This planet has a population of 7 ½ billion and climbing. It’s interesting to watch how the disappearance of one person can grab our attention. Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi walked into the Saudi embassy in Istanbul, Turkey on October 2nd to get a certificate he needed in order to get married and hasn’t been seen since. His fiancé waited outside for hours when he didn’t come out. Turkish officials have described a grisly assassination and cover-up. According to Turkish officials, on October 2nd, 15 Saudi agents flew into Istanbul on two private jets and waited for Mr. Khashoggi inside the consulate after telling staff to go home and killed him within two hours of his arrival. Of course, the Saudi government has denied any knowledge of this event and, after talking to the Saudi Crown Prince, even U.S. president Trump suggested it may have been a “rogue element” within the Saudi secret service. How a “rogue element” could commandeer the Saudi consulate in Turkey and then trap and kill a Saudi citizen who lives in the U.S. seems far-fetched, especially when they would have been doing the Saudi big wigs a favour by getting rid of a well-known dissident. Politics, oil and arms sales all factor into this game as the world watches.

That’s Coffeetalk. I’m Vic Dubois.