The end of Germany's centrism

1. What's the biggest thing that happened this week?

Not a great contest this week.

US President Donald Trump announced a grand plan for tax reform, calling for huge tax cuts, including a slashing of corporate tax to 20 per cent - though this was not altogether new. There was more rhetorical sound and fury between the United States and North Korea, with Mr Trump threatening, for the umpteenth time, to use "devastating" force against the Pyongyang regime.

Over in Japan, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called a snap election next month, and - perhaps, unexpectedly - found himself ranged against a one-time ally, the charismatic governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike, who had just formed a new "Party of Hope".

But all of the above were eclipsed in significance by the results of the German election last Sunday…