Africa eSwatini 11 000 jobs have been added in 2023-25; though it may appear as a positive development for Eswatini’s economy, economists fear that Eswatini’s labour market is expanding in low-productivity jobs rather than sectors building long-term economic security
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
Asia Turkey Additional measures to prevent the sale and consumption of counterfeit alcohol have been announced by the Istanbul governor's office, after dozens of deaths linked to smuggled drinks have been recently reported
Africa Ethiopia Ethiopia-Djibouti Railway S.C. achieved profitability in Q4 2024 for the first time since its operational launch; the announcement followed a comprehensive evaluation of the 2024 performance and the result opens to a three-year plan to consolidate profit
Europe Sweden An all-party committee of the main parties has submitted a proposal to revoke Swedish citizenship from dual nationals convicted of crimes that pose a threat to the state, like espionage
Africa Mali Mali, with Niger and Burkina Faso, will lose its membership status in the Economic Community of West African States on 29 January, following withdrawal from ECOWAS after refusing the bloc's demand to restore democratic rule.
America Saint Kitts and Nevis As the country registered a 70% reduction of shootings and killings in Q3 2024, PM Dr. Terrance Drew hailed the resilience of the people and the effectiveness of crime prevention strategies, inviting citizens and stakeholders to celebrate the progress
Africa Nigeria Nigeria has been accepted as a BRICS partner country, becoming the ninth country to join it; the Brazilian government, which currently holds the bloc's rotating presidency, made the official announcement
Asia China For months, over 500 self-driving taxis have been roaming the streets of the city of Wuhan, in what is the world's largest experiment with self-driving cars
Africa South Sudan Following attacks on businesses and homes owned by people from Sudan, President Salva Kiir has called for calm and urged citizens not to take the law into their own hands; a nationwide night curfew was imposed to try to bring tensions under control
America Trinidad and Tobago Following a weekend of violence which took the islands’ murder total to 623 in a year, the Trinidad and Tobago authorities on 13 January extended the nationwide state of emergency for a further three months, with no curfew nor restrictions on gatherings
Asia Mongolia Parliament is reviewing a new $700M loan with India’s Exim Bank to fund increased costs for the Oil Refinery Project, a key initiative since 2017; the deal, at a 1,75% interest rate, includes stricter financial terms and a 20-year repayment plan
Africa Cape Verde Building resilience and accelerating a low-carbon transition are at the heart of Cabo Verde's sustainable development strategy, according to the Country Climate and Development Report, recently launched