Asia Laos Mineral sector has exceeded its five-year production and revenue targets; The government credits stricter oversight, improved licensing, and stronger environmental standards
Europe Greece A rare summer storm reached Athens from northern and central regions, bringing heavy rainfall and flash floods to parts of the capital, while more rain is expected in northern regions, helping fight a wildfire burning near homes in Thessaloniki
Asia Iraq The Iraqi Chamber of Commerce has received the prestigious award for “Best Performing National Committee” in the world from the International Chamber of Commerce; the honor was bestowed during the ICC Annual Week held in Paris on 17-20 June 2025
Africa Liberia Residents of Gedetarbo - traditional leaders, youth, women’s groups - feel deceived as authorities are allegedly planning to relocate the long-awaited Maryland Vocational Training Institute from its agreed site despite formal land donation and commitments
Oceania Fiji Fijian Nazhat Shameem Khan, former deputy chief prosecutor of the ICC, now sits at the top prosecutorial position at the International Criminal Court: she took over leadership as Karim AA Khan stepped down upon a UN investigation into alleged misconduct
Asia Pakistan Five qualified bids have been announced to fully privatize Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), including consortia of major firms and a military-backed company; it is Pakistan’s first major privatization in nearly 20 years
Asia Iran Inno Bank was inaugurated; it is Iran's first specialized technology neo-bank, designed to create smart financial infrastructure for the innovation ecosystem, specifically supporting technology startups and knowledge-based companies
Oceania Palau A new voter database system, GVRS Hybrid, has replaced the older software; according to the Palau Election Commission, it improves registration tracking introducing major upgrades in voter data management, fraud prevention and election transparency
Asia South Korea Full support for AI as a key growth driver was pledged by President Lee Jae Myung, who launched a major data center project in Ulsan with SK Group and AWS, part of an “AI highway” to help make Korea a global AI leader, backed by tax breaks and reforms
Europe Estonia Construction of anti-tank ditches on the southeastern border will begin this week; anti-tank measures on the Estonian-Russian border are part of the Baltic Defence Line initiative, designed to halt a potential enemy military land attack
Europe Romania Danube Delta came alive yesterday with the 5th edition of the women’s perch fishing competition in Mira 23; the contest is inspired by the local tradition of Mira 23 where, as the fishing ban ends, the women of the village head out to catch perch
Asia Qatar Efforts have been stepped up to boost local food production in vital food categories: under its National Food Security Strategy 2030, Qatar aims for 55% self-reliance in vegetables, 30% in red meat, 80% in fish, 100% in dairy and fresh poultry production
Asia Sri Lanka Latest episode of Guardians portraits Sri Lanka’s rangers in their activities to save the island’s endangered elephants; the wildlife docuseries spearheaded by Prince William and United for Wildlife aims to reframe the global image of rangers
Africa Tanzania As World Refugee Day was celebrated in Nduta Refugee Camp, the director stressed the importance of making informed decisions about the future, taking the opportunity for voluntary repatriation to a more stable Burundi, amid declining aid agencies