The News July 31-August 5: Shock In The Northern Territory

Stories of the Week

Trump goes after the wrong family. At the Democratic National Convention, Khizr and Ghazala Khan shared the stage, while the former took Donald Trump to task for his Islamophobic rhetoric. The Khans lost their son, an American soldier, in 2004 during his service in Iraq. Trump immediately targeted the family, a move that backfired -- badly.

Also re TrumpBeat -- sorry, Paul Ryan and John McCain. Also, Canada thinks he might have some serious problems, mentally speaking.

NYT on the horror of Trump rallies, uncensored.

Pointless Iran drama. The Wall Street Journal published a questionable article mid-week, essentially alleging that the US paid Iran to release detained Americans. In actuality, the payment was long overdue to Iran (like, shah-era levels of overdue), and as Iran might have taken the case to a higher authority in order to get its money, the US was looking to get the transaction over with. Unfortunately, it coincided with the release of the Americans. Terrible PR move. One Donald Trump is obviously delighted about.

Northern Territory horrors. The Royal Commission into the abuse of indigenous Australian teenagers in the Northern Territory has only just begun, but there's already been one casualty -- Brian Martin, the head of the Commission, resigned in under a week. Backlash over this cartoon has also hit the spotlight. The cartoon depicts aboriginal Australians in a problematic and deeply racist light.

Australia's Northern Territory (GothPhil - Flickr)

Blues Buzz

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is here.
Black Lives Matter releases a list of policy demands.
The future of sex.
Ban Matt Damon.
The fire next time is here.
How to end a memoir without getting married.
RIP Korryn Gaines.
Otherwild, the store that celebrates LGBTQ women and feminists, and provides them with a safe space.
Hillary's pantsuit.
Meet the Syrian teenager who literally swam for her life and who will now be competing in the Olympics.
We all need more Adichie in our lives.

Regional Updates

South Asia:

Flooding in India has killed over 100 people and forced around a million into relief camps.
Rescuing Kaziranga's flood-hit wildlife, in photos.
Nepal's parliament has elected a former Communist rebel leader as its head.
Behind the gates of Pakistan's elite.
Foreign tourists traveling in western Afghanistan were attacked and injured by the Taliban, though none were killed.

Southeast & East Asia:

Tokyo elected its first female governor.
China's straddling bus, meant to go over traffic, is looking more and more like a reality.
A North Korean missile landed in (or near) Japanese waters.
The new leader of the Philippines is overseeing (from a distance) the mass-murder of anyone linked to drugs within the country.
Thailand is preparing to vote on a new draft constitution.

Europe & Eurasia:

Turkey's raids and crackdowns following a coup attempt are continuing. Turkish President Tayyip Recep Erdogan is also threatening to shut down all schools and create a nationwide military institution.
Another bold move from Turkey? Claiming the US was directly involved with the coup attempt.
Turkey's gay community, especially refugees, are at risk.
Bosnia is closer than ever to joining the EU.
A two-week standoff in Armenia finally ended when the gunmen surrendered.
A 19 year-old attacker with a knife killed an American one in her 60s and wounded several other people in central London.

Middle East & North Africa:

Tunisia's parliament voted to dismiss its prime minister, Habib Essid, after he dramatically failed a no confidence vote.
Syrian rebels shot down a Russian transport helicopter at the beginning of the week.
Another thing Syrian rebels did? Created their own no-fly zone by burning tires.
The US is bombing Libya again.
Syria likely experienced a chlorine gas attack this week.
Hassan Rouhani, Iran's leader, postponed the country's civil service exam over concerns that it discriminated against women.
An Emirates flight crash-landed in Dubai, where passengers evacuated before it was engulfed in flames.

Sub-Saharan Africa:

Tens of thousands of Congolese citizens have demanded the resignation of President Joseph Kabila.
Around 60,000 people have fled South Sudan's escalating violence.
Nigeria has resumed its practice of paying cash to militants in an attempt to discourage them from attacks on oil lines.
Uganda may be about to appoint its current president to a lifetime term.

Americas:

Brazilian prosecutors formally charged former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the country's escalating Petrobas scandal; he will face a trial at a later date.
Race relations in Brazil will echo through the Olympics.
Venezeula's slow march towards collapse continues, as food shortages grow. President Nicolas Maduro has ordered forced 60-day conscriptions requiring Venezuelans to work in farms in order to generate enough food. Will it work? Probably no.
Oh, to be a Canadian.
Zika is in the US, and spreading.
The 50th anniversary of a shooting rampage at the University of Texas at Austin was marked by a dark turn of events: the legalization of campus carry, which will see many students armed with guns.
DNC drama.
The Obama administration commuted the sentences of 214 inmates.
16 people died after a hot air balloon crashed in Lockhart, Texas.
The fight over the death penalty may be waged over (of all people) Dylann Roof.

Oceania:

Same-sex marriage in Australia has become quite the drama.
A new report indicates that refugees are being held against their will on the island of Nauru. The situation has become so appalling that human rights organizations around the world are growing concerned.
New Zealand was upset by the US Women's National Team in soccer/football for the opening of the Olympics.

Quote of the Week:

I have thought about it, but—this is an embarrassing confession—I don’t have very many black friends. I have never been in love with a black woman. I feel like if I had, I might dare.

[I adjust the microphone, which he stares at for a moment.] Good, good, good. The mic. Got the mic pointed toward me. I am doing all the talking here. [Pauses.] -- Jonathan Franzen has hit peak Franzen, and he did it during a Slate interview

Blue Out: Serena Williams, queen. | Humpback whales are wonderful.