America Venezuela Flight connections with the Dutch island of Aruba, less than 30km off Venezuela's coat, will be resumed for the first time since 2019; Maduro had suspended them after humanitarian aid was flown in, judging the move as international interference
Europe Switzerland The country invests 3,15% of GDP in research and development, at 7th position in global innovation rankings; in 2022, 8 major inventions such as a biodegradable paper battery, a smart microphone detecting wolves and an anti-cancer gel have been produced
Africa Zambia The population, now 19,6 million, grew from 13,1 million in 2010, according to data from the country's first electronic national census
Asia Bhutan In 2022, international tourist arrivals are expected to reach between 55% and 70% of 2019 levels; despite the drop in arrivals, 16.520 tourists have visited the country since the opening of the border in September this year
Europe Poland New consumer-protection regulations will be introduced on 1st January 2023; among other provisions, they will make online shopping more transparent and set new rules regarding purchases made during showcases and excursions
Europe Vatican City Fides News Agency released its annual list of Catholic missionaries who were killed bearing witness to their faith in 2022: eighteen missionaries lost their lives violently across the world this year, 9 in Africa, 8 in the Americas, 1 in Asia
America Suriname For the very first time, the country has established diplomatic relations with Cape Verde, and will be focusing primarily in cooperating for better access to climate finance and disaster management
America Bolivia The government has guaranteed that - due to its pipeline restructuring efforts - this upcoming year 75% of the country will finally have access to drinking water for households use and for animals, affected by ongoing droughts
Asia Saudi Arabia The Manafea agreement, a tripartite partnership, has been signed under the patronage of Saudi Minister of Commerce and aims at transforming Makkah and Madinah into hubs for financial and business activities in the Islamic world
Europe Serbia Serbian prosecutors said they are investigating a Kosovo Albanian man for alleged arms possession and trafficking after the Security Intelligence Agency said he is suspected of involvement in terrorism
Asia Sri Lanka The country expelled 1.955 foreign nationals upon various charges between 2018 and 2021, according to the Department of Immigration and Emigration's performance review report
Africa Morocco Morocco's Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication has announced the launch of a virtual museum bringing together all the photos and videos of the national football team's performances during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar
Asia Bangladesh A total of 50 multi-purpose cyclone shelters and schools are being built under the Multi-Sector Emergency Response Project to the Rohingya Crisis in the Upazilas of Teknaf and Ukhia in Cox's Bazaar district
Africa Somalia The Federal Government has invoked the principle of permanent sovereignty over natural resources and condemned Genel Energy PLC’s oil and petroleum exploration activities in Somaliland, considering the company’s oil exploration rights an “illegal claim”