Asia Nepal Kathmandu Metropolitan City has renewed efforts to enforce a long-ignored ban on public smoking; An awareness drive with fines is underway and though past attempts failed, the city says strict enforcement is vital for public health and pollution control
Africa Zimbabwe Filmmakers are expect to Studio Moto tomorrow 23 August for the Bokola Festival under the theme 'Dream. Now!; in Zimbabwean slang bokola means to truly see, to grasp deeply and the festival is meant as a platform for truth, resistance, and transformation
Asia Japan Remote-controlled robots have been deployed to one of the reactors at Fukushima nuclear plant to prepare the removal of around 880 tonnes of radioactive debris, the most daunting challenge in the decommissioning operation following 2011 earthquake damages
Europe Greece 140.000 permanent public school teachers will be evaluated in a decade, according to estimates by the competent authority: the evaluation law was passed in 2021 but few have been assessed so far, while 30.000 newly hired teachers have undergone evaluation
Asia Lebanon Pope Leo XIVcould be visiting Lebanon on his first foreign visit, Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi said, a trip that would give a chance to speak in broad terms about peace in the Middle East and the plight of Christians there
America Colombia Colombia has faced a worsening health system crisis that has forced the closure of maternity wards and emergency rooms due to delayed government payments and insufficient transfers to health insurers
America Dominica Sharon Clifton Kelsick, from Castle Bruce, an experienced, long-serving educator, has been elected as the new president of the Caribbean Union of Teachers; it's the second occasion in the union’s history that a woman has assumed the regional role
Asia Tajikistan Alif, a fintech operator, in partnership with Visa, launched a fee-free remittances system directly transferring money to Alipay and WeChat wallets in China, thus avoiding losses from double currency conversion from Somoni to US Dollars to Chinese yuan
America Ecuador Three new free Digital Points have been inaugurated in the Galápagos Islands to improve digital access and education for thousands of residents as part of a national effort to reduce the digital gap
Europe Finland Three crew members of the oil tanker Eagle S, believed to belong to Russia's so-called shadow fleet, were charged with aggravated criminal mischief for damaging 5 Baltic Sea cables last December by dragging the ship's anchor on the seabed for around 90km
Europe Romania National Cyber Security Directorate has issued a warning about a new online scam that fraudulently uses the image of president Nicușor Dan in so-called “quick investment” schemes
Africa Ivory Coast Sprinter Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith finished third in the 200m at Diamond League event in Lausanne, Switzerland, with her best time of the season despite extreme weather; the podium grants her access to the World Championships in Japan, on 13-21 September
Oceania Australia Nationwide ban on use of private mobile phone for early childcare workers will be discussed at ministry level, with other measures for child protection: a National Educator Register, tougher penalties for noncompliance, mandatory safety training for staff
Asia East Timor A military hospital, fully funded by China under newly signed agreement in military cooperation, will be built in Timor Leste; the signing has been part of celebrations of the 50th Anniversary of the National Liberation of Armed Forces held in Tasi Tolu