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Keeping up with the news can be overwhelming. To save you time, we've gathered the most shocking stories from this week. The biggest headline? The growing tensions over a potential war with North Korea.
With the threat of global nuclear disaster looming, everything else seemed oddly trivial. While we’ll share what else was happening around the world, it was hard to shake the feeling that we might be on the brink of the largest conflict in decades.
10. Israel Launched a Fraud Investigation into Its Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s current Prime Minister, has served longer in office than all but one predecessor: David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first PM and a key figure in the nation’s founding. Netanyahu has proven to be a political survivor with a strong support base and a talent for staying in power.
That’s what makes the shocking developments this week all the more startling. Leaks from Tel Aviv suggest Israeli authorities are preparing two distinct fraud cases against Netanyahu. Even if they don’t lead to conviction, they could spell the end of his political career.
The first case accuses Netanyahu of trading political favors for luxury goods. The second involves him allegedly securing favorable media coverage from the newspaper Yediot Acharonot in exchange for passing laws that would limit the reach of its competitor, Israel Hayom. Additionally, it was revealed that Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, might also face charges in a corruption case tied to misusing public funds.
There are also two ongoing financial scandals surrounding the PM. With even his allies now questioning his future, the question remains: will these corruption charges bring down Netanyahu, just as they did his predecessor?
9. Usain Bolt Ran His Final Solo Race
We don’t often feature athletes in this column, but when the athlete is Usain Bolt, we make an exception. For a decade, Bolt has dominated the athletics world, living up to his 'Lightning' moniker. He’s the fastest man alive and is considered one of the most iconic athletes since Muhammad Ali. The Telegraph summed up his remarkable career like this:
“Usain Bolt’s record in global 100m and 200m finals: WWWW, DSQ (false start), WWWWWWWWW.”
Well, that was the case—until now. This week, the Jamaican legend ran his final solo race. Unfortunately, for those hoping for a fairy-tale conclusion, it ended in defeat.
Bolt was defeated by Justin Gatlin, a man whose name doesn’t exactly rhyme with 'drug cheat,' but perhaps it should. Gatlin has faced two bans for doping, leading to uncomfortable questions about whether he should even have been competing. The London crowd certainly seemed to think he shouldn’t have been there, expressing their disapproval by booing the winner.
Bolt has one final race left, a relay this Saturday. But his legendary solo career, the one that solidified his status as an icon, has come to an end. It’s unfortunate that his farewell had to finish on such a sour note.
8. South Korea’s Spy Agency Admitted To Rigging The 2012 Election
Just months ago, South Korea’s president Park Geun-hye was impeached, ousted from office, and put on trial. Now, new evidence has surfaced suggesting she should never have been in power in the first place. Last Friday, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) confessed it had attempted to manipulate the 2012 election to secure Park’s victory.
Park was the conservative candidate and the daughter of South Korea’s former dictator. Her opponent was the liberal Moon Jae-in, now the president, who took office after Park’s impeachment. The NIS viewed Moon as hostile to their agency, so they launched covert campaigns against him, including psychological tactics designed to sway voters toward Park.
The most shocking part? The same psyops team that worked to elevate Park to power also handles operations against North Korea. Transcripts have surfaced showing former NIS Director Won Sei-hoon instructing officials to meddle in various elections, comparing the threat from liberal candidates to that of Pyongyang. Won is now on trial, facing a potential four-year prison sentence if convicted.
7. Sicily’s Volunteer Firefighters Were Accused Of Starting Fires On Purpose
Every year, Sicily grapples with outbreaks of wildfires sparked by the island's hot, dry summers. If you lived in one particular area between 2013 and 2015, the fire season might have seemed unusually severe. While the average Sicilian fire department responds to 40 calls annually, the local department was handling 120.
Later, it was revealed that the reason for this oddity had a clear explanation. The firefighters from the busier department had been intentionally setting the fires themselves. Why? Because fighting off-duty fires earned them an extra €10 an hour.
The commander of the fire crew would skip his main shift to start fires, then rush back to lead the team after getting friends or family to report the fires. The operation was poorly executed from the start.
Those making the calls often used the same phones, sometimes even using the firemen’s own devices. In some cases, no fire was even present, and when questioned, the firefighters explained their failure to use water by claiming that animals had obstructed them.
The mastermind behind the scheme is currently under house arrest, with 14 others facing charges.
6. Freaky Sea Lice Devoured A Melbourne Teenager’s Legs
Australia has long been the place for every creature that aims to kill you. This week, another beast joined the ranks of the venomous. On Saturday, 16-year-old Sam Kanizay went to Dendy Street Beach to soothe his sore legs after soccer practice. When he emerged from the water, his feet and ankles were a mangled mess of torn skin and bleeding flesh.
The culprits that nearly devoured the teen’s legs? Sea fleas.
Officially known as lysianassid amphipods, these minuscule creatures are distant relatives of shrimp—only they have one major difference. They’re meat-eaters. They’ve evolved to feed on dead birds, crabs, and other sea creatures.
On Saturday, they just so happened to swarm around Kanizay’s legs. The cold water masked their bites, so he didn’t feel them at first. By the time he realized, they’d torn his skin to pieces.
As frightening as this may sound, it’s unlikely to happen to anyone else. Most of us would be moving around too much for the sea fleas to latch on or would notice their bites and quickly flick them away. Kanizay was just incredibly unfortunate in the most gruesome way imaginable.
5. Venezuela Took A Dangerous Step Toward Paramilitary Chaos
In recent weeks, we’ve been unfortunate enough to witness the collapse of a state in real time. Venezuela’s shortages have gradually escalated into violent protests and riots, leading the government to dismantle democracy and march toward dictatorship. On Sunday, another ominous sign of a nation tearing apart emerged: rebel factions turning to violence.
The group in question was led by former National Guard Captain Juan Carlos Caguaripano. They stormed an army base, clashed with the military, and seized large quantities of weapons and ammunition. Caguaripano later posted a video, clarifying that he didn’t steal the weapons for a coup, but rather “to save the country from total destruction.” In other words, to oppose Maduro.
This is significant news. Venezuela is tragically fractured. Maduro is adamant about extinguishing democracy. With no options remaining, Venezuelans like Caguaripano may have concluded that armed rebellion is their sole recourse. At best, this could result in violence and devastation. At worst, it could lead to Venezuela’s internal conflicts escalating into a full-blown civil war.
4. The US Mysteriously Expelled Two Cuban Diplomats
It’s not uncommon for one country to expel diplomats from another. However, it is unusual for such expulsions to occur under incredibly mysterious circumstances. On Wednesday, the US expelled two Cuban diplomats in response to hearing loss experienced by American diplomats while stationed in Havana.
The specifics remain unclear, but they involve recurring hearing loss among US officials after America resumed its diplomatic presence in Cuba. Several diplomats were found to have ear damage, which doctors speculated might have been caused by a sonic weapon emitting high-pitched frequencies. Despite Cuba denying any harassment of American diplomats, the State Department retaliated with expulsions.
The truly perplexing part is determining whether the sonic weapon theory is accurate, and if so, who is to blame. Some have speculated that a third party (Russia has been mentioned) could be responsible, deploying sonic weapons without Cuba’s awareness.
3. North Korea Threatened To Bomb Guam
Guam is a US territory in the Pacific, a tropical island with about 160,000 residents, a US Army base, and a US Navy base. This week, this small US territory made headlines in the most unexpected manner. Pyongyang’s state-controlled news agency issued a threat to strike the waters surrounding the island with missiles.
This came shortly after intelligence reports revealed that North Korea had succeeded in miniaturizing a nuclear bomb to be mounted on a missile. It followed President Trump’s warning to obliterate the Kim regime if the DPRK made any moves. Unfortunately, Kim Jong Un, a madman, called the president’s bluff. What happens next remains uncertain.
If Pyongyang goes ahead with its threat to strike the waters surrounding Guam, the US would face a tough dilemma. A bombing that causes civilian casualties would be considered an act of war and justify retaliation. However, a bombing of the ocean with no casualties would serve as a provocation that the US might struggle to respond to.
While Kim would be obliterated if he directly confronted America, the destruction he would cause on his way out would be unfathomable. Pentagon simulations suggest that North Korea would likely target South Korea and Japan, leading to catastrophic loss of life.
In Seoul alone, 100,000 people are expected to perish within the first week of conflict. For the White House, retaliating against Kim might not be worth the massive toll. On the other hand, if the US holds back this time, Kim may target Guam’s civilians next.
We are entering unknown territory, where even the smallest miscalculation could lead to disaster and potentially millions of deaths. All we can do is hope the situation doesn’t spiral out of control in the coming weeks.
2. The Macron Honeymoon Ended With A Crash
Well, that was quick.
It’s been only three months since Emmanuel Macron decisively defeated his opponent Marine Le Pen at the polls to become France’s president. Just two months after, his party, En Marche, dominated the legislative elections. When he assumed office, his approval ratings were through the roof.
While it’s typical for politicians’ popularity to decline once they take office, few anticipated how sharply Macron’s would fall so soon.
Macron’s approval took a nosedive shortly after his agenda started to take shape. Last week, it dropped to just 36 percent. This week, a controversy involving granting his wife the title of First Lady (which could have granted her access to public funds) sent his ratings into a further decline.
Macron isn’t the only Western leader facing a decline in approval ratings. The UK’s Theresa May has also dropped to 34 percent approval, a significant fall from the higher ratings she enjoyed earlier in the spring, which were even better than Macron's.
In the US, President Trump isn’t faring much better, having seen his ratings drop from 52 percent in March to just under 40 percent by August. It seems voters everywhere are growing disillusioned with politicians, whether they are traditional figures like May or Macron, or more controversial ones like Trump.
1. New Orleans Hit by Flooding Again
It’s been over 10 years since Hurricane Katrina breached Louisiana’s levees and submerged New Orleans in a catastrophic flood. In the years since, $15 billion has been spent to strengthen the city’s defenses against another disaster of the same magnitude.
On Saturday, it became clear that the investments made for the city's anti-flood system either weren't sufficient or had been misused. After a catastrophic storm, New Orleans' flood defenses failed again, and the heart of the city was submerged.
While the 2017 flood was nothing compared to Katrina, it was still a major setback. The city remained under water for 14 hours, and emergency services received more than 200 calls related to life-threatening situations.
A troubling factor was that 8 out of the 121 pumps designed to drain floodwaters were not functioning when the floodwaters began to rise. Some others were impacted by power outages. Even worse, the Sewerage and Water Board later falsely claimed that all pumps were fully operational.
For many in New Orleans, this latest flood was a stark reminder of the lingering effects of Katrina. It was also an unsettling signal that if another disaster were to strike, the city could face even more devastation.
