Austrian Chancellor Out & Rousseff Circus Continues

PNUT GALLERY

The ICIJ just released the entire Panama Papers database, slated to be a gift that keeps on giving. If you have a few hours to kill and want to check out which companies, politicians and friends are shady, you can poke around the database here.

IN A NUTSHELL: MUST READ

Austrian Chancellor Quits After Far-Right Victory

Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann resigned on Monday, becoming one of the most prominent casualties of the political right-swing in Europe amid the migration crisis. His party, the Social Democrats, suffered heavy losses in the first round of the presidential election last month after initially supporting German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s policy of welcoming newcomers. Faymann later received heavy criticism from within his party for caving to rightwing populist demands and building fences on the country’s borders. “This country needs a chancellor whose party is completely behind him,” Faymann told reporters.

What does this mean?

With Faymann out of the way, Vice Chancellor Reinhold Mitterlehner, who represents the conservative Austrian People’s Party, will be sworn in as interim chancellor. But his surprise resignation confirms that euro-skeptic, anti-refugee parties in Europe can no longer be considered fringe, as they are now the most influential in Austria. Last month, the populist, anti-immigrant Freedom Party scored its most successful national election with 35.1% of the vote, more than triple that of what Austria’s two traditional mainstream parties achieved. 

Rousseff’s Impeachment Vote Annulled, As Is Democracy

Brazil’s political circus deteriorated into a full-blown constitutional crisis after the newly appointed Lower House Speaker, Waldir Maranhão, annulled the impeachment vote against President Dilma Rousseff. This major plot twist was immediately challenged by senior figures who suspect Maranhão of now conspiring with Rousseff. Maranhão is pretty new, since he replaced the last Lower House Speaker who was removed for corruption. Of course, Maranhão is also under investigation for corruption himself.

Speaker Maranhão believes the vote needed to be rerun due to procedural flaws and is calling on the Senate to return the impeachment process to the Lower House. The Senate ignored Maranhão and decided to continue impeaching Rousseff anyway… game on. 

Good Read: The Politics of Confusion in Brazil

NUTS AND BOLTS: SHOULD READ

Landslide In Rwanda Leaves Thousands Homeless

After a torrential downpour this weekend, widespread flooding sparked a landslide in Rwanda, killing at least 53 people and leaving thousands homeless. Officials say the northern Gakenke district has been the hardest hit with at least 34 deaths, many of whom are children. The mountainous central African country is prone to landslides, but the government has moved people out of designated “high risk” areas in recent years. 

North Carolina And Justice Department Sue Each Other

In the legal equivalent of “you can’t fire me because I quit,” the US Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against North Carolina hours after the state filed its own lawsuit against the federal government. The state has attempted to thwart federal motions to overturn HB2, the so-called “bathroom bill” that the Department of Justice finds discriminatory, even comparing it to “Jim Crow” laws. The US government’s lawsuit states that North Carolina, by banning transgender people from using bathrooms not designated for the gender on their birth certificate, is violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. North Carolina Governor Pat McCory calls this a “radical reinterpretation of Title VII.” Get the popcorn, because this will be a courtroom showdown. 

Russia’s Victory Day Parade Got Awkward

Russian armed forces paraded in central Moscow to mark the 71st anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, commemorating a time when they were on the right side of history for a change. The parade was a display of more than just your typical patriotism: Russia’s latest military hardware was on show, including the RS-24 Yars long-range nuclear missile. If that doesn’t make one swell with national pride, the fighters, heavy bombers and helicopters – including types combat-tested in Syria – flew over Red Square, making celebrators a mix of both proud and uncomfortable. Thankfully, no tanks broke down this time though.

KEEPING OUR EYE ON…

Beirut: Despite a growing independent movement, mainstream Lebanese parties won Beirut’s municipality elections. Turnout for the first election in Lebanon in six years was around 20%.

Japan: Rokudenashiko, the Japanese artist who made a kayak modelled on her vagina, has been found guilty of obscenity. The verdict has sparked ridicule of sexism in the country’s attitude toward images of female genitalia.

Philippines: Rodrigo Duterte, aka the “Donald Trump of the Philippines,” will be the next president of the Philippines after voters headed to the polls yesterday. Here is John Oliver with some more background on this colorful character.

LOOSE NUTS: FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT

China Bans ‘Erotic’ Fruit-Eating From Live Streams

Beijing-controlled broadcaster CCTV says they are now banned from airing videos in which bananas are “seductively” consumed by young female presenters. You might be wondering why that would even be a problem. Well, Chinese President Xi Jinping has already taken many steps to promote “civilized behavior” on China’s already heavily controlled internet, so people had to get creative. Live-streaming is the latest frontier for Chinese censorship, which now requires broadcasters to constantly monitor their output for any hint of illicit fruit consumption.