Politics | The Economist

October 30, 2021

Sudan suffered his second coup in two years. Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan, a former general and de facto president of the country, took control just months before his resignation. He also had the civilian prime minister arrested. Burhan said he acted to prevent civil war. Thousands of demonstrators said no, it was a blatant seizure of power. Soldiers opened fire on them. At least seven people were killed and 140 injured. Donors like America have stopped aid, but Mr Burhan is hoping for support from undemocratic foreign powers.

BioNTech, the company that developed the Covid-19 vaccine marketed by Pfizer, announced that it will build factories in Senegal and Rwanda next year. It hopes for more doses. to produce Africa, which makes up 17.5% of the world’s population but has only received 2.5% of Covid vaccinations so far.

President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt lifted a four-year state of emergency. In theory, it will now be less easy for his government to quell protests, arrest dissidents without an arrest warrant, and restrict various freedoms. Critics wondered how much less easy it will really be. America has threatened to withhold aid from Egypt unless it improves its human rights record.

Israel continued a proposal to build 3,000 new houses for Jewish settlers in the occupied territories West Bank. The Biden government has condemned the plan. It could also increase tension in Israel’s ruling coalition, which includes deaf parties opposed to settlements.

Israel held its biennial blue flag military exercise over the Negev desert. Aircraft from America, Great Britain, France, India and other countries took part in the exercise. The head of the United Arab Emirates Air Force also watched. The exercise juxtaposed Israel and its allies with the fictional “dragon land” which has military capabilities remarkably similar to that of Iran.

Another way to tweet

A cyber attack in Iran interrupted sales of subsidized fuel, resulting in long queues at gas stations. A group called “Predatory Sparrow” acknowledged responsibility, but the authorities blamed an unnamed “state actor”. The hackers also took control of digital billboards, making them ask, “Khamenei, where is our fuel?” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is the supreme leader of Iran.

The UN said that more than half of the Afghans would starve without help this winter, and that the proportion living on less than $ 1.90 a day would rise from roughly half before the Taliban came to power in August to a shocking 97% by mid-2022. Afghanistan is on the brink of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Kabul residents sell property on the streets to buy groceries.

Members of Community of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) convened virtually. Myanmar was ruled out because its military carried out a coup in February and have been slaughtering protesters ever since. It was the first time the group had sanctioned a Member State in this way. Joe Biden pledged to help the Southeast Asian countries resist Chinese aggression. It was the first time in four years that an American president attended an ASEAN meeting.

Hong Kong Lawmakers passed a law banning movies that the government believes could threaten China’s national security. Violators face three years imprisonment.

China has the annual marathon in. postponed Beijing out of concern about the spread of Covid-19. It was supposed to take place on October 31st. No new date has been set.

The Chairman of the United States’ Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, confirmed that China will have a Hypersonic weapon. He called it a “major technological event” and “very worrying”.

A committee advising the American Food and Drug Administration recommended that Pfizer vaccination for Covid-19 given to children aged five to 11 years. If approved, the syringes will be one-third the strength of the adult vaccination.

Not everyone is happy with the vaccination. The New York City Police Union filed a lawsuit against a recent onemandate public servants imposed by the mayor to either take the bump or take unpaid leave. Thousands of workers, mostly firefighters, marched across the Brooklyn Bridge to protest outside City Hall. The Chicago police are also in an uproar.

Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ordered that ten ambassadors, including those of America, France and Germany, be declared Personae non gratae, a prelude to deportation. The sin of the ambassadors was to demand the release of the philanthropist Osman Kavala, who had been imprisoned for four years on trumped-up charges. The Turkish lira has fallen to its all-time low against the dollar. The American embassy said it had not interfered in Turkey’s internal affairs and Mr Erdogan relented.

Roll over, Moldova

Gazprom, Of Russia state gas company, tells Moldova that it would lower the price of fuel for the cash-strapped former Soviet republic if it were willing to change its duty-free trade agreement with the EU. Vladimir Putin thinks it is nonsense to say that Russia is playing politics with its energy exports.

Colombia said it would extradite Dairo Antonio Úsuga, aka Otoniel, to the United States after he was captured in a major security operation. Mr. Úsuga is considered to be the most powerful drug lord in the country. His Gulf clan in northern Colombia is suspected of killing rivals to gain control of cocaine smuggling routes into Central America.

Pope Francis has agreed to a visit Canada to participate in the “process of reconciliation with the indigenous peoples” of the country. Hundreds of unmarked graves were found earlier this year at the sites of former boarding schools for indigenous children, most of which were run by the Roman Catholic Church. Justin Trudeau, Canada’s Prime Minister, pledged to improve relations with indigenous Canadians. He’s still taking his flak in because he skipped the first National Day of Atonement on September 30th to go surfing.

This article appeared in the section Die Welt this week of the print edition under the heading “Politics”.