Asia China “Bone ash apartments" will be illegal after new law prohibits use of residential properties to store ashes or bury remains outside dedicated areas; scarce space in cemeteries, low house prices made more affordable to entomb remains in an empty apartment
America Guyana The Guyanese diaspora has been addressed by President Ali, who called on them to return home and invest in the country’s transformation, promising support, protection for investments, and a welcoming environment amid rapid national development
Asia Kazakhstan Citizens from 14 countries have received Kazakhstan’s Neo Nomad Visa since its introduction last year; citizens of the United States, Canada and France are the largest number
Europe North Macedonia As a new school year began, Minister says deep-seated problems in North Macedonia’s education system - shortage of free-of-charge textbooks, inflated grades, outdated university courses and old curricula - will take years to sort out
Africa Cape Verde The first of two new ATR72-600 aircraft for the Cabo Verde Air Transport fleet landed in Praia; the flight was operated by Brazilian crew, reflecting the investment made in training and developing Cape Verdean professionals in the civil aviation sector
Africa Mali Pari Mutuel Urbain Mali PMU-Mali, the country’s state-backed betting operator, launched its 31st anniversary celebrations, announcing a special CFA100m (€152,000) prize pool for loyal customers
Asia Japan The Tokyo Game Show, one of the world's biggest gaming events, opened with 1.136 exhibitors and expects 250.000 visitors; evident trends are independent developers that create small-budget innovative titles and the increasing application of AI
America Guatemala Guatemala secured a legal victory after a US judge blocked the Trump administration from deporting unaccompanied Guatemalan children with active immigration cases
Africa Libya A fully equipped medical clinic has set sail from the Libyan capital, Tripoli, aboard the vessel Omar Al-Mukhtar on a humanitarian mission to support the Global Sumood Convoy, which aims to break the blockade on Gaza
Europe Bulgaria Contracts for the use and transit of Russian natural gas will be terminated next year, with a complete exit from the Russian gas market planned by 2028, announced PM Rosen Zhelyazkov at UN Assembly, confirming that Bulgaria will align with EU decisions
Oceania Tonga Motions proposed by the Practice Parliament for Women 2025 to the Tonga Legislative Assembly were met with resistance from the House, during its final sitting for the year, which Speaker Lord Fakafanua called "degrading and mocking terms towards women"
Asia Taiwan Super typhoon Ragasa has hit Taiwan, leaving at least 14 dead and 124 missing as torrential rains, 200 km/h winds in eastern Hualien broke a water barrier, flooding the town of Guangfu; over 700 flights were canceled, alerts issued in China and Hong Kong
Africa Democratic Republic of the Congo Response to the Ebola outbreak is accelerating, with control measures being scaled up leading to quicker detection of the virus, early start of treatment; over 90% of contacts of confirmed cases are monitored and followed up, from just 19% a fortnight ago
Europe Lithuania 15 people have been charged in Lithuania over an alleged plan for arson attacks through courier services backed by Russian military intelligence service GRU; suspects include citizens from Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Ukraine