1. Bangladesh – Nobel Prize winner

The Bangladeshi military responded to demands from student activists by appointing Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus as interim leader. Protesters had previously forced Bangladesh’s long-serving leader Sheik Hasina to flee the country and have shown signs of their continuing influence by pressuring the generals now in power to appoint the 84-year-old Yunus as head of state. Yunus, nicknamed the “banker of the poor” for his signature advocacy of microcredit, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. “It’s not my dream, it’s their dream,” Yunus said of the protesters’ push to reform society. “So in a way I’m helping to make it a reality.”

2. USA – Trump revanchism

While Kamala Harris sees predominantly positive signals in the polls, Trump’s ailing campaign is now obviously seeking a course correction. Using JD Vance as their “attack dog,” the Trump campaign is targeting Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz’s service record, accusing him of “stolen valor.” They hope to lower the popular governor’s approval ratings by highlighting objections to his retirement from the National Guard by some members of his unit who later deployed to Iraq, as well as examples of imprecise wording regarding his service record. Trump’s widely publicized interview with Elon Musk also provided an opportunity to recapture the news cycle, but was marred by technical difficulties that Musk said were due to a “DDOS attack.”

3. Philippines – Cocaine and cash

The Vice President of the Philippines, Sara Duterte-Carpio, attacks the president’s government and warns its officials against accepting bribes. “Leaders should not be motivated by money, cocaine or champagne,” Duterte-Carpio said, as tensions continue to simmer between her family and that of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Duterte himself has accused Marcos of drug use, and his daughter’s remarks were taken as a not-so-subtle reference to a debunked video shared on pro-Duterte social media purporting to show the president consuming the substance.

4. Thailand – People’s Party

Thailand’s Move Forward Party was officially dissolved by the courts due to its stance against lese majeste, but a new party has already stepped in as its replacement. Move Forward, a progressive party, was the first party to vote in last year’s election, and its intended dissolution was seen as an example of the ongoing democratic backsliding in Thailand. All of Move Forward’s elected officials joined the new People’s Party, which is in virtually every respect a continuation of the party.

5. Chile – Johannes Kaiser

A Chilean politician and former YouTuber known for his criticism of women’s suffrage is working on a presidential candidacy that gives him little chance. John Kaiser’s comments caused outrage in Chile. The country’s Minister for Women’s Affairs publicly condemned the MP at the time of his election. “It is unacceptable that women’s right to vote is being called into question,” said Minister Monica Zalaquett. Kaiser has left the far-right Republican Party and plans to run for president in 2025. In the latest poll, she is at 4%.

6. Rwanda – 99% support

Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame was sworn in for another term after a vote in which he reportedly claimed 99 percent of all votes cast. Kagame has been described as

“brutal dictator,” and the election is another sign of his cemented rule in the relatively small country. The election, in which Kagame “shattered” his own voting record, was an example of “Rwanda’s lack of democracy,” observers said.

7. Vanuatu – Historic victory

Jenny Regenvanu was elected mayor of Vanuatu’s capital Port Vila, becoming the first woman to hold this office. Regenvanu, a member of the Land and Justice Party, takes office for a two-year term after winning the support of the council and will serve as deputy alongside Marie-Louise Milne of Vanuatu’s Green Party, who is also the first woman to be nominated for the post.

8. Lithuania – shock poll

A new party led by an anti-Semitic politician achieved double-digit poll ratings in Lithuania. Remigijus Zemaitaitis was investigated by parliament for anti-Semitic remarks, after which his immunity was lifted. Social media posts showed Zemaitaitis falsely attributing a WWII massacre carried out by the Nazi SS to “Jews and Russians.” Zemaitaitis ran for president in May and received 9% of the vote. His new party, Nemunas Dawn, polled 17% recently.

9. Estonia – Right-wing extremist division

A new right-wing extremist party is also emerging in Estonia. The Estonian Nationalists and Conservatives (ERK), a splinter group of the Conservative People’s Party (EKRE), received 3% of the vote in a recent poll, while the latter got 11%. ERK claims they will chart a path between the increasingly extremist EKRE and the more right-wing Isamaa party, although one political expert does not see much room for them. “Even if it is EKRE light, people still want the real EKRE,” he explains.