Europe Moldova Leveraging the IMF assistance and support from other development partners to accelerate reforms and align public policies with international best practices was a key topic at the closing meeting of the International Monetary Fund mission in Moldova
Europe North Macedonia As a new school year began, Minister says deep-seated problems in North Macedonia’s education system - shortage of free-of-charge textbooks, inflated grades, outdated university courses and old curricula - will take years to sort out
Africa Libya A fully equipped medical clinic has set sail from the Libyan capital, Tripoli, aboard the vessel Omar Al-Mukhtar on a humanitarian mission to support the Global Sumood Convoy, which aims to break the blockade on Gaza
Asia Taiwan Super typhoon Ragasa has hit Taiwan, leaving at least 14 dead and 124 missing as torrential rains, 200 km/h winds in eastern Hualien broke a water barrier, flooding the town of Guangfu; over 700 flights were canceled, alerts issued in China and Hong Kong
Oceania Tonga Motions proposed by the Practice Parliament for Women 2025 to the Tonga Legislative Assembly were met with resistance from the House, during its final sitting for the year, which Speaker Lord Fakafanua called "degrading and mocking terms towards women"
Asia Turkmenistan President Berdimuhamedov took part in the official celebration for the 80th anniversary of the founding of the UN at the Organisation’s headquarters in New York and in the following days he held strategic meeting with a number of foreign leaders
Asia Maldives The government is planning to seek public support for major constitutional changes using a new law that the opposition claims is a "tool" for President Dr Mohamed Muizzu to prolong his five-year term beyond 2028
Asia Syria President Ahmed Al-Sharaa became the first representative of Syria to address world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in almost sixty years
Europe Bosnia and Herzegovina Police agencies in Bosnia are increasingly using new technology with facial recognition capacity, such as drones and cameras, to fight crime; doubts are rising over the legal frame allowing their use
Asia Kyrgyzstan AI-integrated surveillance cameras have been introduced in test mode; capable of facial recognition and of detecting emergencies, can alert staff at 'situation centers' if they spot fire, frostbite or crowd gatherings
Europe Lithuania 15 people have been charged in Lithuania over an alleged plan for arson attacks through courier services backed by Russian military intelligence service GRU; suspects include citizens from Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Ukraine
Africa Madagascar Updated 10.000 and 20.000 ariary banknotes have been released to curb counterfeiting; with overall design similar to the previous series, new notes incorporate a two-tone green and red security thread as well as printing changes
Africa Liberia The DayLight investigation "How a Family Smuggled Timber for over a Decade" has been recognized by Global Investigative Journalism Network GIJN as one of the best in Africa, highlighting illicit activities and impactful outcomes in Liberia
Africa Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, with Morocco, ratified a landmark UN treaty to safeguard marine biodiversity on the high seas known as BBNJ which took over two decades to negotiate; with their vote, it has has met the 60 ratifications required for entry into force in 2026