Asia Bahrain 394.000 visitors have been registered in state-run heritage sites in January-August 2026, with the Bahrain Fort accounting for 246.409, nearly two thirds of the total, and foreign visitors prevailed with the presence of 187.567 people
Oceania Samoa A review of the minimum wage in Samoa is closer after Finance Minister Lautimuia Uelese Va'ai said the government is looking to set up a committee to guide it; the current minimum wage in Samoa is $3 per hour and came into effect in 2020
Africa Seychelles The Seychelles Fire and Rescue Services Agency reported a sharp increase in domestic accidents and electrical fires over the past year
Asia Nepal 321 families affected by wild elephant attacks in Jhapa district are awaiting compensation from the government after the animals caused damage to people and property in various places and at different times in the current 2023/24 fiscal year
Asia Uzbekistan Uzbekistan's courts found 666 people guilty of sexual harassment under the new Article 41-1 of the Code of Administrative Responsibility in 2023, said Supreme Court spokesman Aziz Abidov
America Peru Ocho Sur, Peru-based palm oil producer supplying brands like Nestle, Kellogg's and Colgate, is allegedly linked to deforestation in the Amazon rainforest, operating on 130 square kilometers of deforested land, as environmental groups revealed
Asia Oman The WHO regional office has awarded Al Buraimi the prestigious status of 'Healthy City' in Eastern Mediterranean region; the award will enable the implementation of the 'Health for All' concept, improving equitable access to high quality health services
America Venezuela Satellite images have revealed Venezuela's recent military buildup near the border with Guyana, contradicting diplomatic efforts to address the historic territorial dispute over the oil-rich Esequibo region
Europe Hungary Icon and actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, who died in 2016 at 99, will be commemorated with a life-size statue by János Babusa in Budapest; born in Hungary, she made a career in the USA, winning a Golden Globe Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Europe Malta The country will formally apply to join the OECD, Prime Minister Robert Abela told ambassadors, both increase the country's contribution to international politics, ant to help promote the interests of small states
America Uruguay Uruguay has recalled to ambassador in Venezuela, Eber da Rosa, expressing concern over events jeopardising free and democratic elections in Venezuela, particularly the disqualification of opposition leader María Corina Machado
Europe Netherlands The Dutch railway company NS is planning a complete reorganisation of its services for next year and aims to add 1.600 extra journeys per week from 2025 onwards; all plans will have to be approved by the government, a shareholder
Africa Morocco The 80 human footprints discovered in 2022 in Larache, south of Tangier, date from around 100.000 years ago; the footprints were dated by a study recently published in the journal Nature according to which they are Homo sapiens footprints
Asia Maldives The country broke a post-pandemic record welcoming 8.900 visitors in a single day with on 3 February