Asia Bahrain 394.000 visitors have been registered in state-run heritage sites in January-August 2026, with the Bahrain Fort accounting for 246.409, nearly two thirds of the total, and foreign visitors prevailed with the presence of 187.567 people
Europe France The French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Seas (Ifremer) is testing smart trawls in the Breton village of Lorient to sort fish before returning them to boats
Europe Portugal HiFly, a Portuguese international airliner, has landed the first ever Airbus A340 in Antarctica on a test round trip from Cape Town, South Africa, were the carrier will be operating flights for scientists, cargo and tourists headed to the White Continent
Asia Thailand The two largest transport groups, the Bangkok Mass Transit Organisation and the State Railway of Thailand, have been urged to seek ways to reduce their dependence on government subsidies by increasing revenue and lowering management costs
Asia Lebanon The country has launched support programmes for vulnerable people, with beneficiaries selected according to transparent criteria to ensure everyone meets the basic requirements for a decent life; two-thirds of Lebanese live in poverty
Africa Mauritania The presidents of Senegal and Mauritania laid the foundation stone for the inauguration of the Pont de Rosso bridge, a strategic link for the two countries over the Senegal River that separates them
Oceania New Zealand The country has become the first in the world to fully legalise drug testing services, allowing illicit substances to be tested at music festivals and beyond, in a move that experts say will save numerous lives
Europe Albania With the country due to hold a delayed national population census next year, minorities organizations are urging authorities to address the shortcomings of the 2011 census, which they claim cost minorities dearly in terms of resource allocation
America Venezuela The country set the world record for the largest orchestra contemporarily playing, made up of over 12.000 musicians
Europe Sweden Lawmakers elected the country's first female Prime Minister for a second time; Magdalena Andersson, who resigned on the same day as the election due to the defeat of the budget proposal, will now form a minority government
Africa Tunisia The vaccination target for 2021 was reached, with the symbolic milestone of 10 million people receiving at least one dose being exceeded; this means that more than half of all eligible people (aged 15 and over) have been vaccinated
Asia Afghanistan Sharbat Gula, the 'Afghan girl' on the 1985 National Geographic cover, joins the thousands of Afghans who have fled to Europe
Asia Malaysia The government will hold regular commodity sales as part of efforts to keep commodity prices affordable for consumers, after prices of vegetables and other fresh produce rose sharply in recent weeks
Africa Ethiopia The #NoMore movement, born to denounce the media campaign and interference by the West against the country and African in general, has been now joined by influential artist Akon; the hashtag has been top trending for weeks