The world on

Saturday 31 October 2026

12 stories, region by region.

Africa

Photo: mostroneddo / CC BY 2.0
2026 Summer Youth Olympics
The 2026 Summer Youth Olympics opens in Dakar, Senegal, marking the first IOC event in Africa.

Photo: User:Zafer / CC BY-SA 4.0
2026 WNBA Finals
In women's basketball, the Golden State Valkyries defeat the Atlanta Dream 68–63 in game seven to win their first WNBA championship. Gabby Williams is named MVP.
2026 Skate Canada International
In figure skating, France's Kevin Aymoz wins the men's singles title at Skate Canada in Kelowna, British Columbia, overtaking Japan's Rio Nakata and becoming the second-oldest men's Grand Prix champion at age 29.
2026 Breeders' Cup Classic
In thoroughbred horse racing, thoroughbred racehorse Sovereignty wins the Breeders' Cup classic at the Keeneland racetrack in Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.

Trafficking of Chinese nationals to scam centers abroad
Madagascar's justice ministry announces dismantling 13 Chinese-run scam centers since August, linked to 148 Chinese nationals who had previously operated scam centers in Cambodia, and who might have been involved in trafficking Africans to commit fraud. The 148 Chinese are extradited to China.

Photo: Unknown / CC BY 3.0 pl
Suspension of Bogdan Święczkowski
Poland's ambassador to Romania, Paweł Soloch, and Poland's ambassador to China, Jakub Kumoch, resign from their positions in protest of the suspension of Polish Constitutional Tribunal president Bogdan Święczkowski.
2026 French student protests
Protests are held across France for the third consecutive weekend.
Human trafficking in the Netherlands
The Dutch military police and coast guard rescue 38 people from a rubber boat adrift off the coast of Breskens, Zeeland, and detain two people on suspicion of people smuggling.
2026 European unrest
Protests are held in 34 cities across Germany against the high cost of livings and wars. Clashes with the police erupt in Frankfurt, Berlin, Cologne and Hamburg. In Frankfurt, shops are looted, with several people being arrested.
Gaza war protests in the United Kingdom
Metropolitan Police arrest 139 people outside the United States embassy in London, United Kingdom, during a protest supporting Palestine Action, which is designated as a proscribed terrorist organisation.
2026 European unrest
Riots erupt in Zurich and Basel, Switzerland, with fires reported.
2026 European unrest
Clashes erupt in The Hague, Netherlands, in a youth-led protest, with 34 people arrested.

Stories adapted from Wikipedia’s Current events portal for 31 October 2026, by Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.