The world at a glance

Harare

A new leader: Emmerson Mnangagwa, the 75-year-old veteran of the ruling Zanu-pf Party, was sworn in as Zimbabwe’s new president in Harare last week. He vowed to hold “free and fair” elections, scheduled for next year, and to govern for all “patriotic Zimbabweans”. Mnangagwa (pictured) has been closely linked to the worst excesses of the regime of deposed president Robert Mugabe, in particular the 1980s Matabeleland massacres, in which more than 20,000 people were killed. He was vice-president until Mugabe sacked him last month – the result of his succession struggle with Mugabe’s wife, Grace. In his speech he praised Mugabe as “a father”, but also alluded to the woeful state in which the 93-year-old former leader had left the country. Mnangagwa’s ousting sparked the army intervention that led to Mugabe’s forced resignation as parliament began impeachment proceedings against him. As part of the deal to make him quit, Mugabe has reportedly been guaranteed immunity from prosecution, protection for his business interests and a $10m payoff. The same protection applies to his family, including Grace, even though she is highly unpopular and reviled for her extravagance.

Lahore, Pakistan

Terrorist freed: An Islamist cleric held responsible for masterminding the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai – in which more than 160 people were killed – has been released from house arrest by Punjab’s judicial review board. Hafiz Saeed is the leader of a political group widely assumed to be the front organisation for Lashkar-e-taiba, the banned terrorist group that carried out the Mumbai atrocity. After the attack, Saeed was placed under house arrest and the US later put a $10m bounty on his head. But a Pakistani court released him in 2009 for lack of evidence; it was only in January that he was rearrested. Pakistan’s government had asked the judges on the review board to keep him detained, but to the fury of India and the US, he was freed.

Yangon, Myanmar

Pope visits: Adoring crowds greeted Pope Francis (pictured) in Yangon this week, where he shared a stage with Myanmar’s leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. But his speech on the need for “respect for each ethnic group” was slated for its failure to mention the group suffering persecution in Myanmar: the Rohingya Muslims. Myanmar and Bangladesh have now signed an initial deal to repatriate some of the 620,000 Rohingya expelled from their homes in Rakhine province. But to rights groups’ dismay, the deal fails to specify where they could be settled, since their villages have been razed to the ground.

Eastern Ghouta, Syria

Government shelling: The Syrian government agreed to a ceasefire in the rebel-held Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta this week, after a two-week bombardment in which scores of people were killed. The regime’s offensive to recapture the suburb – the last rebel-held stronghold in the vicinity of the capital – has left it in near-ruin. According to the UN, the suburb’s 400,000 residents are facing such severe food shortages that some have been reduced to eating rubbish. Although Ghouta was deemed a “de-escalation zone earlier this year”, as part of a Russianbrokered deal, the regime had stepped up its bombardment – apparently in response to a renewed ground offensive by jihadi rebels. The Russian-proposed ceasefire was announced in advance of a new round of Un-backed peace talks in Geneva.

Pyongyang

Missile launch: Hopes that North Korea had been winding down its weapon programme were dashed this week, when it launched a Hwasong-15. State media described it as a “most powerful ICBM”, carrying “a super-large heavy warhead”, and Western analysts think it has enough range to reach Washington, although its reliability has yet to be proven. The lull in missile testing since September, when President Trump threatened possible retaliation, had led some to believe Pyongyang was ready to comply with the US. Not any more.

Bali, Indonesia

Volcano brewing: Around 100,000 people were ordered to evacuate their homes on the Indonesian island of Bali this week, amid fears of an imminent major eruption of Mount Agung. Massive plumes of dark ash first became visible above the volcano on Saturday, eventually reaching two miles above its summit, and onlookers talked of seeing “rays of fire”. Officials raised the alert to its highest level and temporarily closed Ngurah Rai airport, affecting nearly 60,000 travellers at the popular holiday destination. The volcano last erupted in 1963, killing more than 1,000 people.