A lot has happened in the world over the past week. Let’s catch up on the major news headlines:
Wounded patients executed by police in Haiti
The nonprofit organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, reported that police and vigilantes executed at least two wounded patients on the way to a hospital in Haiti.
The organization’s ambulance had been transporting three patients with gunshot wounds to the MSF hospital on Monday when they were stopped by police and instructed to go to a public hospital instead.
Upon arrival, “officers and ‘members of a self-defence group’ attacked the vehicle, slashing its tyres and forcing occupants out through tear-gas,” according to BBC News. Then, two patients were taken away and executed, while the third’s fate is unknown as of Wednesday, Nov. 13.
Germany government collapse
Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz fired his finance minister, Christian Linder on Nov. 7. This has led to Linder’s withdrawal of the support of his Free Democrats Party from Scholz’s Social Democratic Party, leaving him in a position to be the minority in the government.
This follows criticisms of a weak economy, which Scholz claimed Linder was blocking his plans to fix. Germany is amid economic stagnation, fueling tensions. Some factors in this situation are “high labor costs, a rapidly aging population and red tape to outdated physical and digital infrastructure,” according to CNN.
English clergy faces abuse scandals
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Jason Welby, resigned from his position following allegations of covering up abuse from a Christian summer camp volunteer, John Smyth.
Smyth has been accused of abuse of at least 115 children and young men. Welby is currently under fire for failing to conduct a proper investigation and take certain measures to prevent this abuse from continuing. Additionally, the Bishop of Lincoln, Stephen Conway, allegedly was informed of the incident with Smyth and failed to take appropriate action. He faces calls for resignation but claims that he had done “all in his power as a bishop,” according to Reuters.
Welby claimed to be “ill-informed” and was under the impression that the police were informed of the situation and were handling it.
Extreme flooding in Spain, evacuations in effect
The Costa del Sol region of southern Spain is under a red alert evacuation in the midst of devastating floods dubbed “Dana.”
Marbella, Velez, Estepona and Catalonia are expected to feel the brunt of this extreme weather event, as the eastern and southern Mediterranean areas of Spain are considered the most vulnerable to flooding. Catalonia is also under a red alert.
This is a continuation of weeks of flash floods that have killed 220 people so far. According to the BBC, nearly 3,000 people have been instructed to evacuate residences along or near the Guadalhorce River.
Mass killing in China censorship
A man, known only as Fan, drove his car into the Zhuhai People’s Fitness Plaza on Nov. 12, killing 35 people and severely injuring 43 more, the Associated Press reported.
Families and friends of those affected by this tragedy laid down flowers and candles outside of the fitness complex as a memorial for those lost. However, Chinese authorities soon after began shooing people from the site if they remained there for more than a few minutes, prevented people from taking pictures and got rid of the flowers and candles, despite efforts from citizens to keep adding to the memorial.
Articles in China covering this event were soon taken down as authorities tried to restrict coverage of the incident.
jamabil3@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of unknown, Wikipedia
