Asia Nepal Climbing fees have been waived for nearly 100 Himalayan peaks in the remote northwest for the next two years, aiming to attract mountaineers to these less-developed regions
Africa Democratic Republic of the Congo Preliminary laboratory results suggest that the mystery disease spread in the country is a combination of common and seasonal viral respiratory infections and malaria, the World Health Organization said
Africa Mozambique Protests against the outcome of the 8 October presidential elections are suspended for 5 days to allow humanitarian workers and international bodies to assess the situation in the country, upon call of opposition leader Venancio Mondlane
Europe Moldova There is a lack of heating and hot water in homes and offices in the region of Transnistria after Ukraine cut off Russian gas supplies to Europe
Africa Madagascar 800 turtles, probably intended for clandestine export, were seized in Majunga, in the north-west of the country; the seized turtles belong to the endemic Madagascar star tortoise species, which is protected and classified as critically endangered
Europe Sweden Most of Sweden's green energy transition infrastructure is planned in a region where the Sami live; one of the last indigenous peoples of Europe, they are now menaced by the impact on the habitat of reindeers, their most important source of income
Africa Ivory Coast French troops will leave the country after a decades-long military presence,The country has announced, thus becoming the last African nation to cut military ties with its former colonial power
Asia Palestine Gaza's population decreased by 6% since the start of Israel's war, reports Anadolu Agency citing official data from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
Asia Taiwan Free single-use toiletries are banned in hotels from today 1 January 2025, for obvious environmental reasons; the move is expected to impact over 14.000 hotel operators on top of the relative supply chain
Europe Romania In connection to full accession to the Schengen area, Romania will close over 30 checkpoints on its borders with Hungary and Bulgaria following last vote of EU Justice and Home Affairs Council that ruled the abolition of land controls as of 1 January 2025
Africa Ethiopia Malaria continues to pose a public health risk in Ethiopia, reaching 'epidemic proportions' with an average of 'over 300.000 cases' reported weekly across the country, the WHO stated
Europe Spain The census revealed that 1.038.671 people born in the Spanish-speaking countries of the Americas now reside in the Madrid region; only 25 years ago, they were 81.552
Africa Sudan 28 trucks of food and medical supplies have reached Jebel Awliya, facing starvation since area access was cut off; it’s the first since the beginning of the civil war in 2023, a result of negotiations between UN and local associations with warring parties
Africa Uganda The foundation stone of what will become the most important temple of the Russian Orthodox Church in Africa was consecrated in the city of Kiboga; the Russian Orthodox Church is seeing a rapid expansion in Uganda