Oceania New Zealand KiwiSaver -a voluntary, work-based retirement savings scheme- will see withdrawal rules changed to help farmers, diplomats and soldiers buy their first homes, as Finance Minister observed current rules are unfair to workers in service tenancies
America Costa Rica A 41% funding cut has severely affected Costa Rica’s ability to support over 222.000 asylum seekers, mainly Nicaraguan, delaying essential services and putting its longstanding refugee protection system at serious risk
Africa Cape Verde The Catholic Church in Cape Verde will begin work to translate the Bible into Kriolu by 2033; the project will be preceded by a national debate on the language variant to be adopted and will involve specialists
Asia Uzbekistan High spending and shady contracts for national and international artists led the Anti-Corruption Agency to launch a probe into Khanabad “Echoes of the World” music festival, at its 3rd edition later this month in Andijan
Europe Russia Despite its 8,8 magnitude, damage caused by the earthquake that struck the Kamchatka peninsula on 30 July was relatively minor; lack of devastation and fatalities was attributed by Kremlin spokesperson to high-quality construction and local preparedness
Asia Bhutan Desi High School has launched a five-year forest restoration project with WWF-Bhutan and the Thimphu Forest Division; Students will restore and manage two hectares of degraded forest near the school, planting native trees and ensuring long-term care
Asia Afghanistan Nearly 20.000 Afghans have been crossing from Iran to Afghanistan every day, driven out by targeted crackdowns and xenophobia: 1,5 million since January, fled or deported, make one of the worst displacement crises of the past decade, UN data reports
Asia Indonesia “Beyond Unsettled Past,” now open at Erasmus Huis in Jakarta, revisits Dutch colonial legacy through works by six contemporary artists; art, archives, storytelling explore how colonial time still influences culture and its relevance to today’s Indonesia
Asia Laos In the village of Ban Nam Deua, a Swiss-backed initiative is helping residents secure legal land rights; Through training, mapping and community engagement, the project empowers villagers to manage their land sustainably and avoid disputes or exploitation
Asia Israel Yinon Levi, a sanctioned settler who allegedly shot dead prominent Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen near Umm al Kheir, West Bank, was given 4 days of house arrest by Jerusalem Court; he was driving 'recklessly' a heavy construction vehicle through Umm
America Honduras Thousands of opposition supporters have marched in Honduras to demand clean and transparent presidential elections in November, voicing concerns over potential fraud and calling for electoral safeguards months ahead of the vote
Africa Benin American filmmaker Spike Lee and wife, producer and author Tonya Lewis Lee, have been appointed ambassadors for African-Americans in the US; their role aims to strengthen ties, promote cultural tourism and support reconnection of diaspora to their roots
Africa Guinea Media outlets and protests have been banned and opponents of President Doumbouya are denouncing the general's stranglehold on Guinea; his supporters, on the other hand, praise the enthusiasm he is reportedly generating as crucial elections draw near
Asia Sri Lanka The first Kumbal Perahera of the historic Senkadagala Esala Perahera began its journey in the streets at auspicious time 7:05 PM; the honour of carrying the casket in the first Kumbal Perahera was given to Indijata, the elephant of the Sri Dalada Maligawa