Impeachment Gets Real, Brexit Doesn’t Materialize: Weekend Reads

(Bloomberg) --

This week made history both for what did and didn’t happen. The U.S. House set Donald Trump on the path toward becoming only the third president to be impeached, while U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s “do-or-die” deadline for Britain’s divorce from the European Union came and went. 

Meanwhile, the Hong Kong police officer who fired his gun at protesters is now getting death threats, and Baltic leaders are fretting about the implications of Trump’s recent actions in Syria. Dig deeper into these and other topics — and don't miss our exclusive interview with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi —   in the latest edition of Weekend Reads. 

Pelosi Sets a High Bar for Impeachment Inquiry: ‘Ironclad’ Proof
In an exclusive interview with Bloomberg reporters and editors, Pelosi offered her most expansive view of the impeachment probe to date and said she decided to advance the inquiry  after Trump’s phone call with Ukraine’s leader provided her with the “clarity” that prior allegations against the president lacked. Click here for more on what the speaker had to say about the 2020 election.

Hong Kong Policeman Who Fired His Gun Now Faces Death Threats
Iain Marlow and Blake Schmidt spoke to Jacky, who fired a live round as he and his fellow officers clashed with demonstrators in increasingly violent street battles. “It was the first time I felt that way — not that I would necessarily die, but that something was going to happen to me and my unit,” he said.

What If Trump Calls Putin? Balts and Poles Worry After Syria
Estonia is more than 2,000 miles from the Levant, yet ripples from Trump’s recent actions in Syria are reaching all the way to the Baltic Sea, Ott Ummelas, Aaron Eglitis and Marek Strzelecki report.

The Drone Wars Are Here, and They’re Escalating
The skies of Syria, Yemen, and Libya swarm with armed and dangerous unmanned aerial vehicles. And the technology is spreading. Gwen Ackerman, Selcan Hacaoglu and Mohammed Hatem take a closer look. 

The Rash of Protests Around the Globe Have One Thing in Common
From Iraq to Chile, it feels like protests are everywhere. While each case of unrest has specific complaints,  Rosalind Mathieson explores something they all have in common: the lack of a clear leadership structure.

As Brexit Radicalizes British Politics, There’s Nowhere to Hide
There’s no room for moderates in next month’s election battle as populists push all parties to the extremes, Jess Shankleman reports.

Two Foreign Exchange Traders, Three Votes and a Brexit Meltdown
Since suffering a historic fall in value in the days after the U.K.’s 2016 vote to leave the EU, the pound has become one of the world’s most volatile currencies. Kit Chellel and Gavin Finch rode along with two FX traders as they bet on a slow-motion car wreck. 

Life on the Zambezi Is Hard. The Climate Crisis Makes It Deadly
For millions across southern Africa, the 1,700-mile Zambezi River serves as a highway, fishing ground, water fountain and swimming hole. But as Matthew Hill found on a two-week journey down the river, intensifying global warming has put residents increasingly at risk of food shortages. 

Fixing India’s Financial System Is Like Playing Whack-a-Mole
Even after billions in government aid, India’s banks have the highest percentage of stressed loans of all major economies. Abhishek Vishnoi, Marcus Wright and Suvashree Ghosh explore why. 

Death Canal Comes to Life as Export Gateway for European Wheat
Romania and Bulgaria are becoming agricultural heavyweights again, 30 years after the end of communism. James Gomez, Irina Vilcu and Slav Okov chart how a notorious canal from the Danube River to the port of Constanta has become an export lifeline for two of the EU’s poorest members. 

And finally … After the global success of 2000’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the Chinese film industry exploded, and multibillion-dollar mega studios were built to house and shoot these productions. In Once Upon a Time in Shanghai, the photographer Mark Parascandola has documented the industry’s boom.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Winfrey at mwinfrey@bloomberg.net

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