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
Europe Russia At their meeting in Moscow, Pope Francis' special envoy for peace in Ukraine, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, and Patriarch Kirill also discussed a possible meeting between Kirill and Pope Francis
Africa Equatorial Guinea The 4th meeting of Steering Committee of "Project to Support Women's Initiatives in Equatorial Guinea", promoted by First Lady, took place to approve new loans requested by associations, cooperatives, companies and individuals
Africa Burundi At a meeting attended by leaders of four African regional blocs to discuss the security crisis in eastern Congo, Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye warned against 'duplicating efforts'
Africa Eritrea For Martyrs' Day commemorative event, citizens from cities in Australia contributed over $27.000 to increase Martyrs' Trust Fund and will support 15 martyrs' families, according to Consul General of Eritrea in Australia and New Zealand
America Guyana Despite it being invited to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the country has no interest in joining it according to Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo, as it is focusing on boosting production and attracting new operators
Africa Lesotho The government of Lesotho, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Mines, is at an advanced stage in the search for means to bring back to the surface the bodies of at least 30 illegal miners in a disused mine
Oceania Papua New Guinea A new road will be built from Lufa to Karamui as part of the national government's Connect PNG initiative, according to an announcement by the prime minister after the presentation of the five-year development plan
Europe Netherlands Police were officially banned from wearing religious symbols such as headscarves, crosses and yarmulkes, thus making 'religious neutrality' explicit in the police dress code, after extensive discussions
Asia Kazakhstan 65 journalists and other employees of the leading state media were awarded certificates of accommodation and given keys to flats on the President's orders
Asia Laos Luang Prabang province's five-year tourism plan hopes to attract 4 million tourists by 2025; currently, at the halfway point, Luang Prabang has seen 1,1 million tourists who have spent over USD 500 million
Africa Guinea-Bissau Emergency and surgical employees paralysed all activities, including the emergency pharmacy, oxygen factory and sterilisation services for five days at the Simao Mendes National Hospital
America Honduras Following a tragedy that left 46 inmates dead, the country has adopted El Salvador-style tactics to intervene in prisons, with Armed Forces taking control, aiming to break the cycle of crime, while authorities conduct raids and seize weapons
America Cuba The Union of Computers of Cuba in the province of Camagüey is proposing new topical courses for the upcoming summer months as part of its training strategy for the different actors in society in the public and private sectors