East Asia & the Pacific
Cambodia: CMAC clears 25 cluster bombs in Oddar Meanchey, warns risks remain
Khmer Times (Cambodia)
The Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) has uncovered and cleared 25 M46 cluster munitions in Oddar Meanchey province, prompting renewed warnings for residents of border communities to remain vigilant as fresh remnants of the July armed clashes with Thailand continue to surface. The explosives, fired from a 155mm artillery system were found on December 1–2 in Tamoan Senchey village, Kork Mon commune, Banteay Ampil district, an area heavily affected during the July 24–28 conflict between Cambodia and Thailand.
China: Emmanuel Macron begins China visit with EU trade ties and Ukraine war high on the agenda
South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
The French president lands in Beijing on the first leg of a tour where he is expected to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to discuss Europe’s trade with Beijing.
Indonesia: Coordinating economy minister office sends food aid, medical supplies to Sumatra
Jakarta Post (Indonesia)
The Office of the Coordinating Economic Minister has dispatched around 40 tonnes of food and medical supplies to flood-ravaged Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra, as the government pressed on with search and rescue missions for a disaster that has claimed nearly 800 lives.
Japan: Japan seeks to legally recognize birth names for married couples
The Asahi Shimbun (Japan)
Despite calls to allow married couples to use dual surnames, the government is preparing a bill that would legally recognize an original surname after marriage while continuing to require couples to adopt the same family name. According to government sources, the bill will be based on Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s proposal, which would require national and local governments, as well as businesses, to accommodate the use of birth surnames in daily life.
Laos: Lao Railways Launches First Cross-Border Freight Service Using Its Own Rolling Stock
The Laotian Times (Laos)
On 2 December, Lao National Railways introduced a new freight operation linking Thanaleng Station in Vientiane with Nong Khai Station, Thailand, across the Mekong. The first trip involved an LNR locomotive hauling a freight wagon over the Lao–Thai Friendship Bridge. Until now, services on this stretch had been handled by the State Railway of Thailand, which began running trains there in 2019.
Myanmar: Among three Kachin State battlefronts, clashes in Bhamo remain fiercest
Myanmar Now (Myanmar)
Regime forces are deploying ground forces, along with artillery barrages and drone strikes, to recapture Bhamo, Waingmaw, and Hpakant townships, where they have announced plans to hold elections in the next two months.
North Korea: Russia-North Korea talks likely focused on resources and energy, photos suggest
NK News (South Korea)
Key officials overseeing Russia’s energy and natural resources policy participated in recent intergovernmental talks with North Korea in Moscow, analysis has revealed, suggesting that the meeting focused on preparing to expand cooperation in these fields.
Palau: Government Pay-Hour Cut Triggers Outcry; Senate Pushes Back on ‘Premature’ Memo
Island Times (Palau)
A presidential memo on a temporary pay cut has stirred employee stress just before the holidays — but Senate leaders say the warning is unnecessary as budget approval is expected soon. The memo, issued Thursday, Nov. 27, informed employees that limited funding under the current Continuing Budget Authority — capped at 25% of the FY 2025 budget — cannot sustain full payroll costs, especially following the 10% salary increase that took effect Oct. 1 under RPPL 11-40.
Philippines: Senate OKs 2026 national budget on 2nd reading
ABS-CBN (Philippines)
The Senate has approved the proposed House Bill 4058 or the P6.7-trillion 2026 General Appropriations Bill on 2nd reading, with a P68.667-billion reduction in new appropriations.
South Korea: Nazi, Hitler rhetoric back in Korean politics — and expats, experts are alarmed
The Korea Herald (South Korea)
References to Nazism and Adolf Hitler are appearing with increasing frequency in South Korea’s political discourse — raising concerns among foreign residents and scholars that such rhetoric must be used with far greater caution. On Thursday, Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok, chair of the main opposition People Power Party, likened President Lee Jae Myung to Adolf Hitler during a party leadership meeting, accusing Lee of pursuing authoritarian rule.
Taiwan: Citing ‘peace through strength,’ Lai pushes US$40 billion defense budget
Focus Taiwan (Taiwan)
President Lai Ching-te published an op-ed proposing a US$40 billion special defense budget under the guise of “maintaining peace in the Indo-Pacific region”.
Taiwan: Trump signs Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act into law
Focus Taiwan (Taiwan)
President Trump signed the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act that requires the state department to conduct a “review of its guidance governing relations with Taiwan…‘not less than every five years’”.
Taiwan: Taiwan’s envoy thanks Japan for recognizing Taiwan-China differences
Focus Taiwan (Taiwan)
Taiwan’s top envoy to Japan, Lee Yi-yang, “thanked the Japanese public for ‘understanding the differences between Taiwanese and Chinese people’ following official comments rejecting the term ‘Taiwan Province.’”
Tonga: President Jinping welcomes King, with signing of 9 MoUs between governments
Matangi Tonga (Tonga)
“King Tupou VI and President Xi Jinping presided over the signing of nine Memorandum of Agreements (MoU) between the Government of Tonga and Government of the People’s Republic of China, during a formal meeting in Beijing on 25 November.”
Europe & Eurasia
France: French soldiers open fire on drones over nuclear submarine base
Euronews (France)
French marines opened fire on five unidentified drones that flew over a strategic nuclear submarine facility at the Ile Longue nava base in Brittany.
Germany: Thousands protest in Berlin against new German military conscription bill
Al Jazeera (Qatar)
About 3,000 people have taken to the streets of Berlin to protest against Germany’s new military service bill, after Bundestag politicians backed the legislation intended to bolster the country’s armed forces.
Germany/Poland: Berlin deploys fighter jets to Poland after Russian drone incursions.
Reuters (United Kingdom)
Germany has deployed five Eurofighter jets and some 150 military personnel to the Polish town of Malbork to help secure the country’s airspace.
Greece: Migrant shipwreck in Crete leaves at least 18 dead
Euronews (France)
A tragic shipwreck with migrants occurred off Lerapetra in Crete, 26 nautical miles south of Chrysi Island, when a boat carrying migrants capsized.
Italy: Italy now recognizes the crime of femicide and punishes it with life in prison
AP News (United States)
On the international day for the elimination of violence against women, Italy’s parliament passed a law recognizing femicide in response to a series of killings targeting women.
Lithuania: Belarus weather balloons force repeated closures of Lithuania’s main airport
NPR (United States)
A continuous stream of weather balloons flying over the Lithuania-Belarus border has led to intermittent shutdowns of Lithuania’s largest airport.
Russia: Russia terminates military agreements with Portugal, France and Canada
Euronews (France)
The three agreements signed between 1989 and 2000 are no longer strategically relevant, Russian authorities said after the termination of decades-old agreements.
Spain: In a new memoir, Spain’s disgraced former king seeks redemption. Spaniards seem unmoved
AP News (United States)
Juan Carlos, who abdicated in 2014 after a number of different scandals connected to corruption and an extravagant lifestyle, published a memoir called “Reconciliation.”
United Kingdom/Norway: Britain, Norway forge naval alliance to protect North Sea from Russia
UPI (United States)
The Lunna House Agreement allows the Royal Navy and Royal Norwegian Navy to operate an interchangeable fleet of British-built Type-26 frigates.
Near East
Iran: Iran to attend World Cup draw after boycott threat
BBC (United Kingdom)
A delegation from Iran will attend the 2026 World Cup draw in the US on Friday after threatening to boycott it over a visa row. Iran applied for nine visas but were issued four, with Mehdi Taj, president of Iran’s football federation (FFIRI), among those rejected.Taj said this week that he spoke with Fifa president Gianni Infantino and that no-one from Iran would attend the draw “unless all visas are issued.”
Lebanon: Lebanese, Israeli negotiators discussed ‘small joint projects’, long-term vision is ‘Trump economic zone’
Naharnet (Lebanon)
The Trump administration has pushed Israel and Lebanon into direct dialogue to reduce escalating tensions. Both sides reluctantly agreed to the U.S.-brokered talks, which focused mainly on confidence-building and potential economic cooperation in southern Lebanon. U.S. officials hope these meetings will delay any major Israeli military action and ultimately support the broader goal of weakening and disarming Hezbollah.
Palestine: Israel kills seven people in Gaza, says Rafah crossing to partially reopen
Al Jazeera (Qatar)
Israel’s military has killed seven Palestinians, including two children, in Gaza and announced that it will allow the Rafah crossing to open exclusively for the exit of people from the war-torn territory. The killings on Wednesday mark the latest Israeli violations of a United States-brokered ceasefire in Gaza and came after the military accused Hamas fighters of attacking and wounding four of its soldiers in southern Rafah, near the enclave’s border with Egypt.
Syria: Crowds gather in Hama, Syria, to celebrate one year of liberation
Al Jazeera (Qatar)
Tens of thousands of people gathered in the Syrian city of Hama to mark one year since forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad were expelled. People were waving flags, chanting and calling for justice for past massacres.
Syria: Al-Assad inner circle plotting Syrian uprisings from Russian exile: Report
Al Jazeera (Qatar)
Former loyalists to deposed Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad are funneling millions of dollars to tens of thousands of potential fighters in a bid to start uprisings against the country’s fledgling government, a Reuters investigation has found.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Africa: List: 19 ‘countries of concern’ for the US, as per the Trump administration
Gulf News (UAE)
Following the Afghan asylum seeker who killed two soldiers near the White House, U.S. President Trump announced a freeze on migration from 19 ‘countries of concern’, which include sub-Saharan countries Burundi, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and Togo.
DRC & Rwanda: Rwanda’s Kagame and Tshisekedi of the DRC sign peace deal at the White House
France 24 (France)
On Thursday, December 4, 2025, in an effort to end the conflict in the DR Congo and Rwanda, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and DR Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi met with US President Donald Trump at the White House to sign a peace deal. President Trump has claimed that the agreement would also pave the way for U.S. access to critical minerals and for economic development in both countries. Unfortunately, fighting ensues between M23 rebels and the Congolese army.
Ghana: Decades Later, China’s ‘Go Out’ Policy Fuels Ghana’s Galamsey Crisis
ADF Magazine (Nigeria)
Galamsey, illegal gold mining, has contributed to annual losses of billions of dollars in Ghana and to environmental damage to water supplies. Analysts claim that China’s ‘Go Out’ policy, which encourages Chinese migration to the continents, has exacerbated the situation. The heavy metals and chemicals from the machines Chinese miners use to process gold have poisoned Ghana’s rivers, leading government officials and civil society to seek ways to eliminate galamsey.
Nigeria: Nigerian Senate Moves on Death Penalty for Kidnappers, Sponsors
allAfrica (United States)
In response to Nigeria’s rising kidnapping crisis, the Nigerian Senate has amended the 2022 Terrorism Act to categorize kidnapping as a form of terrorism, now imposing the death penalty on all individuals involved.
Nigeria: Nigeria Nominates New Defense Minister
Semafor (United States)
Following the resignation of former Defense Minister Mohammed Badaru Abubaka, former chief of the country’s defense staff Christopher Musa has been nominated as his replacement by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu. This follows rumors of a coup that led to the firing of service chiefs, including the retired General Christopher Musa.
Somalia: U.S. Suspends Visa Applications After Trump Insults Somalis
allAfrica (United States)
The Trump Administration has temporarily halted visa applications from 19 countries, including Somalia. This follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s claims that he does not want Somali immigrants in the U.S. and his insults toward the country, all amid reports of a planned immigration enforcement operation targeting Minnesota’s Somali community, including Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.
South Africa: ‘Desperate’ South African Mercenaries Eager to Return from Russian War
ADF Magazine (Nigeria)
Around 19 young South African men with no previous military training claim to have been deceived into joining the Russian-Ukrainian war as fighters in the Donbas region for Russia. Initially recruited under the belief that they would train and return to serve in the MK [uMkhonto weSizwe] security forces, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is responding to their distress call through diplomatic means.
Tanzania: Tanzania’s Govt Faces ICC Probe as Meta Restricts Activists
allAfrica (United States)
President Samia Hassan’s 2025 general election win with nearly 98% of the vote in Tanzania, which has led to criticism of a fraudulent election, followed by a violent crackdown with human rights violations, including the restriction by Meta of activists, has led to a submission for the ICC to investigate.
West Africa: Terrorist ‘Domino Effect’ Threatens West Africa
ADF Magazine (Nigeria)
Terrorist groups, linked to Al-Qaida and ISIS, from the Sahel are expanding into West Africa’s coastal states and prompting fears of a domino effect across the West African region. Analysts claim that the lack of coordinated regional intelligence has made it more difficult to stop the border crossing of terrorist groups. Others argue that with countries leaving ECOWAS, now is the time for unified regional cooperation.
South & Central Asia
Afghanistan: Bombs kill three Pakistani police officers close to Afghan border
Al Jazeera (Qatar)
A roadside bomb killed three Pakistani officer and Interior minister Mohsin Naqvi is suspicious of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), since the rocky ceasefire has continued since October, after the significant border dispute that ended up killing many on both sides.
India: Russian President Putin says India, Russia collaboration not directed against anyone
Press Trust of India (India)
India and Russia’s relationship grows stronger with their new collaboration and energy ties with “New Delhi’s growing role in international markets”.
Pakistan: Pakistan formally appoints Asim Munir as first CDF
Press Trust of India (India)
Asim Munir, the Fied Marshal of the army chief, is appointed as the first Chief of Defence Forces of Pakistan, for a term of five years.
Sri Lanka: Cyclone Ditwah Sri Lanka Live Updates – Death Toll, Floods, Landslides, International Aid and Government Alerts
The Daily Mirror (United Kingdom)
Cyclone Ditwah hit Sri Lanka on November 25th and, the country’s death toll continues to increase alongside floods, landslides and slow support.
Uzbekistan: Komil Allamjonov Appointed Presidential Administration Representative of Uzbekistan in the United States
Fergana News (Russia)
Komil Allamjonov was appointed to be the new Presidential Administration Representative of Uzbekistan in order “‘to improve coordination of foreign policy and state initiatives’”.
Western Hemisphere
Brazil: Budget Tensions Arise over New Reelection Campaign Grant Deadline
LatinNews (United Kingdom)
Congress has approved the passing of new PLDO guidelines, which mandates that the government must pay 65% of the budget grants allocated to the legislature. It still awaits promulgation from the President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has openly expressed distaste as he argues it’s a misuse of government discretionary spending that can be put towards other meaningful developments.
Honduras: Honduran Election Still Too Soon To Call
Reuters (United Kingdom)
As of December 6th and after seven days of voting in the Honduran election, the margins are still too close to call a winner between the liberal presidential candidate, Salvador Nasralla, and centrist Nasry Asfura, who has the backing of the Trump Administration and appears to be taking the lead. This comes amid comments made by Trump that he would cut off aid to Honduras if Asfura did not win and accusations that the Honduran government tried to change election results based on no evidence when the electoral commission’s website went down and the vote count abruptly stopped.
Mexico: Newly Approved Water Rights Bill Causes Division
LatinNews (United Kingdom)
A bill aimed at ensuring fair access to water and solidifying the right to water as a domestic norm has faced scrutiny both from some Congressmen and civilians, many of whom have protested its implementation. The bill now awaits promulgation by President Claudia Sheinbaum, who fully supports it, arguing it will protect Mexico’s natural resources from overexploitation. The bill seeks to strengthen institutional oversight of water concessions and ensure they are not concentrated in the hands of only a few by requiring that applicants must formally petition for a concession rather than simply being handed one by a business partner. Allowing new investors and ordinary consumers to compete for and obtain water concessions, rather than leaving access exclusively to the wealthy.
The SHU World Review is produced by the Student Research Assistants of the DiploLab at the School of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University. Some summaries may be copied from article text. Back issues are available in Seton Hall’s repository.