Oceania Australia New law to ban social media for children under 16 passed after days of heated debate; Australia set a benchmark for jurisdictions around the world with one of the toughest regulations targeting Big Tech
America Paraguay New NGO reports reveal that collagen trade is a contributor to deforestation in Paraguay's Gran Chaco forest, particularly impacting the Ayoreo Totobiegosode indigenous territory, where it caused 18.000 hectares of deforestation from 2021-2023
Europe North Macedonia Vulnerable to both severe flooding and drought, the country could suffer economic damage of up to 4% of its gross domestic product by 2050 due to the impact of climate change, according to a new World Bank Group Country Climate and Development Report
Africa Namibia The Namibian Police have urged the public and businesses to inform law enforcement authorities when transporting large amounts of money, as communication between the police and communities is vital to prevent robberies and ensure public safety
Oceania Kiribati The pro-Chinese president of Kiribati said his nation 'does not welcome' Beijing's recent ballistic missile test launch in the Pacific
Oceania New Zealand Three New Zealand universities dropped in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025 and none of the eight New Zealand featured universities improved their ranking this year
Europe Kosovo The decision to scrap a ban on imports of Serbian finished goods at the Merdare border crossing - a key demand of the EU and a measure Kosovo imposed citing security reasons - was welcomed by the European Union’s office in Pristina
Africa Mauritania The GALAB-Global Accelerator Lab project has been launched in Mauritania to combat child labour, trafficking and exploitation in the region upon initiative of the International Labour Organisation
Africa Burkina Faso Voice of America broadcasts has been suspended in Burkina Faso for three months for coverage of militant attacks in the country and neighbouring Mali
America Cuba Cuba submitted an official request to join the BRICS as a partner country in a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin
Asia Afghanistan Song Wenbing, the head of the contracting company of the Aynak copper mine, revealed plans to invest over five billion dollars in the first phase of the project after meeting in the presence of the Taliban authorities
Asia Cambodia The upcoming Samdech Thipadei Award for Khmer MMA Championships (Phnom Penh, 11-14 Oct) highlights the deep historical roots of Khmer martial arts, key to the nation's identity; the championships will feature traditional performances and MMA competitions
America Peru In the first eight months of 2024, Peru set a new record in avocado exports, shipping 539.313 tons worth US$1,129 billion, making it the highest value yet recorded
Asia Bangladesh The US has appealed to Bangladesh to protect the rights of its minority communities in the wake of increasing attacks on the Hindu minority community after the resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina