Oceania Palau A historic $15 million financing agreement has been signed with Saudi Arabia, marking a shift in how Palua's National Development Bank will now operate, as the loan will be directly invested into building affordable housing
Oceania New Zealand An estimated 42.000 people rallied outside the Parliament to protest against a bill that critics say would hurt the rights of Maori people and call for lawmakers to reject the Treaty Principles Bill, introduced earlier this month by ACT New Zealand party
Oceania Nauru The country is expected to have the highest percentage of children under the age of 14 by 2030 in the Pacific, 37%, closely followed by Papua New Guinea with 36% and Samoa with 35%
Africa Tunisia The 25th edition of the Carthage Theatre Days was inaugurated on Saturday evening at the Municipal Theatre in Tunis; a celebration of art and freedom, it takes place every two years, alternating with the Carthage Film Festival
America Saint Lucia A survey to assess the presence of bilharzia among primary school children aged 8 to 11 will be completed this month; the initiative aims to identify potential cases and contaminated water sources where host snails may carry the disease-causing parasites
Asia Syria The city of Palmyra was bombed by Israel, most likely to hit positions of pro-Iranian militias in the area, reported the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an independent international organisation, among other sources
America Haiti Threats and attacks by police forces directly aimed at staff have forced MSF to suspend all activities and medical services until further notice in Port-au-Prince, except for already hospitalised patients at their five medical facilities and maternal care
Africa Ivory Coast The talking drum, known as Djidji Ayôkwé, will return to the country after 3 years of negotiations; 3,31 metres long and weighing 430 kg, it's one of the main works of Ivorian tradition and symbol of the struggle for the restitution of cultural heritage
Asia Bahrain In preparation for Bahrain’s hosting of major events, including Jewellery Arabia and Scent Arabia, the General Directorate of Traffic is intensifying efforts to manage the crowd of vehicles that flow along Bahrain Bay Road, where all events will coincide
Asia Georgia Health Minister met parents of children with severe rare deseases to discuss funds in next year’s budget for meeting their needs, review opportunities for developing the existing treatment programme and retrain personnel and specialists
Asia Bangladesh In his televised address on the occasion of the first 100 days of his government, Prime Minister Yunus asked the nation to be patient, as elections will be called once institutional and electoral reforms are completed
Africa Botswana Intending to diversify its economy, currently dependent on diamonds, Botswana plans to enter the medical cannabis and solar energy markets, announced President Duma Boko during his first address to the nation
Europe Estonia Starting next year, Tallinn will no longer allow advertising on the exteriors of buses, trams and trolley buses; there may only be a few exceptions, like the possibility of maintaining messages on the back of buses that encourage use of public transport
Africa Zambia Distribution of oral cholera vaccines will begin in a few days, targeting the 54 cholera hotspots identified in the country