Buzz
Staying up to date with the latest news is no easy feat. In fact, it’s so challenging that we've decided to do the heavy lifting for you by curating the most impactful, bizarre, or simply mind-blowing stories of the week.
This week, the major story out of Washington, DC, was the ongoing fallout from Dr. Christine Ford’s allegation that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her during a party.
Due to tight publishing schedules, the key Thursday hearing involving the two had not concluded by the time this column went live. We'll dive into the aftermath next week when things are clearer. For now, let’s take a look at all the other important events that unfolded outside the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing room these past seven days.
10. ISIS claimed responsibility for a deadly attack in the heart of Iran
On Saturday, a small terrorist group in Iran executed one of the most daring attacks in the nation’s history. During a Revolutionary Guards parade, an elite army unit, three gunmen opened fire on the city of Ahvaz. In the wake of the violence, 29 people were killed and many more were wounded.
Although the main target was the Revolutionary Guards, only 10 of the victims were soldiers. The remainder were civilians and journalists, which sparked outrage in Iran. This marked the first major attack in the country since ISIS claimed responsibility for a deadly assault on parliament in 2017, and it was the deadliest attack in eight years.
In typical fashion, ISIS quickly took credit for the attack. However, there is some uncertainty about the validity of their claim. An Arab separatist faction, the Ahvaz National Resistance, also issued a statement asserting responsibility for the carnage.
9. The UK’s National Health Service was thrown into turmoil by a contaminated blood scandal
On Monday, the UK government launched an investigation into one of the largest scandals in the history of Britain’s National Health Service (NHS). Between the 1970s and 1980s, thousands of men, women, and children were unknowingly given blood contaminated with HIV or hepatitis. Remarkably, despite the public discussions around the scandal since at least 1990, it is only now being fully examined.
The scale of the tragedy is truly staggering. When the inquiry was first announced in 2017, it was estimated that 7,500 people had been infected, and up to 3,000 had died. On Monday, the official figure of those infected was revised to over 25,000, underscoring the immense human suffering caused by this crisis.
At this point, the extent of the cover-up remains unclear, as does the involvement of US companies (since the contaminated blood was originally sourced from America). Expect explosive revelations when the inquiry intensifies in April next year, with proceedings expected to last 15 months.
8. Mexico disarmed Acapulco’s entire police force
In recent years, Acapulco has consistently ranked among the deadliest cities on the planet. Mexico's escalating drug war has plunged this once-popular resort town into chaos, turning it into a dangerous zone dominated by armed gangs and military-style police vehicles.
That was the situation—until this week. Politicians in Guerrero state made the unprecedented decision to arrest and disarm the entire Acapulco police force. Their reasoning was all too familiar: they believed the local officers had become so deeply entangled with drug cartels that they were essentially operating as another arm of the criminal organizations.
From now on, law enforcement in Acapulco will be handled by a mix of state police and the Mexican military while thorough investigations are conducted into the arrested officers. Once again, it seems as though Mexico’s war on drugs may be spiraling into an unwinnable conflict.
7. Argentina received the largest IMF bailout in history
Argentina has a troubled and fraught relationship with financial institutions. Its 2001 debt default remains one of the largest in history, sparking such turmoil that the mere mention of the initials I, M, and F still stirs outrage in some corners of the country. Given this backdrop, you can imagine how this week's news was received.
On Wednesday, the IMF revealed it would boost its bailout to Argentina by $7.1 billion. This additional financial support makes this the largest bailout in IMF history.
While this is the largest single bailout, it isn't the biggest in total. Greece’s multiple rescues over the past decade eventually amounted to €288.7 billion, making Argentina’s crisis look almost manageable in comparison. However, the IMF played a secondary role in the Greek crisis, with most of the funds provided by the European Central Bank. In Argentina's case, the IMF is the country’s only source of financial support.
President Mauricio Macri has pledged to balance the budget by next year, but whether he can deliver remains uncertain. This year, Argentina has faced a severe currency crisis, rampant inflation, and a one-month economic contraction not seen since the 2001 crisis.
6. Sweden's PM was ousted from office
From the moment the election results were announced, Stefan Lofven was a prime minister on borrowed time. Leading Sweden's center-left bloc, Lofven found himself at the center of the chaos that unfolded in the country's recent general election.
Although his bloc, along with the center-right, managed to prevent the far-right populist Sweden Democrats (SD) from reaching their target of 20 percent of the vote (a prediction many analysts had feared), Lofven’s leadership was marked by a catastrophic underperformance. Hated by the right, scorned by the center, and a letdown to the left, it was clear Lofven’s time was up.
This week, it became official. On Tuesday, he lost a no-confidence vote in parliament by a margin of 204–142. Now, the search for Sweden’s next leader begins.
Whoever takes on the role may find it to be a poisoned chalice. Lofven’s center-left bloc has promised to oppose any minority government led by the center-right bloc. To make matters worse, two parties within the center-right have warned they’ll sabotage their own side if they attempt to collaborate with the SD. Sweden may be heading towards fresh elections in the near future.
5. A disturbing child protection scandal rocks Norway
Not far from the political upheaval in Sweden, Norway was shaken by a scandal this week that was far more sinister. Back in April, a well-known child psychiatrist (who cannot be named for legal reasons) appeared in an Oslo court charged with downloading child pornography. He confessed to viewing disturbing images, including those depicting the abuse of a baby, and admitted he had been collecting such material for 20 years.
The real shock, however, lay in the fact that this man had been deeply involved with Norway’s child protection services for over a decade. During this time, he played a pivotal role in decisions that led to hundreds of children being separated from their families.
Norway's rigid child protection laws have been raising alarm bells for years. In 2013, for instance, Inez Arnesen had four of her children taken from her after she was accused of using physical punishment. Though she was acquitted in court in 2015, two of her children remained in care. It has since emerged that the pedophile psychiatrist played a key role in preventing her from being reunited with all of her children.
This week, following a relentless campaign by the BBC, Norway agreed to review all cases involving this psychiatrist. Now, there is a real possibility that families may uncover that they were victimized by the system and forcibly separated from their children to fulfill the sadistic desires of a pedophile.
4. Bill Cosby begins his prison sentence
Just a decade ago, it would have seemed like a dark joke from a sleazy shock film. Bill Cosby, once the epitome of fatherhood for anyone who grew up in the '80s or '90s, was sentenced to prison for the rape of Andrea Constand.
It followed a dramatic four years, during which allegations against the comedian steadily mounted until 60 women accused him of sexual assault. Due to statute of limitation laws, Andrea Constand was the only one still able to take her case to trial.
This week, that trial culminated in the most high-profile conviction in a sexual assault case since #MeToo (though many of Cosby's accusers came forward before the movement gained momentum). The man once known as 'America’s Dad' will now serve 3 to 10 years in prison, marking a staggering fall from grace.
Cosby’s defense team sank to new lows during the trial, accusing both the media and his accusers of being part of a broad racist conspiracy targeting prominent black men. Talk about playing with fire.
3. Rod Rosenstein briefly became the epicenter of a political storm
For less than half an hour, it was the biggest story of the month. On Monday, US media exploded with reports that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein—the man overseeing Robert Mueller’s investigation—had been fired.
Over the weekend, The New York Times published leaked minutes from a meeting where Rosenstein reportedly suggested that members of the government secretly record conversations with President Trump and consider invoking the 25th Amendment to remove him from office.
Invoking the 25th Amendment would allow the vice president to assume control if the president were deemed incapacitated. Naturally, it seemed like the White House was preparing to fire him. Given the potential fallout on the Mueller investigation, the media went into overdrive.
At least, they did, until reports surfaced indicating that Rosenstein hadn’t actually been fired. Instead, he was scheduled to meet with Trump face-to-face on Thursday to discuss his future. With the Kavanaugh/Ford testimony happening that same day, the meeting was postponed. As of now, Rosenstein still holds his position.
Typically, the fate of someone who had said unflattering things about his boss (though Rosenstein claims the report was fake news) wouldn’t attract much attention. But with the Mueller investigation still ongoing, Rosenstein is the one keeping it on track.
If Rosenstein were to step down, it’s possible—though not guaranteed—that his replacement could bring the entire investigation to a halt. Whether you view Mueller’s work as a witch hunt, a quest for the truth, or some sort of covert alliance with Trump, it’s clear that ending the investigation now would spark a political firestorm of unprecedented proportions.
Thankfully, that hasn’t occurred. As of now, Rosenstein is still in his position. Though mainstream media outlets haven’t widely reported it, there have been consistent leaks indicating that Rosenstein is deeply conflicted over the Russia investigation. How much longer he’ll remain at the Justice Department is anyone’s guess.
2. Australia’s ABC Was Swept Into A Major Political Scandal
For years, Australia’s conservative leaders have accused the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC—not to be confused with its American counterpart) of political bias. Little did anyone know, that these accusations were made with a healthy dose of irony.
This week, ABC Chairman Justin Milne was compelled to resign after it was revealed that he had attempted to have a senior journalist dismissed for reporting news that displeased the government.
The bombshell came last Thursday when The Sydney Morning Herald published an email from Milne in which he instructed a colleague to 'get rid of' Emma Alberici for her criticism of government policies. Given that ABC is one of Australia's largest networks and legally bound to remain politically neutral, the revelation sent shockwaves through the media.
The scandal also put Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s newly formed government on the defensive, as his predecessor Malcolm Turnbull, from the same party, was accused of trying to influence ABC. The situation was further complicated by the fact that Turnbull and Milne are personal friends.
The controversy shows no signs of fading. Additional emails from Milne have since been revealed, showing him targeting at least one other journalist who had been critical of the government.
1. The Maldives’ Unexpected Election Outcome Sparked Both Celebration And Chaos
What was expected to be a routine, rubber-stamp election on Sunday in the Maldives turned into a shocking upset. When autocrat-in-the-making Abdulla Yameen called for the election, it was assumed that his victory was all but guaranteed.
Opposition leaders were either imprisoned or forced into self-imposed exile. Opposition offices were raided by police. Meanwhile, lavish bribes were handed out to ensure votes for the man determined to dismantle their democracy. It all looked like a rigged system.
That was, until the results were revealed. It turned out that Yameen had suffered a stunning defeat at the hands of a relatively unknown, mild-mannered figure named Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
This was a total surprise. Yameen had been seen as the figure who had all but extinguished Maldivian democracy. He’d imprisoned his own half-brother on terrorism charges for opposing him, silenced free speech, and jailed judges who didn’t toe his line. But on Monday, he was forced to admit defeat. The Maldives now has another chance at democracy.
In a further unexpected development, the army pledged to stand by the election results on Thursday, warning that they would resist any attempt by Yameen to challenge or annul the outcome. It seems the would-be dictator’s reign is finally coming to an end.
