Africa Zimbabwe President Mnangagwa signed into law constitutional changes that extend his time in office to 2030; new legislation, approved by Parliament last month, also introduces a provision allowing presidents to be elected by lawmakers instead of direct public vote
Asia Thailand Thailand's ambitious plan to distribute digital currency to its citizens, with a total value of around $15 billion, has been delayed; each citizen over the age of 16 should receive around $280 with the aim of revitalising the national economy
Asia Saudi Arabia The Riyadh-based Hevolution Foundation, a non-profit foundation funded by the Saudi government, has selected 11 Saudi researchers in the field of ageing sciences to receive two-year grants worth $2,6 million
Asia Singapore Singapore has not yet made any decisions on the use of nuclear energy, but needs to keep its options open and build expertise in the field, said the Minister of Trade and Industry
Asia Uzbekistan Last year, agriculture consumed 39 billion cubic metres of water, of which 36% was lost in canals and ditches with earthen beds; in the past two years, subsidies have been allocated to the water sector also to inroduce water-saving technologies
Oceania Vanuatu One month after the conclusion of the national games in Vanuatu, state teachers employed by the Teaching Service Commission are still fighting to receive their daily subsistence allowance
America Argentina Argentinians will shortly head to voting amid a severe economic crisis, with leading candidates including Javier Milei, Patricia Bullrich, and Sergio Massa; challenges lie in curbing inflation and restoring faith in governance
Oceania Tonga At the end of a five-day visit to Tonga, which included a tour of the tsunami-affected areas, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction declared that more resources are needed
Europe Vatican City Pope Francis telephoned US President Joe Biden to talk about the conflicts in the world and the need to find paths to peace
Asia Taiwan Sun Yat-sen National University said a Mandarin-language immersive school at its Kaohsiung campus, operated by Vermont-based Middlebury College, will begin enrolling US university students in spring 2024
Asia Tajikistan The government has been accused of using electricity as leverage against its political opponents, after officials allegedly cut power to the homes of families of several opposition figures
Asia Iran The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought - awarded by the European Parliament - went this year to Iranian Mahsa Jina Amini and the 'Woman, Life, Freedom' movement
Europe Netherlands Hundreds of sex workers and Amsterdam residents took part in a demonstration against the municipality's plans to close the famous red light district and create an 'erotic centre' in the suburbs; dozens of them wore masks to hide their identities
Europe Norway Storm Babet left at least 20.000 homes in Norway without electricity and flooded the ground floor of houses, after causing flooding and property damage in Denmark and hitting the UK causing three casualties