Americas: Violence is spreading on the Colombia-Venezuela border as rival guerrilla groups clash in the wake of Maduro's capture, displacing residents from coca-rich Catatumbo region. Cuba faces deepening economic crisis as US pressure on Venezuela threatens its oil lifeline, with the island bracing for severe shortages. Honduras saw a lawmaker injured by an explosive device at the National Congress amid election tensions, while Mexico reported a 40% drop in murder rates under President Sheinbaum. Brazil's Lula vetoed a bill that would have shortened Bolsonaro's prison sentence on the anniversary of the 2023 Capitol-style riot.

Europe: Storm Goretti battered western Europe with gusts reaching 213 km/h, leaving 380,000 French homes without power. Zalando announced it will close a major German distribution centre, cutting 2,700 jobs as it automates to compete with Chinese fast-fashion platforms Shein and Temu. France conducted a prisoner swap with Russia, freeing researcher Laurent Vinatier. Two oil tankers under US sanctions were spotted sailing through the English Channel toward Russia, highlighting challenges in enforcing sanctions on Moscow's 'shadow fleet'. HSBC settled French tax-fraud claims for $313 million.

Asia-Pacific: A landfill collapse in Cebu, Philippines killed one and left 38 missing, with rescue operations ongoing. Australia's Victoria state declared 'catastrophic' fire conditions as bushfires left three missing and destroyed homes. South Korea's President Lee will visit Japan for a summit with PM Takaichi as the neighbours seek closer ties. China expanded its presence in the disputed South China Sea by launching fresh food deliveries to Woody Island, while Beijing intensified its crackdown on unofficial churches by detaining leaders in Sichuan province. Japan faced new pressure as China banned rare earth exports over Taiwan dispute.

Middle East & Africa: Israeli strikes killed 13 Palestinians in Gaza including five children despite the October ceasefire, bringing the post-truce death toll to over 425. Syria's government declared a ceasefire in Aleppo after deadly clashes with Kurdish forces killed 22 and displaced over 140,000 people. Lebanon's military announced progress in disarming Hezbollah and other armed groups. Tanzania faced scrutiny over election violence that killed unsuspecting civilians. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi opened his traditional Africa tour at the AU headquarters, emphasising a rules-based international order amid US unilateralism.

Tech: AI security concerns dominated the week: IBM's enterprise AI 'Bob' was found vulnerable to prompt injection attacks that could download malware, while IEEE Spectrum reported AI coding assistants may be getting worse rather than better. Memory chip shortages driven by AI demand are pushing up smartphone and PC prices, with Samsung and SK Hynix reporting record profits. The EU signalled it will spare Big Tech from strict rules in upcoming digital regulations, opting for voluntary frameworks. On the positive side, the FCC authorised more powerful 6 GHz Wi-Fi devices for outdoor use. Chinese AI startups MiniMax and Zhipu AI saw successful Hong Kong IPOs despite US export restrictions.