Poland’s Far-Right Surges And A Possible Clue In EgyptAir Mystery

PNUT GALLERY

Did you know that the American voters who find Vladimir Putin to be an ally are more inclined to vote for Trump? Part I of our survey series reveals the parallels between the TV star and internet tsar.

IN A NUTSHELL: MUST READ

EU Sends A Stern Warning To Poland

In an unprecedented decision, the European Union gave Poland an official warning that states the country’s recent changes to its constitutional court are endangering the rule of law. Since coming to power last October, Poland’s conservative Law and Justice Party (PiS) has made changes to the Constitutional Tribunal that render it ineffective, according to the EU. Conservative government officials no longer recognize judges appointed by their predecessors, and the country’s top court has lost veto power.

What does this mean for Poland?

The Polish government isn’t the only country that is backsliding into extreme right-wing leadership, though the European Union may make an example out of them. Poland has two weeks to respond to the EU. If they fail to return an equal share of power to their Constitutional Tribunal, the country could be stripped of its EU voting rights and face sanctions.

Good Read: Why We Should Care About Poland’s Constitutional Crisis

Possible Suicide Note Found In UCLA Shooting

UCLA students are expected to return to class today, but we wouldn’t blame them if they took the day off. Panic spread yesterday when the campus was put on lockdown in search of a possible gunman, after two people were killed in what is now believed to be a murder-suicide. Law enforcement told the Los Angeles Times that they believe a professor had been shot by someone who looked young enough to be a student before he turned the gun on himself. A note was also found at the scene of the shooting, though its validity is still in question. 

This is a breaking story. Follow us on Twitter for more updates.

NUTS AND BOLTS: SHOULD READ

A Clue! Signal Detected in EgyptAir Clash

The investigation into the cause of EgyptAir flight MS804 reached a breakthrough yesterday when a French vessel searching the Mediterranean detected signals from one of the planes “black boxes.” Finding the boxes is critical to finding out what occurred in the plane’s final moments. However, this discovery will only be useful if the signal is still attached to the box and if the data survived the crash. So, we have a clue, but we don’t have a clue as to how useful it will be. The information thus far suggests an onboard fire, but it will still be some time before we know exactly what happened.

Al-Shabaab Attacks Popular Hotel In Somalia 

Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for yesterday’s attack on The Ambassador Hotel in Mogadishu. Gunmen set off an explosion and stormed the popular hotel, killing at least 10 people and leaving another 40 wounded. Details are still emerging from the attack, but the Somali news agency confirmed that two members of Somalian Parliament, Mohamed Mohamud Gurre and Abdullahi Jama, were among the victims killed. 

Pnut Read: The Origins Of ISIS, In A Nutshell

Fleeting Moment Of Peace Allowed Darayya To Finally Get Aid

Thanks to a 48-hour ceasefire – and we mean a real ceasefire where combatants actually cease firing – the besieged Damascus suburb of Darayya received its first aid convoy since 2012. Darayya has had a tough time. Not only have they struggled with limited supplies and a blocked aid convey, but also their electricity supply was cut off more than three years ago. Since the temporary ceasefire began Wednesday morning, the UN has been able to deliver vaccines, baby milk, medicine and nutritional goods. Though it is a temporary calm, it provides some hope for the 4,000 people besieged in Darayya by Syrian government forces. 

Pnut Read: A Beginner’s Guide To The Syrian Civil War

KEEPING OUR EYE ON…

Thailand: A Buddhist Temple is accused of animal abuse and wildlife trafficking after 40 dead tiger cubs were found in a freezer. Maybe it’s time to rethink this whole wildlife petting zoo thing?

Maldives: The coral bleaching that has greatly damaged the Great Barrier Reef has now reached the Maldives where it continues to destroy reefs. It has become the longest global coral bleaching event in history.

Alligators: Because today’s news just wasn’t bleak enough, Florida police found a group of alligators feasting on human remains. The victim’s identity and cause of death are still under investigation. 

LOOSE NUTS: FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT

North Korea’s Facebook Gets Hacked By A Teenager

Just hours after he discovered “Best Korea’s Social Network,” which is modest North Korea’s version of Facebook, Scottish teenager Andrew McKean hacked into the website. Facebook, YouTube and other fun sites are banned in the DPRK, and the country only has a few thousand internet users within its population of 25 million. How was an 18-year-old able to break into such an important website? Simple: “password” was the password.