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 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
Asia Taiwan Language diversity was celebrated at Golden Melody Awards with prizes celebrating not only Mandopop, but also artists singing in Taiwanese, Hakka and indigenous languages, a visible sign of government's efforts to promote languages other than Mandarin
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
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’
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
Asia Kazakhstan With UNDP support, the upgraded Sayramsu Anizdary tourist trail was opened in the Sayram-Ugam State National Nature Park, located in the north-east part of the Western Tien-Shan Mountain range
Africa Senegal People under the age of 25 account for almost 75% of Senegalese population, announced the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Cooperation on the basis of the provisional results of the Fifth General Population and Housing Census
Asia Israel Israel’s government approved plans to build over 5.000 new homes in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank; though it is not clear when construction will begin, the decision raised international bewilderment and more tensions with Palestine
Europe Croatia The Dubrovnik municipality has decided to ban luggage on wheels, with fines up to 265€, after residents complained for the disturbing noise of the trolleys on the pavement
Europe United Kingdom Thames Water, largest private utility company responsible for public water supply and waste water treatment, born under Margaret Thatcher's will, is close to bankruptcy; the £10 billion necessary to save it would be weighting on taxpayers
Africa Ivory Coast Approximately 42% of primary school teachers are absent from class when school principal is not present, according to 2022 Educational Service Indicators Survey; the absence of teachers from school and classes is more frequent in state schools
Africa Mali The draft of the new constitution, presented by the Malian transitional authorities, was approved with 97% of the votes, with a turnout of 39,4%; the no vote received only 3%
Asia Japan A new partnership has been created between Hiroshima atomic bomb memorial and that of the attack on US base Pearl Harbor, an agreement that survivors of the bomb-ravaged city have strongly criticised, pointing out that "they are not comparable events"