U.S.
Biden Allows Ukraine to Strike Inside Russia
President Biden has allowed Ukraine to strike inside Russia with long-range missiles supplied by the U.S. for the first time in the nearly three-year war. The missile systems, known as Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), have a range of about 190 miles and would allow Ukraine to strike deeper into Russian territory, potentially destroying key military sites such as ammunition depots or supply lines. The authorization came in response to news that North Korean troops had entered Russia’s Kursk region, probably to help Russia take back territory held by Ukraine.
Biden Pardons His Son
President Biden pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, for any crimes “he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024”. In a statement released with the pardon, President Biden said that while he had previously promised not to “interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making…[n]o reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son”. President Biden emphasized that he still believes in the justice system, even though “raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice”.
Europe
Germany’s Coalition Collapse
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz fired his Finance Minister Christian Lindner on November 6th, destabilizing the federal government just a day after the election of Donald Trump. This means the three-party ruling coalition, made up of Mr. Scholz’s Social Democrats, Mr. Lindner’s Free Democrats, and the Green Party, has effectively collapsed leaving Mr. Scholz with a minority government for the moment. The Chancellor announced that he would call a vote of confidence on December 11, allowing the Bundestag, Germany’s Parliament, to determine whether to keep him in power. Until then, he will have to rely on opposition parties to pass any legislation.
England Legalizes Assisted Dying
The British Parliament voted 330 to 275 in favor of a bill that would legalize assisted dying under strict conditions. The purpose of the bill is to “[a]llow adults who are terminally ill” to “be provided with assistance to end their own life”. It would only apply to people over the age of 18 who have a “clear, settled and informed wish to end their own life” and a terminal illness expected to be fatal within the next six months. In addition, a court and two doctors would have to provide their approval. Under previous British law, intentionally encouraging or assisting suicide was an offence with a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.
French No-Confidence Vote
France’s lower house of Parliament voted to pass a no-confidence motion against the French Prime Minister, Michael Barnier, forcing him to resign in the near future. The move came after Mr. Barnier attempted to push through a budget without a vote in Parliament. President Emmanuel Macron of France, who appointed Mr. Barnier, said in a speech the next day that he would not resign despite growing pressure from both the far-right and far-left. For more background information about Michael Barnier and France’s unstable political situation, check out this article from September.
Asia
Political Turmoil in South Korea
President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea declared martial law in a surprise speech on December 3rd. He claimed that emergency measures were needed to counteract “the shameless pro-North Korean anti-state forces” that were plotting an “insurrection” and the “overthrow the liberal democracy system”. Shortly after Mr. Yoon’s declaration, the National Assembly voted to end martial law amidst widespread protests. The main opposition party filed a motion to impeach Mr. Yoon, and the National Assembly is set to vote on the issue on December 7th.
The Middle East
A Cease-Fire in Lebanon
Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group that began conducting strikes on Israel shortly after the Hamas attacks on October 7th, 2023, agreed to a cease-fire deal brokered by the U.S. Under the deal, Israel and Hamas will use the next 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon, and the Lebanese Army will take back control of that territory, leaving a buffer between Hezbollah and the Israeli border. However, both Hezbollah and Israel have accused each other of cease-fire violations and have conducted retaliatory strikes.
Civil War in Syria
According to the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights, Syria’s civil war flared up again after years of stalemate when rebel forces seized control over most of Aleppo, Syria’s largest city. A little over a week later, those rebels took control of Damascus, the capital, and toppled the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, who fled to Russia. The war originally began in 2011 when citizens began peacefully protesting the al-Assad regime, which responded by violently cracking down on all opposition. The main rebel group behind the surprise offensive, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, appears to be in control of the capital, but it remains unclear who will lead Syria’s new government.
The Americas
Retaliatory Tariffs
President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico threatened to place retaliatory tariffs on American goods in response to President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to impose a 25% tariff on all goods from Mexico. Reading aloud from a letter she sent later that day to Mr. Trump, President Sheinbaum said that tariffs would likely “cause inflation and job losses” for both countries, adding that she “believe[s] that dialogue is the best path to understanding, peace, prosperity”.
Other News
In early November, a man trying to board an airplane in Lima, Peru was caught attempting to smuggle 320 tarantulas, 110 centipedes and nine bullet ants underneath his shirt. According to Walter Silva of Peru’s National Forest and Wildlife Service, the specimens “were extracted illegally” from the Amazon region of Peru “and are part of the illegal wildlife trafficking that moves millions of dollars in the world”.
Australia introduced a sweeping ban on social media for people under the age of 16. The bill “will require social media platforms–not parents or young people–to take reasonable steps to ensure” that people under the age of 16 don’t have accounts on social media sites such as Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, and X.
