World
How the world voted in 2024
A significant number of countries brought back incumbent leaders, of whom some, like South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa and India’s Modi, came back to power with reduced numbers and coalitions rather than the larger majorities that they had previously.
Incumbents:
Algeria: Algerian leader, Abdelmadjid Tebboune was re-elected as president with a 94.7 percent vote in September.
Azerbaijan: President Ilham Aliyev secured a fifth term in office in February after a heavy crackdown on media and in the absence of any real opposition.
Belarus: President Aleksandr Lukashenko retained power in the legislature in parliamentary elections in February. A staunch ally of Russia, Lukashenko has been accused of manipulating previous elections and stamping out political opposition. The presidential vote will be held in January 2025.
Bulgaria: The centre-right party GERB took the lead, but didn’t manage to win the majority vote, in the country’s seventh snap elections in four years in October.
Chad: Mahamat Idriss Deby was confirmed as the winner of the May presidential election after dismissing challenges by two losing candidates – extending his family’s decades-long rule. The country held parliamentary elections on Sunday, December 29. Results have not yet been declared.
Comoros: President Azali Assoumani won a fourth five-year term in the island nation. He was declared the winner against five opponents, with 62.97 percent of the vote. Protests rocked the country, and a curfew was imposed by the army after the results were announced.
Croatia: Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic’s Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) formed a coalition to continue ruling after the April vote.
Dominican Republic: Luis Abinader won a second term in May, with 58.5 percent of the vote, after a tough stance on migration from neighbouring Haiti secured support for him.
Georgia: The ruling Georgian Dream party of billionaire founder Bidzina Ivanishvili won more than 54 percent of the vote in parliamentary elections. The results are seen as a blow to pro-Western Georgians, who had cast the election as a choice between a governing party that has deepened ties with Russia, and an opposition that had hoped to fast-track integration with the European Union.
India: Narendra Modi’s BJP won a third term, but not with a majority – unlike previous terms. Modi was forced to form a coalition to govern, against an opposition led by Rahul Gandhi that gained seats and visibility across the country.
Lithuania: Gintautas Paluckas assumed office as prime minister in December, as the Social Democrats formed a government a coalition with the Nemunas Dawn and For Lithuania parties with control of 86 seats in the 141-member parliament.
Pakistan: In February, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif returned to power after controversial elections that saw his family-led political party, the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) fail to secure the numbers on its own. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party was disqualified before the vote, but its candidates contested as independents, winning more seats than any other party. Sharif formed a government in coalition with the Pakistan People’s Party. The PTI alleges electoral malpractice in the vote, which the government denies.
Russia: Vladimir Putin won his fifth presidential election with 87 percent of the vote, the highest-ever result in Russia’s post-Soviet history.
Rwanda: Paul Kagame won his fourth term in office with 99 percent of the vote. His critics accuse him of a crackdown on opponents. His supporters claim his critics are little more than Western puppets unwilling to accept his popularity.
South Africa: Cyril Ramaphosa from the African National Congress was re-elected as South Africa’s president for a second term. After having lost a majority in the parliament for the first time since 1994, the governing African National Congress formed an unwieldy coalition with political rivals to stay in power.
Taiwan: In January, Lai Ching-te – also known as William Lai – from the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won Taiwan’s presidential election, despite warnings from China not to vote for him. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and views Lai, a staunch critic of Beijing, as a separatist. Lai was Taiwan’s vice president under the outgoing president, Tsai Ing-wen.
Togo: Togo’s ruling UNIR party, led by President Faure Gnassingbe, won 108 out of 113 seats in parliament. The sweeping majority follows the approval of controversial constitutional reforms by the outgoing parliament that could extend the Gnassingbe family’s 57-year rule.
Tunisia: In October, President Kais Saied won a second term in the presidential election. Several other presidential contenders were imprisoned. In 2021, Saied dissolved the elected parliament and rewrote the constitution in a move that the opposition called a coup.
Venezuela: In July, Nicholas Maduro won re-election with 51 percent of the vote – his third win since he first took over as president in 2013 after the death of his mentor and former President Hugo Chavez. The United Socialist Party has been in power for 25 years. Protests erupted, demanding the release of election results by individual polling stations as the opposition said the results of the July 28 election were rigged. Maduro’s government has cracked down on opposition protesters and leaders, forcing many to take refuge in foreign embassies.
New leaders:
Austria: In September, Austria’s far-right Freedom Party (FPO) emerged victorious after the country’s parliamentary election. While the FPO won the most votes, it did not win with a large enough margin to govern alone. The coalition talks will continue into the new year as the three centrist parties are under pressure to reach a deal, with none of the parties wanting to join hands with the FPO.
Botswana: In November, Duma Boko was declared the election winner over incumbent President Mokgweetsi Masisi in a seismic change that ended the ruling party’s 58 years in power since independence from Britain in 1960.
Bhutan: Tshering Tobgay returned as prime minister, with his People’s Democratic Party (PDP) winning the most seats in Bhutan’s parliamentary election in January and defeating the Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT).
Iceland: In December, Iceland’s centre-left Social Democratic Alliance won the most votes in snap elections prompted by the collapse of the coalition in power for the past seven years. Kristrun Frostadottir assumed her role as prime minister on December 21. Earlier, in June, Halla Tómasdóttir was elected president of Iceland, defeating incumbent Gudni Johannesson with 55 percent of the vote.
Indonesia: The former general, Prabowo Subianto, became president of the third-most populous country in the world, with running mate Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the son of former President Joko Widodo.
Iran: Masoud Pezeshkian won the presidential elections in July. A reformist, Pezeshkian assumed the role of president amid the ongoing war waged by Israel on Palestine and its fallout on the broader Middle East, and after the death of former President Ebrahim Raisi.
Mexico: Claudia Sheinbaum, a climate scientist and former mayor of Mexico City, became Mexico’s first female president after a landslide victory in June, taking over from her Morena party’s leader Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
Portugal: In March, a centre-right alliance led by the Social Democratic Party won Portugal’s general election by a slender margin and formed a minority government. The hard-right Chega party made major gains and demanded a place in the cabinet, but the centre-right alliance formed a cabinet without them.
Senegal: In March, opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye won 54 percent of votes in the presidential election. His victory came just 10 days after he was freed from prison.
Sri Lanka: In November, Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s leftist coalition achieved a landslide victory in snap parliamentary elections, delivering the self-described Marxist leader a powerful mandate to fight poverty and corruption in the crisis-stricken nation.
Tuvalu: The former attorney general, Feleti Teo, was named new prime minister after a general election that removed the island’s pro-Taiwan leader. Teo’s elevation to prime minister came after his pro-Taiwan predecessor, Kausea Natano, lost his seat in the January 26 election.
United Kingdom: In the lowest voter turnout in 20 years, UK voters ended 14 years of Conservative Party rule in a snap election that brought Keir Starmer and the Labour Party back into Downing Street.
Amidst an economic and healthcare crisis, there was a surge in support for the populist right-wing Reform UK party.
United States: Donald Trump emerged victorious in November after defeating Kamala Harris in the Electoral College by a comfortable margin, as many states that previously voted for Democrats fell to the Republicans.
Removed leaders:
Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina was re-elected in January 2024 for her fifth term as the prime minister. In June, protests erupted against a quota policy that quickly expanded into a movement against her increasingly authoritarian rule. After days of deadly clashes between protesters and security forces, Hasina resigned and fled to India in early August. At least 280 people were killed and thousands were injured.
Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was appointed as the head of an interim government until elections are held.
Syria: Bashar al-Assad held parliamentary elections in July, in which all 250 seats went to his Baathist party. But five months later, he was out of power. Opposition forces took Damascus in the early hours of December 8 after a lightning assault, ending the al-Assad family’s 50-year reign in a surprise offensive.
A 13-year civil war in which hundreds of thousands of people were killed, thousands disappeared and six million fled the country finally came to an end.
The offensive led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani, has installed an interim administration that will establish the new constitution and a new government.
World
Meta appeals landmark jury verdict that found it to blame for social media addiction for young users
Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, has appealed the verdict of a landmark social media addiction lawsuit in Los Angeles, challenging the jury’s determination that the company designed its platforms to hook young users without concern for their well-being.
Lawyers representing Meta filed a notice of appeal Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The lawyers will provide their arguments related to the appeal in subsequent court filings.
The case centered on a 20-year-old woman who said she became addicted to social media as a child and that it worsened her mental health struggles. The jury found that negligence by both Meta and Google-owned YouTube, which was also a defendant in the case, was a substantial factor in causing harm to the young woman, identified in court only by her initials, KGM, and her first name, Kaley.
The jury awarded her $3 million in damages and recommended an additional $3 million in punitive damages. Her lead attorney, Mark Lanier, said in a statement Friday that the legal team is expecting the appellate court to “continue the careful application of the law to this case, affirming the verdict of the trial court.”
A notice of appeal starts what can be a lengthy process. A Meta spokesperson provided a statement Friday that they also gave when the jury returned the verdict in March, saying that teen mental health is “profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app.”
José Castañeda, a spokesperson for Google, said in a statement Friday that YouTube plans to appeal and that “these are standard motions for this case to move forward.”
Meta and Google had each filed post-trial motions for judgment notwithstanding the verdict — a routinely filed motion by defense lawyers asking a judge to toss out the jury’s verdict — and for a new trial. The trial judge, Carolyn B. Kuhl, denied those motions in early June.
Tech companies like Meta and YouTube are shielded from legal responsibility for content posted by third parties, based on Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act. To get around those protections, the plaintiffs focused on the design features of the platforms like “infinite scroll,” or the endless nature of feeds on the platforms, and autoplay functions.
Questions about encroaching into content-related territory were the subject of many objections from the defendants throughout the five-week trial.
The verdict in this case came during a time of legal woes for Meta. A jury in New Mexico returned a verdict finding that Meta’s platforms harm children’s mental health and safety just one day before the California jury reached its decision. The New Mexico jury, siding with state prosecutors who brought the case, landed on a penalty of $375 million. Meta has said the company disagrees with the verdict and will also appeal in that case.
“We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement at the time of the verdicts and again on Friday.
Kaley’s case was a first-of-its-kind lawsuit, and the verdict could influence the outcome of thousands of similar lawsuits accusing social media companies of deliberately causing harm. TikTok and Snapchat parent company Snap Inc. were also initially named as defendants in the case, but each settled for undisclosed sums before the trial began.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Israel’s leaders are publicly signaling that their country is prepared to strike Iran for a third time, while a U.S. official tells Fox News Digital that Washington remains closely coordinated with Jerusalem.
“The IDF is on high alert and prepared to resume the campaign, regain air superiority, and carry out an independent Israeli strike against Iran to eliminate threats — even for a third time,” Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Minister Israel Katz said Thursday at a graduation ceremony for the Israeli Air Force’s newest pilots.
“If we have to return, we will return with even greater force,” Katz added.
ISRAEL DEFENSE CHIEF WARNS STRIKES ON IRAN COULD RESUME SOON, SIGNALS CAMPAIGN NOT OVER
U.S. Central Command shared this footage in a July 8, 2026, press release about strikes against Iran. (CENTCOM)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also warned Thursday that Israel’s campaign against Iran was not finished and said Tehran would not be permitted to obtain a nuclear weapon, regardless of any agreement reached with Washington.
“The war has not yet ended,” Netanyahu said at the air force ceremony. “Alongside the old challenges, new challenges are emerging. Axes are falling, and axes are rising. We are paying attention to this. We are prepared for every scenario.”
Two Israeli sources told CNN Friday that the Trump administration does not currently want Israel to participate in the latest U.S. strikes against Iran.
“Netanyahu would really want to join the U.S. strikes, but the U.S. doesn’t want Israel involved at the moment,” one of the sources told CNN.
A U.S. official denied the report, telling Fox News Digital, “This is fake news. The United States has a strong relationship with Israel, which contributed to the resounding success of Operation Midnight Hammer and Operation Epic Fury. We remain in close coordination with our Israeli partners.”
Israel first launched a major campaign against Iran in June 2025, with the United States later joining the fighting by striking the Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities. On Feb. 28, the two allies launched a new, coordinated military campaign against Iran.
While Israeli leaders are openly presenting the military as ready for another campaign, some Israeli officials and analysts say there is little appetite for renewed fighting unless it produces a clear strategic result.
The public warnings may overstate Israel’s desire to reenter the fighting, said Israeli analyst and journalist for Israeli newspaper Yedioth Aharonoth, Nadav Eyal.
“On the record, Israel is signaling that it is prepared and even eager to strike Iran. But off the record, sources are saying that it is anything but that,” Eyal told Fox News Digital. “The reason is clear: Any Israeli strike in Iran will lead to Iranian ballistic missile attacks against Israel.”
US CLAWS BACK KEY CONCESSION TO IRAN AFTER FRESH ATTACKS ON COMMERCIAL SHIPS IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, from left, US President Donald Trump and US Vice President JD Vance during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025. Trump insisted Egypt and Jordan will take in Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, dismissing the countries’ refusal to accept people from the war-shattered territory. Photographer: Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Getty Images)
Eyal said the domestic political consequences could make Netanyahu reluctant to begin another round of fighting, particularly as Israel approaches another election.
“If these strikes are meant to provide meaningful, strategic change, it is something the prime minister can sell to the public,” Eyal said. “But if the intention is only to use Israel as leverage, why should Israelis again experience a couple of weeks or more of sitting in safe rooms and losing their summer vacations, children’s day camps and summer camps? That could play out badly for the prime minister politically.”
“The truth is that Israel was not really enthusiastic about another strike,” he added. “That doesn’t mean it is not going to happen. If President Trump demands that Netanyahu join, it is very hard to see the Israelis saying no. But right now, I don’t see any passion for it.”
The diplomatic outreach continued even as Trump declared that the ceasefire with Iran was over.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue ‘talks.’ We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
A source with knowledge of the situation told Fox News that Qatari negotiators have traveled to Iran, in coordination with the United States, to meet with Iranian officials in an effort to de-escalate the situation and create the conditions for negotiations to resume.
On Thursday, Netanyahu and Trump spoke by phone, according to the Israeli prime minister’s office, which said the two agreed to continue coordinating across several regional fronts. Trump briefed Netanyahu on American operations in the Gulf, the statement said.
NETANYAHU REJECTS REPORTS OF A RIFT WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP, SAYS THE TWO REMAIN ALIGNED ON IRAN
A satellite image shows damage at the control tower in the port of Chabahar, Iran, July 9, 2026, after the U.S. military said July 8, 2026, it launched fresh strikes on Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping. ( 2026 PLANET LABS PBC/Handout via Reuters)
The military warnings came as the Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Israel had provided the United States with intelligence about what is described as a fresh Iranian plot to assassinate Trump.
The developments follow renewed attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, where U.S. naval officials said the maritime threat remained “severe.” U.S. Naval Forces Central Command reminded commercial vessels Friday that an expanded southern route through the strait remained open and that no controlling authority could require ships to pay a fee for passage.
A U.S. official told Fox News on background that Iran’s attacks against commercial vessels were “acts of terrorism” and constituted failed performance under the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran.
“The United States is still committed to finding a resolution, and technical talks continue,” the official said. “Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon.”
Brig. Gen. Yossi Kuperwasser, a former senior Israeli military intelligence officer who now heads the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, said Israel had never regarded the memorandum as an adequate guarantee.
“From Israel’s perspective, the MOU was never a good deal,” Kuperwasser told Fox News Digital, speaking of the memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
CENTCOM shared footage of strikes against airplanes amid Iran war (U.S. Central Command on X)
“Israel should be on high alert, ready to face an Iranian attack and prepared to strike back if necessary,” he added.
For now, Israel’s leaders appear to be leaving Iran — and Washington — with little doubt that they are prepared to act. Whether the United States allows Israel to join the renewed campaign, however, could determine whether the latest confrontation remains limited or develops into another full-scale regional war.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.
Published on •Updated
Belgium’s three regions announced on Friday that they would introduce a road tax next year that foreign drivers transiting the country would also have to pay.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
The country does not currently charge drivers to use its highways and the issue of introducing some form of payment has been debated for years.
“Everyone who uses our roads must contribute fairly to their maintenance,” said the transport minister for the southern Wallonia region, François Desquesnes.
Starting on 1 May 2027 drivers will need to register their vehicle and pay the road tax, with day passes available for drivers driving across the country.
An annual pass for a zero-emission car will cost €90 and up to €125 for higher polluting vehicles.
Road cameras that catch cars that haven’t paid for a pass will incur a fine of €70.
In Belgium, the individual regions are responsible for maintaining roads and motorways.
Currently, drivers can use almost all highways toll-free but the possibility of an introducing a charge has been under discussion for several years.
The revenue would be used for the operation and maintenance of the road network.
The proposed toll still needs final approval from the regions and European authorities.
According to the chairman of the liberal-conservative MR party, the government intends to offset the new toll by lowering other taxes for Belgians.
Additional sources • AFP
-
San Francisco, CA4 minutes agoClassical music series helps reconnect downtown San Francisco community
-
Dallas, TX9 minutes agoDallas police officers, paramedics recall saving woman stuck in a ravine for days;
-
Boston, MA19 minutes agoRed Sox win 7th straight game just hours after landing in New York
-
Denver, CO24 minutes agoOne tree at a time: Denver nonprofit works to close shade gap as heat dome threatens neighborhoods
-
Seattle, WA31 minutes agoVIDEO: West Seattle Summer Fest 2026 day 1, evening report
-
San Diego, CA34 minutes agoThe World’s Number One Wellness Retreat is Right in Our Backyard
-
Milwaukee, WI39 minutes agoFestivalgoers say Milwaukee’s summer events fill a gap in downtown entertainment
-
Atlanta, GA46 minutes agoAtlanta mentoring program brings ‘Save Our Sons Tour’ to Jacksonville’s Duval Day
