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

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Multiple aid organisations suspended their efforts in Gaza, following an Israeli airstrike which killed seven aid workers of the non-profit World Central Kitchen. Such pauses have worsened the humanitarian crisis and imminent famine. Consequently, Israel dismissed two senior officers and reprimanded three others for ostensibly deviating from standard operating procedures, while United States (US) president Joe Biden – who also called for an immediate ceasefire and the release of hostages – then gave Israel an ultimatum, that if Israel does not protect civilians and aid workers, Israel could lose future US support. However, Israel’s war on Gaza continues.

In the US, at least 2,000 people have been arrested at dozens of colleges over pro-Palestinian student protests, and the various decisions by university leaders – ranging from negotiations to calling in the police – have been roundly criticised. Separately, also in the US, the first criminal trial against a former president is underway, as Donald Trump is accused of creating a criminal scheme and conspiracy to protect his 2016 presidential campaign.

Extreme weather events

Hundreds of millions in Asia suffered from a punishing heat wave that has resulted in school closures, work and agricultural disruptions, and raised the risks of heat-related conditions. In Kazakhstan and Russia, over a hundred thousand people were evacuated from areas experiencing rising floodwaters, resulting from the bursting of river embankments and a dam in the region.

Relatedly, Europe’s top human rights court – on the basis that countries are obligated to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to protect individuals – ruled that the Swiss government violated its citizens’ rights by not doing enough to combat climate change. This also likely sets a legal precedent for future climate litigation.

China and other geopolitical developments

In China, president Xi Jinping met with former Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou. Separately, Taiwan was struck by a deadly 7.3 magnitude earthquake, the strongest in 25 years. In the Maldives, the president’s pro-China party won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections, moving the country away from traditional partner India.

Mexico severed diplomatic ties with the country, after Ecuadorian authorities forcibly entered the Mexican embassy – considered sovereign territory – to arrest a former Ecuadorian vice president on corruption charges. And in Ukraine, with Russia making incremental gains on the ground, its parliament passed a military mobilisation law, including tightening registration rules and penalties for service evasion.

Electoral and political news

• Haiti: Amid escalating gang violence, prime minister Ariel Henry officially resigned, and a new transitional government was sworn in.
• Scotland: First minister Humza Yousaf resigned barely a year into his tenure, after his coalition government fell apart over climate policy disagreements. Specifically, the power-sharing agreement collapsed over the abandonment of a key target to significantly reduce carbon emissions by 2030.
• South Korea: Voters handed the president and his party a landslide election defeat, with the liberal opposition parties winning 192 of 300 seats in the country’s national assembly.
• Turkey: The main opposition group, in nationwide local elections, claimed significant victories, delivering the president his biggest electoral defeat.
• Uganda: The constitutional court largely upheld a draconian anti-gay law signed last year.