Asia Bangladesh Prisoners in Bangladesh legally earn Tk2, € 1 cent, per day for their labour: so low that it undermines efforts to rehabilitate inmates through meaningful work; the inspector general of prisons raised the issue amid reforms in the prison employment system
Europe Greece The recent spike in migrant arrivals and the problem of where to house them is laying bare social tensions on the island of Crete, were at least 500 people have been rescued at sea in a single night and summer sea conditions are favorable to more arrivals
Europe Romania VAT has been risen from 19 to 21% on most goods (11% on food, medicines, books, public utilities, district heating, water and sewage services), excise duties on fuel and alcohol brought up 10%, public-sector wage freezed to curb a surging budget deficit
Europe Albania Beachgoers across Albania can access designated public beach areas free of charge in summer 2025 following a decades-awaited regulation that mandates 30% of every 1.000 meter of coastal stretch be open to the public
America Saint Lucia First African head of State to address St. Lucia Parliament, Nigerian President Tinubu in his official visit announced scholarships for Saint Lucian students, proposed deeper academic collaboration, more cooperation in trade, education, cultural exchange
Europe Serbia Police in Belgrade worked to remove roadblocks set up by protesters over the weekend, while protesters moved to reinstall them, amid continuing civil disobedience caused by anger at arrests of eight people accused of plotting to “overthrow the state”
Asia Taiwan The Penghu Water Recreation Activities Association is offering a bounty of NT$300 (US$10) for each crown-of-thorns starfish caught in local waters: feeding on coral polyps, the living tissue of coral reefs, the are killing off large tracts of reefs
Asia Pakistan The Dhabeji pumping station remained without power for over 96 hours due to cable faults worsened by rain, deepening Karachi’s water crisis with a daily shortfall of up to 350 million gallons and residents forced to rely on expensive water tankers
Europe Slovenia Ljubljana's Stožice national stadium has a new turf: after years of puddles and patchy grass, the pitch now has undergone a complete €1,8 million renewal
Asia Azerbaijan Two Azeri brothers died in Russian custody, enlarging a diplomatic rift between the to countries; experts say Azerbaijan is challenging Moscow's dominant role in the South Caucasus and establishing itself as a regional power
Africa Benin Producers, directors and other more film industry professionals are setting a link between Los Angeles and Cotonou, aiming to develop Beninese cinema and hoping to make it essential across the African continent
Africa Botswana One of the three main distributaries of the Okavango Delta, the Jao/Boro system, appears to be dying; though scientists haven't confirm its potential demise, local communities point to an evident, deliberate diversion of water towards private properties
Europe Belgium 1 in 4 young foreign workers in Belgium feels overqualified for their job, says recent analysis by Statbel, especially at entry-level, and 1 in 5 Belgian youth have jobs below their skill level, while the country has the second highest job vacancy in EU
Asia Cyprus The ‘Youth Declaration: A Declaration of Unity. Empowering Youth Voices in Cyprus' has been published by the Youth Council and 24 civil society organisations; it outlines a common vision and asks to have a say in decision-making and efforts to build peace