Europe Sweden Several youths in Vallentuna were poisoned by isopropanol after drinking alcohol bought from a "vodkabil" that they got in touch with via Snapchat; according to Poison Information Centre the substance, used to clean electronics, is dangerous if ingested
Africa Togo For local and municipal elections in 117 localities, polls opened on 17 July at the nation’s police stations; after the violent protests over the last month, security forces were deployed to protect citizens on the way to the vote, but turnout was low
Asia Indonesia Indonesia will build a dedicated “Hajj village” about 400 meters from the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia; the project, part of deepened Jakarta–Riyadh cooperation, aims to ease pilgrimage logistics for Indonesian worshippers
Europe Romania The Black Sea 200 Regatta 2025, Romania’s first non-stop offshore regatta with a 200 nautical mile route, will start tomorrow with expected end before 27 July; at its first edition, the event brings together more than 10 boats from Romania and Bulgaria
Europe Poland Polish high school students excelled at the 66th International Mathematical Olympiad held in Sunshine Coast, Australia: they claimed three gold medals and three silver medals, resulting in an overall fourth place among the 110 countries taking part
Europe Bosnia and Herzegovina The 30th anniversary of the 1995 genocide of Bosniaks by Bosnian Serb forces was celebrated with the mass funeral of seven more victims in a ceremony at the Srebrenica Memorial Centre
Europe Portugal Octopus fishing vessels must remain in port during fishing seasons, starting from the northern border on July 17 down to 14 October; vessels licensed for shelter traps, cage traps, spearfishing that intend to suspend activities must notify the DGRM
Oceania New Zealand One person has died and several others were stabbed in Hamilton city centre in a “disorder incident” at nighttime; Alexandra St between Collingwood and Hood Sts in the 7th largest town in NZ remained cordoned off in the morning
Asia Vietnam Plans to ban fossil-fuel motorcycles and mopeds in central Hanoi have been announced to reduce pollution; The move supports the shift to electric vehicles, led by local firm VinFast, but raises concerns over its social impact on low-income workers
Europe Lithuania Gintautas Markevičius, a Lithuanian man paralysed down one side, set yet another record by covering over 3.000 km around the Baltic States on his electric trike; after more than a month on the road, he was welcomed back in Klaipėda
Europe Serbia Over 70 wildfires have been extinguished in a single week, as heatwaves intensify across the Balkans; the 2025 wildfire season is testing both the region’s emergency responses and long-term planning, coordination and political will
Africa Seychelles The Seychelles Swimming National Age Group Championships are bringing together swimmers of all ages from three foreign clubs and four local at the Roche Caïman swimming pool
Europe Belgium Shops in Belgium will soon be allowed to remain open until 21:00, and seven days a week; the measure is expected to be validated to relax businesses' opening hours and meet modern needs
Africa Lesotho Lipholo, the 51-year-old leader of the Basotho Covenant Movement, has been taken into custody and charged with sedition; he appeared before the Maseru Magistrate Court where Magistrate Letsika and Crown Prosecutor Hlophe presented the charges against him