Oceania Papua New Guinea Condemning a man to a 3 years sentence, a Judge explicitly said women harassed or abused at work should report the episode to the police, underlining no one has the right to touch women without their consent
America Argentina President Javier Milei has led his party La Libertad Avanza to a landslide victory in midterm elections with two years of radical spending cuts and a free-market political line; winning 41% of votes he took 13 of 24 Senate and 64 of 127 lower-house seats
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
America United States Unless rescinded, Trump's executive order greenlighting deep-sea mining in direct violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea will unleash a gold rush among major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
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 Pakistan Punjab’s government faces backlash for allegedly manipulating air quality data by shutting down monitors during peak smog hours in Lahore; Officials cite “technical issues,” but experts say it’s an attempt to mask severe pollution levels
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
Asia Qatar The National Archives of Qatar is taking part in the International Council on Archives Congress in Barcelona, Spain: institutions, specialists and experts from around the world will discuss the future of document preservation and digital archiving
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 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 Liechtenstein How to increase the percentage of women in leadership positions was the focus of the Business Day for Women; speaker Leonie Gehler underlined that “Women and leadership are a ‘perfect match’” that should be promoted
Asia Bhutan Bhutan Fashion Week starting in Paro celebrates the fusion of innovation and heritage, with 20 Bhutanese designers showcasing work that blends sustainable contemporary fashion with traditional fabrics; The runaway is set in the historic center of the town
Africa Seychelles The UN office in Seychelles marked its 80th anniversary with a youth engagement event that brought together young entrepreneurs, environmental advocates, students, and change makers from the Seychelles National Youth Assembly