Europe United Kingdom England's entire coast has opened for hikers; with 2.689 miles of continuous trails, it's the longest organized coastal footpath in the world
Oceania Kiribati The Diocese of Tarawa and Nauru have joined all dioceses around the world ringing their church bells 88 times to honor the years of the Holy Father Pope Francis on this earth
Europe France Six departments in France, including Lyon and Cannes, are on red alert as "exceptional rain" causes severe flooding with up to 630 mm of rain in just 48 hours, vehicles have been submerged and swept away, prompting evacuations and road closures
Asia United Arab Emirates Dubai’s largest site-specific public art installation is now visible in Hatta mountains; Created by Emirati artist Shaikha Al Mazrou, ‘Deliberate Pauses’, the Leem Lake as a backdrop, highlights the cultural, historical, environmental richness of Hatta
Europe Vatican City Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, 21 April 2025, at the age of 88 at his residence in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta; he dedicated his last Easter Urbi et Orbi message to calling for peace worldwide, for global disarmament and the release of prisoners
Europe Belgium A railway workers' strike will take place from 22:00 on 27 April until 22:00 on 4 May, the second called by the rail union after a week-long strike disrupted service at the end of March; workers are denouncing retirement reforms and working conditions
Asia India 50% of student visas under revoked under new US rules belong to Indians; students have sued the Department of Homeland Security and immigration officials for terminating the F-1 visas and the lawsuit suggests the threat of deportation or visa cancellation
Africa Democratic Republic of the Congo After a motorized wooden boat with 500 people on board caught fire and capsized in the Congo River, multiple sources reported death toll of over 140 while DRC authorities on Sunday said the actual number of deaths was 33
Asia China Hainan province saw a -29.3% y-o-y decrease in duty-free spending in 2024 from CNY43,76 billion in 2023 to CNY30,94 billion (US$4.23 billion), according to Haikou Customs data, confirmed in Q1 2025; This was driven by a -15.9% fall in shoppers in 2024
Asia Kazakhstan The Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft made a parachute-assisted landing on the steppe of Kazakhstan, southeast of the town of Dzhezkazgan, at 6:20 a.m. yesterday 20 April, after 220 days in space
Asia Turkey Trial began for 189 people, mostly students, of the 819 arrested in rallies that began on 19 March after Istanbul's mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was detained on corruption charges, which he denies; charges against them include failing to disperse despite warnings
Africa Djibouti A new contingent of troops from Djibouti, part of the African Union Mission in Somalia #AUSSOM, has arrived in Beletweyne; The troops will be deployed to Buula Burde and Jalalaqsi, two strategically important towns in the Hiiraan region
Africa Benin 54 soldiers were reportedly killed in the terrorist attack in northern Benin on 17 April; Beninese government spokesman Houngbedji denied rumors of over a hundred deaths spread on social networks, according to Benin's official media La Nation
Asia Kuwait New, tougher traffic law will be applied on 22 April: 12 types of offenders will be detained and some of them must go to court, with no compromise or financial settlements accepted for three major offences