Europe Spain A political and cultural dispute erupted over Basque regional government's formal request to host Pablo Picasso’s anti-war painting Guernica for 9 months; 2027 marks 90th anniversary of the first Basque government and of the bombing of the town Guernica
Africa Ivory Coast Construction work has begun on a new football technical center, fully funded by the International Football Federation's Forward Fund, to strengthen the base of Ivorian soccer
Europe Bulgaria In December, registered unemployment in Bulgaria reached a record low, falling below 150.000 for the first time, marking a registered unemployment rate of 5,23%
Europe Bosnia and Herzegovina The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development invested €213 million in 23 developing projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2024, with a focus on green energy, sustainability, and transport connectivity projects with neighboring countries
Oceania Australia Tennis Australia has relied on animation to illustrate its Australian Open YouTube feed, replacing players with AI-powered animated avatars, a practice inaugurated in 2024
Africa Comoros Hachim Saadi, one of the great voices of National Radio for more than 20 years, was buried in Ntsudjini in the presence of a large crowd who came to pay their respects
Asia Palestine Israeli security forces, backed by helicopters, raided the West Bank town of Jenin, killing at least eight Palestinians in what Prime Minister Netanyahu called a 'large-scale and significant military operation'
Asia Azerbaijan The consortium led by Saudi Arabian ACWA Power has won the tender to build a seawater desalination plant in Baku, considered a major step forward for water security and infrastructure development
Europe Malta A new palliative care complex in Santa Venera has been opened by Hospice Malta; it is the first dedicated palliative care center in the country and its services will be provided free of charge to more than 1.500 patients
Asia Kazakhstan The country is among the most likely candidates to host the qualifying tournament for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, said the president of the International Weightlifting Federation
Africa Seychelles The Confucius Institute of the University of Seychelles hosted an afternoon celebration of the Chinese Spring Festival to welcome the lunar new year that will take place on January 29
Europe Croatia In the face of sharply rising food prices, a grassroots movement is calling for a nationwide boycott of chain shops and supermarkets on Friday 24 January
Europe Albania The country has given preliminary approval to one of Donald Trump's family's two major projects in the country: a luxury resort on Sazan Island; the project can proceed to the next stage, namely the environmental impact assessment
Africa Burkina Faso President Ibrahim Traoré has banned the wearing of British and French colonial-style wigs by judges, a highly symbolic move that reflects the intention of decolonising Burkina Faos's judicial system