RationalWiki:What is going on in the world?/November 2018

November 2018
Former US president George H. W. Bush has died at the age of 94. Large-scale hydropower projects are found to be less economical and environmentally friendly than previously thought. Europe and the U.S. are removing their dams but developing countries are building a lot more. A South Korean train crosses the DMZ for the first time in more than a decade, carrying a team of engineers aboard tasked with inspecting North Korea's rail infrastructure, which Kim Jong-un said is in an "embarrassing" state. A federal judge has ruled against Trump blocking funding for sanctuary cities. Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes has been denied a visa for a speaking tour of Australia on character grounds. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the trade agreement that replaces NAFTA has been signed in Buenos Aires, by Presidents Trump, Pena Nieto and Prime Minister Trudeau. A civil servant for the French Senate and president of the French-Korean Friendship Association Benoît Quennedey, has been arrested for spying for North Korea. Michael Cohen pleads guilty in court about lying to Congress about plans for the proposed Trump Tower in Moscow. After the violent bullying of a Syrian brother and sister at a school in Yorkshire led to police action, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon is being sued by the victims' parents for defending their abuser(s) on Facebook. A United Nations report reveals that Earth's ozone layer is healing. NASA receives the powerhouse for its next-generation spacecraft, the Orion, from the European Space Agency (ESA). Chinese telecommunications giant ZTE helps Venezuela create a new ID card that tracks citizens' activities, including voting. Marine Le Pen has lost her appeal against the misappropriation of expenses totalling over 41 500 euro as a MEP, by employing her bodyguard as a "research assistant". Police raid the offices of Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt over money laundering allegations stemming from the Panama Papers. Philippine leader Duterte threatens to create a death squad to hunt "Maoist assassins". The Senate advances a bill to end US involvement in the Yemeni Civil War. President Trump claims he is too intelligent to believe in climate change. Discrimination against black people "commonplace" in the EU. Martial law goes into effect in 10 Ukrainian provinces after a sea clash with Russia. The world's first gene-edited babies (twins) were born in China. The scientist involved defends his work. 'Fury' as Mark Zuckerberg failed to show up at an inquiry attended by 9 countries Paul Manafort's plea deal has been invalidated, as he has lied to Robert Mueller and the FBI about his behavior during the 2016 presidential elections. Also, he tried to speak to Julian Assange while in London. Trump's disapproval rating matches its all-time high of 60%. US Court of Appeals rules in favor of Schlafly Beer in trademark suit filed by Phyllis Schlafly's heirs. Fake "wellness" fraudster, Belle Gibson, is facing jail for failing to pay a $410,000 fine imposed on her for faking cancer in order to profit from false claims about curing it with natural therapies and nutrition. NASA's InSight lander has touched down on Mars. Christopher Chope is at it again, and has now come out against a proposed amendment to the Children's Act that would ban Female Genital Mutilation, on the grounds that non-government bills are improper. Jury selection begins for the trial of James Alex Fields Jr. Two-thirds of Swiss voters have rejected a popular initiative which would make international treaties unbinding if they contradict the Swiss constitution, which would have potentially invalidated international human rights laws. US border guards fire tear gas at the migrant caravan at US-Mexican border. Neo-nazis are organizing secret paramilitary training across America. Russian special forces have captured three Ukrainian ships in the Azov Sea, following allegations from both sides of ships illegally crossing the border. EU leaders have approved the UK's Brexit deal. Researchers have reportedly developed a vaccine for Alzheimer's disease that could cut the number of dementia cases in half.

African elephants are evolving to not grow tusks because of poachers. A federal report on the worsening impact of climate change has been released. The homeless crisis is getting worse in America's richest cities A 19 mile wide impact crater has been found under Greenland's ice. Three gunmen attacked the Chinese consulate in Pakistan. With UKIP's national executive ruling that EDL members cannot join the party, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon is to be Gerard Batten's new special adviser on Muslim grooming gangs. Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes distances himself from the organization. Warming gas concentrations have reached a new record high. The White House has approved the use of lethal force at the US-Mexico border. U.S. abortion rates plummeted from 2006 to 2015, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). American missionary wannabe is killed by members of an isolated tribe in the Andaman Islands. 85,000 children under the age of five have died of starvation due to the Yemeni Civil War. A British PhD student has been sentenced to life in prison by the UAE on spying charges. In lighter news, a different federal judge struck down Mississippi's ban on abortion after 15 weeks. A federal judge has found the nationwide ban on female genital mutilation to be unconstitutional, legalizing it in the 23 states without bans. South Korea’s Kim Jong-Yang has been voted as the next head of, beating Russia’s Alexander Prokopchuk by 96 to 39 votes. The Police, the New Zealand Defence Forces and two notable sponsors, Westpac NZ and Vodafone NZ have dropped their support for Auckland Pride after the organisers object to New Zealand Police marching in uniform. Trump says that the US intends to remain a "steadfast partner" of Saudi Arabia despite the CIA concluding that the Saudi Crown Prince ordered Khashoggi's murder. Ohio lawmakers are considering outlawing abortion and making it punishable by death with no exceptions. It has be revealed by the Guardian newspaper, that the right-wing think tank has receive over $250,000 from various American and offshore sources in the last five years including the  and the. This is potentially illegal, as foreign financing of political groups is forbidden. A federal judge blocks rules put into place by Trump that bar migrants who enter illegally from requesting asylum. Criticism over the possibility of a Russian police chief being elected president of Interpol. Mars Foods has pointed out to the Environment and Food Secretary Michael Gove that in the event of a no-deal Brexit, they would only have production of the iconic Mars bars for two weeks maximum. Canadian Tory leader Andrew Scheer has been criticised for advocating a no-deal Brexit, as getting involved in a debate he has no idea about. The US is to winddown troops on the American-Mexican border, leading to criticism from many including the American Enterprise Institute that it was a mid-term stunt. But her emails! Ivanka Trump is alleged to use a private e-mail account to communicate White House business, which is in violation of federal transparency rules. FBI now classifies far-right Proud Boys as 'extremist group', documents say The White House has fully restored Jim Acosta's press pass and implemented new press conference rules. The EU under the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), has proposed creating seventeen new defence related organsations including a spy school and a cyber-response team. Metrologists from over 50 countries voted to reform the metric system (SI) such that the units of measurements will be based on seven constants of nature. Justin Trudeau says he won't negotiate in public on future of LGBTQ rights in USMCA Johnston Press, who owns a mixture of regional and local newspapers in the UK has gone into administration (a sort of bankruptcy). Finland has summoned its resident Russian ambassador Pavel Kuznetsov after Russia was suspected in blocking GPS signals over Finnish Lapland. The CIA has concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered Jamal Khashoggi's assassination. Long-lived nuclear waste can be broken down into into shorter-lived isotopes, minimizing a major sticking point for widespread nuclear power. Protests in Ireland after the woman having worn a thong was used as evidence for consent by the defense in a rape trial. Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš is facing calls to resign. After it was reported that he lured his mentally disabled son Andrej Babiš Jr, and then put him into a sanatorium in Russian-occupied Crimea against his will. This was alleged to prevent investigators from making inquiries to Babiš Jr regarding corruption of EU funds into Babiš Sr’s businesses. A court filing mistake suggests that Assange has been charged in secret by the Justice Department. We have a new definition for the kilogram, to be implemented May 20th, 2019. The last two surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge have been found guilty of genocide. Potential super-Earth found nearby after decades-long hunt Man shouts [https://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bs-md-ci-hippodrome-20181114-story.html "Heil Hitler, Heil Trump!" during a performance of Fiddler on the Roof] in Baltimore, sparking a rush for the exits, as people feared a shooting was about to occur. The US announces sanctions on 17 Saudi nationals with alleged roles in the Khashoggi killing as Saudi prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty for five allegedly involved. Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab has resignedsaying he cannot support the UK's proposed EU deal. The ongoing surge in renewable energy is not enough to halt climate change. Key witness in the Odebrecht corruption case died of a heart attack on Thursday. His son who came home from Spain for the funeral found a water bottle on his dad's desk, took a drink, and died of cyanide poisoning. The US will stop refueling Saudi-led coalition jets but progressives in Congress want more 13 news organizations, including Fox News, release a joint statement supporting CNN's lawsuit against the Trump administration over the revokal of a White House correspondent Jim Acosta's press pass. UC Berkley scientists use hurricane simulation software on recent hurricanes with different climactic conditions to estimate the effect of climate change on hurricane strength. Short version: 5-10% more rain and wind now due to climate change, and absolute terror if we ever reach 3° C.  The Conservative-DUP pact has collapsed as of Tuesday night due to irrecoverable differences regarding the EU Withdrawal Bill. DUP MPs will no longer receive emails on government planning, and Arlene Foster has not been invited to read and comment on the draft, which will only be approved by the cabinet. With no sense of irony, Mitch McConnell wonders if Dems will "work with us, or simply put partisan politics ahead of the country?" The FBI reports a 17% jump in hate crimes during 2017, the largest increase since 9/11. UK and EU officials have agreed the draft text of a Brexit agreement. Gaza Strip militants announce a ceasefire with Israel in a bid to avoid all-out war. According to conservative author and conspiracy theorist Jerome Corsi, Robert Mueller is seeking information about Nigel Farage in the investigation on the Russiagate affair. Malaysia has abolished the death penalty for 32 offenses, including murder. CNN is suing President Trump over the banning of Jim Acosta. Fox News is boycotting Twitter after its presenter Tucker Carlson's home address was shared, leading to protests outside his house. Fox News continues to report on Facebook. Wisconsin's Baraboo High School faces strong criticism after a prom photograph shows the majority of students performing the Sieg Heil salute, with former students revealing a culture of racist bullying. Chicago police face a $1 million lawsuit after accidentally killing a security guard that saved his club from a shooter. An attempt by the Middle East Forum to meet with former-EDL leader Stephen Yaxley-Lenon fails as his Visa is denied. Fresh from snubbing the memory of US soldiers at the Armistice centenary commemoration, Trump skips Veterans' Day at Arlington and calls for military postal ballots to be ignored. Thirty prominent humanists have petitioned the BBC's director general, demanding non-religious access to Radio 4’s Thought for the Day. The Vatican has ordered US bishops to halt plans for a vote on sex abuse reforms. Paris is creating its first "eco-neighborhood" as part of its plan to become carbon-neutral by 2050. Mississippi Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith comes under fire for a joke about attending "a public hanging". Top Saudi officials close to the Crown Prince discussed assassinating enemies a year before the Khashoggi killing. Right-wing lobbying think tank  admits to sacking and smearing the whistle-blower Shahmir Sanni, after he revealed that Vote Leave overspent the limit during the EU referendum. Speculation that this a diversionary tactic to prevent TPA from revealing the organisation’s own funding which it keeps hidden. Philippine authorities say they will file charges of tax evasion against a news source openly critical of Duterte. The tech company Riot Games, which focuses on developing the game League of Legends, is being sued for gender discrimination. The suit cites examples such as male employees emailing each other "Riot Games Hottest Women Employees" and engaging in rape threats. It also touches on ongoing white supremacy at the job, such as the supervisor Geoff Chandler claiming "'diversity should not be a focal point of the design of Riot Games' products because gaming culture is the last remaining safe-haven for white teen boys." A retired Austrian colonel is believed to have spied for Russia for decades. Health insurance company Aetna has been ordered to pay $25.5 million to the estate and husband of a woman who was denied a claim for coverage for proton beam therapy. Sri Lankan parliament has been dissolved with snap elections scheduled for January. Trump has signed a proclamation blocking asylum for migrants who cross the border illegally. The War on Terror has killed about 507,000 people in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan. Imelda Marcos, Philippine first lady during the Marcos regime, has been found guilty in multiple corruption cases. The Treasury Department announces sanctions on several Russian and Ukrainian entities and individuals related to events in Crimea. 12 dead in California bar shooting in Thousand Oaks. A federal appeals court upholds a ruling that Trump does not have the authority to unilaterally end DACA. Macron comes under fire for praising a World War I marshal who later became the PM of Vichy France. Trump clashes with reporters 7 times during a post-midterms press conference. UPDATE: The White House used a video doctored by Infowars as justification for suspending one of the journalists Trump clashed with's press pass. Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian who spent eight years on death row for blasphemy, has been released from prison. Some 10 thousand Greek Orthodox clergy have had their status as civil servants removed, but will still be paid by the Greek government. Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigns after immense criticism from President Trump. His acting replacement, Matthew Whitaker, is a GOP loyalist and Trump supporter. A Russian billionaire, Dmitry Rybolovlev, who attracted attention in the Trump-Russia investigations over his 2008 purchase of a Trump property in Florida, [https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/415258-russian-oligarch-who-bought-mansion-from-trump-arrested-on?fbclid=IwAR3yeJztL2-sksacvh2_4vmxKaJU5DnoTVS65BZXhRJaOwde4fFT4VNyRH8#.W-H2HZ9JKPA.twitter has been arrested in Monaco. He's charged with "corruption" and influence peddling.] A UN report says at least 6000 bodies have been dumped in mass graves by ISIS in Iraq. A local branch of the Labour Party has voted down motion condemning Pittsburgh synagogue attack. This comes amid accusations of antisemitism from within the Party.
 * Update - Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey has also resigned
 * Update - Junior Brexit minister Suella Braverman also has resigned.

The Trump administration has reimposed all sanctions on Iran removed by the nuclear deal. However, China, India, Italy, Greece, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Turkey are exempt. Another mass shooting: a yoga studio in Tallahassee, Florida, was shot up, with two dead and five wounded before the killer turned his gun on himself. The killer was a self-described incel and misogynist who ranted on YouTube about the "collective treachery" of the women he'd gone to high school with for not sleeping with him, and had been arrested twice and banned from the Florida State University campus for groping women. New Caledonia votes in favor of remaining part of France, by 56.4% to 43.6% North Dakota's recent change in voter registration law could theoretically eliminate 35% of native voters due to the street address requirements. The US Army response to a migrant caravan, dubbed Operation Faithful Patriot, presently consists of 7000 personnel, with a Military Police battalion ordered to block off bridges on the US-Mexico border with razor wire. President Trump faces criticism that the operation, using more personnel than presently in Afghanistan, is a mere publicity stunt for the elections, and has walked back from earlier suggestions that migrants caught throwing stones are to be shot. After being reported to the National Crime Agency, Brexit badboy Arron Banks is now under investigation by the the financial watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority for financial irregularities. The lawyer representing a Christian woman acquitted of blasphemy after eight years on death row has fled Pakistan in fear for his life. North Korea threatens to restart nuclear weapons development if sanctions aren't lifted. Washington state representative Matt Shea comes under FBI scrutiny over a how-to guide he wrote on killing non-believers and establishing a Christian theocracy. A man who brokered a full-time gig for Radio Sputnik on a Washington, D.C. radio station is suing the Department of Justice because he doesn't want to register as a foreign agent. The open source intelligence collective Bellingcat is to expand its operations, by opening an office in The Hague, Netherlands. Allegations afoot that when Theresa May was Home Secretary, she prevented the security services from investigating Arron Banks on his financial links during the EU referendum. [https://www.computerworld.co.nz/article/649072/scientists-launch-plan-map-genes-all-complex-life-earth/? Scientists plan to map the genomes of the 1.5 million known species of complex life] NASA's Dawn Mission to Asteroid Belt Comes to End The Electoral Commission has referred to one of the “Bad Boys of Brexit”, Arron Banks, to the National Crime Agency, essentially the police, on the grounds to suspect "a number of criminal offences have been committed". Wisconsin gets approval to implement work requirements for Medicaid beneficiaries. Human Rights Watch releases a report about rampant sexual assault against women by officials in North Korea.