North America:
- At least 40 people were reportedly killed as the United States carried out retaliatory airstrikes in Iran and Syria against Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), last Friday (Feb 2), after three US soldiers were killed and 40 were injured in a drone attack claimed by the militant group. The airstrikes hit more than 85 targets, including command and control centres, rockets, missiles, and drone storage facilities, as well as logistics and munition supply chain facilities. The strikes targeted the Quds Force, the foreign espionage and paramilitary arm of the IRGC. “The United States does not seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world. But let all those who might seek to do us harm know this: If you harm an American, we will respond.” Biden said in a statement. In response to the airstrikes, Iraq’s military says that strikes constitute a violation of Iraqi Sovereignty and could ignite instability in the region.
- The trial date for former President Donald Trump, scheduled for March 4 on charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 election results, was removed from the calendar, according to reports last Friday (Feb 2). U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan acknowledged the delay, attributing it to Trump’s claim of presidential immunity from criminal prosecution, which is under appeal. The jury selection that would have begun the following week was postponed indefinitely. Trump argued that the government does not have the authority to bring charges against him for actions taken while he was president. The former President faces three other criminal cases in South Florida and Georgia.
- Democratic members of Congress urged the Biden administration to do more to protect pregnant patients seeking medical treatment from criminal prosecution, according to reports last Friday (Feb 2). The move comes in response to the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning abortion-rights precedent, raising concerns about intensified threats of prosecution. The new letter, spearheaded by the Democratic Women’s Caucus, cites the case of Britanny Watts, an Ohio woman who faced felony charges after a miscarriage. Signed by more than 150 members, the Member of Congress calls on the administration to use federal resources to investigate such cases, provide legal and financial support to affected patients, and examine potential breaches of patient privacy by healthcare officials.
- A group of chief executives from Meta, TikTok, Snap, Discord and X, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier last Wednesday (Jan 31), about the risks their products pose to young people. “I’m sorry for everything you have all been through,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologised to the families before the Congress. “No one should go through the things that your families have suffered and this is why we invest so much and we are going to continue doing industry-wide efforts to make sure no one has to go through the things your families have had to suffer.” Before Wednesday, the responses from social media companies were generally consistent: We’ll help teens and families make smart decisions themselves. During the hearing on Wednesday, lawmakers from both the Democratic and Republican parties expressed their disapproval of social media companies, a rare bipartisan topic on Capitol Hill. Despite the desire of both political parties to address the issue of tech companies, no significant legislation has been passed yet. “Open up the courthouse door. Until you do that, nothing will change. Until these people can be sued for the damage they’re doing, it is all talk.” Graham said.
- The United States Senate unveiled a US$118 billion (S$158.82) bipartisan deal last Sunday (Feb 4), for greater border security and provision of aid for Israel and Ukraine. US President Joe Biden and Democratic and Republican leaders in the Senate were pushing to resupply Ukraine with wartime aid but have faced resistance from conservative Republicans who have insisted on measures to tackle illegal immigration at the border with Mexico. The bill would provide an additional US$60 billion (S$80.76) in aid to Ukraine, whose efforts to push back Russia’s invasion have been hampered by a halt in US shipments of ammunition and missiles. and US$14.1 billion (S$18.98) in military aid to Israel.
South America:
- The death toll from raging wildfires in Chile rose to at least 112 people, with hundreds more missing, after President Gabriel Boric declared a state of emergency last Friday (Feb 2). At least 64,000 acres of land were reported to be burned across the nation’s central and southern regions. Authorities said 200 people were reported missing in and around the city of Viña del Mar, a popular beach resort, while many were left homeless in neighbourhoods on the eastern edge of the city. President Gabriel Boric declared a state of emergency last Sunday (Feb 4), and warned casualties were expected to rise. The recent spate of annual wildfires in the nation has been deadlier than previous seasons, with 27 killed in in the south-central region of the country.
- Legislators in Argentina approved President Javier Milei’s divisive “omnibus” reform last Friday (Feb 2), which is set to transform the state and economy amid decades of economic crisis. With 144 to 109 votes in the lower chamber, crowds of demonstrators gathered outside Congress to protest, as critics believed the funding would used to increase the exploitation of natural resources, benefit the private sector and cut resources for the environment and culture. “We have two clear options – become the largest slum in the world, or continue this path towards prosperity and freedom,” said Lorena Villaverde, a lawmaker from Milei’s far-right Freedom Advances party in support of the bill.
- El Salvador President Nayib Bukele declared himself the winner last Sunday (Feb 4), of national elections that revolved around the trade-off between security and democracy. Bukele said he won more than 85 per cent of the vote despite electoral authorities not yet releasing the official results. Foreign leaders from the US, China and Mexico congratulated Bukele on what is to be a comfortable second-term, after slashing homicide rates and gang activity in the country, despite criticism of human rights violations.
- Venezuela has criticised Washington’s decision to reimpose oil and gas sanctions and warned it could halt deportation flights for Venezuelan migrants who are in the United States without documents.“ All of Venezuela rejects the rude and improper blackmail and ultimatum expressed by the US government,” Vice President Delcy Rodriguez wrote on X. The rejection came in response to the United States’ reimposition of sanctions on Caracas this week. Washington took action after Venezuela’s top court upheld a ban blocking the candidacy of the leading opposition hopeful in a presidential election later this year.
- Brazilian police have raided the holiday home of former president Jair Bolsonaro last Monday (Jan 29), as part of an expanding investigation into an illegal spying racket that allegedly existed during his far-right government. Federal police officers reportedly arrived at Bolsonaro’s family retreat in Mambucaba, a picturesque seaside village 126 miles west of Rio, as nine search warrants were executed in different parts of the country.
Asia Pacific:
- Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman delivered her budget speech last Thursday (Feb 2). The speech largely reiterated the achievements of the Modi government over the past decade. However, announcements were also given for the construction of 20 million new affordable housing units and the provision of free renewable energy via rooftop solar panels for 10 million households. However, politicians from the opposition coalition theIndian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) have harshly critiqued the budget, with former Finance Minister P Chidambram calling it “a tiresome repetition of boastful claims,” noting the absence of discussion regarding unemployment, an important issue for many Indian voters, as well as the strong challenges to many of the claims made by Sitharaman in her speech. It should also be noted that this will be the last budget presented before the national elections taking place in April and May of this year.
- Famous Tamil film actor Joseph Vijay, known popularly as Vijay or Thalapathy announced his entry into politics last Friday (Feb 2), with the creation of a new party named the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam. In a statement he posted on X (formerly Twitter), Vijay noted the rampant corruption and communal divisiveness present currently in Indian politics as his primary reasons for entering the fray, and promised an electoral debut in 2026, noting that his party lacked the infrastructure to compete in the national elections this year. This is a continuation of the trend of cinema personalities jumping into electoral politics that started in the 1950s and 1960s, when the Dravidian Nationalist movement used the cinema as means to fight against the national government’s promotion of Hindi, which they felt came at the expense of regional vernaculars.
- Myanmar marked the three year anniversary of the military coup that installed the current reigning junta and overthrew the government of Aung San Su Kyi, last Thursday (Feb 1). Both the ruling junta, and the rebel National Unity Government (NUG) have amped up their rhetoric in lieu of the occasion, with the NUG Acting President Duwa Lashi La noting that the recent Operation 1027, planned in cooperation with Ethnic Armed Militias, resulted in massive gains for anti-military forces, and army chief Min Aung Hlaing vowing to ‘crush’ the rebel alliance, after the military extended the country’s state of emergency by another six months. The conflict has also seen China attempting to play an unexpected peacemaker role, particularly after Operation 1027, which brought the conflict into China’s borders. Moreover, both sides have been attempting to woo China by taking tougher stances against Myanmar’s online scamming rings, which Beijing has highlighted as a major law and order concern.
- New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters, and Defence Minister Judith Collins, visited Australia last Wednesday (Jan 31), to attend talks with their Australian counterparts. The visit was intended to inaugurate a series of meetings in the “2+2” format between the Defence and Foreign Affairs Ministers of the 2 countries. Talks centred around foreign policy issues dealing with the Indo-Pacific, and the potential role New Zealand could play in AUKUS, an alliance between Australia, the UK, and the US to counter the growing power of China in the Indo-Pacific. New Zealand would specifically be joining in the technology sharing initiatives, and not the nuclear submarine programme due to its own anti-nuclear position. China’s embassy in Wellington has expressed concerns over these developments, and an editorial by China Daily, the official English language publication of the Chinese Communist Party noted that New Zealand would be risking its bilateral ties with China by joining AUKUS.
- Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, the current Sultan of Johorwas crowned as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the national king under Malaysia’s rotating monarchy system, last Wednesday (Jan 31). Although a constitutional monarch like that of the United Kingdom, the position of the Malaysian crown has generally been much more relevant, especially after the 2018 elections and the political instability that arose from Malaysia’s first ever transfer of ruling parties. In particular, the current Sultan, like previous Sultans from Johor, have been known to be hands, with Sultan Ibrahim in particular having voiced concern over the Arabisation of Malaysian culture, corruption, and the need for checks and balances. Although some level of pushback is likely to be expected, the Sultan and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim do appear to have a fairly close working relationship.
Europe:
- Farmers held protests across Europe last Thursday (Feb 1), filling streets with their tractors, blocking ports and pelting the European Parliament with eggs over a long list of complaints from environmental regulation to excessive red tape. “We are no longer making a living from our profession,” one aggrieved farmer in Paris told CNN. This week, the farmers’ protests struck at the heart of the European Union, when they rolled into Brussels on Thursday (Feb 1) as leaders held a major summit on Ukraine. Once camped outside the parliament building, they lobbed eggs, blared their horns and sparked fires. At least 91 people were detained on Wednesday (Jan 31) for obstructing traffic and causing damage near the Rungis market south of Paris, a key distribution food hub, CNN affiliate BFMTV reported. But other protesters were less hostile: Some farmers handed out freshly baked pain-au-chocolats to police outside Paris. European far-right parties are hoping to make gains in the elections and may capitalise on the farmers’ grievances for their own political gain.
- Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill was Northern Ireland’s first minister, last Saturday (Feb 3). O’Neill is the first nationalist to hold the post as the government returns to work after a two-year boycott by the unionists. “This is an historic day (Feb 3) and it does represent a new dawn,” she told fellow legislators after her selection. The 47-year-old leader was nominated as the first minister in the government that, under the terms of the 1998 Good Friday peace accord, shares power between Northern Ireland’s two main communities – British unionists who want to stay in the UK, and Irish nationalists who seek to unite with Ireland.
- Turkey approached its one year anniversary since earthquakes killed an estimated 50,783 people, with thousands more still classified as missing and three million displaced, last Sunday (Feb 4). ‘No one can bring back what we lost’, said İsa Akbaba, who lost seven members of his extended family along with his home. For lifelong residents of Antakya, such as the Akbabas, the reconstruction is simply a bitter reminder that shiny new buildings cannot bring back the people that once made their city so vibrant. Like many who stayed to live among the ruins, they wonder who might be able to afford the new tower blocks and whether the joyful spirit associated with Antakya can survive its greatest blow in centuries. “Even if it’s all demolished, it’s still our neighbourhood,” said Isa. “Some of what was lost will never come back. So many of our neighbours left.”
- The World Health Organization issued an urgent warning over measles after an “alarming” 30-fold rise in cases across Europe on January 29. Measles continues to spread in the WHO European Region, with over 42,200 cases reported by 41 Member States for 2023. Moreover, Measles cases have ticked up in the U.K. following lower rates of MMR vaccination. Low uptake of the measles vaccine is a key driver of the UK measles cases, say researchers. Around 85 per cent of children in England have received two MMR vaccine doses by five years old, according to data from the National Health Service (NHS). This falls below the vaccination rate of at least 95 per cent needed to achieve ‘herd immunity’ — which substantially reduces disease spread — as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Middle East:
- The UNWRA’s commissioner general, Philippe Lazzarini defied Israeli calls for resignation according to reports last Sunday (Feb 4), citing Israel has yet to present any evidence to it over its accusations of militant activity among UNWRA staff, which prompted large cuts in life-saving funding for Gaza. The death toll in Israel’s war in Gaza army exceeded 27,000 last week, including more than 11,000 children. Of the tens of thousands of bombs dropped on Gaza – one of the most densely populated areas in the world – nearly half were “unguided”. Israel has killed Palestinians indiscriminately in illegal attacks on hospitals.
- At least two children were killed in an Israeli attack on a kindergarten in Rafah, in the Gaza Strip, last Sunday (Feb 4). The death toll in the Israel’s war on Gaza exceeded 27,000 last week, including more than 11,000 children. The incident sparked renewed concerns and condemnation from various international quarters, with human rights organizations and advocates urging a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attack.
- Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant made it clear that Israel does not intend to cease its military operation in Gaza anytime soon, last Thursday (Feb 1). Gallant was one of three Israeli officials criticised personally by the ICJ for comments they made that could be deemed to incite genocide against Palestinians. In its provisional ruling last week, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to prevent acts of genocide in its war in Gaza. South Africa’s foreign minister, Naledi Pandor, said Israel has so far ignored the ruling by killing hundreds more civilians in just a few days in Gaza, last Wednesday (Jan 31). Gallant said Israel’s military operation in Khan Younis, which it launched last week, had been “successful”, clearing the way for its forces to now advance on Rafah on the enclave’s southern border with Egypt.
- A pro-Israel advertisement depicting ‘Gaza without Hamas’ caused outrage on social media, last Friday (Feb 2). The ad, which appeared to be made using generative AI, shows how the technology can be used not just to mislead, but to more subtly influence. The 30-second video depicted a tranquil setting, followed by the wording “This is what Gaza could have been like without Hamas.” The advertisement was met with criticism for the diminishing of years of conflict into a misrepresented advertisement.
- The US Central Command (CENTCOM) hit a Houthi antiship missile that was “prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea” last Sunday (Feb 4). Houthi attacks on Israel-linked ships in the narrow strait of Bab al-Mandeb in the Red Sea disrupted global trade, drawing in the US and the UK response. The United States and the United Kingdom have carried out strikes on Houthi-controlled positions in Yemen in a new wave of attacks against the Iran-aligned Yemeni group, which has been targeting US and Israeli interests in solidarity with Palestinians.
Africa:
- South Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC) decided last Monday (Jan 29), to suspend its former leader Jacob Zuma over “insubordination”, months before the nation’s presidential elections. Zuma, who is facing multiple corruption charges over his term as president, announced in December last year that rather than campaigning for the ANC in its elections this year, he would instead be supporting a newly registered political party named uMkhonto We Sizwe (MK), named for the former paramilitary wing of the ANC during the struggle against Apartheid. In addition to expelling Zuma, the ANC plans to ask the electoral court to deregister the party, which at present lacks much of the infrastructure or policies that would be expected of apolitical party, and to mount a challenge for trademark infringement, with ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbaula calling it “deliberate attempt to use the proud history of the armed struggle against the apartheid regime to lend credibility to what is a blatantly counterrevolutionary agenda.”
- Segun Aremu, one of the traditional monarchs who still hold a position of cultural esteem in the country was shot dead on Thursday (Feb 1), with his wife being kidnapped. The identity of the assailants is unclear, as is whether or not a ransom is being demanded. The killing, condemned by AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (the governor of Aremu’s home state of Kwara) as “reckless, shocking, and abominable” has brought to attention the wider crisis of law and order in Nigeria. In particular, there is an irony in the fact that the incident occurred mere days after 50 civil society groups demanded that President Bola Tinubu call a state of emergency, claiming that 1,800 kidnappings have occurred since he took office. However, this figure has been disputed by some, who claim the number to be closer to 4,000.
- President of Senegal Macky Sall announced last Saturday (Feb 3) that he would be indefinitely postponing elections scheduled for the end of the month, for the first time since Senegal’s complete independence from France in 1960. In doing so, he cited a dispute over candidate lists, with the exclusion of some prominent opposition politicians by the constitutional court calling into question the integrity of its elections. President Sall claimed that he wanted to “initiate an open national dialogue to bring together the conditions for a free, transparent and inclusive election in a peaceful and reconciled Senegal.” However, this move has not been met with universal support among opposition politicians, with Yassine Fall, Vice President of the PASTEF Party calling it a “constitutional coup,” claiming that “Macky Sall understands that if we go to elections, we will win by a landslide victory. But he wants to stay in power or have someone from his party to be elected. This is why he plays these kinds of games to come and manipulate the institutions illegally.”
- A panel of experts presented a report to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) monitoring ISIL, Al Qaeda and other associated militant groups on Wednesday (Jan 29). The report highlighted a heightened terrorist threat in West Africa and the Sahel in particular. The report noted the increasing complexity of the situation as ethnic rivalries have been brought into the fray, particularly among the Tuareg and the Fulani. The report also noted that the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) was able to make significant gains in Niger following the recent coup, taking advantage of the instability that it generated.
- The Prime Minister of Burkina Faso Apollinaire Joachim Kyélem de Tambèla made a speech on Thursday (Feb 1), in which he defended his decision made in a previous announcement to leave the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The exit was joined by Mali and Niger, all 3 states being currently ruled by military juntas, in protest of sanctions to reverse the coups of these countries. The Prime Minister accused the organisation of denying the aspirations of the people of the Sahel, saying that “Instead of an ECOWAS of the people, the organization has become a technocratic tool which that ultimately deviated from the legitimate aspirations of the west African peoples.”
- The World Food Programme called on Sudan’s warring sides to provide immediate security guarantees to deliver aid. The United Nations food agency said last Friday (Feb 2), that it was receiving reports of people dying of starvation in Sudan, with the number of hungry people doubling over the past year as the ongoing war cuts civilians off from aid. Since Sudan’s war began in April last year, nearly 18 million people across the country are facing acute hunger, and more than five million are experiencing emergency levels of hunger in areas worst affected by the conflict.
