Asia Sri Lanka An “Ehi Passiko” peace walk began in Dambulla, bringing together Buddhist monks and participants to promote peace and mindfulness; “Ehi Passiko,” meaning “come and see,” reflects a core Buddhist principle encouraging understanding through experience
Europe Kosovo Kosovo's electoral commission has banned the country's main Serbian party, Lista Serba, from participating in the upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled for next February
Europe Malta An estimated 30.000 full- and part-time workers will work in hotels, restaurants and catering facilities throughout the holiday period
Africa Mauritius Deputy PM has hinted that negotiations with the UK over the Chagos Islands are being held up over the amount of money involved for the UK 99-year lease for Diego Garcia, home to a major UK-US military airbase as per the original October agreement
Asia Kazakhstan Kazakhstani officials discussed the introduction of new digital technologies and artificial intelligence into everyday activities during a government meeting
Asia Georgia The European Higher Education Quality Assurance Registry suspended the registration of the National Centre for Quality Improvement in Education of Georgia due to violations dating back to 2023
Asia Kyrgyzstan The Bishkek mayor's office has proposed a draft legislation on the introduction of restrictions on the driving hours of vehicles delivering goods to shops and bazaars, especially during peak hours
Europe Lithuania Lithuanian emigrants increasingly choose to return from abroad and settle in the country's less populated regions; the State Employment Service has created an interactive map with 50 indicators on housing, employment, education and other issues
Europe Luxembourg Most of bottled waters sold in Luxembourg contain chemicals, a study by an environmental group has found, after previous research had also found pollutants in tap water
Africa Tanzania 17 training centres in Kiswahili abroad were opened to promote the global use of the language; in addition, the government built 30 training centres in the country
America Grenada The country officially signed the UN Treaty on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction
Oceania Tuvalu The long-term digitization project presented by PM Teo envisions moving government services and records to an online platform and preserving the cultural memory of Tuvalu "in a way that it can be treasured for years, regardless of the status of our land"
Africa Sao Tome and Principe The PM said he was concerned about the waterfront redevelopment work in the capital after identifying "many defects" that will require adjustments and additional funding that have not yet been secured
Asia Uzbekistan The 10% excise tax on mobile communication services will be abolished starting January 1, 2025; the announcement was made after reviewing the country's progress in 2023 and in the frame of key plans for 2025 to support entrepreneurship