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Keeping up with the news can be a challenge—so much so, in fact, that we’ve made it our mission to bring you the most mind-bending headlines each week. (Expect this roundup every Friday.) And what a perfect week to kick things off. After an eventful April, May began with a wave of strange, extraordinary, and occasionally—perhaps—historically significant events. . .
10. The Hunt for Kony Finally Came to an End
Do you remember Kony?
The infamous figure from the viral sensation Kony 2012 is Joseph Kony, a notorious African warlord who leads the brutal Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). The LRA, resembling a Christian version of ISIS, aimed to impose rigid Old Testament laws on Uganda. At their peak, they wreaked havoc across Uganda, the DRC, CAR, and present-day South Sudan, slaughtering around 100,000 civilians. Their tactics involved destroying entire villages, raping and mutilating women, then abducting children and forcing them into soldiering.
To put it simply, Kony is a truly vile figure—so much so that in 2011, President Obama authorized a US task force to assist Uganda in tracking him down. Now, six years later, that operation is being called off. Tragically, Kony remains at large.
There are concerns that halting the search will allow the LRA to rebuild. With over 120 armed soldiers still at their disposal, they abducted more than 150 people in 2017 alone. If the world isn’t careful, the LRA could resurface as a formidable threat to Central Africa.
9. Macedonia Was On the Edge of Chaos
In 2001, Macedonia became the latest ex-Yugoslav nation to be on the verge of civil war. Approximately 200 lives were lost when an ethnic Albanian insurgency erupted. Although full-scale war was avoided, the friction between the Macedonian and Albanian communities has never truly dissipated. Just last week, that tension may have reached its peak.
On the night of April 28–29, masked protesters stormed the Macedonian parliament, brutally attacking opposition MPs as police stood by. A few days later, it was uncovered that state security forces might have been involved in, or even coordinated, the violent assault.
Tensions have been high ever since the ruling Macedonian party, VMRO, lost December's elections to the predominantly Albanian SDSM. VMRO refused to relinquish power, and since then, reports have surfaced suggesting the party has been using the police to intimidate rivals and hold on to control illegally. Given the region’s volatile history, such actions could easily lead to widespread violence, especially with the interests of Serbia, Russia, the US, and the EU all at stake in Macedonia's future.
8. Eminem Took Legal Action Against The New Zealand Government
Here’s something you wouldn’t expect to hear. On May 1, rapper Eminem (also known as Marshall Mathers) announced plans to sue New Zealand's ruling right-wing party. The reason? They used one of his songs without permission.
Of course, the situation is a bit more complicated than that—but not by much. Back in 2014, the National Party aired a political ad with music that sounded strikingly similar to “Lose Yourself.” However, it was actually a track called “Eminem-esque,” created by Beatbox, a company known for crafting songs that closely mimic famous tracks—just enough to trick listeners but not enough to warrant a lawsuit. Eminem's legal team, however, disagreed with that assessment.
It’s not uncommon for companies and political groups to use such copyright-skimming tracks like “Eminem-esque.” If Eminem wins his lawsuit, it could radically alter the licensing industry and spark one of the strangest political scandals we’ve ever had to report on.
7. Indonesia Unveiled Bold Plans to Relocate Its Entire Capital
Jakarta is one of the most densely packed and chaotic cities on the planet. With 13 million people crammed into a relatively small space, traffic jams are almost constant, and the pollution rivals that of Beijing. To make matters worse, the city is sinking, with northern Jakarta dropping by 25 centimeters (10 inches) annually. To tackle this growing disaster, Indonesia’s government has come up with a radical solution: They plan to move the entire capital.
While wildly ambitious plans like this have succeeded before—Brazil built an entirely new capital in the 1960s, and Kazakhstan’s eccentric leader moved his country’s capital to a remote desert village on a whim—Jakarta presents an entirely different challenge. The plan isn’t just large; it’s truly audacious. Relocating Jakarta’s institutions, businesses, parliament, and more would be one of the largest relocation efforts Asia has ever witnessed.
Though the plans are still in their infancy, don’t expect this issue to disappear anytime soon. As the city continues to sink into the sea, it’s becoming increasingly clear that action must be taken— and fast.
6. An Indian State Responded to Domestic Abuse with... More Domestic Abuse
India has one of the highest rates of domestic violence in the world. Millions of women suffer abuse from their husbands, yet the rates of reporting remain shockingly low. Some states, like Bihar and Kerala, have attempted to address this crisis by banning alcohol sales. But Madhya Pradesh has chosen a far more unconventional approach. On April 30, State Minister Gopal Bhargava unveiled a plan to protect women from their intoxicated husbands... by giving the wives free bats to strike their husbands with.
Over 700 brides have already received their bats during a mass wedding event, and another 10,000 are set to be distributed. These bats are heavy and could cause some serious harm. Most notably, each bat is engraved with the message “the police won’t intervene,” a promise the minister reportedly intends to honor.
It’s tough to decide where to stand on a story like this. On one hand, abused women absolutely need to be able to defend themselves. On the other hand, promising to keep the police out of domestic violence situations seems like a slippery slope that could lead to more problems.
5. Hamas Became Slightly Less Radical
The terrorist organization-turned-Gaza ruling party, Hamas, has always had a vehement hatred for Israel. Their charter once called for the total destruction of the Jewish state, with a stated goal of ‘liberating’ all of Palestine—a euphemism for expelling all Jews in an act of ethnic cleansing. Or at least, that was their goal. Last week, Hamas revealed a new political document with one major shift: the group now says it will accept the 1967 borders between Palestine and Israel.
For a fundamentalist Sunni group, this is a significant shift. By agreeing to the 1967 borders, Hamas is signaling a willingness to accept that another state could occupy part of what they view as Palestinian land. However, the document does not explicitly recognize that “other state” as Israel, likely because acknowledging Israel would be too difficult to accept.
For most people, this remains absurd. The 1967 war expanded Israel’s territory by a huge margin, much of which Hamas considers illegitimate. But for a terror group that has frequently launched rockets at Israel, it at least represents a small step towards moderation.
4. Britain’s Prince Philip Revealed His Decision to Retire
For nearly seventy years, Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, has been a fixture of British life. Possibly the least politically correct man alive (he once told a group of British students in China, “If you stay here much longer, you’ll all be slitty-eyed”), the prince holds a peculiar place in the UK: somewhere between the affection you have for a lovable but awkward elderly uncle and the embarrassment you feel when that uncle gets drunkenly belligerent and starts insulting foreigners. Well, not much longer. On May 4, Prince Philip revealed his decision to retire.
He won’t be retiring from his title as prince, we should note. However, he will step down from public life, ending all speaking engagements and even informal meetings with world leaders. His absence will certainly make British political life far duller, but it will also mark the start of his quiet exit from the spotlight. At 95 and reportedly in poor health, the prince likely has limited time left. When he does pass away, it will signify the end of an era that has lasted for over seven decades.
3. Venezuela’s Crisis Reached a Breaking Point
In the last month, 34 people have lost their lives amid the protests sweeping across Venezuela. The country has been facing a deep crisis for years, with widespread malnutrition, a lack of basic goods, and hyperinflation wreaking havoc on millions of lives. Earlier this year, President Maduro's socialist government orchestrated a power grab, effectively neutering the opposition-controlled parliament and bringing the judiciary under his control.
Now, Maduro has escalated the situation further. Last week, he announced plans to rewrite the constitution in a way that would transform Venezuela into a full-blown dictatorship.
Venezuela’s regional allies warned that the government was ‘pouring gasoline on the fire’ of the ongoing protests. With all due respect, they had already been doing that. Reports have surfaced of security forces handing out weapons in pro-government neighborhoods while enforcing a national ban on firearms. It almost seems like Maduro is waiting for an insurgency to crush—or even a full civil war. If he continues on this path, sadly, he may just get his wish.
2. Republicans Might Finally Be Successful in Repealing Obamacare
When it comes to political flashpoints, few issues are as highly charged as the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare). For the past seven years, the Republican Party has relentlessly pursued its repeal, making it a central mission. A previous attempt to replace it in March—the American Health Care Act (AHCA)—ended in a stunning failure. However, the situation may be changing soon. House Republicans have now passed a new bill.
The bill still faces a tough battle in the Senate, where the reservations of moderate Republicans could threaten its passage. However, clearing the House is a significant win for a bill that desperately needed one.
Outside the halls of Capitol Hill, this bill has the potential to drastically affect the lives of millions of Americans. Critics argue it will drive up both the uninsured rate and the national deficit. Supporters counter that it will reduce costs for younger buyers and that those savings will result in lower taxes for everyone. If this bill becomes law, we will soon know which side was right.
1. Nigeria’s President Disappeared
Nigeria’s president has officially gone missing. This week, reports have surfaced that President Muhammadu Buhari missed his third consecutive cabinet meeting, Friday prayers, and an important Labor Day address. While he’s known to be at home, his absence from public life has sparked fears of a potential power vacuum, raising concerns of instability in Africa’s most populous nation.
Buhari has been in poor health since the beginning of the year, having taken seven weeks of medical leave in the UK before returning to Nigeria, only to retreat into his official residence. The timing could not be worse. Nigeria’s economy shrank for the first time in 25 years last year, pushing the country into recession. Meanwhile, the north is plagued by Boko Haram, and the country’s energy sector is in disarray. The perception of a leadership void could drive investors away, leading to a death spiral.
On top of this, Nigeria has a history of coups and power struggles, the most recent being in 1999. Though the country’s democracy appears stable now, it would seem even more secure if the president would simply emerge from seclusion.
+ French Presidential Candidate, Macron, May Be Hiding Tax Evasion
Breaking news suggests that Emmanuel Macron, the investment banker running in France's upcoming presidential election, may have concealed funds in a Cayman Islands account for the purpose of tax evasion.
A pseudonymous writer for GotNews was tasked with verifying the authenticity of the documents in question. Her conclusion: “In my opinion, these documents appear genuine. If I were hired by the French government to investigate them, I would recommend that they obtain a warrant to further examine Emmanuel Macron's personal records and communications, both written and digital.”
In response to the allegations, Mr. Macron has initiated multiple lawsuits against those spreading the claims (including Marine Le Pen), while the French Police have begun requesting information from online hosts of the leaked documents in an effort to track down the original source. However, these efforts are unlikely to yield results since only French residents are obligated to comply with such requests.
Whether Macron is guilty or not remains unclear. What is more pressing, however, is the potential impact these revelations could have on his bid for the presidency.
Breaking: 4Chan’s /pol/ has just exposed thousands of private emails from the Macron campaign, revealing potential collusion with other EU nations to disrupt and interfere with the French election. In response, the French government has blocked access to 4Chan for French citizens. Additional documents suggest that French police worked with Macron’s campaign to infiltrate protests, fueling violence and increasing anti-Le Pen sentiment.
