Asia Oman Premarital medical screening will now be mandatory for couples to promote early detection of hereditary blood disorders and infectious diseases and providing couples with appropriate medical counselling before marriage
Europe Albania For many families in Tirana buying an apartment, a realistic goal up to a short time ago, is now unaffordable: wages haven't risen at pace with apartment prices surging up to 5.500 euros sq/m in a market that experts say is distorted by speculation
Africa Sao Tome and Principe To combat gender-based violence and bring justice closer to communities, multi-front actions have been launched with UNDP, local authorities and the civil society in the frame of the project "Proximity Justice: Bringing Justice Closer to the People"
Europe Malta Malta national waterpolo team players are being investigated for allegedly betting on their own matches at the European Championships; currently in Belgrade for finals, they are suspected of having bet on the goal difference of game against Montenegro
Africa Democratic Republic of the Congo Food prices have increased tenfold in Walikale market, as North Kivu is facing rampant inflation hitting households already weakened by the dramatic security crisis; local civil society raised the alarm as food staples like cassava have come unaffordable
Africa Somalia The President of Somalia arrived in Lasanod, capital of Sool region, Khatumo, a disputed area in the north of the country; his visit is highly symbolic, as he is the first Somali head of state to set foot in the city in decades
Oceania Tonga Tonga counted 5 confirmed cases of people living with HIV and 700 reported cases of sexually transmitted infections in 2025; information about HIV infections is difficult to access and a HIV epidemic in neighboring Fiji prompted authorities to investigate
Europe Croatia Political magazine Globus, admired in the 1990s and 2000s for its independent stance, published its last issue in 2025 and will not update its website in 2026; the Croatian weekly suffered shrinking advertising revenue and collapsing print sales
America Brazil Harvesting of açaí berries is being automated, with machines that climb 10-meter trees and can pick up to 500kg in 4 hours, making the process 10 times more efficient and safer than manual labor
Asia Taiwan Many school-aged children in Taiwan take jobs to assist their families, about 20% underpaid or working in unsafe conditions, World Vision Taiwan WVT reported; in underprivileged families 26% of children work while in school, 80% of them for economic help
Africa Sierra Leone Citizens expressed dismay following the release of 2024 Auditor General Report, which shows that one of the key institutions they anticipated could be implicated in the embezzlement of public funds, the Office of the President, was not in the document
Europe Slovenia Police handled 28.200 cases of irregular migration were handed in 2025, -40% on 2024, the lowest number in 4 years; illegal migration has been falling since Slovenia reintroduced controls at its Schengen borders and the measure extends until 21 June 2026
America Saint Lucia The dismantling and theft of a 40-foot road safety billboard left disheartened the Project Management Unit of the Millennium Highway and West Coast Road Reconstruction Project; the plywood backing of an installation designed to protect lives were stolen
Africa Botswana The severe medicine shortages that led President Boko to declare a state of emergency in August 2025 is improving; sustained local and international procurement have resulted in frequent deliveries, improving availability in public health facilities