Amid escalating protests and unrest, voters in Hong Kong came out in droves Sunday to hand pro-democracy candidates a resounding victory in local elections. The landslide for pro-democracy candidates blindsided Beijing, which has struggled to understand the protests and the broader pro-democracy movement.

Bougainville, an autonomous region in eastern Papua New Guinea, could soon vote for independence in a historic referendum that is currently underway. Yet 18 years after the end of Bougainville’s decade-long civil war, the path ahead remains uncertain amid persistent grievances and obstacles to development.