Oceania New Zealand 'Our Freshwater 2026' report highlights worsening quality of groundwater, rivers and lakes, with increasing levels of nitrates, E.coli above legal limit, and nearly half of New Zealand's river network unsafe for swimming due to faecal contamination
Europe Croatia Compulsory military service, lasting two months, will be reintroduced in the country from 1 January 2025; compulsory conscription had been suspended in 2008 and the government began considering reinstating it after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022
Africa Cape Verde The president of the Cape Verdean Volleyball Federation, António Rodrigues, was elected first vice-president of the African Volleyball Confederation with a record 41 votes out of 53 voting countries
Africa Botswana Health officials have begun screening travelers for smallpox at entry points in the country after neighboring South Africa recorded deaths
Africa Gambia The National Rice Growers Association, with support from Project ROOTS, organized a regional dialogue day with rice growers on how to facilitate socio-economic access, networking, and access to services
Asia Brunei It is necessary to encourage greater collaboration between industry and higher education to meet the challenges of the future, the monarch of Brunei said
Africa Ghana US$1 billion will be disbursed to Ghana by the World Bank over the next 12 months with the aim of stabilising the economy, supporting private enterprises and financing critical projects
Africa Egypt Senior US diplomat Blinken is in Egypt for Gaza ceasefire talks; Philadelphi corridor - the Israeli code name for a strip of land, 14 km along the entirety of the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt - remains a sticking point in Gaza talks
Europe Greece Promises made to restore the rule of law and effectively tackle squatting in Mykonos have not been kept; urban planning abuses continue unabated and there have been very few cases of illegal constructions being terminated or serious fines being imposed
Asia Tajikistan The unitary state enterprise 'Centre for Digitalisation of the Transport Industry' of the Ministry of Transport of Tajikistan is working on automating the payment system in public transport
Asia Georgia The unemployment rate decreased by 3,1% to 13,7%, according to the National Statistical Service; in the second quarter of 2024, the number of persons employed increased by 19,1 thousand (2,1%) compared to the corresponding period of the previous year
Europe France Friday, 23 August, President Macron will begin consultations to appoint a new prime minister, and thus a new government
Asia Iran The only language institute recognized by the German Embassy in Iran was shut down after the closure of Islamic religious centers in Germany, considered Islamophobic and a "hostile action"
Europe Germany According to Eurostat data for 2023, Germany was the largest producer of ice cream, with 612 million litres, followed by France with 568 million litres and Italy with 527