Asia Philippines An Air Quality Index has been issued amid temporary haze from Indonesian forest fires; The Health Department advised residents to wear masks, limit outdoor activities, and remain indoor if possible
Asia Iraq Up to 4 million mangrove trees will be grown in the Khor Al-Zubair mudflats region; the joint project of government and UN agencies is inspired by successful mangrove forest rehabilitation activities in neighbouring Kuwait and the UAE
Asia Sri Lanka The parliament approved a plan to restructure the national debt, which is crucial to continue the $2,9 billion bailout by the International Monetary Fund
Europe Czech Republic Facilitating marriage for same-sex couples has been debated by Parliament, which approved 2 contradictory drafts: one envisages enactment of marriage for same-sex couples, the other enshrines protection of marriage as a union between a man and a woman
Europe Portugal Applications to obtain Portuguese nationality increased by about 37% reaching 74.506 last year compared to 2021; it is the highest figure in four years, said Foreigners and Borders Service SEF
Europe Netherlands Dutch King Willem-Alexander issued a historic royal apology for the Netherlands' involvement in slavery, saying he felt 'personally and intensely' affected, in a speech with thousands of descendants of slaves; many state they still want compensation
Africa Liberia Cuttington University, Sub-Saharan Africa's oldest private university, has now obtained 24-hour electricity after years of limited supply, with students hitherto forced to interrupt their nightly studies and other social activities
Asia Thailand The session of the Thai parliament where the new prime minister will be elected opens today, 3 July; the vote is scheduled for 13 July
Asia North Korea ‘We have neither been informed […] nor known about it and we have no intention to examine it’ would reportedly be the official the answer to the request of the chief of South Korea's Hyundai Group to visit the North's Kumgangsan next month
Africa Ghana Ghanaian photographer Prince Gyasi, known for his hyper-realistic style, has been chosen to create the famous Pirelli calendar for next year, promising that part of the project will take place in his country
Asia South Korea Workers at medical institutions will be required to register newborns starting a year from now; at least 2.236 children born 2015-2022 in medical institutions haven’t been registered by parents and went therefore totally ‘invisibile’
Africa Nigeria Five Nigerian stars of the Nollywood film industry have been selected to become members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the US organization for the Oscar prizes
America Jamaica The Jamaica Constabulary Force, Jamaica's national police force, will receive a major boost to its mobility with the disbursement of JMD428 million in grants (over €2,5 million) from the Japanese Government
Europe Slovenia A new national spatial planning strategy, which explicitly paves the way not only for the expansion of the country's only nuclear power plant, but also for the construction of small modular reactors, has been approved in Parliament