Africa Sao Tome and Principe Conceição Lima died yesterday; she was a symbol of identity, ambassador of culture, the most translated author from Sao Tomé with German, Arabic, Spanish, French, English, Italian, Dutch, Serbo-Croatian, Turkish versions and prizes won in Brazil and USA
Europe Monaco The Principality has fallen from 4th to 14th place in the global ranking of destinations favored by ultra-wealthy: the Barnes City Index 2026, annual reference for the cities most prized by Ultra High-Net-Worth Individuals reveals a significant decline
Asia China Xi Jinping and one general now remain in charge after China's leader ousted two more top generals; the move follows the distancing of a number of key army figures in the past months and the current order is unprecedented says Asia Society Policy Institute
Asia Palestine The Rafah border crossing to Egypt reopened after 23 months under Israeli forces control; a relief to many Palestinians who see it as a lifeline to the world, it also fuels frustration as only small numbers of people and no goods will be allowed through
America Cuba Forecasts are being made for a poor 2026 sugar harvest, described by authorities as "a complex scenario, which requires evaluating supplies"; Cuban economy hasn't yet recovered from a disastrous 2025 harvest, one of the lowest in history
Europe Croatia Croatian handball team won the bronze medal at the European Championship and thousands of fans welcomed home the team; government's decision to have ultra-nationalist singer Thompson perform at the celebration event is opposed by Zagreb's leftist mayor
Europe Germany Siemens Energy is planning to invest $1 billion (€850 million) in the US energy production sector amid a surge in electricity demand driven by AI data centers; It will also build a new factory in Mississippi and recruit over 1500 highly skilled workers
Africa Democratic Republic of the Congo A landslide struck a large coltan mining site in eastern North Kivu causing the collapse of several mines; at least 200 people died in the accident at the Rubaya mines, reported province governor appointed by the M23 that control the area
Asia Saudi Arabia Contracts with 1.800 foreign travel agencies operating in the Umrah sector, out of a total of around 5.800 agencies worldwide, have been suspended and Ministry of Hajj and Umrah gave a 10-day deadline to align service with required standards
Africa Morocco Singer Abdelhadi Belkhayat died at 85 years old in Rabat; Belkhayat was a legendary figure in Moroccan music and a beloved artist for many generations of listeners
Europe Finland A major change to the way welfare regions receive state funding has been proposed; the draft legislation, to take effect at the beginning of 2027, would reduce allocations to large population centres and shift emphasis on assessed service needs
Asia Sri Lanka World Wetlands Day was marked with a number of initiatives; Daily Mirror dedicated to the celebration a selection of pictures of the 372 hectares Bellanwila-Attidiya Wetland, a protected urban ecosystem thriving in biodiversity despite industrial waste
America Saint Lucia Uber launches in St Lucia following the official activation of its Uber Taxi service, giving residents and visitors access to app-based transportation provided exclusively by licensed local taxi drivers operating across the island
Europe Switzerland 63% of 405 food samples analyzed in a federal monitoring exercise contained pesticide residues, of which ten samples exceeded the legally permitted maximum limits, seven significantly; milk prices have been lowered since the beginning of February