A ceasefire went into effect across most of Syria, following an agreement between John Kerry, the American secretary of state, and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov. However, aid destined for the besieged city of Aleppo was still being held up at the Turkish border by arguments between the warring parties. Strikes against Islamic State and an al-Qaeda-linked group are not covered by the ceasefire. See article. 

Israeland America agreed on a new military-aid package, worth $38 billion over the next ten years. 

South Africa refused to grant an entry visa to Steven Anderson, an American preacher, saying that his comments criticising homosexuality amount to hate-speech.

The president of South Sudan, Salva Kiir, and leader of the opposition, Riek Machar, were accused of enriching themselves during a civil war that broke out in December 2013. The Sentry, an American NGO, alleges the men accumulated foreign homes and extensive commercial holdings.

They deny doing wrong

Brazilian prosecutors investigating graft linked to Petrobras, the state-controlled oil giant, filed charges against Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a former president. The lower house of congress stripped Eduardo Cunha, its former speaker, of his mandate over his role in the affair. He was already facing corruption charges but enjoyed parliamentary immunity. See article. 

Mercosur, a South American trading bloc, said it might suspend Venezuela if it fails to meet a set of conditions over trade and human rights by December 1st. The regional challenge to Venezuela’s authoritarian regime came as it hosted a meeting of the non-aligned countries and prepared to take over the movement’s rotating presidency.

A village under siege

Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets during protests in the southern Chinese village of Wukan, a place long celebrated in China for its residents’ struggle for local democracy. The protests were triggered by the jailing of their elected leader on corruption charges. 

The acting Communist Party chief of Tianjin, a port in northern China, was dismissed for “serious violation of party discipline”, which is often a euphemism for corruption. The position is an important regional one in China. The new chief, Li Hongzhong, will be a strong contender for elevation to the ruling Politburo in a reshuffle due next year.

North Korea conducted its fifth nuclear test, and the second this year. The force of the underground explosion was 10-12 kilotons, roughly twice the previous one. The UN Security Council is now debating whether to tighten sanctions on the rogue nation.

America said it would soon lift decades-old sanctions on Myanmar, ahead of a visit by Aung San Suu Kyi, the country’s de facto leader, to the White House. But human-rights groups want sanctions to be maintained on officials in Myanmar’s armed forces until it is crystal clear that the new democratic system cannot be overturned.

Rodrigo Duterte, the controversial president of the Philippines, said he wanted American forces to withdraw from the island of Mindanao, where they have been training Filipino troops.

The Australian government introduced a bill to hold a non-binding plebiscite on whether same-sex marriage should be legalised. Gay-rights activists denounced the step as a cop-out.

Critical philosophy

Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, fretted in his state-of-the-union speech that the European Union is suffering from an “existential crisis”. Mr Juncker pledged more investment and better security co-operation; defended an unpopular trade deal with Canada; and said that the departure of Britain, a rather difficult member of the EU, could present an opportunity for the remaining 27 states.

Turkey’s justice ministry submitted an arrest warrant to the Americans for Fethullah Gulen, an Islamic cleric living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania. The Turkish government accuses Mr Gulen and his followers of being behind the attempted coup in July (Mr Gulen denies this). The American government has so far refused to extradite him.

The Dutch house of representatives voted to change the organ-donor system to one of “active registration”. If passed by the senate, people will be presumed to be a donor by default, unless they register to opt out. Belgium and Spain have similar systems, and higher organ-donation rates.

The new British government gave the go-ahead to build a new nuclear plant at Hinkley Point, after unexpectedly ordering a review in part because of security concerns over Chinese involvement in its construction. That did not please China. The British government says that in future, it will take a “special share” in nuclear projects that cannot be sold without its consent.

David Cameron announced that he was stepping down from Parliament, because he could not be a “proper backbench MP as a former prime minister” and would become a distraction for his successor, Theresa May. Her most pressing task is cleaning up the mess left behind by Mr Cameron over Brexit. Parliament’s foreign-affairs committee this week strongly criticised Mr Cameron for not having a coherent strategy when intervening in Libya in 2011.

Faint recognition

Hillary Clinton was taken ill at an event in New York to commemorate 9/11. After initially saying she was suffering from overheating, her aides revealed that Mrs Clinton had been diagnosed with pneumonia, prompting more criticisms that her campaign has a problem with the truth. Questions have been raised about the health of the 68-year-old Democrat, and of her 70-year-old Republican opponent, Donald Trump. See article. 

The National Collegiate Athletic Association said it would not hold any tournaments in North Carolina in the current academic year because of the state’s decision to overturn local laws that protect gay people against discrimination. The NCAA has been a leading proponent of using sport’s muscle to press states and cities into promoting an “inclusive atmosphere”.