"What in the World?" - Week of Aug 6-12, 2017

Venezuela “has lost its freedom,” according to Attorney General Luisa Ortega as she was turned out of office by the Constituent Assembly that took office last week. She threatened an investigation into charges that over one million votes were manipulated. The new body is seen as a way for Venezuela’s President to consolidate power as the country continues to weather a chaotic political and economic crisis. Who is the embattled President of Venezuela?

Foreign direct investment is an important component of Tennessee’s manufacturing economy. Which automotive manufacturer is looking for a state to build a $1.6 billion car plant?

The UN Security Council unanimously passed a resolution to punish North Korea for its long range missile program testing that could reduce its exports by $1 billion, about a third of its annual revenue. The resolution bans exports of its mainstay commodities such as coal, iron, iron ore, lead, and seafood, and bans an increase in workers sent abroad. The US Ambassador to the UN said, “This resolution is the single largest economic sanctions package ever leveled against the North Korean regime.” Who is the US Ambassador to the UN?

Myanmar’s Vice President Myint Swe announced last week that an eight-month probe by the government concluded no evidence existed to support UN claims of human rights violations. In February the UN said Myanmar’s security forces “very likely” committed crimes against humanity and possibly ethnic cleansing in dealing with THIS Muslim ethnic group.

China and its neighbors who have conflicting claims to areas of the South China Sea will begin negotiations on a code of conduct later this year according to the Chinese foreign minister. Wang Yi spoke on the sidelines of a regional conference of THIS group. He said the situation was now more relaxed and conducive to stability, according to Reuters, which may be a reference to aggressive Chinese tactics, such as militarizing many of the disputed islands and regional impressions of less than firm US resolve.

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen told reporters that last week’s airstrikes that killed civilians, including children, were an example of the “disregard” for civilians’ safety shown by all the combatants in Yemen’s civil war, according to Reuters. What country is leading a coalition against the Houthis in Yemen?

Britain is prepared to pay up to 40 billion Euros in the deal being struck for Brexit – the UK’s exit from the European Union as part of a deal that included trade arrangements. When will the United Kingdom officially leave the EU?

The Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Who talked to the Tennessee World Affairs Council at a town hall last year and became somewhat of a celebrity in connection with charges about interference in the American elections told Russian television his conversations with incoming Trump administration officials was in the interest of US-Russian cooperation. The ambassador at the center of Trump administration-Russian collusion charges is THIS diplomat:

The US Congress passed and President Trump signed into law new sanctions on Russia as punishment for interference in the 2016 American Presidential campaign. The sanctions included all of these EXCEPT:

Vice President Mike Pence traveled to Europe for meetings intended to demonstrate US support to its NATO allies. What countries did he visit?