Hello and welcome back.

Today, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa visits Washington; Brazil’s Supreme Court rejects Jair Bolsonaro’s appeal against his coup conviction; and an EU naval task force thwarts a Somali pirate attack on a Greek-operated tanker.

Our lead story turns to Iraq, where parliamentary elections are set to unfold amid deep public disillusionment and an opaque, money-driven political marketplace that has come to define the country’s democratic process.

Read more below ⤵️

Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇦🇺 🇸🇬 🇷🇺 Australian port under scrutiny as Russian oil enters through indirect imports: Millions of tonnes of Russian-origin oil have been channelled through a Singapore terminal part-owned by Macquarie Bank and likely sold on to Australian firms, new data reveals. Despite sanctions banning direct imports, Australia has purchased over 3 million tonnes of refined products tied to Russia since 2023, exposing loopholes in its sanctions regime. Analysts say the practice indirectly funds the Kremlin’s war economy. 

2️⃣ 🇦🇫 🇵🇰 Ceasefire holds despite collapse in Afghanistan-Pakistan peace talks: Peace talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan have collapsed after Islamabad demanded that Kabul take responsibility for Pakistan’s internal security — a condition the Taliban called “beyond our capacity.” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed that the ceasefire agreed in October remains in effect and has not been violated.

3️⃣ 🇹🇷 🇮🇱 🇵🇸 Turkiye issues arrest warrants for Israeli leaders over Gaza genocide: Ankara has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 36 senior officials, including Defence Minister Israel Katz and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, accusing them of genocide and crimes against humanity in Gaza. The Istanbul prosecutor’s office cited Israel’s bombing of hospitals, destruction of medical infrastructure, and blockade of humanitarian aid.

4️⃣ 🇷🇴 🇧🇬 Romania and Bulgaria scramble to save refineries before US sanctions hit Russian oil giants: Romania and Bulgaria are rushing to prevent shutdowns of key oil refineries owned by Russia’s Lukoil and Rosneft ahead of sweeping US sanctions set to take effect on November 21. Bulgaria’s parliament has passed a law allowing the government to seize control of the massive Lukoil-run Burgas refinery and even nationalise it if necessary, while Romania is weighing a similar emergency response.

5️⃣ 🇮🇷 🇮🇱 🇲🇽 Tehran rejects claims of assassination plot against Israeli envoy in Mexico: Iran has dismissed reports that its Revolutionary Guard plotted to assassinate Israel’s ambassador to Mexico, Einat Kranz-Neiger, calling the allegations “a fabricated lie” aimed at undermining ties with Mexico. Mexico’s government categorically denied any such incident, reaffirming its commitment to open and cooperative relations with all accredited diplomatic missions.

Major Story

🇮🇶 IRAQ PREPARES FOR ELECTIONS

Iraq will hold parliamentary elections on 11 November 2025, but few Iraqis expect meaningful change. After two decades of flawed democracy, elections are widely seen as instruments of elite power rather than vehicles of representation. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s bloc is expected to dominate, with the Shia Coordination Framework likely to retain control through another consensus government involving Kurdish and Sunni partners. Yet, as in every previous cycle, the winning party may not determine the next prime minister — that will be settled through opaque post-election bargaining. 

Elections as a Marketplace for Power

Iraqi elections now operate less as expressions of public will than as arenas for elite negotiation. Votes are bought through cash payments, jobs, or public services, while politicians spend lavishly to secure influence ahead of coalition talks. Patronage networks and tribal loyalties remain powerful, and the country’s ballooning public sector has become a political tool: over a million new government jobs were created during Sudani’s tenure. Voting among soldiers and paramilitaries is tightly controlled, ensuring loyalty to their political patrons. Meanwhile, a black market for biometric voter cards and paid social media influencers reflects how politics has merged with commerce.

A Fragile System of Elite Consensus

Since 2005, government formation has averaged over 200 days, with parties trading ministries and senior posts in exchange for support. Real decision-making occurs in private meetings, where faction leaders divide access to Iraq’s vast state resources. The Shia Coordination Framework, Kurdish parties, and Sunni blocs compete separately only to rejoin later in power-sharing deals, perpetuating the same order under a new guise. Violence, protest manipulation, and coercion continue to shape political outcomes, revealing a democracy hollowed out by transactional politics.

Restoring Trust and Accountability

Iraq’s US-imposed electoral system was ostensibly designed to safeguard pluralism and prevent dictatorship. Instead, it has institutionalised corruption and elite capture. Voter turnout has fallen sharply, reflecting deep public disillusionment. Rebuilding trust will require insulating electoral bodies from political influence, reforming campaign finance, enforcing transparency, and strengthening parliamentary oversight. Without these structural changes, elections will remain cyclical performances of power, renewing Iraq’s ruling elite, but not its democracy.

Other News

1️⃣ 🇸🇾 🇺🇸 🇺🇳 Sharaa visits Washington as Syria-US relations normalise: Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa began a historic visit to Washington on Sunday — the first by a Syrian head of state since the country’s independence in 1946 — where he will meet US President Donald Trump at the White House. The visit follows the UN Security Council’s decision to lift sanctions on Sharaa.

2️⃣ 🇧🇷 Brazil’s Supreme Court rejects Bolsonaro appeal over coup conviction: A majority of Brazil’s Supreme Court justices have voted to reject former President Jair Bolsonaro’s appeal against his 27-year prison sentence for orchestrating a failed coup to remain in power after losing the 2022 election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. 

3️⃣ 🇪🇺 🇸🇴 EU naval force thwarts Somali pirate attack on Greek-operated tanker: The European Union’s anti-piracy task force intervened to secure a Greek-operated tanker, Hellas Aphrodite, after armed assailants attacked it off Somalia’s coast while en route from India to South Africa. The pirates fled following an “early show of force,” leaving all 24 crew members unharmed, according to the EU Naval Force.

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