Africa Zambia Rodney Sikumba, Minister of Tourism, has been recognised by Safari Club International as the 2026 International Legislator of the Year, a distinction highlighting his role in promoting sustainable-use conservation and wildlife policy on the global stage
Africa Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been declared the winner of Tanzania's presidential election, securing another term in office amid days of unrest across the country that caused at least 700 deaths, with local and foreign transparency concerns
Asia Malaysia Malaysia and the U.S. have sealed a 17-point trade pact that grants preferential access for U.S. industrial goods while securing for Malaysia tariff exemptions on 1.711 lines
Europe Russia Halloween was a day of costumes, candy and all things spooky even in Russia, as Muscovites celebrated like fellow trick-or-treaters around the world, notwithstanding Halloween being irritant for politicians, pro-Kremlin activists and the Orthodox Church
America United States Unless rescinded, Trump's executive order greenlighting deep-sea mining in direct violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea will unleash a gold rush among major powers that concerns Pacific nations, fearing armed conflict as consequence
Europe Iceland A snowstorm in Reykjavík transformed in thick ice ridges on main roads as traffic pressed the snow before it could be removed; nearby municipalities were less affected
Oceania Australia City suburbs in Australia show plots of lands at convenient prices that lure customers into buying properties that will not be transformed into homes; they come from ‘paper subdivisions’ lacking water, sewage and roads that haven’t been and aren't planned
Europe Portugal The construction of a 120 million Euros desalination plant in Sines, on one of the country’s busiest shipping routes and a major European container port, has been announced; it will start in 2027 and is expected to be completed by 2031
Africa Cape Verde Preliminary assessment reports on the production of corn and beans indicates that the 2025/2026 year will be unfavorable, yielding approximately a -75% crop compared to 2024
Europe Austria The program of New Year's Concert 2026 at the Vienna Musikverein has been announced: it includes five premieres, including two pieces by female composers and Yannick Nézet-Séguin from Canada will conduct the concert for the first time
Africa South Africa The University of Fort Hare council has urged higher education and training minister Buti Manamela not to proceed with appointing an independent assessor, saying the university is already taking steps to stabilise itself and address recent unrest
Europe Albania A group of IT experts proposed an AI ‘candidate’ for the upcoming Tirana mayoral election, she will be called called TirANA (Tirana Algorithmic Neural Assistant); Albania’s government had appointed an AI-generated digital assistant as a ‘minister’
Africa Sao Tome and Principe By the end of 2025, Sao Tome & Principe, Africa’s second smallest nation by land area, could once again be propelled into the oil and gas spotlight if Shell’s upcoming Falcao-1 wildcat is successful
America Bahamas Assessments and cleanup were underway in areas of the southern and central Bahamas after Hurricane Melissa swept through the country, uprooting trees, tearing down utility poles and damaging some roofs; most residents were relieved they dodged the worst