Georgia’s governing party, Georgian Dream, has nominated Mikheil Kavelashvili, a far-right politician and former footballer, for the largely ceremonial presidency, with elections set for December 14. Billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary yet hugely influential chairman of Georgian Dream, described Kavelashvili as “the embodiment of a Georgian man”.

On November 7, a bill proposing to change the legal interpretation of the Treaty of Waitangi was presented to New Zealand’s parliament. Championed by the leader of the ACT New Zealand party, David Seymour, who is part of the current ruling coalition government, the ‘Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill’ seeks to recontextualise how the clauses of the document should “be used when interpreting legislation” regarding the rights of Māori citizens.

Since January 2024, the Southern African country has experienced a severe drought, considered the worst in the last two decades. In Zambia, this water scarcity has plunged the country into a severe energy crisis due to its heavy reliance on hydrological energy. Moreover, the drought has contributed to increases in the cost of living driven by food prices.

North Korea has ratified a major defence treaty with Russia, committing both nations to mutual military aid, marking their most significant defence agreement since the Cold War. Signed in June by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership treaty obligates both countries to provide immediate military assistance if either is attacked. The agreement also emphasises cooperation in nuclear energy, space exploration, trade, and creating a "just and multipolar new world order."

Across South America, climate shocks are devastating communities, particularly in Brazil, Colombia, and Peru, as record-breaking droughts disrupt access to essential services. This ecological crisis has left children in dire conditions, stripped of their access to education, basic nutrition, and other life-sustaining resources as Amazon rivers reach unprecedented lows. These droughts represent an acute manifestation of the broader climate crisis, and they highlight the lived, global impact of climate-driven disruptions, notably concerning vulnerable populations such as children.

On October 27th, Bloomberg reported that a Mumbai-based pharmaceutical company, Shreya Life Sciences, had shipped large batches of AI capable servers to Russia. Significantly, these servers contain advanced NVIDIA and AMD chips that the US are attempting to prevent from falling into the hands of its geopolitical adversaries.

Polis Analysis is concerned with the effect that tax rises and lack of action to support the prosperity of young people will have on growth for the economy, addressing the intergenerational fiscal balance, and what opportunities young people have in the UK.

The most senior government ministers of the Commonwealth nations will meet in Samoa on the 25 and 26 October 2024. The meeting’s mission - announced by the host nation - is "One Resilient Common Future: Transforming our Common Wealth". The summit’s principal aims include: building structures to sustain human rights, democracy, and the rule of law; creating an environment to combat climate change; establishing economies capable of recovery and growth; and constructing societies which ensure a “peaceful and productive life”.

This month, the newly established African Bioinformatics Institute (ABI) received funding, marking a significant leap forward for Africa’s role in global genomics research. Genomics is the study of an organism’s complete set of DNA, which contains the instructions that enable the organism to develop, grow, and function. By studying the genome, scientists can identify variations in DNA that may influence the risk of developing diseases, and even how a person might respond to certain medications.

The world has, for several years, been increasingly fragmented into geopolitical blocs often fitting into a West versus Global South dichotomy. BRICS, a representative of the Global South comprising a broad coalition of nations, has furthered global divisions by adopting a policy of de-dollarisation and the prospect of a new ‘BRICS currency’. These talks regarding a new currency to challenge the US dollar’s global hegemony, of which in 2023 100 per cent of oil was traded in USD, have been occurring since 2022 and have recently reared their head again ahead of a BRICS summit in late October 2024. Aims are often different from reality and even though some BRICS nations like Russia have been particularly outspoken about a new currency its prospect is a long-term goal.

OpenAI, once a leader in non-profit AI research, is undergoing a seismic shift that could redefine the landscape of artificial intelligence development. The company has just completed the largest capital raise in private equity history—a staggering $6.6 billion (£5.4 billion) deal that has doubled its valuation to $157 billion (£128 billion) in just nine months. This financial milestone comes at a critical juncture for OpenAI, as it navigates the complex waters between its founding principles of safety and responsibility and the allure of commercialisation on an unprecedented scale.

In many countries in the world, loans and various financial aid schemes are available to students seeking higher education. For example, in Australia, there is the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS), which provides government loans to support undergraduate students attending university, and the United States and the United Kingdom employ similar initiatives. These privileges, however, are not readily available for young people in South-East Asia.

During German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to Central Asia, regional leaders made it clear that trade cooperation with Europe will require reciprocal benefits, especially in terms of technological and economic collaboration. Scholz met with the leaders of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and other Central Asian states, in the Kazakh capital Astana on September 17, with a primary focus on energy cooperation, particularly Germany’s desire to diversify its energy sources and reduce dependency on Russian supplies. Despite the lack of concrete agreements, both sides expressed optimism about future partnerships and a commitment to continued dialogue.

The former President of the European Central Bank (ECB) and Italian Prime Minister, Mario Draghi, released a landmark economic report titled ‘The Future of European Competitiveness’ on 9 September, outlining a “new industrial strategy for Europe” focused on the bloc’s overall competitiveness and lack of growth. The document was produced at the request of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and recommends a radical policy of investment and structural change, which has been compared to the post-war Marshall Plan that rebuilt the war-ravaged European economy.

On September 9th, the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the United Kingdom Department for Business Trade and Australian Department of Industry, Science and Resources signed a trilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The agreement on supply chain resilience, particularly focuses on the telecommunications sector, according to a DHS press release.

Sudan is currently grappling with a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented magnitude, primarily resulting from the civil war that erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The United Nations has described this situation as "one of the worst humanitarian disasters in recent memory."

As AI continues to evolve and influence global economies and our daily lives, many Latin American countries are taking significant steps to regulate this advancing technology whilst trying to harness its potential in a responsible manner. With a focus on ethics, safety and inclusivity in development, many nations are engaging with individual and legislative efforts alongside international cooperation to address the challenges and opportunities AI could present.

In August, the first shipment of copper left the port of Lobito in Angola and headed for Baltimore in the US. The copper originates from the southern regions of the DRC and was transported by the recently completed Lobito Atlantic Railway, which connects southern DRC, known in combination with northern Zambia as the copper belt. The railway was built by a joint venture between Trafigura, Mota-Engil, and Vecturis, heavily financed by the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), with the US as one of the main financiers.

Five years have passed since violence against Indigenous women and girls was declared a national emergency after a report released by The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women gave 231 recommendations (‘Calls for Justice’) for legal and social change across 18 policy areas in need of reform. The report also found that Indigenous women and girls were 12 times more likely to be murdered or missing than other women in Canada. Since the report was released only two have been completed whilst more than half haven’t been started, whilst others haven’t been allocated sufficient funding.

The August 9 gathering of Central Asian leaders and Azerbaijan in Astana highlighted a growing spirit of regional cooperation, with a focus on sustainable development. Kazakh President, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, emphasised the potential of Central Asia to contribute significantly to the global Sustainable Development Agenda, while Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev echoed the sentiment of transforming Central Asia into a region of good-neighbourliness and mutual benefit.