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
Oceania Australia Third largest pet store announced it would ban the sale of live animals across its 58 shops nationwide; Animals Australia figures show that about 15% of cats and dogs are purchased from pet shops nationwide, while the majority of pet sales are online
Asia Afghanistan Around 100 tons of Panjshir cherries, a valuable crop, will this year be exported to central Asian countries and Russia; India and Pakistan used to be biggest importers of products from Panjshir and other provinces before relations deteriorated
Europe Belarus Belarus' gold and foreign exchange reserves were estimated at $11.158 billion on 1 June, and half of the value is monetary gold; figures ground on preliminary data published on the National Bank's website
America Grenada Burial grounds are an issue: a Cabinet sub-committee under Climate Resilience Minister Kerryne James is tasked with coming up with a policy to address the lack of space for burial of the dead at most cemeteries around the island
Asia Cyprus The Aids Solidarity Movement announced the launch of Cyprus’ first information and empowerment centre for PrEP - pre-exposure prophylaxis -, a medication that significantly reduces the risk of HIV infection
America Dominican Republic A daily ferry route connecting San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic, to Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, is coming closer to feasibility: Dominican authorities report that all preparations, including port upgrades, are complete
Asia Turkmenistan The closing ceremony of the International Dance and Folklore Festival "Avaza - land of friendship" will take place today in the water park of the Avaza NTZ with the presentation of diplomas to participants and a final concert of groups from five countries
Africa Algeria Algeria is reportedly being targeted by a hate and aggressive campaign led by “orphans of the word, sell-out journalists serving their country’s enemies,” according to an article published on the website Patriotic Algeriaa
Asia Bahrain Hundreds of children in traditional costumes flocked to beaches across Bahrain to throw plants into the sea to celebrate one of the country’s favourite family rituals: Heya Beya is a historic tradition celebrated on the eve of Eid Al Adha
Africa Egypt Authorities have called on foreigners to full compliance with travel, immigration and residence laws for their entry and stay and they are urged to abide by the duration of the visa; all Egyptians abroad will see their interests and legal rights protected
Africa Botswana Satellite technologies are offering new means of connectivity to Botswana’s remote communities without access to traditional infrastructure, like fibre or cellular networks: Low Earth Orbit LEO satellite services are enabling digital transformation
America Bahamas The Commonwealth of the Bahamas joined the Escazú Agreement, a Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean; it's the 9th CARICOM Member State, 18th in the region
Europe Bulgaria A convergence report on Bulgaria’s readiness to adopt the Euro from 2026 has been issued by the European Commission, while over 100 anti-Eurozone demonstrations were held, claiming that changing the Lev would represent a loss of national identity