This week featured national elections in several countries worldwide. In Japan and Thailand, incumbent right-wing leaders retained their positions. Bangladesh held elections regarded as the most honest and fair in 17 years, while Portugal elected a new socialist leader for the first time in 20 years.
Meanwhile, South Korean intelligence reported that Kim Jong-un is preparing to pass power to his daughter, Kim Ju-ae, positioning her as North Korea’s fourth-generation supreme leader.
Canada faced a school shooting incident resulting in six deaths, prompting the prime minister to cancel a scheduled foreign visit. This is considered one of the most severe mass shootings in the nation’s history.
In Iran, large-scale marches commemorated the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, reaffirming the country's political identity and stance amid ongoing tensions with Israel and the United States.
Bad Bunny’s all-Spanish performance blending Latin culture at the Super Bowl sparked criticism from the U.S. president, who said it failed to reflect America’s greatness.
Russia continued its social media crackdown by blocking WhatsApp due to legal violations, amid allegations that it is pushing users toward state-controlled platforms.
In Argentina, 1,837 people floated together on a salt lake attempting to break a world record. Although they did not surpass the existing record, the event was a memorable display of collective effort.
This week, global attention focused on national elections across various countries. In Portugal, António José Seguro won a landslide victory over his right-wing rival in the presidential runoff on 8 Feb, becoming the first socialist head of state in 20 years. In Asia, Sanae Takaichi retained her position as Japan’s prime minister and increased the Liberal Democratic Party’s parliamentary seats to two-thirds of the house. Similarly, Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul secured continued leadership after his Bhumjaithai Party won the most seats amid pressure over election result reporting by the Election Commission. Recently, Bangladesh held a pivotal general election regarded as the most honest and fair in 17 years following a major youth uprising against authoritarian government. Preliminary results show the BNP party, led by a new generation leader, won a parliamentary majority for the first time in 20 years.
Some South Korean lawmakers cite recent intelligence reports that Kim Ju-ae, daughter of Kim Jong-un, has been designated as the fourth-generation supreme leader of North Korea. She has appeared more frequently alongside her father in official state media during inspections of weapons development programs. This development could significantly impact stability on the Korean Peninsula and North Korea’s global role. Although Pyongyang has not officially confirmed this, many are watching to see if Kim Ju-ae will participate in the Workers’ Party congress scheduled for late February and whether she will assume any key positions soon.
Police are investigating a school shooting at a high school in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada, that occurred on the afternoon of 10 Feb local time. The incident resulted in six fatalities among teachers and students, and at least 25 injuries. The suspect, an 18-year-old, died by suicide at the scene. Prime Minister Mark Carney canceled a planned trip to Germany and stated that the entire country mourns with the affected community during this difficult time. This shooting is among the deadliest in Canadian history and has sparked widespread debate about school safety and gun control in Canadian society.
Iranians nationwide joined marches on 11 Feb to mark the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, a key day that underscores changes in the country's power structure and ideology. This year, parades took place in Tehran and major cities, reflecting pride in the Islamic Republic system established in 1979 and support for the current government led by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as they stand firm amid conflicts with Israel and the United States.
Grammy Award winner Bad Bunny performed a 14-minute all-Spanish set blending Puerto Rican culture during the Super Bowl Halftime Show on the evening of 8 Feb. The performance concluded with “God Bless America” and a listing of all countries from the southernmost to northernmost in the Americas. However, President Donald Trump criticized the show on social media, saying it did not reflect America’s greatness and was among the worst performances ever. Despite the U.S. having nearly 42 million Spanish speakers, or 13.5% of the population—the highest proportion globally—this event highlights the growing influence of Latin pop music and culture entering the U.S. mainstream.
The Kremlin spokesperson confirmed to reporters on 12 Feb that Russian authorities have blocked WhatsApp, owned by Meta (which also owns Facebook and Instagram), following recent restrictions on Telegram, widely used by millions of Russian military personnel and civilians. The government cited legal violations by the platform’s owner as the reason for blocking WhatsApp but provided no further details. WhatsApp responded by stating that the Russian government is attempting to push citizens toward state-controlled applications instead.
At Argentina’s Mar Chiquita salt lake, over 1,837 people in swimsuits gathered to attempt breaking the Guinness World Record for the most people floating simultaneously in water. The lake is known for its high salinity, which makes floating easier for many. Although the current record of 1,941 people, set in 2017 at Argentina’s Lake Epecuén, remains unbroken, this latest effort was a memorable event for both children and adults participating.
ReferencesReuters,Japan Times,The Guardian,Reuters,Reuters,BBC,Al Jazeera,CNN,CNNandIndia Today
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