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
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
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
Europe Latvia 39% of Latvian internet users will spend Midsummer night in the countryside, according to an annual survey by the internet tech research company Gemius, a figure in line with previous years, as are the 19% of respondents who won't celebrate
Asia Maldives The ‘Civil-Military Workshop on Health Emergency Preparedness’ was held on 18-19 June to strengthen the Maldives' International Health Regulations core capacities; it was organized by WHO in collaboration with nation's Health Protection Agency
Europe Slovenia Single women and women in same-sex relationships can now access to assisted reproduction procedures after Slovenia's parliament passed specific act after decades of debate; in autumn 2024, Constitutional Court had ruled unconstitutional the existing law
Europe Spain Following latest report showing 90% of migrant minors don't have documents, the government has sped up the issuing of around 800 papers through its sub-delegation in Las Palmas, Canary Islands, where thousand of migrants from African coasts land
America Grenada Turtle watching tours on lever Beach have been closed for the 2025 nesting season, effective immediately; the decision was taken following a consistent reduction of female leatherback turtles recently observed nesting and a decline in turtle appearances
Africa Togo The Committee to Protect Journalists called on authorities in Togo to withdraw a 90-days broadcasting ban on TV France 24 and Radio France International - belonging to Monde media group - due to 'repeated failures' in accuracy, impartiality, rigor
America Haiti Sunrise Airways has resumed domestic flights, but continued to charge sky-high fares despite $11M aid from Haitian government; residents feel exploited as the high ticket price saga continues and reinforce their demands for market competition
Europe Slovakia Banners criticising PM Robert Fico have appeared on bridges in several eastern Slovak towns in recent weeks, reflecting mounting public frustration with the government’s political direction, even in the areas traditionally more loyal to his party
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
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 Saudi Arabia Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Commission of Saudi Arabia stated that there have been no radiation leaks affecting the country, thus confirming the safety of the Kingdom’s environment notwithstanding rising regional tensions