Europe Moldova Leveraging the IMF assistance and support from other development partners to accelerate reforms and align public policies with international best practices was a key topic at the closing meeting of the International Monetary Fund mission in Moldova
Asia Malaysia Halal exports reached US$7 billion in the first half of 2025, making up 16,1% of Malaysia’s total exports; Main products include food and beverages, halal ingredients, and palm oil derivatives, with key markets in China, the US, and Indonesia
Oceania Palau An undersea mountain was discovered 400km north of Palau, rising 4.400 meters from the seafloor, its peak just 240 meters below the surface; the finding was made by Beyond the Blue expedition, mapping unexplored deep-waters of National Marine Sanctuary
Asia Turkey Several digital streaming platforms including Netflix, Prime Video, MUBI, Disney XD, HBO Max, have been fined for violating moral and family values and obscenity by Turkey’s Radio and Television Supreme Council, the regulator for TV and radio broadcasts
Europe Malta Valletta and Swieqi will benefit from a new tourism community support pilot project providing resources and administrative support to address locality-specific challenges linked to tourism: waste management, public order, regulation of accommodation
America Argentina The first step toward a national consensus on animal welfare in dairy production aims to align producers and experts around health, pain management, human-animal relations, and sustainability under the “One Welfare” framework
Europe Romania In mountain towns bear encounters and attacks are increasing; officials argue on how to manage the rising bear population, and conservationists question whether easier shooting would solve the problem; around 4.000 bears are estimated to live in Romania
Asia Laos Female civil servants are now eligible for maternity leave ranging from 4 up to 6,5 months for mothers expecting twins; miscarriages earn one month of leave, with medical extensions as needed
Europe Slovenia The wine regions of Brda in Slovenia and Collio in Italy have merged into a dispersed open-air museum showcasing natural-material sculptures by artists from both countries in the spirit of the first ever cross-border European Capital of Culture
America Chile A national registry of victims forcibly disappeared during Pinochet’s dictatorship will be created, recognizing over 1.000 still-missing people and committing state efforts to uncover their fate and honor their memory
Asia Mongolia National Library has digitized 4.383 volumes of ancient Tibetan-language manuscripts and woodblock printed books for over 1,43m pages, 77.500 titles; in partnership with US Embassy and Asian Legacy Library, it made inaccessible works publicly available
Europe Slovakia Public broadcaster STVR’s newsroom has brought in several new faces, mainly from private TV Markíza and news channel TA3; many among media and public are voicing their concern over the risk or more pro-Russia news or even propaganda
Europe Norway The Sami Parliament Sametinget in Northern Norway won’t go through any major leadership changes: Norske Samers Riksforbund remained its biggest party after last week’s election and leader Silje Karine Muotka will remain Sami president
Africa Equatorial Guinea "Vivir en tinieblas" (Living in Darkness), a local cinematography project, will be launched on the big screen on 19 September in Malabo; the film explores themes of hope, empowerment, and justice, generating crucial reflections on social reality