Australia: At least three nations ‘willing to kill’ on Australian soil, spy chief says<\/a><\/span> Cambodia: Thailand says it remains ready to redeploy heavy weapons should Cambodia breach the accord<\/a><\/span> China: Xi calls it a \u2018strategic choice\u2019 to deepen ties in meeting with Russian PM<\/a><\/span> Indonesia: Indonesia may buy four more Airbus A400M military planes, president says<\/a><\/span> Japan: Takaichi eager to outline policies on foreigners in January<\/a><\/span> Laos: Laos Sets New Economic Direction Under 2026\u20132030 Development Strategy<\/a><\/span> Mongolia: Mongolia Political Instability Analysis: PM Zandanshatar Consolidates Power as Party Congress Nears<\/a><\/span> Myanmar: Tens of thousands flee raids by Myanmar regime forces near Kalay\u00a0<\/a><\/span> North Korea: US Forces Korea focused on North Korea but can respond to other crises: Hegseth<\/a><\/span> South Korea: Lee calls for bipartisan support for 2026 budget centered on AI<\/a><\/span> Taiwan: US Weapons Transfer to Taiwan Taiwan: Taiwan\u2019s defense ministry establishes AI office<\/a><\/span> Thailand: Thai PM declares war on scammers<\/a><\/span> Thailand: Turmoil in tiaras at Miss Universe in Thailand<\/a><\/span> Vanuatu: Opposition seeks removal of Speaker for not summoning MP Simeon<\/a><\/span> Vietnam: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visits Vietnam amid protracted arms supply talks<\/a><\/span> Belgium: Drone sightings force fresh flight cancellations at Belgium\u2019s main airport<\/a><\/span> European Union: EU countries agree deal on 2040 climate target, Danish presidency says<\/a><\/span> European Union: European military trainers should be part of Ukraine security guarantees, EU general says<\/a><\/span> European Union: EU weighs pausing parts of landmark AI Act amid pressure, FT reports<\/a><\/span> European Union\/Ukraine\/Hungary: Zelenskyy calls on Hungary\u2019s Orb\u00e1n to stop blocking EU bid<\/a><\/span> Germany\/Russia: Far-right German MPs to visit Russia as scrutiny of Moscow ties mounts<\/a><\/span> Italy: Italian Politics in Turmoil: Boccia Withdraws from Campania Election Amid Scandal<\/a><\/span> Italy: Italy\u2019s Constitutional Court Rejects Bid to Allow Third Term for Regional Leaders<\/a><\/span> Latvia: Treaty protecting women triggers political row in Latvia<\/a><\/span> Egypt\/Algeria: Egypt\u2019s FM meets Algerian president to discuss Gaza reconstruction, Libya crisis\u00a0<\/a><\/span> Iran: Trump says he was \u2018very much in charge\u2019 of Israel\u2019s June 13 attack on Iran\u00a0<\/a><\/span> Israel: Israeli official says Israel would strike Beirut if army fails to disarm Hezbollah<\/a><\/span> Morocco: With 11 Members Voting in\u00a0Favour, 3 Abstaining, Security Council Adopts\u00a0Resolution 2797 (2025), Renewing Mandate of UN Mission in Western Sahara for One Year\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/span> Morocco: Morocco Elected to UNESCO Executive Board<\/a><\/span> Syria: US removes Syrian president from global \u2018terrorist\u2019 sanctions list<\/a><\/span> Syria: Syria\u2019s al-Sharaa pledges commitment to climate goals at COP30<\/a><\/span> Africa: Growing Drone Use Raises Likelihood of Attacks by Self-Directed Machines<\/a><\/span> Angola: Angola looks for $4.5B in funding for Lobito Corridor rail extension<\/a><\/span> Cameroon: 92-Year-Old President Biya Sworn In for Eighth Term<\/a><\/span> Kenya: Community-led SALW Efforts Seen As Key To Peace and Stability<\/a><\/span> Libya: Libya to Co-Host Flintlock 26<\/a><\/span> Nigeria issues $2.35B\u00a0eurobond\u00a0amid Trump threats<\/a><\/span> Sudan:\u00a0RSF agrees to US and Arab-led ceasefire deal<\/a><\/span> South Africa: Nearly half of world\u2019s most unequal countries are in Africa – report<\/a><\/span> South Africa: Probes 17 Citizens Recruited to Fight in Ukraine War<\/a><\/span> Tanzania\u2019s internet shutdown cost economy $228M,\u00a0monitoring\u00a0group says<\/a><\/span> Uganda: Ugandans Fear Russian Traffic Monitoring System is a Tool for Spying<\/a><\/span> West Africa: Can Coastal West Africa Resist Sahel Terror Threats?<\/a><\/span> Afghanistan: Pakistan Launches New Attack on Afghanistan as Fresh Round of Talks Begin<\/a><\/span> Bangladesh: Bullet-hit BNP candidate airlifted to Dhaka from Chattogram<\/a><\/span> Bolivia: Former Interim President, Jeanine Anez, is freed from prison after Supreme Court Ruling annulling her sentence<\/a><\/span>
\nABC\u00a0(Australia)\u00a0<\/em>
\nAt least three nations are willing and capable of carrying out an assassination on Australian soil, the nation’s spy chief has warned. In a major address, Mike Burgess has also spelled out his concerns about the rise of AI, and a plot to steal AUKUS secrets.<\/p>\n
\nKhmer Times\u00a0(Cambodia)\u00a0<\/em>
\nCambodia has reiterated its commitment to the peace agreement with Thailand amid a demilitarization exercise at the frontier, even as a senior Thai Army\u00a0spokesman\u00a0sought\u00a0to allay domestic concerns that Thailand may not be able to redeploy its heavy weapons to the border \u201cin time\u201d should Cambodia breach the accord.<\/p>\n
\nSouth China Morning Post\u00a0(Hong Kong)\u00a0<\/em>
\nPresident\u202fXi Jinping\u202freaffirmed Beijing\u2019s commitment to Moscow, saying it was a \u201cstrategic choice\u201d to strengthen ties, during a meeting with visiting Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on Tuesday. Xi told Mishustin that\u202fChina-Russia ties\u202fwere advancing with steady determination \u201cdespite the turbulent and challenging external environment\u201d,\u00a0according to state news agency Xinhua.<\/p>\n
\nThe Jakarta Post\u00a0(Indonesia)\u00a0<\/em>
\nIndonesia may start negotiations to buy four more units of Airbus’ A400M military\u00a0aircraft, President Prabowo Subianto said on Wednesday, as the country continues to revamp its aging military through a string of hardware deals. The purchase of military equipment has picked up since Prabowo, a former special forces commander, became defense minister in 2019 and then president last year, with multiple deals struck for new fighter jets as well as submarines.<\/p>\n
\nThe Asahi Shimbun\u00a0(Japan)\u00a0<\/em>
\nPrime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced on Nov. 4 that she intends to formulate the direction of policies on foreign nationals, one of her administration\u2019s priorities, in January. At the inaugural meeting of a new ministerial council tasked with the issue, Takaichi instructed her ministers to accelerate discussions on issues such as compliance with existing rules, proper administration of various systems and a review of regulations governing land acquisition by foreign nationals.<\/p>\n
\nThe Laotian Times\u00a0(Laos)\u00a0<\/em>
\nLaos is setting an ambitious new course for national growth as the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the Ministry of Finance have rolled out their five-year development plans for 2026\u20132030, outlining strategies to accelerate industrialization, strengthen financial stability, and build a self-reliant economy. At the sixth Party Committee Congress of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in late October, Deputy Minister\u00a0Chanthaboun\u00a0Soukaloun\u00a0presented the draft Industry and Trade Development Plan, which positions the sector as a central driver of the country\u2019s economic transformation.<\/p>\n
\nMongolia Weekly\u00a0(Mongolia)\u00a0<\/em>
\nWhen the parliament voted on October 17 to oust Prime Minister\u00a0Gombojavyn\u00a0Zandanshatar, few expected him to return within a week. Yet the Constitutional Court\u2019s October 22 ruling nullified the vote, and he was back in the prime minister\u2019s seat.<\/p>\n
\nBorneo Bulletin\u00a0(Brunei)\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe\u00a0displaced\u00a0individuals\u00a0are\u00a0residents of at least 30 villages targeted by two junta columns over the past week, sources said.<\/p>\n
\nNK News\u00a0(South Korea)\u00a0<\/em>
\nU.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that U.S. Forces Korea (USFK)\u00a0remains\u00a0primarily focused on deterring North Korean aggression but will\u00a0retain\u00a0\u201cflexibility\u201d to respond to wider regional contingencies if necessary.<\/p>\n
\nThe Korea Herald\u00a0(South Korea)\u00a0<\/em>
\nPresident Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday outlined a 728 trillion won ($506 billion) budget plan for 2026, calling it \u201cKorea\u2019s first budget to open the AI era\u201d and pledging sweeping investments to make the country a global leader in artificial intelligence. Addressing the National Assembly in Seoul, Lee said the government would\u00a0allocate\u00a010.1 trillion won \u2014 triple this year\u2019s amount \u2014 to accelerate the nation\u2019s transition to an AI-driven economy.<\/p>\n
\nFocus Taiwan (Taiwan)
\nPentagon working to expedite Taiwan Harpoon deliveries: DoD nominee<\/a><\/span>
\nOnly some of the 66 fighter jets ordered from U.S. may be delivered on time: Koo<\/a><\/span>
\nNominee for assistant secretary of defense for strategy, plans and forces, discusses the transportation of fulfilling the delivery of the 100 harpoons approved of and to be sent to Taiwan by the United States Pentagon.<\/p>\n
\nFocus Taiwan\u00a0(Taiwan)\u00a0<\/em>
\nIn hopes to strengthen Taiwanese military, Taiwan\u2019s defense ministry\u00a0established\u00a0an AI office within the Ministry of National Defense (MND) to be used\u00a0predominantly for\u00a0video and image-related purposes but highlighted the possibility of combat uses as well.<\/p>\n
\nBangkok Post\u00a0(Thailand)\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe Prime Minister of Thailand calls for action on technology-based crimes, highlighting that online\u00a0scams\u00a0in particular are\u00a0damaging countries and individuals physically, financially, and socially.<\/p>\n
\nBangkok Post (Thailand)\u00a0<\/em>
\nMiss Universe Host Nawat\u00a0Itsaragrisil\u00a0dramatically insults Mexican delegate Fatima Bosch for missing an unrequired photoshoot, then calls security after her rebuttal that her organization\u00a0advised\u00a0her absence. This event led to a walkout of many fellow delegates in the name of protecting the dignity and respect of women everywhere.<\/p>\n
\nDaily Post\u00a0(Vanuatu)\u00a0<\/em>
\n\u201cThe Opposition bloc has accused Speaker of Parliament Stephen Felix of breaching the Constitution and Parliament Standing Orders, lodging a motion yesterday morning seeking his removal\u201d<\/p>\n
\nBBC News\u00a0(United Kingdom)\u00a0<\/em>
\nU.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Hanoi, Vietnam to discuss U.S. provisions of military equipment to the country, based on agreements to \u201cpromote defense cooperation\u201d.<\/p>\nEurope & Eurasia<\/h3>\n
\nAP News (United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nBrussels International canceled dozens of flights after overnight drone activity triggered a shutdown amid wider security concerns.<\/p>\n
\nReuters (United Kingdom)\u00a0<\/em>
\nEnvironment ministers backed a 90% emissions-cut goal for 2040 with new\u00a0flexibilities\u00a0ahead of COP30.<\/p>\n
\nReuters (United Kingdom)\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe EU\u2019s top military adviser urged deploying trainers inside Ukraine after the war as part of Western guarantees.<\/p>\n
\nReuters (United Kingdom)\u00a0<\/em>
\nBrussels is considering delaying elements of its AI rules under lobbying from big tech and US officials.<\/p>\n
\nAl Jazeera (Qatar)<\/em>
\nKyiv urged Budapest to lift objections as Brussels advances accession steps despite reform concerns.<\/p>\n
\nReuters (United Kingdom)<\/em>
\nTwo\u00a0AfD\u00a0lawmakers plan a Moscow trip amid allegations of sharing sensitive information. The party has denied these allegations.<\/p>\n
\nBrussels Morning (Belgium)<\/em>
\nThe sudden withdrawal of a key candidate in the Campania regional election amid a\u00a0scandal highlights\u00a0growing instability within the national governing coalition.<\/p>\n
\nTrieste (Italy)<\/em>
\nItaly\u2019s highest court blocked a Trentino law allowing a third consecutive term for the regional president, emphasizing limits on regional autonomy.<\/p>\n
\nThe Times (United Kingdom)<\/em>
\nA bill to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention has sparked protests and a presidential referral back to parliament.<\/p>\nNear East<\/h3>\n
\nDaily News Egypt (Egypt)\u00a0<\/em>
\nEgyptian Foreign Minister Badr\u00a0Abdelatty\u00a0met with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune in Algiers on Wednesday. During the meeting,\u00a0Abdelatty\u00a0reviewed the outcomes of the Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit and the historic agreement to end the war in the Gaza Strip. He stressed the importance of\u00a0building on\u00a0this achievement to ensure the ceasefire holds, and humanitarian aid flows into the enclave, a precursor to reconstruction efforts.<\/p>\n
\nAl Jazeera (Qatar)\u00a0<\/em>
\nUnited States President Donald Trump has claimed responsibility for Israel\u2019s\u00a0initial\u00a0attack on Iran, contradicting\u00a0previous\u00a0US assertions that the Israeli government acted unilaterally. \u201cIsrael attacked first. That attack was\u00a0very, very powerful. I was very much in charge of that,\u201d Trump told reporters on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\nNaharnet\u00a0(Lebanon)\u00a0<\/em>
\nA senior Israeli military official has warned that Israel would attack targets in Beirut if the Lebanese army\u00a0fails\u00a0to disarm Hezbollah. “If the Lebanese army does not disarm Hezbollah and fails to meet the demands of the ceasefire, Israel, with U.S. backing, will attack Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, including in Beirut,” the official told Israeli Channel 12, hours after Israel struck a series of targets in southern Lebanon.<\/p>\n
\nUnited Nations Meetings Coverage and Press Releases (United Nations)\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe Security Council today renewed for one year the mandate of the long-standing\u00a0United Nations peacekeeping mission in the disputed Western Sahara, referencing\u00a0Morocco\u2019s Autonomy Proposal presented in 2007 \u2014 which envisions the territory as\u00a0self-governing under Moroccan sovereignty \u2014 as a basis for negotiations.<\/p>\n
\nMorocco World News (Morocco)\u00a0<\/em>
\nMorocco has been elected as a member of the Executive Board of the United Nations\u00a0Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) during the 43rd session of\u00a0its\u00a0General Conference, held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The Kingdom secured 146 votes\u00a0for a four-year mandate, according to the Moroccan delegation in Samarkand.<\/p>\n
\nAl Jazeera (Qatar)\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe US Department of the Treasury removed al-Sharaa, a former fighter linked to\u00a0al-Qaeda, from the Specially Designated Global Terrorist list on Friday. Al-Sharaa and\u00a0President\u00a0Donald Trump are set to meet next\u00a0week.\u00a0The\u00a0United Nations Security Council\u00a0also removed al-Sharaa from a\u00a0largely symbolic\u00a0sanctions list on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\nAl Jazeera (Qatar)\u00a0<\/em>
\nSyrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa joined world leaders at the United Nations COP30\u00a0summit in Brazil, pledging his commitment to global efforts to limit climate change, in\u00a0the\u00a0latest sign that the war-torn country is returning to the international fold.<\/p>\nSub-Saharan Africa<\/h3>\n
\nAfrica Defense Forum (United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe use of drones has increased in conflicts on the African continent. Experts have expressed their worries about\u00a0drones\u00a0operating\u00a0without human intervention, otherwise known as\u00a0lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS), potentially being used on the continent as testing grounds. As countries like Nigeria and South Africa strengthen their defense and security projects, fears of AI-enhanced drones falling into the wrong hands of terrorists or insurgent groups have led analysts to call for African voices in global AI governance.<\/p>\n
\nSemafor (United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe Angolan government is seeking\u00a0$4.5 billion\u00a0to extend the Lobito Corridor railway into Zambia\u2019s Copperbelt, a significant increase from the\u00a0$1.6 billion\u00a0estimate by the African Development Bank (AfDb) earlier in 2024. The\u00a0830km\u00a0extension aims to provide a less congested route that would speed up copper exports from Zamba and\u00a0the\u00a0DRC\u00a0,\u00a0which supply over 13% of global copper. The U.S.-backed project is viewed as an alternative to investment from China on the continent, although funding has been slow, with a $533 million loan from the U.S. yet to be disbursed.<\/p>\n
\nallAfrica\u00a0(United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nPresident Paul Biya, the world’s oldest leader, has been sworn in for an eighth term in Cameroon. In his inaugural speech, he offered condolences to those affected by post-election\u00a0violence, which he attributed to irresponsible politicians, and promised to restore order.<\/p>\n
\nAfrica Defense Forum (United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nIn an effort to\u00a0curb the proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons (SALW), Kenya has become a leader in community-led disarmament efforts in the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa regions, disposing of\u00a0nearly 40,00\u00a0illegal firearms over the past two decades.<\/p>\n
\nAfrica Defense Forum (United States)<\/em>
\nFlintlock, a special operations exercise involving over 30 African countries allied with the U.S., will be co-hosted by Libya in 2026, marking a historic feat. This exercise will bring together military institutions from the West and the East to collaborate, overcoming divisions and strengthening their capacity, following years of conflict and the\u00a0subsequent\u00a02020 ceasefire.<\/p>\n
\nSemafor (United States)<\/em>
\nTo help finance its budget, Nigeria has issued a\u00a0$2.35 billion\u00a0Eurobond, drawing\u00a0$13 billion\u00a0in investor orders. The move comes amidst tensions with the U.S., which has criticized the Nigerian government for not curbing violence against Christians. President Donald Trump has threatened to cut aid and even take military action, with reports that the U.S. Africa Command has\u00a0identified\u00a0potential targets. Nigeria joins countries like Angola and Kenya in turning to Eurobond markets despite debt concerns in Africa.<\/p>\n
\nSemafor (United States)<\/em>
\nA U.S. and Arab-led proposal detailing a humanitarian ceasefire in Sudan amid a civil war between Sudan\u2019s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the military-led government has been agreed to by the former. The latter has yet to respond to the programs, which also called for a permanent ceasefire and a transition to civilian rule following a three-month humanitarian truce.<\/p>\n
\nSemafor (United States)<\/em>
\nNobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz has reported that Africa is home to\u00a0nearly half\u00a0of the world\u2019s most economically unequal countries. A new report on global inequality, commissioned by South Africa, claims that inequality should be considered an emergency and has called for a panel on inequality that incorporates global voices.<\/p>\n
\nallAfrica\u00a0(United States)<\/em>
\nThe South African\u00a0government received a distress call from seventeen South\u00a0African\u00a0men\u00a0in the Donbas\u00a0region\u00a0of Ukraine\u00a0who had\u00a0apparently\u00a0been\u00a0lured\u00a0under the assumption of finding\u00a0lucrative employment opportunities\u00a0to join as mercenaries in the Russia-Ukraine war.\u00a0South African\u00a0President Cyril Ramaphosa has\u00a0ordered an investigation into the recruitment of the men while the government\u00a0works to\u00a0bring them back safely.<\/p>\n
\nSemafor (United States)<\/em>
\nDuring the elections in Tanzania, an internet outage occurred, which many rights groups attributed to the silencing of dissent and narrative control, and has\u00a0impacted\u00a0democratic\u00a0participation. Net, an internet monitoring group, has claimed that the six-day shutdown has cost the economy $238 million. This raises concerns among people about the government’s use of state-ordered internet outages during periods of unrest or elections in African countries.<\/p>\n
\nAfrica Defense Forum (United States)<\/em>
\nUgandan citizens are questioning the\u00a0new\u00a0digital\u00a0license\u00a0plates that all vehicles entering the country are fitted\u00a0with, which track and\u00a0monitor\u00a0the driver’s activity.\u00a0The system, known as the\u00a0Intelligent Transport Monitoring System (ITMS),\u202fis controlled\u00a0by the Russian\u00a0Joint Stock Company Global Security. Many Ugandans have called out the lack of transparency, fearing what data is being collected and who has access to it.<\/p>\n
\nallAfrica\u00a0(United States)<\/em>
\nMany African countries in the Sahel region have strengthened border security in response to rising terrorist attacks by two al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadi groups. Mistrust among Sahel nations and ECOWAS, along with inadequate cross-border intelligence and regional coordination, has allowed terror groups to infiltrate borders.<\/p>\nSouth & Central Asia<\/h3>\n
\nThe\u00a0Khaama\u00a0Press\u00a0(Afghanistan)<\/em>
\nPakistani troops opened fire on Taliban members as Afghanistan and Pakistan were engaging in peace talks in\u00a0Istanbul, reigniting detrimental tensions on the\u00a0countries\u2019\u00a0shared border.<\/p>\n
\nProthomalo\u00a0(Bangladesh)<\/em>
\nBangladesh National Party nominated candidate Ershad Ullah, was attacked by raining bullets at\u00a0an event in Chattogram, Bangladesh. He was flown to Dhaka for emergency medical\u00a0treatment,\u00a0and two suspects have been arrested.<\/p>\nWestern Hemisphere<\/h3>\n
\nAP News\u00a0(United States)<\/em>
\nOn November\u00a06th, former Bolivian interim president Jeanine Anez was released from prison following a decision made by the Supreme Court that annulled her 10-year sentence.\u00a0This decision was made on the grounds of procedural legal irregularities and legal inconsistencies in the ruling.\u00a0She told the media upon release, \u201cthere was never a coup in this country; there was electoral\u00a0fraud,” in\u00a0reference to claims from her predecessor, the country\u2019s first indigenous socialist president, Evo Morales, being ousted in a coup. He was suspected of committing fraud in the 2019 elections with many U.S. scholars now finding there is no\u00a0hard\u00a0evidence to suspect an electoral steal.<\/p>\n