The Netherlands: controversial far-right party wins most seats
Geert Wilders, a controversial populist leader in Europe, is poised for victory in the Dutch general election. His Freedom Party (PVV), which, amongst other things, advocates bans on mosques, the Quran, and Islamic headscarves in government buildings, secured 37 out of 150 seats in the Dutch parliament. This marks a significant achievement in his career, which has primarily focussed on criticising Islam and mainstream politics. This unexpected win has positioned the PVV as a prominent political force. The left-wing coalition under Frans Timmermans came second with 25 seats, while the ruling VVD, led by outgoing prime minister Mark Rutte, won a disappointing 24 seats. The election signifies a drastic shift from the previous poll two years ago when PVV won only 17 seats. Despite Wilders' success, many remain sceptical about his ability to form a coalition and become the Dutch prime minister due to his divisive rhetoric and extremist positions. The Netherlands is now poised for a complex negotiation to determine the country's leadership.
Ukraine: Putin overlooks his role in starting the war
In an unexpected virtual appearance at the G20 summit, Vladimir Putin called on world leaders to ‘stop the tragedy’ of the war with Ukraine but bizarrely ignored his own role in starting the conflict. In February 2022, after weeks of growing aggression near the Ukrainian border, the Russian president ordered his forces into Ukraine. He claimed it was important to ‘demilitarise’ the country and made baseless neo-Nazi allegations about the Ukrainian government to justify the invasion. Ukraine has only agreed to peace negotiations if Russia agrees to hand back all of the land which it has illegally annexed since 2014 - including the Crimea peninsula, which Putin claims now belongs to Russia. He also broke international law by illegally annexing four other regions in eastern Ukraine in September 2022. In his G20 appearance, Putin also tried to deflect attention from the war by focusing on the conflict between Israel and Hamas, for which he has tried to position himself as a potential mediator.
Ukraine: over 40,000 men have sought to avoid being drafted
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, almost 20,000 men have sought to escape being drafted, with some taking perilous routes like swimming across dangerous rivers. Also, over 20,000 men were apprehended by Ukrainian authorities while attempting to flee. Following the Russian invasion, men aged 18-60 were prohibited from leaving the country, but numerous individuals still manage to escape. Many of them flee to reunite with family abroad, pursue education, or seek employment opportunities. Of those caught attempting to escape, most tried to cross the border by walking or swimming, while 6,800 used fraudulent paperwork to claim fabricated exemptions. The 40,000-plus number of men who have fled or tried to flee could represent a significant proportion of the men Ukraine needs to replenish its army. In August, US officials estimated the Ukrainian military death toll to be up to 70,000 - although Kyiv won't give a figure. There are more than 800,000 in the Ukrainian armed forces.
Israel / Gaza: hostage deal, four-day pause
Israel and Hamas have struck a deal to exchange fifty hostages in Gaza for a four-day ceasefire. This agreement also includes the release of 150 Palestinian women and teenagers held in Israeli prisons and an increase in humanitarian aid for Gaza. The four-day pause came into effect on 24 November, with Israel offering to extend it even further if Hamas agreed to release more hostages. Joe Biden has welcomed the deal, hoping it will end the suffering of the hostages and alleviate the plight of innocent Palestinian families. Until the ceasefire, Israel continued the conflict, with at least 300 airstrikes within 24 hours: see Israel remains committed to its mission to eliminate Hamas and secure the release of over 200 hostages captured in October. Hamas sees this agreement as an opportunity for Palestinians to recover after enduring an intense Israeli military operation.
