Asia Laos New rules for intellectual property protection wereintroduced, allowing businesses to protect industrial designs internationally through a single application under the Hague System; It simplifies registration and administrative procedures, reducing costs
Africa Comoros The discovery of a newborn baby abandoned in a latrine in Ntsoralé Dimani sparked a wave of violence against the mother's family, their house was burned and ransacked by villagers; The episode of mob justice raises many questions
Asia South Korea Poverty rate among older adults in South Korea fell below 40% for the first time thank to higher pensions and expanded welfare support; Despite the improvement, the country still records the highest elderly poverty rate among OECD countries
America Saint Lucia Saint Lucian Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred became the third-fastest woman ever in the 200m with her 21,51 seconds run at the Meeting Herculis in Monaco's Stade Louis II
Europe Finland Finnish authorities have ordered the immediate closure of the last operating Nordicshape cosmetic clinic after inspectors found serious patient safety failures at its Helsinki premises
America Honduras Nearly 98% of homicide went unpunished in 2025 in Honduras, despite significant public spending on security and justice, according to the Association for a More Just Society ASJ, which also warned about persistent extortion and gender-based violence
Asia Laos About $12 million in digital taxes from global technology companies have been collected under new law: foreign providers of online services must register with Lao tax authorities regardless of whether they have a physical presence in the country
America Haiti Hundreds rallied in Miami, USA, urging Congress to Protect Haiti TPS; Immigrant advocates, faith leaders and community members called on Congress to pass S. 4814 as TPS recipients face the loss of legal protections and work authorization
Oceania Tonga Women from across Tonga have endorsed the Tonga Women’s Platform for Action 2026 to 2029, a national roadmap aimed at advancing women’s leadership, rights, and opportunities over the next three years
Asia Bhutan Jigmeling Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre is undergoing a major expansion to improve treatment and rehabilitation of injured and rescued wild animals; The upgraded facility will strengthen veterinary services to support wildlife conservation
America Bolivia Seven presidential decrees have introduced economic reforms covering fuel supply, imports, electricity tariffs, pensions and mining, as the government seeks to boost investment and stabilize the economy
Asia Georgia Graphic artist Lasha Inashvili has won the official poster competition of the 2027 Hahnenkamm Races in Kitzbühel, Austria; His winning design was selected among 286 submissions by 138 international artists and he is the first person to ever win twice
Africa Tunisia The 16th edition of "Sea Week," organized by WWF North Africa, is about to be held in Mahdiaon 13-18 July; designed as a summer school, the event is tied to the "Tunisia towards 30×30" project and part of WWF North Africa such to heal the Mediterranean
America Bahamas 10 pounds of suspected hydroponic marijuana have been seized by the police during a special operation on the shoreline in western New Providence