This roundup summarises the most important news stories around the world in the last month (March 2024).

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The Haitian, Irish, and Vietnamese leaders stepped down. In Haiti, a state of emergency was declared after armed gangs – committed to ousting the prime minister – attacked two prisons and released thousands of federal inmates. The prime minister later said he would step down, but the timing was unclear. In Ireland, citing personal and political reasons, prime minister Leo Varadkar announced a surprise resignation. In Vietnam, after stating that he was guilty of corruption and violations, the president resigned.

And former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández was convicted on charges of conspiring with drug traffickers and using his then military and national police to import cocaine into the US. He faces up to life imprisonment.

In terms of stepping away, in the United Kingdom, Catherine, the Princess of Wales, announced via a video message that she is currently being treated for cancer. This comes as King Charles was also diagnosed with cancer last month.

Political elections and regression

In Hong Kong, in its opposition-less Legislative Council, a second national security law – which widens crackdown powers – was passed. In Senegal, a young opposition candidate, popular among the country’s disaffected youth, won a surprise victory in the presidential election. In the United States, the slate for the 2024 presidential election is set, between president Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump. Both candidates are historically old and strongly disliked.

And in Russia, without facing any credible opposition, president Vladimir Putin won the election for his fifth presidential term in a landslide. In a show of defiance, thousands heeded the call of late opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s call to protest. Later, in the country’s deadliest attack in decades, more than 115 were killed at the Moscow Concert Hall. ISIS claimed responsibility, and while Mr. Putin acknowledged the role of these “radical Islamists,” he also insisted that Ukraine could have played a role.

Man-made tragedies and other bad news

In Gaza, the United Nations Security Council passed a legally-binding resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, after the United States abstained, against Israel’s objection. The resolution also calls for the unconditional and immediate release of all hostages. Relatedly, in Yemen, in the first fatal attack by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels since Israel’s invasion of Gaza, at least two people were killed on a Red Sea shipping vessel.

Gambia’s parliament voted to revoke the country’s ban on female genital cutting, making it the first country to roll back such protections for millions of girls. Hundreds of Nigerian students were kidnapped in two mass kidnapping in less than a week. Later, nearly 300 of them were released. In South Sudan, ahead of a two-week heatwave, all schools were shut down.

And in the European Union, technology companies Apple was fined approximately US$2 (S$2.7) billion by regulators for boxing out its music streaming rivals.

Some positive news

France became the first country to enshrine abortion rights in its constitution. In Japan, as a sign of stronger economic growth, the central bank raised interest rates for the first time since 2007. And the Thai parliament passed a landmark Marriage Equality Bill overwhelmingly, which sets the stage to make Thailand the first South East Asian country to legalise same-sex marriage.