Africa:
Morocco—The United Nations Security Council approves a resolution backing Morocco’s claim over the disputed region of Western Sahara. The resolution allows for the possibility of “autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty,” but does not make a definitive specification of what the future status of Western Sahara will be. Russia, China, Pakistan, and Algeria, all prominent allies of the Polisario Front — a group advocating for an independent Western Sahara — do not vote.
Sudan—The Rapid Support Forces (“RSF”) take control of El Fasher, one of the last major cities not occupied by the militant group in the Darfur Region of Sudan. The RSF, partially made up of militias that perpetuated the Darfur Genocide two decades earlier, commits a series of mass killings in El Fasher after capturing it, resulting in the deaths of upwards of thousands of civilians. The RSF agrees to a US-backed ceasefire proposal in early November, but no further progress has been made at the time of writing.
Tanzania—Incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan is declared the winner of the October 29 presidential election with almost 98% of the vote. Protests break out following the election, caused by anger over the exclusion of two opposition candidates and a general sense of discontent with job opportunities and economic conditions, resulting in the deaths of an unknown number of demonstrators.
East Asia:
China—Amidst a sharp decline in relations between China and Japan following comments by the Japanese Prime Minister about Taiwan (see below), China suspends imports of Japanese seafood.
Japan—Sanae Takaichi becomes the first female Prime Minister of Japan. Shortly after assuming office, Takaichi comments before the National Diet that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo, prompting an outraged response from China.
Europe:
Ireland—Left-wing candidate Catherine Connolly is elected by a landslide in the Irish presidential election.
Netherlands—In the October election, centrist-liberal party D66 wins the most votes and ties for first in seats with the PVV, a far-right group. The results signal a modest shift away from the rightward trend of the previous election, but as no party received a majority, the ideological composition of the incoming government is not yet clear.
Ukraine—Russian forces make advances in the Zaporizhia region of Ukraine and take control of the crucial city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region. The Trump administration proposes a peace plan to resolve the war in Ukraine that would bar the nation from joining NATO and require it to cede territory to Russia. Ukraine and its allies in Europe reject the proposal.
Latin America + Caribbean:
Bolivia—Rodrigo Paz, a centrist politician, defeats Jorge Quiroga, a right-wing former president, in the runoff of the October presidential election. Paz is the first president not affiliated with the left-wing Movimiento al Socialismo to win a presidential election since 2002.
Brazil—Former president Jair Bolsonaro is arrested on suspicion of plotting to flee the country in advance of his 27-year prison term for attempting to overturn the results of Brazil’s 2021 presidential election.
Chile—Left-wing candidate Jeanette Jara and far-right candidate Jose Antonio Kast advance to the second round of Chile’s presidential election. Right-leaning candidates took a clear majority of the vote in the first round, a reflection of the poor approval ratings of incumbent left-wing president Gabriel Boric.
Middle East:
Gaza—Hamas returns the bodies of two Israeli hostages and a soldier captured during the 2014 Gaza War to Israel in early November. The United Nations Security Council approves Donald Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan, with abstentions by China and Russia. Israeli strikes in Gaza conducted days later kill over two dozen Palestinians.
Iraq—Iraq holds an election for parliament in early November. The election is boycotted by the Sadrist Movement, a Shia Islamist movement whose political wing won the most seats in the most recent election, held in 2021.
Lebanon—Israel strikes targets across southern Lebanon that it claims contain Hezbollah military infrastructure, marking the largest escalation of tensions in the region following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah a year ago.
South + Southeast Asia:
Bangladesh—Sheikh Hasina, who was Prime Minister of Bangladesh for 15 years prior to her ousting in August 2024, was sentenced to death for her violent crackdown on the student protests that eventually removed her from power. Hasina has been in exile in India for the past year, and India has so far refused to extradite her.
India—Trade talks between India and the United States continue, with Donald Trump claiming that India has largely stopped buying Russian oil. In November, as a further sign of easing tensions, the United States approves a multimillion-dollar arms sale to India.
Thailand—Thailand and Cambodia sign a ceasefire agreement, officially ending the border conflict that killed dozens of citizens of both countries in July.
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