Asia China The World Humanoid Robot Games, world's first Olympic-style event, took place in Beijing in a venue built for 2022 Olympics; in the opening ceremony robots danced and played music and 500 androids competed in 26 sports, from 400m sprint to table tennis
Asia Palestine The number of victims of the war in the Gaza Strip as reported by Ministry of Health may be underestimated by at least 40%: the actual death toll may have already exceeded 70.000, according to analyses by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Asia Afghanistan The South African sports minister joined calls to boycott the cricket match against Afghanistan next month, criticising the International Cricket Council for not following the rules as Talibans disbanded the women's national team and banned women's sports
Europe Sweden In 2024, Sweden granted the lowest number of residence permits to asylum seekers and their relatives ever recorded; the right-wing government pledged to continue with the reduction policy
Africa South Africa The South African Communist Party will participate in local elections as an independent formation; it is the first time in the history of democratic South Africa
Africa Tunisia The 100-seat travelling cinema Cinématdour, run by a private cultural organisation, Agora, and a non-profit organisation, Focus Gabès, continues to tour the country, opening up to those who have no money to pay for a ticket or get to a cinema
Africa Gabon Four political leaders opposed to the military's transitional management called for the publication of a clear timetable for elections scheduled by August 2025; "failure to publish it immediately will be considered a major obstacle to democratic process"
Africa Benin A new attack attributed to jihadist groups in the north, near the border with Niger and Burkina Faso, resulted in the death of 28 soldiers; attacks have increased in the area in recent years, with 121 soldiers killed from 2021 to the end of 2024
Europe Italy The cathedral of Monreale, built in the 12th century under Norman rule, is now fully open after over one year of experts' restoration; it boasts Italy's largest Byzantine-style mosaics, second in the world only to those of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey
Africa Ivory Coast The Hôpital Mère-Enfant in Bingerville, near Abidjan, has confirmed the success of the country's very first operation to separate Siamese twins
Africa Sao Tome and Principe The Basta Movement, one of the opposition parties in Sao Tome and Principe, called for the resignation of the government as a 'necessary and long overdue measure' and awaits a new prime minister 'who is up to the country's challenges'
Africa Sudan There are 3,2 million children under 5 years of age who suffer from hunger in the country, of whom about 772.000 are expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition, said Eva Hinds, Unicef Sudan's Protection and Communications Officer
Europe Romania Romania's accession to the US Visa Waiver Program will be made official today, Friday 10 January, during a ceremony at the Department of Homeland Security in Washington
America Suriname Suriname's Ministry of Health is set for major transformations in 2025, including a new building, ten more ambulances to enhance emergency response, and a focus on digitizing healthcare services for improved efficiency and accessibility