Issue #399: Who will be the big boss at the UN in 2027? I'll tell you who's up for the top job and why this job matters for Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
Also this week: The Moroccan "Madame Bovary," rebuilding Khartoum's industry, volcanic lakes, Gandhi's notes for sale, a Hindi crime drama, "the most dangerous" working-class neighbourhoods in Santo Domingo and Buenos Aires, and so much more.
This newsletter has been edited by Jonathan Ramsay.
Who's the next big boss at the UN?
What happened:
The UN Security Council is choosing a new secretary-general, the highest official at the United Nations. The winner will replace António Guterres at the end of 2026. Here's who's in the lead and why this matters
Why this matters: This is one of the most visible jobs in the world. The UN Security General is someone who can influence which crises or wars receive attention, money, and international action. Many countries in Africa, Asia, and the Americas depend heavily on the UN for humanitarian aid, peacekeeping, climate finance, health programs, and support for refugees.
Tell me more:
Reuters presents the candidates (those in the lead are marked bold)
-
Rafael Grossi, from Argentina. 65, he led the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the last six years. Has eight kids. Russia doesn't want him to get the top job because once, as IAEA chief, Grossi monitored nuclear sites during Russia's invasion, especially the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Grossi definitely brings an 'I want a more active UN' kind of approach. (Russia also hates that.)
-
Rebeca Grynspan, from Costa Rica. 70, she is a former vice president of Costa Rica, heads the UN Conference on Trade and Development. She's the 'we have to work together' kind of candidate. If elected, she'd be the first female secretary-general.
-
Michelle Bachelet, from Chile. 74, she was a two-time president of Chile, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and once headed UN Women, too. Interestingly, her own country doesn't support her candidacy anymore (the new president is right-wing, she's not. She's pro-choice). Brazil and Mexico are still fans, though. Again, if elected, she'd be the first female secretary-general.
-
Macky Sall, from Senegal. 64, he was Senegal's president for 12 years until 2024. He wants to change the UN and bring in more developing nations to the 'permanent seat' table. If elected, he would be the third African secretary-general after Boutros Boutros-Ghali and Kofi Annan.
-
Maria Fernanda Espinosa, from Ecuador. 61, she was foreign affairs minister and defence minister in Ecuador. She's been more focused on topics like biodiversity, climate change, and Indigenous people's policies. She's worked at the UN before, too, as Ecuador's ambassador to the UN and president of the General Assembly.
-
Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett, from Guyana. 52, she's served as Guyana's representative to the UN since 2020. She was the first woman and the highest-ranking Indigenous person to serve as Guyana's foreign minister. She's worked at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. If elected, she would be the first woman and also the first Caribbean national to lead the United Nations. She's big on making sure no more wars happen, and she's also strong on climate.
-
Olara Otunnu, from Uganda. 75, he is a former UN Under-Secretary-General. He's also the oldest candidate at the moment. He is anti-war and wants to end conflicts very soon. Additionally, he wants to establish a body that oversees the UN's work on AI. He is very big on climate, too, but in a way that doesn't hurt economic development.
-
Ivonne Baki, from Ecuador. Also 75 (second oldest), her parents are Lebanese immigrants; she lived through Lebanon's civil war between 1975 and 1990. So, her shtick is, "I will be on the ground, not just at the desk in New York."
Did you know? The five permanent Security Council members (the U.S., China, Russia, Britain, and France) can each block any candidate. African, (Latin) American, and most Asian countries do not have this power.
what else happened
DRC: Because of Ebola, Goma (a city in Eastern Congo) is going through a COVID-19-like shutdown of all cultural activities. The outbreak this time surpassed 5,000 confirmed cases last week and is now on track to be the largest Ebola outbreak in the country's history. It is spreading many times faster than the 2014 West Africa outbreak. (WHO, africanews, Kivu Morning Post)
Ceuta / Morocco: 18 people were buried in the Muslim cemetery of this Spanish territory in North Africa. They died about three weeks earlier while trying to cross the border into Ceuta from Morocco. Many drowned, while others were killed in a crowd crush near a sea barrier at the border. The authorities said the bodies could not be identified. However, some human rights groups question whether Spain and Morocco did enough to find out who they were and contact their families. The graves were marked with numbered stones in case families claim the bodies in the future. (africanews)
Indonesia: On August 15, a magnitude-7.7 earthquake...
Please log in or subscribe for free to continue reading this issue.
We could use your help to make this issue better. Take a look at the requests below and consider contributing:
- Submit a piece of artwork for this issue
- Submit a news, academic or other type of link to offer additional context to this issue
- Suggest a related topic or source for future issues
- Fix a typo, grammatical mistake or inaccuracy
Below you'll find some of the sources used for this issue. Only sources that support "media embedding" are included.
-
The Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is in a phase of intense transmission. It is the largest Ebola outbreak ever reported in the country and expanding faster than any previous Ebola outbreak. The epidemic is increasingly characterized by sustained transmission within interconnected geographic clusters. Initially confined to the Mongbwalu health zone in Ituri Province, the outbreak has now expanded to 54 health zones across six provinces (Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo, and Bas-Uélé). The most recently affected Bas-Uélé province recorded one confirmed case in Buta health zone with travel history to Haut-Uélé and onset of symptoms on 4 August. As of 12 August 2026, a total of 4665 confirmed cases, including 2184 deaths, have been reported, corresponding to a crude case fatality ratio (CFR) of 46.8%. The ongoing rise in cases, broader geographic spread, and continued high mortality demonstrate the rapidly changing scope of this public health emergency of international concern. During the most recent reporting week (epidemiological week 32, 3 to 9 August 2026), the highest weekly number of reported cases (579) and deaths (304) were recorded, highlighting the exceptional pace of transmission. The ongoing humanitarian crisis, compounded by insecurity, population displacement and mobility, and cross-border movements, continues to pose significant challenges to response efforts and increase the risk of further geographical spread. National authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, continue to implement extensive response measures in collaboration with WHO and partners. However, a substantial scaling up of response activities is underway to get ahead of the outbreak. Following their missions to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, WHO’s Director-General and Regional Director for Africa, and the Director General of Africa CDC, highlighted surveillance activities and closer work with communities as priority areas. Expanding the number of treatment centers, across more areas, is underway, along with training for the health and care workers to staff them. France has reported no secondary transmission following an imported case detected on 24 June 2026. As of 14 August, 41 days had passed since the patient’s discharge on 4 July, with no additional confirmed cases reported. In Uganda the most recent imported case was discharged from a treatment centre on 16 July, and the 42-day enhanced monitoring period will cease on 27 August. Uganda remains at risk of BVD re-introduction due to ongoing transmission in neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo and is undertaking heightened surveillance activities given continued population movement and the risk of cross-border transmission. A regional preparedness and prioritization framework continues to guide readiness and response activities across the African Region.
-
When Rwanda-backed M23 rebels took over the city in 2025, leaving hundreds dead in fighting, Goma's cultural scene took a hit. Festivals slowly returned, but now an Ebola outbreak has forced another shutdown
-
Le festival Usiku wa Zamani, qui devait se tenir les 24, 25 et 26 juillet à Goma, dans l’est de la République démocratique du Congo, a été reporté en raison des mesures prises par les autorités provinciales dans le cadre de la riposte contre l’épidémie d’Ebola, a annoncé, jeudi 16 juillet 2026, l’entreprise organisatrice, Top
-
The dead, whose identities are unknown, were among the more than 90 migrants who lost their lives during Spain’s deadliest border crisis three weeks ago
-
BMKG: 1624 Gempa Bumi Susulan Pasca-Tsunami Flores Masih Terjadi, Masyarakat Diimbau Tetap Tenang dan Waspada - Berita Utama - BMKGBadan Meteorologi, Klimatologi, dan Geofisika (BMKG) mencatat hingga 17 Agustus 2026 pukul 11.00 WIB, sebanyak 1624 gempa susulan (aftershock) telah terjadi dengan magnitudo M1,3 – M6,2. Di antara ribuan gempa susulan tersebut, gempa dengan magnitudo M>5 sebanyak 23 kejadian dan gempa bumi susulan yang dirasakan berjumlah 59.
-
A mound of rubbish at a major waste site buried several homes in the capital, the government says.
-
The Central African Republic's government has closed a gold mining site after it collapsed, killing over 100 people.
-
President Paul Biya, 93, returned to Cameroon on Thursday, after a 73-day absence that fuelled speculation about his health.
-
The collection documents key moments in Gandhi’s freedom movement as well as his personal relationship with close aide.
-
Kazakhstan, where power is being continuously consolidated in the president's hands, will have to continue its tough balancing act between the EU, Russia and China following the parliamentary elections this Sunday.
-
Colombiano revoluciona el management musical: lanza una plataforma de IA que hace todo lo contrario a la tendencia - Billboard ColombiaPower AI, creada por el artista y empresario colombiano Cris Vélez, utiliza inteligencia artificial para asumir procesos de management, marketing, booking y estrategia, mientras mantiene la creatividad y la composición en manos de los artistas. En un momento en que la inteligencia artificial avanza rápidamente en la creación de música, un empresario colombiano propone utilizarla en una dirección […]
-
SDF Commander-in-Chief Mazloum Abdi announced the completion of the integration agreement with the Syrian transitional government in Damascus. This move follows the January 29 agreement, which Abdi described as the basis for joining the “new Syria.” Abdi explained that the security, military, and administrative institutions established over the past years were being integrated into Syrian […]
-
The anticipated dissolution of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) represents less a resolution than a reconfiguration of the Kurdish question in Syria: from a military and territorial matter to a diplomatic-relational one. The sequence of negotiations, guaranteed by interlocutors and culminating in Nechirvan Barzani’s visit to Damascus, reveals a process in which external actors function […]
-
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has been reelected to serve a second five-year term. The Electoral Commission of Zambia announced his victory early Tuesday.
-
Panama Canal will cut daily transits of ships from September because of low rainfall and amid an intensifying El Nino event.
-
Fabiana Justiniano and Scarlett Rocha have made history as Bolivia's first same-sex couple to legally marry.
-
Solar hit a record 10% of global electricity in the first half 2026, a quarter at midday and near zero at night. Now, battery storage is unlocking the next stage of solar growth in the non-sunny hours.
-
Il est des corps que l’on surveille avant même qu’ils aient appris à se connaître. Des corps que l’on couvre, que l’on juge, que l’on protège jusqu’à les enfermer. Avec “L’amande”, publié sous le pseudonyme de Nedjma, une femme ose déplacer le silence: raconter le désir féminin, c’est déjà contester ceux qui prétendent en fixer les limites. Mais derrière le roman érotique se dessine une question plus vaste, plus intime et profondément politique : à qui appartient le corps d’une femme lorsqu’une société entière croit avoir son mot à dire ?
-
The Chinese humanoid robot "Lightning" ran a 100-meter trial race faster than human world-record holder Usain Bolt. A year ago, humanoid robots struggled to finish a race.
Each week, What Happened Last Week curates news and perspectives from Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The newsletter is written by Sham Jaff and focuses on stories that rarely receive sustained attention in Western media.
Read the free edition every week. VIP subscribers receive additional stories, recommendations on what to watch, read and listen, and more.