Oceania Australia Police in New South Wales rejected arming guards at Jewish events; The Australian Jewish Association told the antisemitism royal commission that private security guards at Jewish events should be armed, authorities fear that would further fracture society
Africa Mauritius The first centenarian of the year 2024, Mrs Rookmeen Jugurnauth, celebrated her 100th birthday at Domaine Seetloo, in Solferino, Vacoas, with family and friends
Africa Cameroon A new tax compliance certificate, which can be downloaded online via the Harmony platform, has been established to obtain an exit visa in order to boost the fight against tax evasion by forcing those who have to travel to comply with their payments
Africa Tunisia The National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists called for the immediate release of journalist and radio columnist Zied El Heni, who was arrested on 28 December following comments he made on Ifm private radio in which he criticised the Minister of Trade
Africa Niger The Niger Football Federation has inaugurated the Fenifoot training academy for young people aged 12 to 15, after eight years of project gestation; it comprises 4 units: administrative, sports, pedagogical and health
Europe Switzerland Around one million counterfeit Swiss watches were confiscated worldwide in 2023, says the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry despite a constant monitoring for fake "Swiss Made" on websites or socials and training for customs officers in many countries
Asia Bahrain Aluminium Bahrain registered a record-breaking production of 1.620.665 metric tonnes in 2023, +1,3% Year-on-Year on 2022
Africa Guinea The ruling military junta has officially announced that a constitutional referendum will be held in 2024, a key step towards returning power to civilians, without specifying a date
Europe Bosnia and Herzegovina In a series of indictments announced over the New Year period, 15 suspects were charged with various wartime crimes including attacks on villages that left dozens of Bosniaks and Croats dead and executing hundreds of men from Srebrenica
Asia Malaysia Gerbang Alaf Restaurants, licensee of McDonald's in Malaysia, has sued the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Malaysia movement alleging that it published a series of social media posts linking the fast-food franchise to Israel's military offensive in Gaza
Africa Malawi Temwa Chawinga has been named the best female goalscorer of 2023 by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics: she is the first non-European to achieve this goal and the third winner of the award since it was established for women
Africa Uganda A well-known Lgbtq rights activist in Uganda, Steven Kabuye, who works with the Coloured Voices Media Foundation, was stabbed, sustaining serious injuries
America Costa Rica As of January 1, 2024, Costa Rica has revised minimum wages, witnessing nearly a 2% increase for the private sector
America Chile A streamlined process to enhance tourism between Argentina and Chile has been introduced by Customs Authority that only requires bureaucratic procedures for private vehicles with trailers; this initiative marks a shift towards more ‘paperless’ tourism