Compiled by Stephanie Meyer
Mediterranean
On Sunday, Nov. 5, 26 deceased teenage girls were recovered from the Mediterranean Sea. They are believed to have been from Niger and Nigeria and to have departed from Libya with goals of reaching Europe to find refuge. Their bodies were found close to a battered, unsound rubber dinghy. When aid workers got to the scene, survivors were clinging to the remains of the dinghy as the girls’ bodies drifted nearby. This rescue mission was one of the four separate missions that were carried out in the Mediterranean Sea that week. As a result, 400 people were saved, including 90 women, 52 minors and a week-old baby. They were later brought to the Italian town of Salerno. Since the beginning of this year, 2,839 migrants have died making the treacherous journey from Libya to Europe. 150,982 migrants have made it to Europe, 74% of whom arrived in Italy.
Saudi Arabia
On Monday, Saudi Arabia’s newly-created anti-corruption committee arrested at least 17 top officials and princes. Of those arrested was Prince Alwaleed bin Talal who owns 95% of Kingdom Holding, which has stakes in Twitter, Apple, Citigroup, and News Corp. His highly-publicized arrest negatively affected his and his company’s financial standing. Three ministers were ousted from their positions, and tens of ex-ministers were detained. According to a royal decree, everyone arrested put “their personal interest above public interest,” and some stole public funds, which has “hindered development efforts in the Kingdom.” The anti-corruption committee is led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who works with King Salman and is currently reforming Saudi Arabia into becoming more moderate.
Zimbabwe
Martha O’Donovan, a 25 year old American citizen who was in Zimbabwe, has been jailed after tweeting about Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. Mugabe is 93 and has served since 1980; he is now one of Africa’s longest-serving presidents. In her tweet, O’Donovan described Mugabe as a “selfish and sick man.” O’Donovan was charged with plotting to overthrow the government. If convicted, she faces a 20 year sentence in Zimbabwe prison. This is the first charge of this kind since the government created a cybersecurity ministry.
Yemen
On Sunday, Nov. 5, a suicide bomber attacked security headquarters in Yemen. The attack killed at least seven and injured 12. Yemen security officials reported that the suicide bomber crashed a vehicle decked in bombs into the entrance gate of the building. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, as reported by their news agency, Amaq News. Yemen has been entangled in a civil conflict for years, and their government was overthrown by Iran supported Houthi rebels in 2015. As a result, the country serves as a breeding ground for terrorist organizations. Yemen is where al Qaeda is centered. The United Nations reported earlier this year that Yemen is heading towards a “total social, economic, and institutional collapse” caused by “armed conflict, famine, and deadly disease that has already… affected millions.”
United Kingdom
Bob Quick, a former assistant commissioner at the Metropolitan police, told the United Kingdom’s The Times,that “extreme” pornographic material was found on Prime Minister Theresa May’s deputy Damian Green’s computer in 2008 during an inquiry into government leaks. This allegation comes just days after he was accused by journalist Kate Maltby of making sexual advances toward her during a meeting 2015. Several other lawmakers are calling for Green to be suspended while the investigation takes place. This string of sexual harassment allegations against Green follows accusations of a similar nature against several other ministers that have taken place in the past few weeks. Prime Minister May intends on meeting with party leaders later this week to discuss a plan for how stop sexual abuse and harassment in Parliament.
