America Grenada Toll-free 988 Suicide Hotline for Crisis Response has been launched to guarantee immediate support for people experiencing suicidal thoughts, emotional distress and other mental health crises; an awareness campaign will start soon
Asia Philippines The Bureau of Immigration intercepted three Filipino women, alleged victims of human trafficking, at Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City
Asia Oman The Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Ministry of Health, received the Excellence Award for the year 2023 from the World Health Organization for its tireless and continuous efforts in combating non-communicable diseases
Europe North Macedonia Hundreds of young people, teachers and parents showed interest in a campaign to promote higher education in Bulgaria, which toured Skopje, Bitola and Strumica involving 12 higher education institutions
America Costa Rica Costa Rica is anticipating the second-highest economic growth in a decade, reaching 5%, driven by thriving free trade zones, influencing commerce, tourism, and private construction
Asia Pakistan A three-day exhibition of photographs and paintings kicked off at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts in conjunction with the 13th Pakistan Mountain Festival - the annual flagship event of Devcom-Pakistan
America Chile The World Bank has approved a US$200 million loan for Chile's Universal Health Care program, focusing on enhancing access and efficiency through measures such as telemedicine, climate-resilient systems, and AI-driven virtual health management
Africa Lesotho His Majesty King Letsie III, Chancellor of the National University of Lesotho, opened the Archbishop Thabo Makgoba Development Trust values-based leadership conference in Rome, Italy
America Belize In Belize's Valley of Peace, students built an eco-friendly Christmas tree in four days using repurposed plastic bottles, with the annual tree lighting event symbolising the importance of recycling and reducing single-use plastic in the festive season
Europe Latvia The Court of First Instance issued a verdict finding a person guilty of knowingly infecting another person with HIV, for the first time ever, sentencing him to 90 hours of community service
Asia Singapore Departure of first Singapore-born panda cub to China to participate in conservation programme has been postponed to January 2024; last public appearance at Pavilion Capital Giant Panda Forest in the River Wonders park is scheduled for today 13 December
America Ecuador Three ships, located in Australia, the UK, and the US, could be acquired to serve as offshore prisons, in a plan revealed by President Daniel Noboa following campaign promise aimed at alleviating prison violence
America Bolivia The Cholitas climbers, indigenous Aymara women from Bolivia known for their remarkable physical endurance and distinctive traditional attire, are currently training to climb Mount Everest
Europe Hungary The subsidiaries of Gloster Infocommunications, Gloster-Minero IT and FF Next Technologies, have signed a cooperation agreement with the German Red Cross to develop special software for electronic data recording of bone marrow and stem cell donors