Asia Qatar Art Basel announced it will debut in Qatar with a new format and artist Wael Shawky as Director; the inaugural edition of the fair will run on 5–7 February 2026, with Preview Days on 3 and 4
America Venezuela Venezuela has reaffirmed the validity of the Geneva Agreement and demanded again that Guyana immediately negotiate the territorial dispute over the Essequibo region, accusing it of systematic violations
Asia Armenia The Ministry of Economy, that oversees the country's agricultural sector, has proposed to fully subsidise the insurance premium for the 2025 agricultural year at government expense as part of the programme for the introduction of agricultural insurance
America Mexico Mexico is threatening to sue Google if it keeps renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" for US Maps users; President Claudia Sheinbaum is arguing that Trump's executive order only applies to US waters and has no authority over Mexico or Cuba
Oceania Micronesia Nan Madol, a mysterious stone city built almost 1.000 years ago on the small South Pacific island of Temwen, has been named the 'Venice of the Pacific'
Europe Montenegro Montenegro and Albania could conclude negotiations for EU membership in 2026 or 2027 if it were only technical aspects in the talks; the new EU Enlargement Commissioner reminded decisions are made by the 27 member states
Asia Lebanon Prominent Lebanese journalist and executive producer Ahmad Farhat was killed in an attack by an Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle that hit his car in the Iqlim al-Tuffah district in the south of the country
Oceania Australia Australian lawmakers and experts say there has been an increase in both anti-Semitic and Islamophobic incidents since the war between Israel and Hamas began on 7 October 2023, in what its leaders call a 'national crisis'
Asia Pakistan Punjab launches a project to greenify Cholistan desert in the frame of the Green Pakistan Initiative; the initiative includes a 5.000-acre Smart Agri Farm, Green Agri Mall and research centers to boost agriculture with modern tech and farmer support
Africa Mauritius The Council of Southern African Football Associations will assist Mauritius in the development of youth football and regional sports competitions
Africa Eswatini A new project will support the country reach the remaining 12% of the population with electricity access in remote and disadvantaged areas; financed by the World Bank, the plan aims at reaching universal energy access by 2030
America Antigua and Barbuda The increase in vehicle registration fees proposed by the government are being criticized by the main opposition party, whose members express growing concern over their impact on the cost of living
Africa Burundi A China-Burundi Friendship Walk organised by the Chinese Embassy and the Burundi-China Friendship Association was held in Bujumbura
Africa Mauritania The 10th edition of the Nouakchott Arab Poetry Festival took place; a three-days event organised by the Sharjah Department of Culture, it saw a wide participation of Mauritanian and African poets, intellectuals and writers