Asia Azerbaijan A two-day international conference titled "Islamophobia in Focus: Unveiling Bias, Shattering Stigmas" is taking place in Baku, organized by Azerbaijan and supranational organizations, honoring 3rd anniversary of International Day to Combat Islamophobia
Asia Iraq Hasan Hadi, first ever Iraq filmmaker to participate in Cannes Film Festival, won debut prize for "The President's Cake"; he dedicated it to "every kid or child who somehow finds love, friendship and joy amid war, sanctions and dictatorship"
Asia Iran Winning the Palme d’Or in Cannes 2025 for best film for It Was Just an Accident, Iranian director Jafar Panahi is the fourth director after Clouzot, Antonioni and Altman to complete the rare triple crown with Venice's Golden Lion and Berlin's Golden Bear
Asia Georgia Tbilisi City Hall will dismantle the twin glass-and-steel structures in Rike Park known a the “Rike Jars,” as they do not align with the city’s urban development guidelines; a new development would occupy the same footprint as the current structures
Asia Kazakhstan Five major initiatives with a total investment of around $19.5 billion in the metallurgical and petrochemical sectors are being implemented, expected to create over 8.000 permanent jobs; the news was reported during a May 21 government meeting
Asia Cyprus The native bee population in Cyprus is estimated around 25% of the original number; bees imported from other countries - Italy, Turkey and Israel - is increasing at the expense of the Cypriot bee, which doesn't produce as much honey as the imported ones
Asia Thailand Thailand will push for greater international engagement with Myanmar’s junta at the upcoming ASEAN summit, aiming to expand diplomatic efforts to end the civil war
Asia North Korea With 'Hidden Heroes: An Anthology of North Korean Fiction', selection of 10 short contemporary stories on ordinary citizens who quietly contributed to society, curators Kim and Berthelier make a point of distinguishinging propaganda from storytelling
Asia Syria The energy industry, once the backbone of the Syrian economy, is now the strategic bottleneck as the country starts its post-sanctions recovery; experts warn the sector would need $20 billion
Asia Iran Iran's National Virtual Space Center will take legal action against Google and other international platforms over the distortion of the historical name of the Persian Gulf, considering the use of other names a violation of national identity and of ICCPR
Asia Tajikistan Tajik labor migrants residing in Russia and seeking to legalize their status within the new deadline of 10 September report unfair treatment and discrimination at Kazakh-Russian border
Asia Japan With rice at record-high prices, Japan authorities warn of scams in fraudulent websites claiming to sell rice at low prices, while new farm minister plans to abandon auctioning stockpiled rice and set prices through negotiation to better control them
Asia Uzbekistan Teen friends from Jizzakh won 'World of 8 Billion International Student Video Contest' with their fresh ideas on nurturing child well-being; their 60'' video, Brighter Future for Every Child, emerged among thousands of entries from teens in 67 countries