LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN

Fernández Wins Argentine Election
Alberto Fernández was declared the winner of the Argentine presidential election on October 27, defeating center-right incumbent Mauricio Macri after Macri’s free market reforms failed to drive economic growth. Fernández served in various administrative roles in the Kirchner administrations, but only served in an elected position in Buenos Aires. Fernández pledged to fix the economy, stating that “it is not the case that we are condemned to the present Argentina.” His supporters believed that the Peronists’ policies would lead to more economic mobility and address inequality. Argentines anticipate that he will adopt a more protectionist trade policy than Macri, but observers note that his plan to address Argentina’s rising inflation is unclear.

INDO-ASIA-PACIFIC

Thousands Gather in Islamabad for Anti-Government March
Thousands of protesters gathered in Islamabad on October 30, calling for Prime Minister Imran Khan’s resignation over worsening economic conditions and alleged election rigging. The protesters also gathered in anticipation of the arrival of right-wing religious political leader and chief of the Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) party Fazl-ur-Rehman. The JUI-F leader has led a five-day march from the southern city of Karachi and through the length of the country with the goal of reaching Islamabad. The country's main opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) have supported the JUI-F's protest against Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which won last year's controversial general election.

MIDDLE EAST & CENTRAL ASIA

Iraq President Says PM Willing to Step Down
Iraq’s President Barham Salih announced that the country's beleaguered Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi has agreed to step down if a replacement is found. Salih’s announcement was in response to mounting protests in Baghdad calling for economic reforms, government overhaul, and an end to the country's quota-based power-sharing system. He added that a new electoral law will be presented to Parliament next week, paving the way for a snap parliamentary election to be held. The prime minister had previously offered a range of concessions, including a cabinet reshuffle and a package of reforms, but the protesters were not satisfied and took to the streets for the seventh consecutive day on October 31.

EASTERN EUROPE & RUSSIA

Denmark’s Approval of Russian Pipeline Faces Ukrainian Pushback
Denmark’s recent approval of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline which would cross the Baltic Sea and create another efficient method for Russian gas to be sold in Europe, has been met with much controversy. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calls the pipeline a “geopolitical issue,” and American president Donald Trump has criticized it for increasing the dependence of Europe on Russia. As things stand now, the European Union’s gas supplies already come in large part from Russia, with 40 percent of the EU’s gas originating from there. Denmark’s government said that it approved of the pipeline in order to follow UN conventions. Ukraine, on the other hand, is due to lose a large source of income in Russian gas transit fees.

AFRICA

Student Dies in Burundi From Caning
On October 29, a 14-year old schoolgirl died after being caned by her teacher in Burundi’s capital, Bujumbura. The student was reportedly beaten for breaking class rules. The head teacher managed to bring the student to the hospital, but she was declared dead soon after arrival. According to the student’s father, she died as a result of an epileptic seizure and was buried the same day. Although corporal punishment is illegal in Burundi, BBC was not able to get comment from the education department nor the police.

WESTERN EUROPE & CANADA

McDonald’s Portugal Apologizes for 'Sundae Bloody Sundae' Ads
McDonald’s Portugal has apologized for using the slogan 'Sundae Bloody Sundae' for a Halloween promotion. The promotion offered a two-for-one deal on a strawberry sundae, with the slogan being a reference to the U2 song “Sunday Bloody Sunday.” On October 31, however, the company officially ended the promotion because it inadvertently makes an “insensitive reference” to the event Bloody Sunday, when British paratroopers shot and killed fourteen demonstrators at a civil rights march in Northern Ireland in 1972. The company said all related promotional material had now been removed from its restaurants.