Asia Iraq Over 600 pilgrims were briefly hospitalised with respiratory problems after inhaling chlorine resulting of a leak at a water treatment station on the route between the two Shia holy cities of Najaf and Karbala
Europe Malta A new palliative care complex in Santa Venera has been opened by Hospice Malta; it is the first dedicated palliative care center in the country and its services will be provided free of charge to more than 1.500 patients
Europe Belgium According to a new report by the Belgium Court of Auditors, the Belgian court system's long-running project to digitize paper documents is not going as planned
Europe Bosnia and Herzegovina The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development invested €213 million in 23 developing projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2024, with a focus on green energy, sustainability, and transport connectivity projects with neighboring countries
Asia Azerbaijan The consortium led by Saudi Arabian ACWA Power has won the tender to build a seawater desalination plant in Baku, considered a major step forward for water security and infrastructure development
Asia Maldives The Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation announced a major promotional campaign in Germany ahead of the ITB Berlin 2025 tourism fair to be held 4-6 March
America Trinidad and Tobago Following a weekend of violence which took the islands’ murder total to 623 in a year, the Trinidad and Tobago authorities on 13 January extended the nationwide state of emergency for a further three months, with no curfew nor restrictions on gatherings
Africa South Sudan Following attacks on businesses and homes owned by people from Sudan, President Salva Kiir has called for calm and urged citizens not to take the law into their own hands; a nationwide night curfew was imposed to try to bring tensions under control
Africa Nigeria Nigeria has been accepted as a BRICS partner country, becoming the ninth country to join it; the Brazilian government, which currently holds the bloc's rotating presidency, made the official announcement
Asia China For months, over 500 self-driving taxis have been roaming the streets of the city of Wuhan, in what is the world's largest experiment with self-driving cars
Europe Albania The country has given preliminary approval to one of Donald Trump's family's two major projects in the country: a luxury resort on Sazan Island; the project can proceed to the next stage, namely the environmental impact assessment
America Saint Kitts and Nevis As the country registered a 70% reduction of shootings and killings in Q3 2024, PM Dr. Terrance Drew hailed the resilience of the people and the effectiveness of crime prevention strategies, inviting citizens and stakeholders to celebrate the progress
Europe Sweden An all-party committee of the main parties has submitted a proposal to revoke Swedish citizenship from dual nationals convicted of crimes that pose a threat to the state, like espionage
Africa Mali Mali, with Niger and Burkina Faso, will lose its membership status in the Economic Community of West African States on 29 January, following withdrawal from ECOWAS after refusing the bloc's demand to restore democratic rule.