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Staying updated with the news is no easy task. To help, we've curated a selection of the most impactful, odd, and simply awe-inspiring stories from this week.
This week, we're sticking to our new policy of steering clear of the chaotic mess that is US politics, focusing instead on stories that are much less likely to bring you down. Buckle up for an exciting journey through the kind of news that doesn't involve Washington, DC.
10. Canada Legalized Pot
It was like a dream come true for old-school stoners when, on Wednesday, October 17, Canada fully legalized weed. After a vote earlier this year by Justin Trudeau's government, Canada became the second country in the world where pot is legal nationwide. (The first was Uruguay.)
While weed is no longer illegal, the regulations around purchasing it—such as age restrictions, purchase limits, where you can buy it, and the cost—differ from one province or territory to another. For example, Quebec and Manitoba have outlawed citizens from growing cannabis at home. This is expected to spark a constitutional challenge soon.
The legalization of pot and the potential economic boom from Big Marijuana in a G20 nation suggests that humanity’s long-running effort to criminalize a plant might finally be nearing its end. Hopefully, other countries will follow Canada's lead.
9. A Horrific School Shooting Struck Crimea
Just two days ago, an 18-year-old walked into Kerch Polytechnic College in Crimea and unleashed chaos. His twin gun and bomb attack resulted in at least 20 fatalities, with some reports putting the toll at 21. The attack also left over 40 injured and caused scenes of devastation not previously witnessed on the peninsula during peacetime.
Initial reports suggested terrorism as the motive behind the mass shooting. Crimea's parliament speaker, Vladimir Konstantinov, quickly blamed Kiev, claiming the attack was in retaliation for Russia's annexation of the peninsula in 2014. However, it soon became clear that the shooter was just another troubled individual resorting to violence to deal with personal insecurities.
With the dust settling from the attack, the inevitable questions are being raised. This year, Russia has experienced four other school attacks, though none as deadly. People are already questioning how the teenage shooter was granted a license for such a deadly weapon.
8. A Hostage Crisis Unfolded in Cologne
In another tragic turn of events, this week saw a violent crisis unfold in Cologne, Germany. On Monday, a 55-year-old man entered the main train station and threw a Molotov cocktail into a McDonald’s. The attack injured two people lightly and left a woman with severe burns on her legs. The assailant then took a woman hostage in a drugstore, triggering a tense hostage situation that seemed poised to escalate into disaster at any moment.
Fortunately, the man’s repeated threats to set his hostage on fire never came to fruition. Police quickly stormed the pharmacy after establishing contact, shooting and arresting the attacker. His hostage was able to escape with only minor injuries.
The attacker, a Syrian refugee, appeared to have been influenced by ISIS, although German authorities suggest that psychological issues may have also played a role. Thankfully, his violent scheme was thwarted before it could unfold further. He joins a long list of failed attackers—from the New York suicide bomber to the individual who crashed his car outside Westminster—who were stopped by their own incompetence.
7. The UK Debated the Idea of Making Misandry a Hate Crime
Misandry (the extreme hatred of men as a social group) is considered the counterpart to misogyny (the hatred of women). While misogyny is a more pervasive issue globally, misandry rarely makes headlines. That changed this week when British Home Secretary Sajid Javid unexpectedly announced a review into hate crime legislation in the UK. Among other categories, the Law Commission will now consider whether misandry should be included.
UK hate crime law allows for stricter penalties when the motivation behind a crime is shown to target a community as a whole. Currently, the law defines five categories of hate crime: sexuality, race, religion, transgender identity, and disability. In addition, local police forces can introduce their own definitions, a move made in 2007 after 20-year-old Sophie Lancaster was murdered for being a goth.
The new review seeks to broaden the categories of hate crime to include animosity towards women, the elderly, and possibly men. While some critics argue that the UK is too eager to label offenses as hate crimes, others have welcomed the initiative.
6. China Revealed Plans to Launch an Artificial Moon Into Space
If there’s a wildly ambitious project being announced somewhere today, it’s probably coming from China. The nation is speeding ahead in the tech world, with its eyes firmly set on space exploration. This Thursday, Chengdu made the most fantastical announcement yet: plans to launch an artificial moon into orbit. This fake moon will light up the city at night.
Sounds a bit crazy, doesn’t it?
Believe it or not, this idea isn’t entirely new. Not long ago, Russia revealed similar plans to use a satellite to reflect the Sun’s rays onto Siberia during the harsh winter months to provide some light.
Although the Russian project was abandoned, Chengdu is bringing it back. The goal is to eventually launch four fake moons, which would illuminate the city at night, saving billions of yuan in electricity costs.
The mastermind behind this venture, Mr. Wu, has promised that the moons will create a constant “dusk-like glow” over an area of 50 square kilometers (19 miles). Whether his vision will be realized or meet the same fate as Russia’s remains to be seen.
5. The Gambia Established a Truth and Reconciliation Commission for Its Dictatorship
In December 2016, something incredibly unusual occurred in the small African country of The Gambia. Yahya Jammeh, the tyrannical dictator who had ruled with an iron fist for 22 years, unexpectedly lost a supposedly rigged election to his opponent, Adama Barrow. When Jammeh attempted to stay in power, ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) intervened and forced him out. Just like that, The Gambia transitioned from dictatorship to democracy.
This week, Barrow took decisive action to eliminate Jammeh’s toxic legacy. His administration revealed that The Gambia would launch a Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission to investigate the crimes committed under the dictatorship. The goal is to focus on the victims and bring to justice those responsible for state-sponsored murder and torture.
A major question mark remains: will Jammeh face trial? In January 2017, he fled The Gambia for Equatorial Guinea, where he currently resides in exile. It is unclear whether his new home will extradite him.
4. A Major Shock in Bavarian Politics Sent Ripples Through Germany
It was a crushing blow for Angela Merkel, but not exactly a victory for her political rivals either. On Sunday, the state of Bavaria held its elections. While Merkel’s CDU party wasn’t running, its ‘sister’ party, CSU, certainly was. Led by Horst Seehofer, the CSU had shifted further right, aiming to outpace the right-wing AfD. If that was the strategy, it certainly didn’t work out as planned.
Though the CSU secured the most votes, its support fell dramatically, dropping 10 percentage points from the 2013 election, and losing its majority. More troubling for Merkel, her junior coalition partner, the center-left SPD, took a nosedive, landing in fifth place in one of their worst performances ever. The future of the current coalition could already be in jeopardy.
But it wasn’t great news for the right-wing critics of Merkel either. Although the AfD made a strong push, they didn’t meet their own expectations, falling short and ending up in fourth place. They were overtaken by the center-right Bavarian Free Voters and the Greens.
The Greens emerged as the true victors of the night. By doubling their support in a traditionally conservative state and finishing second with a platform that champions the EU and immigration, they showcased the growing influence of the populist left in Germany.
3. The Search for Missing Saudi Journalist Jamal Khashoggi Became Even More Intense
As we reported last week, Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi-born journalist for the Washington Post, vanished inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The situation has grown increasingly grim, with Khashoggi still unaccounted for. Turkey insists that he was murdered by a Saudi hit squad, and now Ankara claims to have the evidence to prove it.
Turkey asserts that Khashoggi was beaten, tortured, drugged, and ultimately killed and dismembered in the consulate. This week, they released an audio recording they allege was made inside the embassy. The tape purportedly shows Saudi forensic expert Salah Al Tabiqi instructing that music be played to drown out the sound of dismemberment. The source of the tape is unclear, and Saudi Arabia has labeled it a fabrication.
This week, Turkish police conducted a search of the Saudi consulate in an attempt to find evidence. Should they discover any, the killing of Khashoggi could seriously jeopardize the Saudi Crown Prince’s ongoing reform efforts and his vision for a country in transformation. We'll be closely following this developing story in the coming weeks.
2. A Politically Volatile Split Shattered the Orthodox Church
The schism in the Orthodox Church unfolded with startling speed. Last Thursday, Ukraine’s Orthodox Church was granted independence from Moscow, severing ties with the Russian Church. Until then, the Ukrainian church had been under Russian authority, but the rupture had been anticipated ever since Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea.
The real bombshell, however, was Russia’s response. On Monday, the Russian Orthodox Church declared that it had broken all ties with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople holds a position akin to the Vatican in the Orthodox world. As the central authority, all other Orthodox churches look to it for guidance. Russia’s decision to break away from this authority marks a dramatic schism, creating a crisis for the 300 million Orthodox Christians around the globe.
However, this wasn’t solely a religious split—it was also deeply political. Patriarch Kirill of Russia, a staunch supporter of Putin, had warned Constantinople against acknowledging the Ukrainian Church. And he wasn’t alone in mixing politics with religion. The Ukrainian president made it clear that the move for autocephaly was part of Ukraine’s broader pro-Western agenda.
1. France Opened an Investigation Into Its Prominent Left-Wing Figure
Jean-Luc Mélenchon may not be a name everyone is familiar with, but in France, he is a well-known figure. The seasoned left-wing politician secured 20% of the vote in the first round of the previous year’s presidential race, narrowly missing third place. He is recognized for his vocal opposition to Emmanuel Macron while showing a surprising leniency toward Vladimir Putin.
This week, however, Melenchon found himself in the headlines for an entirely different reason. On Tuesday, police raided his Paris residence as part of an investigation into alleged misuse of campaign funds. But the real scandal came when footage of the raid surfaced. Melenchon was captured shouting, 'I am the Republic!' while confronting officers and physically pushing them. When one officer appeared to lose patience, Melenchon provocatively challenged him, saying, 'Go on, just try and touch me!'
The video has severely damaged Melenchon’s public image in France, at least for the time being. The unsettling scene of a wealthy politician harassing a police officer did not sit well with the public. It has also resulted in an additional charge of 'intimidation' for Melenchon, alongside his corruption allegations. As of now, he is under police questioning.
