Nov. 15: A youth washes a minibus bearing Mr. Mugabe’s portrait at a bus terminal in Harare.PHILIMON BULAWAYO/Reuters
Good evening and happy Friday,
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
The full story of what brought Mugabe down, and why he didn't see it coming
There was a time in Zimbabwe when Robert Mugabe was popular. As the leader of the main guerrilla movement that fought white-minority rule, he swept to power in a 1980 landslide victory. But economic mismanagement led to widespread poverty and unemployment. He also tried to hand control over to his wife. By early this week, the likelihood of a military intervention was a secret to nobody. The Globe and Mail's Geoffrey York is Canada's only full-time Africa correspondent. As he reports from the streets of Harare, this strategy might avoid bloodshed and pay the way for a peaceful transition to a new government, but does nothing to restore democracy in a country where autocrats have long ruled.
We take a deeper look at how a political crisis became a military takeover.
A Globe editorial writes about why a military coup is the lesser of two evils.
How growing regional tensions threaten Lebanon's delicate balance of power
Most Lebanese, regardless of sect in this impossibly diverse and complicated Levant country, viewed former prime minister Saad al-Hariri's disappearance as a Saudi-inspired coup d'état. Why else would the head of an allegedly sovereign state resign in another country? The answer was obvious to most Lebanese. Lebanon is not really sovereign; it is a proxy state caught in the middle of a power struggle between Shia Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia. As Eric Reguly reports from Beirut, the move has thrust the country into political crisis.
Saudi Arabia and Iran are the two powerhouses in the region and historic rivals. As the Middle East endured major wars and uprisings over the past 15 years, each side has poured money, arms and fighters into rival factions. Here's a primer on who's siding with whom.
Keystone pipeline spill will take months to clean up: officials
Just days before Nebraska will vote on another pipeline project by TransCanada, state officials said it would take months to clean up a 5,000-barrel spill in South Dakota. Shares slid for Canadian heavy crude prices and TransCanada Corp. on Friday. Last year, a spill of 400 barrels in South Dakota took about 10 months to clean. The spill gave further ammunition to environmental groups opposing the long-delayed Keystone XL pipeline.
Tesla unveils new roadster, big rig in midst of Model 3 factory 'hell'
Despite struggling to roll out a new affordable sedan, Tesla unveiled a prototype for an electric transport truck. Chief executive Elon Musk described the truck as Tesla's next effort to move the economy away from fossil fuels. Some analysts fear the truck will be an expensive distraction for a company that has never posted an annual profit. There are also worries that heavy electric batteries will eat into the weight of cargo a truck can haul.
However, Tesla upstaged its own big rig launch with the debut of its second roadster. Mr. Musk said the $200,000 (U.S.) base price machine would be the fastest production car ever. It will travel 1,000 kilometres on a single charge and go from 0 to 100 km/h in 1.9 seconds.
Here's why Wall Street can't agree on Tesla's new semi truck.
Canada, Mexico forming alliance against U.S. protectionist approach to NAFTA
Canada and Mexico are working together behind the scenes to present a united front against U.S. President Donald Trump's protectionist NAFTA demands. The two sides hold regular back-channel discussions to compare notes on U.S. positions and keep one another up to speed on their respective strategies. The Globe's Adrian Morrow reports from Mexico City as the fifth round of negotiation is set to begin. (for subscribers)
Joanna Slater speaks to Mr. Trump's biographers to look back at how he's honed his negotiating style over the last few decades and what it could mean for these talks. The biographers have a word of caution: "He doesn't care about lifting all the boats. He's concerned about his boat."
Doug Saunders writes: "The current round of NAFTA negotiations going awry or Mr. Trump scuppering the heart of the agreement pose a far, far greater threat to Mexico than to Canada or the United States. It would be damaging, but not fatal, to the Canadian economy. For Mexico, it is an existential threat."
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MARKET WATCH
The Toronto Stock Exchange rose Friday led higher by rising gold and energy prices. The S&P/TSX composite index rose 63.20 points, or 0.40 per cent to 15,998.57. Wall Street ended the week on a sour note on Friday, with major indexes falling modestly as investors weighed the fate of the Republicans' tax overhaul plan.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 100.15 points, or 0.43 per cent, to 23,358.21, the S&P 500 lost 6.84 points, or 0.26 per cent, to 2,578.8 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 10.50 points, or 0.15 per cent, to 6,782.79. Brent crude oil was up $1.49 at $62.85 (U.S.) a barrel while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) rose $1.37 to $56.51 (U.S.) a barrel.
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WHAT'S TRENDING
Members of the Tragically Hip and Jeopardy! Host Alex Trebek were among the Order of Canada recipients honoured with medals Friday. Rob Baker, Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois and Gord Sinclair were made members of the Order of Canada for their cultural contributions to the nation and work on behalf of social and environmental causes. Mr. Trebek was made an officer for his commitment to education, environmental and humanitarian causes.
TALKING POINTS
Bill Clinton finally gets his comeuppance
"It's hard to justify your side's outrage over the other side's outrageous misconduct if you're still giving your own guy a pass. What took the Democrats so long? The question answers itself. Until now, they had a lot to lose. Calling Bill out would have meant betraying Hillary as well. Now that Hillary is finished, the party the Clintons once owned now owes them nothing." – Margaret Wente
Will nuclear control finally be taken away from Trump?
"For the first time in 41 years, the committee was studying presidential authority to use nuclear weapons. The president alone has the authority to launch a nuclear strike (there is no red button, but instead a card of launch codes, which Bill Clinton reportedly once left inside a suit he'd sent to the cleaners.) He does not need to consult Congress. The president informs the Secretary of Defence, who relays the order down the military chain of command, where it is executed – in theory, anyway, since it hasn't been tested since 1945. The process could take mere minutes." (for subscribers) – Elizabeth Renzetti
A Washington reckoning: Sex-abuse allegations stir a cultural shift
"The irony is that the change is taking place not under Barack Obama, who was admired for his highly principled, relatively scandal-free leadership, but in the moral vacuum of the Trump presidency." – Lawrence Martin
LIVING BETTER
Mindful skiing is the latest instruction tool for winter sports. It allows you to clear your head, eradicate fears, control breathing, increase focus and maximize the physical and scenic experience while on the hill. As one meditation practitioner says, "Rather than bombing down the hill … I'm able to focus patiently on each run, allowing me more enjoyment and peace." The movement is spreading across North America and some say it helps with skiing trees and conquering steeps.
LONG READS FOR THE WEEKEND
NATO research centre sets sights on Canadian website over pro-Russia disinformation
The website globalresearch.ca is headquartered in a condo in Old Montreal owned by a retired University of Ottawa professor. It has the trappings of a think-tank and calls some contributors "senior fellows," but the site is being investigated for spreading pro-Russia propaganda online. It has disseminated articles that claimed the Assad regime was not behind the April chemical attack, suggested that the use of sarin was a hoax and claimed NATO was preparing to deploy 3,600 tanks near the Russian border. What was once seen as relatively harmless is now seen by NATO as a link in a concerted effort to undermine the credibility of mainstream Western media and trust in government. (for subscribers)
How an unexpected journey to Haida Gwaii reconciled a Nisga'a woman with herself
Cyndi Peal had no intention of boarding the Polar Prince. When the Canada C3 Expedition docked in Prince Rupert she only intended to catch up with her cousin, but a fortuitous encounter with the expedition leader soon had her making a spur-of-the-moment decision to pack her bags and tag along on a journey to Haida Gwaii. This was the beginning of a tearful, "spiritual voyage" that would profoundly change her life. "I became who I am meant to be," she said. "The trip allowed me to grow in ways I never thought I would – or could imagine with a group of people I had never met."
Evening Update is written by Jordan Chittley and Terry Weber. If you'd like to receive this newsletter by e-mail every weekday evening, go here to sign up. If you have any feedback, send us a note.