NOV 19 to NOV 25

North America

• The United States Senate voted strongly to reject three resolutions aiming to block the sale of US weapons to Israel (Nov 21), with both Democrats and Republicans largely opposing it. This emphasises Democratic Party’s rift on this policy as some Democrats, including Bernie Sanders, are critical of Israel and the abuse of human rights Gazans face. Bernie Sanders introduced 6 resolutions covering the US$20 billion sent to Israel, bringing up the aforementioned three this week. The Biden administration responds in a document to Democrat senators, with their rejection, and asserts that military aid is an investment in Israel’s long-term security amid threats from Iran and elsewhere, while proclaiming that the administration is “working constantly” to improve conditions in Gaza.
• The United States has blocked a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, making it the fourth time Washington has used its veto authority to prevent a ceasefire(Nov 20). The proposed resolution advocated for an “immediate, unconditional and permanent” ceasefire and the release of all hostages detained by Palestinian organisations in the area. It received 14 votes in favour, and the US is the sole member to reject it. Robert Wood, the alternate US representative to the UN, clarified that they could not back an unconditional ceasefire that fails to release the hostages because it would send a dangerous message to Hamas, to not come back to the negotiating table. The ceasefire negotiations have produced no outcomes more than a year after October 7.
• Pam Bondi has been newly chosen as attorney general, by President-Elect Trump following Representative Matt Gaetz’s withdrawal from consideration(Nov 22). Gaetz dropped out after increased scrutiny into sexual misconduct allegations. Bondi is a longtime ally of Trump, working as Florida’s former attorney general. She has also faced impropriety accusations when she received a US$25,000 donation from the Trump Foundation, around the time her office was asked to investigate Trump’s University for fraud. Her selection has garnered more praise among Senate Republicans, prominently from Senator Lindsay Graham, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Critics have raised concerns on Trump using his administration for retribution following this pick. Pam Bondi will be overseeing the Justice Department, establishing the agenda for federal investigations and prosecutions, if confirmed as Attorney General.
• The Los Angeles City Council enacted a “sanctuary city” ordinance on Tuesday(Nov 19), in light of possible mass deportations under the Trump administration. This prevents the use of city resources for immigration enforcement and city departments from providing federal immigration authorities with information on individuals without legal status. While it is not a legal term, this is a symbolic commitment to defend and advocate the immigrant communities, by refusing to supply information to immigration enforcement. Los Angeles has passed similar measures to protect immigrants, but this order will incorporate those safeguards within city legislation. Immigration communities have overwhelmingly supported this, but it has also drawn criticism since some people think it would increase the number of undocumented immigrants in the city and deplete resources meant to combat homelessness.
• United States President Elect, Donald Trump is expected to implement the global gag-order, as he did in his first term(Nov 20). This policy prohibits US foreign aid from carrying out abortions or disseminating information on it. This restricts American government funding for services women worldwide depend on to prevent pregnancy, as well as general health care. International NGOs that receive financing from the US government must commit to refraining from any actions linked to abortion, including presenting it as a family planning option, even when they are using non-U.S. government funds for such operations, as stipulated in the policy. This will affect the NGOs that work in African countries, as they provide the only healthcare option for rural people. Furthermore, according to USAID, if the gag order is reinstated, 1.3 million women in Zimbabwe, a country that outlaws abortion, would not receive the care they require, which would result in an extra 461,000 unwanted pregnancies and 1,400 maternal fatalities.
• Nancy Mace, the Republican representative of South Carolina, proposed legislation to amend House rules(Nov 18), prohibiting House members, officers and employees from using single-sex facilities that do not correspond with their “biological sex”. This was introduced as the House prepared to swear in the first openly transgender member of Congress, Sarah McBride. McBride condemns this measure but also states she will obey the rules provided by House Speaker, Mike Johnson. House Democrats have also denounced Mace’s legislation, accusing her of bullying a fellow member of congress.If this measure is passed, the House sergeant-at-arms will be charged for enforcing it.

Europe

• Thousands marched across the streets in France and Italy to protest violence against women (Nov 23). This occurred 2 days before the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, which is designated on the 25th of November by the UN. In Paris, about 80,000 protesters took to the street with purple placards condemning all forms of violence against women, including sexual, psychological or economic violence. They also defended women’s reproductive rights, expressing concerns on the potential reversal of women’s rights in the US when President-elect Donald Trump returns to office in January, as well as expressing solidarity with Gisele Pelicot, whose ex-husband and 50 other men drugged and raped her while she was unconscious.
• The UK’s longest serving male and female MPs, Abbott and Sir Edward, came together to oppose the assisted-dying bill (Nov 20). MPs are set to vote on The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on Nov 29 which would give an individual expected to die within 6 months the right to choose to end their own life. The legislation requires 2 independent doctors and a judge to determine if the individual meets the criteria to decide to take their own life. The bill was proposed by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, who said it contained ‘the strictest safeguards anywhere in the world.’ However MPs Sir Edward and Abbott have argued that it would put ‘vulnerable minorities’ at risk, and the process in which the bill has been brought to Parliament has been ‘rushed’, leading to ‘limited’ scrutiny of its contents. 
• On what marked the 1,000 day of war between Russia and Ukraine, Ukraine conducted its first long-range strike on Russia (Nov 19). Ukraine fired US ATACMS missiles on an arms depot about 110km inside Russia 2 days after President Joe Biden changed his stance on permitting the use  of US supplied missiles to target areas deep inside Russia. Joe Biden had initially opposed the use of US-supplied missiles due to concerns that it would escalate the conflict. The decision to ease weapons restriction occurred after Moscow deployed North Korean soldiers to Russia’s Kurk region, which was viewed by the US as a major escalation to the conflict. This policy change also occurred amidst mounting pressure on the Biden administration to bolster support for Ukraine before President-elect Donald Trump, who has repeatedly criticised U.S military aid to Ukraine, returns to the White House 
• The European Union has established its commitment to enforcing the ICC arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif (Nov 21). However European governments are divided. The outgoing EU foreign policy chief, Joseph Borrell, has said that the ICC’s decision ‘has to be respected and implemented’ and that ‘it is not a political decision’. However while some EU member states were swift in their decisions to comply with the court’s decision, Norway and several EU member states including France and Germany have been non-committal, expressing respect for international law but declining to confirm how they will act. Meanwhile, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban not only refused to comply with the court’s ruling, but invited Netanyahu to visit Hungary, assuring him he would face no risk of arrest if he did so. 
• NATO has held its largest artillery exercise ever in Europe, involving approximately 5,000 soldiers and including sites in Estonia, Germany, Romania and Poland (Nov 21). The artillery exercise has been named Dynamic Font 25. Colonel Janne Makitalo, director of the Dynamic Font 25 exercise in Finland, said the primary goal of the drills was to develop interoperability within NATO’s artillery units and prepare soldiers for harsh Arctic conditions. Some have seen this as a signal to Russia over its war in Ukraine. 

Asia-Pacific

• Indonesia agrees to transfer remaining “Bali Nine” to Australia, seeking repatriation of Indonesian prisoners held in Australia. Indonesia agreed to hand over the remaining five members of the “Bali Nine” back to Australia on Saturday (Nov 23) for humanitarian reasons, following talks with Australian leaders. The group, arrested in 2005 for attempting to smuggle heroin out of the Indonesian island, saw two members executed in 2015, while the rest were slapped with life sentences. Indonesia also seeks repatriation of Indonesian prisoners held in Australia. 
• The IMF approved the third review of Sri Lanka’s US$2.9 billion (S$4 billion) bailout, releasing US$333 million (S$456 million), bringing its total funding to US$1.3 billion (S$1.78 billion). While there are signs of some economic recovery, Sri Lanka must complete a US$12.5 billion (S$17.13 billion) bondholder restructuring and a US$10 billion (S$13.7 billion) bilateral debt rework with its creditors such as China, India, and Japan to move the programme forward. The bailout which was secured in 2023 has helped stabilise the economy, after a severe economic crisis that crippled the country and led to the ousting of ex-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2022. The recovering economy is expected to grow 4.4% this year, its first growth in three years, according to the World Bank. 
• At least 18 people were killed and 30 injured in sectarian violence in North-western Pakistan on Friday (Nov 22) night. At least 18 more people were killed and 30 injured in escalating sectarian violence in northwestern Pakistan on Friday night, bringing the current death toll to 58. Armed men attacked a village in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, setting fire to petrol stations and damaging properties, as the area endures long-standing sectarian rivalry between Shia and Sunni Muslims. The violence follows attacks on transport convoys earlier in the week, which killed over 40 people, mostly Shiites, in the Kurram district. A curfew-like situation persists, with markets and schools shut to ensure public safety.
• North Korea condemned recent joint military drills by the United States, South Korea, and Japan, warning that it will take immediate actions to defend itself if necessary. The three-day exercise named “Freedom Edge” involved fighter jets, marine patrol aircraft, and US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington. North Korea’s defence ministry urged the US and its allies to cease actions that could further escalate tensions into armed conflict. The country also stated it will closely monitor military activities and take preemptive measures to control risks, if deemed necessary.
• At least 10 people were killed by gunmen in Afghanistan’s Northern Baghlan province on Friday (Nov 22), with the responsibility for the attack yet to be claimed. After the Taliban took back its power over the country in 2021, it vowed to restore security to the war-ravaged nation. However, attacks have continued, many of them claimed by the local arm of militant group the Islamic State (IS). This attack came shortly after a deadly incident in September, where IS killed 14 people and injured six in central Afghanistan.

Middle East

• Nearly 90 individuals have been killed by Israel’s airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, including numerous children, in residential neighbourhoods, Beit Lahiya and Gaza City on Thursday (Nov 21). According to Palestinian health officials, at least 66 were killed in an air attack in Beit Lahiya and most of the victims were asleep. In Gaza City’s Sheik Rawan neighbourhood, at least 22 people, including 10 children were killed as well during the bombardment. Hussam Abu Saifa, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, which is near Beit Lahiya, explains that they’re focused on rescuing the injured as they are operating with bare minimum resources. These overnight attacks occurred hours after the failure to pass the Security Council resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former Defence Chief Yoav Gallant, and Hamas commander Ibrahim Al-Masri were all issued arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the Gaza conflict on Thursday (Nov 21). The judges believed that Netanyahu and Gallant were criminally culpable for acts including murder, persecution, and hunger as a weapon of war. This sparked outrage in Israel, and gave hope to Gaza residents that it may end the violence and bring justice. Israel objects to the Hague court’s jurisdiction and denies committing war crimes in Gaza. The United States, Israel’s diplomatic defender, also “fundamentally rejects” the move. The court relies on its 124 member states to carry out arrests and Karim Khan, ICC prosecutor, hopes that they can count on their cooperation in this.
• Israeli forces have bombed southern Lebanon and Beirut’s suburbs, killing at least five medics and destroying a multistory building on Friday. (Nov 22). As reported by Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA), Israeli warplanes targeted two buildings inside Beirut’s southern suburbs, and a missile hit the middle of a 11-storey building in a heavily populated area. The collision created a flame and caused the structure to collapse on top of itself, filling the road with rubble. According to the Ministry of Public Health, Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon also killed five Islamic Health Organisation healthcare workers.
• The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, reported that 97 out of 107 of their truck convoys were looted by armed men during the weekend. (Nov 16 and Nov 17) They had hurt aid workers, damaged the trucks, and made the drivers unload the cargo at gunpoint. UNRWA believes that the cause of this was the “total breakdown of civil order” in the population, and blamed the Israeli authorities as they should have been responsible for ensuring the aid is given. This poses serious consequences for Palestinians as there is a fear of imminent famine and that basic food sources have been impossible to source. In an interview with the state-run Turkish news agency Anadolu on Monday, Phillipe Lazzarini, the chairman of UNRWA, stated that there was no “Plan B” for delivering relief to Gaza.
• In Palmyra, a Syrian city, at least 36 people have been killed and 50 wounded in an Israeli air attack on Wednesday (Nov 20). This attack had hit residential buildings, causing “significant material damage”, according to Syria’s Minister of Defence. Israel has increased the attacks on Syria, due to the intensified hostilities between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah. This attack was carried out as there were talks for a potential ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, brokered by US envoy, Amos Hotchein.

Africa

• The Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) held a summit of heads-of-state in Zimbabwe to discuss the post-election conflict in Mozambique (Nov 20). Mozambique has been rife with violence since its elections in September. Post-election protests began on Nov 15, where people took to the streets clashing pots, pans and bottles, or blowing whistles over allegations that the election had been rigged. The night ended with some protesters being shot by the police. Human Rights Watch said that the police killed about 40 protesters, at least 10 of whom were children. Since then, people have been banging pots and pans in their home every night at 21:00 local time in protest. Elias Magosi, executive secretary of the SADC, said the ‘Summit extended condolences to the government and the people of the Republic of Mozambique for the lives lost during the post-election violence’ but that those affected should pursue legal solutions instead of resorting to violence. 
• Unauthorised miners at Stilfontein are still locked in a standoff with the Police (Nov 23). An unknown number of miners have been surviving for weeks in a mine shaft in the South African town of Stilfontein. Police have surrounded the entrance to the mine shaft and blocked food supplies in an attempt to get the miners to resurface. Police state that the miners refuse to resurface because they are at risk of deportation, given that many are migrants from neighbouring countries. However, a community leader said that even the miners who want to resurface cannot do so, because colleagues who usually remain above ground to pull up the ropes have been arrested. He notes that they are also starving and too weak, surviving on a diet of Colgate toothpaste mixed either with vinegar and salt or with toilet paper.
• A draft UK-backed UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire in the war between Sudan’s military and paramilitary forces and the delivery of humanitarian aid to millions, was vetoed by Russia (Nov 18). This move was strongly condemned by the UK and US. Sudan’s 19-month civil war is believed to have caused the deaths of tens of thousands of people, and displaced more than 11 million people from their homes while leaving thousands at risk of famine. U.S Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that ‘it is shocking that Russia has vetoed an effort to save lives, though perhaps it shouldn’t be’. Russia’s deputy U.N Ambassador Dmitry Polyansky told the Security Council that Moscow vetoed the resolution because ‘it should solely be the government of Sudan’ that is responsible for what happens in the country. 
• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nigerian President Bola Tinbu pledged to deepen their strategic partnership on Sunday (Nov 17), as Mondi made his first visit to the West African country. The visit comes amid a renewed push by both India and Nigeria for permanent representation on the UN security Council. New Delhi stated this is a natural partnership given that it is a meeting between the largest democracy in the world and the largest one in Africa. They have said that together they will highlight the issues of the Global South at a global level.
• Kenyan President William Ruto cancelled a US$2.5 billion Adani deal after its founder was indicted in the US (Nov 21). The proposed deal would have awarded control of the country’s main airport to India’s Adani Group. The Adani group was supposed to add a second runway at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and upgrade the passenger terminal in exchange for a 30-year lease. However US authorities said in an indictment that the group’s founder and 7 other defendants agreed to pay about US$265 million in bribes to Indian government officials. The Adani group has denied the allegations. 

South America

• Nicaragua’s legislative body has unanimously approved a constitutional amendment that will accord more power to President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo. The reforms, which must be ratified in 2025 to take effect, make Murillo a “co-president,” extend the presidential term from five to six years, and give the government greater control over the media. The amendments have been described as an attempt to shield the Ortega-Murillo family from consequence and to keep absolute power in their hands. Civil rights groups and international organisations have condemned the reforms as a move to consolidate Ortega’s authoritarian rule and muzzle dissent. Since Ortega’s return to power in 2007, his government has imprisoned political opposition and dissidents, and mass protests against his rule broke out in 2018 which killed over 300 people. 
• Ex-President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro and fellow ex-ministers face accusations of plotting the 2022 attempted coup conspiracy. Brazil’s federal police have accused former President Jair Bolsonaro, alongside several ex-ministers and senior aides, of plotting a coup to overturn the 2022 election results. In formal reports, Bolsonaro faces allegations of attempting to incite a military coup to overthrow current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva by creating chaos and riots that took place in Brasilia, Brazil’s capital, in 2023. The conspiracy also included a plan to assassinate President Lula, of which Bolsonaro is also accused to have had full knowledge of. Bolsonaro has denied any wrongdoing, calling the charges politically motivated as the case could severely hurt his plans for another presidential run in 2026. 
• Colombian rebel group Segunda Marquetalia has splintered into two factions,  attributing the split to a breakdown in internal unity and communication between leaders Ivan Marquez and Walter Mendoza. Despite this, the larger faction, which remains unnamed, stays committed to peace talks with the government. The split comes amid a unilateral ceasefire from July, putting a stop to years of violence that plagued the country. 
• Chinese President Xi Jinping met Argentine President Javier Milei at the G20 summit on Nov 19, marking a shift in Milei’s stance toward China. An admirer of US president-elect Donald Trump, Milei has been sharply critical of China. But Milei has softened his rhetoric, recognizing China as a valuable trade partner, as Xi praised Argentina’s economic reforms and expressed support for Milei’s plans. The two leaders discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties, with Milei’s potential visit to China planned for next year. Xi also emphasised the importance of strategic ties between the two countries, particularly in trade and infrastructure, noting China’s interest in Argentina’s agricultural exports and infrastructure projects, including a controversial Chinese-run space station situated in southern Argentina. 
• Ecuador has declared a 60-day national emergency as it races to contain raging wildfires and battles intense drought. Faced with 13 active forest fires, the country’s risk management team has turned to aerial support to control the fires as most of the affected areas are rugged and can take firefighters up to three hours to reach by land. Alongside a great drought that has persisted over 120 days, Ecuadorians grapple with an energy crisis that has caused 14-hour-long power outages in recent months.