America Peru Government issued Decree No. 009-2024 categorizing transgender individuals as mentally ill, aiming to expand access to mental health care across public, private, and mixed services, sparking significant controversy within Peru
America Saint Kitts and Nevis The Anti-Migrant Smuggling Bill 2024 was successfully passed by the Federal Parliament, which aims to deter migrant smuggling and aligns national laws with the International Protocol against Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air
America Saint Lucia St. Jude Hospital, with its 50 beds, experienced a massive increase in bed occupancy of 294%, mainly due to the increase in violent crime and chronic non-communicable diseases, the Minister of Health announced
America Trinidad and Tobago Oil production in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023 dropped by 11%, reports Trinidad Express
America Grenada Training of farmers and technicians to advance sea moss production was held in Grenada, with course organised in collaboration between FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Forests, Marine Resources and Cooperatives
America Antigua and Barbuda Nominations are now open for the country's first customer service awards, the WOW Factor Awards, to recognise outstanding customer service across a wide range of sectors, including education, sports, tourism, marketing, finance, IT, media and energy
America Suriname The FAO and Suriname's Ministry of Agriculture met to advance the "South-South Cooperation Project" aiming to enhance rural livelihoods through digital data collection and management, with plans for scaling the initiative to improve small-scale producers
America Guatemala The diverse ecosystems and fauna of Guatemala's Laguna del Tigre National Park have suffered significant losses due to 62 days of fires, resulting in over 465 kilometers of forest area being damaged, with experts predicting a slow recovery of 30-40 years
America Guyana Guyana received US$1 million from the US for Coast Guard vessel maintenance, including training for Guyanese naval personnel by the US Coast Guard
America Nicaragua Over 20 evangelical churches are facing closure and confiscation upon arbitrary fines over 20.000 córdobas; church representatives, threatened with property confiscation and legal action if fines are unpaid, view this as a violation of religious freedom
America Panama A US$1,5 million drug incinerator has been inaugurated to curb pollution from open-air burning, making it the sole regional country equipped to safely dispose of confiscated narcotics
America Bahamas New standards for the upcoming Junkanoo 2024/2025 season have been announced, requiring leaders to submit detailed reports on expenses and licences to register, after corruptions have been reported for years
America Barbados An Ageospatial map developed by the governemnt will help determine the location of people across the island, identify vulnerable people and respond to their needs before and after a disaster