Oceania Nauru Nauru embraces a name change, and the beginning of renewed national pride, as the President decided to get back to traditional name Naoero for the country without holding a referendum
Asia Singapore Most of this year's work accidents involved workers employed by small and medium-sized enterprises and experienced workers; preliminary investigations show that most accidents were caused by avoidable safety deficiencies
Oceania Kiribati The US are providing $500.000 in humanitarian assistance in response to the drought that has affected the country due to below-normal rainfall; so far this year, some areas have experienced less than 2,3 inches of precipitation
Asia Tajikistan The EU plans to become the first investor in the world's highest dam in Tajikistan, in a move aimed at helping Central Asia reduce its dependence on Russian energy and as part of the EU's response to China's Belt and Road Initiative
Africa Zimbabwe Crispen Tsavarai, CEO of the Zimbabwe Building Contractors Association, says the group has observed a significant increase in women entering the construction industry, with a big rise in the last year
Europe Romania An operations centre has been inaugurated in Constanța to improve surveillance of the county and its seaside resorts with 36 monitors to access all the cameras installed
Asia Malaysia Malaysia's central bank raised interest rates for the second time this year and they are now up to 2,25%, a decision consistent with the advice of the Monetary Policy Committee
Africa Sao Tome and Principe The country integrates for the first time a UN peacekeeping mission, through a police commissioner who will join the 'blue helmets' starting this month in South Sudan
Oceania Samoa The delivery of a new Guardian Class patrol boat to Samoa, scheduled for next year by the Australian Foreign Minister, could be delayed due to the discovery of defects in the boats' engines
Europe Lithuania The Vilnius Biennale for Performance Art has announced an international call for artists to participate in the 2023 event
Asia Philippines Philippine Post Corporation has partnered with UBX, a leading open financial platform in the country, to launch 'Kasama Lahat', a capacity-building project that will transform the main postal agency into a modern hub offering financial and data services
Asia Saudi Arabia Women will be part of the General Car Syndicate in Makkah, an executive body that organises the transport of pilgrims through affiliated companies, for the first time since it was established nine decades ago
Asia Indonesia The Indonesian Police will create three new provincial police stations in consequence of the ratification of bills on the creation of three new provinces in Papua
Asia Kyrgyzstan The country has developed an app in 14 languages for travellers to promote tourism, an effort supported by the Department of Tourism together with SmartGuide