Ways and Words- Thomas Pichler

1. The Empire Strikes Back: England’s Attempt at Autocracy

The first term of England’s new Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has gotten off to a turbulent start. His D.U.D.E.  campaign is grinding along slowly and has encountered its first, and most difficult obstacle, the Brexit. Johnson repeatedly pushed for leaving the EU on the deadline on October 31. (Even though he scaled down his rhetoric markedly in the presence of EU leaders.) The Trump of the Rainy Island has a tenuous majority in parliament at best- and his latest stunt is sure to make some enemies.

Every year, parliament takes a break during Autumn before being re-opened by the „Queen’s Speech“. This break leaves precious little time to negotiate an acceptable Brexit-Deal, an undertaking that has made little headway since the referendum in 2016.

Boris Johnson has dramatically shortened this time by calling for a 5-week suspension of parliament. This power play effectively leaves parliament with no time to debate alternatives to a no-deal Brexit. This so-called „prorogation“ occurs once a year, normally when a new government assumes power. A „Queen’s Speech“ is then held afterwards, in which government presents its plans for the coming year. A fairly standard procedure, but the timing makes it highly controversial. Politicians and civilians alike see it as an attempt to circumvent parliamentary influence and thereby democracy itself.

The situation becomes even more absurd when one considers how this prorogation actually occurs. It is actually the QUEEN who suspends parliament (following the government’s request). This means that neither the courts nor parliament can undertake any actions against the suspension. While this is normally one of those harmless, archaic rules, it is currently being used to circumvent the parliament chosen by the people.

To sum it up: the UK has a prime minister, who was never directly elected, using the power of the monarchy to ignore parliament in the run-up to the greatest revolution in the nation’s history since joining the EU.

Further Reading: (BBC; CNN)

2. Measles Returns

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

For thousands of years, humanity has been fighting against viruses, bacteria, and parasites. In all that time, vaccines have proven their worth time and time again, by preventing the disease from infecting the body in the first place.

This long history of success is just one of many factors which make the modern anti-vaccine movement utterly incomprehensible. Many terrible diseases which were on the brink of being eradicated are now slowly creeping back into society. Measles has now returned to four European countries that were previously free of the illness. The citizens of Albania, the Czech Republic, Greece, and the UK must now make sure that their vaccinations are up to date.

The anti-vaccination movement is obviously not solely to blame for this new development. Globalisation and the latest waves of immigration have seen many unvaccinated people from underdeveloped countries moving between nations- bringing their diseases with. In a country with perfect innoculation, this is a minor problem. However, no society can achieve 100 % vaccination. There will always be people whose bodies reject medication or cannot be vaccinated for other reasons. These people are then protected by all the others- with no available carriers, the infection cannot spread to those vulnerable to the disease. The few outbreaks can be easily contained and eradicated.

The lack of vaccination does not only endanger those responsible, but also all those who rely on the general absence of the disease. Allowing preventable diseases to spread is irresponsible on a global scale. Diseases also have a very nasty habit of mutating, meaning that by the time we decide to treat a disease en masse, it may become resistant to the medicine used to combat it.

Further Reading: (BBC ; CNN )

3. The Battle For Aden

The UN has dubbed the war in Yemen the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, a dubious award considering the awful conditions in other war-zones. Since March 2015, at least 7,025 civilians have been killed and 11,140 injured, with many sources placing this number much higher. Almost 80% of the population – 24 million people-  requires humanitarian assistance.  The fighting around the capital city Aden has now reached a fever pitch. But first we need a bit of context.

The civil war traces its lineage back to the Arab Spring of 2011, where many Arab nations overthrew their authoritarian governments. The demonstrators forced the residing president to accede power to his deputy, Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi. Hadi was unable to establish his rule in a nation wracked by corruption, unemployment, and insecurity. A rebellion led by the Houti movement (and backed by security personell loyal to the previous president) took the previous capital city of Sanaa in 2015 and forced Hadi to flee the country in 2015. Fearing Iranian influence in the region, Saudi Arabia and other mostly Sunni Arab states began fighting to restore Hadi’s government.

The tensions in Yemen run along 2 axes: on the one hand you have the separatists who want to see South Yemen return to souvereignty. On the other side you have the backing of multiple neighbouring states, with Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates supporting different groups.

The fighting has only become more complicated as time goes on: control of the country is currently in the hands of 7 main groups, which have shown shifting loyalties. The Saudi-backed,  Hadi-led government has been steadily expanding its control.  In a sudden twist, The Southern Transitional Counci (STC) betrayed the Hadi forces and captured the de facto capital of Aden. The Saudi-backed coalition is now showing signs of fraying.

Further Reading: (Al Jazeera, BBC)

4. What Are You Sinking About?

Indonesia’s capital Jakarta is sinking into the ocean. A problem for its 10 million residents. As the city has grown, the authorities have been forced to rely on groundwater to supply the citiy‘s growing needs. As the water is extracted from the swampy earth, the ground sinks to fill the void. Inch by inch, Jakarta is slipping under water. In the last 10 years, the city has sunk by almost 2.5 meters.

President Joko Widodo has promised a solution: the construction of a new capital city. A location has already been chosen for the new city: a 400 square-kilometer patch of land in the East Kalimantan district on the island Borneo.

Moving the apparatus of state will cost an estimated $32.79 billion dollars, the majority of which will be funded by private investment.

It is currently NOT planned to move the majority of Jakarta’s populace. A slippery slope, seeing as how most experts expect the city to be under water in the next 40 years due to rising sea levels.

Further Reading: (BBC; CNN)

“He wants to buy, he wants to sell;
But Denmark tells Trump to go to he….”

1. Greenland is Not For Sale

How strange that the Prime Minister of Denmark has to explain to the President of the United States that its land is not for sale. And how typical that Donald Trump throws a hissy fit and cancels bilateral talks when he is rebuffed!

Let’s review the Curious Case of the Denmark Deal.

On Sunday, Trump posted confirmed the rumours that he was interested in purchasing Greenland, the largest island in the world. „Essentially, it’s a large real-estate deal,“ claimed the president. Of course, he failed to notify anyone through official channels, leaving the Danish government baffled and bemused. Instead of trying to defuse the situation, Trump threw oil on the fire with this „meme“.

The response from Denmark was understandably cool. Trump’s reaction was not. Answering by tweet (how else would a world leader broadcast his plans of territorial expansion?), Trump immediately postponed his planned meeting with the royal family. Likely indefinitely.

What makes the situation even more absurd is that Denmark has been one of America’s closest allies for almost 50 years. The US even has a military base located on the island.

To the naked eye, Greenland has little to offer a prospective buyer.  The name Greenland is actually a purposeful misnomer: the Viking Erik the Red praised the „green island“ in an attempt to lure prospective settlers to his new colony. Only 56,000 people live on the enormous island. Although Greenland officially belongs to Denmark, the primarily Inuit population is autonomous in all points except foreign affairs and defence. Two-thirds of the island lie under a sheet of ice up to 3 km thick.

So why is Trump interested in the island at all? 2 reasons: resources and strategy. Greenland has built up an El Dorado mythology in the last years. Even though no oil has been found in the coastal waters, rumours abound that a cornucopia of valuable resources lies under the ice.  In terms of strategy, Greenland could be become a valuable player in the Arctic Arms Race between the US, Russia, and China.

Trump will have to look elsewhere for his next hotel.

Further Reading: (CNN; Al Jazeera)

2. Amazon Wildfire

The hottest summer in mankind’s history has led to some devastating bushfires all over the world. In Siberia, a patch of forest the size of Belgium literally went up in smoke. On the island paradise of Gran Canaria about 9,000 people had to be evacuated due to fires.

And now the Amazon is burning.

Two-thirds of the Amazon, the largest rainforest in the world, lie in Brazil. While illegal logging and slash and burn agriculture have steadily been chomping away at the Amazon for years, the fires currently burning are unprecedented. Satellite data shows an 84 % increase in fires compared to 2018, while the record of 2016 has also been overtaken.

The Amazon rainforest is home to millions of species of unique plants and animals, as well as inidigenous tribes. While the search for valuable, rare hardwood trees drvies the logging efforts, the greatest cause of deforestation is the purposeful clearing or burning of the rainforest for agriculture, particularly cattle ranching. While large portions of the Brasilian rainforest have been designated as conservation areas, many Brasilians wish to use the land for commercial purposes. When an area designated as protected rainforest “mysteriously” burns down, the land becomes free for rezoning.

Brasil’s right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro has continually pushed for de-conservation, going so far as to say, “I used to be called Captain Chainsaw. Now I am Nero, setting the Amazon aflame.” After firing the space and satellite director for “falsifying deforestation figures”, Bolsonaro rapidly changed tack and has bizarrely accused environmental NGOs of starting the fires in an attempt to weaken his government.

While there is some hypocrisy in modern nations forcing Brasil to preserve its rainforests after clearing 90% of their own, the fact remains that the Amazon rainforest is home to unique and precious species as well as being a critical carbon sink. At the moment, an area of rainforest roughly the size of football pitch is being cleared every minute.

Further Reading: (BBC, CNN)

3. The Ladies of Poland

The tiny town of Miejsce Odrzańskie in Poland has gathered a curious reputation: no boy has been born there since 2009. The curious phenomenon came to light when the town sent a all-girl team to a firefighter competition. The mayor of the town of 272 has offered a reward to the first boy to be born.

A word to the wise: although no boys have been born since 2009, only 12 children were born at all. That being said, the probability of mothers only bearing girls 12 times in a row is approximately 1/4000. Assuming the chance is 50/50…..

While most people are happy to write it off as a fluke, many of the older residents say that the low birth-rate of boys has been going on for decades. The boy-free zone has now drawn the attention of several scientists.

A similar case in India can be traced to a more sinister cause. In the northern district of Uttarkashi, no girls have been born in 132 villages for the last 3 months. That’s 216 boys in a row. In 16 of the villages, no girls have been born in the last six months.

Similar to China, in India boys are often preferred to girls for a number of cultural regions, including the payment of dowries.

The authorites are now investigating whether the families have been terminating the pregnancies after finding out the sex of the baby.

4. Atomic Floats

In Russia, an engineer looked at a nuclear power plant and decided: I want to put this on a boat.

The floating nuclear reactor Akademik Lomonosov has set sail on an almost 5,000 km journey from Murmansk in the northwest to the town of Pevek in the east.

The ship is part of a plan to bring power to Russia’s most remote regions. The towns in the Chukotka region are responsible for extracting hydrocarbons and precious stones, but their remoteness impedes the construction of traditional power supplies.

The Lomonosov platform has been dubbed “Chernobyl on Ice” and is run by Rosatom, the state company responsible for Russia’s nuclear projects. Concerns have arisen from multiple fronts and range from the disposal of nuclear waste to the danger of tsunamis and freak waves. Reassurances from Rosatom and the engineers on board are falling on deaf ears following the recent radiation leak in northern Russia. According to President Vladimir Putin, the radiation spike was the result of a failed missile test, but posed no threat to the public.

A little sip of atomic power,

Tasted under the cooling tower.

1. India Revokes Kashmir Autonomy

For 70 years, the Indian territory of Jammu and Kashmir has enjoyed relative autonomy. In a shocking move, India’s Prime Minister Narenda Modi has decided to convert the region into “union territory”, effectively revoking its special status. If the bill is approved by the lower house of parliament, then the state will be split in two.

The Kashmir region has a long and tumultuous history. The Kashmir valley and surrounding areas lie on the border between China, the primarily Hindu India, and Muslim Pakistan. India and Pakistan lay claim to the entire region but only control parts of it, with certain districts being run by China. It is one of the most militarised areas in the world.

The formerly princely state of Jammu and Kashmir joined the newly formed Indian union back in 1947, following attacks by Pakistan-based tribesman. India offered military support and mostly autonomous rule, including the right to Kashmir’s own constitution and flag. India has now torn up this contract. Following this decision, the entirety of the Indian area has been put into lockdown: tens of thousands of troops poured into the area and are enforcing curfews, local leaders have been arrested, and telephone and internet networks have been cut off. Many fear that this show of power is India’s attempt to bring its only state with a Muslim majority to heel.

Further Reading: (Al Jazeera; CNN)

2. America’s Next Mass Shooting

The United States mourns the victims of its 251th mass shooting in 2019. In El Paso, Texas 22 people were killed on Saturday in a Walmart store. The next massacre occurred only 13 hours later – in Dayton, Ohio.  9 people were murdered and 14 more injured. The never-ending debate over gun laws once again dominates the new cycle. It remains up to the Americans to decide whether they have a gun problem or not. The fact that the US has a problem with gun violence is undeniable. According to the non-profit Gun Violence Archive, 8,931 people were killed by gun violence in this year alone.

The question on everyone’s lips is why. Several suspects roll through the media every time a shooting occurs. 1. The availability of firearms 2. Ideology or religion 3. Video games. If one of these things does not seem to belong, you are of course correct. Although politicians and news pundits have blamed video games for escalating violence for years, multiple studies have shown absolutely no correlation between video games and gun violence. Mental health is occasionally mentioned as a possible factor, but often only when the motive cannot be explained through the standard ideology/religion angle. The problem seems to be uniquely American. No other country in the world comes close to the number of mass shootings as the US. It must be something deeper than previously thought, because there are few links between incidents. The El Paso shooting appears to be racially motivated – he targeted a city with an 80% Hispanic population and uploaded a racist manifesto just minutes before opening fire. The motive behind the Ohio shooting is much less clear. A man wearing body armour suddenly started firing into a crowded downtown street. He was about to enter a crowded bar before the police were able to shoot him.

What can we take away from all this? The people who commit these mass shootings mostly realize that they will themselves die. Restricting access to weapons, particularly automatic rifles, will certainly help nullify the dangers of mentally disturbs shooters, but this is treating the symptoms instead of the disease. One factor that is, perhaps understandably, ignored is media presence. In a culture obsessed with celebrities and standing out, the fact that the medial feeding frenzy catapults these shooters into fame and infamy should not be dismissed.

Further Reading: (CNN; Time)

3. Recycling 101

Climate change, global warming, plastic bans, and recycling – some people have had enough with all the buzzwords. Take for example this man in Spanish Almeria.

After shouting “recycling, let’s go, recycle it”, he throws his old fridge over a cliff. While filming it and posting the video online. The authorities were not impressed by his new disposal initiative and slapped him with a €45,000 fine. Furthermore, the litterbug was ordered to return to the scene of the dirty crime, drag the fridge back up the cliff, and dispose of it properly.

Further Reading: (ABC)

4. A Radiant Drink

HBO’s hit series Chernobyl has reignited interest in the worst nuclear disaster the world has ever seen. In 1986, one of the atomic reactors at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant exploded, releasing a catastrophic amount of deadly radiation into the atmosphere. Thousands of people were evacuated following the disaster, and all the territory within 30 km of the plant was designated as a nuclear exclusion zone. Following the HBO’s series, tourism has boomed in the nearby areas.

For the first time following the evacuation, something has reached us from the exclusion zone. A group of scientists from the Ukraine and the UK have brewed vodka using ingredients within the exclusion zone. The vodka has been branded “Atomik”. The rye and grain were grown in one of the less contaminated areas, and the water was sourced from a deep aquifer in Chernobyl town. The finished product is not radioactive and is only as dangerous to your health as a normal bottle of liquor.

Only one bottle has been distilled so far, but more is possibly on its way. 75% of the profits will go towards wildlife conservation and supporting the affected communities.

1. Boris Johnson Off to a Rocky Start

It’s official, Boris Johnson has been sworn-in as the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The Imperial Trump received almost twice as many votes in the Conservative election as his opponent, Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt. In his blustering acceptance speech, he outlined his goals as follows: 1. Deliver Brexit (at any cost, including a No-Deal), 2. Unite the country, 3. Defeat opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn. After realizing that his campaign formed the acronym D.U.D., Johnson added an “E” for Energize, and declared himself to be the D.U.D.E. who will save the country. (You cannot make this up.)

Questionable mantras notwithstanding, Johnson was doing well in the polls until this week, when his parliamentary majority took a major hit. After losing votes in the Brecon and Radnorshire region of Wales, Johnson’s majority in parliament is teetering on the razor’s edge. 1 seat is all that is holding up the entire Conservative government, weakening Johnson’s position immensely.)

Further Reading: (CNN; BBC )

2. Murder Rate in Cape Town Skyrockets

While South Africa has become infamous for its extraordinary rate of violent crimes, the past two weekends in Cape Town have been exceptional. After 25 people were murdered between the 19th and 21st of July, the army was called in to patrol the most dangerous areas. (The majority of the hotspots are in the Cape Flats suburb.)

Unfortunately, this did little curb the murders. On the following weekend, the number of people killed jumped to an astounding 46. According to police statements, the sharp uptake in murders is not related to an increase in gang activity, although several bystanders were injured in shootings.

The most shocking aspect of this story? The murder rate has been going down. In May, 71 people were murdered over the payday weekend, and in June, 66. And this, in a city with a population of 4 Million.

Further Reading: ( News24 )

3. Sailing in Space

During the Space Race of the 1950’s and 60’s, mankind sprang from one technological achievement to the next. Although we have made significant progress since then, particularly with regards to satellites, the rate of progress has slowed markedly. One of the biggest hinderances to further exploration is the question of propulsion: how do we move across the almost unfathomable distances between planets and stars? Chemical propulsion a.k.a rocket engines have been the only option until now, but a spaceship is limited by the amount of fuel it can carry. Enter the LightSail.

The idea of solar sails has been around for quite a while and harkens back to earliest days of terrestrial exploration- rig a sail and let the wind do the work. In space, there is obviously no wind, however, there is something else blowing through the ether. The sun is continually emitting photons, i.e. particles of light. A solar sail is able to reflect these rays, using the minute energy of the “impact” to propel itself. Seeing as how there is no resistance in space, a craft is theoretically able to accelerate almost indefinitely. Proof of concept comes now in the form of the LightSail 2, a spacecraft that is currently orbiting the earth and has successfully deployed its sails.

Starship Enterprise, here we come.

Further reading: (Science Alert)

4. The End of Disarmament

Progress is inevitable, but we should have drawn the line at nuclear weapons. No weapon should exist that is capable of wiping out millions of people in an instant, and no person, people, or country should have the power to launch a nuclear Holocaust. The Cuban Missile Crisis showed once and for all how mankind could wipe itself off the face of the earth. After the two minutes to midnight had passed, the USA and Russia (the two countries with the largest stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction) decided to feed some time into the Doomsday Clock and agreed to halt nuclear proliferation. Besides reducing the number of active warheads (the device responsible for the explosion), certain limits were set for the method of delivery, i.e. rockets. One of these landmark deals has now collapsed.

The Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty was signed in 1987 and was meant to limit the possibility of medium-range nuclear strikes between 500km to 5,500 from Europe. The USA and NATO have now withdrawn from the treaty, claiming that Russia has developed new nuclear-capable cruise missiles in violation of the agreement. Russia has denied the allegations.

Is there cause to panic? Not quite yet. The treaty only banned the use of land-based missiles. However, the dissolutions of the INF-treaty and the treaty banning the testing of nuclear weapons point to a disturbing trend. There is now only one atomic agreement binding USA and Russia: the New Start Treaty, which limits the total number of warheads for both countries to 1,550.  

Further Reading: Al Jazeera; NATO statement)

5. South Korean Cult

400 cultists were held hostage for over 6 years by their South Korean leader. Shin Ok-Ju, the founder of the Grace Road Church, preached of an impending disaster and convinced her congregation to move to Fiji. Once the congregation arrived, “Reverend Esther”, as she was known, cemented her control by removing her followers’ passports and subjecting them to violent beatings. Over 6 years the cultists were shown videos of natural disasters and convinced that they were now living in the Promised Land. The children suffered the most, being deprived of any form of education.

In 2018, Shin Ok-ju was arrested after flying back to Seoul. She has been found guilty of nine charges including imprisonment, assault, fruad, child abuse, and ordering child neglect.

The bane of grain flies in the breeze,
When leaf rust causes wheat to sneeze……

1. Drought in Chennai

India is drying up. Or at least parts of the south. In the sixth-most populous city, Chennai, millions of people are suffering from a major drought. Almost 9 million people live in the greater metro area. Over the last six months, the city has received no more than 58 millimeters of rain in total. The lakes and reservoirs are drying rapidly- the government has resorted to trucking water straight to the thirsty neighbourhoods. People have begun fighting over the rationed water. On Wednesday 550 people were arrested during a demonstration.

Thankfully, it seems that the monsoon rains have finally arrived. It is hoped that the coming rain will be enough to fill up the depleted reservoirs.

(Further Reading: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/video/huge-relief-for-parched-chennai-as-heavy-rain-lashes-city-more-downpour-expected-in-next-48-hours-1554298-2019-06-22, https://edition.cnn.com/2019/06/20/india/chennai-water-crisis-intl-hnk/index.html )

2. Brexit Showdown

Whether you care for her politics or not, one hast to admit that British Prime Minister Theresa May has given her all during the Brexit negotiations. Her time has however come to an end. May officially relinquished her office on the 7th of June, leaving the office of Tory-leader – and by default Prime Minister – open.

The race for the Conservative leadership is entering its final phase. The last men standing are Britain’s finest mop impersonator, Boris Johnson, and underdog Jeremy Hunt. During the last round of voting, Johnson received 160 of the 313 votes. 77 Members of Parliament voted for Foreign Secretary Hunt. Now the rest of the party will vote; the results are expected by the 22nd of July.

What does this mean for the Brexit? Boris Johnson has been one of the most outspoken proponents of leaving the EU. Johnson is keen to leave by the EU deadline on 31 October, whether a deal is in place or not. Jeremy Hunt is slightly more diplomatic and claims that leaving the EU with no deal is not his preferred option. It remains to be seen whether either of the candidates will be able to unite the parliament.

(Further reading: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-48496082)

3. Iranian Tensions

Iran and the United States have never been on the best of terms. For years, the West has claimed that Iran is using its nuclear energy program as cover to secretly develop nuclear weapons. Iran has always denied these claims, but agreed to a deal in 2015 in order to lift international sanctions. This deal is in now danger of collapsing. In 2018, the US claimed that Iran was not forthcoming with publishing its nuclear research and reimposed sanctions, further escalating tensions.

Jump forward to June 2019. Iran’s economy has been suffering greatly from the oil sanctions and the government under Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (yes, that is his official title) scaled back its commitments under the deal. The global nuclear watchdog IAEA reports that Iran has increased production of enriched uranium. The stage was set for a particularly provoking series of events.

June 13: Two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman are attacked. The US claims that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps is behind the attacks, the Iranians deny any involvement.

June 20: Iran shoots down a US military drone. The Iranians claim it was a spy drone flying through its sovereign territory, the American military says the drone was in international airspace.

June 20/21: A military strike was planned, but President Donald Trump cancelled the order when he heard that approximately 150 people would be killed. (To his credit, I must add.) Many Republicans are pushing for military action. Both sides have also admitted to attempted cyber-attacks. At the moment, it seems that neither side is attempting to de-escalate tensions.

Further reading: https://edition.cnn.com/politics/live-news/iran-us-tensions-latest-intl/index.html, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/06/trump-imposes-sanctions-iran-targets-supreme-leader-190624161044665.html)

5. Diseased Dewdrops

Have you ever seen a plant sneezing? According to scientists writing in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, they can. The researchers discovered that certain wheat plants shoot out tiny water droplets. When they are infected with the fungus Puccinia triticina, the pathogen is spread to nearby plants. This pathogen leads to the disease known as leaf rust, which can severely affect harvest yields.

But how does a plant sneeze? The leaves of certain plants are superhydrophic, or water-repellent. This means that moisture forms into droplets instead of being absorbed. When two droplets collide, the surface tension can cause small amounts of fluid to be flung away, hence the sneezing allegory. While the phenomenon has been observed before, this is the first time that it has been linked to the spreading of disease.

Further reading:( https://www.sciencenews.org/article/sneezing-plants-wheat-pathogens-spores also has a video demonstrating the “sneezing” in action, https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsif.2019.0243 )

“In England once there flew a man whose discomfort grew and grew,
When nature called he sprang straight up but couldn’t find the loo….”

Welcome to this week’s edition of the “Best” News, our collection of stories that range from things you should know but didn’t, to things you shouldn’t know but now do. Our first stop: politics.

1. Protests in Hong Kong

After 150 years of British rule, control of Hong Kong was ceded back to the Chinese government in 1997 under the agreement that Hong Kong would keep it’s own legal system for the next 50 years. (This led to some very interesting conundrums, for example: how do you merge the right-sided traffic coming from mainland China to the British left-sided traffic in Hong Kong?) Over the years, China has continually tried to exert more control over it’s bustling, industrial metropole. The latest attempt is a proposed extradition law, allowing Hong Kong nationals to be extradited to the mainland for trial. Many people fear that the government would force the extradition of activists and other “trouble makers”.

In a series of massive protests, thousands of citizens stormed government buildings and blocked the streets leading to the headquarters. The police response was equally passionate. Tear gas, pepper spray, water cannons, and rubber bullets were used in a desperate attempt to break up the demonstrations. The first reading of the proposed bill was cancelled, it remains to be seen whether the government will follow up.

(Further reading: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-48618484)

2. Trump’s Truth

The President of America, Donald Trump. Still hard to imagine the host of the Apprentice leading the strongest military in the world. Right from the start, Trump has had a complicated relationship with “facts” and “truth”. For most people, facts are things which are objectively true. For Trump, facts are things which promote his agenda. Everything else is “fake news”. Even his own statements. And no matter how often Trump gets caught in a bold-faced lie, it never seems to matter. The Washington Post has been analysing every statement the President has made during his time in office and, as of June 7th, the president has made 10,796 false or misleading claims. This averages out to 12 lies per day.

(Further reading: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/06/10/politics/donald-trump-lies-fact-check/index.html, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/06/10/president-trump-has-made-false-or-misleading-claims-over-days/?utm_term=.66286f7eac77)

3. 95 Dead in Mali Attack

On Sunday night, a group of armed gunmen stormed the Mali village of Sobane-Kou and massacred 95 innocent people, 24 of them children. Sobane-Kou is an ethnic Dogon village with approximately 300 residents. The assault lasted for hours and saw houses set aflame and farm animals slaughtered. No one has claimed responsibility for the onslaught yet, but it is believed to be retaliation for an attack by Dogon militia in March which left 160 Fulani villagers dead.

Fighting between the Fulani and Dogon has escalated in the last few years due to the presence of jihadist armed groups and fighting over land and water rights. The central government has been incapable or unwilling to deal with the escalating tensions, leading to the formation of armed militia groups. Experts fear that the relatively localized violence could spread to other regions.

(Further reading: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/06/mali-massacre-escalating-violence-190613133110169.html, https://edition.cnn.com/2019/06/10/africa/mali-village-massacre-sobane-intl/index.html)

4. Loving in Lignano (publicly)

Moving on to some lighter news. Every year, scores of Austrians migrate south to celebrate the long Pentecost weekend in sunny Italy. The small beach town of Lignano in the north-east has become one of the more popular destinations. The Lignano-weekend is famous for being a time of vast alcohol excess, but this year the party was even wilder than usual. One man was badly injured during a bar-fight, another fell of the roof of his hotel.

The Hangover-Award this year goes to one particularly amorous couple from Salzburg. At noon, the two drunkards were struck hard by Cupid’s arrow and began, uh, making love. In the middle of the street. The police charged the couple with obscenity and banned them for three years.

(Further reading in German: https://orf.at/stories/3126192/, https://www.oe24.at/oesterreich/chronik/salzburg/Sex-auf-Strasse-Austro-Paar-in-Lignano-erwischt/384047547)

5. A Long Drop

Everyone has at least one funny flight anecdote. For one man in Manchester, it was almost his last. After boarding the plane, the man received an urgent call from nature and started looking for the toilet. Unfortunately, he ended up in front of the emergency exit instead. It was only after opening the door and deploying the emergency slide that the man realized his mistake. Luckily for him and the other passengers, the plane was still on the ground. The flight was delayed for seven hours.

(Further reading: https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/plane-door-manchester-airport-scli-intl/index.html)