From Maduro’s removal to Cuba’s scramble for energy security, the crises in Venezuela and Havana are no longer isolated events. Oil, sanctions and sovereignty now intersect in a broader struggle over influence in the Americas.

This year, the Catalan town of Terrassa has made headlines after banning the adoption of black cats during the Halloween period. Local shelters say that in previous years, too many people adopted them as props for parties or photos, only to abandon them once the festivities were over. The ban will stay in place until early November to make sure any adoption is genuine. It is perhaps a small story, but it says a lot about how Spain is getting used to the influx of Halloween c