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 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
Asia Taiwan Taiwan’s National Fire Agency, founded on 1 March 1995, celebrated the 30 year anniversary of its founding with the opening of the upgraded NFA Training Center in Nantou County, expected to enhance the country's disaster response preparedness
Oceania Samoa Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, leader of Human Rights Protection Party, has defended his party’s proposal to cut the 15% Value Added Goods and Services Tax as a direct response to the nation’s worsening cost of living
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
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
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
Africa Sierra Leone Leoncom signed an interconnection agreement with Guinea's SOGEB to link their national fiber optic infrastructures to improve cross-border data exchange and reduce internet costs
Africa Guinea Guinea's opposition groups reject the election management body newly created by the military junta; the Directorate General of Elections is tasked with managing upcoming elections constitutional referendum in September and general elections this December
Africa Guinea-Bissau A nationwide strike by education, health, and justice sector unions continues for the second week, crippling public services; the protest stems from unpaid salaries spanning 17 months, with doctors at the main hospital leading the action
Europe Bosnia and Herzegovina The BiH embassies in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran and Tel Aviv, State of Israel will be temporarily closed following a Presidency decision taken at an extraordinary session; diplomatic relations will be continued from Sarajevo
Oceania Marshall Islands ABC Radio Australia went On Air in Majuro at 7pm on 13 June, going live for the first time in over a decade with its 24/7 programs on 106.7FM; to mark the milestone development, Australian Ambassador Paul Wilson hosted a gathering with a countdown
Oceania Kiribati The South Pacific Ocean shouldn't be a proving ground for weapon testing by major powers, Kiribati stated; the country is one of China's closest Pacific allies and China had performed a nuclear-capable missile test in 2024
Africa Guinea-Bissau Starlink satellite internet service was officially launched in Guinea-Bissau, seventh country in West Africa; the service aims to improve internet access where 67,5% of the population has been lacking internet connectivity