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Staying informed about the latest news can be overwhelming. That's why we've made it easier for you by curating the week's most impactful, extraordinary, or downright jaw-dropping stories.
With the US midterm elections now behind us, the spotlight shifted back to international news. Russia faced an unexpected blow, Cambodia revisited painful memories, and Papua New Guinea made headlines for all the wrong reasons. Meanwhile, a few stories still emerged from the States—one of which, unsurprisingly, involved firearms. Quelle surprise.
10. A Tragic Shooting Struck a Chicago Hospital
For years, 32-year-old Juan Lopez had a disturbing history of threatening others with firearms. Despite clear signs of danger, authorities neglected to revoke his concealed carry permit. Then, on Monday, the inevitable occurred. After a dispute with his ex-fiancee at Chicago's Mercy Hospital, Lopez drew his Glock and opened fire. His rampage only ended when officers fatally shot him.
Lopez not only took the life of his ex-fiancee, Doctor Tamara O'Neal, but also pharmacy resident Dayna Less and police officer Samuel Jimenez. While it's debated whether this qualifies as a mass shooting (the common definition is a shooting resulting in four deaths, though opinions differ on counting the perpetrator), it undeniably adds to the growing list of tragic gun violence incidents in a year already filled with them.
The root of the tragedy lay in Lopez's clear psychological instability that should have disqualified him from owning a firearm. He had previously threatened O'Neal with a gun and made threats to shoot up his former workplace. Unfortunately, these warning signs were ignored by the authorities.
9. Russia's Shocking Loss of the Interpol Presidency in a Surprising Vote
Back in September, the president of Interpol, Meng Hongwei, mysteriously disappeared in his home country of China. His vanishing not only highlighted Beijing's ruthless crackdown on dissent but also left Interpol with an unexpected vacancy at the top.
This week, all 94 member countries cast their votes to choose Hongwei's successor. The frontrunner was Russia's Alexander Prokopchuk, who was already serving as Interpol's vice president. Despite opposition from the US and some European countries, many believed Prokopchuk's victory was guaranteed.
However, in a stunning turn of events, the presidency of Interpol went to its Asian VP, South Korea's Kim Jong-yang. This surprising outcome underscored Russia's growing isolation, particularly after the nerve agent attack on a former spy in Britain.
The drama continued behind the scenes. While Russia was denied the presidency, its allies in Serbia successfully blocked Kosovo's bid to join Interpol. In retaliation, Kosovo imposed 100% tariffs on goods from Serbia.
8. PNG’s Security Forces Launched an Attack on Their Own Parliament
Under normal circumstances, a nation's security forces are tasked with protecting Parliament from protestors. But Papua New Guinea (PNG), one of the world's poorest countries, is anything but normal. On Tuesday, hundreds of police and military personnel stormed the Parliament in Port Moresby. Their grievance? The government had failed to pay their wages.
Earlier this month, PNG hosted the APEC summit, a major event for Pacific nations that required heavy security. To prevent Port Moresby’s violent gangs from targeting delegates, the government promised thousands of police and soldiers a bonus of 350-kina ($104) for their services. However, the government failed to honor that promise. Frustrated, the security forces took their anger out on Parliament.
The riot lasted for hours, resulting in broken windows, destroyed furniture, and a few lawmakers getting beaten. The government seems to have gotten the message, pledging to pay the overdue bonuses as soon as possible.
7. We Completely Overhauled the Kilogram
Until last week, one of the most significant metal objects in the world sat under a glass dome at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures in Sevres, Paris. Known as Le Grand K, this platinum block served as the global standard for the kilogram. Whatever it weighed, that was the official kilogram—no matter if it somehow lost or gained weight.
This was particularly important because Le Grand K was, in fact, losing weight. Over the past century, it seemed to have lost 50 micrograms, roughly the weight of a fly's wing. But since Le Grand K was the kilogram’s gold standard, this weight loss was considered impossible. This meant that every century, the definition of a kilogram was subtly shifting by around 50 micrograms. While this wasn't a major issue for most people, it created significant problems for certain scientists.
So, last Friday, Le Grand K’s role was officially retired. In a unanimous vote, 60 countries agreed to redefine the kilogram based on Planck’s constant. This new, more precise definition will take effect next May and has been described as the most significant change to the metric system since the French Revolution.
6. The Maldives Announced Its Return to the Commonwealth
On October 13, 2016, the Maldives became the latest nation to exit the 53-member Commonwealth of Nations, following criticism that President Yameen Abdul Gayoom was attempting to establish a dictatorship. This move, which came nearly three years after The Gambia's controversial exit, created the misconception that Islamic nations were turning away from the Commonwealth.
We call it a 'misconception' because, in January 2018, The Gambia applied to rejoin the Commonwealth after its autocratic leader, Yahya Jammeh, was exiled. This week, the Maldives followed suit. Following the unexpected removal of Gayoom's authoritarian regime in a surprise election in September, newly elected president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih announced that the Maldives would reapply to the Commonwealth. Given how swiftly The Gambia was readmitted, it seems probable that the Maldives will soon be back as a full member.
This marks a significant turnaround for the Commonwealth. Prior to the Maldives and The Gambia, the last country to leave was Zimbabwe in 2003. In May 2018, Zimbabwe's new president Mnangagwa announced the country's intention to rejoin as well. If successful, this would mean that no member has permanently left the Commonwealth since Ireland in 1949.
5. The Head of Russia's GRU Passed Away
Igor Korobov was not a well-liked figure. As the leader of Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), he faced accusations from the US of interfering in elections and from the UK for allegedly trying to assassinate a former spy on British soil using a weapon of mass destruction—a failed attempt that unintentionally claimed the life of a British citizen. Interestingly, this particular incident made him extremely unpopular back in the Kremlin. It’s said that Vladimir Putin gave Korobov a harsh reprimand for the failed mission, which resulted in severe sanctions against Russia.
Well, Korobov no longer has to worry about his popularity. On Thursday, Russian media reported his death after a “long and serious illness.” While it’s tempting to wonder if this phrase might be code for “we poisoned him with Novichok,” CBS indicates that it’s a typical Russian expression for cancer.
Korobov becomes the second head of the GRU to die in just two years. He leaves behind a tarnished agency with a reputation in ruins. It will be interesting to see if his successor can repair relations with Western capitals.
4. The President and Chief Justice Engaged in a Heated Disagreement
It’s uncommon for a chief justice to publicly challenge a sitting president, but then again, these are hardly normal times. This week, President Trump and Chief Justice Roberts, the highest judicial authority in the US, got into a fierce exchange. The core issue was the crucial matter of judicial independence in contemporary America.
On Monday evening, the White House saw its new policy blocked by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The president reacted by branding the judge responsible for the ruling as an 'Obama judge'—suggesting the judge had a built-in bias from being appointed by the former president and inclined toward left-wing views. In turn, Chief Justice Roberts, appointed by George W. Bush, issued the following statement:
We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges. What we have is an extraordinary group of dedicated judges doing their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them. That independent judiciary is something we should all be thankful for.
Justice Roberts’s intervention, while nearly unprecedented, also served as a cautionary note for what lies ahead. The White House seems to perceive a liberal bias within the court system and believes certain judges may be untrustworthy. On the other hand, Chief Justice Roberts clearly sees these accusations as a threat to judicial independence. For now, it's simply an argument. However, it has the potential to escalate into a major constitutional crisis that could challenge the very foundations of the nation.
3. Two Khmer Rouge Leaders Were Finally Found Guilty of Genocide
The Cambodian genocide is often cited as one of the most horrific events of the 20th century. Between 1975 and 1979, the Khmer Rouge regime, under the leadership of Pol Pot, carried out mass killings that claimed the lives of between two and three million people—roughly a third of the country’s entire population. The infamous killing fields and the S-21 prison stand as stark symbols of the unspeakable cruelty inflicted. In terms of the devastation inflicted on a single population, only the Holocaust, and the genocides in Armenia and Rwanda come close.
However, for a long time, there was debate over whether the Cambodian genocide could truly be classified as such. Most of the victims were Khmer, the same ethnic group as the perpetrators. Nonetheless, advocates argued that the simultaneous extermination of the Cham Muslim minority and the forced expulsion of the Vietnamese population from Cambodia warranted the use of the term 'genocide.'
Last Friday, the law finally sided with the campaigners. Two high-ranking Khmer Rouge officials were convicted of genocide for their roles in Pol Pot's brutal regime. They are the first Cambodians to face such charges for the atrocities committed during the dictatorship.
The convictions of Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan are a win for those advocating for justice, though a bittersweet one. Established in 2006, the UN-backed Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) has issued just three convictions. Prime Minister Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge member, has long opposed further trials, and it appears the ECCC will now be shut down. Tragically, it seems many responsible for the genocide may never be held accountable.
2. Theresa May Survived an Unexpected Brexit 'Coup'
Theresa May holds perhaps the toughest political job in the Western world. As Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, she’s tasked with delivering a Brexit that she personally doesn’t support, one that many regions of the UK rejected (Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Gibraltar voted against it), and all while trying to avoid destroying the British economy. Simultaneously, she leads a party where demanding the hardest Brexit possible has become a symbol of political pride.
This last aspect nearly brought Theresa May down over the weekend. After the government unveiled its deeply unpopular Brexit draft plan, a group of Conservative backbenchers, spearheaded by ardent Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg, attempted to instigate a coup. Conservative Party rules allow a no-confidence vote to be triggered if 15 percent of MPs send letters to the chairman of the 1922 committee requesting one. By Friday, it seemed like Rees-Mogg had both the numbers and the momentum, and it looked as if the UK government could collapse within hours.
However, things didn’t play out as expected. As of now, the required 48 letters have not materialized. May’s position has actually been strengthened, and the Brexiteer-led coup appears to be dead in the water.
This could, of course, just be a temporary reprieve. The House of Commons still needs to vote on May's Brexit deal, and signs suggest she doesn't have enough support. A loss in that vote would almost certainly end her premiership. But for now, May has unexpectedly weathered this challenge and looks set to fight another day.
1. The Jewish Bomb Hoaxer Was Finally Sentenced
The case upended all assumptions. In early 2017, a wave of bomb threats struck Jewish centers globally, with synagogues in the UK, Jewish schools, and museums among the targets. In the US, community centers were evacuated, along with the Israeli embassy and the Anti-Defamation League’s offices. At first, it seemed to be the work of an anti-Semitic individual harboring a deep-seated hatred for Jews.
That was until teenager Michael Ron David Kader was arrested in Southern Israel. An American-Israeli with Jewish roots, he was soon revealed as the orchestrator behind the bomb threats.
This week, Kader was sentenced to ten years in prison. His defense attempted to claim that his autism made him incapable of standing trial, but the judge ruled that he was fully aware of his actions and understood what he was doing.
