Oceania New Zealand KiwiSaver -a voluntary, work-based retirement savings scheme- will see withdrawal rules changed to help farmers, diplomats and soldiers buy their first homes, as Finance Minister observed current rules are unfair to workers in service tenancies
Asia Cambodia Cambodia and Thailand agreed to an immediate, unconditional ceasefire after five days of intense border fighting that killed at least 36 people and displaced around 300.000; Malaysian Prime Minister brokered the deal, with support from the US and China
Africa Burundi Ruling party CNDD-FDD has won all Senate seats in the indirect elections held earlier this month, consolidating its position across all five provinces; results are pending validation from the Constitutional Court
Africa Eritrea President Isaias Afwerki on state TV blamed Mohamed bin Zayed, President of the UAE, for pushing to control Eritrea’s key port of Assab, pursuing expansionism along the Red Sea and Indian Ocean and destabilizing the whole region
Africa Chad Hundreds of deaths among 'thousands' of cases of cholera among Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad, are reported by multiple sources, including WHO, with near-total absence of healthcare support and continued mass displacement as civilians flee war zones
Africa Sudan Ten days of power outage and a severe heatwave led to deaths from sunstroke in the cities of Port Sudan and Atbara, now housing hundreds of thousands of people displaced; the energy crisis has crippled essential services, water supplies and hospitals
Oceania Kiribati The Micronesian Presidents’ Summit 2025, a key regional gathering of Heads of State and Government from the regions, has been hosted on Kiritimati Island, one of the world’s largest coral atolls, part of the Line Islands in eastern Kiribati
Africa Gambia President Barrow is confident in the National People's Party prospects in the 2026 elections, predicting a 75% victory addressing a well-attended NPP women's rally in Janjanbureh he told supporters that the campaign for the 2026 election has started
Africa Rwanda “Old but gold” was the leitmotiv of the 5th edition of the Oldies Music Festival, held at the Kigali Universe Complex; veteran DJ Nicolas Peks, DJ RY and Brek The Entertainer spun timeless hits from Rwanda, East Africa, the US for an impressive crowd
Europe Switzerland The suicide rate among older people in Switzerland has reached record levels, the main reason being euthanasia, while the suicide rate among younger population has fallen around 30% in the past two decades
Africa Namibia A petroleum sector rooted in integrity, inclusion and bold leadership to make oil and gas resources a benefit for all is what Kornelia Shilunga, Head of the upstream petroleum unit, called for at the opening of 2025 Youth in Oil&Gas Summit at Walvis Bay
Europe Czech Republic 30% of Czech students ask for more integration of AI in their study methods and curricula; as they focus on AI skills rather than traditional subject knowledge; latest study by the Syri Institute says, resilience against technological threats is a must
Oceania Solomon Islands The first Tikopean New Testament Bible lhas been presented to the Tikopian community: the awaited edition, known as Te Rongo Laoi - which means “The Good News” in Tikopean - has been celebrated with a ceremony at St. Francis Anglican Church
Africa Malawi Passport processing and issuance has resumed and the new electronic system is fully operational; disruption had begun in March 2024 when a cyber attack crippled Malawi's passport system, leaving thousands without a travel document