Africa Benin As part of the Vodun Days 2026 event in Ouidah, in Maro Square paintings of the Egungun are on display, depicting them dancing: the Vodun Days Artistic Direction has chosen to go beyond live performance adding an exhibition of paintings of the Egungun
Africa Cape Verde The first of two new ATR72-600 aircraft for the Cabo Verde Air Transport fleet landed in Praia; the flight was operated by Brazilian crew, reflecting the investment made in training and developing Cape Verdean professionals in the civil aviation sector
Asia Kazakhstan Citizens from 14 countries have received Kazakhstan’s Neo Nomad Visa since its introduction last year; citizens of the United States, Canada and France are the largest number
Asia Japan The Tokyo Game Show, one of the world's biggest gaming events, opened with 1.136 exhibitors and expects 250.000 visitors; evident trends are independent developers that create small-budget innovative titles and the increasing application of AI
Africa Mali Pari Mutuel Urbain Mali PMU-Mali, the country’s state-backed betting operator, launched its 31st anniversary celebrations, announcing a special CFA100m (€152,000) prize pool for loyal customers
Africa Libya A fully equipped medical clinic has set sail from the Libyan capital, Tripoli, aboard the vessel Omar Al-Mukhtar on a humanitarian mission to support the Global Sumood Convoy, which aims to break the blockade on Gaza
America Guatemala Guatemala secured a legal victory after a US judge blocked the Trump administration from deporting unaccompanied Guatemalan children with active immigration cases
America Guyana The Guyanese diaspora has been addressed by President Ali, who called on them to return home and invest in the country’s transformation, promising support, protection for investments, and a welcoming environment amid rapid national development
Asia Maldives The government is planning to seek public support for major constitutional changes using a new law that the opposition claims is a "tool" for President Dr Mohamed Muizzu to prolong his five-year term beyond 2028
Africa Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, with Morocco, ratified a landmark UN treaty to safeguard marine biodiversity on the high seas known as BBNJ which took over two decades to negotiate; with their vote, it has has met the 60 ratifications required for entry into force in 2026
Asia Taiwan Super typhoon Ragasa has hit Taiwan, leaving at least 14 dead and 124 missing as torrential rains, 200 km/h winds in eastern Hualien broke a water barrier, flooding the town of Guangfu; over 700 flights were canceled, alerts issued in China and Hong Kong
Asia Kyrgyzstan AI-integrated surveillance cameras have been introduced in test mode; capable of facial recognition and of detecting emergencies, can alert staff at 'situation centers' if they spot fire, frostbite or crowd gatherings
Africa Democratic Republic of the Congo Response to the Ebola outbreak is accelerating, with control measures being scaled up leading to quicker detection of the virus, early start of treatment; over 90% of contacts of confirmed cases are monitored and followed up, from just 19% a fortnight ago
Africa Madagascar Updated 10.000 and 20.000 ariary banknotes have been released to curb counterfeiting; with overall design similar to the previous series, new notes incorporate a two-tone green and red security thread as well as printing changes