Europe

A long-awaited 9,1 km section of the R2 between Kriváň and Mýtna opened to traffic, a symbolic victory for the government; it cuts about 8 minutes of travel on the stretch and comprises Slovakia’s longest and highest viaduct 4,3 km up to 41 metres high

Top 100 wealthiest in Slovenia are now worth a combined €11,2 billion - the highest figure yet and 12% more than last year, according to rankings by Finance Manager; investors Vesna and Dari Južna took the lead surpassing Iza Sia and Samo Login

Social Democrats in Denmark suffered a heavy loss in this week's municipal and regional elections; PM Mette Frederiksen’s centre-left party lost control of Copenhagen for first time in over 100 years

Artist studios in Kyiv have been damaged by Russian drone strike for second time; Nahirna22, a 30-studio space led by Gen Z artists, had recently reopened following a similar attack in August

A 300 kilograms bronze bell of the Church of the Holy Spirit in Bremen was recovered; it was stolen from inside the church overnight on 18 November, and an earlier attempt of theft was registered two weeks ago when it was still placed on the outside

A large trapping “facility” constructed with exceptionally well-preserved birch tree branches was found under melting ice at an altitude of 1.400 meters; piles of reindeer antlers and carved artifacts date back to around 520 AD, prior to the Viking age

The Pljevlja Coal Mine is launching the production of personal protective equipment as part of the Just Transition and Business Transformation Plan; the new facility will employ 20 workers, with theoretical and practical training begins this week

On 17 November Czechia commemorated the Velvet Revolution of 1989, which led to the fall of the Communist regime, and the persecution of students under the Nazi occupation in 1939; thousands took to Wenceslas Square in Prague despite cold and rain

Estonia and Russia have agreed on 2026 fishing quotas for Lakes Peipus, Pihkva and Lämmijärv; Estonia's quota for next year will be 300 tonnes less than in 2025 but perch quota can be changed if spring test fishing shows stocks larger than expected

President Macron has begun a five-day Africa tour with a push for what he calls "win-win" partnerships as France’s presence in the continent has become more fragile and complicated by local political stances

The Pontifical Swiss Guard has launched an internal review following a reported dispute at one of the service posts at the entrances to Vatican City, in which “elements interpreted as having antisemitic connotations” were allegedly observed

Coöperatie Laatste Wil, a right-to-die organization under fire for distributing the suicide drug X, has presented a new method for a “self-chosen end of life”: the suicide collar; CLW members care instructed to make collars themselves in a workshop