Asia Iran The Straight of Hormuz will remain "completely open" for all commercial vessels as long as the ceasefire in the Middle East lasts, Foreign Minister Araghchi declared on X
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
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
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
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
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
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 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
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 Belarus Presidential Decree No. 19 “On crypto banks and regulation in digital tokens” has been signed, said the press service of head of state, to strengthen Belarus’ leading position in financial IT and provide conditions for the operation of crypto banks
Oceania New Zealand Helicopters airlifted 40 people to safety overnight, as slips and flooding cut off trapped motorists at Waioeka Gorge; after heavy rain hammered the area between Matawai and Ōpōtiki and as conditions rapidly deteriorated State Highway 2 remains closed
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
Europe Germany A record 1,4 million affordable apartments are currently lacking in Germany, according to latest study by the Pestel Institute; to correct this deficit by 2030, 400.000 units are needed to be built per year while 200.000 are likely to be built annually