Syria is facing its worst drought in 36 years, devastating wheat production and deepening a nationwide hunger crisis. Farmer Maher Haddad has harvested barely a third of his normal yield, reflecting a 40% drop in wheat output across the country. The FAO estimates a shortfall of 2.73 million tonnes this year - enough to feed 16 million people - while rainfall has plunged 70%, crippling three-quarters of rain-fed farmland. Nearly 90% of Syrians already live in poverty; over 14 million are food insecure, and 9.1 million suffer acute hunger. Bread prices have skyrocketed, forcing families to borrow for daily food. Aid groups like the World Food Programme are providing emergency subsidies and direct payments to farmers, but long-term solutions such as new irrigation systems are hampered by years of war, soaring fuel costs, and economic collapse. Without sustained international support and adequate rainfall, Syria’s food crisis could escalate dramatically into 2026, threatening rural livelihoods and driving further displacement.

In July, protests over fuel price hikes erupted across Angola, paralysing parts of the capital Luanda and spreading to other provinces. Sparked by a taxi drivers’ strike, these demonstrations quickly turned violent, leaving at least thirty dead and thousands arrested. Many residents now fear speaking openly, wary of reprisals. The unrest exposed deep social and economic inequalities in the oil-rich nation, where youth unemployment stands at 54% and over a third of the population survives on less than £1.50 a day. Young people, frustrated by poverty, corruption, and lack of opportunity, led the protests, which sociologists describe as a response to decades of misgovernance since the civil war ended in 2002. President João Lourenço condemned the violence as foreign manipulation but faces criticism for failing to diversify the economy or curb high inflation. As Angola prepares to celebrate fifty years of independence, many fear further unrest before the 2027 elections if systemic issues remain unaddressed.

Seoul’s household landscape is shifting as single-person homes become the city’s most common household type, according to a 2024 report. Nearly 1.66 million residents now live alone - about 40% of all households - while two-person households make up 26.2% and four-person homes 12.3%. An aging population underscores the trend: people 60 and older represent 20.2% of residents, and more than 30% of households include someone 65 or older. Marriages, which plunged during the pandemic, rebounded to 42,471 in 2024, with an average first-marriage age of 34.3 for men and 32.4 for women; international marriages comprise roughly 10%. Divorces declined overall, but the average age at divorce has risen, with one-quarter now among those 60 and older. Meanwhile, households with young children have fallen over 40% since 2016, reflecting persistently low birth rates. City officials plan inclusive policies to counter social isolation, support young adults’ housing needs, and foster a more child-friendly environment.

Former president Jair Bolsonaro was rushed to a Brasília hospital after experiencing severe hiccups, vomiting, and low blood pressure while under house arrest, his son announced. Bolsonaro, who has endured ongoing intestinal problems and six surgeries following a 2018 stabbing, had visited the same hospital days earlier for skin lesion biopsies. On 11 September Brazil’s supreme court sentenced him to 27 years and three months in prison for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; he has not yet been imprisoned because of appeals and procedural delays. In a separate case, a federal court has fined him one million reais (£138,000) for racist remarks made in 2021. Bolsonaro has denied wrongdoing, claiming to be the victim of political persecution, and Donald Trump has also called the trial a ‘witch-hunt’, but Lula has spoken of a ‘historic decision’ which safeguards Brazil’s democratic principles. Public opinion remains sharply divided over his sentence and political future.