Europe Vatican City American cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected the new Pope as the 267th Bishop of Rome and leader of the Roman Catholic Church; elected during the fourth round of voting, he has taken the name Pope Leo XIV
Africa Democratic Republic of the Congo Hundreds of stranded Congolese soldiers and police officers, along with their families, were being transferred from the rebel-controlled city of Goma to the capital, the Red Cross announced; they have been taking refuge at a local UN base since January
America Jamaica Jamaica lost 2 places in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, 16 since 2020; Opposition People’s National Party says this reflects the growing mistrust between government officials and the press, and an increasingly autocratic posture by the administration
Oceania Kiribati Data collection was completed on local fishing activities on Arorae Island - popular fishing spots, catch volumes, fishing methods and other relevant practices - to help shape policies and guidelines to protect and sustain marine resources across Kiribati
Africa Kenya Thousands of students across Kenya could face disruption of school service from tomorrow due to delays in the disbursement of capitation for the second term; head teachers said the delayed funding is undermining stability, affecting essential operations
Europe United Kingdom World-record breaking London Marathon saw 56.640 participants crossing the finish line this year, fundraising reached over 88 million euros and received 1.133.813 applications for the 2026 race public ballot, of which 870.000 from the UK
Asia Lebanon Lebanon is now open for entry to the citizens of the United Arab Emirates that will lift a travel ban imposed during a diplomatic row in 2021; both countries made the announcement in a joint statement
Africa Madagascar France President Macron seeked "forgiveness" for France’s colonisation of Madagascar, starting with the return of looted cultural artefacts, in his visit, to Antananarivo, where he announced plans for economic ties and investment in hydroelectric project
Europe Lithuania Rounding cash payments began: under the new rules, the final amount of a purchase paid in cash will be rounded to the nearest multiple of 5 cents; the new practice is part of a gradual move to phase out the use of 1- and 2-cent euro coins
Europe Latvia The robbery of a watch shop in Old Town Riga doesn't indicate an increase in crime in the country: it makes considerate more investment in security for exclusive goods shops, said Artis Velss, former Chief of the State Police
Asia Maldives Proposed amendments to the Tobacco Control Act – the chief of which is the enforcement of a smoking ban for the post-2007 generation – have been accepted into the Parliament and sent to a select committee for review, approved with a majority vote of 63-2
Europe Italy A bar in Treviso, Veneto, has decided to put a 1 euro fee on every blasphemy to fund charitable projects; blasphemy - annoying for most Italian even if not religious and formally banned by law - is on a growing trend among youn generations
Asia Turkmenistan Turkmenistan Airlines will resume passenger flights on the Ashgabat-Moscow-Ashgabat and Ashgabat-Kazan-Ashgabat routes today 1 May 2025; periods of disruption of these services began in August 2023 due to security reasons
Africa Sierra Leone Freetown Mayor, Ms. Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE, on 28 April 2025 called for people-centered leadership while delivering the opening reflections at the Salone Day National Symposium, marking Sierra Leone’s 64th Independence Anniversary