United States
President Trump, in a highly unusual move, asked a federal judge to block the certification of the Alaska Senate election if the incumbent Republican loses by a narrow margin. President Trump made it very clear that he was the one who instructed the Department of Justice (DOJ) to seek the blockage when he said to reporters, “I’m the one that said do it.” The DOJ argued that the similarity between one of the people on the ballot and the incumbent candidate could confuse voters. Moves like this have caused concern among voters that the presidential administration could seek similar election intervention measures.
Asia
Schools and businesses throughout Taiwan were closed on Friday as the country braced for typhoon Champi, which was set to bring extreme winds and large waves. The first casualty of the storm was a man who was swept to sea on an island off Taiwan’s coast. Taiwan’s Ministry of Transport also announced the cancellation of hundreds of international and domestic flights on Friday. On Friday, meteorologists were still uncertain as to the specific path the storm would take, which added to uncertainty and fear among the Taiwanese public.
Europe
France deployed over 70,000 police officers across the country on Saturday in an effort to prevent widespread looting and rioting similar to that seen the previous weekend. Protests last week resulted in over 1,000 police officers being injured and thousands of stores looted and heavily damaged. The French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the police would be “extremely mobile, agile and effective.” Protests this weekend are being called the “second act” following last weekends protests where over 500,000 people participated across the country. Many cities across France decided to implement curfews in an attempt to curb the extreme levels of violence and destruction.
Americas
On Friday, the Trump administration announced a tariff exemption on specific Canadian goods in an attempt to relieve some financial stress on voters ahead of the mid term elections. The exemption came after Senator Susan Collins from Maine requested the move in a bid to help her win reelection. Senator Colins’ race is very tight, and the tariffs have heavily affected farmers, a key group of voters whose support she needs. Until the exemption, the tariff rate was 50 percent on items widely used by farmers across Maine.
Africa
Health officials in Nigeria reported an Ebola case, causing concern among many about the potential spread of the deadly disease throughout the country. The head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Jean Kaseya, called for the meeting of the health ministers from all African nations to discuss the Ebola situation. Dr. Kaseya said, “The whole continent can be affected” if all African nations don’t come together. Thousands of people have died from the outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo in May. This latest case in Nigeria raises concerns as the nation's capital, Abuja, is a central hub for many international travelers.
Middle East
In a terrorist attack, multiple gunmen opened fire at a Greek Orthodox Church in southern Jordan, resulting in the deaths of at least seven people. Jordanian security services, as of Friday, were still searching for the gunmen. The leader of Jordan, King Abdullah II, said the attack would be met with a substantial response. Jordan has been able to avoid such terrorist incidents for a long time, even while regional tensions have remained elevated for some time now. Jordan has not been able to completely avoid the U.S. Iran conflict, however, as three U.S. soldiers were killed in an Iranian air strike on a U.S. base in Jordan.
