8 NEWS The world at aglance
THEWEEK 13 February 2021Juneau,Alaska
Thevaccinerace:Thevast,sparselypopulatedstateofAlaska
hasemergedastheunlikelyleaderintheracetogetAmerica
vaccinatedagainstCovid-19.Around 1 5%ofthestate’s
populationhadbeenvaccinatedbylastweek,comparedto
around 9 %inNewYorkandCalifornia.Partoftheexplanation
isthestate’ssmallpopulation(around 7 29,000),andthehigh
proportionofbothindigenouspeopleandmilitaryveterans;
bothgroupsqualifyforfederalfundsthatexpeditethevaccine
programmes.Theotherbigreason,accordingtoTheWashington
Post,isthatthestateisusedtotransportinggoodsquickly,using
whatevermeanspossible.“Boats,ferries,planes,snowmobiles- Alaskanswillfindawaytogetitthere,”saidthestate’schief
medicalofficer,AnneZink.IntheUSasawhole,jabsarebeing
deliveredatarateof 1 .3millionaday,onaverage.
WashingtonDC
Diplomacyis“back”:PresidentBiden
hasannouncedanendtoUSsupport
forSaudiArabia’smilitaryoperation
inYemen,cancelledDonaldTrump’s
ordertopull12,000UStroopsoutof
Germany,andincreasedthenumber
ofrefugeestheUSwilltakeeachyear
from15,00 0 to 12 5, 000 .Declaring
that“diplomacyisbackatthecentre
ofourforeignpolicy”,hesaidhe’d
spokento“ourclosestfriends”to
begin“rebuildingthemusclesofdemocraticalliancesthathave
atrophiedoverthepastfewyears”.HecitedBritainasoneofthe
US’sallies,butnotTurkey,IsraelorSaudiArabia.WashingtonDC
Trialstarts:DonaldTrump’simpeachmenttrialbeganthis
week,afterSenateleadersagreedatimetablethatcould
deliveraverdictbyasearlyasnextweek.Thefirst
presidenttobeimpeachedtwice–andthefirstto
betriedafterleavingoffice–Trumpischargedwith
“incitementofinsurrection”relatingtothestormingofthe
Capitolon 6 January.OnTuesday,Senatorsdecided,by 56 votes
to 4 4,thattotryaformerpresidentwasconstitutional,allowing
fullproceedingstogoahead.However,toconvicthimrequiresa
two-thirds majority intheevenlysplitSenate,and with
Republican Senatorsmindfulofthesupport hestillcommands
amongvoter s,feware expectedtoturnon him.Havana
Private enterprise:Cuba’ scommunistgove rnment hasannounced
that private businesses willsoon be abletoo perate in most
sectors, as partofamajo rreform of itsstate-controlled economy.
The reformsexpand thelistofsectors approved forpriv ate
enterprisefrom 127(mainly in transport and tourism) tomore
than 2,000. However,certain sector sregarded as strategic,
including defence,will remain firmlyunderstate control.The
islan dnation is facing itsworst economic crisi sfor almost 30
years owing tothepandem ic,the collapse in tourism,and
renewedUS sanctionsimposed by the Trump administration .This
crisis ha salso promptedotherlong-promised reform s, including
the devaluationof th epeso an dsome deregulationof state
businesses and foreigninve stment.WashingtonDC
QAnon U-turn:Aright-wing
Republican congresswomanwho
spreadbizarre QAnonconspiracy
theories beforeshetookoffice,
andendorsed violenceagainst
Democrats,hasbeenstrippedof
keyposts.ElevenRepublicansin
theHousevoted withallofthe
Democratstorelieve Marjorie
TaylorGreene ofher committeeroles.Beforethevote, Greene
saidshehadstopped believingthatthe USisrunby Sa tan-
worshippingpaedophiles. Shealsosaidshenowbelievedthat9/
didhappen,and thatschoolshootingswerenotstaged.Bogotá
Good neighbour:Colombia is to
give temporarylegalstatus to
nearly onemillion undocumented
migrants from Venezuela, in whatthe U Nrefugee agency has
hailed as “themost important humanitariangesture” in Latin
America fordecades. Aroundfivemillion people havefled
Venezuelasince 2014 .Aroun d1.7 m illion have taken refuge in
Colombia, more than half of whom lacklegal st atus. This we ek’s
announ cementmeans that all Venezuelans in t he countrywill be
able t owork legally, obtainaccess to healthservice sand,after ten
years, apply for permanent residency. They left theircountry “due
tothe di cta torshi pand poverty”, said Colombia’spresident ,Iván
Duque ,adding “ithurts us to see these circumstances”.Richmond,Virginia
Deathpenalty abolished:Virginia istobecome thefirstoftheold
Confederate statesto abolishthedeathpenalty. Membersofthe
Democrat-controlledlowerhouseofthestatelegislaturevoted last
Fridayby5 7 votesto41 toendthepractice. GovernorRalph
Northamhas promised tosignthebillintolaw,though this is
unlikelytohappenbeforeApril.The“Commonwealthof
Virginia” is the 23rd USstatetoe nd ca pital punishment, and its
decisionhasparticula rhistorical resonance. Itwasthe first state to
carry out an execution–ofc onvicted spy Captain George Kendall
in 1608 ;and it ha ssince put to deathmoreprisoners thanany
otherstate: atotal of 1, 390, th evast majorityAfrican-American.
The former Confederatestates carryout 80 %ofUSe xecu tions.