First woman president
The week's news at a glance.
Santiago, Chile
Socialist Michelle Bachelet won last week’s national election, and will become the country’s first female president. A divorced agnostic with a child out of wedlock, Bachelet was a surprising candidate in a religious, male-dominated, socially conservative country. She campaigned on a platform of helping the poor, but for many, her appeal was her personal story. As a young woman, she had been imprisoned and tortured during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, which suspected her father, an air force general, of aiding leftists.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Entente cordiale: will state visit help UK-French relations get over Brexit?
Today's Big Question The King, a keen Francophile who has a warm relationship with Emmanuel Macron, will play a key role in state visit
-
Israel's plan for confining all Palestinians in 'humanitarian city'
The Explainer Defence minister wants to establish zone in Gaza for displaced people – which they would not be allowed to leave – prompting accusations of war crimes
-
Secluded retreats for aspiring writers
The Week Recommends These tranquil hideaways are the perfect place to put pen to paper