What We're Watching

What We’re Watching: Italy paralyzed by flotilla protests, Australia revamps military, and who will Japan’s new PM be?

​Pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest during a nationwide strike called by the USB union to condemn the Israeli forces' interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla vessels aiming to reach Gaza and break Israel's naval blockade, in Rome, Italy, October 3, 2025.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest during a nationwide strike called by the USB union to condemn the Israeli forces' interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla vessels aiming to reach Gaza and break Israel's naval blockade, in Rome, Italy, October 3, 2025.
REUTERS/Yara Nardi

Italy frozen by protests over Gaza aid flotilla

Over 200,000 people protested across Italy on Friday in a nationwide strike supporting the Gaza aid flotilla. Demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and blocked trains, ports, and highways in cities from Milan to Naples, where tens of thousands marched. Unions accused Rome of failing to press Israel to lift its blockade on aid reaching Gaza, which the UN says has created famine conditions. Opposition leader Elly Schlein demanded an arms embargo against Israel and the official recognition of a Palestinian state. But Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni branded the flotilla “dangerous” and dismissed the strike by joking that "long weekends and revolution do not go together."

Australia gives its military a makeover

Australia has announced a $16 billion defense boost after Chinese naval drills off its eastern coast underscored the limits of relying on remote geography for security. The spending marks the country’s largest increase since World War II, and comes amid US pressure for allies to raise defense outlays. Australia is planning to spend more than $500bn on its military over the next decade. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to meet Donald Trump on October 20, where defense spending and Indo-Pacific security will top the agenda.

Japan’s ruling party to elect new leader

Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party votes Saturday to replace outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, raising the prospect of a historic shift: either the country’s first female premier, Sanae Takaichi, or its youngest modern-era leader, Shinjiro Koizumi, 44. With the LDP weakened by recent electoral defeats, a sluggish economy, and an upstart ultranationalist challenge from the right, the leadership contest could reshape both the party and Japan’s political future. Read more here

.

More For You

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with President of the European Council António Luís Santos da Costa, and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, at Hyderabad House, in New Delhi, India, on Jan. 27, 2026.

DPR PMO/ANI Photo

On Tuesday, the world’s largest single market and the world’s most populous country cinched a deal that will slash or reduce tariffs on the vast majority of the products they trade.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo stands alongside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and US President Donald Trump during the 2026 World Cup draw at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on December 5, 2025.
Deccio Serrano/NurPhoto

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has repeatedly tussled with US President Donald Trump, whereas Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has tried to placate him. The discrepancy raises questions about the best way to approach the US leader.

Fighters of the Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement, attend a rally marking the 35th anniversary of the group's foundation in Gaza City on December 14, 2022.
Photo by Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto

10,000: The number of Hamas officers that the militant group reportedly wants to incorporate into the US-backed Palestinian administration for Gaza, in the form of a police force.

Walmart is investing $350 billion in US manufacturing. Over two-thirds of the products Walmart buys are made, grown, or assembled in America, like healthy dried fruit from The Ugly Co. The sustainable fruit is sourced directly from fourth-generation farmers in Farmersville, California, and delivered to your neighborhood Walmart shelves. Discover how Walmart's investment is supporting communities and fueling jobs across the nation.