The EconomistFebruary 29th 2020 5
The world this week Politics
The whosaid that most new
cases of covid-19, a novel type
of coronavirus, are now being
reported outside China. The
number of cases surged in
South Korea; Italy recorded
hundreds of infections, more
than in any country outside
Asia; and there were worries
that Iran was underreporting
the spread of the epidemic
within its borders. Iran’s depu-
ty health minister tested posi-
tive for the disease.Chinapostponed the annual
sessions of its rubber-stamp
parliament because of con-
cerns about the outbreak of
covid-19. The meetings had
been due to start in Beijing in
March and involve thousands
of delegates. Despite a fall in
the daily numbers of new cases
in China, Xi Jinping, the presi-
dent, said the epidemic was
“still grim and complex”.A Chinese court sentenced Gui
Minhai, the co-owner of a
bookshop in Hong Kongthat
sold gossipy works about
China’s leaders, to ten years in
prison for “illegally providing
intelligence overseas”. Mr Gui
is a Swedish citizen who is also
claimed by China as its nation-
al. His detention has fuelled
widespread alarm in Hong
Kong about the erosion of
political freedoms.Mahathir Mohamad resigned
as prime minister of Malaysia,
after his own party, Bersatu,
decided to leave the ruling
coalition. He remains in office
as a caretaker. Anwar Ibrahim,
his long-time rival and leader
of Parti Keadilan Rakyat, the
biggest party in the coalition,
has put himself forward as a
replacement. It is unclear
whether either man has the
support of most mps.TheAfghanarmy,theinsur-
gentsoftheTalibanandnato
forcesallpledgedtoobservea
week-long“reductioninvio-
lence”inAfghanistan’scivil
war.If it holdsuntilFebruary
28th,AmericaandtheTaliban
willsigna peacedealinQatar
onFebruary29th.Thailand’sconstitutional
courtdisbandedFutureFor-
ward,thecountry’sthird-
biggestpoliticalparty,and
banneditsleadersfrompoli-
tics.It istheeighthpartythe
courthasdissolvedsince2006.NarendraModi,theprime
ministerofIndia, summoned
a crowdofhundredsofthou-
sandstocheerforDonald
Trump.ButtheAmerican
president’svisitwasmarredby
communalriotsinDelhi,
whichclaimed 33 lives.TaurMatanRuak,theprime
ministerofEastTimor, re-
signedafterparliamentvoted
downhisbudget.Thepresi-
dent mustnowdecidewhether
tonameanotherprimemin-
isterorcallelections.Foreign policymaking
Boris Johnson, Britain’sprime
minister, announced a wide-
ranging review of the country’s
place in the world post-Brexit
that seeks “innovative ways” to
push overseas interests. Out-
side experts will be used to
challenge “traditional White-
hall assumptions”, a nod to
Dominic Cummings, Mr John-
son’s powerful special adviser,
who has clashed with civil
servants. Mr Cummings has
criticised waste in the Ministry
of Defence.Sajid Javid, who resigned as
Britain’s chancellor of the
exchequerafter a skirmish
with Mr Cummings, attacked a
move to align the Treasury
more closely with thinking in
the prime minister’s office. Mr
Javid said that this was not in
the national interest.The race to be the next leader of
Germany’sruling Christian
Democrats, and probable
chancellor after Angela Merkelquits next year, now has only
three runners. Armin Laschet,
the premier of North Rhine-
Westphalia, got a big boost
when Jens Spahn, the up-and-
coming federal health min-
ister, said he would not contest
the race, but would support
him instead.Residents of the Greek islands
of Lesbos and Chios fought
with riot police in an attempt
to stop an expansion of deten-
tion camps to house more
migrants arriving mostly from
the Middle East via Turkey.Degrees of brutality
Hosni Mubarak, who ruled
Egyptfor three decades, died.
The former despot was toppled
during the Arab spring of 2011,
amid protests over poverty and
his repressive rule. He faced
trial for corruption and mur-
der, but mostly avoided pun-
ishment. Many Egyptians
expressed nostalgia for Mr
Mubarak, who ruled with a
lighter touch than the current
dictator, Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi.Hardliners won parliamentary
elections in Iran, scooping
three-quarters of the seats. The
regime claimed a mandate for
its confrontational stance
towards America. But thou-
sands of moderates and re-
formers were barred from
running and, as a result, turn-
out was the lowest in a parlia-
mentary election since the
Islamic revolution in 1979.Faure Gnassingbé, the presi-
dent of Togo, won another
term in an election marred by
irregularities. Mr Gnassingbé
has been in office since 2005,
when he took over from his
father, who had first seized
power in 1967.The police in a state
A strike by police in Ceará, in
north-eastern Brazil, led to a
sharp rise in the number of
murders in the state. At least
170 people have died since
police stopped work on Febru-
ary 19th in a row over pay. A
senator, Cid Gomes, was shot
as he drove a digger towards
striking police. The govern-
ment has sent in the army.Protests by police in Haiti
against poor working condi-
tions led to battles between
them and the army. At least one
soldier died. The country’s
Carnival celebration was
cancelled.Bolivia’sSupreme Electoral
Tribunal barred Evo Morales, a
former president, from run-
ning for a seat in the Senate in
elections due in May. Mr Mo-
rales left office in November
after Bolivians protested
against his re-election.Her day in court
Harvey Weinsteinwas found
guilty of two of the charges
brought against him in New
York: of rape (by having sex
with a woman against her will)
and of forcing oral sex on a
woman. He was acquitted of
three charges, including the
most serious. Scores of other
women have accused him of
sexual misconduct.The latest Democraticdebate
produced the usual fireworks.
It was the last to be held before
the South Carolina primary
and Super Tuesday, when
Democrats in 14 states will vote
on who they want to be their
presidential candidate. Bernie
Sanders remains the firm
favourite following his deci-
sive win in Nevada.Meanwhile, it was reported
that Russiais meddling in the
primaries to get Mr Sanders
elected, and is also stepping up
plans to interfere in the general
election to re-elect Donald
Trump. So it is a win-win situa-
tion for the Kremlin if either
Mr Sanders or Mr Trump is
victorious in November.