LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN

Morales Urges Citizens to Wait For International Review of Elections
Incumbent Bolivian President Evo Morales rejected calls by the opposition to resign amid mounting allegations of election fraud. Morales has instructed the country to wait for an international audit to assess the validity of the recent presidential election. In the meantime, Morales has accused opposition parties of wanting to stage a “coup” against him and claimed discrimination against him because of his indigenous identity. On November 2, tens of thousands of Bolivians rallied in Santa Cruz, calling on Morales to resign. Observers note that this recent round of elections could result in a constitutional crisis, as political opponents argue that Morales has violated term limits. The Organization of American States is slated to conduct the audit despite strong opposition from many Bolivians.

INDO-ASIA-PACIFIC

New Delhi Attempts to Combat Worsening Air Pollution
Air pollution in India’s capital city has reached dangerous levels, with officials shutting down schools, cancelling flights, and declaring a state of emergency as a result. As Delhi residents woke up on November 4, levels of particulates were at 613 micrograms per cubic meter of air, according to the U.S. Embassy in Delhi. The World Health Organization's recommended safe daily maximum is a reading of 25. In response to the air pollution crisis, authorities in Delhi have ordered half the city's private cars off the road, based on an odd-even license plate number system. Delhi's seven million motorbikes and scooters, public transport, and cars carrying only women were exempt from the restrictions. Some experts, however, view the measure as “too little, too late,” citing the impact of industrial emissions and smoke from agricultural burning in the neighbouring northern states of Punjab and Haryana.

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MIDDLE EAST & CENTRAL ASIA

Iran Plans to Increase Uranium Enrichment
Iran took further steps away from the already-weakened Iran nuclear deal by announcing it is doubling its stock of advanced centrifuges. The move was announced by Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, who said the move is a direct result of the United States' withdrawal from the agreement last year. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew Washington from the accord in May 2018. By starting up these advanced centrifuges, Iran further cuts down the one year that experts estimate Tehran would need to have enough fissile material to build a nuclear weapon. The announcement came as Iran also marked the 40th anniversary of the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover that started a 444-day hostage crisis.

EASTERN EUROPE & RUSSIA

Advisory Group Claims Multiple Countries Violated EU Law
The Advocate General, an advisory group to the European Court of Justice, found that Hungary, Poland, and Czechia violated European Union law when they refused to accept asylum seekers during summer 2015. The three countries refused to take in migrants based on security grounds and their belief that the EU did not have legal authority to assign quotas of migrants for countries to accept. The European Court of Justice often follows the Advocate General’s decisions, (which in this case stated that EU law should be adhered to and affirmed that European solidarity requires burden-sharing) but it is not required to. The court is expected to rule in this case next year as concerns about another migrant crisis rise due to the release of migrants from Turkey.

AFRICA

Investigation Begins of Nigerian Army Torture Video
Footage of men dressed in army clothing torturing and killing a suspected Islamist militant was circulated over the weekend, and the Nigerian army is now planning to investigate the video. Government officials say that the actions displayed in the video are directly contradictory to the Nigerian army’s values and that those involved would be punished accordingly if found. These are not the first allegations of human rights abuses against the army in their fight against Boko Haram. Observers note, however, that similar allegations have been often dismissed in the past, such as recent accusations that the army had detained thousands of children it suspected of being linked to an Islamist organization.

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WESTERN EUROPE & CANADA

‘Gay Conversion Therapy’ Ban Law Drafted in Germany
According to reports by German media, a draft law has been published in Germany aimed at banning so-called “gay conversion therapy” in most cases nationwide. The law is intended to stop groups offering the service, which claim to be able to change a person's sexual orientation, to anyone under the age of 18. Any violation could result in a fine or up to a year in prison. The move was announced by German Health Minister Jens Spahn, who first announced plans to ban the practice in June of this year. Spahn, who himself is gay, said the ban would send an important message to "all those who are struggling with their homosexuality.”