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
Asia Kyrgyzstan First ever Kyrgyzstan's solar power plant has been inaugurated in in Kemin district of Chui region; President Sadyr Japarov presided over the ceremony
Asia Azerbaijan Azerbaijan’s Media Development Agency urged Meta to remove "a fabricated statement that does not reflect reality, created using deepfake technology and falsely attributed to the President"
Asia Japan A reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant was shut down as an alarm was triggered during control rod withdrawal operations five hours and 25 minutes after it was restarted - first one to resume operation since the 2011 Fukushima disaster
Europe Andorra Andorran Laia Ateca was awarded for best production design at the 38th edition of the European Film Awards for the film Sirat, directed by Oliver Laxe, nominated for the 2026 Oscar
Europe Austria A supplementary protocol on bilateral border-co-operation was signed with Hungary; the text aligns with the post-pandemic Schengen Borders Code: joint patrols can be deployed on either side carrying out identity checks up to 10 km beyond the actual border
Africa Cape Verde Ahead of Municipal Day, marked on 22 January, the city councillor of São Vicente announced plans to start a set of “structural works” including asphalt paving, stormwater drainage and the desilting of channels and dikes
Asia Kazakhstan A controversial set of amendments into law banning “LGBT propaganda” has been signed; Kazakh and international rights activists say it will institutionalize discrimination against LGBT people and give authorities an additional tool to curb free speech
Europe Poland Łódź has been ranked the fourth most congested city in the world, with commuters using an average of 135 hours in rush-hour gridlock in 2025; fatalities fell by nearly 13% even as traffic volumes remained high and traffic conditions in many major Polish
Europe United Kingdom New BBC strategic partnership with video platform YouTube will showcase “the best homegrown storytelling and news from across” the British broadcaster; BBC will “expand” its activities on YouTube, including tailor-made content for younger audiences
Europe France La Clef, a legendary arthouse cinema in Paris's Latin Quarter, reopened after years of closure a sit-in of its employees and a fundraising involving top directors; a collective of its supporters now runs it on a voluntary basis, with admission by donation
America Dominican Republic Lasting greenish coloration at Hatillo Dam worries surrounding communities that depend on it for fishing and daily use; they urged authorities to act immediately to protect public health and ecosystem of largest freshwater reservoir in Greater Antilles
Europe Vatican City The Holy Door of St. Peter's, that Pope Leo closed last of four at the major papal basilicas, was sealed in a solemn rite presided over by Archpriest of St. Peter and the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations marking the last of the Jubilee rites
Asia Qatar Qatar condemned the initiation of demolitions in the complex of the UNRWA in occupied Jerusalem, operated by the Israeli occupation authorities; the official note reads it is a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law