Africa Madagascar The mass arrest of young activists from GEN Z has prompted the reaction of Amnesty International and the French Teachers' Union that denounce an intensification of repression, arbitrary arrest, enforced disappearance
Europe Germany A particular proposal providing tax incentives for qualified foreign workers is being discussed; it is contained in the economic growth plan presented by the government coalition of Social Democrats, Greens and Liberals
Africa Ivory Coast Abidjan has given the go-ahead for the establishment of a US base in Odienné, north-west Ivory Coast, from where Sahelian jihadist groups can threaten the Gulf of Guinea countries
Asia Malaysia The Bishop of the Catholic Church in Penang officially announced the start of the process of beatification and canonisation of Sybil Kathigasu, a famous war nurse and Catholic lay figure, who could be Malaysia's first saint
Europe Denmark From 15 July in Copenhagen, tourists who travel by public transport or bicycle and take part in activities that are good for the environment will be rewarded with free meals and free entry to museums in a pilot programme called CopenPay
Europe Bulgaria The government avoided protests from pharmacies by agreeing to pay higher fees to pharmacies that provide free medicines to patients; some pharmacies in large cities had started to stop work for two hours a day
Africa Nigeria Google will help train 8.000 young Nigerians in creative industries through Engage Nigeria, a programme that has already trained 20.000 Nigerians in digital technology last year
Africa Zimbabwe 7,6 million Zimbabweans, almost half the population, are in need of aid given the severe drought in the country, the UN has reported; in June, the UN appealed for $429 million, but funding has been slow to materialise
America Trinidad and Tobago Shell Trinidad and Tobago, a subsidiary of UK energy major Shell, has made the final investment decision for the Manatee gas field to enhance its integrated gas business through this initiative
Asia Japan Unable to get married legally in Japan, LGBTQ couples are celebrating their special bond by donning traditional kimonos and fashionable formal wear for "photo weddings"; still, these choreographed images are often kept hidden in the conservative society
Africa Tanzania The Tanzanian butterfly forest has been recreated in Italy to raise awareness for biodiversity research; various species flutter freely in 600 square metres of forest inside a greenhouse at the Trento Science Museum
America Canada NATO member Canada updated its defense policy this year with a focus on protecting the Arctic and is moving ahead to acquire up to 12 submarines; a formal process to meet with manufacturers has started
Africa Benin French-Beninese citizen Kemi Seba, a well-known pan-Africanist activist in both France and West Africa, has been stripped of his French citizenship for his strongly anti-Western analyses cloaked in pan-Africanism
Africa Burkina Faso Homosexuality will be made illegale in the country upon decision of the council of ministers of the junta; it has been legal in Burkina Faso since 1996, although homosexuals and LGBT+ activists in the country have often faced difficulties