World Report

Israeli settlers are using vineyard and tourism projects to seize strategic land in the West Bank. Growth in aquaculture is driving global demand for fishmeal, often at the expense of food security in poorer regions. And in London knife-related assaults and robberies have surged 60% in three years, prompting calls for new police tactics.

In Japan a tsunami warning this week highlighted the country's need to be prepared for natural disasters. In the Democratic Republic of Congo the government is opening up vast swathes of territory for oil and gas exploration. In Czechia a new law banning the public promotion of Communist ideology was signed into law by president Petr Pavel.

In France, unions are calling for demonstrations to be held across the country in protest at the Prime Minister's budget plans for next year. In India, Narendra Modi’s government has given security forces orders to wipe out Maoist rebels. And in the UK, automated driverless cars will be tested on the streets of London next year.

In China, house prices have dropped significantly in recent years sparking a slowdown in consumer spending and confidence. In Estonia, people have been assesing their sense of national identity at the country's Dance and Choral Festival, and in Prague, one of the city's iconic bridges is under threat.

In the West Bank and East Jerusalem, Israeli settlements have increased rapidly; a fast-moving fire on the outskirts of Marseille has destroyed homes and forced hundreds to evacuate; and an Australian Commission has ruled that British colonists committed genocide against the Indigenous population of Victoria.

In Canada, there are concerns about Iranians, linked to the regime in Teheran, entering the country. The United States has warned its citizens to exercise increased caution when visiting India. The small Balkan country has long emerged from its Stalinist past but it continues to face many challenges

A new memorial garden will be opened in Paris to commemorate the 10th anniversary of terrorist attacks across the city. How has the Greek island of Hydra managed to avoid the perils of mass tourism? In Slovakia there is opposition to what could be the only appearance in Europe this year by controversial rapper Kanye West.

Slovakia’s controversial prime minister Robert Fico shockingly suggested that his country should consider neutrality. The Pentagon’s decision to reclassify its US base in Greenland as part of its northern command has sparked concern in Denmark. And in Chile, efforts are under way to protect a growing and unexpected influx of king penguins.

In Chad, the UN raises alarm over the deepening humanitarian crisis. In New Zealand, there are simmering racial tensions as Maori MPs are suspended, and in Cameroon, thousands must return home due to the end of Temporary Protected Status in the United States.

Italy has one of the oldest populations in the world, a situation exacerbated by the number of young people fleeing the country. In France, visitors are being warned that they could be fined if caught lighting up in public places. And in Tanzania, unpredictable weather patterns are confusing animals in the Serengeti national park.

Recent military clashes between India and Pakistan have set off alarm bells across the world as both countries have stockpiles of nuclear weapons. In the UK, Londoners are to be hit with new congestion charges, and in Slovakia, the meat from culled brown bears is to be offered to pubs and restaurants rather than being destroyed.

The outcome of last weekend’s presidential election in Romania caused political upset when pro-European centrist Nicusor Dan defeated the ultranationalist candidate. In Syria the lifting of sanctions by US President Trump is greeted with jubilation. In the northern Italian region of Trentino authorities roll out a scheme to counteract depopulation.

In Mexico, the killing of a young social medial influencer shot dead during a Tik Tok livestream has sent shockwaves through the country. In the UK, a reset of relations with the EU bothers those who supported Brexit, and in the US, plans are underway to restart uranium mining.

In Tunisia, the president has reacted angrily to international criticism over the sentencing of 37 political prisoners. In Canada, indigenous groups have banished the family of a drug dealer from his community in Haida Gwaii, and in Turkey, people have been mourning the death of a man who made a well-known film about military rule.

The number of Australian residents born in Ireland has passed 100,000 according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. In Nigeria at least 20 women have died from gender based violence since the beginning of the year, and in India the spotlight is on the police after a report examining police brutality.

The psychoactive drug Kush continues to devastate poorer communities in Sierra Leone. In France, there has been a rise in adult baptisms amoung catholics, and in Japan, wine production has expanded beyond the traditional rice wine sake to what is now a thriving industry.

In Homs, Syria, huge numbers of displaced families are moving back trying to rebuild their homes and lives. In Cameroon, two researchers were killed after being mistaken for members of the terror group Boko Haram, and in Australia, more than 20 people have been hospitalised after an attack by fire ants.

Critics of the Egyption government have accused them of trying to erase all signs of the 2011 Arab Spring. In the UK, approval has been given for the country’s longest motorway tunnel, and in Slovakia, conservationists are alarmed at plans to shoot a quarter of the country’s brown bear population.

In Zambia, temporary cuts in US aid have impacted essential health services and jobs. Meanwhile, Syria has accused Israel of trying to destabilize the country after intense airstrikes on military bases this week. And finally in Nepal, some people are calling for the return of deposed king Gyanendra Shah.

Brazil is gearing up to host the United Nations Climate Change Conference in November. In the US, the Irish American Historical Society faces the challenge of serving an audience fragmented over age and political leaning. And in Mexico, environmental groups have welcomed an increase in the number of butterflies.

In Turkey, people have been protesting against the detention of the politician who is expected to be the opposition's candidate in early presidential elections - Migrants are continuing to leave West Africa on fishing boats to make the journey for Spain's Canary Islands - Why a plan to pedestrianise more of Paris is dividing opinion.

On Friday, former central banker Marc Carney was sworn in as Canada's 24th prime minister. In the UK, the government has given the green light to expand Gatwick Airport. And in India, a Muslim sect is being targeted by the Pakistani government and a far right Islamist party during Ramadan.

Tensions are rising between Greenland and Denmark, as an election is set to take place on 11 March, unaccompanied children who traveled to the Canary Islands from West Africa are finding themselves at the centre of a political row in Spain, while in Czechia a colony of beavers managed to beat bureaucracy and save the taxpayer over €1m.

Canadians have reacted strongly to the threat by Donald Trump of tariffs against Canada. In the Democratic Republic of Congo the UN has warned of a risk of a full scale regional war as rebels and Rwandan forces continue to take territory, and in Turkey there is hope of an end to the 40 year rebellion by Kurdish militants

Syrian prisons used during the al Assad regime are being revisited by former detainees trying to process the cruel treatment they suffered there. In India the worlds largest religious festival is winding down in the city of Prayagraj, and in Denmark mink farming returns to the country after millions of animals were culled during the Covid pandemic.