Demonstrators carrying Venezuelan flags and banners marched through the capital, calling for a clear timetable for a new presidential election and the return of opposition leader María Corina Machado from exile.

The protest was organised by Vente Venezuela, Machado's political party, ahead of a new round of US-backed talks scheduled to begin on August 1 between Venezuela's interim government and a group of former opposition lawmakers.

Vente Venezuela spokesperson Henry Alviarez said the opposition would closely monitor the negotiations.

"People are going to be watching the things he does. Mr Jorge Rodriguez should not think that he is going to do whatever he wants and that he is going to use this space to once again mock the Venezuelan people. No, Mr Jorge," he said.

The talks are expected to bring together Jorge Rodriguez, president of the Chavista-controlled National Assembly, and Dinorah Figuera.

The opposition demonstration coincided with celebrations organised by the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela to mark what would have been the 72nd birthday of former president Hugo Chávez.

Calls for a new presidential election have intensified since the constitutional deadline for Delcy Rodríguez's temporary presidency expired.

Rodríguez assumed office after US forces captured Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during a military operation in Caracas on January 3.

Maduro is currently being held in New York , where he is awaiting trial on federal drug trafficking and narco-terrorism charges.

"Tell him how a president of a country that is not as rich as the United States can guarantee every Brazilian citizen the same health treatment that the president of the Republic will receive," Lula said.

The United States formally left the WHO on 22nd January 2026, a year after Trump ordered the withdrawal on his first day back in office. The WHO said Washington halted its funding and left about $260 million in unpaid contributions, warning the move leaves "both the United States and the rest of the world in a less safe situation."

Lula also highlighted his government's healthcare policies and the expansion of public health services in Rio de Janeiro during the hospital visit.

One of the best-known examples is China itself . The country's official Chinese name Zhōngguó literally means "Middle Country" or " Central State." The term dates back more than 2,000 years and originally referred to the central kingdoms of ancient China before becoming the modern name of the People's Republic of China.

Japan's Chinese name, Rìběn , translates literally as "Sun Origin" or "Origin of the Sun." The name reflects Japan's position east of China, where the sun appears to rise. It gave rise to the widely known expression "Land of the Rising Sun," a description that has been associated with Japan since at least the Tang Dynasty.

South Korea is known in Chinese as Hánguó, meaning "Han Country," a reference to the ancient Samhan confederacies that existed on the Korean Peninsula rather than China's Han dynasty.

Several names preserve historical kingdoms. Mongolia (Měnggǔ) is a phonetic rendering of "Mongol," while Vietnam (Yuènán) literally means "South of Yue," reflecting the ancient Yue peoples who once inhabited parts of southern China and northern Vietnam. The name was officially adopted by Emperor Gia Long in the early 19th century.

Some country names appear unusual when translated word for word because the characters were selected mainly for their sound. For example, India (Yìndù) is a phonetic adaptation derived from the Sanskrit Sindhu through Persian and other intermediary languages. Likewise, Indonesia (Yìndùníxīyà) and Malaysia (Mǎláixīyà) are transliterations whose individual characters have little connection to the countries themselves.

Other names combine sound with meaning. Russia (Éluósī) is largely phonetic, while Thailand (Tàiguó) includes the character 泰, meaning "peaceful" or "great," combined with 国, meaning "country."

According to linguists, Chinese country names have evolved over centuries as diplomacy, trade and contact with neighbouring civilisations expanded. While many modern names were standardised during the late Qing dynasty and the early 20th century, they continue to reflect layers of history stretching back to ancient Chinese records.

Demonstrators, escorted by police, carried banners reading "Keiko, you are going to fall" and "Peru no longer wants rats, Fujimori never again." Outside the Palace of Justice, protesters also symbolically washed Peruvian flags.

The march brought together relatives of people killed during anti-government protests in 2022 and 2023 under former president Dina Boluarte, activists, members of social organisations and defeated presidential candidate Roberto Sanchez, who continues to reject the election result.

Raul Samillan, representative of the National Organisation of Relatives of the Murdered and Victims of the 2022-2023 Massacres, said the demonstration was aimed at rejecting what he described as a government of continuity.

"We are here in the capital, once again, to reject this government of continuity of Mrs Keiko Fujimori, because they are the ones who ordered the killings and caused all these wounds in our regions," he said.

Protester Giovana Mendoza criticised Fujimori's inaugural address, saying it did not reflect the country's reality.

"It is a setback for our country, to go back to those years we lived through in the 90s. So many killings, so many massacres, so many disappearances, forced sterilisations, among others. That is Mrs Keiko Fujimori," she declared.

Mendoza said the symbolic washing of the national flag represented the suffering endured by victims and their families.

"We have just finished washing our flag, a flag that was dirty from so much gunpowder from the police and military who have soiled the flag. We have also washed the flag because it was stained with so much blood from our relatives who have been killed and also from the survivors," she added.

Fujimori assumed the presidency after defeating Roberto Sanchez in June by fewer than 50,000 votes. During her inaugural speech, she pledged a tough approach to crime and promised to strengthen Peru's regional partnerships and expand cooperation with countries in the Middle East .

China recorded the highest youth unemployment rate in East Asia and the Pacific in 2025 at 15.8%, narrowly ahead of Fiji's 15.2%, while Cambodia reported the region's lowest rate at just 0.7%.

The data, compiled by the World Bank using ILO-modeled estimates  and referenced by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), measure the share of the labour force aged 15 to 24 who are unemployed but actively seeking work.

China topped the regional rankings with 15.8%, followed by Fiji (15.2%), Samoa (13.0%) and Indonesia (13.0%). Malaysia recorded 12.0%, Mongolia 11.7%, Vanuatu 11.3%, Myanmar 9.8%, South Korea 7.6%, the Philippines 7.0%, Vietnam 6.2% and Tonga 6.0%.

Lower youth unemployment rates were recorded in Thailand (4.5%), Papua New Guinea (3.8%), Timor-Leste (3.7%), Solomon Islands (2.8%), Laos (2.4%) and Cambodia (0.7%).

Across the region, the average youth unemployment rate stood at 13.1%, meaning that roughly one in eight young people participating in the labour market was unable to find work.

The ILO defines unemployed young people as those without work, available to start employment and actively searching for a job. The estimates exclude people who are not participating in the labour force, such as students who are not seeking employment.

China's elevated youth unemployment has remained a major economic concern in recent years as slowing economic growth, a weak property sector and reduced hiring in technology, education and real estate have limited opportunities for new graduates. Chinese authorities have expanded vocational training programmes and introduced measures aimed at encouraging private-sector hiring, while continuing to promote entrepreneurship among young people.

In several Pacific island economies, including Fiji and Samoa, youth unemployment remains relatively high despite recovering tourism. Economists have linked the figures to limited formal employment opportunities, dependence on seasonal industries and the migration of skilled workers overseas.

By contrast, countries such as Cambodia, Laos and Thailand report much lower unemployment rates among young people. The World Bank and ILO caution, however, that low unemployment does not necessarily indicate strong labour markets. In many lower-income economies, young people often enter informal or low-paid work out of necessity rather than remaining unemployed while searching for formal jobs.

The Asian Development Bank has warned that improving the quality of education, strengthening technical and vocational training, and expanding access to higher-productivity jobs will be essential as East Asia and the Pacific continues to face demographic change, technological disruption, and evolving labour market demands.

In her first address as head of state, Fujimori said her administration would use every constitutional measure available to restore security in areas affected by criminal organisations.

"During states of emergency, the Armed Forces will temporarily assume leadership of security operations and internal control in close coordination with the National Police, until the authority of the State is fully restored and those territories are returned to the citizens," she said.

She also vowed to reclaim public spaces from criminal groups.

Fujimori pledged to recover "every neighborhood, every highway, every public space for Peruvian families."

The president announced plans to strengthen public security through a nationwide video surveillance network, artificial intelligence platforms designed to predict and map criminal activity, upgraded communications systems and faster emergency response centres.

"The fight will not be only against the common criminal. We will go after the national and international mafias that finance extortion, contract killing, drug trafficking, and illegal mining," she declared.

On foreign policy, Fujimori said Peru would deepen regional cooperation through the Pacific Alliance with Chile, Colombia and Mexico, while working to revive the Andean Community.

"Our interest is to redouble the ties of cooperation and joint regional work with the always welcome participation of Spain in promoting friendship and the common interests of Ibero-America," she told Congress.

She also pledged to strengthen Peru's role within the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum and pursue new investment and cooperation opportunities in the Middle East.

Fujimori said Peru's location positioned the country to serve as a bridge between those markets and Latin America and the Caribbean.

Turning to the economy, she promised to accelerate public and private investment in roads, airports, ports and essential services, including water, electricity, telephone networks and internet access.

She said the investments would help reduce the social deficit "that affects millions of Peruvians."

Describing the country as being at a "complex and painful" moment, Fujimori said she was inheriting a state weakened by corruption and thousands of delayed or poorly executed projects.

"I have not come to offer immediate miracles or empty promises. I have come to offer method, discipline, perseverance, and a clear path," she concluded.

Fujimori also pledged measurable goals and continuous accountability throughout her 1,826-day presidential term.

“We do not believe that this is going to have an impact on the diplomatic side of the two countries,” Ravier told reporters at the Casa Rosada.

He added that Argentina had no intention of allowing the dispute to affect trade between the two “brotherly peoples”, noting that both countries are major trading partners and members of Mercosur.

“It is part of the game,” Ravier said, adding that insults had come from both sides in the past but had not been taken to the diplomatic level by Argentina.

Milei called Lula a “thief” and a “criminal” during a Liberal Party event in Sao Paulo on Saturday, where he backed Flavio Bolsonaro’s presidential candidacy.

Lula later responded that Brazil would not accept anyone “sticking their nose where it does not belong”.

Brazil subsequently recalled its ambassador to Argentina, Julio Bitelli, for consultations.

"Last week, Mayor Mamdani accused our prime minister of being a war criminal and accused our nation of committing genocide. Hours later, a Jewish man walked out of his synagogue... He was stabbed by a radical who yelled 'Allahu Akbar'," Danon said.

Police said two men, one Jewish and one Asian, were attacked in separate incidents and are expected to survive. Authorities have not established any connection between the attacks and Mamdani's remarks.

Addressing the Security Council's quarterly debate on the Middle East , Danon also accused Hamas of obstructing peace and criticised the UN for failing to hold the group accountable.

Palestine's UN envoy, Riyad Mansour, meanwhile, accused Netanyahu's government of exploiting the Gaza conflict for political gain and urged stronger international action to end the bloodshed.

One widely shared post described an Indonesian woman whose application was placed under review, while her husband, using a Western name and phone number, was reportedly admitted immediately. Similar accounts from other users fuelled accusations that the club favoured expatriates and digital nomads over residents.

Indonesia 's Director General of Immigration, Hendarsam Marantoko, condemned the organisers' conduct, saying foreigners must not create exclusive communities that discriminate against Indonesian citizens. Authorities identified the organisers only by their initials, JAS and HQV, and confirmed both had left Indonesia for Singapore before enforcement action was taken. They have since been placed on Indonesia's entry ban list.

Immigration officials are also investigating whether the organisers complied with Indonesian immigration and business regulations. Authorities said foreign nationals are not permitted to organise commercial events without the appropriate permits or visa status.

In a public statement, Entourage Bali apologised to those who felt excluded and denied deliberately discriminating against Indonesians. The organisers said the community had been created primarily to connect digital nomads living in Bali and that an error in its automated approval system caused some, but not all, Indonesian phone numbers beginning with +62 to be rejected. They added that Indonesians accounted for around 25% of tickets sold for the club's running events and announced that all activities had been suspended while they reviewed their procedures.

The incident has reignited debate over the rapid growth of Bali's expatriate and digital nomad communities. Indonesian officials have increasingly tightened enforcement against foreigners accused of violating visa conditions , operating businesses without permits or showing disrespect toward local customs and laws.

The single-person cooling booth is designed to protect outdoor workers, factory employees and the public from heatstroke as Japan continues to experience more frequent and intense heatwaves.

The compact unit, which resembles a vending machine or telephone box, has been installed in the lobby of Maebashi City Hall.

Inside, users sit on a built-in bench while adjustable nozzles direct air cooled to 5°C towards the head, neck and shoulders. The booth itself is maintained at about 15°C and automatically switches off after 20 minutes to prevent users from becoming too cold.

Katsutoshi Yagihara, Deputy Chief of the Policy Coordination Unit in the Future Creation Department of Maebashi City, said more people had started using the booth as temperatures increased.

"While the number of users was low initially, usage has risen to over 30 people per day recently as the weather has warmed up," he explained.

The booth is built from sheet metal, mounted on caster wheels and can be moved between workplaces and public spaces. A refrigeration compressor at its base generates the cold air, while insulated walls help keep the temperature stable.

Resident Yuri said the cooling system provided immediate relief.

"The air blows from around the neck area, and the breeze isn’t uncomfortably cold. Since cooling the neck and limbs is said to lower body temperature, it felt incredibly cool and refreshing," Yuri said.

Another resident described the growing challenge posed by Japan's summers.

"The heat is really getting intense now, isn’t it? It’s not just the humidity; there are days when the temperature climbs close to 40 degrees. Dealing with that kind of heat is a real struggle every year," the resident said.

Japan regularly records summer temperatures above 35°C, with some regions approaching 40°C. The Japan Meteorological Agency refers to days reaching 40°C or higher as "kokushobi", meaning "cruelly hot days."

A bus carrying the released prisoners arrived under the supervision of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Emotional scenes unfolded as relatives embraced and kissed family members after months in detention.

Released prisoner Atef Wadi described what he said were the conditions inside Israeli custody.

"It was beyond description. We were subjected to various kinds of repression, the count (an Israeli procedure followed in prisons that involves counting prisoners in cells as a precaution against any of them escaping), and provocation," he said.

Another released prisoner, Fayez Abu Al-Omrain, said the final hours before the transfer were especially difficult.

"They kept our hands bound in handcuffs from seven in the morning until one o'clock (in the afternoon), when they handed us over (to the Red Cross), and at that time we were waiting on the buses. In addition, they (Israeli security personnel) were running after us and trying to beat us," he recalled.

Palestinian media reported that the group included 20 labourers who had been working in Israel before being arrested after the October 7, 2023 attacks.

Forty of the released prisoners had reportedly been held at the Negev desert prison in southern Israel.

Israeli media, citing the military, reported that the released detainees were "not considered terrorists" and that investigations into them had been closed.

Human rights organisations say Israeli authorities are currently holding around 1,300 Gazans under the designation of "unlawful combatants."

The war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, 2023, after Hamas-led attacks killed 1,139 people, most of them Israeli civilians, and more than 200 others were abducted.

In response, Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza involving airstrikes and a ground offensive. According to local health authorities, 73,329 people had been killed and 174,009 injured at the time of publication.

In January, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff announced the second phase of President Donald Trump's 20-point plan to end the conflict, which includes moving from a ceasefire to disarmament, establishing a technocratic administration and beginning reconstruction.

More than 99% of people in several countries hold at least one gender bias against women, according to the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) 2023 , highlighting the persistence of discriminatory attitudes despite decades of progress in education, employment and political participation.

The GSNI measures the share of people expressing at least one bias against women using responses from the World Values Survey. It examines attitudes across four areas—political leadership, education, economic participation and physical integrity—to assess how social norms shape gender equality.

Tajikistan recorded the highest level of gender bias, with 99.92% of respondents holding at least one biased view about women. It was followed by Pakistan (99.89%), Qatar (99.81%), Libya (99.72%) and Indonesia (99.65%).

The remaining countries in the top 15 were Nigeria (99.58%), Malaysia (99.54%), Egypt (99.52%), the Philippines (99.50%), Myanmar (99.42%), Bangladesh (99.37%), India (99.22%), Rwanda (99.15%), Iraq (98.98%) and Ghana (98.97%).

According to the UNDP, a person is classified as holding a gender bias if they agree with at least one statement suggesting that men make better political leaders, deserve jobs more than women when employment is scarce, make better business executives, or are more entitled to university education than women. The index also includes attitudes related to women's reproductive rights and the acceptability of intimate partner violence.

The report found that nearly nine in ten people globally still hold at least one bias against women, while almost half of respondents believe men make better political leaders than women. Around 40% think men are better business executives, and more than a quarter believe it is justifiable for a man to beat his wife under certain circumstances.

UNDP says these deeply rooted social norms continue to slow progress toward gender equality, even in countries where women have gained greater access to education and employment . Biases influence hiring decisions, wages, political representation and the unequal distribution of unpaid care work.

The agency notes that improvements in legal rights alone are often insufficient. Lasting change requires reforms in education, media representation, workplace policies and political institutions, alongside efforts to challenge stereotypes that limit opportunities for women and girls.

The Gender Social Norms Index draws on data from the World Values Survey, covering countries that together represent the vast majority of the world's population. UNDP uses the findings to monitor progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 5, which aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

More than 95% of people own their homes in Romania and Slovakia, while Germany has Europe's lowest homeownership rate at 47.2%, highlighting a sharp divide between Central and Eastern Europe and much of Western Europe, according to the latest Eurostat housing data.

Romania tops the European rankings with 95.0% of residents living in owner-occupied homes, closely followed by Slovakia (94.3%), Croatia (93.1%), Lithuania (92.6%), Hungary (91.6%) and Slovenia (91.0%).

High ownership rates also extend across Eastern Europe, including Poland (87.1%), Bulgaria (86.0%), Latvia (87.4%), Estonia (83.7%) and Czechia (74.7%).

On the contrary, renting is far more common in several Western European economies. Germany records the continent's lowest homeownership rate at 47.2%, meaning a majority of households rent their homes. Switzerland follows at 42.0%, while Austria (54.5%), Türkiye (56.9%), France (61.2%), Denmark (60.9%) and the United Kingdom (64.5%) also report comparatively lower ownership rates.

Southern Europe generally records higher levels of ownership. Spain stands at 73.7%, Portugal at 75.9%, Italy at around 75%, and Greece at 69.7%, reflecting long-standing cultural preferences for homeownership and high levels of inherited property.

According to Eurostat, the gap between East and West is rooted largely in the political and economic transformations that followed the collapse of communist governments in Central and Eastern Europe. During the 1990s, many countries sold large stocks of state-owned housing to tenants at heavily discounted prices, rapidly increasing owner occupation.

Germany followed a different path. A large, well-regulated rental market, strong tenant protections, long-term lease security and relatively stable rent controls have made renting a common and socially accepted choice. Similar conditions exist in Switzerland and Austria, where institutional landlords play a larger role in the housing market than in much of Eastern Europe.

Housing affordability, mortgage availability, demographics and taxation also influence ownership rates. In recent years, rising interest rates and higher house prices have made first-time home purchases more difficult across much of Europe, although ownership patterns remain broadly unchanged.

Eurostat notes that homeownership does not necessarily indicate greater household wealth, as housing quality, mortgage debt and property values vary significantly between countries. Nevertheless, the figures illustrate how historical housing policies continue to shape where Europeans buy and where they rent.

South Africa recorded 26,232 murders during the 2024/25 financial year, exceeding the combined total of homicides reported across dozens of countries in Europe, North America, East Asia and Oceania, according to the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The comparison highlights the scale of South Africa's violent crime challenge. Countries shaded in blue on the accompanying map, including Canada, nearly all European countries, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and several Gulf states, collectively recorded around 22,000 homicides in the latest available official data, compared with South Africa's more than 26,000.

According to SAPS crime statistics, South Africa averaged about 72 murders every day during the 2024/25 reporting period. The country's homicide rate stood at approximately 43 murders per 100,000 people, placing it among the highest in the world outside active war zones.

Police data show that the provinces of Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape consistently account for the largest share of murders. Firearms remain the most common weapon used in homicides, while many killings are linked to organised crime, gang violence, interpersonal disputes, robberies and gender-based violence.

The UNODC has repeatedly identified Southern Africa as one of the regions with the world's highest intentional homicide rates. Unlike many high-income countries, where homicide rates are typically below 2 per 100,000 people, South Africa's rate is more than twenty times higher than those recorded in countries such as Japan, Norway, Switzerland and Singapore.

Crime analysts say the comparison reflects not only population differences but also significant disparities in homicide rates. While the countries highlighted in blue collectively have populations exceeding one billion people, many have experienced decades of declining violent crime through stronger policing, judicial systems, firearm regulation and social interventions.

The South African government has identified violent crime as a national priority. Authorities have expanded specialised police units , intensified operations against illegal firearms and organised crime syndicates, and increased investment in forensic services.

However, researchers argue that reducing homicide will also require tackling poverty, unemployment, substance abuse and inequality, which are widely recognised as drivers of violent crime.

Germany remains the largest financial contributor to the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), providing 311.6 million Swiss francs (about $311.6 million) in annual member-state contributions for 2026, ahead of the United Kingdom and France, according to CERN's approved budget and contribution schedule .

CERN's 2026 member-state budget totals approximately 1.53 billion Swiss francs, with the organisation's five largest contributors, Germany, the United Kingdom, France , Italy and Spain, providing around 65% of the total budget. The funding supports the operation of the laboratory's particle accelerators, scientific infrastructure, computing networks and international research programmes.

Germany accounts for 20.4% of the budget, followed by the United Kingdom with 229.7 million Swiss francs (15.1%), France with 197.6 million (13.0%), Italy with 146.9 million (9.6%), and Spain with 106.9 million (7.0%).

The Netherlands contributes 77.1 million Swiss francs, ahead of Switzerland at 57.5 million, Poland at 50.5 million, Belgium at 42.9 million, Sweden at 38.4 million, Norway at 38.2 million, and Israel at 35.6 million.

Other member states include Austria (32.3 million), Denmark (28.5 million), Romania (21.8 million), Czech Republic (19.9 million), Finland (18.9 million), Portugal (16.8 million), Greece (15.3 million), Hungary (11.6 million), Slovakia (8.1 million), Bulgaria (6.4 million), Serbia (4.8 million), Slovenia (4.2 million), Estonia (2.6 million) and Cyprus (1.4 million).

Unlike many international organisations, CERN calculates contributions using an agreed formula based largely on each member state's average net national income over several years, as approved annually by the CERN Council, the laboratory's governing body. The mechanism is intended to distribute costs according to countries' relative economic strength while providing stable long-term funding for scientific research.

Beyond its 24 full member states, CERN also works with associate member states, which participate in scientific programmes and contribute financially but do not hold the same voting rights as full members.

For 2026, India is the largest associate contributor at 23.4 million Swiss francs, followed by Brazil with 13.6 million, Türkiye with 6.7 million, Pakistan with 2.5 million, and Ireland with 2.2 million. Latvia and Ukraine each contribute 1.3 million, while Croatia and Lithuania each provide 1.2 million.

Founded in 1954 and headquartered near Geneva on the Franco-Swiss border, CERN is home to the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world's largest and most powerful particle accelerator. The laboratory became globally known after scientists announced the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012, confirming a key prediction of the Standard Model of particle physics.

Today, CERN brings together more than 17,000 scientists, engineers and students from over 100 nationalities, representing hundreds of universities and research institutes worldwide. Its research has contributed not only to fundamental physics but also to advances in computing, medical imaging, superconducting technology and the creation of the World Wide Web, invented at CERN by British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee in 1989.

According to CERN Stakeholder Relations, sustained contributions from member and associate states are essential for maintaining the laboratory's long-term scientific programme, including upgrades to the Large Hadron Collider and research that could shape the next generation of particle physics experiments.

Note : CERN’s official contributions are denominated in Swiss francs (CHF). All figures shown have been converted to U.S. dollars (USD) for consistency and easier comparison.

Protesters filled sections of Commonwealth Avenue carrying giant effigies of Marcos, US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The demonstrators displayed banners calling for increased education funding, higher wages, improved public services and stronger action against corruption.

One installation depicted Marcos as a puppet with a US flag chained around his neck, while police stood behind barricades as officers detained two protesters. Crowds surrounded the vehicle carrying those arrested.

Teodoro "Teddy" Casino, chairperson of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN), accused the administration of failing to deliver on its promises.

"Four years of the Marcos administration have basically been four years of failed promises. He promised that there will be a 'New Philippines,' that the economy would improve, that we would pursue an independent foreign policy , and that, later on in his administration, corruption would not be tolerated. Unfortunately, the reverse has happened. Our people are experiencing more hardships," he said.

Another protest display featured Trump and Marcos as "Puppet and the Puppet Master", which demonstrators later smashed with hammers.

"As far as foreign policy is concerned, well, the President has decided to become a puppet of the United States and has allowed himself and the country to be used by the United States to contain China, with the effect that we are now as far away from resolving our conflict with China through diplomatic means," Casino added.

Student activist James Barod also criticised the administration.

"Five years of Marcos' presidency, we never saw, or we never see, and we will never see, you know, him giving the benefit or him working for the service of the Filipino people . The only people that he will serve are the imperialists in the United States, as well as the ruling class of the Philippines."

Several banners also rejected Pax Silica, a US-led partnership covering artificial intelligence, semiconductors, critical minerals and advanced manufacturing. Protest organisers argued the initiative would deepen the Philippines' economic dependence on the United States, while Washington has said it would attract investment and strengthen manufacturing.

Inside Congress, Marcos defended his administration's record, saying corruption cases had been filed, suspects imprisoned and nearly 25 billion pesos in allegedly illicit assets recovered, frozen or preserved. He also pledged to uphold the Philippines' 2016 South China Sea arbitration award through peaceful and legal means.

Lawyers assisting those detained said 13 of the 51 arrested were minors. Police accused some protesters of vandalism, concealing their identities and violating assembly regulations, while activist groups described the arrests as arbitrary and demanded their release.

The anniversary marks the July 26, 1953 attack led by Fidel Castro against the government of Fulgencio Batista, an event widely regarded as the beginning of the Cuban Revolution.

Addressing the ceremony, Diaz-Canel said Cuba continued to face growing pressure from the United States.

"Current generations are going up against the walls of a genocidal policy that has set out to suffocate the entire people in order to seize the country," he said.

The Cuban president also accused the US Department of State of creating sanctions and justifications against the island.

"They are a modern version of the writers of edicts and military decrees who became so feared and hated in the dark mediaeval times or during the Nazi occupations in the Second World War. As if the rest of the world were their colony, they order how things must be done under threats of punishment or aggression," he declared.

Diaz-Canel also criticised a recent US State Department report accusing Cuba of influencing political organisations in the United States, infiltrating institutions and supporting movements linked by Washington to terrorism.

"By accusing Cuba, they are not only seeking a scapegoat, an external agent, they are seeking someone to blame for the protests of the sectors hardest hit by an economy that makes the rich richer and the poor poorer to unsustainable limits," he stated.

He added, "They are criminalising protest without analysing its causes, and opportunistically they are seeking a new excuse to sustain their genocidal policy against Cuba," insisting the country does not represent "a threat."

Participants at the ceremony also criticised the US blockade.

"With these new measures tightening the energy blockade by the United States government against our people, we Cubans continue resisting and creating new ways to keep the work of the revolution alive. We are not going to give in in the effort to keep our revolution held high," one attendee said.

Diaz-Canel's remarks came after the Donald Trump administration imposed an oil blockade on Cuba and expanded sanctions, measures that have intensified the island's economic difficulties, including blackouts and fuel shortages.

Covering approximately 6 million square kilometres (2.3 million square miles), the Amazon extends beyond Brazil into Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela , Guyana, Suriname, Ecuador and French Guiana, an overseas department of France.

Brazil accounts for roughly 64% of the rainforest, followed by Peru (10%). Colombia, Venezuela and Bolivia each contain about 6%, while Guyana holds around 3%. Ecuador and Suriname each account for about 2%, and French Guiana contains approximately 1%.

The Amazon is the largest continuous tropical rainforest on Earth and is home to an estimated 10% of all known species, including thousands of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and insects. Scientists estimate that the forest also contains around 390 billion individual trees representing roughly 16,000 species.

The rainforest plays a critical role in regulating the global climate. According to WWF, its forests store vast quantities of carbon and recycle enormous volumes of water through evapotranspiration, helping to generate rainfall across much of South America . The Amazon River, which drains the basin, carries more freshwater into the oceans than any other river in the world.

More than 47 million people live in the Amazon Basin, including over 2 million Indigenous people from hundreds of distinct ethnic groups whose communities have managed and depended on the forest for generations, according to Conservation International and WWF.

Despite its global importance, the Amazon continues to face mounting pressure from deforestation, illegal logging, mining, agricultural expansion, road construction and climate change. WWF warns that continued forest loss could push parts of the Amazon toward an ecological tipping point, where large areas may no longer be able to sustain tropical rainforest ecosystems.

Conservation efforts increasingly rely on cooperation among all Amazon countries. The Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organisation (ACTO), created in 1995, brings together the eight sovereign Amazon nations to coordinate policies on conservation, sustainable development and scientific research across the basin.

Scientists and conservation organisations say protecting the Amazon is not solely a regional issue but a global one, given its influence on biodiversity, freshwater resources and climate systems far beyond South America .

The straight-line distance from Monte Caburaí to the southern border is roughly 4,390 kilometres (2,730 miles). By comparison, the distance from Monte Caburaí to Canada's southern mainland border is approximately 4,300 kilometres, making Canada's closest point slightly nearer than Brazil's own southern extremity.

The counterintuitive result stems from the curvature of the Earth rather than the familiar flat world maps. Because the globe narrows toward the poles, travelling north across the Caribbean and eastern North America reaches southern Canada in fewer kilometres than travelling south through the full length of Brazil.

The finding also reflects Brazil 's enormous north-south span. Covering 8.5 million square kilometres, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by land area and stretches across more than 39 degrees of latitude, according to IBGE and the CIA World Factbook.

Many people mistakenly believe Brazil's northernmost point lies at the Amazon River or near the Equator. In fact, Monte Caburaí sits north of the Equator, meaning part of Brazil lies in the Northern Hemisphere. The Equator crosses the states of Amazonas, Pará, Amapá and Roraima, placing about 7% of Brazil's territory north of the line.

Brazil's geographic dimensions have produced several other unusual distinctions. The country borders every South American nation except Chile and Ecuador, has the world's longest continuous tropical coastline at nearly 7,500 kilometres, and spans four time zones.

Geographers say such comparisons illustrate why great-circle distances—the shortest routes over the Earth's curved surface—often differ from impressions created by two-dimensional maps. They are the same principles used by airlines when plotting transcontinental flights that appear to curve over the Arctic but are actually the shortest paths between destinations.