Asia Bahrain 128 competitors, 59 male and 69 female, took part in this year's Mutun competition; the event awards the three best in seven categories, each focusing on the memorization and comprehension of foundation texts related to Quranic sciences
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
Oceania Australia City suburbs in Australia show plots of lands at convenient prices that lure customers into buying properties that will not be transformed into homes; they come from ‘paper subdivisions’ lacking water, sewage and roads that haven’t been and aren't planned
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
Europe Slovenia Slovenian mountaineering is at the top of the sport as Aleš Česen won his third Golden Ice Axe for outstanding mountaineering achievements for conquering the 7.952 m Gasherbrum III, one of only six to have won three; Slovenian Marko Prezelj, has won four
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 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
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
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
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
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 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’
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