Asia Syria Germany's Ministry of Transport lifted the landing ban and normalized passenger traffic with Syria from 27 July 2026, thus opening to direct flights Düsseldorf-Damascus today 29 July, Berlin Brandenburg-Damascus and Cologne/Bonn-Aleppo on 1 August
Africa Cape Verde Cape Verde has entered the world's Top 30 in governance indices: the latest World Economics assessment for 2026 gave it an A rating and a score of 74, being the only African country with this distinction, thus sitting in first place on the continent
Europe Ukraine 5,9 million Ukrainian refugees are living outside four years after Russia's invasion; the number of people living within Ukraine is estimated between 30,5 and 39,5 million depending on geographical boundaries considered, a sharp drop from pre-2022 figures
Europe Finland The lowest number of job vacancies since 2016 were recorded in Finland at the end of 2025; Statistics Finland reported that employers posted 34.100 open positions-22% on 2024
Africa Democratic Republic of the Congo A key border post between DRC and Burundi reopened after over two months of closure triggered by an offensive by AFC/M23; the Kavimvira crossing, a vital trade route linking Uvira and Bujumbura, resumed operations as DRC regained control over the area
Asia Vietnam Precision farming technologies are being promoted: AI-driven crop monitoring, satellite /drone-based field mapping, IoT sensors for soil and irrigation management, and blockchain for traceability, high-tech greenhouses, biotech seeds, digital supply chain
Oceania Solomon Islands Carrying out mining operations on Nendo Island is 'not feasible'; the comments follow geochemical sampling results which reportedly confirm there are no viable prospects for mining operations in Temotu Province, particularly on Nendo Island
Europe Ukraine Ukrainian officials will boycott the Paralympic Winter Games 2026 after the International Paralympic Committee allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flag
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 Egypt Recent constitutional court ruling clarifies legislative and executive authority over updating lists of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in line with constitutional principles and the rule of law, allowing revisions of schedules of anti-drug law
Europe Norway Cross-country skier Johannes Høsflot Klæbo became the first athlete ever to win six gold medals and the first to win all six cross-country events in a single Winter Olympic Games
Africa Togo The “Big Catch-Up” initiative, implemented with support from UNICEF, will step up efforts to restore childhood vaccination coverage weakened by the COVID-19 pandemic, reintegrating into immunizing programs 40.000 unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children
America United States US Hockey Team won a historic gold medal at the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics defeating Canada 2-1 in overtime; Jack Hughes’ goal gave the team its first victory since the 1980 Lake Placid Games
Asia Syria A landmark decision granted provincial governors broad authorities marking one of the most signifcant steps toward administrative decentralisation since 2011; the move will accelerate streamline project implementation, and reduce bureaucratic congestion