World roundup: November 14 2025

Stories from Israel-Palestine, South Africa, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and elsewhere

TODAY IN HISTORY

November 14, 1965: The Battle of Ia Drang, the first major engagement between the United States and the North Vietnamese Army, begins. It ended on November 18 with both sides claiming victory, though the NVA’s ability to fight the much better armed US Army to a draw was a boost to their morale and probably the battle’s most important effect.

November 14, 2001: Fighters with the Northern Alliance rebel coalition enter and occupy the city of Kabul, marking the end of the US war in Afghanista—just kidding. I had you going there for a second, didn’t I?

INTERNATIONAL

A new Ipsos survey of people in Croatia, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and the US found enthusiasm for the concept of “democracy” down pretty much across the board. In six of those countries, including the US, fewer than a third of respondents said they were satisfied with democracy these days. In only two countries, Poland and Sweden, did democracy have a net positive approval rating and only in Sweden did an absolute majority (65 percent in this case) give it the thumbs up. Large majorities in eight countries (all but Croatia) still support democracy on principle without regard for the outcomes it produces, but a desire for the kind of major change that democracy currently seems incapable of producing also seems high. Corruption also seems to be a major cause for discontent.

MIDDLE EAST

SYRIA

There were reports of new clashes between government security forces and Druze militias in southern Syria’s Suywada province on Thursday. The unrest appears to have calmed down on Friday but this is at least the second outburst like this in less than a week so there is definitely some cause for concern. Once again the fighting involved the “National Guard” militia affiliated with restive Druze leader Hikmat al-Hijri. Both sides are unsurprisingly blaming one another for provoking the clashes. It escalated to the point where the AP is reporting sightings of “Israeli warplanes” flying over the province though it’s not clear whether they did anything beyond that. Hijri seems to have a pretty close relationship with the Israeli government, which has long appointed itself the protector of Syria’s Druze population.