America Cuba International investors can now build and fully own tourism facilities: to reverse the dramatic fall in tourism, authorities have eliminated the requirement for foreign groups to form a joint venture with the Cuban state to manage their tourism activities
Asia Kazakhstan The East Kazakhstan region is preparing to build a water reservoir on the Kenderlik River and to reconstruct two more reservoirs in Uideninskiy and Kandysu; 40% of the country's reservoirs are concentrated in the region
Africa Mauritania A Nouakchott court sentenced former president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to five years in prison for abusing his position to amass an illicit fortune, convicting him of illicit enrichment and money laundering
Asia Bahrain Bank ABC was declared 'Bank of the Year in Bahrain - 2023' by The Banker - Financial Times for the third time
Oceania Kiribati The Asian Development Bank approved a $27 million grant package to support the provision of quality health services in Kiribati in climate-resilient facilities
Oceania Micronesia The former president of the Federated States of Micronesia urged US lawmakers to keep their promise to approve funds for the Compact of Free Association (Cofa), warning against China's push into the Pacific
Africa Tanzania A group of organisations is launching a study to evaluate emergency response tools for severe malaria cases in rural areas in Tanzania, Zambia and DR Congo, and to seek further care in remote settings where transfer to health facilities is not feasible
Africa Gambia The country's remittance inflow from January to September 2023 amounted to US$ 564,1 million, an increase of 4,5% compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, confirmed the Governor of the Central Bank of The Gambia
Africa Kenya Vice President Rigathi Gachagua said the government will begin to provide full transparency on President William Ruto's foreign travels starting in January
Asia Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon proposed the creation of a glacier study centre, recalling that his country is fast losing many glaciers, more than 1.000 in recent decades, mainly due to the increasing impact of global warming
America Antigua and Barbuda The contributions of the 2022 National Title recipients were celebrated at the investiture ceremony held at the Government Palace, for contributions in areas ranging from diplomacy, nursing, education and national development
Europe Finland The Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority reported a worrying problem as last year around 800 tonnes of waste ended up in sewage treatment plants; the most common are towels, biodegradable waste and hygiene products like cotton buds and tampons
Africa South Sudan Former NBA player Luol Deng's foundation inaugurated the NBA Junior League and a new basketball court in South Sudan, setting the stage for the tournament early next year
Asia Afghanistan According to the US State Department, the country experienced a significant decrease in terrorist threats: in 2022, it did not enter the top 10 for terrorist attacks and the number of victims decreased by 88% compared to 2021, with 726 people affected