Asia Nepal New members of Nepal’s National Assembly were sworn in following upper-house elections, where the Balendra Shah’s reformist Rastriya Swatantra Party won by a landslide, reshaping Nepal’s political landscape
Asia Saudi Arabia Contracts with 1.800 foreign travel agencies operating in the Umrah sector, out of a total of around 5.800 agencies worldwide, have been suspended and Ministry of Hajj and Umrah gave a 10-day deadline to align service with required standards
Africa Namibia Namibia’s mining delivered mixed performance in 2025, reflecting divergent global commodity trends: uranium and gold supported export earnings, fiscal revenues and investment confidence, diamonds remained in line with weak global demand
Oceania New Zealand Rising harassment and intimidation of migrants and faith groups prompted protests across Auckland; organizers have been denied a permit to walk across the harbour bridge last month for safety reasons and the pressure placed on the bridge's infrastructure
Europe Finland A major change to the way welfare regions receive state funding has been proposed; the draft legislation, to take effect at the beginning of 2027, would reduce allocations to large population centres and shift emphasis on assessed service needs
Africa Morocco Singer Abdelhadi Belkhayat died at 85 years old in Rabat; Belkhayat was a legendary figure in Moroccan music and a beloved artist for many generations of listeners
Asia Kazakhstan 1.328 million vacancies were published in 2025, while job seekers uploaded 1.454 million profiles, with labour supply exceeding demand by 10%; 50% of vacancies were working-class jobs 75% skilled labor, nurses and medical assistants the most sought-after
America Trinidad and Tobago Rapper Nicki Minaj, Trinidad and Tobago-born, publicly declared herself Donald Trump's "number one fan" during an appearance in Washington DC
Europe Vatican City Pope Leo XIV appealed for respect for ancient tradition of the Olympic truce, as the Milano-Cortina Winter Games get underway; at the Angelus Pope said the Olympics and Paralympics represent a message of fraternity and hope for a peaceful world
Asia Iran EU armies have been designated as ‘terrorist groups’ by Iran's authorities, in retaliatory move following a EU decision to label the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a ‘terrorist organisation’
Asia Kuwait The Kuwaiti flag is flying high on Sahafa Street to celebrate 65 years since the founding of Kuwait Times, the country's first print newspaper, and 20 since the launch of the digital Kuwait News; they stem from a deep sense of national responsibility
Asia Thailand Risks in ballot transport, counting and certification are a post-vote test for elections: past annulments and court interventions fuel concern among analysts and civil groups; Polls show pro-Thaksin Pheu Thai Party leading, opposition still competitive
Africa Libya The Libyan Council of Elders for Reconciliation is ready to launch an inclusive national dialogue initiative being open to communication with all local and international parties and saying national reconciliation is a sovereign choice with no alternative
Oceania Marshall Islands Majuro Atoll Waste Company launched a recycling facility at Batkan landfill, handling over 10 million cans and plastic or glass bottles every year with multi-million dollar revenues; for a new recycling and export pilot project it seeks community support