America Canada "Lake Ontario – then, now and always” Prime Minister Carney posted, saying the name comes from the Wendat word Ontari’io, pre-dating the foundation of both Canada and the USA, who proposed Lake America as a new name following Canada's retaliatory tariffs
Africa Tanzania The country is trying to establish its own vaccine production facility, then exporting vaccines to Eastern and Southern African states; the country is likely to spend $100 million by 2030 to import vaccines, thus the need to set up its own local capacity
Africa Togo The annual FIMO International Fashion Festival was held in Lomé, with a 2021 focus of eco-responsible fashion
Europe Romania Climber Adrian Ahriţculesei has recently succeeded in conquering the Pico de Orizaba volcano (5.636 m), the highest volcano in North America; the challenge is part of his goal to be the first Romanian man to complete the "Seven Volcanos" circuit
Asia Malaysia The country will introduce a new law to ban smoking and possession of tobacco products, including electronic vaporizers, for people born after 2005 as a "generational end game" for smoking in the country
Asia Japan Rising temperatures, heavy rainfall, flooding and demographics are eroding a centuries-old culture surrounding wasabi cultivation, making its rhizomes - already considered the hardest plant to grow in the world - more susceptible to mildew
Africa South Africa Gauteng, the country's economic centre, is offering food vouchers to people aged 50 years who have not yet received the Covid-19 vaccination to encourage them to get the vaccine; Gauteng accounts for the majority of cases in the country with 32,4%
America Paraguay Tired of vaccines and mandates, a couple of Covid-19 denialists have started a community free of all vaccines and regulations; called Paraíso Verde, it lays 20km south of Caazapá and today almost 1.000 people reside there
Europe Lithuania The emergency alarm system will be upgraded with new sirens; installed in municipalities over the next two years, it will be capable of warning at least 75% of people living in areas within the impact zone of the Belarusian nuclear power plant
America Guyana The country has 85% of its land covered by forests, being the second country with the most wildlife coverage; the president proposed to officially protect it at the International Energy Conference in Georgetown last week in exchange for carbon credit
Africa Sudan More than 100 Sudanese detainees, including high-profile politicians, are on hunger strike to protest on their unjustified and illegal detention and are considered part of the protest movement against the 25 October coup
Asia Vietnam Human Rights Watch accused authorities of harassing and detaining more than 170 activists over the past two decades in a newly released report; the group called for an end to the "systematic restriction" of activists' freedom of movement
Asia Georgia Only a few dozen women are still able to weave Borchalo carpets, an ancient art practised mainly by the Azerbaijani community; an average-sized carpet requires two women to work on it for one to two months
Asia Syria For survivors of torture and sexual abuse in Bashar Assad's prisons, the conviction of former Syrian intelligence officer Anwar Raslan last month for crimes against humanity and the ongoing trial of Dr Alaa Mousa represent a major breakthrough