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
America Suriname The Fire Department Suriname did not come across any illegal fireworks during routine inspections that were carried out in Paramaribo; only one of the retailers whose stores were inspected was caught violating rules for selling mini crackers to minors
Asia Bangladesh Inland water transport strike disrupted Bangladesh supply chain: crisscrossed by hundreds of rivers, over 80% of its cargo imported in bulk is delivered at sea and transported through waterways to its destination
Africa South Africa At the end of the first month of the G20 presidency, SA said it will leverage the opportunity of being the first African country to hold the role to "highlight the barriers to AI of developing countries, including unequal access to digital infrastructure"
Europe Ukraine As for 2025, I am very optimistic; there are objective factors for that, it will definitely be better than that," said Kiev's intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov
Europe North Macedonia The country in 2024 saw political change fuel fears of return to ethnic strife as the country’s biggest ethnic Albanian party, long used to power, was relegated to opposition benches and may stir up ethnic tension in a bid to regain its lost status
Africa Mauritius The road safety campaign on drink and drug driving was launched in Port Louis in the presence of the Minister of Land Transport, Osman Cassam Mahomed
Europe Monaco An exhibition at the Ministère d'Etat celebrating the 80th anniversary of the liberation from occupations by Germany and Italy during World War II closes today
Asia Myanmar The collapse of public health infrastructure has left communities to address widespread trauma independently; Kawthoolei Care Hospital in Kayin is training community health workers to provide mental health support amid ongoing conflict and displacement
Europe Portugal Hotel occupancy on New Year's Eve in Madeira is expected to be around 100%, according to the Secretariat of Economy, Tourism and Culture; “a reflection of the continuous effort to promote the region” according to stakeholders
Europe Hungary Hungary's turn at the presidency of the Council of the European Union officially ends today; notwithstanding Orbán's provocative attitude and ambitious initiatives, the mandate took place in relative calm
Asia Jordan Latest report by Ipsos found that Jordanians are looking towards 2025 with renewed optimism, as 69% believe the coming year will be better personally and 55% expect people in Jordan to start feeling more optimistic about the long-term future
Africa Equatorial Guinea More than two thousand boys and girls in the provincial capital of Centro Sur received the surprise of the 'One Toy, One Illusion' campaign by Nguema Obiang Mangue, Vice-President of Equatorial Guinea
America Venezuela Five Venezuelan opposition members taking refuge in the Argentine embassy in Caracas to avoid arrest say it has become a “prison”; as the residence has been without power for over a month, an adviser to opposition leader María Corina Machado said on X