Māori King Tuheitia passed away peacefully on Friday, August 30, 2024. He had been recovering in the hospital from heart surgery, which he underwent just days after celebrating the 18th anniversary of his coronation. His death was announced by Rahui Papa, a spokesperson for the Kiingitanga (Māori King movement), who expressed the sadness felt by followers of the movement and the nation.
During the Democratic National Convention, the focus has been placed on Project 2025, a conservative policy manifesto developed by the Heritage Foundation. This blueprint outlines a series of changes proposed for a potential second Trump administration. The Democrats have utilized every opportunity to spotlight the project 2025.
On August 22, 2024, Indonesia saw protests in several cities including Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Semarang, Makassar and Bandung, as thousands of protestors took to the streets to express their opposition to a parliamentary move.
China and Vietnam have reinforced their relationship by signing 14 agreements on August 19, 2024, during a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Vietnam’s newly appointed leader To Lam in Beijing. These agreements span various sectors including cross-border rail connectivity, agricultural exports, defense cooperation and financial collaboration.
China is considering legal reforms to its marriage and divorce laws in a bid to tackle its declining birth rates and address the challenges of an aging population. These proposed changes aims to make it easier for couples to marry while introducing measures to make divorces more difficult.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been appointed as Thailand’s new prime minister, the youngest person to hold the office at 37 years old and also the second woman to lead the country.
Columbia University President Minouche Shafik has resigned from her position immediately, a development given that the academic year is set to commence in just a few weeks. Shafik’s resignation comes after a period by campus unrest and controversy surrounding her handling of student protests related to the Gaza conflict.
Thailand’s Constitutional Court has removed Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin from office for violating ethical standards. The court ruled 5:4 against Srettha citing his appointment of a controversial Cabinet member, Pichit Chuenban, who was previously imprisoned for attempting to bribe a court official.
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has announced his decision to step down as the leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in September. This decision was by a mix of political scandal, rising living costs and internal and external pressures.
The interview between Elon Musk and Donald Trump has gained attention worldwide. The conversation was scheduled to begin early but faced a delay of over 40 minutes due to a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack on the platform. Despite the technical difficulties the interview eventually proceeded and lasted for more than two hours.
