Asia Maldives Journalists filled the parliament gallery in silent protest earlier this week as lawmakers in the chamber below debated a bill proposing a new regulatory body with sweeping powers to punish and shut down media outlets
Europe Spain Gastronomy contributed €374 billion to the Spanish economy in 2023, generating 27% of the gross domestic product in 2023 and providing 7,2 million full-time jobs, representing 37% of the country's entire labour market
America Costa Rica Costa Rica could introduce 12-hour work shifts for 4 days, followed by 3 days off, under the plan currently under review by the Legislative Assembly
Africa Sao Tome and Principe Removed from his position on 6 January, former PM Trovoada has chosen to challenge the legality of his dismissal in court; President Carlos Vila Nova had dismissed the government citing its inability to address the country’s issues and absences of the PM
Africa Somalia Qatar Charity signed a strategic partnership agreement with the Ministry of Health in Galmudug State, Somalia, to establish and equip four new health centres in the region
Oceania Nauru The country will charter a flight to Honiara for the Miss Pacific pageant, scheduled for 1-8 February 2025, with eight contestants including Miss Nauru, Charlei Andrianna Deiye
Africa South Africa In a court-ordered rescue operation, at least 78 bodies have been pulled from an illegal gold mine where police cut off food and water for months, in what trade unions called a horrific crackdown; 246 survivors have been arrested once at the surface
America Brazil Brazil’s Supreme Court has denied former president Jair Bolsonaro’s request to travel to Donald Trump’s inauguration, ruling that he remains a flight risk due to ongoing investigations into his alleged coup and other charges
Africa Togo Togo's Agricultural Transformation Agency launched a recruitment campaign for 55 new agents, including managers, technicians, engineers and drivers; ATA has supported over 6.000 farmers in its first two years, implementing pilot programmes in 60 cantons
America Argentina Argentina is advancing in production for the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine VCN20 locally through a Pfizer-Sinergium Biotech partnership, which aims to boost public health, economic growth, and its regional leadership in vaccine manufacturing and export
Asia Syria Spain raised the flag of its embassy in Damascus, marking the return of its diplomatic presence more than a decade after the suspension of operations; many Western states are re-establishing contacts with the country after Assad's fall
America Saint Vincent and the Grenadines A major breakage to a 12-inch main pipeline of Central Water and Sewage Authority in the Hermitage Mountain last left 12 communities without pipe-borne water; the CWSA said the breakage is as a result of a fallen tree, which dislodged the pipeline
Europe Slovakia President Peter Pellegrini conferred State honours on 18 personalities from social, cultural and sporting life, nine of them posthumously
Asia Nepal Three pairs of bar-headed geese, one of the few bird species capable of flying over the altitude of 9.000 meters, were spotted in Jagadishpur Bird Sanctuary in Kapilvastu, showing Nepal’s role in bird conservation and is ecotourism potential