Europe Spain A massive counterfeit perfume factory has been dismantled; the plant produced tens of thousands of liters of counterfeit fragrances, imitations of around fifty luxury brands, to be marketed to the rest of Europe via France
Europe San Marino The number of births has risen in 2025, reversing a negative trend in San Marino; the Family Secretariat has expressed satisfaction and announced a new law by the end of this year that will introduce a 'baby bonus'
America Ecuador Several illegal mining camps in the Andean province of Imbabura have been destroyed; military operations in the area have intensified following deadly attacks by armed groups linked to ex-FARC dissidents and local gangs
Africa Cape Verde 35th anniversary of 13 January, Democracy Day, a public holiday marking Cape Verde's first democratic elections in 1991, will see the inauguration of the Monument to Freedom and Democracy, academic focuses, events in the diaspora, music festival
Africa Mozambique As the N1 in Inhambane province was blocked by heavy rainfall and more such incidents can be expected during the current rainy season, the country once again realizes it is too dependent on its north-south highway, also key for imports from South Africa
America Mexico Mexican and US officials met to discuss measures to combat drug cartels and narcoterrorist networks, with the US urging stronger cooperation to dismantle trafficking while Mexico stresses collaboration that respects its sovereignty
America Barbados The rise in farm theft during Christmas period, especially of yams and sweet potatoes; one of leading Barbadian producers is considering scaling back crop production after thieves stole up to 15.000 pounds of yams from his St John fields in recent weeks
Africa Mali Redefining environmental decentralization, Malian government adopted two decrees transferring new powers to local authorities in the areas of sanitation, pollution control, and forest and wildlife resource management
Asia Philippines The Traslación, Manila’s annual mass procession of the Black Nazarene drawing millions of bare footed devotees, was held amid public outrage over alleged corruption in its management and misuse of funding, while authorities tightened security
Europe Spain Spain consistently ranks as the world's second-most visited country after France and surpassed Italy in terms of tourism value; strategic investments and broader economic strength have elevated the sector to a higher financial and quantitative level
Europe Poland Greater support to national female athletes after childbirth or miscarriage is now provided by newly approved bill that also includes measures to guarantee to sports referees the same level of protection as public officials
Europe Moldova Moldova has been selected to host its first European Digital Innovation Hub, a major step in the digital transformation of local businesses; under the initiative a total of 2 million euros will be invested to support the digitalization of enterprises
Europe Kosovo An investigation into large-scale fraud at the Kosovo Insurance Bureau has resulted in the arrest of 39 people, including two former officials, over allegedly manipulated traffic accident compensation claims
Europe Bosnia and Herzegovina Despite the January 9 celebrations being ruled unconstitutional, the Bosnian Serb entity, Republika Srpska, again marked the day with a mass parade in Banja Luka