Asia Bahrain 394.000 visitors have been registered in state-run heritage sites in January-August 2026, with the Bahrain Fort accounting for 246.409, nearly two thirds of the total, and foreign visitors prevailed with the presence of 187.567 people
Asia Turkmenistan The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women reviewed Turkmenistan's 6th Periodic Report; the experts raised questions about measures to prevent domestic violence and exploitation of women workers, also during the annual cotton harvest
Asia Nepal The third Chief Minister's Cup men's volleyball national tournament is taking place in Kanchanpur, famous for producing national-level players in various sports; this is the first national event held here in 12 years
Asia Kuwait The Kuwaiti municipality intends to ban handshakes in mourning rooms in cemeteries on health grounds, according to a Kuwaiti newspaper report
Asia North Korea Since the start of the pandemic, fences and security infrastructure along both coasts have been significantly expanded, in a likely attempt to make it more difficult for residents to escape by sea
Asia Taiwan The Taiwan Lantern Festival 2024 in Tainan, a large outdoor exhibition of lanterns and light installations to celebrate the Lantern Festival observed on 24 February, was partially opened on Saturday evening
Europe United Kingdom Michelle O'Neill has been appointed PM of Northern Ireland; she is Vice-President of Sinn Féin, the left-wing nationalist party historically in favour of reunification with Ireland, and it is the first time that one of its members becomes Prime Minister
Oceania Papua New Guinea The country officially joined the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, a crucial UN convention that aims to limit nuclear weapons testing globally
Oceania Vanuatu The government did not comply with any of the orders issued two months ago by Supreme Court Judge Viran Molisa Trief regarding the expelled Aquana Resort owners; the court had ruled that the expulsion of the Brugger family from Vanuatu was illegal
Asia Syria Syria and Iraq warned of dangerous consequences following US attacks targeting facilities of Iranian-backed militants in Iraq and Syria
Europe Romania Timișoara, one of the largest cities in western Romania, will have a new 10.000-seat stadium, for a €23 million project financed from the local budget; the stadium should be built in 28 months, once work begins
America Jamaica Restorative Justice, a Department of the Ministry of Justice, is encouraging Jamaicans of good repute with a passion for nation-building to register to become RJ facilitators, who seek to resolve conflicts by bringing parties to an agreement
Africa Sierra Leone Police are investigating the deaths of three girls aged 12, 13 and 17 who were subjected to female genital mutilation in the country's north-western province; despite calls from activists and human rights advocates, it is still legal in Sierra Leone
Africa Niger Several airlines serving the capital Niamey have decided to stop boarding French passengers; 'French nationals will no longer be accepted on our flights to this destination', reads an internal Air Burkina note