“I don’t call it a war. I’d rather have a military operation,” Trump said. “Iran is dying to make a deal.”

He added that Iran “want[s] to make a deal badly,” but said uncertainty over Iran’s leadership had complicated negotiations.

“We have a problem because nobody knows for sure who the leaders are,” Trump said. “The leaders have been wiped out along with their military, almost all of their military.”

Trump’s comments came after Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, released a statement promising what he described as a “new chapter” for the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. Khamenei said the region’s future would be one “without America ,” and warned that foreign powers had no place in the waters of the Gulf.

“Outsiders who, driven by greed, come from thousands of miles away to stir trouble have no place there, except at the bottom of its waters,” the statement read.

A first round of talks in Islamabad last month failed to produce a deal, while a planned second round did not materialise. Trump later moved to extend the existing ceasefire to allow more time for negotiations, Viory reports.

Pakistan has played a key role as a mediator between the two sides, but major disagreements remain, including over Iran’s nuclear programme and control of the Strait of Hormuz.

He said no country could defeat inequality alone and called for major reforms to global financial and political institutions, including the United Nations Security Council. Ramaphosa argued that the current system does not adequately serve developing countries or protect global peace.

His remarks came during the second meeting of the International Panel on Inequality, launched under South Africa’s G20 presidency and backed by Brazil , Norway and Spain. The panel aims to become a leading global source of inequality data, with South Africa expected to push for its permanent establishment at the UN General Assembly.

The resolution, UNGA A/80/L.48, sponsored by Ghana on behalf of the African Group, was adopted on March 25 with 123 votes in favour, three against (Israel, the United States and Argentina) and 52 abstentions. It urges states to pursue “reparatory justice,” including steps such as apologies, restitution and the return of looted cultural artefacts.  

Israel’s position is similar to concerns raised by other Western delegations that did not back the text. The United Kingdom, for example, abstained and warned against language that could be read as ranking crimes against humanity.  

“The UK continues to disagree with fundamental propositions of the text and, therefore, regrettably, cannot vote in favour of it. Firstly, the UK is firmly of the view that we must not create a hierarchy of historical atrocities.  Doing so simplifies the complexity and vast scale of suffering endured in different contexts. It risks diminishing the experiences of communities whose trauma and suffering was felt just as strongly. No single set of atrocities should be regarded as more or less significant than another,” the UK noted in an explanatory statement.

Israel said its “no” vote was not a denial of slavery’s historical harm, but a protest over the final wording, and it expressed regret that negotiations did not produce changes that might have allowed broader support.  

Opta’s probability model gives Spain a 17.0% chance of lifting the trophy, the highest among all nations, reflecting a combination of recent performances, squad depth and underlying metrics such as expected goals and match control.

France , runners-up in 2022, follow with a 14.1% likelihood, while England sit third on 11.8%, continuing their steady rise in tournament projections despite falling short in recent major competitions.

The data, however, points to a strong Europe an presence at the top of the rankings. Four of the top five teams are from Europe, with Argentina the only South American side breaking into the upper tier at 8.7%.

Germany (7.1%) and Portugal (6.6%) remain firmly in contention, while Brazil, historically the most successful World Cup nation, are rated at 5.6%, suggesting a more uncertain outlook compared with previous cycles.

The Netherlands (5.2%) round out the main group of contenders, with Norway (2.3%) and Colombia (2.0%) completing the top 10, albeit with significantly lower probabilities.

Opta’s projections are based on simulation models that factor in team strength, recent form, player availability and long-term performance indicators. Thousands of tournament simulations are run to generate probability estimates, rather than relying on subjective rankings.

What this highlights is not certainty but likelihood. A 17% chance for Spain still implies an 83% chance they do not win, underscoring how open World Cups tend to be.

Spain’s position at the top also reflects a broader shift in international football. With a new generation of technically gifted players like Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, they have regained the balance that defined their earlier dominance.

France and England, meanwhile, benefit from deep talent pools and consistent tournament performances, keeping them firmly within striking distance.

“I don’t want to leave the sport without having a grand prix there, without getting to race there,” he said . “I’m chasing them, when is it going to be?”

Hamilton, who has described himself as “half-African,” said he feels pressure as potential dates are discussed. “They’re setting certain dates. I’m like, damn, I could be running out of time, so I’m going to be here for a while until that happens,” he said.

Despite his campaign, an African grand prix does not appear close to being added to the calendar. Hamilton said F1 bosses are “really trying,” but acknowledged no race is imminent.

In recent years, proposals have included Rwanda as a potential host, while talks to bring F1 back to South Africa, including a return to Kyalami near Johannesburg and a possible street race in Cape Town, have stalled. South Africa has since revived its bid to host a race, but no deal has been confirmed.

Sapien Labs founder and chief scientist Dr Tara Thiagarajan says the issue is bigger than depression and anxiety. “The mind health crisis appears to be a progressive slide from generation to generation,” she said, with many young adults struggling with emotional control, focus and relationship management.

The report points to early-life smartphone use, diet changes, weaker family bonds and declining spirituality as key drivers, and argues the gap widened sharply around the Covid-19 period and has persisted since.

Further, the report calls for policy responses including tighter rules on phone use in schools, minimum ages for social media access and closer scrutiny of additives in ultra-processed foods.

Here are some of the key names mentioned and their alleged connection:

Donald Trump  

The documents include an FBI-compiled list of sexual assault allegations related to President Donald Trump. Many of the tips came from anonymous callers or unverified sources and were submitted to the FBI’s National Threat Operations Centre. The Justice Department said the claims were made shortly before the 2020 election and described them as “unfounded and false.” "To be clear, the claims are unfounded and false, and if they have a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponised against President Trump already," the Justice Department emphasised.

Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing involving Epstein.

Bill Gates

In a draft email included in the files, Epstein alleged that Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates had engaged in extramarital affairs.

Epstein wrote that his relationship with Gates involved helping him with personal matters, including what Epstein described as “illicit trysts.” Gates has not been accused of any criminal misconduct in the documents.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Gates told the BBC , "These claims, from a proven, disgruntled liar, are absolutely absurd and completely false," adding, “the only thing these documents demonstrate is Epstein's frustration that he did not have an ongoing relationship with Gates and the lengths he would go to entrap and defame."

Richard Branson

Emails in the release show friendly exchanges between Epstein and British billionaire Richard Branson. In one 2013 message, Branson joked about seeing Epstein and referred to “your harem,” suggesting a casual relationship between the two men.

Branson, the billionaire founder of the Virgin Group, has since distanced himself from the allegations and labelled them as abhorrent. A spokesperson for the Virgin Group downplayed the exchange.

“Any contact Richard and Joan Branson had with Epstein took place on only a few occasions more than twelve years ago, and was limited to group or business settings, such as a charity tennis event,” a spokesperson of the group told The Independent .

Elon Musk

The documents contain multiple email exchanges between Epstein and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk.

In one message from 2012, Epstein asked Musk about travel plans to an island, and Musk responded with a reference to attending a “wildest party.” No accusations of wrongdoing are made against Musk in the files. Musk said in an X post on Saturday "well aware that some email correspondence with [Epstein] could be misinterpreted and used by detractors to smear my name. I don't care about that, but what I do care about is that we at least attempt to prosecute those who committed serious crimes with Epstein, especially regarding heinous exploitation of underage girls."

Prince Andrew

An email exchange shows Epstein arranging a visit with Britain’s Prince Andrew, inviting him to dinner at Buckingham Palace in 2010 and discussing the need for “ privacy .” Prince Andrew has faced long-standing scrutiny over his association with Epstein.

Howard Lutnick

The documents show that Epstein and businessman Howard Lutnick, now US commerce secretary, made plans to meet for lunch on Epstein’s Caribbean island in 2012, according to email exchanges involving Lutnick’s wife.

Jay-Z

The newly released documents also mention rap superstar Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter.

His name appears in a complaint submitted to an FBI hotline in 2019. The report links multiple individuals and alleges an incident dating back to 1996.

According to the complaint, the victim believed she was drugged before allegedly waking up in the presence of film producer Harvey Weinstein and Jay-Z. The document claims Weinstein assaulted her, though the allegations have not been verified and no charges are linked to Jay-Z in the files. 

The Justice Department cautioned that some materials include unverified or sensational claims and warned against drawing unsupported conclusions.

He said reckless actions by powerful actors are triggering dangerous consequences, and stressed that global challenges cannot be solved by one country imposing its will.

“Global problems will not be solved by one power calling the shots,” he said. “Nor will they be solved by two powers carving the world into rival spheres of influence.”

Guterres argued that the world is shifting toward multipolarity, but warned that this transition must be “networked, inclusive by design,” and grounded in partnerships rather than competition.

“For multipolarity to generate equilibrium, prosperity and peace, we need strong multilateral institutions where legitimacy is rooted in shared responsibility and shared values,” he said.

Concerns over private tech power

The UN chief also highlighted the growing influence of private technology companies, warning that unregulated platforms and artificial intelligence systems are increasingly shaping elections, markets and even conflicts.

“When technologies that shape behaviour, elections, markets, and even conflicts operate without guardrails,” he said, “the reaction is not innovation, it is instability.” He called for global governance frameworks to ensure AI and emerging technologies are used responsibly.

Final-year priorities

In what is expected to be his final year leading the United Nations, Guterres outlined key priorities focused on peace, development and institutional reform.

He said the UN is pushing for “just and sustainable peace rooted in international law,” including efforts that address the root causes of conflict rather than temporary ceasefires.

Guterres also highlighted the need to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, reform the Security Council, and strengthen the global financial system to better support vulnerable countries.

On climate change, he called for greater equity in helping nations facing repeated climate catastrophes.

Guterres closed by urging governments to act with responsibility in an increasingly troubled international environment .

Some countries deploy large numbers of police officers to manage crime, protests, and internal stability, while others rely on smaller forces supported by social services, community policing, or private security.

The number of officers per 100,000 people is often shaped by a country’s history, political system, and recent experiences with unrest or violence, making policing levels a revealing indicator of how states balance safety with civil liberties.

At the top end of the scale are countries like Russia and several Eastern European states, where police officer ratios exceed 600 officers per 100,000 people. This places them among the most heavily policed nations in the world.

Russia’s high ratio reflects a legacy of extensive state security structures dating back to the Soviet era, as well as ongoing efforts to maintain public order across a vast territory with diverse challenges.

In South America , Argentina and Chile also show up with high police ratios. Argentina’s figure has been linked in part to provincial policing structures; each province maintains its own force, contributing to overall high numbers.

Chile similarly expanded its national police force during periods of social unrest in the 2010s and 2020s, aiming to respond to both crime and large-scale protests. These numbers often attract debate: higher policing levels don’t necessarily correspond to lower crime rates, but they do reflect governments’ emphasis on visible law enforcement.

Across Africa and Asia, countries such as South Africa and Thailand show elevated policing ratios compared with many of their neighbours. In South Africa, sustained concerns about violent crime and public safety have driven investment in policing, even as critics argue that resources might be better allocated toward community services and economic opportunity.

Thailand’s police presence is similarly robust, shaped by both internal security priorities and political protests that have marked recent years.

In contrast, many countries in Western Europe, parts of Africa, and Southeast Asia report far lower numbers of officers per capita. Nations with smaller police forces often rely more on community policing, private security partnerships, and crime prevention strategies rather than large uniformed forces.

During FIFA’s latest ticketing phase, known as the Random Selection Draw, some group-stage seats were priced as high as $700, while tickets for the final match in New Jersey were listed for thousands of dollars.

“These primary market prices are already, by far, the most expensive in World Cup history,” said Henry Bushnell, a senior writer for The Athletic.

Facing backlash , FIFA added a limited number of $60 tickets for each match. But critics say the gesture has not gone far enough.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged FIFA to take stronger steps to keep the tournament affordable. “As someone who used to save up for England tickets, I encourage FIFA to do more to make tickets more affordable so that the World Cup doesn’t lose touch with the genuine supporters,” Starmer wrote on X.

Fan groups have also expressed alarm . Brian Hexsel, president of the American Outlaws, a major US soccer supporters organisation, called the prices “absolutely insane.” “My biggest fear is that FIFA has actually stopped the growing of the sport in the US,” Hexsel said.

While stadiums are expected to fill regardless, critics argue that the atmosphere could suffer if traditional supporters are priced out.

Still, FIFA insists demand remains overwhelming. The organisation said more than 500 million ticket requests were submitted during the Random Selection Draw, suggesting interest remains high even amid concerns about affordability.

Oke Göttlich, a vice-president of the German Football Association (DFB), said Europe should begin a serious conversation about whether participating is still appropriate. “For me, that time has definitely come,” Göttlich told German newspaper Hamburger Morgenpost, urging leaders to “seriously consider and discuss” a boycott.

He compared the current moment to Cold War-era Olympic boycotts, adding, “By my reckoning, the potential threat is greater now than it was then. We need to have this discussion.”

The boycott debate has been fuelled by Trump’s aggressive posturing toward Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory. Trump has suggested annexing the island and imposed tariffs on European nations that opposed his plans, including Germany.

German MP Jürgen Hardt said the national team might consider skipping the tournament “as a last resort” to bring Trump “to his senses.”

In France , left-wing lawmaker Eric Coquerel also called for the World Cup to be moved out of the US. “Seriously, can we really imagine going to play the footie World Cup in a country that attacks its neighbours, threatens to invade Greenland, undermines international law?” Coquerel wrote on X.

Concerns have also been raised over Trump’s immigration crackdown and claims of abuses by federal enforcement agencies. Swiss academic Mark Pieth warned that the political climate does not encourage fans to travel.

“What we are seeing domestically, the marginalisation of political opponents, abuses by immigration services , doesn’t exactly encourage fans to go there,” Pieth said.

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has also weighed in, writing on X, “I think Mark Pieth is right to question this World Cup.”

A poll in Germany found 47% of respondents would support a boycott if Trump moved to annex Greenland, while a petition in the Netherlands calling for the Dutch team to boycott the event gathered more than 150,000 signatures. Meanwhile, no European country has announced a formal boycott.

Amsterdam is in the lead, with an impressive 45.9% of its population commuting by bicycle, a testament to the Dutch capital's investment in bike-friendly infrastructure and a culture deeply rooted in cycling.

Not far behind is Copenhagen, where 40% of residents pedal to work daily, solidifying Denmark's reputation as a global leader in sustainable urban mobility.

In Germany, Berlin stands out, with 26.7% of commuters opting for two wheels, reflecting the city's ongoing efforts to enhance cycling lanes and encourage eco-friendly travel .

Meanwhile, Ljubljana (15%) and Helsinki (14%) also showcase their commitment to active transportation , making significant strides in integrating cycling into their urban landscapes.

Further down the list, cities like Vienna (13.1%), Valencia (13%), and Stockholm (12.2%) are making notable efforts to improve cycling accessibility and foster environmentally conscious commuting habits. Dublin (11.9%) and Barcelona (10.9%) round out the top cities, demonstrating the growing popularity of cycling in Southern and Western Europe.

These figures underscore a broader shift towards sustainable urban development, with cities across Europe prioritizing cycling infrastructure to reduce carbon emissions, ease traffic congestion, and promote public health .

As cycling continues to gain momentum, these cities serve as benchmarks for others aiming to build greener, more livable urban spaces.

According to the above graphic , individuals use about 2.2 litres for a full-size dishwasher, roughly 2.7 litres for a slimline model, and a striking 9 litres when washing dishes by hand.

The clear takeaway is that dishwashers often use significantly less water than washing by hand with a running tap.

A standard dishwashing cycle uses between 3 and 5 gallons of water (about 11–19 litres), depending on the model and settings. Newer Energy Star-rated machines are designed to optimise cleaning and water use, drawing only what’s needed per cycle.

By contrast, hand-washing dishes with the tap continuously running can easily use more than 20 gallons (75 litres) for a full load, roughly four to six times more than an efficient dishwasher.

Water efficiency

Household water use is a growing concern in many parts of the world. Kitchens account for a measurable portion of indoor consumption, and simple choices, like dishwasher loading habits or tap control during hand-washing, make a real difference in total water use.

Beyond lowering bills, water efficiency is also about sustainable living. With droughts and water scarcity affecting regions from Australia to parts of Europe and North America, every litre saved at home contributes to broader conservation goals.

Water scarcity is worsening globally

We’re entering a new era where water resources are under intense pressure. A recent United Nations University report described the situation as one of “water bankruptcy”, meaning humanity is using more freshwater than can be replenished through rain, snow and natural storage, and key reserves like aquifers and glaciers are being depleted.

Over 50% of large lakes are shrinking, about 70% of aquifers are declining, and billions of people face water shortages at least part of the year.

Current data show that roughly 2 to 3 billion people experience water shortages for at least one month a year, and projections suggest the number will grow as the population increases and droughts become more frequent. Millions still lack access to safe, reliable drinking water at home.

Antarctica is home to an estimated 44 million penguins, making it by far the largest stronghold for the species. According to World Population Review , this figure includes massive colonies of Adélie, Emperor, Chinstrap, and Gentoo penguins.

After Antarctica, Chile holds the second-largest penguin population in the world, with roughly 13 million birds. Its long southern coastline supports Humboldt, Magellanic, and Gentoo penguins.

Neighbouring regions also play an important role, as the Falkland Islands have approximately 1.2 million penguins, Argentina has around 1 million, and Peru has roughly 4,000 birds.

Penguins are not confined to icy environments. South Africa is home to about 60,000 African penguins, while Namibia supports roughly 26,000. These birds live in temperate climates and depend heavily on sardine and anchovy stocks.

In Oceania, Australia has around 500,000 penguins, mainly Little Blue penguins and New Zealand hosts a similar number, including Yellow-eyed and Little Blue species.

The African penguin is, however, currently classified as endangered by the WWF, with populations declining sharply due to food shortages and human activity.

Countries like Brazil , with about 10,000 penguins, sit at the edges of penguin migration routes. These birds are often vulnerable, as they are far from core breeding grounds and more likely to be affected by changing ocean currents.

Penguins are indicator species. When their populations drop, it signals deeper problems in marine ecosystems. The World Wildlife Fund notes that protecting penguins means protecting fisheries, ocean biodiversity, and climate stability at the same time.

In his speech, Carney said the world was witnessing “the end of a rules-based global order” and cautioned against nations turning trade into leverage. He also suggested that middle powers like Canada could work together to avoid being “victimised by American hegemony.”

Trump’s response

In a post on Truth Social dated January 23, 2026, Trump announced that Canada’s invitation had been withdrawn. “Please let this letter serve to represent that the Board of Peace is withdrawing its invitation to you regarding Canada’s joining what will be the most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled,” Trump wrote, addressing Carney directly.

Trump also responded publicly to Carney’s comments while speaking in Davos, saying Canada “lives because of the United States” and should show more appreciation for Washington’s past support. “Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements,” Trump said.

Just a week earlier, Carney’s office had confirmed that Canada had been invited to join the board and planned to accept.

What is the Board of Peace?

Trump’s Board of Peace was launched as part of his plan to support a ceasefire and post-war arrangements in Gaza. He has since suggested the body could expand to address other global conflicts.

According to Trump, permanent members of the board are required to contribute $1 billion each to help fund its activities. He has also said the board would work “in conjunction with the United Nations,” though UN officials have stressed that their engagement would be limited strictly to the Gaza framework. Trump has described the board as having wide powers, saying once it is fully formed, it could “do pretty much whatever we want to do.”

As of January 2026, the world’s largest providers of hot meals are not corporations; they are government-run schools and social feeding programmes serving tens of millions of meals every day.

At the top of the list is India’s Midday School Lunch Programme , which now delivers an estimated 120 million hot meals daily to children across the country. Launched in 1995, the programme has become the backbone of India’s education and nutrition policy, credited by the WEF with improving school attendance, child nutrition, and long-term economic outcomes. The scale is unmatched globally.

Close behind is Sodexo, the French catering multinational, which serves roughly 100 million meals a day across 55 countries. Sodexo’s reach spans schools, hospitals, prisons, corporate campuses and public institutions, making it the largest private-sector food services provider in the world.

Surprisingly, McDonald’s comes third. Despite operating in more than 120 countries, the fast-food giant serves about 68 million meals daily , placing it well behind public school feeding programmes.

Emerging economies are also increasingly central to this shift. Indonesia’s School and Infant Meals Programme, launched in 2025 , already serves 60 million meals per day, while Brazil’s national school feeding programme provides 40 million meals daily, continuing a system that dates back to 1955 and is often cited by the WEF as a global model for linking local agriculture to public nutrition.

However, traditional food service companies trail far behind. Compass Group serves about 15 million meals a day, followed by KFC at 12 million and Burger King at 11 million, despite their global footprints. Airline catering provider LSG Sky Chefs, which operates in 49 countries, rounds out the list with around 800,000 meals daily.

What this really shows is a quiet transformation of the global food system. Governments are no longer just regulators of food markets; they are among the world’s largest food providers.

According to the Henley Passport Index 2026 , which ranks passports based on the number of destinations holders can access without a prior visa, a small group of countries now dominate global mobility, each leading their respective continents.

Asia

Singapore holds the title of the strongest passport globally in 2026. Singaporean passport holders can travel visa-free or with visa-on-arrival access to 192 destinations, the highest number recorded in the index.

This position reflects Singapore’s long-standing diplomatic reach, stable governance, and strong bilateral agreements. Henley & Partners notes that Asian countries have consistently expanded travel access over the past decade through targeted diplomacy and economic openness.

Europe

Europe continues to dominate the top tier. Five European countries: Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland share the title of Europe’s strongest passports, each offering visa-free access to 186 destinations.

The strength of European passports is closely linked to the Schengen Area, strong regional cooperation, and extensive reciprocal agreements with countries across the Americas, Asia, and Africa. According to Henley Passport Index data, Europe remains the continent with the largest concentration of high-ranking passports.

North America

In North America, Canada holds the strongest passport, with access to 181 countries without a prior visa.

Canada’s passport strength reflects its stable international relationships, low overstay risk, and strong standing in global diplomacy. While the United States remains highly ranked, Canada edges ahead in 2026 in terms of total visa-free destinations.

Oceania

New Zealand leads Oceania with a passport that allows visa-free travel to 183 destinations.

New Zealand’s strong ranking is driven by its reputation for political stability, low migration risk, and trusted border management. Henley data shows that New Zealand has steadily climbed the rankings over the last decade, often outperforming larger economies.

South America

In South America, Chile holds the strongest passport, granting access to 175 destinations.

Chile stands out for its extensive travel agreements with Europe, Asia, and North America, as well as its participation in regional blocs. It remains one of only a few South American countries with visa-free access to the United States’ ESTA system and parts of Asia.

Africa

On the African continent, Seychelles ranks highest, with visa-free access to 154 destinations.

Despite its small population, Seychelles benefits from an outward-looking foreign policy and strong tourism-driven diplomacy. Henley Passport Index data shows that Seychelles consistently outperforms much larger African economies in travel freedom.

Such a downturn could spill into the economy if falling markets cause consumers and businesses to cut back on spending, he said.

The IMF estimates that increased investment in AI and technology added about 0.3 percentage points to average annual US economic growth in the first three quarters of 2025. This helped offset the economic impact of a lengthy US government shutdown later in the year.

Gourinchas noted a growing gap between the US, where AI investment is surging, and other advanced economies. The IMF now expects US growth of 2.4 percent this year, while growth in the euro area is forecast at 1.3 percent, with Japan expected to grow more slowly.

China and India are also seeing relatively strong growth compared with other emerging markets, the IMF said, with most of the recent upward revision in global growth driven by the US and China.

What follows is a look at the top five richest individuals on the continent and the shifts in their wealth:

Aliko Dangote

Leading the surge is Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest person, whose fortune has grown by $451 million since January 1. Dangote’s net worth now stands at $30.4 billion, placing him first in Africa and 79th globally.

Johann Rupert

In second place is Johann Rupert and his family from South Africa . Rupert’s wealth increased by $70.9 million over the same period, bringing his net worth to $19.5 billion. He is ranked second in Africa and 138th worldwide.

Nathan Kirsh

South African businessman Nathan Kirsh ranks third among Africa’s wealthiest individuals. His fortune rose by $289 million since the start of the year, giving him a net worth of $10 billion. Kirsh is third in Africa and 322nd globally.

Naguib Sawiris

Also among the top gainers is Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris, whose wealth increased by $173 million. His net worth now stands at $10.8 billion, ranking him fourth in Africa and 350th globally.

Abdul Samad Rabiu

Rounding out the top five is Nigerian billionaire Abdul Samad Rabiu, whose wealth rose by $328 million since January. Rabiu’s net worth is estimated at $10.5 billion, making him fourth in Africa and 337th globally.

More than a century later, that line has become a frontline marked by soldiers, conflict and deep-seated tension. Historians and political analysts say these conflicts didn’t begin yesterday; they began the moment territorial borders were imposed without reference to local realities. Many of today’s borders were drawn by imperial powers that cared more about rivalry and resource control than about rivers, ethnic groups, or traditional land use.

Experts say many modern border tensions occur where artificial lines cut across ethnic and cultural territories or where they overlay natural resources and strategic interests. When boundaries were imposed by colonial powers with rulers instead of local voices, they often ignored rivers, trade routes, shared histories, and even livelihoods, planting the seeds for long-term conflict .

Today, defending a border is no longer just about territorial control, it’s about survival, leverage, identity and sovereignty. Courts and treaties can offer legal frameworks for settling disputes, but in many cases, the words on a page have been overshadowed by force on the ground.

In 2026, these lines drawn centuries ago still shape who eats, who profits and who holds power, even as local communities, national governments and international actors grapple with the unresolved legacy of maps made far from the realities they were meant to define.

“This is completely unheard of,” said Professor Janne Haaland Matlary of the University of Oslo. She told public broadcaster NRK that giving away the medal showed “a total lack of respect for the award,” describing the act as “meaningless” and “pathetic.”

The Norwegian Nobel Committee quickly distanced itself from the move, stressing that Nobel Peace Prizes cannot be transferred, shared or gifted. In a brief statement, the committee said the award belongs solely to the recipient and that no individual has the authority to pass it on.

Machado, a Venezuela n opposition leader and Nobel laureate, said she gave Trump the medal to recognise what she called his “unique commitment” to Venezuela’s political transition. However, she has played no formal role in the country’s leadership since US forces removed President Nicolás Maduro earlier this month while leaving his governing structure largely intact.

Former Oslo mayor Raymond Johansen warned that the episode risked politicising the Nobel Peace Prize and damaging its global credibility. “This is unbelievably embarrassing and harmful to one of the world’s most important prizes,” he wrote on social media .

Trump has long expressed frustration with the Nobel Committee, arguing that his role in ending or managing conflicts during his second term has gone unrecognised. While he accepted the medal, the Norwegian Nobel Committee made clear that the action carries no official meaning and does not constitute recognition by the Nobel institution.

Researchers say sleep offers a unique window into overall health because it records many of the body’s core functions continuously over several hours. “We record an amazing number of signals when we study sleep,” said Dr Emmanuel Mignot, a senior author of the study published in Nature Medicine. “It’s very data-rich.”

While artificial intelligence has increasingly been used in areas such as cardiology and cancer detection, sleep has received far less attention, despite its importance to physical and mental health. “From an AI perspective, sleep is relatively understudied,” said Dr James Zou, an associate professor at Stanford and co-author of the research. He said SleepFM shows that sleep data can be used to predict a wide range of health outcomes, from cardiovascular conditions to mental health disorders.

The researchers stress that the technology is not meant to replace doctors, but to support earlier detection and prevention. In the future, such models could help identify health risks before symptoms appear, allowing patients and clinicians to act sooner.

Stanford’s team says more research and clinical testing will be needed before sleep-based AI tools are used widely in healthcare.

By 2026, few governments in the Global South publicly admit it, but many now operate as if the old model no longer applies. The language remains, growth targets, reform agendas, donor frameworks, but the behaviour has changed. Development is no longer about catching up. It is about coping, stabilising, and surviving in a world that no longer offers predictable rewards for doing things “the right way.”

This shift did not begin with a manifesto or conference declaration. It emerged from shock.

A world that broke the model

Between 2020 and 2025, the global system delivered a series of blows that exposed the fragility of development orthodoxy.

The COVID-19 pandemic showed how quickly global supply chains could collapse and how unevenly global solidarity functioned. Vaccines arrived late in much of Africa, despite years of participation in global health frameworks. Countries learned a hard lesson: integration did not guarantee protection.

Then came war-driven inflation, energy shocks, and food insecurity. Sanctions, once portrayed as targeted tools. became blunt instruments with spillover effects far beyond their intended targets. For many African economies, external crises they did not cause became domestic emergencies they had to manage.

Climate extremes added another layer. Floods, droughts, and heatwaves no longer appeared as future risks but as recurring costs. Adaptation replaced mitigation as the urgent priority, even as climate finance remained slow and conditional.

In this environment, the old development bargain began to look hollow. Play by the rules, open your markets, reform your institutions, and prosperity will follow. After 2025, fewer policymakers believed that sequence still held.

The quiet end of 'catching up'

Development thinking was long built around comparison. Income levels, infrastructure density, literacy rates, health outcomes, progress meant closing gaps with advanced economies.

But comparison assumes a stable destination. That assumption has eroded.

Western economies themselves now struggle with ageing populations, political polarisation, infrastructure decay, and fiscal stress. Their development path no longer looks universally desirable, let alone replicable. At the same time, the costs of reaching those benchmarks, environmental damage, social inequality, and external dependence are clearer than ever.

As a result, many countries have stopped measuring success by proximity to an external ideal. Instead, they ask narrower, more immediate questions: Can the lights stay on? Can food move from farms to cities? Can hospitals function under pressure? Can young people find some form of livelihood, even if it is informal?

This is not a resignation. It is recalibration.

Development as functionality

In 2026, development increasingly means functionality rather than transformation.

Power systems do not need to be world-class; they need to be reliable enough to support small businesses, clinics, and households. Healthcare does not need cutting-edge equipment everywhere; it needs trained staff, supply continuity, and referral systems that work under constraint. Transport does not need megaprojects; it needs roads that remain usable during the rainy season.

Across the Global South, especially in Africa , “good enough” solutions are quietly outperforming ambitious master plans.

Mini-grids expand energy access faster than national grid overhauls. Digital health platforms fill gaps left by overstretched public systems. Informal logistics networks move goods more efficiently than formal supply chains burdened by bureaucracy.

Who defines success now?

If development is no longer about meeting Western benchmarks or donor indicators, a deeper question emerges: who decides what progress looks like?

This question unsettles long-standing hierarchies. Global institutions still produce rankings and reports, but their authority is weaker than before. National governments, local communities, and regional blocs increasingly set their own priorities, even when these diverge from international advice.

This creates tension. Functionality may coexist with inequality. Stability may come at the cost of rapid reform. Pragmatism may override ideals.

The post-2025 development landscape does not offer moral clarity. It offers trade-offs.

Not the end, but a reckoning

To say that development has changed is not to say it has ended. People still want better lives, longer health, safer cities, and meaningful work. What has changed is the belief that there is a single, universal path to those outcomes.

In 2026, development is less about becoming something else and more about strengthening what already exists. Less about imitation, more about adaptation. Less about promises, more about systems that hold under pressure.

What is cereulide?

Cereulide is a toxin produced by certain strains of the bacterium Bacillus cereus. Unlike many bacteria, cereulide is heat-stable, meaning it can survive cooking, pasteurisation and reheating.

Once ingested, the toxin can trigger symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhoea, often within 30 minutes to six hours. In most healthy adults, symptoms usually pass within a day, but infants, young children and people with weakened immune systems face a higher risk of complications.

Why is it a concern in infant formula?

Infant formula is tightly regulated because babies rely on it as a primary source of nutrition. Even low levels of contamination can pose health risks, particularly because infants’ bodies are still developing.

There are currently no international standards setting an acceptable limit for cereulide in food, including baby formula. As a result, authorities often act cautiously when there is any indication the toxin could be present.

In this case, Nestlé said a “quality issue” was detected in an ingredient sourced from one of its major suppliers, prompting the company to recall affected batches as a preventive measure.

How widespread is the recall?

Health agencies in at least 37 countries have issued warnings or recalls linked to the affected products. Several of the recalled formulas were manufactured in Switzerland and distributed globally.

Some countries, including Singapore, have ordered a temporary stop to the sale of specific batches while investigations are ongoing. Nestlé has said that products in certain markets have been tested as safe, but regulators are continuing independent checks.

Are babies known to have fallen ill?

So far, no confirmed cases of illness linked to the recalled Nestlé infant formulas have been reported, according to health authorities.

However, parents and caregivers have been advised not to use the affected products as a precaution. Anyone whose child has consumed the formula and shows symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhoea is urged to seek medical advice promptly.

“This research gives us a biological explanation for why limiting screen time in the first two years is crucial,” said Dr Tan Ai Peng, the study’s lead researcher. “It also highlights the importance of parental engagement, showing that parent-child activities, like reading together, can make a real difference.”

Brain scans carried out when the children were aged four and a half, six and seven and a half showed that higher screen exposure in infancy was linked to faster maturation of brain networks involved in visual processing and cognitive control. While early brain maturation may sound positive, Dr Tan warned that this is not necessarily the case.

“The first few years of life is when the brain is starting to learn real-world experiences,” she said. “It is important that they get exposed to different types of environmental stimuli, and not just very excessive visual stimulation like what they get on screen.”

For children whose parents read to them frequently from the age of three, the link between early screen exposure and later brain changes was significantly weakened.

“When we started this study, we wanted to see how altered brain development might lead to anxiety symptoms during adolescence,” Dr Tan said. “There is a high possibility that they may not be able to cope well in new social environments.”

Published in the medical journal eBioMedicine, the findings add to growing global concerns about excessive screen use in early childhood.

FIFA World Cup 2026

One of the most anticipated events of the year is the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be the largest ever held in terms of teams and host nations. The tournament runs from June 11 to July 19, 2026, with 48 teams competing across the United States , Canada and Mexico. The number of teams playing in the World Cup 2026 has gone up from 32 in previous editions.

The expanded format, with 104 matches in 16 host cities, is expected to drive unprecedented fan engagement, lucrative broadcasting deals and tourism revenue. Iconic venues like Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca are being updated for the event and will host key fixtures.

Winter Olympic Games in Italy

Before the World Cup kicks off, the Winter Olympic Games 2026 will draw global focus to northern Italy. Hosted jointly by Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, the Olympics will run from February 6 to 22, 2026, featuring athletes from across the world competing in traditional snow and ice events. The Milan - Cortina Olympics aim to emphasise sustainability, using existing and refurbished venues, and will also serve as a platform for winter sports innovation and cultural exchange.

US 250th anniversary

2026 will also be a landmark moment in U.S. history, as the country celebrates 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. On July 4, 2026, the United States will commemorate a quarter-millennium of nationhood, tracing its origins to 1776, when 13 colonies declared independence from Great Britain. Reflecting on the anniversary, President Donald Trump described the Declaration as “a single sheet of parchment and 56 signatures” that launched “the greatest political journey in human history.” Since that moment, the United States has grown from its original colonies into a nation of 50 states, shaping global politics, culture and democracy along the way.

While artificial intelligence and semiconductors are still driving market momentum, some of the biggest gains are coming from companies many investors once considered mature, or even left behind.

Leading the list is Western Digital (WDC), up more than 260% so far this year, followed closely by Robinhood Markets (HOOD) and Seagate Technology (STX). The common thread tying many of these winners together is not hype alone, but a sharp rebound in earnings expectations, renewed demand for data infrastructure , and a global surge in AI-related investment.

According to Bankrate , which compiled the performance data shown in the image, storage and memory companies have been among the biggest beneficiaries of the AI boom. As cloud providers, AI developers, and data centres race to expand capacity, demand for hard drives and memory chips has surged after a prolonged industry downturn.

This trend is reinforced by Micron Technology (MU), up nearly 180%, and Lam Research (LRCX), a key supplier of semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Industry analysts note that AI models require enormous amounts of high-bandwidth memory and advanced chips, reigniting capital expenditure across the semiconductor supply chain.

Beyond tech hardware, the chart also highlights companies riding broader structural shifts. Palantir Technologies (PLTR) has continued its rally as governments and corporations expand spending on data analytics, defence technology, and AI-enabled decision systems.

Meanwhile, Newmont (NEM), the world’s largest gold miner , reflects renewed investor interest in hard assets amid geopolitical tensions, persistent inflation risks, and ongoing conflicts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

Even more striking is the presence of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and Robinhood, whose strong gains point to shifting sentiment rather than pure fundamentals. Robinhood has benefited from increased retail trading activity and crypto-linked revenue growth, as digital assets rebound in 2025 following regulatory clarity in major markets such as the US and EU.

All of this is unfolding against a backdrop of strong equity market performance. The S&P 500 has reached repeated record highs in 2025, driven by easing inflation pressures, expectations of eventual interest-rate cuts, and continued optimism around productivity gains from AI.

At the top of the production pyramid are China and India, the only countries producing more than one million tonnes of tea annually. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), China alone accounts for over 45% of global tea production, driven by vast green tea output, while India remains the world’s largest producer of black tea , much of it grown in Assam and West Bengal. Together, these two countries anchor the global tea market and heavily influence international prices and supply stability.

The next tier, highlighted prominently across South and Southeast Asia, includes Sri Lanka, Kenya, Vietnam, and Indonesia, each producing between 100,000 and 1,000,000 tonnes. Kenya stands out as Africa’s tea powerhouse and the world’s leading tea exporter, with tea contributing significantly to national foreign exchange earnings.

The Kenya Tea Development Agency reports that smallholder farmers produce over 60% of the country’s tea, which underscores the crop’s role in rural livelihoods.

Across East Africa, countries such as Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Malawi fall into the mid-production bands shown on the map. These regions are increasingly important as global buyers seek to diversify supply chains away from Asia.

This trend aligns with current global trade discussions around supply chain resilience, especially as climate shocks and geopolitical tensions continue to disrupt agricultural exports worldwide.

Climate change, now central to global news agendas, is one of the most pressing challenges facing tea-producing regions. A 2023 FAO and IPCC-linked assessment highlighted that rising temperatures and irregular rainfall are already reducing yields and altering tea quality in major producing countries, particularly in South Asia and East Africa.

In India and Sri Lanka, erratic monsoons have led to fluctuating output, while prolonged droughts in Kenya have raised production costs and threatened farmer incomes.

In parts of South America, including Argentina, tea production has grown steadily, largely driven by demand from the United States and Europe for competitively priced black tea. Argentina is now the largest tea producer in the Americas, a fact often overlooked in global discussions.

These production patterns are increasingly relevant as global tea consumption continues to rise. According to Statista, the global tea market is projected to surpass USD 200 billion by 2027, fuelled by population growth, expanding middle classes in Asia and Africa, and heightened interest in tea’s health benefits.

Mange Kimambi, Tanzania

The US-based Tanzanian activist became one of the most influential and controversial voices who challenged President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s government. Using her massive social media following, Kimambi mobilised protests against alleged human rights abuses and election irregularities. Her activism drew international attention, but also criminal charges in Tanzania. Her activism against the ruling government began long before the elections. Consequently, her Instagram page with millions of followers was deactivated. Without the effort of Mange Kimambi, the international community would not have known about the post-election unrest and killings in Tanzania.  

Truphena Muthoni, Kenya

Kenya’s climate movement gained global visibility after Muthoni broke her own record by hugging a tree for 72 hours in a peaceful protest against deforestation and climate inaction. Her act, carried out in Nyeri, resonated far beyond Kenya and emphasised how non-violent protest can cut through political divisions.  

Ahmed al-Ahmed, Australia

Now popularly known as the ‘Bondi Hero,’ a fruit seller in Sydney, al-Ahmed became an unlikely activist after tackling and disarming a gunman during a deadly attack at Bondi Beach. Though not a campaigner in the traditional sense, his actions generated a global conversation about courage. He was widely praised for embodying community resistance to extremism.

Greta Thunberg, Sweden

In 2025, amongst many other activists, 22-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg shifted much of her focus to pro-Palestinian activism, taking part in aid flotillas bound for Gaza and leading protests in London against companies linked to Israel. Her involvement led to arrests under the UK Terrorism Act in December, after which she was released on bail and is expected to appear in court in 2026.

Malala Yousafzai

The 27-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai launched her new memoir, Finding My Way, in which she reflects on personal growth beyond her years of activism, exploring themes of friendship, identity and finding a sense of normalcy. Alongside the book, she continued her global advocacy through the Malala Fund, championing girls’ education, and expanded into sports investment with her venture Recess, linking education and empowerment through sport. Malala also returned to her hometown in Shangla, Pakistan, for the first time in 13 years, visiting family and reaffirming her commitment to her country.

New projections from the UN Population Division show that population growth will be heavily concentrated in Africa and parts of Asia, while Europe, the Americas and Oceania face slowdowns or long-term declines.

These shifts will redefine economies, migration patterns, and geopolitical power in the decades ahead.

According to the latest forecast , Africa is set to become home to 4.6 billion people by 2100, more than tripling its current population. Asia, which today holds nearly 60% of the world’s people, is projected to decline slightly to around 3.8 billion.

Meanwhile, Europe is expected to shrink to 592 million, and Latin America to 380 million, reflecting ageing populations and persistently low birth rates. North America will grow modestly to 710 million, driven largely by migration, while Oceania is expected to reach 73 million.

These numbers arrive at a time when many nations are already struggling with demographic challenges. In 2025, countries from Japan to Italy are dealing with shrinking workforces and rising dependency ratios, prompting governments to rethink labour policies, immigration rules, and social welfare systems.

The UN has warned repeatedly that demographic imbalance is becoming a defining global issue, one that will influence economic growth, energy demand, and even climate strategy.UN Policy Brief: https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/content/policy-briefs

Africa’s projected surge reflects both its young population and improvements in health outcomes. The continent currently has a median age of around 19, compared to 42 in Europe.

If managed well, this growth could provide a powerful economic engine, similar to the demographic boom that propelled China’s rise in the late 20th century. But the UN also cautions that without strong investments in education, infrastructure, and job creation, the rapid expansion could deepen inequality and strain public services.

Asia’s projected decline highlights a different challenge. China’s population has already started shrinking, and India is expected to stabilise mid-century before beginning its own decline.

Falling fertility rates, a trend seen across most of Asia , have raised concerns about future economic productivity. The Guardian recently reported that several Asian governments are offering financial incentives to encourage births, yet early results remain limited.

Meanwhile, Europe and parts of Latin America may face some of the world’s steepest demographic contractions. These regions are already experiencing school closures, labour shortages and increased reliance on migration to sustain their economies.

The IMF notes that countries with ageing populations could see slower GDP growth unless they adopt major policy reforms and attract foreign labour.

North America stands out for its relative demographic stability, largely due to immigration. The United States, in particular, continues to rely on migrants to expand its workforce, even amid political debates over border control. Current U.S. economic legislation and election-year discussions highlight how migration remains central to sustaining the country’s long-term population growth.

Oceania, while small in absolute numbers, is projected to continue growing but faces unique challenges tied to climate change. Rising sea levels threaten several Pacific Island nations, prompting discussions about potential displacement and migration corridors long before the end of the century.

The regions highlighted, including parts of the United States, Western Europe, Japan, China’s major coastal hubs, and South Korea, represent the world’s most concentrated engines of productivity.

While this imbalance has existed for decades, new global pressures are reshaping the conversation about what economic dominance means in an era of shifting alliances, technological disruption, and geopolitical uncertainty.

The World Bank has consistently shown that global output remains highly concentrated in a few advanced and rapidly industrialising economies. In its latest data, the United States, China, Japan, Germany, and India make up nearly 55% of global GDP combined, despite representing only a fraction of the world’s landmass.

This concentration is often tied to urbanisation. According to the United Nations, more than 80% of global GDP is generated in cities, which explains why regions with dense urban and industrial hubs dominate the global economy.

What the map captures is the spatial reality of that imbalance: prosperity clusters tightly around places with deep capital markets, highly developed infrastructure , strong institutions, and large consumer bases. From Silicon Valley to Shanghai, and from Tokyo to Frankfurt, economic power is not spread evenly; it is concentrated, strategic, and deeply interconnected.

Recent IMF commentary notes that while global GDP growth is stabilising, the world economy remains vulnerable to regional shocks, especially those occurring in the markets that dominate global output.

As a result, events in these concentrated regions carry outsized influence. A slowdown in China’s property sector, a shift in U.S. monetary policy, or disruptions in Europe’s energy landscape can ripple across continents, affecting countries that play only a small part in generating global income.

The human side of economic concentration

For billions of people living outside these high-GDP zones, the unequal distribution of wealth shapes everyday opportunities. Countries in Africa, South Asia, and parts of Latin America often hold vast land areas but produce smaller shares of global income due to limited industrial development, infrastructure constraints, and lagging investment.

Meanwhile, the areas that dominate global GDP also face growing internal challenges — from ageing populations in Japan and parts of Europe to housing affordability crises in major U.S. and Asian cities. This shows that economic power does not automatically translate into shared prosperity.

Asia remains home to the vast majority, as more than 1.6 billion Muslims are in Indonesia, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh, forming the core. Indonesia alone has over 240 million Muslims, more than any other country in the world.

Africa follows with approximately 763 million Muslims, reflecting Islam’s long historical influence across North, West, and East Africa.

The above map breaks down the distribution clearly:

Many Muslim-majority countries have some of the world’s youngest and fastest-growing populations . This positions them at the centre of future global workforce trends and economic potential.

Nations like Pakistan, Nigeria , Indonesia, and Egypt have median ages below 25, meaning they will significantly influence global markets and labour dynamics in the coming decades.

Additionally, Muslim-majority regions hold critical economic power. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region contain over 48% of the world’s proven oil reserves and nearly 40% of global natural gas reserves, giving these countries major leverage in international energy markets.

Gulf nations such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are now also among the world’s most active investors, shaping sectors from technology to real estate across Europe, Africa, and Asia.

The scale of the recall is one of the largest in Airbus’s 55-year history and affects more than half of all A320-family jets currently flying, including the A319, A320 and A321 models. The aircraft are the backbone of short-haul aviation across Asia, particularly in China and India, where rapid economic growth has fuelled a boom in domestic and regional air travel.

India ’s aviation regulator said 338 aircraft in the country were affected. IndiGo, the world’s largest A320 operator, had upgraded 143 of its 200 impacted jets by Friday, while Air India had completed modifications on 42 of its 113 affected planes. Both airlines warned passengers of delays, though they said overall schedules remained largely intact.

Japan also saw some of the worst disruption. ANA Holdings cancelled 65 flights and warned that more could follow, as two-thirds of the country’s A320 fleet required the update. Peach Aviation, its low-cost subsidiary, was also hit. Rival Japan Airlines faced no impact as it does not operate A320s. Nationwide, 95 flights were cancelled.

Across Taiwan , about two-thirds of A320 and A321 aircraft were grounded for checks, while Macao’s regulator instructed Air Macau to adjust flight schedules to limit disruption.

Australian budget carrier Jetstar reported delays at Melbourne airport, while Hong Kong’s HK Express said more than half of its affected aircraft had already been upgraded.

In Canada

In Canada, a mysterious new band named the Velvet Sundown emerged on streaming platforms earlier this year. Within a short period, the band gathered more than a million monthly listeners on Spotify. With vibrant rock tracks, retro album covers and seemingly authentic band photos, many listeners believed they had discovered a real up-and-coming group.

However, a few weeks later, it was reported that the entire project, including the music, vocals, visuals, and photos, was AI-generated. The group’s spokesperson was reported by CBC to have said that the project was an “artistic provocation” designed to test whether AI-created content could pass undetected in the streaming ecosystem. 

On the back of this, musicians and unions say that such projects risk diverting already limited streaming royalties away from human artists.

The Director of Canadian Affairs for the American Federation of Musicians said, “It’s obviously a challenge in the industry. Technology gets created and used before there are guardrails in place to protect musicians.”

The union argues that musicians should have to consent before their work is used to train AI systems and should be compensated if they choose to allow it.  

In the United States

Further on, the Artist Rights Alliance, a US-based non-profit advocacy group, issued an open letter demanding that AI companies, developers and music platforms stop using artificial intelligence to “infringe upon and devalue the rights of human artists.”

“This assault on human creativity must be stopped. We must protect against the predatory use of AI to steal professional artists' voices and likenesses, violate creators' rights, and destroy the music ecosystem,” the letter read in part.

The statement was signed by more than 200 artists, including Billie Eilish, Nicki Minaj and Arkells.

In Africa

Meanwhile, in Africa, some musicians are choosing to engage with AI instead of rejecting it outright. Nigerian Afropop singer FAVE decided to officially release an AI-generated version of Intentions, a song which, according to the singer, was originally made by Urban Chords, which had gone viral earlier this year after convincingly imitating her voice.

“ People kept tagging me and saying the song felt like something I would sing,” she said.

“I saw how excited people were, and I didn’t want that excitement to die. If fans already believed in the song, why not make it real?”

Fave re-recorded the track herself, intentionally keeping the AI-created choir vocals. In an Instagram post, she wrote, “My song ‘INTENTIONS’ is on the very short list of songs that I wrote about myself, becoming an adult and realising that you can never be in control all the time. I struggled with accepting the things I could not change, and in the face of change, I staggered too. So when my Mum and my friends told me about an AI version of my song being on the net and my fans began asking me to release it, I struggled sooo hard to accept that. But that’s the old me. It’s happening, so why fight it?”

The event this year initially drew attention after footage emerged of Thai pageant organiser Nawat Itsaragrisil publicly reprimanding Miss Mexico during a pre-pageant engagement in Thailand . In the video, he accuses her of failing to participate in a promotional shoot, reportedly calling her a “dumbhead.”

The confrontation prompted several contestants, including reigning Miss Universe Victoria Kjær Theilvig, to walk out in protest .

The Miss Universe Organisation later distanced itself from the episode, calling the treatment of delegates “unacceptable.” The organisation said Itsaragrisil’s role in this year’s competition had been curtailed. Itsaragrisil later apologised and mended his relations with Miss Mexico on stage.

Following this, another controversy surfaced when two judges at this year’s event, Omar Harfouch and Claude Makélélé, and the president of the selection committee, Princess Camilla di Borbone delle Due Sicilie, resigned days before the finale.

While the series of resignations had begun drawing criticisms, the Miss Universe Organisation moved to douse to controversy with a statement, part of which read, “The Miss Universe Organisation reiterates that all judging procedures for the 74th Miss Universe competition remain official, transparent, and fully governed by MUO protocols. The Beyond the Crown Program operates independently and is not part of the competition’s evaluation process. We encourage all audiences to refer exclusively to verified MUO communications and to continue supporting the delegates who embody the values of Miss Universe.”  

Fátima Bosch ultimately secured the Miss Universe 2025 crown on November 20, 2025, Mexico’s fourth win, but the unfolding row has overshadowed the pageant’s reputation. While supporters acclaimed her victory as a triumph over the initial setback, others said the surrounding controversies had undermined confidence in the event.

A few hours after the grand finale, Harfouch has, in a series of Instagram posts and interviews, alleged amongst others that the list of finalists and winner had been predetermined and there was

“I Omar Harfouch declared yesterday exclusively on the American HBO, 24 hours before the Miss Universe final, that Miss Mexico would win - because Miss Universe owner Raúl Rocha is in business with Fatima Bosch’s father. All details will be showed in May 2026 on HBO. Raul Rocha and his son urged me, week ago in Dubai, to vote for #Fatima Bosh because they need her to win “because it will be good for our business,” they said to me,” he said in an Instagram post.

Aside Harfouch, former title holder, Natalie Glebova who served as a judge this year took to her Instagram to name Miss Thailand as her winner and stated that she will not be participating as a judge in the competition again until organisers adopt more transparent methods.

She wrote, “As a judge this year I can only speak for myself when I cast my votes. Please remember that each person has their own opinion and not one single person can influence the result. However, this must be said…when I competed in 2005 and years prior, I recall there was always an auditor that came on stage with sealed results from accounting firm. I’d like to bring that back, please. Until then I don’t think I will be participating as a judge again.”

Social media reactions

The result also triggered a wave of criticism online, with many users arguing that Miss Côte d’Ivoire, Olivia Yacé, had been unfairly overlooked.

One user wrote that the outcome showed “as a Black woman you have to work a hundred times harder than others, and even that is not enough,” adding that “Olivia, you are the people ’s Miss Universe 2025.” Another post praising Yacé read, “Look at her! That’s the true Miss Universe 2025!”

Others pointed to Yacé’s performance in the final question round, calling it the “winning answer” and arguing she should have secured the crown.

Several users framed the result as part of a wider pattern of bias in global beauty competitions. “This is another case of a Black woman being robbed so their token light-skinned woman can be platformed,” one commenter wrote, insisting “the real Miss Universe is Olivia Yacé.”

Here are a few reactions on X;

A new global map, shared by The World in Maps, puts that playful divide into perspective in the most striking way yet.

Spread across the continents, the map paints the world in three simple colours. Deep red dominates as a reminder that the vast majority of countries, from South America to Europe to Africa, embrace “football” as the only appropriate name for the game.

Then there are the pockets of teal of the United States, Canada, Australia and a few others, proudly holding on to “soccer.” And sprinkled across Asia are patches of yellow, representing countries where different terms blend or shift depending on region or generation.

The term "soccer "actually originated in England in the late 1800s, an abbreviated form of “association football,” which was shortened to “assoc” and then “soccer.” The word stuck overseas long after the British abandoned it.

Today, the global governing body FIFA consistently refers to “football,” reinforcing its place as the sport’s international identity.

Yet even with history and institutions behind it, language has always belonged to people first — and in North America , “soccer” has grown into its own cultural marker. The term helped distinguish the sport from American football, and over time, it became part of the rhythm of everyday conversation.

Worldwide, the sport remains unmatched. FIFA estimates that over 5 billion people engaged with the 2022 World Cup, half the planet, united for a few weeks by goals, heartbreak, and magic.

The release of this map feels especially timely as nations prepare for a packed football calendar. The world is looking forward to the 2026 World Cup, which will be shared by three countries — the U.S., Mexico and Canada — all with distinct football cultures, different histories, and even different names for the same sport.

The agency, which runs community-led projects in 80 countries, wants mobility formally embedded in national adaptation plans and backed by finance, including loss-and-damage funds.

On the back of this, Haitian refugee Robert Montinard, who fled after the 2010 earthquake, now leads Brazil’s Mawon Association and says the debate cannot be confined to technical rooms. “We want to be part of the solution,” he told UN News . Earlier in the week he handed a package of recommendations to First Lady Rosângela “Janja” da Silva and Environment Minister Marina Silva, including municipal climate councils, measures against environmental racism and locally trained brigades to respond to disasters.

From the Horn of Africa, Makebib Tadesse described how climate stress is amplifying tensions over land and water in Ethiopia, fuelling a “continuous cycle of violence and displacement”. In parts of the north, he said, the impact of climate change now rivals or surpasses the devastation left by past conflict.

Their message is further amplified by UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Alfonso Herrera. The Mexican actor, who has visited displaced communities across Latin America , says Brazil’s openness to refugees stands out “when so many other countries take the completely opposite attitude”.

IOM and UNHCR contend that integrating mobility into adaptation would bring concrete results like clearer rules for planned relocation before disasters strike, safer internal and cross-border movement when staying is no longer viable, and targeted investment in services for communities absorbing new arrivals.

“Ghana, Niger and Nigeria were chosen due to their varied ecological situations and climates, while all being in West Africa,” the report titled, ' From roots to rivers: How deforestation impacts freshwater access ' said.

Across the three West African countries, more than 122 million people, about 45% of the combined population, are currently at risk from unsafe surface water, the study estimates. The number of people facing high water risk has risen by over 20 million in the past five years.

“Across all three countries, the number of people exposed to this risk is increasing. This is especially significant in urban areas where, as well as the low-quality water supplies, there is a much higher demand,” the report stated.

In Niger and Nigeria , the loss of every 1,000 hectares (ha) of forest is correlated with an average loss of 9.25 ha of surface water, according to the analysis. Nigeria alone recorded 324,000 ha of vegetation loss over the study period, roughly equivalent to an area the size of the city of Birmingham each year, the report says.

The study noted, “The drivers of deforestation in the region are complex and intersect with issues of poverty, marginalisation and climate change. Unsustainable land use practices, particularly agriculture and charcoal harvesting, are key contributors to vegetation loss, often driven by poverty and food insecurity. Inadequate land tenure and forest protection laws, as well as governance models which exclude traditional rights holders, worsen the situation further.”

In Niger, 99.5% of available surface freshwater is judged to be at risk from sedimentation and poor quality, making it unsafe to drink directly, the report finds.

The report argues that forest and water policies should be designed together, rather than in isolation. It points to evidence from Niger suggesting that reforestation can help reverse losses, in areas where 101,000 ha were restored, every additional 1,000 ha of vegetation was associated with an 11.6 ha increase in available surface water.

Under the ICJ Statute, judges are chosen by concurrent, secret ballots in both the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council. A candidate must secure an absolute majority in each chamber to be elected.

This contest drew four candidates; Okowa prevailed after three rounds of voting in the Security Council and four rounds in the General Assembly.

Who is Phoebe Okowa?

Okowa is a Kenyan lawyer and professor of public international law at Queen Mary University of London. Since 2023, she has served as a member of the UN International Law Commission (ILC), the expert body that studies and codifies developments in international law. Her academic and advisory work has focused on the doctrines that underpin the ICJ’s docket, state responsibility, the law of treaties, and the peaceful settlement of international disputes. Okowa graduated top of her class with an LLB (First Class Honours) from the University of Nairobi. On a UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office scholarship, she completed the Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) at the University of Oxford, where she also earned her D.Phil under the supervision of the late Ian Brownlie QC, the Chichele Professor of International Law.

Her Oxford University Press monograph, State Responsibility for Transboundary Air Pollution, is widely regarded as a definitive study of how environmental harm challenges traditional accountability in international law. She co‑edited Environmental Law and Justice in Context (with Jonas Ebbesson, Cambridge University Press, 2009), and her work on the admissibility of claims in international adjudication has been cited with approval by domestic courts grappling with questions of international law.

Okowa serves on the International Advisory Board of the Stockholm Centre for International Law and sits on the Executive Committee of the International Society of Public Law (ICON‑S).

What the ICJ seat entails

The ICJ is the UN’s principal judicial organ, composed of 15 judges elected to nine‑year terms (with judges eligible for re‑election). When a judge dies or resigns, the UN conducts a special election to fill the unexpired portion of the term, as in this case.

By statute, the 15 judges must be nationals of 15 different countries, and the Court’s overall composition must reflect the main forms of civilisation and the principal legal systems of the world.

As with all ICJ judges, she will participate in hearing contentious cases between states and in drafting advisory opinions requested by UN organs and specialised agencies.

Sleep experts have long warned that early school starts clash with adolescents' natural rhythms. Teenagers biologically tend to fall asleep later and wake up later, making those pre-dawn routines a real struggle.

According to a 2022 research published by Springer , starting classes too early can negatively affect attention, memory, and academic performance.

"Circadian rhythms are modulated by age. The timing of the circadian clock under real-life conditions (i.e., chronotype) is progressively delayed during adolescence. However, schools start very early in the morning, when the adolescent’s clock is still not prepared to be awake. Consistently, the misalignment between early school timing and late chronotypes leads to poor sleep: both short and out-of-time, which is associated with adverse consequences for health and cognitive and academic performance," Springer states.

On the other hand, countries that start school closer to 8 a.m. or later, such as Chile or Argentina, may be giving their students an advantage by aligning schedules with how the brain actually works.

UNESCO reports that the region faces one of the deepest learning crises in the world, following pandemic-era school closures that set students back by years. Without urgent action, the organisation warns, those effects “will last many years.”

So why do many schools still open before dawn? In countries like Colombia and Ecuador, early schedules are often shaped by traffic congestion, climate, and shared use of school buildings for multiple shifts. In tropical regions, early classes also help students avoid the harsh midday heat.

For many young people, a little more sleep could mean better focus, stronger grades, and a healthier mindset. So, although the hour a student begins their day might not seem like an urgent policy issue, it sits at the intersection of education quality, public health, and social equity.

That’s how much it takes to grow the cotton, process it, and make just one T-shirt. To put that in perspective, that’s roughly the amount of water a person drinks in about two and a half years.

From the moment cotton is planted, it requires regular irrigation, especially in regions with hot, dry climates. After harvesting, water is also used for cleaning, dyeing, and finishing fabrics.

The World Bank reports that fresh water is under growing stress worldwide, with demand expected to exceed supply by 40% as early as 2030.

The Bank’s overview emphasises that water “sustains people, powers economies and jobs, grows food, and supports ecosystems,” yet this vital resource is pushed to its limits.

In countries where cotton is widely grown, such as India, Pakistan, and parts of Africa, this water demand often conflicts with local communities' needs. Over-extraction can deplete rivers and aquifers, worsening droughts and threatening livelihoods.

As fast fashion increases global demand for cheap clothing, water use continues to climb. This makes the industry one of the world's biggest consumers of water worldwide, and one of the key areas where sustainable change could have a real impact.

From the United Kingdom to Australia, China, and Brazil, each country is exploring new ways of making the internet safer.

Here are four countries and the restrictions on internet access:

UK’s proof of age

Starting July 2025, the UK implemented a cybersecurity law that required children to prove their age to access the most harmful material on social media and adult websites.

Platforms that host content such as pornography, self-harm, or eating disorder promotion will be legally required to introduce secure age-verification systems, including facial scans, photo ID matching, or credit card checks.

Failure to comply could cost companies up to 10% of their global annual revenue or £18 million, whichever is higher. “This is one of the boldest steps anywhere in the world to reclaim the digital space for young people,” said Technology Secretary Peter Kyle. He described the policy as a response to the mental health crisis among children exposed to “toxic algorithms” and harmful online material.

Australia’s ban of under-16s from social media

Under the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024, passed last November, anyone under 16 will soon be banned from creating accounts on major platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, X (formerly Twitter), Threads, Reddit, and Kick.

The policy decision is the first of its kind anywhere in the world and is designed to shield minors from addictive and harmful content, cyberbullying, and predatory behaviour. Communications Minister Anika Wells admitted the policy is imperfect but insisted it was necessary: “There is no perfect solution to keeping young Australians safe online. But the social media minimum age laws will make a meaningful difference.” Platforms will be legally required to enforce the ban using age-verification technology.

China’s only verified influencers regulation

In East Asia, China’s Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) now requires social media influencers to prove their professional credentials before posting about sensitive topics such as law, medicine, finance, or education. Under the new policy, creators must show a degree, license, or certification to speak on these subjects. Platforms like Douyin (China’s TikTok), Weibo, and Bilibili are required to verify credentials and flag posts containing AI-generated material or research references.

Persons who misrepresent qualifications could lose monetisation rights, face temporary bans, or be fined. The CAC says the move aims to curb misinformation and promote a “cleaner cyberspace,” part of President Xi Jinping’s wider campaign to ensure online content is “factual, educational, and socially responsible.”

Brazil’s cyber responsibility

A landmark Supreme Court ruling in June 2025 declared that social media companies must act immediately to remove hate speech and criminal content once they become aware of it.

Previously, companies could only be penalised if they failed to remove content after a court order. Now, platforms are directly responsible for what circulates on their networks.

“We preserve freedom of expression as much as possible,” wrote Supreme Court President Justice Luis Roberto Barroso, “without allowing the world to fall into an abyss of incivility,” he added. The ruling also urged Congress to revise Article 19 of the country’s main internet law, the Marco Civil da Internet, to strengthen protections against disinformation and online violence.

In theory, the higher a country’s vulnerability to climate change , the more aid it should receive. In practice, however, the study finds that this logic only applies to grants. For grants, higher climate vulnerability increased both the chance of selection and the amount of funding per capita.

For return-based instruments, the relationship was rather inverted, such that the more vulnerable a country, the less likely it was to receive loans or investments.

“Study results also underscore the continued value of grant funding, especially for countries with the greatest funding need where return-based investments are less likely, and the need to explore ways return-based instruments might succeed in high-need countries,” the study indicated.

Return-based instruments are typically used by development banks or private financiers who expect at least partial repayment. This, the study revealed, makes them risk-averse; in contrast, grants provided by public donors or multilateral agencies are driven by humanitarian and development goals, targeting the poorest and most exposed countries.

Grants dominate in Africa and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), which are highly vulnerable but considered financially risky.

The analysis, covering 124 countries across the Global South between 2013 and 2022, found that only about one-third of all projects actually targeted both climate adaptation and biodiversity protection together, even though the two goals are deeply interconnected.

The study, published in World Development, drew on data from 230 government and non-governmental funders, both bilateral and multilateral, tracking the flow of climate and nature aid. 

Of the 182,834 projects reviewed, about 55,900 aimed to address both climate adaptation and biodiversity. Yet only 6,200 treated both issues as core priorities; the rest treated one as a co-benefit of the other.

“Thirty percent of the 182,834 projects, climate and/or biodiversity projects explicitly sought to contribute to both climate adaptation and biodiversity objectives. Of these 55,907 projects, approximately 6,208 had both climate adaptation and biodiversity as their principal objective. Other projects had either climate adaptation or biodiversity as the principal objective and had the other as a significant objective,” the study found.

That means most projects still treat climate adaptation and biodiversity conservation as separate missions, despite increasing evidence that their success depends on one another.

The study said the link is clearest in two sectors, agriculture and environmental protection, which together accounted for roughly half of all dual-purpose projects. These areas, the authors suggested, offered the greatest potential for synergy, such as climate-smart agriculture, mangrove restoration, or forest-based carbon projects that support both ecosystems and livelihoods.

Most importantly, the study found that Asia dominated the climate funding between 2013 to 2022, with the top five recipients of climate adaptation finance being Bangladesh, India, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Between 2013 and 2022, Bangladesh, India, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Vietnam together received 25% of all international climate adaptation funding to the Global South , according to a new study published in World Development.

According to the study, "Thirty percent of the 182,834 projects climate and/or biodiversity projects explicitly sought to contribute to both climate adaptation and biodiversity objectives. Of these 55,907 projects, approximately 6,208 had both climate adaptation and biodiversity as their principal objective."

“Bangladesh, India, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Vietnam were the top 5 recipients of climate adaptation funding. These 5 countries together make up for a quarter of the total funding during the study period,” the study found.

"Vietnam and India also appear in the top 5 of total biodiversity investments," the study also found.

Here is a breakdown of total climate adaptation investment, per capita adaptation investments, total biodiversity investments, per hectare biodiversity investments, and total mixed investments.

Bangladesh

The delta nation, crisscrossed by rivers and facing sea-level rise and cyclones, has long been the face of climate vulnerability. But it’s also been proactive.

Between 2013 and 2022, Bangladesh received a total of $2,882 million in climate adaptation funding; climate adaptation funding per capita of $17.63; total biodiversity funding of $654.5 million; biodiversity funding per hectare of $4,432, and total mixed funding of $471 million.

India

India ranks second with climate projects ranging from solar irrigation and urban cooling to water conservation and ecosystem restoration. India received climate adaptation funding of about $2,753 million; climate adaptation funding per capita of $1.996; total biodiversity funding of $2,929 million; biodiversity funding per hectare of $891.0; and total mixed funding $903.9 million.

The study indicated that "the differences between the top and bottom recipients of funding are large: average per capita investments of the top 10 countries over the period 2013–2022 are US$ 930, with Tuvalu receiving per capita funding as high as US$ 4257, compared to less than US$ 1 for the bottom 10 recipient countries."

Ethiopia

Ethiopia ranks third, and many of its projects focus on restoring degraded land and improving food security , areas that also generate biodiversity co-benefits.

The country received climate adaptation funding of about $2,600 million; climate adaptation funding per capita of $23.72; total biodiversity funding of $1,267 million; biodiversity funding per hectare of $1,115; and total mixed funding of $1,351 million.

But despite being one of Africa’s most climate-exposed nations, Ethiopia still receives far less per capita than smaller or more stable countries, showing that vulnerability alone doesn’t guarantee funding.

Indonesia :

With its vast tropical forests, peatlands, and coastlines, the country is both a carbon sink and a climate hotspot. Indonesia received climate adaptation funding of about $2,409 million; climate adaptation funding per capita of $9.029; total biodiversity funding of $1,320 million; biodiversity funding per hectare of $689.5; and total mixed funding of $781.1 million.

Further stating that "climate adaptation funding and biodiversity funding were strongly and positively correlated. This finding is supported by spatial analysis, which shows that countries receiving relatively high amounts of both climate adaptation funding per capita and biodiversity funding per hectare are roughly located around the equator."

Vietnam:

Home to one of the most polluted cities, Hanoi, Vietnam, receives the fifth-largest share of the global climate adaptation funding. Vietnam received $2.188 billion in total climate adaptation funding, equivalent to $23.33 per capita. It also received $1.526 billion in total biodiversity funding, or $4,606 per hectare in biodiversity funding. In total, it received $768.8 million.

“We are seeing very robust investment in that sector, both from companies developing AI models and from firms adopting them,” Gourinchas said. “This is being adopted very broadly, and it’s contributing to growth performance in the U.S. right now. But valuations are quite stretched,” he said.

The IMF notes that the rapid expansion of AI is helping to sustain economic activity, especially in advanced economies. Tech giants and traditional firms alike are pouring billions into machine learning, automation, and AI-driven analytics.

“ People see their portfolios performing well,” Gourinchas said, adding, “That confidence is feeding back into stronger spending, which in turn adds to demand pressures.”

Despite the optimism, the IMF warns that asset prices tied to AI may be rising faster than the real economy can justify. Gourinchas said that while some of the projected profits behind today’s market valuations might be accurate, “no one can know for sure.”

The Fund fears that if expectations fail to materialise, if AI productivity gains prove slower or narrower than hoped, a market correction could follow, wiping out wealth and tightening financial conditions globally.

“ Trade tensions, financial market vulnerabilities, and weak fiscal positions are converging in ways that could quickly reverse hard-won gains,” he said while speaking at the Annual IMF Meetings.

Here are the four key threats outlined by the IMF:

1. Trade tensions and supply chain disruptions

Despite some optimism earlier this year, global trade remains at risk from new tariff measures and geopolitical rifts. The IMF noted that while recent U.S. tariffs have had a limited immediate impact due to exemptions, any escalation could knock 0.3 percentage points off global output.

Countries that rely heavily on exports or imported inputs could face inflationary pressures and a slower recovery if protectionism intensifies.

"Flaring up trade tensions with the potential for supply chain disruptions could quickly lower global output by as much as 0.3 percentage points," he said.

2. Financial market risks, the AI boom and a potential tech bubble

The IMF drew parallels with the late 1990s dot-com bubble, cautioning that today’s AI-driven surge in tech investments could start financial instability. Surging stock valuations, rapid capital inflows, and speculative investments risk a sharp market correction.

A sudden fall in tech markets, Gourinchas warned, could hurt household wealth, corporate investment, and global financial conditions . “There are echoes in the current tech investment surge of the dot-com boom of the late 1990s. It was the internet then, it is AI now. We're seeing surging valuations, booming investment, and strong consumption on the back of solid capital gains. The risk is that with stronger investment and consumption, a tighter monetary policy will be needed to contain price pressures. This is what happened in the late 1990s. There is also the flip side of the boom. Markets could reprice sharply,” he said.

3. China’s economic slowdown and structural weaknesses

The IMF flagged serious concerns about China, pointing to its property sector crisis, high local debt , and declining productivity. The country’s pivot to state-backed industrial sectors, such as electric vehicles and solar, has generated growth, but at a potential cost of misallocated resources and rising fiscal burden. China’s ongoing slowdown could spill over to commodity-exporting nations and global supply chains.

4. Fiscal fragility and pressure on central banks

Many countries have failed to rebuild fiscal buffers after the pandemic. With high public debt, rising interest costs, and new spending demands, from climate adaptation to defence, governments face increasing pressure. "As fiscal constraints become more binding, we are seeing rising pressures on central banks. Calls to ease monetary policy, whether to support activity or reduce government debt service at the expense of price stability, always backfire,” he added.

The prime minister revealed that several weeks ago, he ordered the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) to enter Gaza City, described as Hamas’s most significant stronghold, to increase military pressure. At the same time, Netanyahu met with former U.S. President Donald Trump and his team, seeking a diplomatic breakthrough. “Instead of Israel being isolated, Hamas is isolated,” he said. “As a result of the intensified military and diplomatic pressure, Hamas was pressed to agree to the plan we brought.”

Under the proposed deal, Netanyahu said, Hamas would release all 48 remaining hostages in the first stage, while Israeli forces would redeploy but maintain control of key areas deep inside Gaza to ensure security and prevent Hamas from reestablishing its strongholds.

“It’s completely unthinkable,” said Oeivind Stenersen, a historian who has studied the Nobel Peace Prize extensively. Speaking to AFP, Stenersen said Trump is “in many ways the opposite of the ideals that the Nobel Prize represents.”  

“The Nobel Peace Prize is about defending multilateral cooperation, for example, through the UN,” Stenersen added. “Trump breaks with that principle. He follows his own path, unilaterally.”

Trump has claimed he ended “six or seven wars” during his presidency, a figure experts call grossly exaggerated. While he often highlights the Abraham Accords, normalisation deals between Israel and several Arab states, analysts say those moves alone don’t align with the prize’s mission to reward diplomacy, peacebuilding, and respect for international law.

The Nobel Prizes are considered among the world’s most prestigious honours and will be announced next week, starting with medicine on Monday and ending with economics the following Monday. The Peace Prize winner will be revealed in Oslo on October 10.

Thunberg was among activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), which said it was attempting to breach Israel’s blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid. The group warned earlier that it was sailing into a “high-risk area” about 150 nautical miles off Gaza before contact was lost.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned Israel ’s interception of the flotilla, calling it a “violation of international law” and urging international pressure for the release of those detained.

Israel, however, described the mission as a “political provocation”, defending the blockade as lawful under international maritime rules and claiming some participants had ties to Hamas, an accusation the organisers strongly denied.

Flotilla missions have repeatedly tried to challenge Israel’s naval blockade since 2008. Most have been intercepted, including the 2010 Mavi Marmara raid, in which ten Turkish activists were killed by Israeli commandos, sparking global outcry.