Asia Brunei The Basic Haj and Umrah Course 1448H/2026M has began at selected mosques nationwide to equip prospective haj and umrah pilgrims with essential knowledge on the rites and provide physical, spiritual and mental guidance
America Saint Lucia Saint Lucian Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred became the third-fastest woman ever in the 200m with her 21,51 seconds run at the Meeting Herculis in Monaco's Stade Louis II
Asia South Korea Poverty rate among older adults in South Korea fell below 40% for the first time thank to higher pensions and expanded welfare support; Despite the improvement, the country still records the highest elderly poverty rate among OECD countries
Africa Comoros The discovery of a newborn baby abandoned in a latrine in Ntsoralé Dimani sparked a wave of violence against the mother's family, their house was burned and ransacked by villagers; The episode of mob justice raises many questions
Africa Togo Integrated Strategic Plan for Rabies Elimination will begin with a pilot phase in the Plateaux region; its pillars are epidemiological surveillance, dog bites prevention, better dog vaccination coverage, timely care for people exposed, community awareness
Europe Finland Finnish authorities have ordered the immediate closure of the last operating Nordicshape cosmetic clinic after inspectors found serious patient safety failures at its Helsinki premises
America Honduras Nearly 98% of homicide went unpunished in 2025 in Honduras, despite significant public spending on security and justice, according to the Association for a More Just Society ASJ, which also warned about persistent extortion and gender-based violence
Asia Laos About $12 million in digital taxes from global technology companies have been collected under new law: foreign providers of online services must register with Lao tax authorities regardless of whether they have a physical presence in the country
Asia Bhutan Jigmeling Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre is undergoing a major expansion to improve treatment and rehabilitation of injured and rescued wild animals; The upgraded facility will strengthen veterinary services to support wildlife conservation
Oceania Tonga Women from across Tonga have endorsed the Tonga Women’s Platform for Action 2026 to 2029, a national roadmap aimed at advancing women’s leadership, rights, and opportunities over the next three years
America Haiti Hundreds rallied in Miami, USA, urging Congress to Protect Haiti TPS; Immigrant advocates, faith leaders and community members called on Congress to pass S. 4814 as TPS recipients face the loss of legal protections and work authorization
Africa Niger A large seizure of water birds hunted by poachers saw the arrival in Diffa of the Minister of the environment; at the Environment and Military Equipment Brigade he promised a firm stance against waterfowl poaching
America Bolivia Seven presidential decrees have introduced economic reforms covering fuel supply, imports, electricity tariffs, pensions and mining, as the government seeks to boost investment and stabilize the economy
Asia United Arab Emirates Gold jewellery in the UAE is costing up to 13% less than in India, and many UAE residents travelling home for holidays wonder how much gold they can legally carry into India after changes to baggage rules in 2026 and revised duty-free allowances for gold