Nov 12 to Nov 18

North America:

• The two top Senate Democrats, Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed and New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen, had sent a letter on Friday (Nov 15), to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Defence Department Inspector General Robert Storch on Musk’s reliability as a major government contractor, following his claims of holding a top-secret level clearance and his SpaceX company is deeply embedded in the federal government’s defence and intelligence infrastructure.
• Amid an intense lawsuit from the parents of Sandy Hook victims, who Jones alleged were “crisis actors”, Jones declared bankruptcy in 2022, as the Sandy Hook lawsuit made its way to court, and in June 2024, a judge ordered the liquidation of Jones’s assets.
• A Southwest flight was struck by a bullet at the Dallas Love Field Airport in Texas on Saturday (Nov 16). Flight 2494 was preparing for departure to Indianapolis when a bullet struck the right side of the aircraft under the flight deck. No injuries were reported, and the plane returned to the tarmac, before deplaning the passengers and crew. No details have yet been released on the origins of the bullet, however, Texas-based ABC affiliate, WFAA reported that police believed the shooting was a result of random gunfire.
• President-elect Donald Trump has picked vaccine-sceptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary. Hailing from the politically influential Kennedy family, the 70-year-old former environmental lawyer gained notoriety for his outspoken opposition to childhood vaccinations, linking it to the long-disproven vaccine-autism theory. If nominated, Kennedy pledged to remove fluoride, a cavity-fighting mineral – from the US drinking water, which about two-thirds of Americans have in their water supply.
• Republicans have won control of the House of Representatives, cementing control of all three branches of government last Friday (Nov 15). With a unified, albeit slim trifecta over the government, Republicans would now be able to easily pass President-elect Trump’s new agenda. Although several races were yet to be called, Trump’s selection of numerous members of Congress into his cabinet has meant that Republicans would find themselves with a narrow majority, with incumbent House Speaker Mike Johnson yet to face a new speakership election when the new term begins. 

Europe:

• Host of COP29 faces accusations of arresting climate defenders as of last Friday (Nov 15). The 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference is being held in Baku, Azerbaijan. This is the third time that a hosting country has been accused of oppressing and restricting the legal right to protest. The number of political prisoners has reached more than 300, which is the highest since the early 2000s. Rights organisations have called for a revision of how hosting countries are being chosen due to the concerning increase in the number of environmental prisoners in Azerbaijan. 
• Ms Pelicot’s legal team is set to give their final statements on 19 November.  The trial began in November 2020, when Dominique Pelicot admitted to drugging his then-wife for close to a decade and allowing dozens of men he met online to rape her while she was unconscious. There were over 200 rapes that occurred between 2011 and 2020 and thousands of videos were documented on Mr Pelicot’s laptop. Between 2011 and 2020, Ms Pelicot experienced symptoms that she associated with early signs of Alzheimer’s or a brain tumour. She was unaware that these were side effects of the drugs that her husband had been giving her. 
• A human trafficking ring in Budapest has been preying on vulnerable teens to work in slave-like conditions, according to authorities. For longer than a decade, the traffickers have targeted women and men from Romania through promises of high salaries and good housing. Police officers in Romania and Hungry have broken up the trafficking ring and more than 30 victims were identified. 25 victims were living in one room in unhygienic conditions and were working 12 hours a day for very little pay. The victims were being forced, through acts of violence, to work in physically and psychologically unbearable conditions while being permanently surveilled. Their documents were taken away which prevented them from escaping. 
• Zelenskyy says that Trump could help bring a “sooner” end to the Russia-Ukraine war on Friday (Nov 15). In an interview on November 15, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke about Ukraine-US relations and reflected on conversations with Trump about resolving the conflict of the Ukraine-Russia war which has continued since 2022. The president believes that under Trump’s leadership, “the war will end sooner”. Trump has said that his priority is to end the war and the drain of US resources that is being channelled to Kyiv in the form of military aid. 
• A cold case murder is brought to light again after 15 years, through a hologram of the victim in Amsterdam (Nov 10) In 2009, 19-year-old Hungarian Bernadette “Betty” Szabo was a sex worker in Amsterdam, who continued work throughout her pregnancy and returned after giving birth to her son. The hologram was created in an attempt to jog memories and garner attention to the unsolved murder. The hologram also offers a refined view of the vulnerability of sex workers in an area that remains dangerous, despite its range of security measures. The use of 3D visualisation technology, something that has not been used before, is a brave new step that holds the potential to help other cold cases in the world of crime by reminding the public that the victims still deserve justice. 

Asia Pacific:

• Australia plans to ban children under the age of 16 from social media platforms, such as Instagram, X, and TikTok as of Friday (Nov 15). The measure was taken to limit the harms of social media – such as misinformation, bullying, harmful content and many more, on the lives of Australian children. The plan was unanimously backed by leaders of all eight Australian states and mainland territories. Despite many experts agreeing that social media is dangerous to the mental health of children, many question the efficacy of the plan. In reality,  the ban can only delay their exposure to what is online but it doesn’t teach the youth how to navigate complex online spaces. The perimeters of the ban are still being discussed in Parliament. 
• New Zealand Parliament was suspended due to a Māori Haka protest led by the country’s youngest MP, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke on Thursday (Nov 14). The traditional group dance was a performance of anger over a bill that reinterpreted the country’s founding treaty with its indigenous people. The bill would severely undo decades of work aimed at redressing historical wrongs against the Māori people by colonisers. When asked how her party, Te Pāti Māori, would vote on the bill, Māori lawmaker Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke stood up and tore up her copy of the legislation and performed the haka. She was joined by other opposing members and people in the gallery of the chamber. 
• Former South Korean lawmaker, Yoon Meehyang, was found guilty of embezzling funds meant for survivors of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery on Thursday (Nov 14). Yoon, the leader of the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan during the World War 2 era, was convicted of fraudulently receiving government subsidies and unlawfully collecting donations. In September 2023, the Supreme Court upheld a verdict by the Seoul High Court which found Yoon guilty of obtaining 65.2 million won in government subsidies from 2014 to 2020 through false reports of labour costs and embezzling 79 million won of the group’s funds. Yoon denied the charges and claimed that the accusations were politically motivated but ultimately, the court ruled against her. 
• Record-breaking levels of toxic smog in Pakistan become visible from space on Monday (Nov 11). The thick smog engulfing Pakistan was seen on striking satellite imagery from NASA’s worldview, an interface that provides daily global satellite images. As a result of this, authorities have closed schools and public spaces due to the health threats that the smog poses to millions of residents. The city’s air quality has reached an air quality index of more than 1,200 – which is deemed “hazardous”. Punjab health officials have reported that over 30,000 people have been treated for respiratory illnesses in smog-hit areas. 
• Philippine authorities urged residents to evacuate as super typhoon Man-Yi approaches on Saturday(Nov 16). Citizens residing in low-lying areas and coastal towns were asked to move to safer areas as the super typhoon, Man-Yi became stronger on its approach towards the main Luzon island. This marks the sixth tropical cyclone to hit the Philippines in a month. Man-Yi is projected to unleash heavy rains and powerful winds that can trigger floods and storm surges reaching up to three metres. More than 650,000 people have already evacuated. From the past five storms, at least 163 people have perished. 

Middle East:

• At least 15 rescue workers had been killed in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon as of last Thursday (Nov 14). Lebanese officials had said that an Israeli airstrike on an emergency response centre in north-east Lebanon had killed 15 rescue workers, a strike that was considered to be the deadliest of its kind on emergency responders in the war. Since the escalation of war in September, the Lebanese Health Ministry has reported that at least 192 emergency workers had been killed in airstrikes across the country. 
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s aide was announced to be the subject of a criminal investigation over altering documents on the October 7 attack. Tzachi Braverman, one of Netanyahu’s closest advisors, had been questioned by the Israeli police for over five hours last Thursday (Nov 14), according to reports in Israeli media. With the Israeli government under enormous pressure for its mishandling of the initial border strikes on October 7th, Braverman was accused of altering the documented time of updates the Prime Minister received from his military secretary at the time.  
• Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused Israel of committing war crimes by forcibly displacing refugees in Gaza. About 1.9 million people – totalling almost 90% of Gaza’s population, had been forced to flee their homes amid Israeli airstrikes and mandatory evacuation orders. Israeli authorities have consistently denied any violation of human rights, and have affirmed its commitment to upholding the law in an armed conflict.
• Bahrain activists have criticized the United Kingdom over Bahraini King Hamad’s honorary knighthood. Three Bahraini activists-in-exile had criticized the British government over the issuance of the Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order to King Hamad. Citing the political repression in Bahrain, the Bahraini government had crushed pro-democracy protests during the Arab Spring in 2011, with hundreds of protestors still under indefinite detainment. 
• Qatar had officially suspended its role as mediator between Israel and Hamas. In the wake of rejections by Hamas leadership to negotiate with the Israeli government, Qatar, under U.S. request, had ordered the organization to cease further activities in the country. As a vital neutral party, Qatar previously had played host to numerous delicate political conversations with Russia, Iran and recently, the Taliban. 

Africa:

• Two Somali men, Abdi Yusuf Hassan and Mohamed Tahlil Mohamed, have been sentenced to 30 years on Tuesday (Nov 12) in prison for their roles in the 2012 abduction of American journalist Michael Scott Moore, who was held hostage for over two years. Prosecutors described the men as “key players” in a pirate operation that ambushed Moore in Galkayo, Somalia, as he investigated piracy. While Mohamed’s attorney highlighted his “gentle” behaviour during Moore’s captivity prosecutors emphasised the severity of their actions, calling their conduct “abhorrent.” Both men were convicted in 2023, and Mohamed’s legal team plans to appeal the sentence.
• Volunteers have entered a disused gold mine in Stilfontein to help illegal miners trapped underground for over a month without access to food or water as of last Saturday (Nov 16). Organised into a group of 50, volunteers are working to pull miners out one by one, despite dire conditions and health concerns. Police and military officials continue to patrol the site, prepared to arrest miners as they resurface. Over 1,000 individuals have already emerged and been detained, though many remain underground, fearing legal repercussions.
• Opposition leader Navin Ramgoolam clinched a landslide victory in Mauritius’s parliamentary elections, securing 60 of 62 seats and a fourth term as a prime minister on Tuesday (Nov 12). His Alliance of Change coalition captured 62.6% of the vote, with Ramgoolam pledging economic reforms and a crackdown on corruption. The election follows a scandal and rising cost-of-living concerns. Current Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth conceded defeat, acknowledging the people’s desire for change. 
• Gabonese voters went to the polls to decide on a new constitution that could transform the country’s future on Saturday (Nov 16). The proposed charter introduces reforms like presidential term limits that aim to prevent a repeat of the decade-long rule by the Bongo family, which ended with last year’s military coup. General Brice Oligui Nguema, the leader who led the coup, urged citizens to back the changes, calling the vote “a date with history” He has promised a return to civilian rule after a two-year transition but has hinted at his interest in running in the 2025 presidential elections.
• Mali is facing a worsening battle against desertification as activists plant trees to restore forests, only to see them stripped for firewood by struggling communities on Friday (15 Nov). Despite efforts under the UN-backed Great Green Wall initiative, only 4% of the project’s original goal has been achieved in Mali, hindered by rising temperature, reduced rainfall, and the country’s heavy dependence on wood. With almost half of Mali’s population living below the poverty line, activists warn that deforestation, poverty, and climate change continue to threaten the survival of communities across the Sahel region.

South America:

• Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is on his first official trip to Brazil from November 16 to November 19 2024, aiming to strengthen Malaysia’s 65-year relationship with the country and foster trade and investment opportunities as of last Saturday (Nov 16). The visit features a bilateral meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and participation in the G20 Summit. The bilateral discussions will focus on boosting trade, investment, and the halal food industry while addressing the global financial system. Anwar is also scheduled to meet with Brazilian industry leaders to promote business in sectors such as semiconductors and halal products.
• Argentinian police arrested a man in possession of a large collection of Nazi-era weapons and memorabilia at his home in Quilmes, Buenos Aires on Saturday (Nov 16). The haul included over 60 firearms, such as rifles with Nazi eagle markings, pistols, a machine gun, bayonets, and a variety of military paraphernalia, including Nazi flags, uniforms, helmets, and busts of Adolf Hitler. Argentina, which became a refuge for Nazi officials like Adolf Eichmann after World War Two, has seen recent efforts to crack down on Nazi-related activities, including the closure of a bookstore selling Nazi books online in 2023.
• Colombia’s congress voted to raise the minimum age for marriage to 18, eliminating the current provision allowing minors as young as 14 to marry with parental consent on Thursday (Nov 14). Colombia’s congress voted to raise the minimum age for marriage to 18, eliminating the current provision allowing minors as young as 14 to marry with parental consent on Thursday (Nov 14). The proposed change, championed under the slogan “They’re girls, not wives,” seeks to protect young girls from being forced into early marriages, which can lead to violence, educational setbacks and lost opportunities. Congresswoman Clara López Obregón stated that “minors are not sexual objects, they’re girls” in her statement supporting the reform.
• More than 20,000 people have fled their homes in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, in just four days due to escalating gang violence, the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Saturday (Nov 16). Approximately 17,000 of those displaced were already living in temporary shelters, with many forced to relocate multiple times. The Crisis worsened last week when the United States suspended civilian flights to Haiti for a month after gunfire hit three jetliners near the capital. 
• At least 15 inmates were killed and 14 injured in clashes at the Litoral Penitentiary in Guayaquil, Ecuador on Tuesday (Nov 12). This latest massacre, part of ongoing violence fueled by drug cartel conflicts, shows the worsening security crisis in the country’s prisons, where over 460 inmates have died since 2021. President Daniel Noboa’s government has declared war on organised crime, deploying the military to combat gangs. While reported murders have decreased from 2023 levels, the scale of violence, including Tuesday’s massacre, underscores the immense challenges facing Ecuador’s security forces.