Europe Albania Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj will run the capital from jail until the next elections in 2027, creating an unprecedented situation in local politics, PM Edi Rama apparently confirmed; Veliaj denies charges of corruption, money laundering and concealing wealth
Europe Kosovo Jelena Djukanovic, an employee of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, denied charges of using her position in the Organisation to supply Serbia's intelligence agency, the BIA, with sensitive information
Asia Israel A military official said the Israeli Defence Forces had begun their ground operation into Gaza City, the main urban centre in the enclave, where hundreds of thousands of residents were ordered to flee, saying “Gaza is burning”
Europe Finland Matriculation examination has been disrupted in many upper secondary schools due to technical glitch at the beginning of the native language and literature on the first day of tests, Matriculation Examination Board stated in a press release
Asia China Golden Panda Film Festival concluded in Chengdu, Sichuan; 5.343 works were presented, of which 3.910 from 126 foreign countries; 27 prizes in 4 categories will be awarded: films, documentaries, animation, tv and series
Africa Gambia Police physically removed Auditor General Modou Ceesay from his office after he refused to give up the post, following a reshuffle by President Barrow; Ceesay's lawyer will file a case before the Supreme Court to challenge the ‘illegal and forceful’ act
America Haiti Over 50 people were killed in the rural fishing community Labodrie, human rights groups confirmed as national and international actors condemned the atrocity and urged action against Haiti’s gangs; victims included women, children and the elderly
Africa Zambia Legislation has been proposed to make the sale of counterfeit fertilizers and seeds a non-bailable offence; the measure, designed to protect one of Zambia’s most vital sectors, was hailed as timely and much-needed as it will help farmers
Africa Namibia The unemployment rate in the Kavango East region has increased from 48% in 2011 to 52% in 2023 according to data just released by the Namibia Statistics Agency from the recent Population and Housing Census; youth unemployment, at 60,4%, is even higher
America Brazil Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been sentenced to over 27 years in prison for attempting a coup, prompting condemnation from the US President Trump and raising tensions in US-Brazil relations amid threats of economic retaliation
Europe Belgium The Capital Region has the lowest levels of car ownership in the whole of Belgium: according to Statbel data, 56% of Brussels households don't own a car and rely on public transport, soft mobility or walking; Wallonia scores 24.7% and Flanders 23.6%
Asia Cyprus About 21.000 children up to the age of four will have their preschool fees and lunches paid by the state for the 2025–2026 school year, the finance ministry announced, saying it will budget €73 million, with €43.8 million funded by the EU
Europe Italy Apple farmers in Val di Non, Dolomites will transport their harvest from hills into caves storage with a dedicated cable car; covering 1,3 km in length and a 90-metre drop, it can carry 460 300-kg containers an hour, eliminating 5.000 lorry trips annually
Africa Egypt The 37th Sahara 2025 Exhibition and Conference aims to support the government’s plan to raise Egyptian agricultural exports to $12bn by 2025; Egypt is the first African supplier of organic produce to EU and is now targeting Middle East and Africa