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 Sweden An Iranian citizen was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Swedish court after being found guilty of committing war crimes and murder during the final phase of the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s
Oceania Fiji New Zealand's Prime Minister has announced $12,6 million in funding for the Equal Opportunities Action Programme that will help the nation address broader issues such as child poverty reduction
Asia Vietnam A plan to teach history as a compulsory subject in the general education curriculum, with 52 lessons each year in high school, has been issued by the Ministry of Education and Training
Europe Italy The country loses one of its most influential signatures and intellectuals with the death of Eugenio Scalfari, 98, founder of the newspaper La Repubblica, considered a pioneer director-manager
Europe Vatican City Pope Francis appointed three women to the Dicastery for Bishops, the first time women have been appointed to the Dicastery responsible for identifying future bishops globally
Asia Oman Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources launched a survey of lanternfish stocks in the Sea of Oman to explore the commercial potential of this important marine resource as an effort to develop the country's fishing sector
Europe Liechtenstein Gutenberg Castle in Balzers, one of the five castles of the principality - survived intact until the present day and not used by members of the House of Liechtenstein, will be managed by a private organization
America Costa Rica A national emergency has been declared due to the disaster that Hurricane Bonnie left in the northern part of the country, that caused approximately 150 landslides and the displacement of over 300 households
Asia Taiwan Taiwanese researchers successfully conducted a test flight of the second-stage propulsion system of the indigenous HTTP-3A sounding rocket, which could be used in the future to carry miniature communication satellites into orbit
Africa Zambia The National Union of Students of Zambia and its affiliated trade unions call on Parliament to amend the Public Order Bill, which defends the right of students and citizens to peacefully assemble and uphold the need for law and order
Asia Syria The UN Security Council extended for 6 months the passage of humanitarian aid from the Bab al Hawa border crossing between Turkey and a rebel-held area of Syria; Western countries had asked for a one-year extension, but Russia imposed a 6-month deadline
Europe Switzerland In order to contain the spread of pigeons, the city authorities of Delémont have put into operation a drone equipped with a video camera with which a specialised company is trying to find the nooks and crannies where they take refuge and proliferate
America Chile The government announced a US$1.2 billion economic aid plan that includes bonuses and labor subsidies for over 19 million inhabitants to boost formal employment