A major Microsoft outage disrupted email, workplace communications and government services across more than 70 countries and territories, leaving businesses and public institutions struggling to operate for nearly 24 hours.

The disruption began on Thursday, November 12 , and continued into Friday, affecting Microsoft 365 services including Outlook, Teams and Copilot. Users reported difficulties sending emails, accessing calendars and using some workplace applications.

According to outage-tracking website Downdetector, reports of Outlook problems in the United States peaked at more than 130,000 on Thursday. Disruptions were also reported across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas, although the number of affected users remains unknown.

The outage affected government agencies in the United States, Britain, Japan and Australia. Some British healthcare providers experienced email problems, while airlines in India reported disruptions to customer-support services. Businesses also turned to phone calls and fax machines to keep operating.

Microsoft said the problem stemmed from a network capacity upgrade and a subsequent network change that left some servers unavailable. The company said it had found no evidence of a cyberattack.

By Friday, November 13, Microsoft reported broad improvements in service availability after addressing the underlying technical issue, although some customers continued to experience delayed emails and intermittent access problems.

The disruption has renewed concerns about the world's dependence on a small number of technology providers, particularly as governments, hospitals and businesses increasingly rely on cloud-based systems for everyday operations.

The UN General Assembly's Second Committee approved a draft resolution reaffirming Palestinian sovereignty over natural resources in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and the rights of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan.

The resolution passed with 151 votes in favour , seven against and 11 abstentions, according to official UN meeting records.

The countries voting against were the United States, Israel, Colombia, Paraguay, Palau, Nauru and the Federated States of Micronesia. All European Union member states and Canada supported the resolution.

The measure calls on Israel to stop exploiting, damaging or depleting natural resources in the occupied territories. It also recognises the right of Palestinians to seek compensation for losses resulting from such activities.

The resolution further urges Israel to halt actions that damage the environment, including waste dumping and the destruction of water pipelines, sewage systems and electricity networks.

Israel rejected the resolution, arguing that it ignored Palestinian leadership failures and security concerns. The United States also criticised the measure as one-sided, saying it reflected institutional bias against Israel.

Palestinian representatives welcomed the vote as a reaffirmation of their people's rights to land and natural resources.

The draft also refers to the International Court of Justice's July 2024 advisory opinion, which found Israel's continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory unlawful.

The committee's approval is not the final General Assembly vote. The draft will proceed to the full Assembly for consideration. General Assembly resolutions are generally non-binding, but the result demonstrates broad international support for Palestinian resource rights.

Africa is separated from Europe and the Middle East by stretches of water so narrow that several countries on other continents can be seen with the naked eye on a clear day.

A geographical map highlights countries outside Africa that may be visible from parts of the continent, including Spain, Portugal, Italy, the United Kingdom, Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

One of the clearest examples is the Strait of Gibraltar, where just 13 kilometres separate Morocco from mainland Spain at the narrowest point, according to NASA. From parts of northern Morocco, the Spanish coastline can be seen across the water .

The British territory of Gibraltar is also visible from Morocco under suitable weather conditions. Although Gibraltar is not an independent country, it forms part of the United Kingdom's overseas territories.

Italy offers another example. Its Mediterranean island of Pantelleria lies roughly 70 kilometres from Tunisia, close enough for elevated viewpoints to provide views across the sea when visibility is particularly good.

In northeastern Africa, Egypt's Sinai Peninsula overlooks the Gulf of Aqaba, where the coastlines of Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel can be seen from certain locations. NASA identifies the gulf as a narrow waterway separating Sinai from the Arabian Peninsula.

These views depend on distance, elevation and atmospheric conditions. Mountains and elevated coastlines can remain visible even when lower-lying land is hidden beyond the horizon.

Most European countries lie entirely within the continent, but several extend beyond its geographical boundaries, highlighting how geography, history and politics shape the definition of Europe.

France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands are shown with smaller European shares because they have territories outside mainland Europe. The map estimates that 81% of France and 74% of the Netherlands lie within Europe, although those figures depend on how overseas territories are counted.

Russia stands out as the largest country spanning Europe and Asia. The map places just 23% of its territory in Europe, with the remaining landmass extending across northern Asia.

Despite occupying a smaller portion of Russia's territory, European Russia contains most of the country's population , including Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Denmark is another unusual case. The map assigns just 2% of its territory to Europe, apparently counting Greenland, the vast Arctic island that forms part of the Kingdom of Denmark.

The geographical boundary between Europe and Asia is generally drawn along the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea region and the Caucasus, although some sections remain disputed.

Countries such as Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan illustrate why continental classifications can be complicated. Their geographical positions and political ties do not always fit neatly into a single continental category.

The map also highlights the difference between geographical territory and political identity. Countries can be closely associated with Europe while holding substantial territory elsewhere.

Grand Theft Auto VI could face distribution restrictions in several Asian markets, including China and parts of the Middle East, as differences in national gaming regulations raise questions about where the highly anticipated title will be available.

Rockstar Games' upcoming Grand Theft Auto VI has attracted worldwide attention, but its availability may differ between countries because of local content regulations, licensing requirements and publisher decisions.

A map of Asia identifies Russia and Belarus as markets affected by publisher withdrawal, while China, Iran, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Lebanon and North Korea are marked as facing distribution restrictions.

The distinctions matter. Publisher withdrawal generally means a company has stopped officially selling or supporting its games in a particular market. Distribution restrictions, meanwhile, may arise from government approval requirements, content rules or other barriers to official sales.

China operates a strict approval system for video games, requiring publishers to obtain regulatory clearance before releasing titles commercially. Games containing certain forms of violence , gambling or politically sensitive material can face obstacles.

Russia presents a different situation. Rockstar's parent company, Take-Two Interactive, suspended new sales in Russia and Belarus in 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine .

However, the map's categories do not establish that GTA VI has been formally banned in every country shown. Some markets may simply lack an official distribution channel.

Rockstar's published pre-order list includes several Asian and Middle Eastern markets, including India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. China, Iran and North Korea are not included in that list.

Rockstar has scheduled GTA VI for November 19, 2026, on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Its latest support information also confirms that regional account and download-code restrictions can affect purchases.

The differences show how the release of a major video game can depend not only on global demand but also on local regulations and the publisher's distribution arrangements.

Spanish is spoken by hundreds of millions of people worldwide, but differences in pronunciation, vocabulary and speaking speed can make some regional accents harder to understand, even for native speakers.

A world map comparing Spanish accents places Mexico, Peru and Bolivia among the easier varieties to understand, while describing accents from Cuba, Venezuela, Panama and parts of southern Spain as particularly challenging.

Argentina, Uruguay and Honduras fall into the map's harder category, while Chile is singled out with the humorous question, "Is that even Spanish?"

The differences reflect the enormous variety of Spanish spoken across Latin America and Spain. Although speakers share the same language, pronunciation, local expressions and speech patterns can vary considerably between countries and even neighbouring regions.

For example, speakers in parts of the Caribbean commonly weaken or drop the s sound at the end of syllables, while Argentine and Uruguayan Spanish are known for their distinctive pronunciation of ll and y.

Chile also has its own informal vocabulary, shortened expressions and pronunciation patterns, which can make everyday conversations unfamiliar to people accustomed to other varieties of Spanish.

According to the Instituto Cervantes, Spanish had approximately 635 million potential speakers worldwide in 2025, including more than 520 million native speakers. Its global reach has produced a wide range of regional varieties.

Linguistic research confirms that pronunciation differs across Spanish-speaking regions, including how speakers pronounce consonants and shorten certain sounds. However, these differences do not establish that one national accent is objectively harder to understand than another.

Understanding an accent also depends on a listener's familiarity with it, exposure to regional vocabulary and experience speaking Spanish.

The map therefore offers a light-hearted comparison rather than a scientifically established ranking of Spanish accents.

More than 100 years ago, the United States was already divided into major time zones, a system introduced to make railway travel easier and bring order to a country where towns once set their clocks by the Sun.

A historical map dated January 1, 1924, shows how the United States organised its time zones long before modern air travel , digital clocks and smartphones.

The mainland was divided into four main zones: Eastern, Central , Mountain and Pacific Standard Time. Each was one hour behind the next, reflecting the country's vast geographical size.

Eastern Standard Time was five hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), while Central, Mountain and Pacific Standard Time were six, seven and eight hours behind, respectively.

The system emerged from the rapid expansion of American railways during the 19th century. Before standardisation, towns kept their own local time based on the Sun's position, creating confusion for railway operators and passengers.

On November 18, 1883, American and Canadian railways introduced four standard time zones to simplify timetables and improve coordination.

The US government formally adopted standard time under the Standard Time Act of 1918, giving the Interstate Commerce Commission authority to establish and adjust time-zone boundaries.

By 1924, the system was firmly established, although boundaries did not always follow state lines. Some states were divided between two zones, reflecting transport connections and local economic needs.

The historical map also shows Alaska and Hawaii using separate time standards. However, Hawaii was not yet a US state, and the territories' time arrangements differed from those used today.

The boundaries continued to change over the following decades. The Uniform Time Act of 1966 established a more consistent national approach to daylight saving time, while responsibility for time-zone boundaries eventually passed to the US Department of Transportation.

Today, the department oversees nine official US time zones, including those covering territories outside the mainland.

The 1924 map illustrates how a system originally designed to solve railway scheduling problems became a lasting part of American life.

People can legally change their gender on official documents in many countries, but the process varies widely, with some governments allowing self-identification while others require medical approval or prohibit the change altogether.

Laws governing gender recognition differ sharply across the world , leaving transgender people facing different requirements depending on where they live.

According to ILGA World's legal database , updated in October 2026, 23 United Nations member states recognise legal gender changes based on self-identification. At least 21 countries require a medical diagnosis, while at least 17 require surgery or sterilisation.

Argentina was among the earliest countries to introduce a self-identification system. Its 2012 Gender Identity Law allows people to change their registered gender without undergoing surgery or obtaining a medical diagnosis.

Several European countries, including Spain, Germany, Denmark and Norway, also allow legal gender recognition based on self-determination, although age limits and administrative procedures differ.

Elsewhere, the process remains more restrictive. Some countries require medical assessments or surgical procedures before official documents can be amended.

In the United States, requirements vary by state and by document. State-issued birth certificates and driving licences follow different rules, while federal passports are governed separately. Australia also has different procedures across its states and territories.

Russia and Hungary are among countries where legal restrictions prevent gender-marker changes. Across parts of Africa and Asia, legal recognition remains unavailable or subject to significant medical and administrative requirements.

The rules are also changing. In 2026, Czechia removed surgical and hormonal treatment requirements from its legal gender recognition process, following court decisions .

The differences show how access to legal gender recognition remains uneven worldwide, with requirements shaped by national laws, court decisions and government policies.

Hawaii leads the latest ranking of America's happiest states , followed by New Jersey and Utah, according to a September 2026 study by personal finance company WalletHub.

Hawaii scored 69.53 out of 100, supported by high life satisfaction, relatively low depression rates and strong health outcomes. New Jersey followed with 67.09 points, while Utah ranked third with 66.45.

Idaho and Maryland completed the top five, followed by Nebraska, Connecticut, Minnesota, California and New Hampshire.

At the other end of the ranking, West Virginia finished last with 31.88 points. Louisiana ranked 49th, followed by Arkansas, Alaska and Kentucky.

The results highlight differences in well-being across the country, with several northeastern and western states performing strongly while parts of the South recorded lower scores.

WalletHub compared states using 30 indicators covering emotional and physical well-being, work environment, and community conditions . These included depression rates, life expectancy, employment and leisure time.

Utah performed particularly well in working conditions and community life, ranking first in both categories. New Jersey led in emotional and physical well-being.

The findings suggest that happiness is shaped by more than income or location, with health, job satisfaction and social connections playing important roles.

The United States remains one of the few countries that use Fahrenheit as the standard for everyday temperature measurements, while most of the world uses Celsius.

A world map comparing temperature scales shows a striking divide: the United States stands out in yellow for Fahrenheit, while almost every other country is marked in red for Celsius.

From Europe and Africa to Asia, South America and Australia, Celsius is the standard scale for weather forecasts and everyday temperature measurements.

The United States is the most prominent exception. Americans commonly use Fahrenheit for weather reports, household thermostats and cooking temperatures, although Celsius is also used in scientific and some technical settings.

Canada presents a contrast to its southern neighbour. Despite its close economic and geographical ties to the United States, Canada generally uses Celsius for weather forecasts.

The two scales use different reference points. Water freezes at 0°C and boils at approximately 100°C under standard atmospheric pressure. On the Fahrenheit scale, the equivalent temperatures are 32°F and 212°F, according to the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

The widespread use of Celsius is linked to the international adoption of the metric system. The United States has retained customary measurements for many everyday activities, helping explain why Fahrenheit remains familiar to American households.

For scientific measurements, however, the International System of Units uses kelvin as its base unit of temperature , with Celsius also widely accepted for expressing temperatures.

The difference is largely one of convention rather than accuracy. Both scales measure the same physical quantity, but express it using different numbers.

Minecraft leads in the United States , Canada and Mexico, as well as several Central American countries. The game also appears to attract more searches in Chile, one of the few South American countries where it leads.

Roblox , meanwhile, dominates much of South America, including Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Peru and Bolivia. It also leads in several Caribbean and Central American countries.

The contrast highlights differences in what internet users search for across the region, although it does not necessarily show which platform has more active players.

Minecraft, developed by Mojang Studios, allows players to build, explore and survive in worlds made of blocks. Roblox, meanwhile, is a platform where users can create, share and play games developed by other users.

Both have large international audiences, but their different features may appeal to different groups of players.

Google explains that its Trends data measures relative search interest rather than total searches or player numbers. Results are adjusted for each location and displayed on a scale of 0 to 100.

This means a country showing stronger interest in Roblox does not necessarily have more Roblox players than Minecraft players.

The map illustrates a broad regional split in online search behaviour, with Minecraft leading across much of North America and Roblox attracting greater search interest in most of South America .

Argentina and Brazil have dominated South America's history in the Ballon d'Or, football's prestigious individual award, but their totals tell different stories.

According to the figures presented by The World in Maps, Argentine players have won 11 titles, compared with five for Brazil .

Messi accounts for eight of Argentina's victories , winning the award in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023. His record places him ahead of every other player in the award's history.

Brazil's five titles have come from three players. Ronaldo Nazário won twice, in 1997 and 2002, while Rivaldo claimed the award in 1999 and Ronaldinho in 2005. Kaká was Brazil's most recent winner, in 2007.

However, the infographic's total of 11 Argentine titles includes three awards won by Argentine-born players who represented European countries.

Alfredo Di Stéfano won twice, in 1957 and 1959, representing Spain, while Omar Sívori won in 1961 as an Italian international.

Under the official nationality-based records, Argentina has eight titles, all won by Messi, while Brazil has five.

The difference also reflects the award's history . Until 1995, only European players were eligible to win the Ballon d'Or. The rules were later expanded, allowing footballers from other continents to compete.

Brazil's Ronaldo became the country's first winner in 1997, two years after the eligibility change.

The latest men's award went to England's Harry Kane on October 26, 2026, leaving Argentina and Brazil's totals unchanged.

Spain and France are among the European countries whose clocks are furthest ahead of their geographical position, while Britain, Germany and much of central Europe follow time zones more closely aligned with their location.

Europe's time zones do not always match the position of countries on the globe, with political decisions and historical events helping determine what time people observe.

A map published by The World in Maps compares European countries' official time zones with their geographical location, showing Spain as one of the clearest examples of the mismatch.

Spain uses Central European Time (UTC+1) during winter, the same as Germany and Italy, despite much of mainland Spain lying west of the Greenwich meridian. Geographically, most of the country is closer to the UTC+0 time zone used by neighbouring Portugal.

France also follows UTC+1 in winter, although much of its territory lies closer to Greenwich. This means clocks in both countries run ahead of the time suggested by their longitude.

Spain moved its clocks for war d by one hour in March 1940 during World War II and retained Central European Time. France also adopted the system during the war. Historical records show that these changes were more complicated than the common claim that Spain simply changed its clocks to match Nazi Germany.

Elsewhere, Denmark, Switzerland, Austria and several Central European countries are closer to the time zones suggested by their longitude. Britain and Portugal also follow UTC+0 in winter, although western Ireland and parts of Portugal are geographically better aligned with a later solar time.

The differences affect daily life. In western Spain, the Sun can reach its highest point well after 12 noon by the official clock, contributing to later sunrise and sunset times.

Most European countries also move their clocks forward by one hour during summer. Although the European Union proposed ending seasonal clock changes in 2018, member states have yet to reach an agreement, and the existing system remains in place in 2026.

The comparison shows that Europe's clocks reflect more than geography, with history and government decisions continuing to influence how countries measure time.

A historical map of Europe's time zones in the winter of 1938 shows a continent divided by national timekeeping rules, just months before World War II began in September 1939.

France, Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom and Ireland were among the countries observing Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), while Germany, Italy, Poland and much of central Europe used GMT+1.

The Netherlands stood out . Instead of following either system, it observed a national time approximately 20 minutes ahead of GMT, a legacy of its earlier use of local astronomical time.

Farther east, Finland, Greece and Romania followed GMT+2, while parts of the Soviet Union used GMT+3 or other offsets.

One of the biggest changes came during World War II. Following Germany's invasion of the Netherlands in May 1940, the occupying authorities ordered Dutch clocks to move forward by one hour and 40 minutes, bringing the country into line with German summer time.

Belgium and France also adopted Central European Time during the war, and the Netherlands retained the system after liberation.

Today, most of continental western and central Europe uses Central European Time (UTC+1) in winter, including France, Spain, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. The United Kingdom, Ireland and Portugal remain on UTC+0, while much of eastern Europe uses UTC+2.

The 1938 map highlights how national decisions, geography and wartime events helped shape the time zones still used across Europe.

Flávio Bolsonaro, the defeated candidate in Brazil's presidential election , arrived in the United States on Wednesday, October 28, after crossing into Argentina by road and taking a private flight through Ecuador, according to Reuters and Argentine immigration authorities.

Bolsonaro travelled with his wife and two daughters, crossing the Tancredo Neves International Bridge between Brazil and Argentina late on Tuesday.

Argentina's immigration department confirmed that the family entered the country at 10:50 p.m. local time using valid travel documents. About 40 minutes later, they boarded a private aircraft at Puerto Iguazú airport, bound for Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Flight-tracking data cited by Reuters showed the Gulfstream aircraft departing Puerto Iguazú shortly after midnight and landing in Guayaquil early Wednesday. It then continued to Opa-locka Executive Airport near Miami, where Reuters confirmed Bolsonaro's arrival.

The journey came after Brazil's Supreme Court ordered Bolsonaro to surrender his passports and prohibited him from leaving the country amid investigations into alleged financial crimes. Bolsonaro denies wrongdoing and had previously said he intended to comply with the order.

The senator lost Sunday's presidential runoff to Lula, who secured approximately 51.8% of valid votes against Bolsonaro's 48.2%. He has refused to concede defeat, although his Liberal Party has recognised the result.

US President Donald Trump said he would approve Bolsonaro's entry into the United States, while American officials confirmed that visas would be issued to his family.

The departure has raised questions about how Bolsonaro crossed the border despite the court restrictions and could increase diplomatic tensions between Brazil and the United States.

Former President Jair Bolsonaro, Flávio's father, remains under house arrest following his conviction for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election.

Lula strengthened his electoral performance in 5,318 Brazilian municipalities between the October 4 first round and the October 25 runoff, according to an analysis of election results presented by The World in Maps.

Only 122 municipalities moved towards his right-wing rival, Flávio Bolsonaro, the graphic showed.

The figures suggest Lula gained ground across approximately 98% of the municipalities included in the comparison, highlighting the scale of his recovery after finishing behind Bolsonaro in the first round.

The shift does not mean Lula won every municipality where his support increased. In many places, he simply narrowed Bolsonaro's lead or increased his own margin.

An analysis by Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo, also based on Superior Electoral Court (TSE) data, found that Lula improved his margin against Bolsonaro in 5,385 municipalities, or 96.7% of the country's total. Bolsonaro gained ground in 185. The figures differ from those shown in the graphic, possibly because of differences in how local results were compared.

Among the largest shifts highlighted in the graphic were Campos dos Goytacazes and Belford Roxo in Rio de Janeiro state, where Lula's position improved by 9.8 and 8.6 percentage points, respectively. São Vicente in São Paulo state recorded an 8.4-point shift.

Lula's gains helped him secure 51.79% of valid votes in the runoff, compared with Bolsonaro's 48.21%, according to the TSE. He received 64.26 million votes against Bolsonaro's 59.83 million, reversing a first-round deficit of about 2.2 million votes.

The result secured Lula a fourth non-consecutive presidential term, although Bolsonaro has challenged the outcome and called for the election to be annulled.

The municipal figures illustrate how widespread changes in voting margins contributed to Lula's victory, even in areas where Bolsonaro remained the leading candidate.

Serbia's student-led opposition secured 140 seats in the country's 250-member parliament in Sunday's snap election, defeating the coalition of longtime leader Aleksandar Vučić, according to preliminary results released by the Republican Electoral Commission (RIK).

The Student List won 52.71% of votes counted , compared with 39.17% for Vučić's United Serbia coalition, which secured 104 seats. Four parties representing ethnic minorities shared the remaining six seats, according to the latest official count.

The result gives the student-backed movement more than the 126 seats needed for a parliamentary majority, opening the way for a change of government after years of dominance by Vučić and his Serbian Progressive Party.

Vučić conceded defeat on Sunday as thousands of opposition supporters celebrated in Belgrade and other cities. Voter turnout was approximately 69%, reflecting strong public interest in the election.

The snap election followed nearly two years of student-led demonstrations triggered by the collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad in November 2024, which killed 16 people. The disaster fuelled public anger over alleged corruption, weak oversight and government accountability.

What began as university protests developed into a nationwide movement demanding political change. Student organisers mobilised voters across Serbia, including rural areas traditionally considered strongholds of Vučić's ruling party.

The movement's candidates include professionals and other public figures rather than the student organisers themselves, reflecting its attempt to build support beyond established opposition parties.

The election also marks a major political turning point for Serbia, where Vučić has been the dominant political figure for more than a decade.

However, the new parliamentary majority faces the challenge of turning its protest movement into a functioning government while addressing corruption, economic concerns and Serbia's relations with the European Union .

The official figures remain preliminary. A separate CeSID/Ipsos projection based on its complete polling sample gave the Student List 141 seats and Vučić's coalition 103, slightly different from the RIK count.

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva strengthened his support across nearly 97% of the country's municipalities between the first and second rounds of the 2026 presidential election , helping him overturn an early lead held by right-wing rival Flávio Bolsonaro.

An analysis of official election data by Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo found that Lula gained ground in 96.7% of municipalities, either increasing his lead or narrowing his deficit against Bolsonaro.

Lula turned around results in 211 municipalities that had voted for Bolsonaro in the first round, while only one municipality switched in Bolsonaro's favour. The gains included 76 municipalities in Minas Gerais and 32 in São Paulo.

The shift helped Lula secure 51.79% of valid votes in Sunday's runoff, compared with Bolsonaro's 48.21%, according to Brazil's Superior Electoral Court (TSE).

Lula received 64.26 million votes against Bolsonaro's 59.83 million, winning by approximately 4.43 million votes. The result gave the Workers' Party leader an unprecedented fourth non-consecutive presidential term.

The electoral map showed Lula expanding his support beyond his traditional strongholds in northeastern Brazil . He won the most votes in 2,875 municipalities, compared with Bolsonaro's 2,695, while one municipality recorded a tie.

Minas Gerais proved particularly important, becoming the only state to switch from Bolsonaro in the first round to Lula in the runoff. Lula also improved his performance in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, despite Bolsonaro winning both states overall.

The results marked a historic comeback. Bolsonaro had led the first round with 47% of valid votes against Lula's 45.2%, but the incumbent reversed the national result in the October 25 runoff.

The figures highlight how changes in local voting patterns helped determine the outcome of Brazil's election, even in areas where Bolsonaro retained majority support.

Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Imperial Japan controlled vast territories across Europe, Africa and Asia in 1942, marking the height of Axis expansion during World War II before a series of Allied victories began reversing their gains.

The Axis powers reached their greatest combined territorial reach in 1942, when Germany dominated much of continental Europe, Japan controlled large parts of East and Southeast Asia, and Italy held territories around the Mediterranean and North Africa.

A historical map published by The World in Maps illustrates the extent of Axis control, highlighting territories occupied or administered by the three major powers under Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Japan's Emperor Hirohito.

Germany had conquered or occupied much of Europ e, including France, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway and large areas of the Soviet Union. Its armies advanced towards Stalingrad and the Caucasus in 1942, seeking to weaken Soviet resistance and capture important oil resources.

Japan had expanded across the Pacific and Southeast Asia following its December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbour. By mid-1942, Japanese forces had occupied the Philippines, Malaya, Singapore, the Dutch East Indies and Burma, while maintaining control over Korea, Taiwan and parts of China.

Italy, meanwhile, controlled Libya and occupied territories in the Balkans and parts of southern France. However, its earlier East African empire had largely collapsed by 1941 following British-led military campaigns.

Despite their extensive territorial gains, the Axis powers were already facing major setbacks by late 1942.

The United States defeated Japan's navy at the Battle of Midway in June 1942, weakening Japan's ability to expand across the Pacific. In October and November, British forces defeated German and Italian troops at El Alamein in Egypt, forcing them to retreat.

The Soviet Union also launched a counteroffensive at Stalingrad in November 1942, trapping a large German army that surrendered in February 1943. These defeats marked a major shift in the war.

By 1943, the Axis powers were losing territory across several fronts. Italy surrendered to the Allies that September; Germany was defeated in May 1945, and Japan surrendered in August 1945, bringing World War II to an end.

The map illustrates the scale of Axis expansion but simplifies the political situation. Some territories were directly occupied, while others were governed by Allied states or puppet administrations. The Axis powers also reached their territorial peaks at different times, meaning the map should not be read as an exact snapshot of a single date in late 1942.

The political landscape across the Americas has undergone a significant transformation since 2023, with a growing number of countries now governed by right-leaning administrations after a period in which left-wing leaders dominated much of the hemisphere.

The shift is most visible in North America and parts of South America, where recent elections have brought conservative or centre-right governments to power. Political analysts say concerns over inflation, economic growth, crime, migration and public dissatisfaction with incumbents have helped fuel the trend.

The United States returned to a right-leaning administration following the 2024 presidential election, while Argentina's election of President Javier Milei in late 2023 marked one of the region's most significant political realignments. Milei's libertarian agenda represented a sharp break from the country's long tradition of Peronist politics.

Elsewhere, Ecuador, Paraguay and several Central American nations have also been led by governments generally considered centre-right or conservative. The result is a noticeably different political map from just a few years ago, when left-leaning governments held power across much of the hemisphere.

Despite the shift, the political picture remains mixed. Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and Chile continue to be governed by left-leaning administrations, preserving the influence of progressive politics in some of the region's largest economies.

According to data from the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and regional election authorities, economic challenges have remained a dominant issue across the Americas. Inflation spikes following the COVID-19 pandemic, slower growth and concerns over public security have influenced electoral outcomes in several countries.

Political scientists caution that the traditional left-right divide often oversimplifies Latin American politics, where leaders frequently combine policies from different ideological traditions. Nevertheless, election results since 2023 point to a broader trend of voters seeking alternatives to incumbent governments.

The changing political balance comes as countries across the hemisphere face major challenges, including economic competitiveness, migration pressures, organised crime and energy transition policies .

Truck drivers' protests across southern Italy have disrupted transport networks, supermarket deliveries and fuel supplies, although some drivers began lifting roadblocks on Thursday following talks with the government.

The demonstrations, which began last week over rising diesel prices and transport costs, have caused shortages of fresh food in Naples, Sicily, Calabria and Puglia. Retailers reported that fruit, vegetables, milk and meat were stranded in warehouses and delivery vehicles.

The disruption has also affected two airports in Calabria, where shortages of aviation fuel forced airlines to make alternative refuelling arrangements. Roadblocks caused long traffic queues near Naples and interrupted deliveries to businesses and essential services.

Protests also reached the northeastern city of Ravenna, where trucks and tractors gathered in the city centre. However, reports of shortages in Milan and Tuscany have not been independently established to the same extent as those in southern Italy.

Italy's government , led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, has promised financial support for transport operators and farmers. Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has also raised the possibility of limiting diesel prices to ease pressure on the industry.

By October 22, truck drivers in Sicily and Calabria had agreed to suspend several blockades, while some protesters in Gela continued their demonstrations, demanding concrete action on fuel costs.

The government has also offered police escorts for vehicles carrying essential supplies, including food and medicines, as authorities work to restore deliveries and prevent further shortages.

Despite signs of improvement, the protests have exposed the dependence of Italian supermarkets, businesses and public services on road transport, with continued disruption threatening supplies beyond the southern regions.

By Friday, October 23, the last remaining roadblocks in Campania had been removed, according to Italian news agency ANSA. Supermarkets were gradually restocking, although several petrol stations remained without fuel.

The government also approved an additional €106 million in tax credits for truck drivers, alongside support for farmers and the fishing industry.

Control of the US Senate remains uncertain ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, with seven races rated toss-ups and Democrats holding narrow polling leads in several states traditionally favourable to Republicans.

An October 19 election forecast published by US Elections and The World in Maps, using Race to the White House averages, places 48 Senate seats in the Democratic column and 45 in the Republican column, leaving seven undecided.

The projections include seats not being contested this year and are not election results. A total of 35 Senate seats are up for election in 2026.

Seven states could decide Senate control

The forecast identifies Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Nebraska, Ohio and Texas as toss-ups.

In Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola leads Republican Senator Dan Sullivan by 49.5% to 47.4%, according to the October 19 averages.

Texas also shows a narrow Democratic advantage, with James Talarico polling at 48.3% against Republican Ken Paxton's 46%.

In Iowa, Democrat Zach Wahls Turek is shown ahead of Republican Ashley Hinson by 46.1% to 45.7%.

The margins are small, however, and polling averages can change before election day.

Michigan and Minnesota lean Democratic

Democrats also lead in two closely watched Midwestern contests.

In Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed is polling at 47.9%, compared with 44.9% for Republican Mike Rogers. Minnesota's Peggy Flanagan holds a wider advantage over Republican Michele Tafoya, leading 46.7% to 42.9%.

The forecast also shows tight races in Kansas and Nebraska. Democrat Adam Hamilton leads Republican Senator Roger Marshall by 46.2% to 45.5% in Kansas, while Republican Senator Pete Ricketts leads independent Dan Osborn by 46.5% to 45.6% in Nebraska.

These are polling estimates rather than confirmed voting intentions, and other polling averages show slightly different margins.

Democrats face a difficult path to a majority

Republicans currently control the Senate, meaning Democrats must gain enough seats to reach 51 for an outright majority. A 50–50 split would allow Republican Vice President JD Vance to cast tie-breaking votes.

Independent candidates could complicate the calculations, particularly in Nebraska, where Osborn is running without a major-party affiliation.

With two weeks remaining before election day, both parties are concentrating resources on competitive states. President Donald Trump campaigned in Kansas on October 19 to support Marshall, whose re-election contest has become unexpectedly competitive.

The October 19 map suggests that neither party has secured control. The outcome will depend on a small number of close races where even modest changes in voter support could alter the Senate's balance of power.

Protests have spread across several European countries, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets over rising living costs, expensive housing, low wages and declining public services.

Demonstrations have taken place in France, Belgium, Italy , Spain, Portugal, Albania and Greece, putting pressure on governments already facing economic and political challenges. Although the protests have different causes, many reflect growing frustration over household finances and government policies.

France has seen some of the largest demonstrations. More than 550,000 people joined protests on 17 October, according to figures reported by the Interior Ministry. What began in September as student protests over poor school conditions and education funding has grown into a wider movement demanding action on living costs and public services . Some demonstrations turned violent, with clashes between police and protesters and damage to buildings in Paris, Lyon, Marseille and other cities.

In Belgium, police used tear gas and water cannon during demonstrations in Brussels, while protests also took place in Liège. Students have opposed rising education costs and reforms they fear could make higher education less accessible.

Italy has experienced protests over wages, employment, healthcare and housing, with clashes reported in Milan, Turin and Bologna. Meanwhile, demonstrators in Portugal and Spain have demanded action on rising rents and the shortage of affordable homes.

Greece became another focus of demonstrations on 21 October, when thousands of students and teachers marched to demand better education funding, improved school facilities and relief from rising living costs. Police estimated that about 10,000 people demonstrated in Athens and its suburbs.

Economic pressures have helped fuel the unrest. Eurostat figures show that consumer prices increased by 59% in France, 68% in Italy, 71% in Portugal and 78% in Spain between 2000 and 2026. Rising energy and housing costs have added to the pressure on households, particularly younger people struggling to afford accommodation.

The demonstrations are not part of one organised European movement, and most protesters have marched peacefully. However, the scale of the unrest highlights growing dissatisfaction with living standards and public services, presenting another challenge for European governments ahead of upcoming elections.

More than 1,000 demonstrations, strikes, riots and other mass gatherings were reported worldwide in the seven days to October 19, 2026, highlighting widespread public frustration over living costs, government policies and political conditions.

Data from Delta Watchfloor recorded 1,072 protest-related events during the period, with activity reported across Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australia.

France experienced one of the week's largest protest mobilisations, with 110 marches drawing about 550,000 people, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez.

Organisers, including trade unions and student groups, estimated participation at 800,000.

The demonstrations began amid anger over rising living costs, low wages and deteriorating public services, particularly education.

Although most participants marched peacefully, violence broke out in several cities, including Paris, Marseille and Lyon. Police used tear gas and water cannons during clashes, while shops and public buildings were damaged.

About 400 people were arrested nationwide, according to the Associated Press.

Protests extend across several continents

The unrest was not limited to France.

Reuters reported demonstrations in Belgium, Portugal and Italy on October 17, alongside further protests in Albania over corruption, employment and education.

Elsewhere, protest-monitoring platforms have tracked movements linked to economic hardship, government accountability and political disputes in countries including India, Argentina, Pakistan and Kenya.

The demonstrations reflect different national grievances rather than a single coordinated global movement.

Economic pressures and political demands fuel unrest

Rising prices, concerns about public services and dissatisfaction with political leaders have contributed to protests in several countries.

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Global Protest Tracker has documented significant anti-government movements worldwide since 2017, showing how economic and political grievances can develop into sustained demonstrations.

However, the 1,072 events recorded by Delta Watchfloor should not be interpreted as 1,072 separate large-scale protest movements. Its figures include different types of reported gatherings and depend on available news coverage.

The latest data provides a snapshot of protest activity during one week, rather than proof that demonstrations have reached a record global level.

Rainfall across Europe varies dramatically, with some mountainous coastal areas receiving more than 3,000 millimetres of precipitation annually. In comparison, parts of southern Spain receive less than 300 millimetres.

Western Norway stands out as one of Europe's wettest regions , with parts of its mountainous coastline receiving more than 3,000 mm of precipitation each year.

Moist air from the Atlantic Ocean rises over Norway's mountains, cools and releases rain or snow. This helps explain why western coastal areas are much wetter than many inland regions.

Similar patterns appear in western Scotland, Ireland, the Alps and parts of the western Balkans, where mountainous terrain increases precipitation.

The Alps also show sharp local differences, with wetter mountain slopes located close to much drier valleys.

Southern and eastern Europe are generally drier

Parts of southeastern Spain receive just 200–300 mm of precipitation annually, making them among the driest areas of mainland Europe.

The contrast is striking because northern Spain, particularly areas exposed to Atlantic winds, receives considerably more rainfall.

Much of eastern Europe also records lower annual precipitation than the Atlantic-facing west, although conditions vary across the region.

In countries such as Poland, Hungary and Ukraine, many lowland areas receive roughly 400–800 mm annually, according to the map.

Europe's precipitation patterns are shaped by several factors, including distance from the Atlantic Ocean, mountain ranges, wind direction and seasonal weather systems.

Western coastal regions generally receive more moisture from Atlantic weather systems. Mountains can intensify rainfall on windward slopes while leaving areas behind them relatively dry, a phenomenon known as the rain-shadow effect.

Mediterranean regions also experience long, dry summers, with much of their precipitation concentrated in autumn and winter.

The map shows long-term average precipitation rather than rainfall recorded in a particular year. It also includes snowfall and other forms of precipitation, meaning the figures should not be interpreted as rainfall alone.

Africa has more internationally recognised countries than any other continent, while Asia is home to the largest population, according to figures compiled by World Population Review .

Africa has 54 widely recognised sovereign countries, ranging from Nigeria, the continent's most populous nation, to Seychelles, one of its smallest.

Despite having the most countries, Africa ranks second in population, with approximately 1.58 billion people in the infographic's estimates.

Asia follows with 49 countries and roughly five billion people, accounting for about 59% of the world's population. China and India alone are home to more than 2.8 billion people.

Europe has 43 countries under the map's classification, with a combined population of approximately 743 million.

The Americas, which include North America, Central America , the Caribbean and South America, have 35 sovereign countries and around 1.06 billion people.

The United States, Brazil and Mexico account for a large share of the region's population.

Oceania has the fewest countries, with 14, and the smallest population, at approximately 47 million. Australia accounts for more than half of the region's residents.

Although the map provides a useful comparison, the number of countries assigned to each continent can vary depending on geographical and political definitions.

Some countries, including Russia and Türkiye, span continental boundaries, while the recognition of certain territories and disputed states also affects the totals.

The map uses a five-region model that combines North and South America into one region and does not count Antarctica, which has no sovereign countries.

The figures highlight two different patterns: Africa has the greatest number of countries, but Asia remains the world's main population centre.

Vietnam has moved from having one of the lowest GDP per capita levels compared with African countries in 1990 to outperforming most of them by 2025, highlighting a major shift in economic fortunes over 35 years.

According to the International Monetary Fund's April 2026 World Economic Outlook database, Vietnam's position changed as its economy expanded through manufacturing, foreign investment and exports.

The comparison uses GDP per capita measured in current US dollars, which divides a country's total economic output by its population.

In 1990, Vietnam's GDP per capita was below that of nearly every African country shown on the map. The country was still in the early stages of economic reforms introduced in 1986, known as Đổi Mới, which gradually opened its economy to private businesses, foreign investment and international trade.

Over the following decades, Vietnam became a major manufacturing centre, producing electronics, clothing, footwear and other goods for international markets.

Companies including Samsung established large production operations in the country, helping expand exports and create jobs.

By 2025, Vietnam's GDP per capita had risen above that of most African economies, including Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana and Tanzania.

Some African countries remain ahead

Vietnam has not overtaken every African economy.

Countries including South Africa , Botswana, Algeria, Libya, Gabon, Mauritius and Seychelles still had higher GDP per capita than Vietnam in 2025.

The comparison also shows that African countries have followed different economic paths, with some maintaining higher income levels while others have experienced slower growth, economic crises or currency depreciation.

Vietnam's progress reflects decades of industrial expansion and integration into global supply chains. However, GDP per capita does not directly measure household income or living standards, and comparisons in current US dollars are affected by exchange rates and inflation.

Filling up a car is a routine task for most American drivers, but in New Jersey, motorists are still prohibited from pumping their own petrol at retail filling stations.

The northeastern state is the last in the United States to require attendants to dispense petrol, maintaining a decades-old law that makes it an exception in a country where self-service stations are the norm.

A map published by The World in Maps highlights New Jersey's restriction and Oregon's different approach, which allows motorists to pump their own fuel while requiring certain stations to retain attendant service.

Why New Jersey bans self-service petrol

New Jersey introduced its Retail Gasoline Dispensing Safety Act in 1949, citing concerns about fire hazards and the safe handling of petrol.

Under the law, only trained attendants can operate fuel pumps at retail stations. Drivers must remain outside the refuelling process while an employee fills their vehicle.

Supporters of the rule argue that it provides convenience, protects attendant jobs and helps people who may struggle to operate pumps themselves.

Critics say the restriction increases staffing costs and can make refuelling slower, particularly during busy periods.

Oregon changed its rules in 2023

Oregon previously had similar restrictions but relaxed them in August 2023, allowing drivers to pump their own petrol statewide.

However, the law still requires many stations to offer attendant service, with requirements varying by location and station type.

At stations covered by the mixed-service rules, self-service and attendant-service petrol must be offered at the same price.

The change ended Oregon's longstanding general ban on self-service refuelling, leaving New Jersey as the only state with a statewide prohibition.

Could New Jersey change its law?

Proposals to introduce self-service petrol have repeatedly faced resistance in New Jersey, where many residents are accustomed to having attendants fill their tanks.

Supporters of reform argue that giving motorists a choice could reduce operating costs and improve convenience. Opponents remain concerned about employment , safety and accessibility.

For now, New Jersey remains the country's only statewide full-service holdout, while Oregon has adopted a system that gives drivers more choice.

Religion has emerged as a major dividing line in Brazil's presidential election , with Catholic voters leaning towards President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and evangelical Christians strongly backing his conservative rival, Flávio Bolsonaro, ahead of the October 25 runoff.

A map published by The World in Maps, using polling data from Datafolha and Brazilian newspapers Globo and Folha de S.Paulo, illustrates how voting preferences differ between the country's two largest Christian communities.

The infographic shows Lula leading Bolsonaro by 10 percentage points among Catholics, while Bolsonaro holds a 24-point advantage among evangelicals. The figures reflect voting intentions rather than confirmed election results.

Catholic voters remain an important source of support for Lula, although his advantage has narrowed during the campaign.

The infographic indicates that his lead among Catholics has fallen from 18 percentage points in August to 10 points.

A Datafolha survey conducted on October 6–7 also found Lula ahead among Catholics, with 53% support compared with 41% for Bolsonaro.

Evangelicals strongly favour Bolsonaro

Evangelical Christians have emerged as Bolsonaro's strongest religious voting bloc.

The same October 6–7 Datafolha survey showed Bolsonaro leading Lula by 69% to 25% among evangelical voters, a much wider gap than the one shown in the infographic.

The divide is also visible geographically. An analysis of Brazil's October 4 first-round results by UOL found that Bolsonaro received 52% of valid votes in municipalities with above-average evangelical populations.

Lula performed better in predominantly Catholic municipalities, although his support in those areas was lower than in the previous presidential election.

Religious divide shapes the runoff

The religious vote could prove important in a closely contested election.

Bolsonaro won 47.03% of valid votes in the October 4 first round, ahead of Lula's 45.16%. Neither secured the majority needed to win outright.

The two candidates will now compete in the October 25 runoff, with both campaigns seeking to strengthen support among religious communities.

However, religion alone does not determine voting behaviour. Income, education, regional differences and political preferences also influence how Brazilians vote.

The figures highlight a central challenge for both candidates: Lula must limit Bolsonaro's advantage among evangelicals, while Bolsonaro needs to attract more Catholic voters to expand his support.

Brazilian voters living overseas showed sharply different political preferences in the first round of the country's presidential election , with support for Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the Bolsonaro camp varying across Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa.

According to Brazil's Superior Electoral Court (TSE), Lula received 157,387 votes, or 47.57% , among overseas voters in the October 4 election. Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, received 143,900 votes, or 43.49%, leaving Lula ahead by 13,487 votes.

Lula led in 64 countries, while Bolsonaro came first in 37, according to a country-by-country compilation of election results.

The biggest differences appeared in countries with large Brazilian communities.

In the United States, Bolsonaro received 45,004 votes against Lula's 23,335. He also won comfortably in Japan, securing 24,601 votes compared with Lula's 5,234.

Portugal delivered Lula's largest overseas vote total, with 26,401 votes against Bolsonaro's 19,412. Lula also led in Germany, France , Spain, Canada and Australia.

South America was more divided. Lula won in Argentina and Uruguay, while Bolsonaro led in Paraguay, Bolivia and Peru.

Most registered overseas voters stayed home

Despite the political divisions shown on the map, turnout was relatively low. Of about 916,500 eligible voters in the overseas polling sections counted, only 341,766 cast ballots, representing a turnout of 37.31%. Abstention stood at 62.69%.

The overseas results also differed from the national outcome. Bolsonaro finished ahead in Brazil's first round with approximately 47% of valid votes, compared with Lula's 45%. Neither secured an outright majority, sending the two candidates into a presidential runoff scheduled for October 25, 2026.

From Mexico to Kazakhstan, eight countries feature eagles on their national flags, using the bird to represent everything from independence and national identity to royal power and centuries-old traditions.

The countries are Mexico, Egypt, Albania, Serbia, Zambia, Montenegro, Moldova and Kazakhstan, according to a map published by The World in Maps.

Although the flags share the same bird, the meaning behind each eagle is different. Some symbols date back hundreds of years, while others were introduced after countries gained independence.

Eagles with two heads

Three Balkan countries — Albania, Serbia and Montenegro — feature double-headed eagles, a symbol historically associated with imperial authority and later adopted by royal families and national movements.

Albania's flag has a black double-headed eagle against a red background. The emblem is closely associated with national hero Skanderbeg, who led resistance against Ottoman rule in the 15th century.

Serbia also uses a double-headed eagle, displayed on its coat of arms alongside a shield and crown. Montenegro's flag features a golden double-headed eagle holding a sceptre and an orb, reflecting the country's royal history .

From ancient legends to independence

Mexico 's flag tells a different story. Its coat of arms shows an eagle holding a snake while standing on a cactus, an image linked to the Aztec account of the founding of Tenochtitlan, where Mexico City now stands.

Egypt's flag features the golden Eagle of Saladin, a symbol associated with the medieval Muslim leader and later adopted in modern Arab national emblems.

In Africa , Zambia's flag shows an African fish eagle flying above three vertical stripes. The bird represents freedom and the country's ability to rise above its challenges following independence in 1964.

Moldova's flag includes an eagle holding a cross, olive branch and sceptre as part of its coat of arms. Kazakhstan's sky-blue flag features a golden steppe eagle beneath the sun, symbolising freedom, strength and the country's aspirations.

Russia has denied reports of a plague outbreak following the death of a laboratory worker in Siberia, as three Central Asian countries strengthen border health checks over concerns about a possible infectious disease.

The 28-year-old worker, identified as Darya Shipilova, died on October 2 after developing severe pneumonia. She worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East, which studies dangerous infectious diseases.

Her death prompted Russian authorities to quarantine approximately 200 people who had been in contact with her. However, Russia's public health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, said laboratory tests had found no evidence of plague or other dangerous infections linked to her work.

Central Asian countries step up precautions

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have introduced additional preventive measures following reports of the suspected infection.

Kyrgyzstan's health ministry said sanitary controls had been strengthened at border crossings, including checks on travellers, vehicles and cargo.

Kazakhstan is also monitoring developments in Irkutsk and has assessed the risk of plague entering the country as low. No suspected infections had been identified at its border checkpoints.

WHO seeks answers from Russia

The World Health Organisation said on October 7 that Russia had reported no confirmed plague cases in the Irkutsk region.

However, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the agency was seeking more information about the laboratory tests, the worker's illness and reports of another employee with pneumonia.

The organisation said it did not yet have enough information to complete a full risk assessment.

Russia has since reported that nearly 90% of those initially quarantined have been released following approximately 5,000 laboratory tests. Authorities have also rejected claims that the worker became infected through a laboratory accident.

Investing.com

What is pneumonic plague?

Plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis and can affect humans in three main forms: bubonic, septicaemic and pneumonic plague.

Pneumonic plague affects the lungs and can spread between people through infectious respiratory droplets. It can be fatal without prompt antibiotic treatment.

Although the disease caused devastating historical outbreaks, including the Black Death, modern antibiotics can successfully treat it when administered early.

For now, no plague infection has been confirmed in connection with the Irkutsk death. The cause of the worker's pneumonia remains unexplained, while health authorities continue monitoring the situation.

China has moved from being one of the world's poorer economies in the mid-20th century to overtaking dozens of countries in economic output per person, according to historical data showing how dramatically its position has changed since 1950.

A map based on the Maddison Project Database, published by Brilliant Maps and reproduced by The World in Maps, compares countries' GDP per capita with China's over time.

It shows that China has moved ahead of many countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia that were once wealthier on a per-person basis. However, the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia and much of Western Europe remain ahead.

The comparison is about GDP per person, not the total size of an economy. China has one of the world's largest economies, but dividing its output among its population produces a very different international ranking.

From near the bottom to a major economic power

In 1950, China's GDP per capita was estimated at just $799, adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs. That placed it among the world's poorest economies.

By 2020, the figure had risen to approximately $17,226 , more than 21 times its 1950 level, according to the Maddison-based figures compiled by Brilliant Maps.

China's transformation accelerated after economic reforms began in 1978, opening the country to more private enterprise, foreign investment and international trade. The World Bank estimates that China's economy subsequently grew by an average of more than 9% annually for several decades, helping lift nearly 800 million people out of extreme poverty.

Countries that China has overtaken

The map highlights how China's economic position has changed relative to other countries.

Much of Latin America , including Brazil, Argentina and Mexico, had higher GDP per person than China during earlier decades but had fallen behind it by 2020.

A similar pattern appears across parts of Africa and Asia, including South Africa , Egypt, India and Indonesia. These countries were ahead of China at some point in the historical comparison but were below it at the end of the period.

Meanwhile, countries such as the United States, Germany, Japan, South Korea and Australia remained richer per person.

The map also identifies countries that have consistently remained below China, including several economies in sub-Saharan Africa.

What the comparison actually measures

The historical figures use purchasing power parity (PPP), which adjusts for differences in prices between countries, as well as inflation. This makes them more useful for comparing economic output across different periods than simply converting national GDP into US dollars at market exchange rates.

However, GDP per capita is an average. It does not show how income is distributed, how much households earn or how living standards differ within a country.

There is also an important date distinction. Although the map says since 1950, the underlying Brilliant Maps comparison ends in 2020, not 2026. The Maddison Project's 2023 database provides a more recent historical series extending to 2022.

Empires and political unions that once controlled vast territories across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas have disappeared, but many continue to influence modern borders, languages and political institutions centuries after their decline.

A historical series highlighting nine major powers that no longer exist includes the Holy Roman Empire and the Crown of Aragon, two European political systems whose territories once stretched across areas now divided among several modern states.

Holy Roman Empire survived for more than eight centuries

The Holy Roman Empire developed in medieval Europe and is conventionally dated from 962, when Otto I was crowned emperor. At various points, it included territories covering much of present-day Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and parts of Italy, France, Poland and Slovenia.

But it was not a single centralised country. It consisted of hundreds of kingdoms, principalities, duchies, bishoprics and free cities whose rulers enjoyed varying degrees of autonomy.

The empire came to an end on August 6, 1806, when Emperor Francis II relinquished the imperial crown following Napoleon's military victories and the formation of the Confederation of the Rhine by German states that had left the empire.

That makes the 962–1806 dates shown in the graphic broadly accurate, though historians debate exactly when the entity later called the Holy Roman Empire should be considered to have begun.

Crown of Aragon became a Mediterranean power

The Crown of Aragon emerged in the 12th century from the dynastic union of Aragon and Barcelona. Over the following centuries, its rulers expanded their influence across the western Mediterranean, eventually controlling territories that included Aragon, Catalonia, Valencia, Mallorca, Sicily and Sardinia, as well as, at different times, other Mediterranean possessions.

Its union with Castile became much closer after the 1469 marriage of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile, but their realms initially retained separate laws and institutions.

The graphic gives the Crown of Aragon a lifespan of 1164 to 1715/16. That is a reasonable shorthand, but its ending was a process rather than a single event.

Following the War of the Spanish Succession, Philip V's Nueva Planta decrees abolished or reorganised many of the Crown's separate institutions and imposed a more centralised Bourbon administration. The first decrees affecting Aragon and Valencia came in 1707, while the decree for Catalonia was issued on January 16, 1716.

The Archive of the Crown of Aragon says the 1716 decree ended institutions including Catalonia's Courts and Generalitat and introduced a more centralised system modelled on Castilian government.

Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro finished ahead of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the first round of Brazil's presidential election , sending the two candidates into a runoff after neither secured the majority needed to win outright.

With 99.99% of ballot boxes counted , Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party received 56,104,268 votes, or 47.03% of valid votes, while Lula of the Workers' Party took 53,876,617 votes, or 45.16%, Brazil's Superior Electoral Court (TSE) said.

The result put just over 2.2 million votes between the two candidates and set up a second round on October 25. Brazil requires a presidential candidate to win more than half of valid votes to avoid a runoff.

The results also revealed a strong geographical split.

Lula won most states across the Northeast and parts of the North, while Bolsonaro performed strongly across the South, Southeast and Centre-West, as well as several northern states.

Bolsonaro won the country's two biggest electoral prizes. In São Paulo, he received 51.93% against Lula's 38.20%, while in Rio de Janeiro he took 53.01% compared with Lula's 39.41%.

The outcome marked a turnaround from several opinion polls before the vote, which had generally put Lula numerically ahead. A Datafolha survey in mid-September, for example, had Lula at 39% and Bolsonaro at 36%, a statistical tie within the poll's margin of error.

Millions of votes remain outside the top two

Bolsonaro and Lula together accounted for just over 92% of valid votes, leaving roughly nine million votes cast for other presidential candidates. How those voters behave in the second round will be closely watched, although first-round results alone cannot predict where their support will go.

One detail in the infographic needs correction. The TSE reports 125,272,513 valid votes, rather than the 119,980,885 shown in the graphic. It recorded 2,300,781 blank votes and 3,674,149 null votes.

Nearly 158.8 million Brazilians were eligible to vote in the 2026 elections. The October 25 runoff will determine who leads Latin America's largest economy when the next presidential term begins in January 2027.

The five permanent members of the UN Security Council have used their veto power hundreds of times since 1946, with the Soviet Union and Russia accounting for the largest number, UN records show.

The Security Council has 15 members, but only China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States are permanent members with veto power over substantive decisions. A negative vote by any one of them can block a draft even when it has enough support from other Council members.

The veto dates to the creation of the United Nations after World War Two and remains one of the most powerful and debated features of the Security Council.

Using the UN's historical series, the Soviet Union and Russia have cast 163 vetoes combined — 120 by the Soviet Union and 43 by Russia. The United States follows with 95, while the United Kingdom has 32 and France 18. China has 23, when the historical veto cast while the Republic of China held China's UN seat is included.

The pattern has changed substantially over time. The Soviet Union used the veto frequently during the UN's early decades, including over applications for UN membership. The United States later became a frequent user, particularly on resolutions concerning Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Britain and France, by contrast, have not exercised their veto since 1989.

Latest veto centred on Iran sanctions monitoring

The latest veto came on September 17, 2026, when China and Russia blocked a US-backed draft resolution that would have extended the mandate of a panel of UN experts monitoring sanctions on Iran for one year. The proposal received 11 votes in favour, while China and Russia voted against it and Pakistan and Somalia abstained.

Russia and China argued that the sanctions framework lacked a valid legal basis after Security Council Resolution 2231 expired in October 2025. The United States and several European governments disputed that interpretation and said the expert panel was needed to monitor sanctions connected to Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

The veto triggered a UN General Assembly debate on October 1 under a 2022 rule requiring the Assembly to meet after a permanent Security Council member casts a veto. The measure does not overturn the veto but allows the wider UN membership to debate it.

Brazil accounts for roughly half of South America’s economic output, highlighting the enormous difference in economic scale between the region’s largest country and its neighbours.

The infographic puts Brazil at 50.5% of South America’s nominal GDP , followed by Argentina at 15.3% and Colombia at 9.8%. Chile and Peru account for 7.8% and 7.1%, respectively.

Together, those five economies represent more than 90% of the total shown, leaving a much smaller share divided among the continent’s other countries.

Brazil is in a league of its own

The broad picture is consistent with IMF data, although the precise shares depend on the year and dataset used. The IMF’s April 2026 World Economic Outlook projects Brazil’s economy to grow by 1.9% in 2026, compared with 3.5% for Argentina and 2.3% for Colombia.

Brazil’s dominance is partly a matter of scale. It is South America ’s most populous country and has a large, diversified economy spanning agriculture, mining, manufacturing and services.

The IMF’s latest figures also show that nominal GDP rankings can shift substantially when currencies move. Because the map compares economies in current US dollars, a sharp rise or fall in a local currency can change a country’s share even without an equally dramatic change in actual production.

The graphic puts Guyana at just 0.6% of regional GDP, Paraguay at 1.1% and Bolivia at 1.3%. But a small share does not necessarily mean slow growth.

Guyana is the clearest example. Its oil boom has made it one of the world ’s fastest-growing economies, with the IMF forecasting 16.2% real GDP growth in 2026, far above Brazil and most of its South American neighbours.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has 39% support in the first round of the presidential election, compared with 34% for Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, according to a Quaest poll released on September 28.

The five-point national gap is larger than the poll's overall margin of error of two percentage points. In the previous Quaest survey, Lula had 37% and Bolsonaro 33%, meaning both moved up within the margin of error.

The survey also shows a much wider geographical divide beneath the national numbers.

Lula records 56% in the Northeast, compared with 24% for Bolsonaro, according to the regional breakdown shown in the Quaest data. It is by far Lula's strongest region in the first-round scenario.

The Northeast has long been a major source of electoral support for Lula and his Workers' Party. The latest figures show that advantage continuing as Brazil approaches the first round on October 4.

The pattern reverses in the South, where Bolsonaro has 41% against Lula's 27%. Bolsonaro also records 41% across the combined Central-West and North, compared with 36% for Lula.

In the Southeast, home to a large share of Brazil's electorate, the contest is much closer: Bolsonaro has 35% and Lula 33%.

These regional differences need to be treated cautiously because their margins of error are larger than for the national poll. They stand at four percentage points in the Northeast, three in the Southeast, six in the South and five in the combined Central-West/North.

Other candidates remain well behind the two frontrunners. Quaest puts Augusto Cury and Ronaldo Caiado at 4% each, Renan Santos at 3% and Romeu Zema at 1%. Another 10% said they would vote blank or null or would not vote, while 5% were undecided.

The poll also found high rejection levels for both leading candidates. Some 56% said they would not vote for Flávio Bolsonaro, while 55% said the same about Lula.

The cost of filling up a car varies dramatically across Europe, with a litre of 95-octane petrol costing more than three times as much in Norway as in Russia , according to prices compiled as of September 23.

The map puts Norway at €2.76 per litre, the highest price shown, compared with €0.77 in Russia and €0.79 in Belarus. Independent weekly data put Norway at €2.74 on September 21, broadly confirming the figure used in the graphic.

Prices are also high across much of western and northern Europe. The map shows the Netherlands at €2.65, Denmark at €2.54, Germany at €2.29, Greece at €2.18, France at €2.17 and Italy at €2.16. Spain is lower at €1.93, while Britain stands at €2.00.

Why prices differ so much

The gap is not simply about whether a country produces oil . Norway is a major oil and gas producer but still has some of Europe's highest petrol prices. Taxes, government policy, exchange rates, refining costs and distribution all affect what motorists ultimately pay.

The European Commission's weekly oil bulletin confirms large price differences within the EU and publishes consumer prices both with and without taxes. Its September 24 update provides the closest official EU-wide comparison to the date used in the map.

Eastern and southeastern Europe are generally cheaper. The map puts Türkiye at €1.45, North Macedonia at €1.53, Bulgaria at €1.61 and Romania at €1.67. Poland, Ukraine and Estonia are each shown at €1.79.

European fuel markets remain under pressure

The figures are a snapshot rather than fixed prices. Petrol prices can change quickly as crude oil prices, exchange rates and taxes move.

European energy markets have faced additional volatility in 2026. The European Commission said in September that geopolitical uncertainty was causing significant swings in crude oil and petroleum-product markets. It said EU oil supplies remained stable, although market conditions were tight and some fuel prices remained high.

That volatility is particularly visible in Norway. Weekly data show petrol at about €2.74 a litre on September 21, up from around €1.99 in August.

Four European countries are currently headed by openly gay national leaders, following recent political changes in the Netherlands and Serbia that have expanded a small group once dominated by a handful of European pioneers.

As of October 2026, the group includes Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs, Andorran Head of Government Xavier Espot Zamora and Serbia’s acting President Ana Brnabić.

The four hold different constitutional roles. Jetten and Espot are heads of government, Rinkēvičs is a president elected by Latvia's parliament, while Brnabić is temporarily performing presidential duties in Serbia.

Netherlands and Latvia mark firsts

Jetten became prime minister of the Netherlands on February 23, 2026, after King Willem-Alexander swore in his government. At 38, he became the country's youngest prime minister and its first openly gay person to hold the office.

Jetten has spoken publicly about LGBT rights since taking office. At Amsterdam's WorldPride Human Rights Conference in August, he discussed his own experience and said his government would invest €7.5 million a year for three years in measures aimed at improving safety for the queer community.

Latvia's Rinkēvičs has been president since July 2023. He publicly came out as gay in 2014 and became the first openly gay head of state of an EU member country when he took office.

Andorra and Serbia complete the current group

Espot has led Andorra's government since 2019 and publicly discussed his sexuality in 2023, saying, “I am gay” during an interview with Andorran public broadcaster RTVA. He said he hoped his experience would show young people that their sexual orientation did not prevent them from reaching the country's highest political offices.

Serbia is the newest addition. Ana Brnabić, who became Serbia's first female and openly gay prime minister in 2017, took over as acting president on September 28, 2026, after President Aleksandar Vučić resigned. Serbian law allows the speaker of parliament to carry out presidential duties for no more than three months when the presidency becomes vacant.

Dozens of diplomats walked out of the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his address, in a protest against Israel's conduct in Gaza and its policies towards Palestinians.

Officials streamed out of the chamber as Netanyahu took the podium on September 24, during the General Assembly's 81st session. He responded by calling those leaving "moral cowards", while supporters remaining in the hall applauded and chanted.

The Palestinian delegation had encouraged other missions to join the protest . The walkout came amid continuing international divisions over the Gaza war, Palestinian statehood, Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and wider regional tensions.

Did 77 countries actually walk out?

Reports widely cited a figure of 77 delegations, but there is an important distinction behind that number.

An Israeli count found that 77 countries were either already absent or left the chamber around the start of Netanyahu's address. That means the figure should not be interpreted as 77 delegations physically walking out in protest.

The group included countries across the Middle East, Africa, Latin America , Asia and Europe. Egypt and Jordan, for example, were among those counted as absent but did not participate in the staged walkout, according to the Israeli tally. Pakistan's delegation left its seats but reportedly continued listening from the sidelines. Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates remained in the hall.

This makes the map's simple "walked out" and "stayed" categories somewhat misleading. It captures the broad geographical scale of the empty seats, but it does not distinguish countries that deliberately walked out from those that were simply not present.

Netanyahu defends Israel's actions

Netanyahu used his address to defend Israel's military actions and reject international criticism of his government. He criticised several governments, including Britain and France, and accused opponents of applying different standards to Israel.

His appearance came as Israel faced sustained criticism over the Gaza war and its treatment of Palestinians. Israel has rejected allegations that it is committing genocide in Gaza, while international rights organisations and a UN commission of inquiry have accused it of doing so.

The walkout also echoed scenes during Netanyahu's 2025 General Assembly address, when scores of delegates left the chamber as he spoke.

The UN's 81st General Assembly general debate runs from September 22 to 28, 2026, bringing heads of state, heads of government and other senior representatives to New York.

The latest protest therefore showed the extent of diplomatic opposition visible during Netanyahu's appearance, but the most accurate description is that dozens of delegations walked out, while a broader group of 77 delegations were recorded as either leaving or absent.

Belief in God varies sharply across the United States, with some of the highest levels concentrated in the South and some of the lowest in New England, according to data from the Pew Research Centre .

The map shows Mississippi and Alabama at around 80%, while Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia are among a wider group of states where belief is particularly firm. Much of the Northeast and West records lower shares, with Vermont near the bottom at around 40%.

The broad pattern fits Pew's more recent 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study, which surveyed 36,908 US adults across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Pew found the South remained the country's most religious region across several measures, including belief in God, prayer and the importance people place on religion .

Despite the large differences between states, belief in a higher power remains common across the country.

Pew's latest national figures show 83% of US adults believe in God or a universal spirit. Some 86% believe humans have a soul or spirit, while 79% believe there is something spiritual beyond the natural world.

Those figures are broader than simply asking whether someone believes in “God”, however. Pew's questionnaire allows respondents to say they believe in God or a universal spirit, and it separately measures how certain they are about that belief. That distinction means the map should not be interpreted as a simple measure of membership in organised religion.

More than three decades after German reunification, the former East Germany still trails much of western Germany economically. But across Europe, the picture is more complicated: many regions in southern and eastern Europe record lower economic output per person.

A map based on Eurostat's 2023 regional data compares European regions with the former East German states , excluding Berlin. It puts their average GDP per capita at about 33,630 purchasing power standards (PPS), with regions below that level shown in red and those above it in green.

Large parts of Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Croatia, Portugal and Türkiye fall below the benchmark. Several regions of Spain, France and Italy do as well. By contrast, much of western Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Ireland and the Nordic countries shown on the map sit above it.

The comparison illustrates how Europe's economic divide does not run neatly along the former Iron Curtain.

Berlin changes the East German picture

The map excludes Berlin for an important reason. Modern Berlin contains territory from both the former East and West Germany and has a substantially higher GDP per capita than the surrounding eastern regions.

Using the data behind the map, Berlin recorded 46,800 PPS per person, compared with 36,700 in Leipzig, 35,600 in Dresden and 34,200 in Brandenburg. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern stood at 33,200, Saxony-Anhalt at 32,600, Thuringia at 32,500 and Chemnitz at 31,800.

Including Berlin lifts the calculated East German average from 33,630 to 36,664 PPS per person. However, these averages are calculations used for the map rather than an official Eurostat statistical region called “East Germany”.

The divide within Germany nevertheless remains visible in official figures. European Commission data for 2023 put Berlin's GDP per capita at 123% of the EU average, while Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was at 87%, Saxony-Anhalt at 86%, Thuringia at 85% and Chemnitz at 83%.

Europe has large regional gaps

The comparison also highlights why national averages can hide substantial differences within individual countries.

Eurostat reported that regional GDP per capita across the EU in 2023 ranged from 27.6% of the EU average in Mayotte, France, to 244.7% in Ireland's Eastern and Midland region. Only 92 of 244 EU regions with available data were at or above the EU average.

Some capital regions stand far above the rest of their countries. Prague, for example, recorded 73,500 PPS per person, while Budapest stood at 64,100 and the Warsaw capital region at 59,300, all comfortably above the East German benchmark used by the map.

Geography sometimes produces shapes that look unexpectedly familiar. In the case of the Baltic Sea, its winding coastline can be traced into something resembling a crocodile with its jaws wrapped around southern Finland.

The resemblance is an example of pareidolia, the tendency to recognise familiar shapes in otherwise unrelated patterns. On the map, the Baltic Sea forms the crocodile's body, while the Gulf of Bothnia, stretching north between Sweden and Finland, resembles its long tail.

The illusion becomes particularly clear around Finland. The Gulf of Finland, which runs east between Finland and Estonia towards St. Petersburg, forms the lower jaw, while Finland's southern coastline completes the upper side of the mouth.

There is, of course, no geographical significance to the crocodile shape. It depends on how the coastline is outlined and how the viewer interprets it.

A sea almost enclosed by Europe

Beyond the visual joke, the Baltic has an unusual geography of its own. It covers roughly 420,000 square kilometres and is surrounded by nine countries : Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Sweden.

It is also relatively shallow. HELCOM puts its average depth at about 52 metres, with its deepest point reaching 459 metres at the Landsort Deep. More than a third of the sea is less than 30 metres deep.

The Baltic is connected to the North Sea through narrow Danish water ways, which limit the movement of ocean water into and out of the basin. HELCOM estimates that a complete exchange of its water takes roughly 30 years.

That slow exchange, combined with freshwater flowing in from numerous rivers, makes the Baltic one of the world's largest brackish-water areas; its water is less salty than typical seawater but saltier than freshwater. Salinity generally falls as you travel north and east.

So the crocodile may exist only in the eye of the viewer, but the geography creating the illusion is real: a long Gulf of Bothnia for a tail, the central Baltic for a body and the Gulf of Finland forming a surprisingly convincing open mouth.

France becomes An Fhrainc, Germany is An Ghearmáin and Spain is An Spáinn . A map of Europe labelled entirely in Irish shows how familiar country names can look and sound very different when viewed through another language.

Other examples include An Iodáil for Italy, An Pholainn for Poland, An Úcráin for Ukraine, An Rómáin for Romania, An Ghréig for Greece and An Rúis for Russia.

Some are much easier for English speakers to recognise. Portugal is An Phortaingéil, Finland is An Fhionlainn and Iceland is An Íoslainn. Others, including Éire for Ireland and An Eilvéis for Switzerland, look considerably different from their English equivalents.

Why so many names begin with ‘An’

One feature quickly stands out: a large number of Irish country names begin with “An”, the Irish definite article, broadly equivalent to “the” in English.

But it is not simply a matter of putting An before an English country name. Irish has its own established geographical vocabulary and grammatical rules. The article can also trigger changes to the beginning of the following word, helping explain forms such as An Fhrainc, An Ghearmáin and An Pholainn.

Not every country takes the article. Éire, Sasana for England and Albain for Scotland are examples that normally appear without it.

The map also uses Irish names for countries beyond the European Union , including An Tuirc for Türkiye and An Rúis for Russia. It is therefore a linguistic map of European countries rather than a map of EU members.

Irish is one of the EU’s 24 official languages

Irish is the first official language of Ireland under the Irish Constitution , while English is recognised as a second official language. At the European level, Irish became an official and working language of the European Union in 2007.

Its status initially came with a temporary exemption that meant EU institutions did not have to translate every document into Irish. That derogation ended on January 1, 2022, putting Irish on the same footing as the EU's other official languages. The bloc currently has 24 official languages.

The change means Irish is now used across EU legislation, translation and interpretation alongside languages spoken by much larger populations. Ireland's 2026 EU Council presidency is its first since Irish gained full official and working status, with the government arranging Irish interpretation for ministerial meetings and summits held during the presidency.

The map ultimately offers more than translations of familiar names. It shows how geography changes when viewed through a different language: France, Germany and Greece remain in exactly the same places, but in Irish they become An Fhrainc, An Ghearmáin and An Ghréig.

Mexico's six living former presidents have taken very different paths after leaving office, with some remaining in Mexico and others building lives and careers in the United States and Europe.

The map places Vicente Fox and Andrés Manuel López Obrador in Mexico , Ernesto Zedillo in the United States, Carlos Salinas de Gortari in Britain, and Felipe Calderón and Enrique Peña Nieto in Spain.

The broad picture is largely correct, although some of the locations require more qualification than the map suggests.

Fox and López Obrador remain in Mexico

Vicente Fox, who governed from 2000 to 2006 and ended the Institutional Revolutionary Party's 71-year hold on the presidency, lives on his ranch in Guanajuato. An August 2026 interview with El País was conducted at his home in San Francisco del Rincón, confirming that he remains based in the state.

Andrés Manuel López Obrador, president from 2018 to 2024, moved to his property near Palenque, Chiapas, after leaving office. He has largely withdrawn from day-to-day politics and has said he spends much of his retirement walking, reading and writing. Recent Mexican reporting continues to identify Palenque as his residence.

Former president Ernesto Zedillo, meanwhile, has been closely associated with New Haven, Connecticut, for more than two decades. He joined Yale University in 2002 and remains director of the Yale Centre for the Study of Globalisation and a professor of international economics and politics.

Spain has attracted several former presidents

Enrique Peña Nieto, who governed Mexico from 2012 to 2018, established legal residency in Spain after leaving office. He received a Spanish investor visa in 2020 and later bought a home outside Madrid. His residence permit was renewed through 2027, according to reporting by El País.

Felipe Calderón, president from 2006 to 2012, obtained permission to live and work in Spain in 2022. More recent reporting indicates that he divides his time between Mexico and Madrid, meaning the infographic's simple placement of him in Madrid leaves out some context.

The location of Carlos Salinas de Gortari, president from 1988 to 1994, is less clear-cut. He has lived outside Mexico for years and has been reported as spending substantial time in Britain and Spain. He also obtained Spanish citizenship in 2021. Older reporting supports his connection to the United Kingdom, but describing London as his definitive current residence in 2026 is harder to verify from reliable public records.

The six former leaders therefore do not fit neatly into a simple Mexico-versus-abroad split. Fox and López Obrador are clearly based in Mexico, Zedillo has a long-established academic career in the United States, and several others have established European residences or divide their time between countries.

Divide metropolitan France into three carefully drawn sections, and an unusual pattern appears: roughly the same number of people can be found in the west, a narrow central strip and the east, despite the three areas being dramatically different in size.

The map estimates 22.6 million people in the western section, 22.6 million in the centre and 22.3 million in the east, including Corsica. Together, that is about 67.5 million people, broadly consistent with the scale of France's metropolitan population .

France's national statistics agency INSEE estimates that metropolitan France had 66.8 million residents on January 1, 2026, while the entire country, including its overseas departments, had about 69.1 million.

The difference between the map's total and the latest official estimate means its figures should be treated as an illustration based on an earlier population dataset rather than a precise picture of France in 2026.

Paris makes the middle much more crowded

The striking part of the map is not that France can mathematically be divided into thirds, but how little land is needed to capture the middle third of its population.

A major reason is Paris and its surrounding urban region. Île-de-France alone had about 12.46 million residents in the 2023 census, nearly one-fifth of metropolitan France's population. The wider Paris urban area contained about 11 million people .

The concentration becomes clearer when density is considered. INSEE puts Île-de-France at about 1,038 people per square kilometre, compared with just 118 in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, another of France's largest regions. Paris itself had almost 20,000 people per square kilometre in 2023.

This helps explain why the central section can reach roughly the same population as the much larger western and eastern sections.

France's population is far from evenly spread across its territory. Large urban areas such as Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse and Bordeaux concentrate millions of residents, while extensive rural areas have much lower population densities.

The map therefore does not show France's administrative regions or propose a new division of the country. Instead, it visualises a demographic reality: equal numbers of people do not require equal amounts of land.

The United States now designates three countries, Cuba, Iran and North Korea, as state sponsors of terrorism, after formally removing Syria from the list in August 2026.

The designation is made by the US Secretary of State under American law for governments determined by Washington to have repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism. It can trigger restrictions on US foreign assistance, defence exports and sales, dual-use technology and some financial transactions.

The list has changed considerably since the programme began. Eight countries have been designated at some point: Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, South Yemen, Sudan and Syria.

Syria removed after nearly 47 years

Syria had been on the list since December 29, 1979, making it the longest continuously designated country. That changed on August 24, 2026, when Secretary of State Marco Rubio formally rescinded the designation after a mandatory 45-day congressional notification period.

The Trump administration said the decision followed changes and counterterrorism commitments made by the government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Reuters reported that the move also removed a significant obstacle for banks and companies considering investment in Syria as the country seeks to rebuild after years of war.

Syria's removal leaves Iran as the longest continuously designated country currently on the list. Washington added Iran on January 19, 1984 and has kept the designation in place since then. Cuba and North Korea returned to the list

Cuba and North Korea have each been removed and later redesignated.

Cuba was first listed in 1982 before its designation was rescinded in 2015. The United States placed it back on the list on January 12, 2021, saying the Cuban government had repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism, including by granting haven to individuals Washington considered terrorists.

North Korea was initially designated in 1988, primarily over its involvement in the 1987 bombing of Korean Air Flight 858. Washington removed it in 2008 but redesignated it on November 20, 2017, citing, among other issues, assassinations on foreign soil.

Other former members have remained off the list for years. Iraq was removed in 2004, Libya in 2006 and Sudan in 2020, while South Yemen ceased to exist as a separate state after unification with North Yemen in 1990. Sudan's designation, for example, was formally rescinded on December 14, 2020.

The history shows that the label is not necessarily permanent. US law provides a process for rescinding a designation when the required conditions are met.

The United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly voted to allow Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to address its annual gathering remotely after the United States denied him a visa to travel to New York for the second consecutive year.

The resolution passed on September 17 with 152 countries voting in favour , three against and four abstaining. The United States, Israel and Paraguay opposed the measure, while Colombia, Honduras, Panama and Peru abstained.

The decision allows Abbas to deliver a pre-recorded address during the General Assembly's 81st session. It also permits other senior Palestinian officials to participate remotely in certain UN meetings over the next year if they are prevented from travelling to the United States.

Nearly 130 world leaders are gathering in New York City this week for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, with the annual general debate beginning on Tuesday, September 22, 2026.

US extends visa restrictions

Washington extended visa restrictions on officials from the Palestine Liberation Organisation and Palestinian Authority shortly before world leaders were due to gather in New York .

The US State Department said the restrictions were linked to what it described as Palestinian actions to “internationalise” the conflict with Israel, including pursuing cases at international courts. US Deputy Ambassador to the UN Tammy Bruce also accused the Palestinian Authority of failing to meet commitments and urged countries to vote against allowing remote participation.

Palestinian officials rejected the US decision. Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour told the assembly that the Palestinian leadership condemned being prevented from attending and expressed hope that it would be the last time such restrictions were imposed.

The dispute also raises questions about the United States' responsibilities as host of UN headquarters. Under the 1947 UN Headquarters Agreement, the US is generally required to allow representatives travelling on UN business access to the organisation's headquarters. Washington maintains that it can restrict entry on security, extremism and foreign-policy grounds.

Second remote appearance in two years

The latest vote follows a similar dispute in 2025, when the US also denied visas to Palestinian representatives.

That year, the General Assembly voted 145 to five, with six abstentions, to allow Palestine to participate virtually. Abbas subsequently addressed a high-level UN meeting remotely.

Palestine has held non-member observer state status at the UN since 2012. This allows its representatives to participate in much of the General Assembly's work, but Palestine does not have the same voting rights as the UN's 193 full member states.

Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD) finished first in the state election in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern , winning 38.2% of the party-list vote and more than doubling its support from the previous election, according to preliminary official results.

The Social Democrats (SPD) of state premier Manuela Schwesig finished close behind with 35.5%, down from 39.6% in 2021. The Left secured 6.5% and the Greens 5.7%, while the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) received 4.9%, leaving it just below the threshold normally required to enter the state parliament. The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) also fell short at 4.8%.

The result marks a major advance for the AfD in the northeastern state. Its 38.2% share was up 21.5 percentage points from 16.7% in 2021. Reuters reported that the party claimed a mandate to form a government after finishing first, although the other main parties have ruled out governing with it.

SPD remains a major force despite losing first place

The result also showed stronger support for the SPD than some earlier polling had suggested. Schwesig's party secured more than a third of the vote despite losing about four percentage points compared with 2021.

The existing SPD-Left coalition, however, no longer has enough support on its own to continue with the same two-party arrangement. Any new government will depend on coalition negotiations following the final allocation of seats. Reuters reported that Schwesig said she was ready to lead a stable government and rejected cooperation with the AfD.

The CDU suffered the sharpest setback. Its party-list vote dropped from 13.3% in 2021 to 4.9%, putting it outside the state parliament under the preliminary result. Reuters reported that it would be the first time the CDU had failed to enter a German state parliament.

Turnout rises sharply

Voter participation was also unusually high. The state's electoral authority said 1,024,251 of 1,311,294 eligible voters cast ballots, producing turnout of 78.1%. That was considerably higher than the 70.8% recorded at the 2021 state election .

The September 20 vote was Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's ninth state election since German reunification. The preliminary result leaves the AfD as the largest party by vote share, but finishing first does not automatically give a party control of the government under Germany's parliamentary system. A government must be able to command sufficient support in the state parliament.