October 1 – Europe: SPAIN
Voters in Spain’s autonomous region of Catalonia vote in a referendum on the region’s independence despite the ruling by the Spanish Constitutional Court that it is illegal. Spanish national police tries to stop people from voting causing clashes and injuries. Almost 90 percent of voters approve the region’s independence; however, the turnout is only 43 percent.[1] Catalonian President Carles Puigdemont immediately declares independence, but then suspends its implementation and calls for negotiations. The Spanish government demands that he clarify his position and warns that declaration of Catalonia’s independence will breach the 1978 constitution. (October 27): Catalan President Puigdemont asks the Catalan Parliament to make a decision on the region’s independence. The legislators approve it. This triggers Spain’s Senate to invoke Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, which allows the central government to strip a region of its autonomy, dismiss its leaders, dissolve the parliament, and take control of its institutions, police and finances. New elections in Catalonia will replace the region’s top officials. (October 31): The ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and several other cabinet members leave Spain to Belgium as they could be charged with offenses against the Spanish state that carry up to 30 years in prison.[2]
Catalonia: What powers does the region have?
Cases for and against independence in Catalonia
October 1 – North America: UNITED STATES
64-year-old Stephen Paddock of Mesquite, Nevada opens fire on a crowd of 22,000 concertgoers at a music festival on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada. From a room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel, Paddock sprays bullets for about 11 minutes killing 58 people and wounding over 500. It is the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Paddock is found dead in the hotel room from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His motive is unknown. Paddock had 23 weapons in his room, with 12 rifles outfitted with a bump-fire stock, a legal device that allows a gun to fire ammunition at a rate of a fully automatic weapon.[3] Police also found a cache of weapons and ammunition at Paddock’s home and car. The shooting reignites the debate about gun laws in the U.S.
America’s gun culture in 10 charts
Pros & Cons: Should More Gun Control Laws Be Enacted?
Five reasons US gun control won’t happen
Gun violence in America, explained in 17 maps and charts
October 4 – Middle east / Europe / Former Soviet Republics:
SAUDI ARABIA / RUSSIA
King Salman of Saudi Arabia is the first sitting Saudi monarch to ever visit Russia, where he meets with President Vladimir Putin. Both sides sign investment deals worth several billions dollars. Saudi Arabia will invest in Russian energy industry and will purchase Russia’s S-400 anti-aircraft missiles (diversifying it from the U.S. and UK markets). Russia, on the other hand, will build a petrochemical plant in Saudi Arabia. Both sides also agree to continue their cooperation in the area of oil industry. Although Russia is not part of the intergovernmental oil cartel, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), it cooperated with OPEC members to suppress oil production in an effort to increase oil prices. This economic cooperation provides Russia with much needed investment as its revenues have been hit by falling oil prices and Western sanctions after the 2014 annexation of Crimea. In terms of the conflict in Syria, where Russia and Saudi Arabia are on the opposing sides, with Russia supporting the Syrian regime and Saudis supporting Syrian opposition, the two countries agree to cooperate in fighting terrorism.[4]
October 6 – Global Issues / International Organizations:
INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN to ABOLISH NUCLEAR WEAPONS (ICAN)
The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) is the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2017. Through their choice, the Norwegian Nobel Committee draws attention to “the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons and for its ground-breaking efforts to achieve a treaty-based prohibition of such weapons.”[5] ICAN is a coalition of several hundred non-government organizations, from local peace groups to global federations from 100 countries with its main office in Geneva, Switzerland. It works to build public support for the abolition of nuclear weapons by organizing global days of action, public awareness-raising events, and engaging in advocacy at the United Nations and in national parliaments. ICAN works with survivors of the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and of nuclear tests, helping share their testimonies with the public and decision makers.[6]
More about ICAN including a video (2:12 min) “Nuclear Weapons are not Somebody Else’s Problem”
All Noble Peace Prizes since 1901
October 9 – Middle East / International Organizations:
IRAQ / UN OFFICE for the COORDINATION of HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS
The UN’s Humanitarian Office reports that due to continued fighting between Iraqi government forces and Islamic State (IS) more than 5.4 million Iraqi civilians have been displaced since 2014.[7] The Agency is also worried about “incidents of collective punishment, restrictions on free movement, evictions, forced returns and sexual exploitation and violence, including in emergency sites and camps.” The statement continues that “hundreds of thousands of people, including very young children, have been exposed to extreme danger, stress, and trauma and will require years of specialized support and care.”[8]
October 10 – Africa: KENYA
Kenya’s opposition leader and head of the National Super Alliance (NASA), Raila Odinga, withdraws from a re-run of the presidential election scheduled by the Supreme Court for October 26. He demands changes to electoral operations and personnel for election results to be credible. He also calls for daily protests to pressure the authorities to complete the reforms. The boycott raises fears of political violence.[9] Kenya’s Supreme Court nullified the results of the August 8 presidential election after finding irregularities in electronic voting and a lack of transparency to assure a victory for President Uhuru Kenyatta, a challenge brought up by Raila Odinga. The ruling was accepted by the incumbent president, which is seen as a victory for democracy and judicial independence in Kenya.[10] (October 26): After days of violent protests and clashes between the rival groups and anti-riot police troops that killed 50 people, President Uhuru Kenyatta wins the presidential elections run-off with over 98 percent of the vote. However, the turnout was only 39 percent, compared to 80 percent in the August first round.[11] In some areas belonging predominantly to the opposition supporters, the voting did not take place due to a total boycott. The election plunges Kenya into a political uncertainty with a threat of ethnic violence. In Kenya ethnicity is a key to political loyalties. Uhuru Kenyatta is from the Kikuyu, Kenya’s largest ethnic community, and Raila Odinga from the Luo ethnic group, which has long felt marginalized.
October 12 – North America / Middle East / International Organizations:
UNITED STATES / ISRAEL / UNESCO
The United States and Israel are withdrawing from the United Nations cultural organization UNESCO citing anti-Israel bias as a reason. Both are planning to exit as of December 2018 and establish observer missions instead. UNESCO is a body of the United Nations that promotes international cooperation in education, science, culture and communication. It is especially known for its designation of World Heritage Sites, locations with particular cultural significance.
“Here’s what UNESCO is and why the Trump administration just quit it” from Vox
October 14 – Africa: SOMALIA
Two powerful car bombs explode in a busy neighborhood in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, killing an unprecedented number of people and causing a huge destruction. So far, at least 277 people are confirmed dead and another 300 wounded.[12] Rescuers continue to pull more bodies from the debris. The explosions take place in the heart of the city with hotels, offices, restaurants, and foreign embassies. Many buildings got damaged, or collapsed with people trapped underneath. So far, no group has claimed responsibility, but it is suspected that it was Al-Shabaab, a home grown Islamist terrorist organization with links to al-Qaeda.
More about the al-Shabaab
October 15 – Europe: AUSTRIA
The conservative Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) emerges as the largest party in Austria’s legislative elections, winning 31.5 percent of the vote and gaining 62 out of 183 seats in the parliament. The ruling Social Democrats (SPÖ) finish second with 26.9 percent of the vote and 52 seats, slightly ahead of the right-wing Freedom Party (FPÖ), which receives 51 seats.[13] The leader of the People’s Party, 31-year-old Sebastian Kurz, is expected to become Austria’s next chancellor. Both People’s Party and Freedom Party exploited anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim sentiments after tens of thousands of refugees fleeing wars in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan passed through or settled in Austria. They have promised a more hardline stance against the influx of refugees and immigrants. The Freedom Party even declared that Islam is incompatible with Austrian values and an existential threat to Europe.[14] The situation sparks concerns from the Muslim and Jewish communities in Austria who call on Kurz not to form a coalition government with the Freedom Party, which was founded by a former Nazi officer and is now led by Heinz Christian Strache, a once neo-Nazi activist.[15]
October 16 – Europe: MALTA
A leading investigative Maltese journalist, Daphne Caruana Galizia, is killed when a bomb planted in her car exploded. Her popular blog covered corruption of government officials and abuse of office. She exposed Malta’s links, which includes the country’s prime minister, to offshore tax havens through the leaked Panama Papers. The Panama Papers is a name given to 11.5 million leaked documents that detail financial information about wealthy individuals, public officials, and companies that for years used offshore business entities to cover fraud, tax evasion, and evade international sanctions. Although violence against journalists in Malta is rare, the bombing of Daphne Galizia brings attention to the freedom of press in this tiny island-country in the Mediterranean where the threat of lawsuits and prosecutions remain a serious constraint on newsrooms across the country.[16]
More on Freedom of Press in 2017
More on the Panama Papers
October 26 – North America: UNITED STATES
To address the opioid crisis in the United States, President Donald Trump declares a nationwide public health emergency. This allows expanded access to telemedicine services, giving doctors the ability to prescribe medications to treat addiction to those in remote locations. It speeds the hiring process for medical professionals working on opioids, and allows funds in programs for dislocated workers and people with HIV/AIDS to be used to treat their addictions.[17] The declaration, however, falls short of expected designation of national emergency — a step up from a public health emergency, which would have granted access to funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Both are forms of national emergency declarations, but the primary difference is the scope and funding. Also, public health emergencies expire after 90 days. Dr. Andrew Kolodny, co-director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaboration at Brandeis University’s Heller School, says that without funding for new addiction treatment, declaring a public health emergency isn’t enough.[18]
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), six out of ten drug overdose deaths in the U.S. involve an opioid. They include prescription opioid pain relievers, such as hydrocodone and methadone oxycodone, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and the illicit drug heroin. From 2000 to 2015 more than half a million people died from drug overdoses, and it is prescription opioids that increase this upsurge. 91 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose. The amount of prescription opioids sold to pharmacies, hospitals, and doctors’ offices nearly quadrupled from 1999 to 2010, yet there had not been an overall change in the amount of pain that Americans reported.[19]
Why opioids are such an American problem