One Piece of News From Every Country in the World (Pt 2)

0:00 Across the past few decades, tourism in Iceland has blown up.

0:03 This year, that phenomenon nearly took on a new meaning

0:06 with a volcanic eruption not far from the famed Blue Lagoon.

0:09 While far from a novelty in the land of fire and ice,

0:12 the lava spewing fissures opening across

0:14 the landscape required an evacuation of the area.

0:16 The nation's tourism board was quick to communicate that the incident

0:19 would have no implication to the capital city or the international airport.

0:22 Though, difficulties in the tourism economy

0:24 were felt elsewhere in the Northern Atlantic.

0:26 As for years, humpback whales just off the coast

0:29 of Ireland paid the bills for cork whale watchers.

0:32 But recently, the whales have been harder and harder to spot,

0:34 [music] and thus business has been harder,

0:36 culminating in the company closing its doors this year.

0:39 Following food, the whales have simply gone elsewhere,

0:41 making it another clear sign to activists that the government

0:44 isn't doing nearly enough to protect its waters from over fishing.

0:48 An island away, 2025 has seen much made about how to treat the English Channel.

0:52 British PM Kier Starmer authored a letter

0:54 to France's president urging the nation to help

0:56 stop small boats leaving the French coast

0:58 headed to the United Kingdom from taking off.

1:00 The move was made to attempt to slow the arrival of refugees and asylum

1:04 seekers into the UK as nearly 40,000 had already arrived in 2025 alone,

1:09 pushing it into a major political issue for the new Labor government.

1:13 In the notoriously environmentally conscious Norway,

1:16 2025 saw Parliament pass legislation that opens previously protected

1:19 rivers to potential damning for the purposes of hydropower.

1:22 That move is controversial, as on the one hand,

1:24 it opens the door for increased lowcarbon power production, but on the other,

1:28 critics are quick to point out that damning and effectively destroying

1:31 wild rivers hardly resembles anything green or renewable to begin with.

1:36 If one were to closely monitor the movement of Sweden's Prime Minister,

1:38 Olerson, they'd simply need a bit of creativity and the Strava app.

1:42 Using the fitness mapping app, an investigation by a Swedish newspaper this year

1:46 was able to figure out the PM's

1:47 preferred jogging [music] routes and travel spots

1:49 by looking at the activities of his security guards.

1:52 It was an obvious security blunder and another reminder as to how

1:54 the most innocent seeming social media

1:56 sharing can create major security breaches.

1:59 In both Finland and Denmark,

2:00 policymakers [music] moved to ban phones from the classroom this year.

2:03 In countries that annually rank towards

2:05 the top in public education and overall happiness,

2:08 perhaps it's a surprise that it's taken

2:10 this long to ban phones from the classroom.

2:12 Citing not only education outcomes but also self-esteem

2:15 issues and the increased digitization of daily life.

2:17 Both bands come at the national level.

2:20 Estonia however has opted to go the opposite direction.

2:23 In Estonian schools, cell phones are being embraced as tools.

2:26 With the launch of [music] the AI Leap 2025 initiative,

2:29 Estonia is leaning into artificial intelligence within its

2:32 school systems as a tool to further enhance outcomes.

2:35 As a nation that has quietly climbed up education rankings,

2:37 embracing AI in schools may seem bold to the outside world,

2:40 but a logical progression within the country.

2:43 Another Baltic state has launched a rather unique education program,

2:46 but for a far different purpose.

2:48 In Latvia, the country's intelligence and security service published a guide

2:51 for its general populace to help

2:53 better identify [music] potential Russian spies.

2:56 People lingering near important sites, unckempt tourists, and talkative,

3:00 overly nosy strangers were some stereotypes that the service

3:02 noted for Latapians to avoid and report.

3:05 Russian meddling also informed public education efforts in Lithuania.

3:08 In a joint effort between the military and the nation's education department,

3:11 the country has set a goal of educating some 22,000 Lithuanians on drone skills,

3:15 from building them to flying them to keep up with its eastern neighbor,

3:18 which quickly matched Ukraine in its

3:20 drone manufacturing and warfare capabilities.

3:22 The program is aiming to educate kids beginning as young as 8 years old

3:25 with proper introductory classes and open several

3:28 drone training centers in the coming years.

3:30 Russia has been sending shock waves across much

3:32 of the rest of the world for years now.

3:34 And 2025 was no different with an 8.8 magnitude earthquake just off

3:39 its eastern coast triggering tidal wave alerts across the Pacific in July.

3:43 Even Russian nature has been caused for international headaches.

3:46 For its part though, the earthquake also may have played a role in triggering

3:49 a dramatic volcanic eruption in the country's far east.

3:52 Near no major population centers,

3:54 the crash in Indov eruption is noteworthy in terms of damage done,

3:57 but for its rarity, as this volcano hasn't erupted in some 600 years.

4:03 In 2025, political leadership in Barus released 52 political prisoners in a move

4:08 that would seem to counter trends within the increasingly authoritarian state.

4:12 But the move was little more than an effort

4:14 to ease international sanctions placed on the Lucenko regime.

4:17 Released to Lithuania,

4:18 52 only represents [music] the smallest fraction of the thousand plus political

4:22 prisoners that have been arrested within the country over the last 5 years.

4:25 A point that was not lost on those fortunate enough to be freed.

4:29 A major potentially divisive scandal has hit

4:31 a country that really doesn't need one in Ukraine.

4:34 In the middle of a war,

4:35 Ukrainian President Womir Zalinski has found his political machine

4:38 caught up in the middle of corruption allegations led

4:40 by the country's anti-corruption bodies that are claiming high-ranking officials

4:44 have been receiving illegal kickbacks

4:45 from the state-owned nuclear energy company.

4:48 It is news that has undercut government credibility and is costing

4:50 Zilinsky important aids who are fleeing or resigning as investigations continue.

4:55 Influenced by both Russia and the West, Moldova made its current stance

4:59 wellknown in this year's parliamentary elections.

5:01 A sweeping victory for the pro- [music]

5:03 west pro-EU action and solidarity party stands

5:06 as a strong rebuke to Russian efforts to sway

5:08 the former [music] Soviet state in their direction.

5:11 Russia has been accused of widespread interference,

5:13 going as far as trying to buy off Orthodox

5:15 priests with payments and lavish vacations to garner their support.

5:19 As a Shankin area, Poland in recent history

5:22 has maintained an open border between it and Germany.

5:25 That was until this year.

5:27 Following right-wing protests and claims over irregular

5:29 immigration into Poland from migrants passing through Germany,

5:32 Poland has initiated temporary measures

5:33 to increase policing of its border crossings.

5:36 A move that's technically allowed [music] within the EU agreements,

5:38 but one that's testing the Shenan area.

5:41 It's normal in the Crook Mountains of the Northwest

5:44 Czech Republic for hikers to be wandering the local forests.

5:47 It's not normal for those hikers to stumble

5:49 across a treasure trove of 598 gold coins,

5:52 10 gold bracelets, and various century old valuables worth about $650,000.

5:58 The discovery made by some hikers this April was

6:00 quickly handed over to the local university where researchers

6:02 are working to understand the backstory of how these goods

6:05 ended up here about 80 to 100 years ago.

6:08 On the other side of the Morava River,

6:09 Slovakia also grappled with history when it [music]

6:12 came to how exactly to deal with Kanye West.

6:15 slated to perform at a summer hip-hop festival.

6:17 A grassroots movement to cancel the gig gained momentum not long after Kanye

6:20 released a song titled After the Most Notorious Nazi greeting in early May.

6:25 Thousands signed a petition

6:26 and the festival eventually cancelled the performance.

6:28 In Hungary, 2025 marked the 30th anniversary of Budapest's Pride parade.

6:33 In the face of PM Victor Orban's ban on Pride,

6:36 the event was the city's largest as an estimated

6:38 100,000 marchers made their way through its streets.

6:41 The event marked a celebration of the nation's LGBTQ

6:44 population and a defiant stand against the country's right-wing government.

6:48 All of Europe turned its attention to Romania

6:50 this May as the nation reported national election results.

6:53 Ultimately, it offered a sigh of relief from European perspectives

6:56 as a centrist mayor beat out a former soccer ultra and hard-right ultraist.

7:01 For the EU and NATO member Romania, it was a nerve-free election cycle

7:05 that saw the ultimate result momentarily contested.

7:07 And earlier in the process,

7:09 another far-right candidate actually removed from the ballot

7:12 on account of Russian interference in their support.

7:15 Russian espionage made the news in Bulgaria, too.

7:18 In London this March, six Bulgarians went to trial over espionage charges,

7:22 claiming that these agents working for Moscow were seeking to discover

7:25 the phone numbers of Ukrainian soldiers

7:26 training on specific air defense technology.

7:29 Among other things, the dramatic trial over

7:31 a 14-year sentence has uncovered lies, deception,

7:34 and an unrealized love triangle between the Bulgarian spies

7:37 that is sure to inspire at least [music] a limited series.

7:41 In Greece, life ground to a halt this October when

7:43 workers went on strike from all sectors of the economy,

7:46 education to transportation.

7:48 The strike was in protest of another pro

7:50 business law set to pass at the national level,

7:52 which allowed for 13-hour workdays.

7:54 Countering European labor trends, the 13-hour workday did indeed pass.

7:58 and stands alongside legislation last year

8:00 that allowed for an elective 6-day work week

8:02 in the private sector that made Greece one

8:04 of the least attractive labor markets within the EU.

8:08 The labor market [music] in North

8:09 Macedonia is struggling for the under25 demographic

8:12 with many of the country's young people

8:13 leaving for better economic conditions in neighboring countries.

8:16 It was this group that was hit particularly hard when the roof

8:19 of an unlicensed nightclub caught on fire and killed 59 people,

8:23 the majority of them young, while injuring another 155,

8:26 bringing close-knit tragedy to the small European country of 2 million.

8:31 The European Union produces an annual report about potential new members,

8:34 and Albania and Montenegro sit at top its

8:36 [music] list for entry as early as 2030.

8:39 Albania's assession talks should conclude by the end of 2027,

8:42 as the country is recognized for its progress on rooting out corruption.

8:45 The existing 27 country block weighs in on who can enter next and other hopefuls

8:49 Georgia and Serbia both took back steps

8:51 amid [music] concerns about crackdowns on free speech.

8:54 In Serbia specifically,

8:55 hostilities have increased towards journalists and a backlash

8:57 to their reporting on anti-government protests with some

9:00 outside agencies putting press freedom there at its

9:02 lowest level in more than two decades.

9:05 The political system in Bosnia and Herzgovenia is complex,

9:08 comprising one federal government with two major separate entities beneath it.

9:12 the Federation of Bosnia and the Serb Republic

9:14 where about onethird of the population is Serbian.

9:17 The system set up after the Dayton Accords in the 90s following

9:20 the Bosnian War is tenuous because of the competing parties and this year

9:23 a separatist leader and ally of the country's recently ousted Serb Republic

9:27 leader was elected to replace the territo's top position in a snap election.

9:31 The previous leader was removed after

9:32 being found guilty of disobeying peace policies.

9:34 Yet his replacement by a close ally keeps separatism at the forefront

9:38 of the region in advance of another general election set to take place in 2027.

9:42 The tourist hotspot of Drovnik in Croatia

9:45 already has a trash problem as the city of just 42,000 deals with more than

9:49 4.5 million overnight stays by visitors each year.

9:53 Now it's getting other countries as garbage as well.

9:56 This winter, thousands of pounds

9:57 of plastic drifted onto Drovnik's popular beaches.

10:00 Officials think it's presumably from Albania because of the language

10:03 on the trash and the way that the ocean flows,

10:05 and they're planning to use satellite monitoring in the future

10:07 to divert some of it before it comes ashore.

10:10 Europe's upcoming 2026 Eurovision competition was already creating plenty

10:14 of controversy this year as at least four countries, Ireland, Spain,

10:18 Slovenia, and the Netherlands have said they would boycott it

10:21 because the contest governing body has allowed Israel to participate.

10:24 Several broadcasters had demanded its exclusion due

10:27 to its actions in the war in Gaza.

10:29 The small country inside of Italy, San Marino, is not boycotting.

10:32 However, although they've sent a contestant 14 times before,

10:35 San Marino has never won Eurovvision,

10:37 but residents are hopeful that DJ Gabby Pont might be the golden ticket in 2026.

10:42 The Golden Passport program that allowed foreigners to pay for citizenship

10:45 in Malta was deemed illegal by the top EU court.

10:48 For €750,000 and 12 months spent in Malta,

10:52 non-residents could pay cash to get the affforementioned golden passport,

10:56 named so because it also gave them access to live and work in all EU countries.

11:00 Critics say it opened the door for nefarious actors and corruption into the EU.

11:04 Whereas Malta argued that the fund it created,

11:06 1.4 billion, represented critical investment for the small island country.

11:11 Another small European country known for luxury added

11:14 an event this year that strengthens that association.

11:17 The first ever Grand Prix de la uteri was held in Monaco which is a jewelry

11:21 competition that gave out eight awards for exquisite

11:24 designs and all the expected players Tiffany and Co.

11:26 Louis Vuitton Bushon, Bulgaryi, Chanel, Chopad, Dior were among the recipients.

11:31 Unofficial competition between countries spurred the mayor of Rome in Italy

11:35 to declare that the Tyber River will be swimmable in 5 years.

11:39 The declaration was prompted by Paris's recent

11:42 cleanup of the Sen for the 2024 Olympics.

11:44 People regularly swam in the Tyber River until the 60s

11:47 when it was found to be too polluted for humans.

11:49 It'll cost billions of euros to clean it

11:51 with most of the pollution caused by microplastics.

11:54 [music] In a sign of increasing tension across Europe,

11:57 Austria is abandoning its long-term goal

11:59 of disarmament and doubling its military budget over

12:01 the next 7 years by increasing it to more than 2% of the country's GDP.

12:05 Austria is not part of NATO.

12:07 But as the war between Russia and Ukraine drags

12:09 on and neighboring countries increase their own military spending,

12:12 the country believes it must respond to growing threats.

12:15 In the middle of the pack on at least one social issue,

12:18 Lichenstein became the 22nd country in Europe to legalize samesex marriage,

12:22 taking effect January [music] 1st.

12:24 The fourth smallest country in Europe

12:25 had previously allowed registered partnerships,

12:27 but the almost unanimously supported law passed by Parliament

12:30 now grants all rights of marriage to same-sex couples.

12:34 Another movement across Europe is the shift to a digital wallet,

12:37 and in Switzerland, residents narrowly approved plans for electronic ID cards.

12:41 The digital ID is linked to smartphones.

12:44 Those wary of it don't want to give over

12:45 too much private information and worry about security breaches,

12:48 as well as inequity for those who don't have smartphones.

12:51 Proponents say it will streamline information for users,

12:54 and [music] in any case, physical IDs are still available.

12:57 The second cousin to the throne of Luxembourg died at the young age

13:00 of 22 due to a rare disease caused by mutation in his PG gene.

13:05 The illness was discovered when Prince Frederick was 14 and he led

13:08 the remainder of his life raising

13:09 awareness and research funding for mitochondrial diseases.

13:13 Also addressing the growing threat of Russia,

13:15 Germany is trying to replenish its military reserves.

13:17 Though it decided this year it will not go as far as mandatory conscription.

13:21 For now, officials will stick with voluntary conscription,

13:24 in which all men will have to register

13:25 their readiness and medical ability to serve.

13:28 Women will also be considered for voluntary service,

13:30 and if numbers do not reach the levels needed,

13:32 the government will consider mandatory call-ups again.

13:35 The US China war for the global chip

13:37 industry fought a battle in the Netherlands this year,

13:39 where manufacturer Nexperia is based.

13:42 The United States put Chinese-owned wing tech, which owns Nexperia,

13:46 on a trade blacklist, citing national security concerns.

13:49 And [music] echoing those concerns,

13:50 the Dutch government briefly took over Nperia

13:52 to keep the semiconductor sector in motion.

13:55 After China responded by implementing export

13:57 controls that damaged European supply chains,

13:59 the Netherlands gave in without any

14:00 meaningful efforts to alleviate the concerns,

14:02 and Neria was given back to [music] China.

14:05 Laws to limit and prohibit smoking and vaping are spreading around the world,

14:09 and Belgium made history this year by becoming

14:11 the first EU country to ban disposable vapes, taking effect on January 1st.

14:16 [music] The country has ambitious goals of entirely

14:18 snuffing out new smokers to zero by 2040.

14:21 And this law was one step towards making that happen.

14:24 In France, a heist, no, not that heist,

14:27 left one family business out at least $100,000

14:30 when more than 990 lbs of [music] snails,

14:33 popularly known as Esargo, were stolen from their headquarters.

14:36 The French eat 37 million pounds of snail annually,

14:39 a figure that skyrockets towards the holidays when the delicacy is served.

14:42 And officials believe the thieves have been scoping out this particular

14:45 business for theft [music] in advance of the most profitable season.

14:48 The Games of these small states of Europe

14:50 is a bianual sports competition resembling the Olympics.

14:53 And in 2025, Andor hosted its 20th edition.

14:57 Only European countries with fewer than 1 million residents can participate,

15:00 and more than 1,000 athletes travel to the tiny country for the summer games.

15:04 Portugal is anything but small anymore

15:06 with a foreignb born population that's tripled since

15:09 2019 [music] thanks to lack citizenship requirements

15:12 and an accessible residency by investment program.

15:14 But the golden days of golden visas

15:16 are slowing with their newest citizenship requirement

15:18 that most applicants must be in the country

15:20 for at least 10 years instead of five,

15:23 unless they're from an EU or Portuguese-speaking country,

15:25 in which case it's going up to just seven.

15:27 Not only does this affect those with Portuguese dreams,

15:30 but also those in the country's real estate and investment

15:32 sectors that are propped up by the passport program.

15:35 Another set of foreigners descended upon a hotel in Granada,

15:38 Spain for the Spanish World Scrabble Championships.

15:39 [music] But the winner wasn't someone who even speaks Spanish,

15:43 shocking the 150 other competitors from 20 countries.

15:46 Nigel Richards, a Malaysian-B born New Zealander,

15:49 took home the top prize thanks to his ability

15:51 to memorize thousands of [music] words despite not knowing their meaning.

15:55 For more than 50 years, control over a territory called Western Sahara,

15:58 about the size of Britain, bordering Morocco and Algeria, has been disputed.

16:02 But the United Nations vote to accept a 2007 autonomy proposal from Morocco,

16:06 means the fight could finally be drawing to a close.

16:09 When Spain, which controlled the area, withdrew in the '60s,

16:12 both Morocco and a group called the Polario Front claimed [music] it.

16:16 The Security Council's acceptance of the proposal

16:18 means it could move forward developing local legislative,

16:20 executive, and judicial authority for Western

16:22 Sahara while ultimately remaining under Moroccan sovereignty.

16:25 A flotilla of civilian boats delivering humanitarian aid to war torn Gaza was

16:29 hit with a bomb carried by a drone off the coast of Tunisia.

16:32 The flotilla had made news for carrying activist Greta Thunberg previously,

16:36 but she was not on it at the time.

16:37 Tunisian officials, however,

16:39 denied responsibility and said the fire on the boat broke out itself.

16:43 And off the coast of Libya, more than a dozen NGO rescue vessels there

16:46 have suspended cooperation with the country's coast guard.

16:49 The Libyan agency receives funding from the EU

16:51 in order to intercept migrant boats headed for Europe.

16:54 But the NOS's are saying that the Coast

16:55 Guard is not a legitimate search and rescue organization,

16:58 but rather a quote violent regime enabled by the EU,

17:01 citing violence during interceptions and inhumane conditions

17:04 at the camps migrants are brought to.

17:06 A1 billion dollar museum claiming to be

17:08 the world's largest archaeological facility opened outside of Cairo,

17:12 Egypt after more than two decades in the making.

17:15 The Grand Egyptian Museum covers 470,000 m or roughly

17:19 5 million square ft and features more than 50,000 items.

17:24 There's an ongoing civil war in Sudan and on top

17:27 of that officials are waging another battle against chalera.

17:30 There have been more than 100,000 cases and 2500 deaths so far,

17:34 and the difficulties in successful intervention are exacerbated

17:37 by the lack of infrastructure and basic supplies,

17:40 all left decimated by the ongoing violence.

17:42 Health groups are trying to contain its spread across borders to try

17:45 to prevent a wider epidemic in an [music] already struggling region.

17:48 Prince Harry serves on the board of African Parks,

17:51 a wildlife conservation group in Chad.

17:53 The country briefly cut ties with the organization this year,

17:56 citing concerns over mismanagement.

17:57 [music] But the relationship was reinstated shortly after the group gave

18:00 new assurances and was given oversight over several of Chad's national parks.

18:04 It's the second set of allegations surrounding African charities

18:07 against Harry in a year [music] and more widely

18:09 demonstrates the complexities and uncertainties of having foreign nonprofits

18:13 operate critical resources for [music] countries that are in need.

18:16 Three countries, all recently taken over by military hutas,

18:19 have dropped out of the International Criminal Court.

18:21 Bkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, all located in the Sahel region,

18:25 said they would monitor and enforce peace [music] internally.

18:28 Roughly 125 countries are part of the ICC,

18:31 and this recent trio of withdrawals came [music] with criticisms

18:34 that the court unfairly targets African countries, calling it quote,

18:37 "an instrument of neocolonialist repression." This is backed up by the data,

18:42 as all but one of the court's 33

18:43 cases since its founding have involved an African country.

18:46 But its defenders say that the ICC is simply holding human rights

18:49 violators accountable in a region that unfortunately

18:52 encounters [music] a lot of them.

18:54 The effects of a $248 million migration partnership between the EU and Moritania

18:58 have started to take effect with mass deportations occurring across the country.

19:03 Reports of raids and enforcement throughout Moritanian towns were

19:06 reported and hundreds of smuggling rings were broken up.

19:09 Over recent decades,

19:10 Moritania became a major transit point for undocumented immigration to the EU

19:14 from all of Africa thanks to its proximity to Spain's Canary Islands.

19:19 Cape Verde became the second smallest country in the world to qualify

19:22 for the World Cup after defeating Eswatini in an October soccer game.

19:26 With just 525,000 people,

19:28 only the less populated country of Iceland has previously qualified.

19:32 Other firsttime qualifiers in the upcoming

19:34 2026 World Cup include Usbekiststan and Jordan.

19:37 For athletes from Sagal,

19:38 a travel ban prevented the women's national basketball team

19:41 from attending a 10-day training camp in the United States.

19:44 Instead, the training camp was moved to Sagal

19:46 in advance of the women's Afro basket,

19:48 Africa's continental championship, which Nigeria ended up winning,

19:51 though Seneagal had been victorious several times in the past.

19:55 Former Gambian President Yaya Jame ruled from 1994

19:58 to 2017 before being removed during the Gambian Revolution.

20:01 But this year, controversial sales and concerns over corruption brought

20:05 young protesters out in the streets of the Gambia again.

20:08 Some called it the largest youth protest [music] in the country's history,

20:11 demonstrating a growing concern,

20:13 even with new leadership, about corruption in power.

20:16 Despite having no art galleries and no art school,

20:19 a group of five visionary artists pulled together Guinea Bisau's first art bian,

20:23 a show featuring 50 artists from 17 countries.

20:26 The show ran for a month in the nation's capital,

20:28 Bisau, and in addition to printed art,

20:30 live musical performances were hosted as part of the cultural celebration,

20:33 which even more remarkably was done entirely without government funding.

20:37 The world's largest known deposit of ore at 2.8 billion tons,

20:41 sits deep in the mountains of Guinea,

20:43 and after decades of planning and investment, both locally and internationally,

20:47 the first shipment mined from it was [music] sent to China.

20:50 The $20 billion Simandu iron ore project is being touted as one

20:53 that could change the future of the West African country and its economy.

20:57 But part of that future is the paycheck that Guinea must give to China,

21:00 which significantly invested in the infrastructure it

21:02 took to make the mine operation possible.

21:05 A social media influencer and dual citizen of Canada and Sierra Leone

21:09 was arrested early in the year for a video she posted in 2023,

21:12 laying out 25 minutes of criticism of the president and the first lady.

21:16 Hawa Hunt was detained on live TV and has been jailed ever since,

21:20 held for two counts of quote

21:22 transmitting insulting messages via computer system.

21:24 A part of strict cyber security laws instituted in 2021.

21:28 Hunt is being held in Freetown and reports

21:30 about poor conditions have gained some international attention,

21:33 including by Amnesty International, which has called for her release.

21:36 Amid shifting populations,

21:38 the Liberian government has proposed adding 14 additional

21:41 seats and the same number of new electoral districts

21:43 to its House of Representatives in what they say

21:45 is a change that will better serve the public.

21:48 Though it must be approved by the president,

21:49 some are arguing that Liberia doesn't have the funding for the new districts.

21:52 They're concurrently reviewing a bill

21:54 that would also decrease sitting lawmakers' salaries.

21:57 A 1,320 ft 421 meter tall building

22:00 that now ranks as [music] the tallest in Africa

22:03 is just one legacy that fourth term

22:05 President Allesandre Utara of Kotivvoir will leave behind.

22:08 The 83-year-old was sworn in this year after winning nearly 90% of the vote

22:12 in a violent election that left 11 dead

22:14 and some 1600 arrested for [music] protesting the elections,

22:17 which they say were unfair when Utara's

22:19 two main opponents were not allowed to run.

22:22 Kamanto Market in Ghana is one of the world's

22:24 largest secondhand markets with over 30,000 shops.

22:28 But a widespread fire this year burnt more than 60% of it.

22:31 [music] The market receives more than 15 million pieces of clothing each week,

22:35 primarily from Western countries looking to give

22:37 used or never purchased clothing a repurpose.

22:40 More than 30,000 people are employed there,

22:42 and nearly a full year on, they're still repairing and rebuilding.

22:46 Fourthterm president Far Gasimbe is the leader of Togo,

22:49 a role he took over from his father in 2005, who had been leader since 1967.

22:54 This makes them the longest running political dynasty in Africa.

22:57 And low turnout for municipal elections held this year demonstrate

23:00 that citizens are increasingly [music] losing faith in the process.

23:03 Gazingbeg transitioned the government to a parliamentary system in 2024,

23:06 which many saw as a power grab.

23:08 And this year's voter apathy, subsequent protests,

23:10 and government crackdown show their residents are likely right.

23:14 A group of military soldiers attempted a coup in Benon,

23:17 attacking institutional buildings in a plot

23:19 that was quickly thwarted by officials.

23:21 The attempt came in advance of a presidential

23:23 election in April and was a surprise

23:25 to some experts [music] who had seen Benon as more stable than its neighbors,

23:28 which have cumulatively experienced nine military

23:30 takeovers [music] between 2020 and 2023.

23:33 One of those neighbors, Nigeria, flew in fighter jets at the request

23:36 of the Benon government to save off the attempt.

23:39 A country that has gone without any successful coup attempts

23:42 but has kept one person in power for seven terms is Cameroon.

23:46 At 92, Paul Beia was sworn in as the oldest

23:48 president in the world and the second longest serving in Africa.

23:52 And again, residents have accused the election

23:54 process of being fraudulent and corrupt.

23:56 Beia did away with term limits in 2008,

23:59 but going forward, his age may be the more limiting factor.

24:02 [music] Amid diminishing output from natural gas fields,

24:05 Chevron inked a deal with Equatorial Guinea for [music]

24:07 $690 billion to develop the Asang Gas Project, an oil field located offshore.

24:13 The country's oil output peaked in 2010 and has dwindled since,

24:16 but this new injection of cash is expected

24:18 to bring a new injection of output, too.

24:20 Eyes are on the Central African Republic and its late December election,

24:24 where Fost Archung Tudera will run for president again,

24:27 [music] set to a scene where Russia has

24:29 been wielding soft power through its Wagner mercenary group.

24:32 The agency was enlisted in 2017 to maintain security

24:34 in the country in exchange for access to mineral rights.

24:37 But officials are worried about Russia's increasing role

24:39 in politics and its propping up of Tuadera's position.

24:42 And the tension for power in South Sudan, the world's youngest country,

24:45 made headlines when its vice president was put on house

24:48 arrest and then later charged with treason and murder.

24:51 Vice President Reek Mashar is head of the party in opposition to the president,

24:54 but had been appointed by the president as part

24:56 of a 2018 peace deal ending the civil war.

24:59 Therefore, his 2025 arrest puts continued peace in a tenuous spot.

25:03 While it stopped short of a renewed civil war,

25:05 violence did increase between the feuding factions.

25:08 In Eratraa, 13 individuals, including one former Olympian,

25:12 were released from prison after being detained without trial for 18

25:15 long years in relation to an attempted assassination of a presidential adviser.

25:19 Ranked toward the bottom of many human rights indicators,

25:21 the release comes as a surprise,

25:23 and the very fact that all 13 survived that long is a major feat.

25:26 The prison which held them is

25:28 reportedly little more than 20 shipping containers.

25:31 Djibouti announced it was set to further

25:33 its position as one of the most well-connected

25:35 countries in the Horn of Africa with the extension of the DARE 1 undersea cable.

25:39 The cable will run off the east coast of the continent all the way

25:41 to Madagascar and South Africa providing lower

25:44 latency connections and offering improved network resiliency.

25:47 As one of the more stable eastern African countries,

25:50 the move furthers Djibouti's position as the region's undersea cable hub.

25:54 In Ethiopia, a massive and ambitious dam project finally came to fruition

25:58 with Prime Minister Abi Ahmed's inauguration

26:00 of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, holding back the Blue Nile,

26:04 much to the frustration of downstream neighbors in Egypt and Sudan,

26:07 the project began in 2011 and cost about $5 billion.

26:11 For a country with absurdly high fuel prices

26:13 and an increasingly large fleet of electric vehicles,

26:15 the idea of increasingly stable and cheap [music] power is an exciting one.

26:20 In the west of the internationally recognized country

26:22 of Somalia is the internationally unrecognized country of Somaliand.

26:26 This year, Somaliand made its stance on its

26:28 own sovereignty more clear and denying foreign

26:30 nationals with Somalia issued visas entry into the country

26:33 while also reaffirming control over its airspace.

26:36 The move comes as Somaliand is working [music]

26:38 to court favor and recognition from the US.

26:41 Kenya produces much of the world's tea.

26:44 This year they've decided to go about it a different way

26:46 as the government has told tea factories

26:48 to quit working with the rainforest alliance.

26:51 The green frog sicker folks that seek

26:53 to promote more sustainable farming practices globally.

26:55 Kenyan farmers just aren't making living wages

26:58 and the Kenyan government alleges that the high

27:00 price to work with the alliance is being

27:01 paid by the growers and not the consumers.

27:04 2025 served as a glimmer of hope for Uganda's

27:07 youth and democracy advocates with an election result, albeit a farway one.

27:11 While democracy hangs on by a thread in Uganda, a vision of hope,

27:15 who happens to be one of their own,

27:16 won an inspiring and improbable victory in New York City of all places.

27:20 [music] Newly elected Mayor Zoran Mandani spent his first seven years in Uganda,

27:25 and his victory and message has Ugandans

27:27 hopeful that similar messaging can help at home.

27:30 For well over a hundred years,

27:31 Belgium has maintained a diplomatic presence within Rwanda.

27:34 But following Belgian calls for EU sanctions over Rwanda's alleged support

27:38 of the violent M23 rebel group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,

27:42 Rwanda expelled Belgian diplomats and cut off

27:44 formal diplomatic relations with its former colonizer,

27:47 citing Belgian attempts to quote [music] sustain its neoc colonial delusions.

27:51 Also flexing its sovereignty in the face of the EU this year was Gabon.

27:55 Following the nation's first legitimate

27:57 election after its 50-year long dictatorship,

27:59 Gabon announced that it would be withdrawing from an agreement

28:02 with the EU that gave Europe access to the [music] nation's coastal fisheries.

28:05 It's bad news for Europe's tuna producers,

28:07 but the arrangement was viewed as a lopsided deal for Gabon

28:10 that saw little money come in while its fisheries were plundered,

28:13 meaning it's a positive step forward for the fledgling democracy.

28:17 The island nation of Saotomy and Principe also had its neighboring waters front

28:20 of mind in 2025 as it made

28:22 the nation's first public commitment to marine protection.

28:25 Across eight separate protected coastal waters,

28:27 the nation has banned certain fishing practices and severely limited others.

28:31 The nation relies on fish for food and small boat fishing for work,

28:34 but has never before set limits or protected certain species,

28:38 leading to dropping numbers and lowered biodiversity.

28:41 In subsaharan Africa, more than any other region in the world,

28:44 drugresistant infections are a deadly problem.

28:47 This year, the Republic of Congo teamed up

28:49 with the World Health Organization to try to limit this problem.

28:52 They did so through simulation, setting up a realistic scenario

28:55 of a drugresistant pathogen appearing in the population

28:58 that local health officials with help

28:59 from the World Health Organization rushed to track,

29:02 report, and snuff out as fast as possible.

29:05 There's reason for both hope and pessimism

29:07 for an end of fighting between the Democratic Republic

29:09 of the Congo and M23 rebels that had

29:12 advanced across the country's east over the past year.

29:14 A US brokered peace deal led to a momentary reduction in violence.

29:18 But as the months passed by, both sides failed to implement the steps

29:21 they agreed to, and a new offensive

29:22 in early December brought back full-scale fighting.

29:25 While both sides still seem loosely committed to ending the fighting,

29:28 they continued to commit violent actions and largely ignore the agreement.

29:32 Fleeing this violence, tens of thousands of refugees have crossed into Burundi,

29:36 a nation that celebrated a medical first in 2025.

29:40 Validated by the World Health Organization, Burundi eliminated traoma,

29:43 a bacterial eye infection which is classified as a neglected tropical disease.

29:47 Such diseases have major impacts in impoverished countries and while treatable,

29:52 they require a well-coordinated response to root them out.

29:55 The elimination of its first neglected tropical disease is

29:58 a major win for the country's public health program.

30:01 In Tanzania, the outlook for democracy, free and fair elections,

30:04 and general political dissension went from bad to worse.

30:07 An election year, the process began with barring or arresting popular

30:11 opposition candidates running against the incumbent

30:13 [music] president Samya Salulu Hassan, and then escalated to arresting outspoken

30:16 opposition before eventually devolving into outright violence.

30:20 Following a win with a reported 97% of the vote,

30:23 Tanzanian police have reportedly killed 1,000 protesters

30:26 in the problematic [music] and improbable results wake.

30:30 The early signs of a comeback showed themselves in [music] seells this year.

30:33 With the successful hatching of 13 of 18 giant tortoise eggs,

30:36 conservationists have new hope that with new techniques and intervention,

30:40 the giant tortoise may be able to stave off extinction.

30:43 Home to one of two giant tortoise species

30:44 in the world along with 400 other endemic species,

30:47 Sey Shells has become a hotbed

30:49 for innovative conservation techniques [music] in recent years.

30:52 Similarly rich in biodiversity and endemic species is Kamoras.

30:56 Traditionally cut off from the rest of the world,

30:58 this volcanic archipelago recently signed a deal to change that.

31:01 Welcoming in over $130 million from the World Bank,

31:04 the Islamic Development Bank, and a host of other international boosters,

31:07 the plan is to begin modernizing

31:09 the country's major ports with up-to-date infrastructure.

31:11 The belief is that the island nation may begin

31:13 to flourish as a logistics hub for Africa and Asia,

31:16 as well as a tourist attraction.

31:18 In Maitius, the new story that has dominated decades [music]

31:21 of debate has finally come to a close this year.

31:23 In May, the UK announced it'd be handing

31:25 sovereignty over the Chagos [music] Islands to Maitius

31:28 more than a half century after it split

31:30 the islands away from the newly independent country.

31:32 In return, the UK still gets to maintain

31:35 its strategically crucial military presence on Diego Garcia,

31:38 as the two countries have agreed on a 99-year lease.

31:41 At the news of water and power cuts, the youth of one of the world's poorest

31:44 countries decided it had finally had enough this year.

31:47 Madagascar's Gen Z protest started

31:49 in earnest in late September with demonstrations,

31:51 but quickly evolved into something much bigger.

31:54 With the support of an elite military

31:55 branch that decided to back their movement, [music] by mid-occtober,

31:58 a full-scale coup was underway, sending the former president fleeing the country

32:02 and installing a military colonel to the office.

32:05 At the size of Switzerland,

32:06 Mosmbique's Nyasa Wildlife Reserve is one of Africa's

32:09 most important [music] sanctuaries for threatened species.

32:12 But this year, the reserve found itself under threat after

32:14 ISIS terrorist attacks on a safari camp and a training center.

32:18 While the Mozambique army quickly deployed,

32:20 the attacks have the potential to undercut decades of conservation work.

32:23 Without fences and so large to begin

32:25 with, the reserve counts on the conservationists presence,

32:27 [music] but that's hard to do when towns are now being evacuated.

32:31 Zimbabwe rolled out its first batch

32:33 of a unique set of reparation payments this year.

32:36 $311 million of money is starting to [music]

32:39 get paid out to some 400 white farmers.

32:41 a subset of the 4,000 who were dispossessed

32:44 of their land by the government in the early 2000s.

32:46 It marks just the beginning as the country agreed

32:48 to pay out $3.5 billion in compensation in 2020.

32:52 To make sure these payments continue,

32:54 the IMF and World Bank have held back funding

32:56 in the country until it has paid off this [music] debt.

32:59 In 2022, Malawi's Kassungu National Park

33:02 introduced 263 elephants to the preserve.

33:05 3 years on, neighboring villages are now suing [music] over it,

33:08 claiming that the elephants have killed at least 10 people,

33:10 injured others, and have left all living in a state of fear.

33:13 Locals are asking for protective fencing

33:15 around 167 villages and compensation for damages.

33:19 And in Zambia, elephants there killed an American and a New

33:22 Zealander who were on safari in Langua National Park.

33:25 Guides attempted to thwart the charging elephants,

33:27 but were unable to deter them.

33:29 Reports note that female elephants [music] can

33:31 be especially dangerous when protecting their young.

33:34 In the form of an NGO report,

33:35 2025 presented a hurdle for Angola's potentially transformative rail project.

33:40 [music] Backed by the US and the EU,

33:42 the revitalization of the Loito Atlantic Railway is bound to have major

33:46 economic ramifications as it will connect

33:47 Angola's rich minds to [music] the coast.

33:50 But a report that 6,500 people will be potentially displaced

33:53 by the project has thrown some cold water on the excitement and led

33:56 an EU spokesperson to reaffirm they'll keep a close eye on social

33:59 and economic impact before going forward

34:02 with their support of the [music] project.

34:04 Namibia in 2025 observed its first genocide remembrance day.

34:08 [music] The date May 28th was chosen for commemoration as it was May 28th,

34:12 1908 when Germany ordered the closure

34:14 of all Southwest African concentration camps.

34:17 Speaking on the day, Namibia's president called for patience and unity

34:20 as the nation continues to seek reparations

34:22 for the 100,000 deaths at the hand of Germany's

34:25 genocide of the Ovah Herrera and Nama people.

34:27 [music] In Batswana, officials cut the nation's projected economic growth

34:31 estimates for the year to almost zero.

34:33 By value, Batswana is the world's largest diamond producer,

34:36 and the less than enthusiastic economic outputs is a reflection

34:39 as to just how much the diamond economy has changed.

34:42 With lab grown diamonds beneficial

34:43 for both global laborers and global consumers,

34:46 it's unlikely this is just a blip for the nation, which now needs to diversify.

34:50 Drought and wildfires have rocked southern Africa in the last few [music] years.

34:53 And this year, the effort to adapt to a rapidly changing environment

34:56 and address these worsening problems was

34:58 decided to be headquartered in Eswatini.

35:01 Isatini's center of excellence on drought resilience will

35:03 produce research work with regional stakeholders and act

35:06 as [music] a center for collaborating NOS's international

35:08 bodies and neighboring nations on the region's water crisis.

35:12 The Lutu Highlands Water Project that aims to supply water

35:14 to South Africa's Johannesburg is making

35:16 progress towards its 2029 completion date.

35:19 But not all are happy about it.

35:21 In Lutu, small towns near the project are citing lowquality water

35:24 and a general lack of transparency

35:26 in forced relocations and subsequent compensation.

35:29 They're taking the issue up with the African Development Bank,

35:32 which is helping fund this project,

35:33 [music] but seemed to fail in making it fair and transparent.

35:36 While importing water, South Africa has been exporting [music] troops.

35:40 With no international agreement between Russia and South

35:42 Africa for the latter to provide troops in Ukraine,

35:45 South African news this year broke a story

35:47 of three of [music] their own trapped fighting in Ukraine.

35:50 How exactly they and 14 others ended up in this situation is being worked out,

35:54 but the soldiers claimed that they were tricked by a parliament

35:56 member and daughter of former president due to Zel Zuma Zambula.

36:00 Admitting no guilt, but resigning from the position,

36:02 the politician has supported Russia's cause from afar.

36:07 And that's it.

36:08 One piece of news from every country in the world.

36:11 [music] The idea of this was to help you broaden your knowledge base so you

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