"What in the World?" - Week of Nov 5-11, 2017

Pro-western candidates have filed to run for President of THIS EU country against incumbent Milos Zeman who is said to favor stronger relations with Russia and China. According to Reuters, Zeman adopted a sharp anti-EU turn when he took Russia’s line in the Ukraine conflict and opposed EU sanctions. He also has a sharply anti-immigration stance and said Islam was “anti-civilization.”

THIS country’s parliament is the “latest institution to become embroiled in a sex scandal after abuse allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein prompted thousands of women and men to share stories about improper behavior” according to Reuters.

President Bashar al-Assad met a senior Iranian official to discuss the civil war in Syria and said:

THIS Baltic NATO Northern Group member nation which borders the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad expects the alliance to address air defenses according to its Defense Minister last week.

France has criticized Washington’s travel restrictions on citizens of this African nation which are part of President Trump’s most recent order banning travel from certain countries. A French Foreign Ministry statement said THIS country was “a decisive partner in the fight against terrorism. It has mobilized from the start and paid a heavy price in this battle.”

Spaniards believe THIS issue is more worrisome (66%) than the prospects of Catalonian independence (29%) in a recent poll.

Following an electoral win by HIS candidate in Sicily THIS former controversial Italian Prime Minister, famous for “Bunga, Bunga” parties, was being touted as on the eve of a political come-back.

Reminiscent of the Tunisian who set himself on fire in protest against the government – touching off the Arab Spring in 2011 – a married father of two children in THIS country died after he set himself on fire last month. The act has resulted in silent protests against this Eastern European government which has been criticized by the European Union for policies against the press and an independent judiciary.

President Trump departed on Friday for a 12-day trip to Asia which includes these countries, EXCEPT:

NATO is considering forming a new North Atlantic command, a vestige of the Cold War, to organize forces for this military mission.