Compiled by Eleanor Jersild
ITALY
Florence, Italy, is being sued by McDonald’s for €18 million after their request to open a restaurant on a historic plaza was denied. McDonald’s argued that they were perfectly willing to comply with the city’s desire to protect Florence’s artistic and cultural heritage, and claimed discrimination against their business’ freedom of private initiative. Florence’s mayor Dario Nardella told the city council earlier this year, “McDonald’s has the right to submit an application, because this is permitted under the law, but we also have the right to say no.” This is the second conflict this year over McDonald’s being denied an Italian location for their restaurant chain.
GERMANY
During raids in Northern and Western Germany, as well as a search of a mosque near Hanover, five men suspected of recruiting jihadists for ISIS were recently arrested. Among those five was Ahmad Abdelazziz A., or “the preacher without a face,” whose commission was to confirm and organize jihad. The other four men were of varying nationalities, including German, Cameroonian, Turkish and Serbian. Last week in Berlin, a Syrian man was arrested for supposedly being instructed by ISIS to execute an attack ion Germany.
FRANCE
After searching the laptop belonging to Ibrahim and Khalid El Bakraoui, the suicide bombers behind the March 22 attacks in the Belgian capital, investigators found proof confirming the identity of the coordinator behind the Paris and Brussels terror attacks. Oussama Atar, also known as Abu Ahmad, has dual Belgian and Moroccan nationality and is a cousin of the Bakraoui brothers. He is suspected of implementing the attacks from Syria. Atar has yet to be captured.
INDIA
Measurements of New Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) taken at the U.S. Embassy verified the capital as the most polluted city on Earth. While the AQI of Baoding, China’s most polluted city, was determined to be 298, New Delhi’s AQI of 999 put it off the standard charts. This level of pollution is almost five times the magnitude of that which is considered “unhealthy” by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. On Sunday, hundreds of people gathered outside Parliament to protest this situation, posting on Twitter with the hashtag #MyRightToBreathe.
GREAT BRITAIN
In June, Britain voted to leave the European Union (EU). However, 62 percent of people in Scotland voted to remain. The Scottish government is very concerned that triggering Article 50, which will begin the process of pulling out of the EU, will directly affect the rights and freedoms of the Scottish people and Scottish businesses. The British government is already facing a £25 billion ($31 million) financial void because of “Brexit.” Although it is unlikely that Parliament will completely bar “Brexit” from happening, the process may be delayed after the Supreme Court hearing that is to be held in December.
