Opium production in Afghanistan rose despite ban: UN report
The Taliban banned the cultivation of narcotics in 2022, causing a drop in opium production last year. However, this year it rose by 19%, according to a report by the UNODC. A UN report published on Wednesday said opium poppy production in Afghanistan rose by 19% in 2024,
Ukraine reports first clash with North Korean troops
Ukrainian troops have had their first skirmish with North Korean troops, Kyiv says. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the development “opens a new page” in global instability. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry on Tuesday confirmed that its troops had for the first
Sweden jails activist who burned Quran for inciting hatred
Far-right activist Rasmus Paludan caused outrage when he burned a copy of
Tehran says German-Iranian died before execution
An Iranian statement contradicts an earlier confirmation from the regime that Jamshid
Indonesia: Rescuers comb debris after deadly eruption
Aid workers on the island of Flores were still searching for survivors
Politics
Mozambique: Government faced with fresh protests
Protests by opposition groups against the ruling party FRELIMO’s victory in the presidential elections could escalate. Mozambique’s repressive regime continues to quell demonstrations with
Germany, France vow close cooperation as Trump nears victory
German Chancellor Scholz and French President Macron held a conference to discuss what a second Trump term could look like for Europe. Both countries’
US presidency: Why so long from election to inauguration?
The period between the US election and the winner’s official inauguration lasts 11 weeks. Why so long? What is the government doing between November
Business
Ukraine updates: Germany’s Baerbock pledges more aid in Kyiv
Germany’s foreign minister is in Ukraine ahead of the winter as allies grow concerned by the presence of North Korean troops in the region. She pledged additional assistance for the coming winter.
Sport
Culture
Quincy Jones: ‘Thriller’ producer dies at 91
The music titan produced Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” album and worked with Frank Sinatra. His family said he died in his home in Los Angeles.
Cultural Compact: Verdi masterpiece, Japanese woodcutting, explorations of nature and more
Exhibitions, music, architecture, books, festivals… this is Belga English’s pick of cultural activities in Flanders and Brussels, published every Sunday. Giuseppe Verdi’s Messa da
Thailand aims for record-breaking tourist traffic in 2025
Thailand wants to attract 40 million tourists in 2025 in an effort to make up for growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. But the bump
One Direction singer Liam Payne dies aged 31
Former One Direction singer Liam Payne has been found dead after he fell from a hotel balcony in Argentina. Payne had been vocal about
Society
Germans are happier than they were last year — study
People in Germany reported they were happier in 2024 than they were in previous years. In five states, life satisfaction reached or exceeded pre-pandemic levels. Germans are significantly happier than they were
India’s New Delhi cloaked in smog after Diwali celebrations
The Indian capital topped charts as the world’s most-polluted city after firecrackers from Diwali celebrations pushed air quality to dangerous levels. A thick layer of smog shrouded New Delhi on Friday, after
Hedgehogs being decimated by human behavior: report
The latest Red List of Threatened Species says the mammal is “near threatened” due to loss of habitat to urbanization and farming. The report paints a grim picture of alarming rates of