The Heat looks at three big international stories in the news: crisis in Spain as Catalonia declares independence; an election re-run in Kenya and a landslide victory for Japan’s Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, in his country’s general election.
Nearly a month after the referendum that backed a split from Spain, the Catalan parliament declared independence on Friday.
There was celebration in the streets of Barcelona, but the Spanish government decided to fight back. The senate authorized the use, for the first time, of article 155 of the constitution. It gives power to the central government to take control of the autonomous Catalonia region. That measure will remove the Catalan president, suspend his ministers while Madrid will assume authority over the region’s public media, police and finances.
Meanwhile in Kenya, voters have gone to the polls again in a presidential election re-run. The Aug 8 election was nullified by the Supreme Court after allegations of irregularities. The main opposition candidate, Raila Odinga, dropped out of the race and called for a boycott, after accusing President Uhuru Kenyatta of fraud.
And, in Japan, Prime-Minister Shinzo Abe recently crushed the opposition in a landslide victory.
To discuss all of this:
- Nanjala Nyabola, professor at Johns Hopkins University
- Paolo von Schirach, president of the Global Policy institute
- John Sitilides, global risk analyst
- Qinduo Xu, political analyst for China Radio International
For more:
#Catalonia's history of self-rule and trying to split from Spain goes back nearly a thousand years https://t.co/2rIlPqt96g pic.twitter.com/MGPnXmBjSr
— euronews (@euronews) October 27, 2017
Spain's leader has dissolved Catalonia's parliament and set elections for December, escalating the political crisis https://t.co/OhN7rwFKHW
— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 27, 2017
What region do you think is next to declare independence after today's declaration by Catalonia? pic.twitter.com/HxRwrTaqoV
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) October 27, 2017
Turnout in Kenya's election re-run was 33% — down from 80% in the last vote https://t.co/5joVYmb2GM pic.twitter.com/FD0DrW3zhT
— CNN International (@cnni) October 27, 2017
Kenya election: Turnout under 34% amid opposition boycott https://t.co/dbqdF3c4Do pic.twitter.com/cXWuJNERUY
— BBC News Africa (@BBCAfrica) October 27, 2017
China urges Japan's peaceful development after Abe's election win https://t.co/0tYrr6FA1g
— The Japan Times (@japantimes) October 23, 2017