Belarus–US Prison Swap: Belarus released 25 political prisoners after talks with a US envoy, with Washington agreeing to lift sanctions on two Belarusian companies, while details of who was freed continued to be processed in Vilnius. Middle East University Militarisation: A new report says Yemen’s Houthi authorities are using universities under their control for ideological mobilisation and military training, reflecting a wider regional trend toward securitising higher education. Kurdish Conflict Diplomacy: Türkiye and Iran’s interior ministers discussed dismantling PKK affiliates and cross-border security, with Türkiye stressing the need to include PJAK in the process. US–Iran Political Pressure: US lawmakers pushed to end the Iran war vote again as House Speaker Mike Johnson moved to adjourn early, amid accusations he was avoiding politically damaging action. AI Meets Politics: Nvidia is bringing its GTC “Super Bowl of AI” back to Washington as public concern grows over jobs and energy-heavy data centres, while US officials debate “slow down” versus no moratorium. Local Governance & Money: Philadelphia expanded party coordination spending under a new ethics policy, while a judge’s remarks about DA Larry Krasner raised fresh legal and political uncertainty. Council of Europe Focus: Bulgaria’s President Iliana Iotova met EU and Council of Europe leaders on human rights, security, and reforms, including monitoring tied to the OMO Ilinden cases.