America Guatemala Indigenous communities in Guatemala are facing a high 18% illiteracy rate and have launched initiatives like floating schools—classrooms on boats reaching remote areas—but struggle as many children are pulled from school to work in agriculture
Oceania Palau A spawning monitoring dive will be conducted the Koror State Government Department of Conservation Law and Enforcement through the Palau Pledge Dive Club as part of Koror State's Resilient Reef Initiative Sustainable Fisheries Project
Asia Mongolia In 2024, Chinggis Khaan International Airport welcomed over 2 million passengers for the first time since its founding in 2021, reflecting a 6.5% increase in air travel, thus achieving a historic milestone for Mongolia
Asia Bhutan Bhutan won two prestigious tourism awards in 2024: International Wellness Destination for Travel+Leisure India and Runner-Up for Favourite Overseas Destination by Condé Nast Traveller, highlighting its appeal for wellness, culture and sustainable travel
Oceania Marshall Islands Majuro recorded its second busiest month of the year in November, thanks to the resumption of tuna transshipment activities, with 23 transshipments, the highest since January
Asia Turkmenistan Turkmenistan Football Federation President and FFT Secretary General Serdar Geldiyev held a video conference with football club "Villarreal" to discuss cooperation in youth soccer development
Africa South Sudan The country increased fees for nationality, passports, visas and other immigration services; the revised costs were approved by Parliament in the national tax budget, despite criticism
Africa Rwanda $181,7 million in new funds have been approved for Rwanda, after the IMF executive board concluded its review of the country's support programmes
Europe Slovakia The Slovak parliament has passed a law introducing charges for access to public information, a proposal initially criticised by the Let's Stop Corruption Foundation as a threat to transparency
Europe Sweden Stricter rules on age limits for using social media are being considered in order to protect children from gangs, which increasingly use social platforms to reach teenagers
Asia Qatar During Charity Week 2024 the University of Doha for Science and Technology raised QAR 114.753,25 (around €30.000), the highest total among participating universities and schools in Qatar for the second consecutive year
America United States President-elect Donald Trump and Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son announced a $100 billion investment in the US aimed at generating 100.000 new jobs; Trump called the investment "a monumental demonstration of confidence in America's future"
Asia Philippines San Rafael, a town in Bulacan, set a new Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people dressed as angels; over 2.000 participants convened at Victory Coliseum, surpassing the previous record held by Winnipeg, Canada, since 2015
Asia Indonesia Plans to build the country’s first nuclear power plant in Bangka Belitung, set to begin operations by 2031, have been officially announced by the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources