Oceania Marshall Islands The fish aggregation devices FADs that fishing boats use to make catches easier, lately equipped with satellite communications gear to pinpoint location, are now being built by drug cartels that wrap packs of cocaine and radio transponders to trace troves
Europe Hungary In Székesfehérvár, central Hungary, a memorial will be built to serve as a suitable resting place for Hungarian kings originally buried in the coronation basilica, destroyed during the Turkish occupation
Europe Montenegro According to Institute of Public Health's HIV Registry, in the first 6 months of this year the number of new HIV-infected persons registered in Budva does not differ from last year, after it had been rumoured that there had been a sharp increase
Europe Bulgaria The long battle with the European Commission, which wanted to label rose oil as a chemical posing potential health risks, has been won by the country, as announced by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food
Europe Moldova As the country prepares for intensive negotiations as part of its path to EU membership, the lack of qualified experts to lead the talks is a crucial issue
Africa Malawi The Merck Foundation, together with the First Lady of Malawi, has so far provided 40 grants to local doctors in critical and underserved specialties
Asia Taiwan Language diversity was celebrated at Golden Melody Awards with prizes celebrating not only Mandopop, but also artists singing in Taiwanese, Hakka and indigenous languages, a visible sign of government's efforts to promote languages other than Mandarin
Europe Bosnia and Herzegovina In Banja Luka families with four or more children will receive free payments for the construction of a residential building, if they have not resolved the housing issue
Europe Kosovo The 5km mini-marathon 'Run for Autism', which contributes to raising awareness in society about autism, took place, with many diplomats participating in the event
Asia Sri Lanka The parliament approved a plan to restructure the national debt, which is crucial to continue the $2,9 billion bailout by the International Monetary Fund
Europe Portugal Applications to obtain Portuguese nationality increased by about 37% reaching 74.506 last year compared to 2021; it is the highest figure in four years, said Foreigners and Borders Service SEF
Europe Estonia 43% of Estonians would opt for an electric or hybrid car if possible, shows a survey commissioned by Moller Baltic Import; the percentage of those who prefer an all-electric or hybrid car is highest between the ages of 40 and 49
Europe Czech Republic Facilitating marriage for same-sex couples has been debated by Parliament, which approved 2 contradictory drafts: one envisages enactment of marriage for same-sex couples, the other enshrines protection of marriage as a union between a man and a woman
Asia Kazakhstan With UNDP support, the upgraded Sayramsu Anizdary tourist trail was opened in the Sayram-Ugam State National Nature Park, located in the north-east part of the Western Tien-Shan Mountain range