into amplifying their influence. The largest of these, Blacktivist, had over 30,000 followers and coordinated anti-police protests in Baltimore. Have you ever wondered why the US seems so deeply divided lately? Now we know.
What makes these revelations particularly intriguing is that they don’t align with the common narrative of Russian interference to elect Trump. According to the RBC report, Putin had no particular interest in who won the election. His sole aim was to tear apart American society by deepening its existing divisions. And disturbingly, the explosive and highly charged atmosphere of 2017 suggests he may have succeeded far beyond what he could have imagined.
2. China Held Its 19th Party Congress
At this moment, the trajectory of the 21st century is being shaped in a hall in Beijing. This week, China hosted its 19th Party Congress, a five-yearly event where members of the Communist Party gather to determine the country’s future and potentially elect a new leader.
However, there was no uncertainty about who would lead the nation after the Congress concluded. Xi Jinping now holds a firmer grip over China than anyone since Chairman Mao. And he plans to leverage that power to elevate China’s global standing.
Xi has made it clear that he envisions China as the new leader on the world stage. His marathon opening speech at the congress was brimming with references to spreading the successful blend of communism and capitalism that has propelled China to superpower status. Much like the US reshaped the 20th century after WWI, Xi aspires to have the 21st century bear the mark of Beijing’s influence.
The party has responded by officially recognizing his ideology as Xi Jinping Thought. This is a significant move, as only Chairman Mao and Deng Xiaoping have previously received such an honor.
1. Kyrgyzstan Held its First (Mostly) Democratic Election
Central Asia has been left out of the democratic wave that followed the collapse of communism. While Eastern Europe largely embraced democracy, Central Asia mostly embraced authoritarian rule. Elections in countries like Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan often result in absurdly high victory percentages for the leaders, with Uzbekistan’s rulers pulling in figures close to 89 percent.
However, amid this widespread autocracy, one country has started to forge a more democratic path. On Sunday, Kyrgyzstan held its first genuinely democratic presidential election, marking a significant moment in the country’s political history.
To clarify, this is democratic by Central Asian norms. The Kyrgyz government fully backed its chosen candidate, even imprisoning one opposition figure. The media was heavily biased, and the ruling party made deliberate efforts to stir racial tensions—a serious issue in a country where ethnic riots left hundreds dead in 2010.
However, as The Economist noted, it was still a legitimate election that genuinely reflected the public's choice. The government’s preferred candidate, Sooronbay Jeenbekov, defeated outsider Omurbek Babanov to claim the presidency. Hopefully, by the end of his term, Kyrgyzstan will have come to realize that democracy is worth the effort.
