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Staying updated with the news can be overwhelming. To ease the burden, we've gathered the most impactful, peculiar, and just downright surprising stories every week.
This week’s news stands in stark contrast to last month, when President Trump dominated global headlines with his positive summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un. However, his Monday summit with Vladimir Putin in Finland ignited a rare wave of controversy, even for a president known for his blunt approach. We dive deeper into this and cover the stories that might have flown under the radar while the media focused on Helsinki.
10. The Trump-Putin summit sparked heated controversy.
Let’s agree, Monday's event was a bit odd. President Trump concluded his European tour with a summit in Helsinki with Vladimir Putin. It was promoted as a milestone in US-Russia relations, a European parallel to Trump’s June summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un. However, if the president hoped for a similar outcome, he was disappointed. Monday’s meeting quickly turned into a political nightmare.
The trouble began when the issue of Russia’s alleged interference in the 2016 election came up. Dan Coats, the Director of National Intelligence (appointed by Trump), has affirmed that Russia did indeed meddle in the election. When questioned about this, President Trump seemed to align with Moscow, stating:
“I have President Putin; he just said it’s not Russia. I will say this: I don’t see any reason why it would be.”
The president later claimed he misspoke, accidentally omitting an additional negative (“wouldn’t” instead of “would”). However, the damage was done. The summit received rare critical coverage from Trump-friendly media such as Fox News and Drudge Report, as well as sparking bipartisan calls in the Senate for increased sanctions against Russia.
9. Britain's Official Vote Leave Campaign Was Reported To The Authorities
And here we go again, more turbulence for Theresa May’s fragile government. This week, after losing her second major Brexit vote (this one regarding medicine), and coming just six votes shy of losing two more, another political scandal hit the government. On Tuesday, the Electoral Commission concluded its investigation into the official Vote Leave campaign’s finances during the Brexit referendum. The commission determined that the group had violated UK electoral law.
UK campaign spending limits are relatively modest. The commission revealed that Vote Leave had evaded these limits by illegally collaborating with BeLeave, the unofficial pro-Brexit campaign. As a result, Vote Leave was fined a record £61,000 and referred to the police. The Metropolitan Police will now investigate whether other crimes were committed during the referendum campaign.
This referral adds to the growing list of Brexit-related issues destabilizing May’s government. With no clear majority in parliament and deep divisions within her own party between pro- and anti-EU factions, the prime minister now faces an investigation that could potentially discredit the entire Brexit vote.
8. We've Officially Entered a New Geological Era
Say hello to the Meghalayan Age! You’ve actually been living in it for the last 4,200 years, whether you knew it or not. That’s the decision made by the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS)—the authority on geological time. On Wednesday, the ICS officially endorsed a proposal from 2012 to break the Holocene Epoch into three distinct phases. This new designation will be adopted globally.
Geological ages are assigned when events so monumental and widespread occur that their effects are preserved in sedimentary layers all over the planet. The Holocene began 11,700 years ago, marking the end of the last ice age. Now, the ICS says that the Meghalayan stage, which is the third phase of the Holocene, started with a series of catastrophic droughts that contributed to the collapse of ancient civilizations.
However, the decision isn’t without its controversies. Some geologists are frustrated with the ICS for accepting the Meghalayan without clear evidence that it was truly a global phenomenon. Furthermore, supporters of the Anthropocene theory, who argue that humanity’s fossil fuel consumption has ushered in a new geological epoch, have criticized the Meghalayan designation for encroaching on their proposed era.
7. Google Faces Record-Breaking Antitrust Penalty
It was anticipated, but the scale still took people by surprise. This week, Google was slapped with an unprecedented antitrust fine by the EU, amounting to €4.3 billion ($5.1 billion). Beyond the financial hit, this fine serves as a stark warning of potential regulatory challenges down the road.
The root cause of the fine is simple: In recent years, the EU has tightened regulations on the tech industry, and Google’s Android software for mobile devices violated these rules. The company ignored multiple warnings to stop compelling manufacturers to pre-install Chrome on Android devices and to stop blocking the use of “forked” Android versions. Google now has 90 days to address these issues or face further legal action from Brussels.
That’s the summary of the situation. But here’s the more concerning part. Wired published an insightful article suggesting that the growing divide between US and EU tech regulations could lead to a fragmented online world. To comply with these regulations, Google may be forced to split into two entities, Amazon into two, and so on. For businesses and consumers accustomed to seamless cross-border digital trade, this could have severe consequences.
6. Albania Has Given The Green Light To Search For Victims Of Its Communist Regime
From 1944 to 1990, Albania lived under one of the harshest communist regimes ever. Enver Hoxha’s Stalinist government isolated the country completely from the rest of the world, established an extensive network of labor camps, and kept the populace in a perpetual state of emergency, fearing a nuclear attack that never materialized. Pre-democratic Albania has often been likened to North Korea, notorious for its numerous human rights violations.
While many Eastern Bloc nations have made efforts to confront their communist legacies, Albania has remained notably reluctant to do so. Thousands of people are still unaccounted for, and many of the tens of thousands who died or were worked to death under the regime are buried in forgotten mass graves. This may soon change. After years of delay, the Albanian government has finally signed an agreement to authorize a search for both the missing and the deceased.
The International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) is now set to begin its search for the victims of Hoxha’s regime, aided by an EU fund recently established for this purpose. However, many survivors remain skeptical, fearing that the project could be derailed by a wave of corruption and political maneuvering.
5. Sacha Baron Cohen's New Show Sparked Major Controversy
In today's incredibly connected world, it's truly remarkable to keep something secret, especially a new show from the creator of the 2006 sensation Borat. For that reason, the unexpected debut of Sacha Baron Cohen’s Who Is America? on Showtime last Sunday was particularly noteworthy.
Until the very last minute, no one knew the show even existed. Then, a teaser was released, followed by a flood of politicians who were tricked into publicly denouncing it. This backlash helped turn the premiere into a cultural sensation.
So, that’s Who Is America?, the cultural event of the week. But how does the actual show fare? That’s subjective, depending on who you ask. Some praised its absurdity, while others sharply criticized it.
One common critique was that the show mainly appealed to liberals, with its longest segment skewering gun rights advocates. (To his credit, Cohen also lampooned “woke” liberals who apologize for being white and straight.) It will be interesting to see if the show maintains its buzz in the coming weeks.
4. Haiti’s Government Fell After Massive Protests
Two Fridays ago, as Brazil faced Belgium in the World Cup, Haiti’s government quietly removed fuel subsidies that had been in place since the catastrophic 2010 earthquake. Within minutes of the game ending, protests erupted across the country, and Port-au-Prince was quickly paralyzed as people took to the streets for the largest demonstrations in years.
By the following Saturday, the protests had forced the government to resign. Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant stepped down, along with his entire cabinet. One of their last actions was to revoke the planned fuel price hikes. The president of Haiti is now tasked with appointing a new prime minister.
The protests were partly fueled by the IMF, which had granted Haiti a loan under the condition that the fuel subsidies be eliminated. However, the unrest also reflected the widespread dissatisfaction with the government. More than 80% of Haitians survive on under $2 a day, corruption is rampant, and recent elections have been plagued by violence and voter suppression. It seems likely that Haiti will continue to see large-scale protests in the near future.
3. The US Charged 12 Russians Over Election Interference
Once again, Russia makes the headlines. Last Friday, Special Counsel Robert Mueller delivered a major bombshell: twelve Russian officials have been indicted in absentia for their involvement in meddling with the 2016 U.S. election. The indictment provided names, addresses, and detailed information about sophisticated phishing and hacking operations, painting a picture of a well-executed conspiracy led by Russia’s GRU intelligence agency.
Crucially, the indictment does not present any evidence or accusations of collusion involving American citizens. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein further emphasized that these tactics did not impact the election outcome. Nevertheless, the indictment shocked many, revealing a calculated Russian effort to destabilize American democracy.
The Department of Justice’s national security division will now handle the indictments, but it is highly unlikely that any of the twelve individuals named will face anything beyond U.S. sanctions. Despite this, with data breaches affecting half a million voters, hacking attempts on voting systems, and local election officials targeted, it’s starting to look like the 2018 midterms could become the next major flashpoint in the ongoing Russian hacking saga.
2. Israel Passed A Disputed Jewish Nation-State Law
On Thursday morning, Israel’s Knesset voted in favor of one of its most contentious laws in recent memory. The 'Jewish Nation-State' law officially recognizes Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people and declares Jerusalem as its undivided capital. However, the main point of controversy was a provision that made Hebrew the sole official language of Israel. For many Arab lawmakers, this bill effectively relegates them to second-class status.
Following the passage of the law, several Arab lawmakers tore up copies and accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being 'racist.' However, it's essential to note that not everyone shares this perspective. The law does not diminish the status of Arabic but instead elevates Hebrew. Some Arab-Israelis, including those who typically oppose the PM, voiced their support for the bill, including one writer from Haaretz.
It’s also important to highlight that the version of the law passed is significantly less contentious than the original proposal. The earlier version aimed to have the Supreme Court prioritize Israel’s Jewish character over its democratic nature, and it also included provisions that could have led to segregated religious communities. Both of these clauses were struck down earlier in the week.
1. Iran Took Legal Action Against The United States At The International Court
A few months ago, President Trump made the decision to withdraw the US from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), more commonly known as the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. The effects of this move are still reverberating globally, with some surprising consequences.
One such development occurred this week. On Tuesday, Tehran initiated legal proceedings against Washington at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, arguing that the reinstatement of sanctions breached a 1955 treaty between the two countries.
The ICJ stands as the highest judicial body of the United Nations. Unlike the International Criminal Court (ICC), the US is a member of the ICJ and, in theory, is obliged to follow its rulings. However, it's worth noting that the US has at times disregarded past decisions, and the ICJ lacks any formal means of enforcing compliance among member states.
The Iran lawsuit, however, may not even reach that point. In the months ahead, the ICJ will decide whether to issue a provisional ruling or simply dismiss the case.
