Global uncertainty continues with Biden-Trump vote still undecided

With a second day of ballot tallying done after Tuesday’s tight US presidential election — but the race still not decided — global opinion is mixed [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Big news! The World is participating in NewsMatch. From now until the end of the year, every dollar of support will be generously matched by a coalition of national funders. This means a gift of $50 will provide $100 of support for The World’s critical journalism. [Double your impact today!]( Many of you have stepped forward and shown your support for The World with thoughtful messages like this one: "One of my favorite news sources! Thank you for all your hard work." Thank you for your support. Visit [www.theworld.org/give]( to donate. [Match my donation]( --------------------------------------------------------------- In the news today US presidential contest remains undecided as world looks on [A trio of friends watch the sunrise at the Reflecting Pool looking out on the Washington Monument in Washington DC, Nov. 5, 2020.]( Credit: J. Scott Applewhite/AP After a second day of ballot tallying, votes are still being counted and a winner [has not yet been called]( in Tuesday’s tight US presidential election. [Global opinion has been mixed]( on whether the American political system can successfully pass its electoral stress test. In parts of Africa, dismay and disbelief have characterized many of the reactions to the partisan standoff unfolding on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. For people in places where recent elections have been plagued by allegations of fraud and threats of violence, some saw [echoes of their own political troubles]( in Trump’s accusations of wrongdoing, premature victory declaration and litigious filings. “Trump is setting a bad example for Africa and a country like ours,” said Mory Keïta, a car parts dealer in Guinea. “It’s a total disgrace,” said Bachir Diallo, a mining executive in the same country. “Such a mess is worthy of a banana republic.” Tito Kisiya, a sales executive in Tanzania, added, “What we are seeing from Trump is not different from what we have been seeing in African politics. However, it is terrifying to see this in America.” And when the US Embassy in Abidjan called for commitment to the rule of law after a disputed election in Ivory Coast, Twitter users responded with sarcastic retorts such as, “I believe the playground response is ‘[why you talking about yourself](?’” But some world leaders saw encouraging signs in the vote-counting process and held out hope for America’s democratic machinery. Recently reelected New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that she had [faith in US institutions](. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian also said that common sense and strong values would prevail. Yet European populists like Italy’s Matteo Salvini opined that Trump’s advantage was due to the grande dimostrazione — great demonstration — of voter participation. Map: [Follow the latest election results]( What The World is following The right-wing government in Poland has [announced an indefinite delay]( in the implementation of a high court ruling against abortion following two weeks of [massive protests across the country](. That nation already had one of Europe’s strictest abortion policies. For now, officials have decided not to publish the court’s ruling in a government journal — thereby preventing it from taking effect. The president of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, resigned Thursday at a press conference in the capital, Pristina, as he faces [charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity]( at a special court in The Hague. Thaci, a former [leader in the Kosovo Liberation Army]( guerrilla group, said he was stepping down “to protect the integrity of the office of the president and the country, as well as the dignity of the citizens.” --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [Why is Arizona trending blue? Ask Latinos and immigrants there.]( [Reyna Montoya is an Arizona resident and the founder of Aliento, an immigrant aid organization.]( Credit: Courtesy of Aliento Arizona, a longtime Republican stronghold, is leaning Democratic in the 2020 election. Much of the credit goes to immigrant rights groups who laid the groundwork through years of organizing. “It was a big coalition that was very diverse that really made Arizona happen,” [said Reyna Montoya](, founder and CEO of Aliento, a Phoenix-based immigrant aid organization led by undocumented immigrant youth. "And I would say that a lot of that energy was ignited by the anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies that we have experienced for the past two decades." [Global leaders react to US election]( [A man reads the Diario 2001 newspaper that carries the Spanish headline: "Agony is prolonged for the White House" at a newspaper stand in Caracas, Venezuela, Nov. 4, 2020, the day after US elections.]( Credit: Matias Delacroix/AP Reactions of [world leaders, politicians and foreign policy experts have been mixed](, with some calling for patience and others warning that the uncertainty could be damaging for democracy in the US. --------------------------------------------------------------- Bright spot If you're feeling anxious while waiting for all the votes to be counted, fear not, our friends to the north [are offering support]( ... or at least a meme. 🇨🇦 [A screen grab of a tweet from Canadian Fletchy]( [Credit: Courtesy of Twitter]( --------------------------------------------------------------- In case you missed it on The World - [Immigrant groups key to ‘flipping’ Arizona]( - [Iran and Afghanistan keep an eye on US elections]( - [How a nation comes back from a deeply divisive election: The Kenya case]( - [UK reacts to US election as new lockdown looms]( - [Young Latinos broke records in early voting numbers]( - [World leaders react as US election results come in]( - [China reacts to US election]( - [In Mexico, Trump and Biden supporters await what’s next for US-Mexico ties]( - [Hacks and disinformation on Election Day]( Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. 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