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Keeping track of the news can be tough. It’s such a challenge that we’ve decided to ease the burden by curating the most important, bizarre, or downright mind-blowing headlines each week.
While Americans were diving into Thanksgiving turkey and enduring boisterous, alcohol-fueled family debates, the rest of the world continued to move forward. In Africa, long periods of suppression were finally coming to an end. Meanwhile, in Europe, old conflicts resurfaced as the continent’s future hung in uncertainty. While the U.S. slipped into a food-induced stupor, here’s what was unfolding abroad.
10. The End of the Mugabe Regime
Well, that was an intense few weeks.
After 37 years of leading Zimbabwe, a nation he both liberated and ruled with an iron grip, Robert Mugabe finally resigned as president on Tuesday, following a period best described as “dramatic.”
The story began on November 6 when Mugabe dismissed his successor, Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, in favor of his widely disliked wife, Grace. It escalated when the military unexpectedly took control of the capital, Harare, just a week later. The saga reached its peak this week when Mugabe had no choice but to resign. With a single signature, one of the longest-serving dictatorships in the world came to an end.
The news was met with celebrations in Harare, where impromptu street parties lasted well into the night. However, the journey toward a post-Mugabe Zimbabwe hasn’t been smooth. In the days leading up to his resignation, Mugabe repeatedly refused to step down. It was only when his ruling party, ZANU-PF, initiated impeachment proceedings that the elderly autocrat resigned, choosing to exit before he was removed, much like Nixon.
What lies ahead for Zimbabwe is uncertain. Mnangagwa is just as ruthless as Mugabe, and the people of Zimbabwe are desperate for real, substantial change. Here’s hoping that this is not a false hope, but the true start of Zimbabwean democracy.
9. Bosnian-Serb Warlord Ratko Mladic Sentenced for Genocide
Twenty-two years ago, Bosnian-Serb forces led by Ratko Mladic entered the town of Srebrenica, Bosnia. While United Nations peacekeepers watched, Mladic’s troops rounded up the Bosniak Muslim population and split them into two groups.
Women, girls, and boys under 12 were placed on trucks and driven away. Men and boys aged 12 and over were taken to rural areas where they were massacred over the course of five days. By the end, around 8,000 men and boys had been killed. It remains the most horrific massacre in Europe since World War II.
This Wednesday, Mladic’s trial at The Hague finally concluded, more than six years after Serbia’s intelligence service captured him. The warlord was acquitted of one charge of genocide. However, he was convicted of genocide in Srebrenica and five counts of crimes against humanity. Given his age and the length of his sentence, it is highly likely he will die in prison.
Mladic’s conviction offers some sense of closure to the Bosnian war, but it also underscores the lack of progress in the Balkan region. An autonomous Serb state, established by Mladic’s forces, still exists at the country’s core, and ethnic tensions continue to bubble up.
8. Charles Manson Passed Away
In a week marked by closures and the end of significant eras, America saw some closure of its own. Cult leader Charles Manson became a symbol of the darker side of the 1960s—an era of free love and peace—after masterminding a brutal killing spree in Los Angeles that may have claimed up to 35 lives.
Although Manson did not personally commit the murders, his so-called “Family” carried out horrific crimes, including the slaying of the pregnant actress Sharon Tate. One member of the Family, Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, would later attempt to assassinate President Gerald Ford.
Although Manson was arrested and sentenced to death in 1971, his execution was overturned to life imprisonment after a brief moratorium on the death penalty. This week, he finally passed away of natural causes after spending decades behind bars.
The Manson Family, its murders, and its twisted ideologies have been dissected repeatedly over the years, so there’s no need to revisit it all here. Suffice it to say, Manson’s death marks the end of a grim chapter in U.S. history.
7. Uber’s Massive Data Breach Cover-Up Was Exposed
In 2016, hackers infiltrated Uber’s systems, stealing data on 57 million customers and drivers globally. The law is clear in these situations: companies must notify regulators and affected users. Instead, Uber chose to cover up the breach, paying the hackers to erase the data. This week, the full story came to light, and things quickly spiraled out of control.
Uber’s year has already been disastrous. London’s transport authorities revoked its operating license. The company was sued by Google for corporate espionage. Senior executives were ousted due to sexual harassment allegations. And revelations of corporate deceit and lying to authorities made headlines.
Now, Uber is facing fresh lawsuits tied to this security breach and is under investigation by the NCA, the British counterpart to the FBI. At this point, one has to wonder if Uber will be able to survive much longer.
6. Scientists Confirmed the First Interstellar Object Discovered in Our Solar System
Introducing Oumuamua, one of the most peculiar objects in our solar system. This elongated, cigar-shaped rock is ten times longer than it is wide, making it an oddity in its own right. However, there’s more to Oumuamua than just its bizarre shape. It’s the first confirmed interstellar object ever discovered within our solar system.
That’s correct, Oumuamua originally orbited around a different star before entering our solar system.
We’re all familiar with asteroids and comets, including some that pass by Earth once in a lifetime. However, all of these (as far as we know) were formed alongside our solar system and have been orbiting our star ever since.
Oumuamua, on the other hand, was created around a completely different star. It journeyed across the vast void of space, and now, it’s passing through our solar system on an extraordinary voyage that will eventually take it far into the constellation of Pegasus.
Although Oumuamua (Hawaiian for “first-arriving messenger from afar”) is currently a one-of-a-kind discovery, it’s possible that it’s unique only because we haven’t yet detected its relatives. It’s believed that up to 100 interstellar objects could be in our solar system at any given moment.
5. Germany’s Coalition Negotiations Fell Apart
No German chancellor since World War II has failed to form a government. That undeniable reality must have been hanging over Angela Merkel since Sunday, when Christian Lindner of the Free Democrats (FDP) abruptly left talks with Merkel’s CDU-CSU alliance and the Greens. Without the FDP’s 80 seats, Merkel’s CDU-CSU cannot establish a stable government. Two months after an inconclusive election, Germany might be forced to hold new elections.
The September election results left Merkel as the leader of the largest party, but with a significantly reduced number of seats. Her former coalition partner, the SPD, could technically still join forces with her, but the SPD was harshly punished by voters, and leader Martin Schulz has refused to support another Merkel-led government.
Adding to the complexity is the presence of the AfD. The first far-right party in the Bundestag since World War II, and now the third-largest party, they would become the official opposition to any potential “grand coalition.” Neither Merkel nor Schulz wants that to happen.
For a country that prides itself on political stability, this represents an unprecedented crisis. While Lindner might eventually return to the negotiation table, Merkel’s power has been seriously weakened. Is the EU on the verge of entering a post-Merkel era?
4. Angola’s New Leader Took Small but Surprising Steps for Change
If you thought Zimbabwe under Mugabe was stagnant, you need to take a look at Angola. This oil-rich southern African nation was ruled by the autocratic Jose Eduardo dos Santos from 1979 until this year, during which it endured a brutal civil war and fell into extreme poverty.
Dos Santos stepped down in September, having groomed his successor, Joao Lourenco. When Lourenco took office, many expected life to continue as before, but they underestimated his ambition.
This week, the newly elected Angolan president launched a government purge, removing Dos Santos’ loyalists and family members from power. While it’s not exactly a Zimbabwe-style coup, for Angola, it’s nearly unimaginable.
There are indications that things could escalate even further. The current Angolan ambassador to Tanzania, a long-time member of the ruling MPLA party, has called for the prosecution of Dos Santos for crimes committed during his reign. Is an African Spring on the horizon? After Mugabe’s downfall, it feels like anything is possible.
3. Mexico’s Murder Rate Went Off The Charts
As of this year, nearly 21,000 people have been murdered in Mexico, surpassing the total number of murders in all of 2016. That equates to an average of 69 killings a day. When these figures were released this week, they came with a chilling warning: If the country continues at this pace, 2017 will become the deadliest year since records began 20 years ago.
The bloodshed is a direct consequence of the ongoing Mexican Drug War, compounded by the recent capture of El Chapo. While the Drug War has been wreaking havoc for over a decade, leading to more than 150,000 deaths, El Chapo’s arrest has ignited a violent scramble as rival factions vie for control of his empire.
The violence shows no signs of stopping. Murders are now occurring in broad daylight, in highly protected areas, and are even targeting Mexico’s elite.
At this point, it’s evident that Mexico is losing the Drug War. The implications of this are unclear, but one thing is certain: the tragic killings will likely persist.
2. Eastern Ukraine Was Hit By A Dramatic Coup Attempt
The 'Luhansk People’s Republic' is one of the breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine, and it is by far the most volatile of the two separatist territories that emerged in 2014. Under Ihor Plotnitsky, the unrecognized republic became a chaotic battleground for warlords, with assassinations and violence spiraling out of control. This week, the tension finally reached a boiling point. Former police chief Ihor Kornet launched a coup attempt that nearly escalated into full-blown conflict.
Armored vehicles and troops in unmarked uniforms seized crucial locations in Luhansk’s center, forcing Plotnitsky to flee across the border into Russia. The situation became so chaotic that Ukraine’s other separatist region, Donetsk, sent in tanks, seemingly with the intent of invading. Russian troops crossed into the territory, triggering panic in Kiev. At one point, it seemed as though the coup might reignite Ukraine’s bloody civil war.
Fortunately, tensions have eased. Reports from Luhansk suggest that the Kremlin intervened, supporting Kornet’s coup, while still allowing Plotnitsky to hold on as a nominal figurehead.
1. Pakistan Released The Mastermind Of The Mumbai Attacks After A Single Year In Jail
In 2008, 10 militants from the Islamist Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist group infiltrated the Indian city of Mumbai. They carried out coordinated attacks at cafes, Jewish centers, train stations, taxis, and two hotels, taking hostages and engaging in shootouts with police. Over three days, 166 people were killed, and 300–600 were injured, making it one of India’s most devastating terrorist events.
The attackers were all from Pakistan, India’s long-standing regional adversary. After sustained international pressure, Islamabad placed the alleged mastermind, Hafiz Saeed, under house arrest in January 2017. However, this week, the government released him. Despite being responsible for more deaths than the 2015 Paris attacks, Saeed spent less than a year in detention.
It’s difficult not to interpret this as Pakistan intentionally provoking India. While Saeed maintains his innocence, his group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, is widely recognized as responsible for the attack, and all evidence points to his involvement. His release is almost certain to put immense strain on Pakistan’s relations with both Delhi and Washington, potentially pushing them to the brink.
