Africa Somalia New EU VISA restrictions make it more difficult for Somalis to travel to the bloc; the recently approved measures intensify an ongoing dispute with Mogadishu over the return of Somalis living irregularly in the EU
Africa Zimbabwe The government has purchased a number of new advanced radiotherapy machines, used to treat cancer, which will soon be installed in two large public hospitals
America Saint Lucia The Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards has assumed, for the first time, the role of co-secretariat, alongside the British Standards Institute, to steer and support the development of an International Standard for organizations on modern slavery
Asia North Korea North Korea's recent electoral reform, which introduces a primary-like competition between two candidates, would be "far from" an effective democratic move to ensure suffrage, South Korea's Unification Ministry declared
Asia United Arab Emirates Over 35.000 amateur cyclists and cycling enthusiasts took to the streets for the 2023 Dubai Ride; people of all ages and abilities collectively cycled over 546.000 km
Asia Syria Israeli military aircraft have carried out an act of aggression against Syria, as announced in a statement by the Israeli army, which claimed the necessity of the attack in response to rocket fire from Syria towards the occupied Golan Heights
Oceania Tuvalu Canberra could offer a shelter to Tuvalu's entire population, at a rate of 280 per year, giving special permission to live, study and work in Australia, and in return it will have veto power over any defence pacts signed by Tuvalu with other countries
Europe Netherlands Health insurance premiums will see a rise in 2024, even though less than initially expected; of 29 different packages analyzed, monthly premiums will rise by an average of 5,2% taking the total from just below 142€ to 149,23€ per month
Europe Latvia The Saeima of the Latvian Parliament adopted amendments to eight laws introducing same-sex unions, three years after the Constitutional Court's ruling emphasising the state's duty to protect the families of same-sex couples
Europe United Kingdom According to police estimates, 300.000 pro-Palestinian protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza marched through central London, in the largest British demonstration since the start of the war between Israel and Gaza
Africa Madagascar Out of fears over the vote exacerbating popular anger in a difficult socio-economic situation, the President of the National Assembly, i.e. the Parliament, called for the suspension of the electoral process less than a week before the elections
Africa Ghana Ghanaian authorities have launched a manhunt to find those who cut down a 300-year-old kola tree, believed to have healing powers, dating back to the Ashanti Kingdom
Asia Nepal With the threat of infectious looming in quake-affected districts, the National Immunisation Advisory Committee asked the Ministry of Health and Population to launch an additional drive against vaccine-preventable diseases
America Jamaica The Jamaica's Child Protection and Family Services Agency declared its processes for the adoption of children in state care has improved as it points to 631 children adopted into "loving families" between 2018 and 2022