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
Africa Madagascar In order to protect rainforest victim of illegal logging, Fanjanirina Pascaline, former woodcutter, has been since 2020 the head of a women's association that cultivates seedlings to supply them to the population of the small district of Anivorano
Africa Somalia The authorisation of the African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia has been extended by the UN Security Council by another six months, until 31 December 2023
Africa Guinea The country wants the French justice system to clarify the conditions in which the 19-year-old Guinean died during a roadside check on 14 June, as stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs on the arrival of the young man's body at the airport in Conakry
Africa Republic of the Congo In June 2023, Congo Terminal, in collaboration with Renatura, an NGO specialising in the promotion of sustainable development, announced that it had successfully raised more than 300.000 children's awareness of environmental issues
Europe Sweden The sale of sexual services, which unlike the purchase of such services is legal in Sweden, should to be taxed like any other service, the Swedish Tax Agency said in a statement
Africa Ethiopia Children born to Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia are denied birth certificates: according to BBC, the Ethiopian refugee authorities stopped the service about 18 months ago, during the war in Tigray
Europe Slovakia The country will vote against the European Commission's proposal to relax EU GMO rules by exempting plants produced with new genomic techniques, which reduce demand for risky pesticides, from the GMO directive
America Canada Nearly 15.000 of the cheques sent earlier this year by the Manitoba government to help with rising costs were returned to the sender; the province's inability to reach thousands of people is renewing questions about using only the mail to give out cheques
Europe Poland The Polish fruit growers' association has appealed to the Prime Minister to stop importing Ukrainian fruit, which is creating a 'dramatic' drop in demand for local produce and depressing prices
Europe Italy 30% of newly published books don't even sell a single copy, despite continuous growth in book production since 2016, reveals a Nomisma study; publishing houses have fallen from 5.491 in 2012 to 4.623 in 2021
Africa Kenya An online registry of convicted sex offenders has been created; with data on each one and easily accessibile and sharable information it 'should improve justice for victims'
Africa Tunisia The Italian Cooperation's project aimed at improving production and consumption models - in a frame of reaching healthy and sustainable economic growth in Tunisian coastal areas - has closed in Tunis
Asia Laos The use of electric cooking, instead of traditional charcoal or wood, is increasing in the country, benefiting air quality, climate and human health; 8000 deaths per year are linked to domestic pollution