01 Jan 2024 Foreign Policy Tracker

26th July

– Former US President Barack Obama endorses Vice President Kamala Harris as the presidential candidate for the Democrats. This comes after days of questioning whether Harris would receive endorsement from the Obamas, with Obama having stayed quiet since Biden pulled out of the race on Sunday.

25th July

– US Vice President and probable Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris departs from US President Biden’s friendlier tone towards Israel and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stating that she will “not be silent” over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, during a meeting with Netanyahu. She reiterated that ‘Israel has a right to defend itself’ but insisted that the situation in Gaza has been ‘devastating’, and called for a ceasefire deal to end the war, release the hostages, and establish a peaceful two-state solution.

– Australia imposes sanctions and travel bans on Israeli settlers that it accuses of violent crimes against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Penny Wong, Australia’s foreign minister, announced the sanctions, directed at seven Israeli settlers and a hardline settler group known for setting up new illegal outposts, while condemning the violence and stating that the Israeli settlements were illegal and prevent peace within the region.

– Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, arrives in Hong Kong, calling on John Lee Ka-chiu’s administration to do more to block Russia from utilising Hong Kong to circumvent sanctions. The Hong Kong government has since reiterated that it “strictly enforces United Nations Security Council’s sanctions”.

24th July

– Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses US Congress with the aim of garnering support for Israel’s war in Gaza. Netanyahu’s speech focused on the continued need to fight Hamas, with little insight into negotiations around a ceasefire and the release of hostages. His comments were applauded by largely Republican supporters within Congress, while many Democrats boycotted the speech, and protests amassed outside condemning Netanyahu’s visit.

– Over 89 Palestinians are killed and 250 are injured during an Israeli offensive in Khan Younis in Gaza. Israel had issued orders for residents to immediately evacuate their homes in the city’s eastern neighbourhoods, which was previously designated as a “safe zone” for displaced Palestinians amid the conflict.

– New UK Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, arrives in India for a trip set to ‘reset UK-India ties’. The trip, occuring in Lammy’s third week in office, is a sign of Lammy and Labour’s commitment to reset Britain’s relations with the so-called Global South, which will involve ‘listening, not just preaching’. The trip will be based around re-starting trade talks in order to agree a new free trade deal “in the coming months”, with negotiations having stalled for much of the year as both countries held elections.

– French President Emmanuel Macron announces that he will maintain his centrist caretaker government until after France hosts the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This announcement arrives after the New Popular Front, the coalition of left-wing parties that is currently the biggest parliamentary group, endorses Lucie Castets, a largely unknown civil servant, for prime minister.

– German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announces that he will run to for re-election in 2025. Scholz currently has very low approval rates among the German public, which has previously led to questions over whether he would run for another term. Moreover, in June’s European Parliament election, voters in Germany delivered a crushing blow to the ruling coalition — made up of Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Greens, and the pro-business Free Democratic Party — handing the SPD its worst national vote result in more than a century.

23rd July

– United States Vice President Kamala Harris amasses enough support from top Democrats and other potential party candidates to become the Democrat’s official nominee for the presidential election. Harris used her first speech as probable nominee to promise to unite the nation at a fractious time, and beat Republican candidate Donald Trump in November. 

– China brokers a deal between 14 different Palestinian factions, including rivals Hamas and nationalist party, Fatah, agreeing to form an interim “national reconciliation government” for the occupied West Bank and Gaza, following the war with Israel. The agreement includes a commitment to ‘national unity’, to give stronger, unified leadership ahead of future elections, the free election of a new Palestinian National Council, and a general declaration of unity in the face of ongoing Israeli attacks. The agreement is the most comprehensive of the several past reconciliation bids between the Palestinian factions, which have all insofar failed.

– Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lands in the US to meet with United States President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, in advance of his address to Congress on Wednesday. The visit occurs as the US aims to negotiate a comprehensive ceasefire agreement, amid mounting pressure to end the war. 

– EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borell, revokes Hungary’s role of host for the next meeting of EU members’ foreign and defence ministers, as punishment for its more lenient approach to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban faced backlash from EU leaders after he visited Moscow earlier this July to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. Hungary currently holds the rotating EU presidency, and as such was expected to host the annual late August gathering, which will now be held in Brussels in September.

22nd July

– China and the Philippines reach a temporary agreement to reduce the chance of escalation over the Sierra Madre ship from the Philippines, that is currently grounded on the territorially-disputed Second Thomas Shoal. China has been accused of so far blocking re-supply trips to the ship, and the agreement now enables the Philippines to issue such trips, as long China is alerted. Tensions have risen in the Second Thomas Shoal recently, with both nations claiming it as within their maritime territory, despite a Hague tribunal in 2016 stating that China has no legal entitlement to this area.

– Taiwan starts its 5-day program of Han Kuang military exercises designed to handle short notice attacks. The exercises are created to be as realistic as actual combat would be, and are a radical departure from decades of scripted performances as the military steels itself against the growing threat from China.

21st July

– United States President Biden announces he will not be running as the Democrat candidate in the US presidential election. Shortly afterwards, Biden endorsed his Vice President, Kamala Harris, as his choice candidate, who has since gathered endorsements from much of her party, and has led to an influx of donations. 

– The Supreme Court of Bangladesh repeals the reintroduction of veteran quotas for all civil service occupations, that led to mass student protests against the quotas, which claimed the lives of over 150. The supreme court ruling now stipulates that only 5% of jobs will be reserved for descendants of freedom fighters, compared to the 30% stipulated in the original ruling.

– Turkish President Erdogan announced that Turkey is ready to construct a naval base in Cyprus ‘if necessary’, as he accuses Greece of planning to create its own naval base in Southern Cyprus. This comes as Cyprus marks the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of the now-divided island.

20th July

– Israeli airstrikes hit oil and electricity infrastructure in Yemen, killing 3 people and wounding 87. This attack comes a day after Houthi rebels hit Tel Aviv in a drone attack, killing 1 person and harming 10. 

– Cyrpus marks the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, and the subsequent ethnic division between Turkish-Cypriots and Greek-Cypriots on either side of the UN-patrolled border. In the Turkish-occupied North, the anniversary was celebrated with a military parade and flyover, with Turkish President Erdogan attending to commemorate the anniversary of the ‘peace operation’ that divided the country. Meanwhile, Cypriot President Kyriakos Mitsotakis described the ‘tragic’ anniversary as a sombre occasion for reflection and remembering the dead, and reflected that reunification is the only way forward for Cyprus.

– Donald Trump appears at his first rally since surviving an assassination attempt, alongside his new running mate JD Vance. Trump told the crowd in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that he “took a bullet for democracy.” 

19th July

– The UK will resume funding to UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, as new Foreign Secretary David Lammy announces the government’s first big shift in its policy on the war in Gaza since Labour took charge. Lammy claims he had received assurances about the agency’s neutrality, after Britain suspended  funding in January amid allegations from Israel that some staff were involved in the October 7th attacks.

– A high security alert has been issued for the whole of Bangladesh, as a nationwide communications blackout is imposed to block internet access and shut down news broadcasts, after at least 64 people were killed during protests about government jobs being reserved for family members of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence. Student protestors have stormed a prison and freed hundreds of inmates, as the country is rocked by some of the worst unrest in a decade.

– The International Court of Justice rules that Israel’s settlement in occupied Palestinian territories breaches international law, and violates Palestinians’ right to self-determination. The ICJ has ordered Israel to end the construction of settlements immediately and make reparations.

18th July

– European leaders arrive at Blenheim Palace in the UK, for the fourth Euorpean Political Community summit, hosted by new UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The summit’s main focuses were around support for Ukraine, migration and energy security. Starmer announced that Britain was “back on the world stage” as he announced a number of new policies, including closer working with the Europol and Frontex policing and border teams on the continent, and the diversion of tens of millions of pounds in aid to boost opportunities and healthcare abroad, both in the hope of reducing migration. The next EPC summits will be in Hungary, later this year, and then Albania and Denmark in 2025.

– Ursula von der Leyen wins a second term as European Commission president, as mainstream lawmakers unite to surpass the majority hurdle by 41 votes. Von der Leyen will remain head of the EU’s lawmaking and enforcement body until 2029.

– Israel’s parliament approves a resolution rejecting the creation of a Palestinian state, arguing it would pose an ‘existential danger’ to Israel. Thsi move is likely to strain relations with the US, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to visit next week to address Congress in Washington D.C.

– Emmanuel Macron’s party formed a last-minute agreement with right-leaning lawmakers to reelect Yaël Braun-Pivet as head of the French National Assembly, making it more likely Macron can appoint a prime minister from his ideological camp and play a greater-than-expected role in forming the country’s next government.

17th July

– The European Parliament votes to condemn Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month by 495 votes to 137, describing his visit as a “blatant violation of the EU’s Treaties and common foreign policy”.

– Fatal clashes between students and police on the streets of Bangladesh spiral, amid opposition to a reinstated policy of a third of public sector jobs being reserved for relatives of veterans from its war of independence from Pakistan in 1971. The protests erupted two weeks ago, and the Bangladeshi Government has closed all public and private universities as violence continues.

16th July 

– Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, once Donald Trump’s biggest rivals in the Republican party, both endorse Trump’s presidential candidacy on the second day of the Republican National Conference, underscoring the former president’s control of the Republican party.

– French President Emmanuel Macron accepts the resignation of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal’s government, following their centrist party’s defeat in parliamentary elections, but Mr Attal and his ministers will continue to deal with day-to-day business as a caretaker government, until after the Olympics.

– G7 trade ministers arrive in Calabria, Italy, for a two day meeting of trade ministers. The main objective of the meeting is to respond to the tensions and frictions that jeopardise global trade and sustainable and inclusive growth.

15th July

– Rwandans head to the polls in the general election that is predicted to re-elect President Paul Kagame by a landslide. Kagame has been in office since 2000, and dominated every election since with over 90% of the vote. Only two contendors were authorised to run against Kagame this year, with other candidates barred by the state-run electoral commission.

– Former US President Donald Trump names Ohio Senator JD Vance as his vice-presidential nominee, at the Republican National Convention. Vance was formerly among Trump’s conservative critics, but has since aligned himself with the populist right, becoming a close ally of the former president.

– Syrians head to the polls to vote for members of a new parliament, in a likely predetermined election that has lacked in transparency and fairness. The election is expected to pave the way for a constitutional amendment to extend the term of long-term President Bashar Assad. The poll takes place as Syria’s economy continues to deteriorate after years of conflict, massive displacement, Western-led sanctions, and repercussions from the COVID-19 pandemic.

– Six people are killed, and 28 others injured, in a rare shooting attack near a Shia Muslim mosque in Oman’s capital, Muscat. Pakistani and Indian citizens were announced as amongst those dead. The Sunni Muslim jihadist group Islamic State (IS) have claimed responsibility for the attack – the first claimed in Oman, where the Shia are a minority.

14th July

– The new UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy meets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa on his first trip to the region since assuming the role. He called for a immediate ceasefire, with the inclusion of clauses to release all hostages and massively boost the unrestricted flow of aid into Gaza. He also affirmed British support for a two-state solution in which Palestine and Israel are separate sovereign states, and condemned illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land.

– Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas formally resigns, to take up her new role as the European Union’s foreign policy chief. Kallas’ resignation automatically triggers the resignation of Kallas’ three-party cabinet, comprised of her centre-right Reform Party, the Social Democratic Party and the liberal Estonia 200 party. Estonian President Alar Karis has announced that he will begin talks to form a new government with representatives of all parliamentary parties.

– Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli, the leader of the biggest communist party in Nepal, is named as the new Nepalese Prime Minister, following a no confidence vote and the formation of a new left-wing coalition of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist and the Nepali Congress party. This will be Oli’s 4th term as Prime Minister, and he will share the role with the Nepali Congress party’s leader Sher Bahadur Deuba. 

– At least 22 Palestinians are killed and 100 wounded in an Israeli air strike on a UN-run school in central Gaza, being used as a shelter by displaced people. This is reported to be the fifth attack on or near to schools in the last eight days. According to the UN, an estimated 1.9 million people – 90% of Gaza’s population – have been forced to flee their homes, and more than 38,660 people are reported to have been killed in Gaza since October 7th.

13th July

– Former US President Donald Trump survives an assisnation attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. The shooter, who was killed on site, injured Trump’s ear as well as killing an audience member and injuring two others. US politicians, including President Biden, and world leaders have condemned the incident and rejected the place of violence in elections.

– Imran Khan, former Pakistani Prime Minister, and wife Bushra Bibi have their charges of unlawful marriage acquitted by a Pakistani court, which should make way for their releases from prison. However, minutes after the acquittal order, an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan issued written orders for the arrest and questioning of Khan in cases related to widespread violence following his arrest last year. Khan’s supporters have blamed the events on a military establishment that wants to keep Khan in prison.

12th July

– The Supreme Court of Pakistan declares the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan eligible for a share of reserved seats in national and provincial assemblies. It is expected that just over 20 reserved seats will be allocated to PTI-backed candidates in the national legislature after this verdict, meaning the coalition government will no longer have a two-thirds majority in the assembly.

– The South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration announces it plans to construct a large number of low-cost laser weapons that have the ability to destroy North Korean drones. The organisation announced that the lasers will be deployed by the end of the year and that these weapons have the potential to be developed to attack bigger targets, like missiles and aircraft, and to be deployed in space.

– Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal loses a no-confidence vote, and a new left-wing coalition of the two largest parties, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist and the Nepali Congress party, strikes a deal for a power-sharing agreement. The coalition is now poised to govern, but no date has been given for the new government to take office.

– Eduardo Ano, Philippine National Security Adviser, announces that the Philippines will stand its ground against China, amid escalating assertive behaviour from Beijing is the South China Sea. This statement arrives as tensions have escalated between the Philippines and China in their increasingly common maritime confrontations in the Second Thomas Shoal territory.

– Exercise Pitch Black, the biennial multi-national large-scale air mission exercise, begins in Australia. This year’s will be the largest in its 43-year history, with aircraft from 20 nations deployed on the exercise, including, for the first time, from the Philippines, Spain, Italy, and Papua New Guinea. These aircraft join those from other nations including France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The exercise encourages the fostering of stronger defence ties, and is being held at a time of rising tensions in the region between China and Taiwan and over the disputed South China Sea.

11th July

– NATO allies part ways as the 75th anniversary summit in Washington wraps up. The summit heralded new financial and military support for Ukraine, including a $225 million US package of military aid, a NOK 1bn Norweigian financial package delivered alongside 6 F-16 fighter jets, and a £40 million pledge from the UK to NATO’s Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine, as well as an agreement between Germany, Italy, Poland and France to create longer-range cruise missiles to provide a new form of deterrence. Concerns about China were also high on the agenda, with Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg naming China as a ‘decisive enabler’ of the war. 

– Meanwhile, China’s Mission to the European Union claims that NATO allies are over exaggerating the threat that China poses in its support for Russia’s war, and denies that Beijing is encouraging escalation over peace.

– Further calls arrive for US President Joe Biden to step down as the Democrat candidate, following multiple stumbles at the NATO Summit. Most notably, Biden mistakenly referred to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy as President Putin, and called his own Vice President Kamala Harris ‘Vice-President Trump’. These mistakes intensify the concerns about his candidacy that have been raised since his poor presidential debate against Donald Trump last month.

10th July

– NATO members gather in Washington DC to kick off the start of the 75th anniversary summit. Eyes will be on the UK’s new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, as he navigates his first major international summit in the role.

– Nikki Haley, former potential Republican presidential candidate, frees the 97 delegates who had pledged to support her, and encourages them to support Trump at the Republican National Convention. The Republican Convention begins on the 15th of July, and is expected to deliver Trump the official presidential nomination. 

– Hezbollah chief, Hassan Nasrallah condemns Israel’s most recent attacks in Gaza that have hit schools acting as shelters. In a televised speech, Hezbollah pledged to continue fighting along the Israel-Lebanon border, until there is a ceasefire in Gaza. Nasrallah stated that ‘if Netanyahu decides to continue the war… he will take [Israel] to its end’.

9th July

– The 75th anniversary NATO Summit kicks off in Washington DC. Leaders from member states are meeting to discuss how to strengthen deterrence and defence in Ukraine as well as the alliance’s broader security concerns. This summit arrives shortly after a surge of Russian missile strikes claimed the lives of at least 41 people in Ukraine. Indo-Pacific nations are also attending the summit, including Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, signalling NATO’s growing concerns in this region.

– Biden announces a joint statement with Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Romania yesterday evening, promising to supply new air defences to Ukraine. This comes following a devastating series of Russian missile strikes that killed over 40 people in Ukraine, earlier this week. The US and other countries have also pledged to provide Ukraine with “dozens” of short- and medium-range systems to help intercept drones and missiles.

– The Ariane-6 rocket launches from French Guiana, in its mission to place satellites in orbit. Ariane-6 is a project of 13 member nations of the European Space Agency, with the majority of the funding coming from France and Germany. If successful, this will give European governments and companies access to space, reducing reliance on other nations.

8th July

– Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Russia for the first time since the invasion of Ukraine. The visit is expected to further develop traditionally friendly Russian-Indian relation. Since the invasion of Ukraine and western sanctions on Russian exports, economic relations between the two nations have strengthened, with India becoming one of the biggest importers of Russian oil.

– The Philippines and Japan agree to a defence pact that permits deploying troops on each other’s territory for joint military exercises and training. This comes as both nations are increasingly concerned about China’s assertive behaviour in the South China Sea. 

– Current French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal offers his resignation, having failed to lead French President Macron’s Ensemble alliance to victory in yesterday’s legislative election, but Macron asks him to stay on temporarily, amid political deadlock following the results. The New Popular Front argues that as the leading group in the next National Assembly, it has earned the right to choose a prime minister. However, there is currently no obvious candidate for the role.

– Hungarian President Viktor Orban lands in Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. Discussions focused on promoting peaceful negotiations to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This trip follows on from his trip last week to Moscow, and both visits have received criticism from the EU and Ukraine.

– China and Belarus begin a joint military exercise to strengthen their relations and defence, along the Polish (and NATO) border with Belarus. This happens on the eve of NATO summit in Washington, which will focus on aid to Ukraine, defense production and defense budget targets, as well as the security threats coming from China.

– A wave of Russian missile strikes across Ukraine kills at least 41 people. Ukraine’s security service accuses Moscow of targeting the Okhmatdyt children’s hospital, killing at least 4 children. Moscow has rejected the accusation.

7th July

– The left wing coalition, New Popular Front (NFP), takes the most seats in the French legislative election, beating both Marine Le Pen’s right-wing National Rally and French President Macron’s centrist Ensemble alliance. This comes as a surprise after last Sunday’s first-round vote gave National Rally the largest vote share. Instead, opposition to nationalism won out, and the New Popular Front secured 177 seats, to Ensemble’s 163, and National Rally’s 142. The NFP leader, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, has declared the urgent need for his coalition to form a government, despite France having no political culture of making coalitions. 

– Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu states that any ceasefire deal with Gaza needs to let Israel continue its attacks until it has met ‘all the goals of the war’, including destroying Hamas’ capacity for governance and military operations. This clashes with Hamas’ proposed ceasefire that would guarantee a ceasefire would be permanent.

6th July

– The reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian wins the Iranian presidential election over the conservative candidate Saeed Jalili. Pezeshkian’s win signals the potential for less hardline conservative policies, having committed to relaxing social restrictions such as online censorship and harsh treatment of women who refuse to wear the hijab. During the campaign, Pezeshkian also vowed to re-engage with the West, in order to reduce sanctions on the Iranian economy.

– Military rulers in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso sign a confederation treaty that aims to encourage higher degrees of integration between their states, and strengthen the mutual defence pact that the states signed last year; the Alliance of Sahel States. The move further distances the states’ relationships from the the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a regional bloc from which all three nations withdrew from in January.

– The newly elected UK government announces a £500,000 aid package for those affected by Hurricane Beryl in the Caribbean, including emergency shelters for up to 4,000 people. Hurricane Beryl – a category five Atlantic hurricane – wreaked havoc in parts of the Caribbean last week, and continues to head for the US, putting the destructive role of climate change under the spotlight.

5th July

– The Labour Party wins the 2024 UK general election with a large majority, with Keir Starmer set to become the 7th Labour Prime Minister later today. Rishi Sunak conceded defeat and stepped down as party leader, following the Conservative Party only securing 121 seats, compared to Labour’s 412. Meanwhile, smaller parties were particularly successful in this election, with the Liberal Democrats achieving a record number of 71 seats, Reform UK claiming 4 seats and 14.3% of the vote share, and the Greens securing 4 seats, but the Scottish National Party suffered a heavy loss of 38 seats, as Labour swept to victory across Scotland.

– Iranian voters head to polling stations to cast their ballots in the 2024 Presidential election, after late President Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash last month. Moderate Masoud Pezeshkian and hardliner Saeed Jalili are competing in the run-off, in an election clouded by high voter apathy.

4th July

– Brits head to the polls for the UK general election. The Labour party is expected to receive a landslide majority, securing the first Labour government in 14 years. The exit poll is expected at 10pm, and final results will be clear by tomorrow.

– Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assembles a meeting with the Israeli security cabinet to discuss the latest proposal for a ceasefire deal. However, this follows repeated claims from Prime Minister Netanyahu that Israel will not end the war until Hamas is “eradicated”. Israel is simultaenously managing rising crisis with Lebanon, as well as the regional and international pressure to agree on a ceasfire deal.

– Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet in Astana, Kazakhstan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Both made speeches on supporting each other’s nations, and the closing communique also expressed a desire for a feasible ceasefire in Gaza.

3rd July

– Turkey closes its borders, including the Bab al Hawa and Bab al Salam crossings, into northwest Syria, after tensions reach a boiling point, with violence reportedly claiming at least 7 lives. Turkish troops were recently attacked by Syrian nationals who were angered by Turkish violence against Syrian refugees across several Turkish cities. This recent outburst represents another escalation in tensions between over three million Syrian refugees and local Turkish communities.

– French government spokesperson and member of President Macron’s party, Prisca Thevenot, and her staff were attacked whilst setting up election posters in Paris, with one staff member hospitalised with a broken jaw. Four people have been arrested in connection to the attacks.

– The Kremlin’s Ministry of Defence announces Russia has successfully attacked and destroyed multiple Ukrainian naval drones headed for Novorossiysk port in the Black Sea. This port includes a major naval base and a large harbour vital for Russian oil and exports.

2nd July

– Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visits Kyiv in his first visit to Ukraine.  He urged the need for a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire and expressed a desire to improve relations with Ukraine, particularly through guidance on economic modernisation.

– Donald Trump has been granted a degree of immunity from criminal prosecution by the Supreme Court over his actions on the January 6th Capitol riots. The court ruled that Trump could not be charged over “official acts” while he was in office, although unofficial acts can still be prosecuted, including his fraud case. The ruling has been condemned by Biden and other observers as undemocratic by weakening the rule of law and strengthening executive power.

– German Chancellor Olaf Scholz brings his cabinet to meet Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Poland. This reflects improving relations between the two nations since Tusk’s coalition replaced the Law and Justice government in December, who had tense relations with Germany. Berlin is expected to present policies that will strengthen Polish security against Russia and compensate Polish victims of Nazi Germany.

1st July

– Hungary takes over the presidency of the Council of the European Union, raising concerns among many European leaders and experts about how the EU-sceptic leader of Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orban, may use this role. 

– The first round of the French election gives the far-right National Rally a big advantage, receiving 33.4% of the vote. This is ahead of the New Popular Front’s coalition of left wing groups at 27.9% and Macron’s party at 20.7%. Both New Popular Front and Macron are encouraging tactical voting to hinder the National Rally from achieving a majority. The voting turnout on Sunday’s election was the highest since 1997 for a parliamentary election in France.

– South Africa forms a new government cabinet after weeks of legislative gridlock. 20 of the 32 posts will be filled by members of the ANC ,whilst six will be given to the Democratic Alliance, which reflects the waning dominance of the ANC in electoral politics in South Africa.

30th June

– Hungary’s Fidesz party, under Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the Czech Republic’s ANO party, and Austria’s right-wing Freedom Party have announced a new faction of the European Parliament, which has been labelled ‘Patriots for Europe’. The alliance now seeks the support from right-wing parties in at least four other EU nations to be an officially acknowledged faction in the European Parliament. This announcement comes just before Hungary takes over the EU presidency.

– North Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns the joint military exercises of South Korea, Japan and the United States, labelling the relationship between the three countries ‘the Asian version of NATO’ . These extensive military exercises began on Thursday as part of the ‘Freedom Edge’ initiative to bolster air and naval defence in the region.

– Pakistan begins the second stage of its controversial programme to transport undocumented Afghan refugees back to Afghanistan. The first stage of the programme involved 541,000 refugees being forced to return last November, as a way to handle the migration crisis that the Pakistani government cites as threatening the Pakistani economy and security.

29th June

– Israeli forces attack military and infrastructure sites in southern Lebanon as tensions continue to escalate between the two nations.

– Following US President Biden’s concerning performance in the first US presidential debate, likely to be remembered for his halting delivery and meandering comments, the 81-year-old was met with mounting criticism to step down as the Democrat candidate, just over four months from the US Election. Biden has rejected calls to step down, instead conceding during a rally in Raleigh, North Carolina that ”I don’t debate as well as I used to.”

28th June

– Biden and Trump go head-to-head in their first presidential debate, ahead of November’s US election. The debate was hostile, with Biden attacking Trump over his criminal conviction for his action in the 2020 Capitol riots, and Trump critiquing Biden’s economic and foreign policy, particularly in regards to the Middle East. There will be a second a final debate in September, as and when both candidates formally accept their party’s nomination at their respective party conventions.

– Iranians vote to elect their new President, following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi who died last month in a helicopter crash. The candidate list is made up of three hard-liners – Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Saeed Jalili, and Mostafa Pourmohammadi – and reformist Masoud Pezeshkian, with Jalili and Pezeshkian topping two recent polls. Turnout is expected to be low, amid widespread opposition to the government.

27th June

– The European Council convenes in Brussels to talk through security, migration and the allocation of senior occupations in the EU. Despite vocal criticism of the preliminary appointments by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Ursula von der Leyen is expected to be approved for a second term as European Commission President. 

– EU leaders appoint Germany’s Ursula von der Leyen as European Commission president for her second term, Portugal’s António Costa for the most senior position at the European Council, and Estonia’s Kaja Kallas as the EU’s foreign policy chief.

– The Bolivian military attempt a coup, with the alleged aim of overthrowing President Luis Arce’s democratically-elected government. Heavily armed troops storm the government palace, but were quickly diffused. Coup leader General Zúñiga cites the need to reshape Bolivian democracy as the reason for the violence. Zúñiga has now been arrested.

26th June

– Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, is declared a free man, having been freed from imprisonment in the UK following a plea deal. Assange returned straight to his home nation of Australia from the US Pacific territory of Saipan early this morning. Assange was imprisoned for 5 years, for releasing thousands of confidential documents, many of which exposed US military information. Mounting diplomatic pressure and activism has helped push for his release.

– The six EU leaders negotiating the most senior positions in the European institutions reach a preliminary agreement that will give Ursula von der Leyen another term as European Commission president, appoint Former Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa as  European Council president, and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas as the top EU diplomat. The deal was proposed by the centrist parties from France, Poland, Greece, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands.

– Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaks out against the preliminary deal that will allocate the EU bloc’s top jobs following June’s Parliament election – which would continue the dominance of centrist European parties. Meloni has openly contested the selection method and is considering formally abstaining from the decision.

– Kenyan President WIlliam Ruto withdraws the controversial finance legislation that sparked yesterday’s protests in Kenya. 

25th June

– EU accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova begin, laying the foundation for potential EU membership. The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, and the Kremlin’s ambitions for increased Moldovan integration with Russia, will undoubtedly complicate negotiations.

– A controversial Kenyan tax bill, that adds additional taxes on everyday items like bread and vehicles, ignites protests, with dozens injured and part of the Kenyan parliament set alight.

– The International Criminal Court (ICC) issues arrest warrants for Russia’s former defence minister, Sergei Shogu, and military chief of staff, Valery Gerasimov, for war crimes over attacks on Ukrainian civilian targets.

24th June

– The right-wing National Rally party in France launches its election manifesto, announcing that it is ready to govern, following its strong performance in the European Parliament election and President Macron’s subsequent announcement of a snap election. Manifesto pledges range from reducing energy taxes to getting rid of nationality rights for second-generation immigrants.

– Russia blames Sunday’s violence in synagogues and churches in Dagestan on Ukraine and NATO forces, despite no evidence of any external interference from the West.

23rd June

– Houthis in Yemen claim joint responsibility for attacks on ships in Israel’s Haifa port, in collaboration with the Islamic Resistance in Iraq. Vessels in and around the Red Sea have been under attack for months by Iran-backed Houthis, who say they are acting in support of Palestinians.

– Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announces that the “intense phase” of fighting is ending in his war in Gaza, but that the war would not end until Hamas is no longer in control of Gaza. He added that once the intense fighting is over in Gaza, Israel will deploy more forces along the border with Lebanon, where fighting with Hezbollah has intensified.

– Gunmen in Russia’s North Caucasus region of Dagestan open fire at a synagogue, an Orthodox church, and a police post, killing more than twenty. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks.

22nd June

– Russia bombards Ukrainian energy infrastructure in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhia and western Lviv regions with missiles and drones. Most were reported to be shot down by air defence systems. This further entrenches the daily nationwide blackouts across Ukraine, that have been introduced to safeguard vital military and medical institutions.

21st June

– New Chinese guidelines caution hardcore independence ‘separatists’ in Taiwan with imprisonment and even the death penalty. This reflects a continued escalation in rhetoric from China since the election of pro-independence Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te in May.

– Former comedian Dr Micheal Usi is installed as Malawi’s vice president, following the death of his predecessor, Saulos Chilima, earlier in the month.

20th June

– President Vladimir Putin lands in Vietnam, to meet with Vietnamese President To Lam, having identified strengthening the Russia-Vietnamese strategic partnership as one of Russia’s priorities. The US has criticised the visit for giving a platform for President Putin to promote his conflict in Ukraine.

– Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, announces his withdrawal from the race to be Secretary General of NATO, making way for Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to claim the role. While Rutte is the only remaining candidate in the race, he is yet to be officially confirmed by member states.

– The US shifts its policy, allowing Ukraine to use American-supplied weapons to hit any Russian forces, not just those in the region near Kharkiv.

19th June

– Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un sign a mutual defence pact, pledging that Russia and North Korea will help each other in the event of “aggression” against either country, during Putin’s state visit to North Korea.

– South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is sworn in for a second full term in office. While his party, the African National Congress (ANC), failed to secure a majority in parliament during last month’s election, the ANC made a deal with its long-time rival Democratic Alliance (DA) and other parties to form a coalition government.

– Canada lists Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation – the move means that thousands of senior Iranian government officials are barred from entering Canada. The UK has previously indicated its intent to make a similar designation, as recently as 2023, but has yet to do so.

18th June

– Russian President Vladimir Putin lands North Korea for the first time in 24 years, for a state visit hosted by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Putin’s visit is widely thought to be aimed at procuring ammunition from North Korea for his war in Ukraine.

– Israel announces plans have been approved for an offensive targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon, following Hezbollah’s release of threatening drone footage over the Israeli port city of Haifa. The climbing tension comes amid months of low-level hostilities across the Israel-Lebanon border, which has so far caused the displacement of some 60,000 Israelis and 90,000 Southern Lebanon citizens. Both sides have now confirmed that they are ready for war.

– More than 880 migrants arrive in the UK in 15 small boats – the highest daily total since October 2022, when 1,047 people arrived in one day. This brings the total number of migrants arriving by boat in 2024 to 12,313.

17th June

– Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dissolves his emergency war cabinet, following the departure of centrist opposition leader Benny Gantz, and his moderate ally Gadi Eisenkot. The pre-existing security cabinet and the larger full cabinet will make decisions about the war in Gaza going forwards.

– South Africa’s MK party, led by former President, Jacob Zuma, announces it will join the opposition alliance in parliament, in resistence to the governing coalition led by the African National Congress (ANC). MK maintains that last month’s elections were rigged, and wants the results annulled.

16th June

– A draft declaration is issued at the Ukrainian peace summit, reaffirming Ukraine’s territorial integrity. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s terms for a ceasefire in Ukraine, laid out ahead of the summit, were rejected, as leaders refuse to compromise on Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

15th June

– South Africa’s parliament re-elects Cyril Ramaphosa as President, following the formation of a Government of National Unity (GNU), made up of the governing African National Congress (ANC), the centre-right Democratic Alliance (DA) and smaller parties.

– Representatives from over 90 nations and global institutions gather in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, for the Ukraine peace summit – the biggest gathering centred on the war in Ukraine since the full-scale invasion. The focus at the summit centred on three points of Zelenskyy 10-point peace proposal – nuclear safety, food security, and the return of prisoners of war and abducted Ukrainian civilians.

14th June

– Vladimir Putin sets out terms for a ceasefire in Ukraine. The terms include a full withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from territories Russia claims to have annexed (Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhya) and for Ukraine to abandon its efforts to join NATO.

– The G7 agree a $50bn loan for Ukraine from frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine in fighting Russian forces. Volodymyr Zelensky and Joe Biden also sign a 10-year bilateral security deal at the Summit which includes US military and training aid for Ukraine. 

– The UN Security Council demands that the Sudanese paramilitary forces call off their 8 week siege of el-Fasher and withdraw all troops from the city. 

– In South Africa, the ANC and DA agree to form a Government of National Unity (GNU). The alliance between the centre-right DA and the ANC is unprecedented, as the two parties have traditionally been rivals.

13th June

– The G7 begins their annual 3-day summit in Puglia, Italy. The agenda for the summit centers around the Russia-Ukraine war and the war in Gaza but also includes migration, economic security, and safety in AI. 

– The European Court of Justice fines Hungary €200 million for failing to follow the EU’s asylum policies. Hungary forced asylum seekers to travel to Kyiv or Belgrade to apply for a travel permit to enter the country. The ECHR says it will continue to issue a penalty of €1 million a day until Hungary changes its policy.

– The UNRWA accuses Israel of failing to grant requests for access permits to deliver aid in Gaza saying it is hampering its operations in the area.

12th June 

– Lebanon’s Hezbollah fires almost 100 rockets at Israel after senior Hezbollah Commander Taleb Abdullah was killed in a presumed Israeli airstrike. The Israeli military claim that there were no casualties. 

– US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Qatar to push for agreement on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal. Hamas says it will require written guarantees from the US before agreeing to a ceasefire deal.  

– A group of Russian Navy ships, including a nuclear-powered submarine, arrive in Cuba as the Cold War allies strengthen their ties. 

–  A UN enquiry finds that Israel and Hamas have committed war crimes and grave violations of international law since the October 7th attacks, including murder or wilful killing, torture, directing attacks against civilians, and taking hostages.  The UN enquiry also finds Israel guilty of committing crimes against humanity including extermination and gender persecution targeting Palestinian men and boys. The UN adds Hamas, Israel’s military, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s armed wing to its list of violators of children’s rights for their role in the killing and maiming of children.

–  Haiti forms a new government under Garry Conille in an attempt to restore political stability as gang violence continues. Conille’s Cabinet replaces all ministers from the previous government under former Prime Minister Ariel Henry who was forced to step down earlier this year by the gangs who run large areas of Haiti.

11th June

– The vice-president of Malawi, Dr Saulos Chilima, and nine others are announced dead following a plane crash yesterday in bad weather. Dr Chilima had been vice-president of Malawi since 2014.

– The UK’s Department of Business and Trade releases figures showing that the UK has issued more than 100 arms export licences to Israel between the 7th October and the 31st May, in response to what it described as exceptional parliamentary interest. Numerous international bodies and groups have asserted Israel’s offensive in Gaza risks breaching international humanitarian law – which is the UK’s legal criteria for deciding if arms exports licences should be suspended – but ministers have rejected calls to suspend exports so far.

10th June

– The United Nations Security Council votes to support a US-drafted resolution setting out conditions for a “full and complete ceasefire”, the release of hostages held by Hamas, the return of dead hostages, and the exchange of Palestinian prisoners. 14 out of 15 Security Council members voted in favour of the resolution, while Russia abstained. The Security Council now joins those backing the three-part peace proposal presented by US President Joe Biden at the end of last month.

– United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, lands in Egypt for his eighth visit to the Middle East since the start of the Israel-Gaza war. Blinken is travelling in an attempt to build regional support for the Gaza peace deal presented by US President Joe Biden at the end of last month.

9th June

– French President Emmanuel Macron calls a surprise snap parliamentary election, following a large victory for rival Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party in the European Parliament elections. National Rally is on course to win more than 30% of the vote – double that of the Macron’s Renaissance party. Two rounds of voting will take place on the 30th June and 7th July.

– Centre-right parties strengthen their majority in the European Parliament, with election victories in Germany, Greece, Poland and Spain, and significant advances in Hungary, and Ursula von der Leyen’s dominant centre-right European People’s Party retains its largest share of the 720-seat European Parliament. While there was a surge in support for far-right parties in France, Germany and Austria, they did not enjoy as great a surge across Europe as many had predicted. Meanwhile, liberals and especially greens took heavy losses, with greens losing a considerable 20 seats.

– The New-Flemish Alliance wins Belgium’s general election, bringing an end to the rule of liberal Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, and beating the far-right separatist Vlaams Belang party. De Croo has announced his resignation, and will stay on as caretaker prime minister until a new government is in place.

– Israeli war cabinet minister and former chief of staff of the Israeli Defence Forces, Benny Gantz, quits Israel’s emergency government, over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s post-conflict plans for Gaza. Last month, Gantz set the deadline of the 8th of June for Netanyahu to lay out how Israel would achieve its six “strategic goals” for the conflict, including installing a civilian administration in Gaza. Gadi Eisenkot, another former general and the most moderate of the five members of the war cabinet, has also resigned.

– Narednra Modi is sworn in as Prime Minister of India, for a historic third term. A council of ministers of Modi’s new cabinet were also sworn in during the ceremony.

8th June

– Danish Prime Miniser, Mette Frederiksen, is struck by a man and left with whiplash while walking in the centre of Copenhagen. The attack comes less than a month after Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot while greeting supporters. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen called the assault a “despicable act, which goes against everything we believe in and fight for in Europe”.

– Four Israeli hostages are rescued from Hamas-held territory in the the Nuseirat area of Gaza, in a raid that killed scores of Palestinians. Hamas says at least 210 people were been killed during the raid in and around the al-Nuseirat refugee camp, while Israel estimates there were fewer than 100 casualties.

7th June

– Leaders of India’s National Democratic Alliance (NDA) – a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition – unanimously back Nardendra Modi as their prime ministerial candidate, putting an end to days of uncertainty over whether they would back Modi and his BJP, or negotiate with an opposition bloc to try and form the new government. While the BJP fell short of the 272 seats required to get a majority in the election, two key BJP allies – the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) – were able to push the NDA over the half-way mark.

– An estimated 40 people are killed in by paramilitary forces in Omdurman, as fighting and displacement intensify across war-ravaged Sudan. The attack comes just days after a Rapid Support Forces attack on a village in Sudan’s central Gezira state kills at least 100 people. War has been raging in Sudan in April 2023, between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary RSF, and has displaced 9.9 million people and killed at least 15,500 people.

6th June

– World leaders including Rishi Sunak, Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron, gather in Normandy, France, to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day allied landings – a turning point in World War II. Biden used his address to reiterate support for Ukraine, and send a message to Russia that the US and its allies “will not bow down” and will continue to “stand for freedom”.

– Voters across EU member states head to the polls as the European Parliament elections begin. Voting will last until Sunday.

– Spain announces it will join South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of genocide.

– Somalia, Denmark, Greece, Pakistan and Panama are elected to serve as non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council for two years, beginning in January next year. To win a seat, a country needs the support of at least two thirds of the UN General Assembly delegations that are voting. This will be the first time Somalia has held the position since the 1970s.

5th June

– US President Joe Biden lands in France, for a five day visit beginning with 80th anniversary commemorations of D-Day tomorrow. Biden’s visit will seek to deepen ties with transatlantic allies as Europe, while he faces scrutiny over US stances on Ukraine and Gaza.

4th June

– Narendra Modi wins a third consecutive term as India’s Prime Minister, albeit in a much tighter general election than anticipated. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to fall short of a majority for the first time in ten years, forcing him to negotiate with coalition partners in order to return to power, while the opposition coalition, INDIA, performed far better than expected.

– The United States’ House of Representatives votes to pass legislation that would sanction the International Criminal Court (ICC), after its prosecutor said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant should be arrested on charges relating to war crimes in Gaza. Though the bill has passed in the House, it is not expected to become law.

– The parliament of Slovenia approves Slovenian recognition of an independent Palestinian state, following in the steps of Spain, Ireland and Norway, as part of a wider effort in recent weeks to coordinate pressure on Israel to end the war in Gaza.

3rd June

– Claudia Sheinbaum is elected as Mexico’s first female president, in an historic landslide win for the ruling progressive Morena party. The former mayor of Mexico City and energy scientist will replace close ally and mentor, outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, on the 1st of October.

2nd June

– South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) party loses its partliamentary majority for the first time in 30 years. While still the largest party (receiving 40.2% of the vote), high unemployment, power cuts, violence and crumbling infrastructure have contributed to a haemorrhaging of support for the ANC. The ANC is now tasked with coalition building, as the third largest party – former President Jacob Zuma’s MK party – announced it will not work with the ANC while it is led by Cyril Ramaphosa.

– Mexico heads to the polls in its biggest election ever, with over 20,000 roles up for grabs, including the Presidency. The election takes place against a backdrop of violence and criminal control across swathes of the country.

1st June

– Two leading forces in Israel’s government express their opposition to US President Biden’s peace proposal. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir say they are opposed to striking any deal before Hamas is defeated, and have threatened to resign if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu accepts the deal.

– Thousands of Israelis gather in Tel Aviv, demanding that the Israeli Government accepts US President Biden’s peace deal which includes a hostage release deal.

31st May

– The United States gives Ukraine permission to strike inside Russia – only near the area of Kharkiv – using US-provided weapons (e.g. rockets and rocket launchers). This is a major reversal of policy, after the White House initially said granting this permission would escalate the conflicting by more directly involving the United States. Former Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, says this decision means  “nobody today can rule out the conflict’s transition to its final stage” of Russian-Western tensions.

– US President Joe Biden reveals a new proposal to end the war in Gaza, which includes a three-phase roadmap, involving a six-week ceasefire that would become permanent, a hostage release deal, and the rebuilding of Gaza with international assistance. The proposal has been backed by Israeli opposition, and Hamas has announced it will agree to the deal if the Israelis do.

– US Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin, and China’s new defense minister, Adm. Dong Jun, meet face-to-face for the first time, and reaffirm plans to re-open direct lines of communication between their militaries, indicating an effort by both sides to reduce tensions and support the current fragile rapprochement.

30th May

– Former United States President Donald Trump is convicted on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in his trial –  the first time a former or serving US president has been found guilty of a crime. Sentencing is set for the 11th July, and Trump could be sent to prison, although legal experts say a fine is more likely.

– Houthi militants announce the US and UK have killed at least 16 people via airstrikes on Yemen, in the deadliest assault on the group since the joint campaign began in January, aiming to prevent its attacks on ships around the Red Sea.

– Alfredo Cabrera, a mayoral candidate in the Mexican state of Guerrero, is shot dead ahead of this weekend’s elections, in the latest attack on aspiring politicians. More than 20 candidates have been killed in the run up to Mexico’s mass vote, which will select a new president, members of the legilsature, governors and local officials.

– Israel takes control of the strategically important buffer zone along the Gaza-Egypt border, known as the Philadelphi Corridor, meaning it now controls Gaza’s entire land border.

– Hong Kong finds 14 pro-democracy activists guilty of subversion in the largest use yet of the China-imposed National Security Law. The activists were among the 47 who were charged with trying to “overthrow” the government and cause a constitutional crisis, by organising an unofficial primary back in 2020.

29th May

– South Africans head to the polls in their general election. The ruling African National Congress party could potentially lose its majority for first time since apartheid ended 30 years ago, as the country faces some of the world’s highest rates of unemployment and inequality, power cuts, water shortages and violent crime.

28th May

– Spain, Ireland and Norway formally recognise a Palestinian state, in the hope of encouraging other European countries to follow suit. This means 146 out of 193 UN members now recognise a Palestinian state.

– Dick Schoof, a former domestic intelligence chief, has been nominated to be Dutch Prime Minister, by the four parties in coalition talks. Schoof has spent his entire career in the civil service, and is currently the most senior official in the justice ministry. Schoof will now need to assemble a ministerial team, which will not include the four leaders in the coalition, who have agreed they will stay in parliament but out of the cabinet.

– Israeli tanks reach the middle of Rafah, in an advancement of its military offensive. Around 1 million Palestinians have fled Rafah since early May, but hundreds of thousands still shelter there. Growing international outrage about the Israeli push into Rafah, and the order from the ICJ to stop the offensive, has not deterred the military offensive.

– The United States claims that Israel’s actions in Rafah do not cross any US red lines, but insists that they are not turning a “blind eye” to the plight of Palestinian civilians.

– Ukraine and Belgium sign a ten-year bilateral security agreement. The deal stipulates at least 977 million euros in Belgian military aid will be delivered to Ukraine this year, and the delivery of 30 F-16 fighter jets.

– Georgia’s MPs vote to overturn the presidential veto on the contentious “foreign agents law”, which has sparked several weeks of protests. The law is now expected to come into force in 60 days.

27th May

– Spain and Ukraine sign a decade-long defence and security deal. The precise details of the agreement have not been made public, but Spain will provide Ukraine with €1bn in military aid this year.

– An Egyptian soldier is killed in an incident involving Egyptian and Israeli troops in the border area near Rafah. Tensions between Egypt and Israel have heightened since the outbreak of conflict, and since Israeli forces took control of the Gazan side of the Rafah crossing point three weeks ago. Both the Egyptian and Israeli militaries are investigating the incident.

– Israeli forces attack the Tel al-Sultan camp area of Rafah once more, killing at least 21 people – more than half of them women.

26th May

– Israeli rockets strike an area in Rafah where displaced people were sheltering, killing at least 45 and causing widespread destruction. Most of the casualties were refugees, sheltering in tents at the Tal al-Sultan camp. The strike came hours after Hamas fired rockets at Tel Aviv. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claims that the strike took out Hamas’s chief of staff for the West Bank, and another senior Hamas official.

– Eight rockets are fired from the Rafah area towards Tel Aviv, in the first time in nearly four months that Hamas has attacked central Israel. Most were intercepted by air defence systems.

– Thousands of Israelis protest in Tel Aviv, and more widely across Israel, demanding an end to the military offensive in Gaza, and the return of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza. Another protest calling for the resignation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also held nearby.

25th May

– Burkina Faso’s military government announces it will extend its junta rule for another five years. The country has been under military rule since Lt Col Paul-Henri Damiba seized power nearly two years ago. The country’s current ruler, Capt Ibrahim Traoré, had pledged to restore the civilian government by July 1st, but has since said that elections will not take place until territory is recaptured from jihadist forces, who have waged an insurgency that has so far claimed the lives of thousands.

24th May

– The International Court of Justice orders that Israel must halt its military offensive in Rafah, and that the Rafah border crossing, shared with Egypt, must be opened for the entry of humanitarian aid “at scale”. The request comes as part of a larger South African case against Israel’s actions in Gaza.

– Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office rejects South Africa’s allegations of genocide, calling them “false and outrageous”. Israeli leadership retains that its campaign in Rafah has not and will not “lead to the destruction of the Palestinian civilian population”.

23rd May

– China begins two days of military exercises around Taiwan as ‘strong punishment’ for ‘separatist acts’, three days after the inauguration of Taiwanese President William Lai – labelled a ‘troublemaker’ by Beijing. Taiwan’s defence ministry has condemned the drills as “irrational provocations”.

– At least seven people are pronounced dead, and more than a dozen are injured, in a Russian missile attack on Kharkiv in north-eastern Ukraine. This month has seen a renewed offensive by Russian forces in the region, in an attempt to break through a weakened Ukrainian front line.

– United States President Joe Biden names Kenya as a major non-NATO ally, elevating its role in regional and international security.  The announcement comes during a three-day state visit by Kenyan President, William Ruto – the first by an African leader in more than 15 years, and coming as Russia and China challenge traditional areas of Western influence across the African continent.

22nd May

– Ireland, Spain and Norway announce they will officially recognize Palestine as a state from next week. In response, Israel announces it will recall its ambassadors from Norway and Ireland immediately. More than 140 countries recognise a Palestinian state already, but no major western powers have done so.

– UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak calls for an early UK general election, set for Thursday 4th July.

– Food distribution in the southern Gaza city of Rafah is suspended due to a lack of supplies and insecurity. This comes as the US announces that it doesn’t believe the aid delivered to northern Gaza via a floating pier has been distributed by humanitarian organisations.

– Maximilian Krah, the lead candidate in the EU elections for the far-right Alternative for Germany party, steps down from AfD’s leadership board, after claiming during an interview that he would “never say that anyone who wore an SS uniform was automatically a criminal”.

21st May

– Thousands of Iranians gather in north-western Tabriz to follow a funeral procession mourning former President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash on Sunday.

– Israeli Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, rejects his arrest warrant sought by the International Criminal Court’s, stating that the decision draws a “despicable” parallel between Israel and Hamas, and attempts to deny Israel’s right to self-defence.

– French President Emmanuel Macron arrives in New Caledonia amid escalating unrest over new electoral roll legislation. Macron promised that the contentious reforms, that would give voting rights to tens of thousands of non-Indigenous residents, would be reviewed again within a month and not be pushed through by force.

– Meanwhile, Australia and New Zealand begin evacuating stranded citizens in New Caledonia after unrest over new electoral roll legislation shut down the island’s international airport.

20th May

– Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, alongside the country’s foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, the governor of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province, and other government officials are pronounced dead, following a fatal helicopter crash. Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, names First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber as acting president. Khamenei has announced five days of mourning.

– The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court files applications for warrants of arrest of Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Minister of Defence of Israel, Yoav Gallant, Hamas’s leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, and two other Hamas leaders, for commiting war crimes. Netanyahu labels the application an ‘outrageous decision’.

– US President Joe Biden rejects the ICC’s application for arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister and Minister of Defence – stating that the conflict is ‘not a genocide’.

19th May

– Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country’s foreign minister, and other officials are involved in a helicopter crash, near Azerbaijan’s border. No immediate cause for the crash has been provided.

– Taiwanese President William Lai is officially sworn in, following his win in January’s election. Shortly after being inaugurated, Lai called on China to ‘stop threatening Taiwan’, and accept the existence of its democracy. China responded by saying that any attempts towards independence for the island would result in a “dead end.”

– The US and Niger agree that US troops will leave the country “no later” than 15th September, following the announcement in March that ended the military agreement between the nations. Niger’s military junta seized power last year, and has been moving closer to Russia.

18th May

– Benny Gantz, a prominent member of Israel’s war cabinet, announces that he will quit government if a plan for installing a civilian administration in Gaza is not agreed by June 8, in a rare challenge to Netanyahu, and exhibition of disunity. These comments echo Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant’s recent calls for a proper post-war plan for Gaza.

– Georgia’s president vetoes Georgia’s divisive ‘foreign agent’ law, that has sparked weeks of mass street protests. The veto is mainly symbolic however, as the Georgian prime minister has enough members in parliament to override it.

– More than 50 people are known to have died in this weekend’s flash floods in the Ghor province of Afghanistan, while more than 300 people lost their lives last week in north Afghanistan, after flooding devastated scores of villages. Afghanistan is reported to be one of the least prepared countries to tackle the impacts of climate change.

17th May

– Nearly 100 tonnes of UK aid, worth £2 million, is delivered to the Gaza shore, in the first delivery of UK aid through the Cyprus maritime corridor, using the US-built temporary pier.

– The Kremlin has expelled the UK’s defense attaché in Moscow, in retaliation for London expelling Russia’s defence attaché, Colonel Maxim Elovik, earlier this month, on the grounds of being an undeclared military intelligence officer.

– Hundreds of French police reinforcements arrive in New Caledonia, amid rioting that has left five people dead and around 200 people arrested. The unrest erupted following the passing of electoral roll legislation in Paris, which will allow more French residents to vote in the Pacific territory, and, according to Indigenous leaders, dilute the political influence of the native people.

16th May

– The European Union condemns the Georgian parliament for passing its controversial ‘foreign agent’ law, but refuses to threaten sanctions, despite growing calls from the European Parliament.

– Slovakian police charge 71-year-old former security guard, Juraj Cintula, with attempted murder of Prime Minister Robert Fico. While the motive behind the attempted assassination is unclear, the Slovakian Interior Minister has called it “politically motivated”.

– Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in Beijing, for two days of meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, aimed at shoring up Russian-Chinese relations, and bolstering China’s support for Russia’s wartime economy. The leaders have announced the tightening of ties between their militaries, and an expansion of the scale of their combined exercises.

– The International Court of Justice begins two days of hearings, as South Africa attempts to get the UN’s top court to force Israel to stop its military campaign in the town of Rafah, and seeks to force Israel to allow “unimpeded access” to Gaza for aid workers, journalists and investigators. The court is already considering a case brought by South Africa in January, which accuses Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza.

15th May

– Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico is gravely injured after being shot in an assassination attempt, in the Slovakian town of Handlova. Slovakia’s president-elect, Peter Pellegrini, and a chorus of other European leaders have proclaimed their horror at the attack.

– Dutch negotiating parties reach a provisional agreement to form a right-wing government, almost six months after the election that Dutch populist Geert Wilders won. The agreement – negotiated by Wilders’ Freedom Party, the conservative-liberal VVD, the centrist New Social Contract and the Farmer Citizens Movement (BBB) – does not stipulate who the next Dutch prime minister, but it will not be Mr Wilders, who gave up the chance during negotiations. The agreement will now be put to party backbenchers.

14th May

– United States Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, lands in Ukraine, seeking to reassure Ukrainian Preseident Zelenskyy of America’s support, and that military aid is  “on its way”.

– US State Department deputy spokesperson, Vedant Patel, warns of the potential risk of sanctions for any country considering business deals with Iran, when asked about the new India-Iran Chabahar port contract.

– Georgia passes a controversial ‘foreign agent’ law, branding hundreds of NGOs and media outlets as foreign agents. Opponents see the law as a potential tool for the government to suppress its opponents. Thousands have been protesting the bill’s passage outside the country’s parliament in Tbilisi, with at least 20 arrested.

– United States President Joe Biden announced a 100% tarrif on Chinese-made electric vehicles, as part of a package of policies designed to protect US manufacturing from cheap imports.

13th May

– UK Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Shadow Defence Secretary John Healey land in Ukraine to meet with Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, on a surprise trip to Kyiv, and reiterate Labour’s support for the government’s multi-year financial aid settlement for Ukraine.

–  India (Indian Ports Global Limited) and Iran (Port & Maritime Organisation) sign a 10-year contract to develop and operate Chabahar port in Iran. India entered an agreement to develop the port back in 2016, and has signed the long-term deal to develop it further. India has called the deal a “historic moment in India-Iran ties”, despite widespread sanctions against Iran.

– United Nations worker, Colonel Waibhav Kale, is killed after a UN vehicle was struck near the city of Rafah in Gaza.

12th May

– United States Scretary of State, Anthony Blinken, reinstates President Biden’s assertion that America will block shipments of some arms to Israel if IDF forces invade southern Gaza.

– Hundred of thousands of Palestinians flee Rafah, as Israel urges those sheltering to relocate to Al-Mawasi, a narrow coastal area which Israel calls an “expanded humanitarian zone.”

– Russian President Vladimir Putin sacks a host of defense and security officials, including top defense minister and long-time ally Sergei Shoigu, and Intelligence chief and confident, Nikolai Patrushev. Shoigu is being replaced by an economist with no military experience, Andrei Belousov, as Moscow’s forces race to push ahea in Ukraine before a new wave of weaponry from the US and EU arrives in Kyiv.

– Clashes between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) intensify in the western Sudanese city of El Fasher, as a bomb claims the lives of two children in a nearby paediatric hospital. Sudan’s brutal civil war began in April last year, and has killed thousands and forced millions from their homes.

– The Catalan Socialist Party (PSC) wins Catalonia’s regional election, as pro-independence parties lose ground and control of the regional parliament. Support for Catalan independence has dropped to 42%, from 49% in 2017,.

11th May

– The Brazilian government announces it is allocating more than $2 billion in emergency funding to deal with the devastating floods affecting the Rio Grande do Sul state, which have claimed 143 lives, with another 125 people unaccounted for.

10th May

– Russia launches an incursion across the border into the Kharkiv area, seeking to break through defensive lines, forcing almost 1,800 people to evacuate.

– A UN General Assembly resolution calls for additional rights for Palestine at the UN, allowing it to take part fully in debates, propose agenda items and have its representatives elected to committees. Nations that voted against the resolution were: Argentina, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, and the United States. The UK was one of 25 nations to abstain.

9th May

– Chad’s electoral commission declares military ruler, Mahamat Déby, as the official winner of the presidential elections, legitimising his grip on power and ensuring that the Déby family’s 34-year-rule continues. The results of Monday’s election were announced two weeks earlier than expected, and still have to be confirmed by the Constitutional Council.

8th May

– Shadow Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, lands in Washington D.C to begin two days of meetings with both senior Democrats and Donald Trump allies, in an effort to forge closer ties with the Republicans ahead of the upcoming US election.

– North Macedonia elects its first female president, nationalist Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, amid unprecedented losses for the centre-left in both presidential and parliamentary polls. Siljanovska-Davkova is supported by the nationalist conservatives – the VMRO-DPNE party.

7th May

– Ukraine’s security service announces that it has foiled a plot to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, security service chief, Vasyl Malyuk, and Military Intelligence boss, Kyrylo Budanov, by Ukrainian security officials who were working undercover for Russia. The officials have been arrested.

– The US pauses a shipment of weapons that could be used in Rafah, the southern Gaza city where more than a million Palestinians are sheltering, amid international outrage over the Israeli operation.

– Vladimir Putin is sworn in for his fifth term as Russian president in the Grand Kremlin Palace, announcing to the audience, “together we will win.”

– Former deupty first minister, John Swinney, becomes leader of the Scottish National Party, and Scottish first-minister-in-waiting. As the only person to put himself forward, Mr Swinney will face a confirmation vote at Holyrood.

6th May

– Hamas accepts the Qatari and Egyptian proposal for a new ceasefire in Gaza and hostage release deal with Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the proposal is “far from Israel’s basic requirements”.

– Israel carries out air strikes on Rafah, having warned sheltering Palestinians to evacuate parts of the city ahead of a “limited” operation.

– Chinese president, Xi Jinping, begins his three-country tour of Europe – his first state visit to the continent in five years. Xi begins in Paris, meeting French president, Emmanuel Macron and head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. He then heads to Serbia and Hungary – both pro-Russia nations, and recipients of large Chinese investment.

– Russia announces it will hold tactical nuclear weapons drills near Ukraine, in a response to “threats” by Western officials – namely French President Emmanuel Macron refusing to rule out potentially deploying French troops, and UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron saying that Ukraine had the right to use British weapons for strikes within Russia.

5th May

– Panama elects former conservative security minister, José Raúl Mulino, as President. The pro-business winner said he will attract investment, address rising crime rates and access to drinking water, and close ‘the Darién Gap’ – the expanse of jungle on the Colombian border, which saw more than half a million migrants cross on their way to the US last year.

4th May

– Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks intensify in Cairo. The long-running talks – brokered by Egypt and Qatar – would temporarily pause Israel’s offensive in Gaza, in return for Hamas freeing hostages.

– Eurovision’s programme of festivities begins in Sweden, amid large demonstrations over Israel’s participation. Forces are drafted in from across Sweden, Denmark and Norway in response to the protests, and Sweden adjusts its terror threat level to four out of five.

3rd May

– United States congressman, Henry Cuellar, and his wife are charged with accepting around $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijani government-owned oil company, and a Mexican bank. Both are also charged with multiple counts of conspiracy, bribery, wire fraud, money laundering and violating a ban on acting as agents of a foreign organisation. The Texan democrat denies the charges.

2nd May

– Turkey suspends all trade with Israel over ‘humanitarian tragedy’ in Gaza. Israel was Turkey’s 13th biggest export market in 2023, and trade between the nations was worth almost $7bn (£5.6bn).

– Lawmakers in the Solomon Islands select the pro-China candidate, Jeremiah Manele, as Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands. Mr Manele was foreign minister in 2019, when the Solomons chose to switch its longstanding diplomatic recognition of Taiwan to China. Manele succeeds Manasseh Sogavare – a vocal critic of the West.

1st May

– The United States accuses Russia of violating the international chemical weapons ban, by using chloropicrin against Ukrainian troops.

– United States President, Joe Biden, calls Japan and India “xenophobic”, and groups them with Russia and China as countries that “don’t want immigrants”. Both Japan and India are key partners of the US, and the White House has since said that Biden meant no offence by his comments.

30th April

– Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, insists Israel will launch an invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, regardless of truce talks with Hamas. This follows warnings from the United States and the UN , and comes amid ongoing attempts to reach agreements around a ceasefire and hostage releases.

– United States President, Joe Biden, accuses pro-Palestine protestors at Columbia University of hate speech and antisemitism, as they occupy a campus building and fly pro-Palestine banners from its windows. The protests, raging for almost two weeks, have spread across the US, and sparked similar encampments in the UK, France and Canada.

29th April

– Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf’s steps down as first minister and SNP leader, after ending a coalition with the Green Party. The move has boosted hopes among the UK’s Labour Party that it can regain Scottish seats in the upcoming general election.

– Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, announces that he will not resign after a court opened an initial inquiry into his wife over corruption claims. Sánchez denounced the claims as a harassment campaign by right-wing media.

– The Duchess of Edinburgh visits Ukraine, as the first member of the Royal Family to visit since the Russian invasion. The visit was designed to “demonstrate solidarity with the women, men and children impacted by the war”, and included a meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister, Volodymyr Zelensky.

– A United Nations sanctions monitor reveals in its 32-page report that debris from a North Korean Hwasong-11 series missile was found in Kharkiv earlier this year, putting North Korea in breach of its arms embargo.

28th April

– Rallies take place across Australia, as thousands call for violence against women to be classified as a national emergency, in response to a recent wave of violence against women. In Australia, a woman has been killed, on average, every four days this year. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the issue was a national crisis.

– United States President Joe Biden “reiterates his clear position” to Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, that it cannot support a large-scale Israeli military operation in Rafah – which currently holds more than half of Gaza’s population  – without seeing a credible plan to keep civilians out of harm’s way.

27th April

– Iraq passes a law criminalising same-sex relationships, with jail terms of between 10 – 15 years. The legislation also outlines other offences punishable by imprisonment, including those who promote homosexuality or prostitution, and doctors who perform gender reassignment surgery.

26th April

– Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf’s position looks perilous as the Scottish Green Party confirms it will back a no-confidence vote against him.

25th April

– Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigns, and a new council is sworn in to lead the country gripped by deadly gang violence. The transitional council made up of nine members – seven of which have voting powers – and Henry’s finance minister, Michel Patrick Boisvert, will serve as the interim prime minister.

– The first minister of Scotland ends his Scottish National Party’s power-sharing deal with the Scottish Green Party,  following the government’s decision to scrap the target of cutting carbon emissions by 75% by 2030 . The SNP now stands as a minority government.

– Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, suspends public duties to consider whether to remain in the role, after a court opened a preliminary inquiry into corruption claims against his wife.

24th April

– United States Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, arrives in China to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart, and most likely with President Xi Jinping, amid a worsening rift in US-China relations, over China’s sale of dual-use products to Russia.

– Ukraine receives a €1.5bn (£1.29bn) package of financial support from the EU, with promises of another €10bn later this year.

– NATO troops head to Finland to begin the “biggest NATO exercise since Cold War” on Friday, near the border with Russia. Moscow labelled the exercise “provocative” and warned it risks “possible military incidents”.

23rd April

– The UK pledges to increase Britain’s defense spending to 2.5 percent of GDP by the end of the decade — pledging an extra £75 billion over the next six years.

– The UK’s parliament passes Rishi Sunak’s flagship Rwanda bill after months of wrangling. Rwanda announces it is “pleased” with the result.

22nd April

– Evacuation toll reaches 110,000 people in Guangdong, China, amid heavy flooding beginning on Thursday.

21st April

– Provisional results show the People’s National Congress (PNC) party has won a landslide victory in the Maldives election. Governing Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu’s party is seen as broadly pro-China, and wanting to move away India’s longstanding influence. The formal ratification of the election results is expected to take a week.

– Ecuadoreans voting in a referendum approve tough new security measures designed to fight gang-related crime – including loosening obstacles to the extradition of accused criminals, and lengthening prison sentences for convicted drug traffickers.

20th April

– The US House of Representatives approves a series of measures, including providing $60.8 billion in delayed aid to Ukraine, and $26.3 billion of assistance to Israel. The Senate will now receive these bills in a single package – encompassing aid to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, new sanctions, a TikTok ban and US power to freeze Russian assets.

19th April

– Israel reportedly launches a retaliatory strike on Iran – understood to be limited in nature so as to avoid all-out regional war.

– The first voters in India head to the polls in India’s general election, the largest democratic exercise in the world – involving more than 969 million voters – which will last until June 1st.

– The UK declines the European Commission’s surprise proposal of a youth mobility scheme for people aged between 18 and 30 to work in the EU for up to four years, and vice versa. The Government claims there are no plans to reintroduce free movement within the EU, instead, choosing to look at deals with individual member states.

– NATO holds a crisis NATO-Ukraine summit, at which defence ministers agree to “step up and provide further military support, including more air defence”, according to NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg.

18th April

– The Foreign Ministers of the G7 nations gather in Capri, Italy for a ministerial meeting, with the agenda topped by calls for targeted new sanctions against Iran over its attack against Israel, and more aid to Ukraine to fight Russia’s war.

– The United States vetoes a draft resolution at the UN Security Council, recommending that Palestine be admitted to the UN. In effect, preventing the UN from recognising a Palestinian state. Britain and Switzerland abstained on the vote.

17th April

– Foreign Secretary David Cameron meets Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to urge him not to retaliate against Iran’s own retailiatory strikes last week, but leaves conceding that “it’s clear the Israelis are making a decision to act”.

– The EU agrees to expand sanctions on Iranian producers of drones and missiles, during an EU summit in Brussels.

– Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf drops Scotland’s pledge to reduce greenhouse gases by 75 percent by 2030, after the Climate Change Committee said the 2030 goal was “no longer credible.” Scotland will keep its goal of reaching net zero by 2045.

– Croatia’s Social Democratic Party (SDP), home party to Croatia’s EU-, US- and NATO-sceptic President Zoran Milanović, receives record support in Croatia’s parliamentary elections, albeit falling well short of a majority. The SDP and the governing center-right Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) will have to enter coalitions with either right-wing or left-wing entities to form a government.

16th April

– Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signs into law an army mobilization law that toughens penalties on draft dodgers, incentivises conscription and obliges men to keep their military registration details with the authorities up to date.

15th April

– Donald Trump becomes the first former US president to stand trial in a criminal case, accused of falsifying his business records to disguise a hush-money payment made to former adult film star Stormy Daniels over an alleged affair. Trump faces a maximum of four years in jail if convicted.

– Israel’s UN envoy, Gilad Erdan, calls for fresh sanctions on Iran “before it’s too late”, in the wake of Iran’s attacks on Israel, while Iran’s UN envoy, Amir Saeid Iravani, declares that the Islamic Republic was exercising its “inherent right to self-defence” and had “no choice” but to act.

14th April

– Nations including the UK, the US, France and Jordan reportedly take part in shooting down “nearly all” of Iran’s drones and missiles, during the overnight attack on Israel.

13th April

– Iran launches more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel, in a widely anticipated retaliatory attack. The attack is Iran’s first ever direct strike on Israeli soil.

12th April

– Russian troops arrive in Niger to train Niger’s army on its new state-of-the-art air defence system. Niger’s democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown last year by a military junta, which has since cut military and diplomatic ties with Western nations and is moving closer to countries including Russia, China and Iran.

11th April

– Russian strikes destroy the key Trypillya powerplant in Ukraine, the largest provider of electricity for three regions, including Kyiv.

– Israel’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant, tells US defence secretary Lloyd Austin that Israel will respond directly to any attack by Iran, as concerns mount of Iranian retaliation following a deadly Israeli strike on the Iranian embassy in Syria.

– Myanmar’s military-government soldiers withdraw from Myawaddy, a border town near Thailand, amid escalating violence between government forces and ethnic minority armed groups. This week roughly 4,000 refugees have crossed into Thailand every day. Myanmar’s military-government has suffered a string of battlefield losses in recent months, that has prompted rare criticism from its supporters.

– Mexico appeals to the International Court of Justice to remove Ecuador from the United Nations, following its police raid on Mexico’s embassy in Quito.

10th April

– A coalition of the Democratic Party (DPK) and smaller opposition parties jointly win a landslide majority in South Korea’s general election, ousting the ruling People Power Party (PPP). This vote was widely viewed as a mid-term referendum on President Yoon Suk Yeol and the PPP.

9th April

– Simon Harris is elected by the Dáil as the taoiseach (Irish prime minister).

– The European Parliament approves the EU Asylum and Migration Pact, designed to speed up the asylum process and increase the return of irregular migrants to their home countries. The reform will come into force in two years, and requires EU member states to share responsibility for asylum seekers.

– Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, and US President, Joe Biden, kick off a summit at the White House by agreeing to a number of both defence and economic security deals – including an expanded air defence network incorporating Australia.

8th April

– Iceland appoints Bjarni Benediktsson as Prime Minister, after Katrín Jakobsdóttir resigns to run in the country’s upcoming presidential election.

– Celebrations in France and the UK mark 120 years since the Entente Cordiale was signed – a series of four agreements, aimed to end acrimony, improve diplomatic links between the UK and France and settle colonial disputes.

– Former South African President, Jacob Zuma’s ban on running as a parliamentary candidate in May’s general election is overturned by the country’s electoral court.

7th April

– The world marks and reflects on sixth months of war between Israel and Hamas, commemorating the almost-1200 lives lost in the 7th October massacre, the more-than-33,000 lives lost in Gaza during Israel’s retaliatory offensive, and the 120+ hostages that remain unaccounted for.

– Israel pulls all of its ground troops out of southern Gaza for “tactical reasons”. These are expected to be the relief of reservists after nearly four months of intense fighting in the city of Khan Younis, rather than any significant shift in strategy.

– Thousands of people once more rally in the streets of Tel Aviv as Israel enters its seventh month of war in Gaza, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a deal with Hamas to release Israelis still held hostage in Gaza after the 7 October attack.

– Peter Pellegrini is elected President of Slovakia, beating the pro-Western Ivan Korčok. Moscow-friendly Pellegrini is an ally of Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, sharing his anti-Ukrainian skepticism.

6th April

– World leaders commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, in which an estimated 800,000 people, predominantly of the minority Tutsi ethnic grouping, were killed in just 100 days by Hutu extremists.

– An estimated over ten thousand Hungarians rally in downtown Budapest, protesting against the government of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

5th April

– Ecuadorian policy storm the Mexican embassy in Quito, to arrest former Ecuadorian Vice-President Jorge Glas, who has been sheltering there since December.

4th April

– NATO Foreign Ministers gather in Brussels to commemorate NATO’s 75th anniversary  and agree to greater coordination in their aid support for Ukraine.

– World Central Kitchen calls for an independent investigation into the death of seven of its aid workers, including three British nationals, in Gaza earlier in the week. US President Joe Biden said he was “heartbroken” by the deaths, while UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron called the deaths “unacceptable”, calling for a full and thorough investigation and explanation by Israel.

–  US President Joe Biden calls for an “immediate cease-fire” between Israel and Hamas, during a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his sharpest rebuke to Israel since the war began.

– Myanmar’s National Unity Government, opponents of the ruling military junta, reportedly carry out drone attacks against military holds in the capital, in what appears to be a rare incursion against the embattled junta’s centre of power.

3rd April

– Over 600 lawyers, legal academics and retired senior judges sign a 17-page letter to UK Prime Minister Sunak saying the UK is legally bound to act over the “catastrophic” situation in Gaza, and that ministers are falling “significantly short” of their obligations under international law over the sale of weapons to Israel and the suspension of aid to UNRWA (the UN agency for Palestinian refugees).

– Taiwan’s worst earthquake in 25 years claims the lives of nine and injures more than 1,000.

2nd April

– Opposition leader Bassirou Diomaye Faye is sworn in as Senegal’s president in capital Dakar, making him Africa’s youngest elected leader at 44.

– Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas – herself an unofficial candidate for the new Secretary-General of NATO – officially lends her support to Dutch counterpart, Mark Rutte, for the Secretary-General post. Rutte has so far struggled to rally support beyond Western Europe and North America.

1st April

– The deaths of seven World Central Kitchen workers by the Israeli Defence Force push the number of aid employees killed in Gaza to at least 196, according to the UN Secretary General.

– Turkey’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), wins significant local government election victories, including in the main cities of Istanbul and Ankara. The results mark a significant blow for Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, less than a year after he claimed a third term as President.

– Iran vows to respond to an alleged Israeli strike on an Iranian consulate building in Syria’s capital, Damascus, on March 31st, that claimed the lives of seven Revolutionary Guards.

31st March

– At least seven people are killed in a car bombing at a busy market in Azaz, northern Syria. The attack remains unclaimed.

– Thousands of protestors in Israel gather around the Israeli parliament, calling for Prime Minister Netanyahu’s resignation and early elections, as well as for an immediate deal to free the Israeli hostages still held in Gaza. While Israelis remain supportive of the IDF’s aim to destroy Hamas, Netanyahu’s failure to rescue the remaining hostages is considerably damaging the Prime Minister’s support.

30th March

– One of Haiti’s most powerful gang leaders, Gang leader Jimmy ‘Barbecue’ Chérizier, says “weapons could be lowered” if armed groups are allowed to take part in talks to establish a new government. Haiti has been without a Prime Minister since the 12th March and faces spiraling violence.

29th March

– The International Court of Justice (ICJ) orders Israel to act “without delay” to allow “urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance” into Gaza. While orders issued by the ICJ are legally binding, the court lacks the power to enforce them.

– At least 42 people are killed in alleged Israeli air strikes in north-west Syria.

– Israel’s military announces it has killed a senior Hezbollah figure in an air strike in Lebanon – Ali Abed Akhsan Naim, a deputy commander of the group’s missiles and rockets unit.

28th March

– Former South African President Jacob Zuma is barred from running in South Africa’s general election in May. The country’s electoral commission has not given a reason, however his 15-month prison sentence for contempt of court is the presumed cause.

– Russia uses its veto power in the UN Security Council to block the renewal of a panel of UN experts that have monitored sanctions against North Korea for 14 years. This follows the announcement that the panel was probing reports that Russia has violated rules by buying North Korean weapons, like ballistic missiles, for use in Ukraine.

27th March

– Hezbollah fires rockets into northern Israel, killing one person, in response to deadly Israeli strikes, claiming the lives of sixteen people, including Hezbollah fighters and other militants. Israel and Hezbollah are trading almost daily strikes across the border, which began following the 7th October Hamas attack on Israel and subsequent outbreak of war.

– Venezuela’s main opposition coalition, The Unitary Platform (PUD), manages to register ex-diplomat Edmundo González for July’s presidential election, after its first two nominees were blocked. This follows President Maduro, who has been in power since 2013,  announcing that his party will win “by hook or by crook”.

26th March

– South Africa’s governing party, the African National Congress (ANC), fails in its legal bid to stop the newly formed uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party, backed by ex-President Jacob Zuma, from running in May’s general election. ANC announced that it is not opposed to the MK’s presence on the ballot, provided the registration is in accordance with the law. However, it is thought that the presence of MK will affect the ANC’s support.

25th March

– Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden tells the UK’s Parliament that China was responsible for the cyber attacks on the Electoral Commission back in August 2021. He announces that two people and a company linked to the Chinese state have been sanctioned by the UK government, and China’s Ambassador will be summoned. Prime Minister Sunak names China as “the greatest state-based threat to our economic security”.

24th March

– Simon Harris is confirmed as the new leader of Irish political party, Fine Gael, following former Prime Minister Leo Varadkar’s  resignation as party leader, paving the way for the 37-year-old to become Ireland’s youngest taoiseach (prime minister).

– Senagalese opposition candidate, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, wins Senegal’s presidential election. The election follows political turmoil, after outgoing President Macky Sall tried to postpone the election until December.

23rd March

– The Islamic State (IS) claims responsibility for the attack on Crocus City Hall in Moscow, which the US states is credible.

– Pro-EU former Slovak foreign minister, Ivan Korco, wins a surprise victory in the first round of the Slovakian presidential election against Peter Pellegrini, parliament speaker and key ally of the populist prime minister, Robert Fico. A runoff vote will be held on 6 April.

– The US Senate agrees a $1.2 trillion spending package at the last minute, avoiding a partial shutdown of the government.

22nd March

– The United States’ resolution to the United Nations Security Council, supporting calls (not directly calling for) for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and the release of hostages held by Hamas, fails to reach consensus. 11 voted in favour, three against (Russia, China and Algeria) and one abstained (Guyana).

– At least 133 people are killed and more than 140 injured in an attack by gunmen at a packed concert venue on the outskirts of Moscow. Moscow claims that the attackers were planning to cross the border with Ukraine to contacts there, but Ukraine has denied the allegation.

21st March

–  The United States drafts a UN Security Council resolution calling for an “immediate ceasefire” and hostage deal in Gaza, having blocked previous attempts to pass a ceasefire resolution.

– EU leaders approve the beginning of talks with Bosnia and Herzegovina on EU membership negotiations.

– Portugal’s President invites centre-right politician, Luís Montenegro, to form a minority government, after his Democratic Alliance (AD) party won snap elections earlier this month, but fell short of winning a majority in parliament.

– Vietnamese President, Vo Van Thuong, resigns after only one year in office, with the ruling Communist Party announcing that he had “violated party rules” and negatively affected the party’s and his own reputation – likely due to fraud and bribery allegations against the leader.

20th March

– Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar announces his resignation. Varadkar will resign as head of the ruling Fine Gael party immediately, but will remain as Taoiseach (PM) until mid-April, to give time for a successor to be chosen.

– US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken lands in the Middle East for his sixth trip since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, beginning his tour in Saudi Arabia, in an effort to normalise relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

19th March

– Hong Kong’s staunchly pro-China legislature unanimously passes a tough new security law – ‘Article 23’ – in the latest crackdown on dissent, following the 2019 pro-democracy protests. The law threatens stringent penalties for a wide range of actions, including life imprisonment for activities that authorities deem a threat to national security.

– The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) issues a ‘red alert’ to the world after every major global climate record was broken in 2023, warning that 2024 could be worse.

18th March

– Moldovan President Maia Sandu announces that a referendum on European Union membership will be held in October. Moldova has received agreement from the European Commission’ to launch EU accession negotiations, and reportedly aims to complete the process by 2030.

17th March

– Russian President Vladimir Putin secures another six years in power, as he wins the Russian general ‘election’ by a landslide, receiving 87% of the vote. The election has been described as a ‘farce’ by European officials, with the elections far from free or fair, but congratulations flooded in from Kremlin allies, including China, North Korea, Azerbaijan and Venezuela.

– Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu restates his goal to launch an offensive in Rafah, defying intensifying international criticism, and stating that “no international pressure will stop Israel” from achieving its war aims. 1.5 million Palestinians are currently seeking refuge in the city.

– United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announces that over 13,000 children have been killed in Gaza since October 7th 2023.

16th March

– The first maritime humanitarian aid shipment reaches the Gazan shore. The shipment, organised by US charity World Central Kitchen (WCK) in co-operation with the United Arab Emirates, contains 200 tonnes of food.

15th March

– French President, Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, and Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, gather in Berlin in an effort show strength and unity over support for Ukraine. While the individual leaders disagree on the means and methods of offering support, they announced a list of new  agreements, suggesting minor concessions on all sides. These include using the interest accrued from some €300bn of frozen Russian deposits in Europe, to support Ukraine.

14th March

– Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas appoints economic adviser, Mohammad Mustafa, as Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority (PA). Mustafa now faces the task of forming a new government for the PA, which holds limited powers in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

– NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, calls on NATO allies to urgently send more ammunition to Ukraine, warning that the ‘”U.S, Canada and Europe have to do more”, and that the current lack of support is having “consequences on the battlefield every day”.

13th March

– Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, announces that Denmark aims to boost its defence budget by nearly £4.6bn over the next five years to meet NATO targets, as well as extend military conscription to women for the first time, in a re-arming effort which aims to ‘avoid war’.

– EU leaders agree to back a new €5 billion “Ukraine Assistance Fund” for military aid to Ukraine. However, a considerable proportion of the contributions will not be in the form of new cash, instead EU countries will be able to count discounting bilateral weapons shipments as contributions.

– Far-right Dutch PVV leader, Geert Wilders, renounces his claim to become the next prime minister of the Netherlands, as he fails to get all partners in a potential coalition onboard. Four parties have reportedly agreed to pursue an ‘extra-parliamentary’ cabinet.

– The Paris Club, a collection of some of the world’s wealthiest creditor nations, announces the cancellation of 99% of Somalia’s debt, in a major effort to support the nation’s fragile economic recovery from the ongoing three-decade conflict.

12th March

– US President Biden officially secures enough delegates to be the Democrats’ presumptive presidential candidate, following victory in the Georgia primary. Formal nomination happens in August at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

– US President Joe Biden announces that the United States will send a new military aid package for Ukraine worth $300 million, as additional funds for Kyiv remain blocked by Republican leaders in Congress.

– European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, recommends opening European Union membership talks with Bosnia and Herzegovina, saying the nation has made progress on reforms. This decision would require the unanimous approval of the bloc’s 27 member countries,

– The first barge loaded with 200 tonnes of food supplies for Palestinians in Gaza sets sail from Cyprus, as part of a maritime corridor initiative initiated by Cyprus, with the support of the EU, the UK and the US. The journey could take as long as two days and will end at a jetty off Gaza’s coast.

11th March

– Haiti’s Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, agrees to resign upon the installation of a transition council, following weeks of mounting pressure and growing violence. Henry has not been allowed back into Haiti since late January, prevented from returning by armed gangs after leaving for overseas visits.

10th March

– United States, German and European Union representatives depart Haiti, after dozens of heavily armed gang fighters try to seize the political quarter of its capital, Port-au-Prince.

9th March

– Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu announces that he intends to press on with an invasion Rafah, in defiance of US President Joe Biden who has warned that this would be crossing a “red line.”

– Portugal’s center-right Democratic Alliance coalition claims victory in a snap election, that ends the Socialist Party’s 8 year rule. The election saw a surge in popularity of the far-right party, Chega, but no party managed to secure a governing majority of seats in parliament.

8th March

– The ex-president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández, is found guilty of conspiring to import drugs into the US, and possessing “destructive devices” including machine guns.

7th March

– Sweden becomes a fully-fledged member of NATO, bringing its formidable military-industrial complex to the alliance.

– US President Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union speech, pushing for Congress to approve aid for Ukraine, and announcing that the US military will construct a port off the coast of Gaza, to get more humanitarian aid into the territory via the sea.

6th March

– Nikki Haley drops out of the 2024 United States Presidential race, after winning just two Republican primaries, leaving Donald Trump as as the only remaining Republican candidate.

– Three sailors on a Barbados-flagged vessel are killed in a Houthi missile attack in the Red Sea – the first deaths directly caused by the group’s attacks in the region.

5th March

– Sixteen US states and one territory hold primary votes ahead of the US election, on the day unofficially known as ‘Super Tuesday’. More than a third of the total delegates available will be allotted on Super Tuesday (thepeople chosen to represent their community at their political party’s presidential nominating convention).

4th March

– France becomes the first country in the world to explicitly enshrine women’s ‘guaranteed freedom’ to have an abortion. It is the 25th amendment to modern France’s founding document, and the first since 2008.

– China sets an ambitious growth target of around 5% for this year, as Premier, Li Qiang, outlines a series of measures aimed at reinvigorating its once-booming economy. Along with measures to boost the economy, defence spending will be increased by 7.2% this year.

– Iranian hard-line politicians maintain their hold on the Iranian legislature in the country’s parliamentary elections, in a vote that saw a record-low turnout.

3rd March

– Pakistan’s newly formed parliament elects Shehbaz Sharif as Prime Minister for a second term, defeating Omar Ayub who was supported by imprisoned former Prime Minister, Imran Khan. The move comes after an inconclusive general election that was marred by allegations of intimidation and vote-rigging.

2nd March

– The US begins humanitarian air drops in Gaza, with military aircrafts dropping 38,000 meals along the coastline of the war-torn region.

1st March

– Iranians head to the polls to vote for a new parliament and the country’s Assembly of Experts, in an election marred by frustration over economic hardships and the crackdown on the antigovernment protests seen in 2022-2023.

– Putin critic, Alexei Navalny, is buried as thousands of his supporters gather, chanting ‘free Russia’, in defiance of repressive measures.

29 February

– Russian President Vladimir Putin gives his annual state of the nation address, warning that any deployment of Western troops in Ukraine would have ‘tragic’ consequences, seemingly in response to French President Macron’s comments earlier this week that he refuses to rule out sending ground troops to Ukraine. Several Nato countries, including the UK, Germany and the US, have since ruled out deploying ground troops.

– At least 112 people are killed and more than 750 wounded in an attack at the Nabulsi roundabout in Gaza City, in which Israeli forces opened fire on Gazans collecting food aid in northern Gaza. France has called for an independent inquiry into the incident.

– Haiti gangs begin an offensive to topple the government, storming and ransacking police stations, prisons and hospitals and laying siege to strategic locations, including the port and airport.

28 February

– The UN World Food Programme announces that Cuba has, for the first time, asked for help with food shortages, in a serious sign that its economic and food insecurity crisis is worsening, which the Cuban government blames on ongoing US sanctions.

– Yaya Dillo, a leading critic of Chad’s military leader, is killed in a shootout with security forces ahead of the presidential election scheduled to be held on 6 May, in which Mr Dillo was widely predicted to be President Déby’s main opponent.

27 February

– Former Guinean opposition leader, Mamadou Oury Bah, is appointed Prime Minister by the country’s military junta, according to a decree read on national television, just one week after the military junta dissolved the government. Bah faces the challenge of setting up a new government amid an indefinite general strike launched this week, over deep economic hardships facing Guinea.

26 February

– Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister, Mohammed Shtayyeh, resigns along with his government, which runs parts of the occupied West Bank, claiming that new governmental and political arrangements are needed for the territory, that take into account the emerging reality in Gaza, the national unity talks, and the urgent need for an inter-Palestinian consensus.

– Hungary’s parliament passes Sweden’s NATO accession bid, having previously delayed on accusations of Sweden being hostile to Hungary. Swedish Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson, labels it a “historic day” and a “big step” for Sweden as it moves away from 200 years of neutrality.

– US airman, Aaron Bushnell, fatally sets himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington DC in an ‘extreme act of protest’, announcing he would ‘no longer be complicit in genocide’.

25 February

– Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, announces that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed during Russia’s full-scale invasion, in a rare announcement of casualty figures.

– France’s President Emmanuel Macron says he refuses to rule out sending ground troops to Ukraine, but clarified that no consensus exists on this step, at a meeting of 20 mainly European leaders in Paris, designed to speed up the supply of weapons and financial aid to Ukraine.

– Citizens of Belarus head to the polls for parliamentary elections, in the first ‘elections’ since the contentious 2020 election which triggered unprecedented protest and more than 35,000 arrests. The only candidates running in the election belong to the four officially registered parties that are loyal to President Alexander Lukashenko.

– The ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) claims victory in Cambodia’s Senate elections.

– Tens of thousands of supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro rally in Sao Paolo, against legal challenges that could put him in jail. Many of Bolsonaro’s supporters believe he is being persecuted by Brazil’s supreme court, and that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva unfairly won his narrow victory in the 2022 general election.

24 February

– Ukraine marks the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion. Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is joined by the prime ministers of Canada, Italy and Belgium, and the president of the European Commission, to lay wreaths at the Wall of Remembrance, commemorating those who have lost their lives in the war.

– The US and UK carry out fresh strikes on 18 Houthi targets in Yemen – the fourth joint operation by the allies in an effort to degrade Houthi capabilities.

23 February

– The UK signs a deal with Frontex, the EU’s border agency, to work more closely together to stop small boats crossing the English Channel. The agreement aims to lead to more sharing of information and expertise, and includes training for both border agencies to learn from successful tactics overseas, collaboration on the development of new technologies, and the deployment of more staff on both sides to help coordinate efforts.

22 February

– Gustavo Melella, an Argentinian governor of Antarctica and the Southern Atlantic Islands, labels Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron’s trip to the Falkland Islands earlier this week “a new British provocation” that “seeks to diminish our legitimate sovereignty claims over our territories and maintain colonialism in the 21st century”.

21 February

– Brazil kicks off its presidency of the G20 with a meeting of Foreign Secretaries. Brazil’s Foreign Minister called for reforms of the UN and other multilateral institutions, criticising their inability to prevent global conflicts, while Foreign Secretary David Cameron insisted in his address that Russia will face the consequences for its invasion of Ukraine.

20 February

– The World Food Programme pauses food deliveries to northern Gaza, saying aid convoys are enduring “complete chaos and violence” as crews face crowds, gunfire and looting amid “the collapse of civil order”. The WFP says Gaza is “hanging by a thread” and that it will seek to resume deliveries as soon as possible.

– Taiwan chases Chinese coastguard boat from waters near frontline islands, one day after China’s coastguard boarded a Taiwanese tourist boat, amid an escalating dispute sparked by a fatal capsizing last week.

19 February

– Polish farmers dump grain from a freight train to blockade Ukrainian imports, as part of nationwide protests against cheap agricultural goods allegedly undermining business. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the blockade “absurd”.

18 February

– At least 90,000 people rally in Mexico City, against proposed changes to Mexico’s autonomous electoral authority body, ahead of June’s presidential elections. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has been accused of trying to weaken the body with reforms, which he argues are designed to root out bias and corruption.

– Israeli war cabinet minister, Benny Gantz, says Israel will launch its threatened ground offensive against Rafah if Hamas does not release the remaining Israeli hostages by the beginning of Ramadan, on the 10th March.

17 February

– Russia’s most significant opposition leader for the past decade, Alexei Navalny, dies in jail in the Arctic. Navalny was serving a 19 year sentence on charges of extremism, that were widely seen as politically motivated.

– Thousands of demonstrators march in Dakar, Senegal, demanding swift presidential elections following President Macky Sall’s attempt to postpone the election, which was struck down by Senegal’s top court on Thursday.

– The Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) begins. The chair of the African Union Commission (AUC), Moussa Faki Mahamat, begins by calling on leaders to tackle conflicts in the continent, and condemns a series of coups across a number of nations.

– Hungary’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, meets China’s minister of public security, Wang Xiaohong, in an effort to deepen security ties (including across counter-terrorism, transnational crimes, and law enforcement capacity building under the Belt and Road Initiative).

16 February 2024

– World leaders gather for the Munich Security Conference, against the backdrop of concerns about war and instability in the Middle East, Russia’s war in Ukraine and the future of the transatlantic alliance.

15 February 2024

– Venezuela’s government suspends its technical advisory office of the UN high commissioner for human rights, accusing the office of promoting the Venezuelan opposition and holding a “colonialist, abusive and violating attitude”. The Government has pledged to carry out a holistic revision of the technical cooperation terms.

14 February 2024

– Indonesia, the world’s third largest democracy, heads to the polls in the world’s largest single-day democratic vote. Indonesian Defence Minister, Prabowo Subianto, looks set to win the Presidential vote, although official results are not confirmed until March.

– Israeli air strikes into Lebanon claim the lives of at least 13 people, including 10 civilians, in a retaliation against Hezbollah rocket strikes that killed a soldier in Israel on Wednesday.

– Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, announces that a record 18 member countries are set to meet the defence alliance’s target of spending 2% of their economic output on defence this year – including Germany, for the first time in decades.

13 February 2024

– The US Senate passes a $95bn bill with aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, after delays of months by Republican hardliners. The legislation will now go to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, where it faces strong opposition.

– A coalition including the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s party (PPP) agree to form the next government of Pakistan, shutting out the party of former prime minister Imran Khan, despite Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) receiving the most votes in the election.

12 February 2024

– Thousands of Moroccans take to the streets of the city of Rabat, calling for an end to ties with Israel over the war in Gaza. Morocco established diplomatic ties with Israel in 2020, under the US-brokered Abraham Accords.

11 February 2024

– Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the Israeli Defence Force will go ahead with its planned ground offensive into Rafah, despite international warnings, insisting an evacuation plan for civilians is being prepared.

10 February 2024

– At a campaign rally in South Caroline, former President Donald Trump says he would “encourage” Russia to attack any NATO member that fails to meet the spending commitments of the Western military alliance. US President Joe Biden calls Trump’s comments “appalling and dangerous”.

– Airstrikes by the Israeli Defence Force on the Gaza Strip’s southernmost town of Rafah, the territory’s last place of relative safety where more than a million civilians are sheltering, reportedly claim over 100 lives.

9 February 2024

– Violent protests in Haiti claim five lives, as citizens demand that Prime Minister Ariel Henry resign. An agreement reached in December 2022 stipulated that the Prime Minister would hold elections and then cede power to newly elected officials on February 7, 2024, but Henry has remained in power. No elections have taken place since 2016, and the Presidency remains vacant.

– Politicians in Pakistan, allied with the imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), defy a military-led crackdown and alleged widespread election rigging to win the most seats in Pakistan’s lower house of parliament, but fall short of a majority. The two other main parties, PML-N and Pakistan People’s party (PPP), have met to discuss forming a coalition to keep PTI out of power.

8 February 2024

– Two explosions claim the lives of at least 28 individuals in the Pakistani province of Balochistan, just a day ahead of Pakistan’s general election.

– A senior commander of an Iran-backed militia, Abu Baqir al-Saadi, is killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad. The US says the commander was responsible for directing attacks on US forces in the region.

– Sudan enters an internet blackout, amid the country’s 10-month civil war. Many blame the paramilitary group, The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which denies responsibility.

– The Government of Nicaragua warns the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and Canada of its intention to take them to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), for supplying weapons to Israel and thus contributing to – or directly committing – violations of the Genocide Convention against the Palestinian people in Gaza.

6 February 2024

– Negotiations to form the next Dutch government collapse after Pieter Omtzigt, leader of the New Social Contract (NSC) party, quits talks. Far-right leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV), Geert Wilders, has been struggling to form a coalition, with migration issues initially emerging as the key stumbling block in negotiations.

– A US Senate bipartisan bill set to deliver billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, along with stricter border enforcement measures, collapses as Republicans withdraw support.

– President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announces plans to scrap a proposal halving pesticide use across the EU, in a concession to the farmers who have been protesting in many EU countries against tightening regulations.

5 February 2024

– President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador is re-elected in a landslide victory. Bukele has been largely credited for transforming one of the most violent countries in the world to one of the safest in Latin America, following a crackdown on crime.

– US Secretary of State Antony Blinken lands in Saudi Arabia to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, on his fifth trip to the Middle East since the October 7 attacks on Israel.

– Lawmakers in Senegal agree to postpone the presidential election until December. Most opposition MPs are forcibly removed from the chamber amid heated debates, and three opposition MPs are arrested in the fallout.

4 February 2024

– Hundreds of people protest in Dakar, Senegal, at the news that lawmakers are due to debate a proposal to postpone the presidential election, scheduled for later in February, following a dispute about the eligibility of candidates. The proposal moves to hold the vote on 25 August and keep President Macky Sall in power until then.

3 February 2024

– The US and the UK launch a fresh wave of strikes against 36 Houthi targets in Yemen – the third time the US and the UK have carried out a joint operation to strike Houthi targets.

– Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill becomes the new First Minister of Northern Ireland, with the DUP’s Emma Little-Pengelly as Deputy First Minister. O’Neill is the first-ever republican first minister of Northern Ireland.

2 February 2024

– The US strikes more than 85 targets linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, and affiliated militias, in Iraq and Syria, responding to the deaths of three US soldiers killed in Jordan on the 28th January.

1 February 2024

– European leaders agree a €50 billion aid package for Ukraine, after breaking a deadlock with Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

– New Zealand Defence Minister steps up interest in joining the non-nuclear pillar of AUKUS, saying “we really want to look at what the opportunities are and whether or not its something we could be part of”, and adding that New Zealand could offer space and technology expertise.

– Over a thousand tractors block the streets around the European quarter in Brussels, as farmers protesting high taxes, rising costs, cheap imports, and the bloc’s decision to lift quotas on Ukrainian grain exports, throw eggs at the European Parliament.

31 January 2024

– Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife are sentenced to jail for 14 years over allegations of illegal profiteering from state gifts, in addition to the 10 year sentence he had already received.

– Armenia formally joins the international criminal court (ICC). Armenia, a traditional Moscow ally and part of the Moscow-led military alliance, the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, is now obliged to arrest the Vladimir Putin if he sets foot on its territory.

30 January 2024

– Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is sentenced to 10 years in prison, accused of leaking state secrets. His legal team are planning on appealing the ruling.

– Following changes to the post-Brexit agreement between the UK and EU, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) drops its opposition to an executive being formed in Northern Ireland. The new deal agreed between the UK government and the DUP – called “Safeguarding the Union” – will reduce checks and paperwork on goods going from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. The decision paves the way for power-sharing to be re-established in Northern Ireland.

– Lord Cameron makes his fourth visit to the Middle East as Foreign Secretary, beginning in Oman. Cameron will use the visit to focus on de-escalating regional tensions, and move forward work to establish a Contact Group between the UK, the US, key EU, Gulf and Arab countries and Turkey, to build momentum towards a lasting peaceful solution.

29 January 2024

– 48 civil society organisations in Nigeria call on President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency as violence continues to sweep across the country. Last week, 43 people were killed in fighting in Nigeria’s central Plateau state, while nearly 2,500 people have been killed, and over 1,800 have been abducted, since May 2023.

– UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron says the UK could consider recognising a Palestinian state, as part of concerted efforts to bring about “irreversible progress” on a peaceful two-state solution.

28 January 2024

– North Korea fires several cruise missiles in waters off its east coast, in the latest of a string of missile tests in recent months. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has become increasingly aggressive in his policymaking and rhetoric, leading to concerns that North Korea is preparing for potential conflict.

– Three US Army soldiers are killed and more than 30 service members are injured, during a drone attack on a US outpost in Jordan.

– Climate activists throw soup over the Mona Lisa in Paris.

27 January 2024

– The UK, and a number of other countries, pause funding for UNRWA, the primary UN Agency providing aid to Palestinian refugees over allegations some of its staff were involved in the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel.

– A drone strike claims the lives of three US troops at a base in Jordan. The attack was claimed by the Iranian-backed umbrella group Islamic Resistance. US President Joe Biden has sworn to hold all responsible to account.

26 January 2024

– The International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivers its ruling on the emergency measures requested by South Africa in its genocide case against Israel over the Israel-Hamas war. The court ruled, among other things, that Israel must take steps to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza, but it stopped short of ordering a ceasefire.

– UK-Canada trade deal negotiations break down after nearly two years, over disagreements about cheese, cars and beef.

25 January 2024

– Violence in central Nigeria claims over 40 lives. The fighting was sparked by a row over cattle, in Nigeria’s Plateau state, which is fraught with ethnic and religious tensions between Muslim Fulani and Christian Mwagaful ethnic groups.

24 January 2024

– A Russian military plane crashes in Russia’s Belgorod region, killing 74 people onboard, including 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war. Moscow has accused Ukraine’s military of shooting down the plane, which Kyiv has not ruled out.

– Potential challenger to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Boris Nadezhdin, announces that he would end the war in Ukraine on day one of his presidency. Nadezhdin, a local councillor for over 30 years, is seen as a former insider of the regime, and so far his criticism of Putin and the Kremlin has been tolerated.

23 January 2024

– Former President Trump wins the New Hampshire primary, beating Nikki Haley, and taking 54% of the vote.

– Turkish MPs ratify Sweden’s bid to join NATO, removing the last major hurdle to Sweden joining the military grouping.

– Prime Minister Rishi Sunk announces that, while the UK is not seeking confrontation with Houthi forces, the UK will not hesitate to take further military action if the group continues its attacks in the Red Sea.

22 January 2024

– US and UK forces launch a fresh series of military strikes, targeting eight Houthi positions in Yemen, including an underground storage site and Houthi missile and surveillance capability. This is the eighth set of strikes by the US against Houthi targets in Yemen, and the second joint operation with the UK.

– House of Lords vote to delay the Government’s Rwanda policy over safety concerns.

– Ron DeSantis ends his bid for the Republican Presidential nomination, endorsing Donald Trump ahead of the New Hampshire primary.

– Cameroon rolls out the world’s first Malaria vaccine, using a vaccine developed by UK drugmaker GSK.

21 January 2024

– The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza announces that more than 25,000 people have now been killed in Gaza, in the more than three months since Israel’s air and ground operation began.

20 January 2024

– Air strikes hit Damascus, Syria, claiming the lives of a number of Syrian forces, and five senior members of Iran’s security forces. Iran has accused Israel of launching the attack.

– Sudan suspends its membership of north-east African bloc, The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad), over efforts to end the brutal nine month-long civil war between Sudan’s army and a rival paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Igad had reiterated its call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, and said Sudan’s army and the RSF must have a face-to-face meeting within two weeks.

19 January 2024

– A top NATO official warns that civilians of NATO states must prepare for all-out war with Russia in the next 20 years, urging civilians as well as governments to prepare for life-changing conflict and potential conscription.

– The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says over half a million people from Sudan have crossed the border to South Sudan since fighting broke out in Sudan on 15 April 2023.

– Pakistan and Iran restore diplomatic ties, with both Ambassadors set to return to their respective posts. This restoration rounds out a week in which both countries exchanged reciprocal strikes on militant bases in each other’s territory.

18 January 2024

– Pakistan launches airstrikes into Iran, targeting alleged terrorists in retaliation for Iranian strikes against Pakistan on January 16th.

– Air strikes in Syria claim the lives of at least 10 people. The attack is suspected to have come from Jordan, which has reportedly carried out a number of air strikes over the past year, targeting suspected drug smugglers in Syria.

17 January 2024

– UK Parliament approves the Rwanda Asylum Bill by a majority of 44.

– Israel and Hamas reach a deal to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza, amid the devastating Israel-Hamas war. Brokered by Qatar and France, the deal agrees that medicine will be provided to 45 hostages held by Hamas, in return for humanitarian supplies entering Gaza via Egypt.

– The United States launches a fourth round of strikes at Houthi targets in Yemen, following further attacks on commercial shipping.

16 January 2024

– North Korean leader Kim Jong Un calls for a constitutional amendment to change the status of South Korea to a separate state, designating South Korea as the “principal enemy”, and warning that while North Korea doesn’t seek war, it also doesn’t intend to avoid it.

– Iran launches airstrikes into Pakistan, reportedly aimed at Sunni militant group, Jaish al-Adl, claiming the lives of two children. This attack follows retaliatory strikes this week into Syria and Iraq following the bombing in Kernan earlier this month, and is the latest flashpoint of violence unfolding across the regional neighbourhood.

15 January 2024

– Former President Donald Trump wins the first contest in the Republican race for presidential nominee, the Iowa caucus, by a landslide, as expectations grow that he will secure the Republican nomination.

– Nauru cuts ties with Taiwan in favour of Beijing, just days after the DPP’s Lai Ching-te was elected President of Taiwan. Taiwan has accused China of buying Nauru’s switch in diplomatic relations with financial aid.

– The 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum begins in Davos, Switzerland. The focus for this year’s meeting is on ‘Rebuilding Trust’, amid a global landscape of increasing division, heightened hostility and a surge in conflicts. 

14 January 2024

– King Frederik X ascends to the throne in Denmark following the abdication of his mother, Queen Margrethe II.

– The death toll in Gaza passes 24,000, on the 100-day anniversary of the October 7th Hamas attack into southern Israel, that killed at least 1,200 people and triggered the devastating Israel-Hamas war. The 100-day anniversary was marked by a commemorative event in Israel, in support of the Israeli hostages that remain in Gaza.

13 January 2024

– In Taiwan, the incumbent Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) wins its third straight presidency, with president-elect Lai Ching-te defeating opponents from the Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan’s People’s Party (TPP). China had views the DPP as seperatists and criticised the result.

– John Kerry announces he will step down as US Climate Envoy after three years.

12 January 2024

– UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visits Kyiv, Ukraine to sign a new bilateral security pact. Sunak  announced that UK military funding to Ukraine will increase to £2.5 billion in the coming financial year, and that the UK will provide an extra £18 million in aid.

– Houthi leadership reports that five of their fighters have been killed in the US and UK’s military strikes, and warn that the militant group will retaliate and continue their attacks on Red Sea shipping vessels.

11 January 2024

– Two days of public hearings begin at the International Court of Justice, as South Africa presents its case accusing Israel of genocide.

– US and UK forces launch military strikes overnight, targeting 16 Houthi positions, including command centres. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says the strikes were a “limited, necessary and proportionate action in self-defence”.

10 January 2024

– US and UK naval forces report an uptick in drone attacks on commercial shipping by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, with the two nations repelling 21 drones and missiles in one night. Since the 19th November, the Iran-backed Houthi’s have reportedly carried out 26 attacks, claiming to be targeting ships ‘linked to Tel Aviv’ in protest at Israeli actions in its war against Hamas.

– The UN Security Council vote to demand an immediate end to the Houthi attacks, and warned of collective action if they continue (Russia and China both abstained).

– A UN helicopter crew is seized in Somalia by al-Shabab, the Somali armed Islamist group that controls large parts of the nation’s centre and south. The insurgency group is affiliated to al-Qaeda and is a powerful player involved in Somalia’s civil war.

– Masked gunmen break into an Ecuadorian broadcaster’s live studio, following days of violence stemming from the President of Ecuador’s order that criminal gangs be “neutralised”.

9 January 2024

– Gabriel Attal is named as France’s next Prime Minister by President Emmanuel Macron, at just age 34, making him the youngest and first-ever openly gay French Prime Minister. 

– The People’s Democratic Party secures the most seats in Bhutan’s parliamentary elections. Former Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay is expected to lead the new liberal government.

– Polish police arrest two MPs in the country’s presidential palace, who were hiding under the protection of President Andrzej Duda after being sentenced to jail for abuse of power when running an anti-corruption office. This unravels amid tensions between President Duda and new Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who is seeking to dismantle and reform the past eight years of rule by the conservative Law and Justice Party (PiS).

8 January 2024

– Bangladesh’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, wins office for a fifth term, in an election overshadowed by a crackdown on opposition, including through intimidation and violence. The opposition – the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) – boycotted the vote and labelled it a ‘sham election’.

– Israel launches strikes against Hezbollah into southern Lebanon, reportedly killing one of its senior commanders and fuelling concerns of contagion to a regional war.

– Australia abandons plans to hold a referendum on replacing King Charles III as its Head of State, stating that it is ‘not a priority’.

– China’s Ministry of State Security announces that it has detained an individual on allegations of spying for Britain’s MI6.

7 January 2024

– Charles Michel announces he will step down as European Council President early, in order to stand in the election for the European Parliament, which will be held in June. The next President must be elected by a majority of the EU’s 27 leaders, and if no successor is found before 1 July, Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, would temporarily hold the presidency.

– Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani announces he wants to form a European Union army to manage peacekeeping across the continent. 

6 January 2024

– US President Biden marks the third anniversary of the January 6th 2021 attack on the US Capitol, calling Trump’s incitement of the violent mob “among the worst derelictions of duty by a president in American history”.

– French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna calls Iranian Minister Abdollahian to demand that Iran and its affiliates immediately cease destabilising actions – in reference to the attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea by Houthi rebels, based in Yemen and backed by Iran, in what has been termed a revenge campaign against Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. 

5 January 2024

– United States Secretary of State Anthony Blinken arrives in the Middle East for the fourth time since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, hoping to curtail attacks against Palestinian civilians. Blinken will be visiting Israel, in addition to Turkey, Greece, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, amid heightening regional tensions.

4 January 2024

– Former President Donald Trump asks the United States Supreme Court to invalidate the ruling by Colorado’s Supreme Court that stated he was ineligible to be on Colorado’s Presidential Primary ballot. Maine’s Secretary of State has also barred Trump from appearing on Maine’s ballot, and a number of other states are considering following suit. 

3 January 2024

– Saleh al-Arouri, a senior leader of Hamas, is killed in a suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, by an explosion that Lebanon and the United States blamed on Israel. Mr al-Arouri is the most senior Hamas figure to have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war so far, and played a key role in Hamas’ relationships with its regional allies, and in increasing Hamas’ military capabilities.

– Over 90 lives are lost after two bombs are detonated in Kerman, Iran, at the grave of militant leader Qasem Soleimani, on the fourth anniversary of his assassination. Iranian officials initially accused Israel and the United States of being behind the attack, which has since been claimed by the Islamic State.

– Russia and Ukraine exchange hundreds of prisoners of war, in a deal brokered by the United Arab Emirates. It is the biggest prisoner swap since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, with Ukraine receiving 230 prisoners, and releasing 248 Russian soldiers.

2 January 2024

– Israel’s Supreme Court strikes down a controversial judicial reform that would have limited the power of the Israel Supreme Court in overturning laws it deemed unconstitutional. The reform triggered nationwide protests last year, over concerns it would consolidate Prime Minister Netanyahu’s power.

– Lee Jae-myung, the leader of South Korea’s main opposition party, is stabbed in the port city of Busan. South Koreans are sharply divided over the politician, who is widely expected to run for the presidency again at the next general election, having narrowly lost to President Yoon in 2022. Among supporters he is considered a progressive champion, on the side of minorities and lower-income citizens, but his detractors, as well as state prosecutors, have accused him of corruption.

1 January 2024

– BRICS membership is officially extended from 5 to 10 members, with Russia assuming the Presidency for 2024. Russia hopes to use the Presidency to encourage greater foreign policy coordination between members and to strengthen BRICS relations with new partners.

– A string of strong earthquakes are recorded off the north coast of Japan, claiming the lives of 161 people.