Page 10 - The Economist

The world this week
10 The Economist December 9th 2017

Politics appointed generals to the left several people dead. The dent ofthe Catalonia region,
and fourCatalan ministers,
two sides agreed to negotiate.
foreign and agriculture min-
istries, and brought no tech- because they showed a will-
nocrats oropposition figures Colombia’s “fast-track” year ingness to return to Spain from
into government as had been forpassinglaws to implement Belgium, where they fled after
mooted. Opposition poli- the peace process ended with declaringCatalonia’s indepen-
ticians and human-rights mixed results. Congress ap- dence in October. But the judge
organisations were aghast. proved a transitional justice said they could still face char-
plan forformerguerrillas, but ges ofsedition.
A plea bargain failed to approve political
Michael Flynn, Donald reforms and laws to help coca Falling out
Trump’s first national-security farmers switch to othercrops. The government ofAustralia
adviser, pleaded guilty to lying proposed a series oflaws to
to the FBI about his contacts Andrés Manuel López Obra- curb foreign interference in
with Russian officials. Mr dorofthe left-wingMorena politics, in response to a series
Donald Trump announced Trump said he was not con- party, the early front-runner in ofscandals involvingfirms or
that America would recognise cerned about what MrFlynn Mexico’s presidential election, people linked to the Chinese
Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, might reveal to Robert Mueller, sparked fury by proposing government. China has
the only country in the world the special counsel investigat- amnesty fordrugkingpins denied that it was meddling
to do so. He said moving ingthe whole affair. who agree to abandon vio- and accuses Australian media
America’s embassy from Tel lence. His comments came as of“anti-China hysteria”.
Aviv was a matterofwhen, not Al Franken was told by his legislators prepared a law to
if. Regional Arab and Muslim Democratic colleagues in the formalise the role ofthe armed Australia’s parliament legal-
leaders, and America’s allies in Senate, includingCharles forces in the drugwar. ised gaymarriage, less than a
Europe, were virtually united Schumer, the party’s leaderin month afterAustralians sig-
in dismay at the decision. the chamber, to resign over President Nicolás Maduro’s nalled strongsupport for
claims ofsexual misconduct. socialist government in Vene- same-sexweddings in a non-
Yemen’s formerdictator, Ali John Conyers, meanwhile, zuela threatened to suspend bindingvote.
Abdullah Saleh, was killed resigned from the seat in the presidential elections next
nearSana’a, the capital. He House that he has held forthe yearifAmerica does not with- Taiwan’s parliament voted to
had broken from his Houthi Democrats since 1965 amid draw its “rude” economic remove all memorials around
rebel allies and embraced talks claims ofsexual harassment. sanctions. He also announced the country to ChiangKai-
with the Saudi-led coalition plans to create an oil-backed shek, the strongman who
fightingthem. The Houthis The Supreme Court permitted digital currency: the petro. ruled China before fleeingto
quickly repaid what they saw the latest version ofthe Trump Taiwan afterlosingthe civil
as a betrayal, and gained terri- administration’s travel ban to Bright tsar warto the Communists.
tory in Sana’a, where crowds come fully into force while its VladimirPutin launched his
celebrated Saleh’s death. constitutional merits are ar- bid forre-election as Russia’s
gued in the lowercourts, re- president. His main rival,
The GulfCo-operation Coun- scindinga decision sixmonths Aleksei Navalny, is not
cil summit in Kuwait, sched- ago that allowed foronly a allowed to run.
uled fortwo days, lasted hard- partial ban. The latest restric-
ly15 minutes before breaking tions apply differently to trav- Russia was banned by the
up in acrimony. The isolation ellers from eight countries. International Olympic Com-
ofQatar by its neighbours is mittee from participatingin
said to have been the main Values voters the WinterOlympics because
cause. Saudi Arabia and the ofthe “systematic manipula-
United Arab Emirates had tion” ofprocedures to uncover
previously announced a new doping. Athletes who can An agreement creatingthe
alliance, potentially rendering prove they are clean will be world’s largest marine pro-
the GCC superfluous. allowed to compete at the tected area came into force.
games, to be held in South Covering2m square kilo-
Saad Hariri officially with- Korea, but undera neutral flag. metres in the Ross Sea offthe
drew his resignation as Leba- coast ofAntarctica, the agree-
non’s prime minister. He had Horst Seehoferdecided to step ment establishes a “no-take”
announced that he was step- down as premierofBavaria, zone that prevents minerals or
pingdown in a speech made amid a powerstruggle in his animals from beingremoved
from Saudi Arabia on Novem- Christian Social Union party from the area. New Zealand
ber4th, startinga guessing The aftermath of Honduras’s (CSU). The CSU only operates and the United States brokered
game about how much influ- contested presidential election in Bavaria, but is allied in the deal, which was supported
ence the Saudis were wielding. turned violent. President Juan Germany’s parliament with by the 25 membercountries of
Orlando Hernández led Salva- Angela Merkel’s Christian the commission forthe conser-
Zimbabwe’s new president, dorNasralla by1.6 percentage Democrats and is tryingto vation ofAntarctic life.
Emmerson Mnangagwa, un- points when the vote count help herform a government.
veiled a new cabinet in the ended ten days afterthe elec- The first Michelin diningguide
wake ofRobert Mugabe’s tion. Opposition supporters Ajudge in Spain revoked the forBangkok accorded a
downfall. He kept most ofhis cried foul and want a full arrest warrants issued for coveted starto a street stall
predecessor’s worst ministers, recount. Clashes with police Carles Puigdemont, the presi- servingcrab omelette. 1