America Brazil A major anti-mining operation carried out in Brazil dismantled 277 illegal dredges in the Amazon, dealt a $193 million blow to criminal networks and exposed environmental and health damages
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
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 amid local and foreign transparency concerns
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 Indonesia Danantara, Indonesia’s new state-backed fund, aims to turn the nation from a raw-material exporter into a high-tech producer by consolidating state assets and investing in innovation to build world competitive firms and cut reliance on foreign technology
Europe Vatican City Recalling the words of Pope Leo XIV during a video call with astronaut Buzz Aldrin earlier this year, the Holy See has taken a definite position on space-based weaponry saying it poses ‘genuine and grave’ threat
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
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
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
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 Sao Tome and Principe By the end of 2025, Sao Tome & Principe, Africa’s second smallest nation by land area, could once again be propelled into the oil and gas spotlight if Shell’s upcoming Falcao-1 wildcat is successful
America Dominican Republic A large-scale humanitarian campaign to support families affected by Tropical Storm Melissa Fujian General Chamber of Commerce of China in the Dominican Republic, which includes distributing 23.000 food kits across the country
Asia Cambodia Chef Mariya Un Noun of the Smiling Gecko Farmhouse in Phnom Penh has worked in top Michelin-star kitchens in Europe, placing Khmer dishes on international menus, training Cambodian talents, an ambassador of khmer culinary heritage on the global stage
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