The Newsmakers

Masoud Barzani has stepped down after 12 years at the helm of the Kurdish Regional Government. Now, he says his authority should be shared between different branches of government. But while MPs discussed the plan on Sunday, Barzani's supporters stormed the regional parliament, and attacked opposition politicians. A little over a month ago, people in the region voted overwhelmingly to break away from Baghdad. But that led to days of fighting with Iraqi forces, which retook the city of Kirkuk. Now, the region is in turmoil. But the outgoing KRG leader stands by his decision. So what will Barzani's legacy be? And how will his resignation impact the region?

Venezuela's Democratic Unity Alliance seems anything but united. Four of its five state governors broke with party policy, and swore allegiance to a pro-Maduro legislative body. Now, the already fractured opposition coalition seems close to collapse. It's been a tough year for them, securing only five out of 23 states in regional elections. Making things worse, three major opposition parties now refuse to even take part in local elections. So what does this all mean for Venezuela's opposition? And will President Maduro further strengthen his grip on power?

George Papadopoulos, a former Trump foreign policy adviser, admitted he lied to the FBI when he denied meeting Kremlin-linked officials, to secure incriminating information about Hillary Clinton. Add to that, the president's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, and his long-term associate Rick Gates, who face indictments for conspiracy and money laundering. But Trump has hit back, calling Papodopoulos nothing but a lying, low-level aide.

Zambian opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema speaks to The Newsmakers about this arrest and the future of his nation’s democracy. President Edgar Lungu won last year's election by a narrow margin. But Hichilema called the results a sham.

Wisconsin’s governor has ordered his state to stop doing business with companies that support the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement – a strategy that aims to pressure the Israeli government to comply with international law. Wisconsin now joins 23 other states that have signed similar legislation. We ask whether states should penalise companies for their politics?

The Manus Island detention centre has been shuttered, after Papua New Guinea ordered its closure on constitutional grounds. But what happens to the hundreds of refugees still living there? With few options left, many asylum seekers are refusing to leave.

The Indonesian parliament has approved a presidential decree to ban civil organisations deemed to go against the country's ideology. Known as Panchasilla, the theory is based on five principles, including national unity, social justice, and a belief in God. But the decree has been heavily criticised. Some argue it limits free speech, and allows authorities to silence dissent. Meanwhile, President Joko Widodo has appointed a special envoy to promote religious harmony, at a time when critics say Indonesia's diversity and religious tolerance is under threat.

The crisis in the Gulf Cooperation Council is nearing the five-month mark, and Doha's rift with most all the GCC member states doesn't seem any closer to being resolved. In fact, some are now warning if a solution isn't found soon, the consequences could be catastrophic.

Bahrain has called for a freeze of Qatar's GCC membership, and says it won't attend the next summit if Qatar is there. And Kuwait's emir, who's been trying to mediate the crisis, says we might soon see the collapse of the entire council. So what would that mean for the region?

The incumbent president, Uhura Kenyatta secured the most votes, but opposition leader Raila Odinga, who boycotted the poll, called the entire election a sham. He now wants to hold yet another vote. There have been demonstrations and violence, leading to deaths and injuries. Many registered voters didn't even go to the polls. Some feared for their own safety, some were apathetic, while many others faced the outright closure of their polling station over security concerns. So what's next for Kenya?

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy looks determined to trigger Article 155 of the constitution. The unprecedented step would take back powers from Catalonia, a decision Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont calls the worst attack on the region since General Franco's dictatorship. The threat to invoke Article 155 was issued after Catalonia voted for independence at the start of the month - a referendum the Constitutional Court ruled illegal. The EU and the rest of Spain backs Rajoy in this standoff. So where does that leave the Catalans? Has their push for statehood backfired?