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
Asia Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. would reportedly be open to discussing Philippines rejoining of the International Criminal Court; His administration will “study it carefully,” following UN calls to reverse the 2019 withdrawal amid human rights concerns
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
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
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
Europe Poland An unspecified number of young seal pups have been found dead in a number of Poland’s northwest beaches, discovered by walkers; local WWF said foul play hasn't been ruled out but the phenomenon was most likely caused by recent storms and strong winds
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
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
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 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
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
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
Africa Lesotho Over 300 soldiers of the Lesotho Defence Force who participated in the Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique have resorted to demand the payment of their long-overdue allowances through a petition to the government
Europe United Kingdom Wimbledon Championships qualifying matches will start tomorrow Monday 23, breaking with a 147-years long tradition: computer-based technology Hawk-Eye Live will replace line judges; the French Open will remain the last human line-judged tennis Grand Slam