Asia Georgia The EU annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World noted “severely curtailed” human rights in Georgia, reduced bilateral political contacts and dialogue between Brussels and Tbilisi amid “significant democratic backsliding”
Africa Algeria The authorities ordered the closure for six months of Frantz-Fanon Editions, a publishing house located in Boumerdès, known for its progressive commitment and symbolic reference to the famous psychiatrist and anti-colonialist militant Frantz Fanon
Africa Guinea-Bissau The government urged the Chinese company GMG Internacional SA, which operates the Varela heavy sands mine, to commit to fulfilling its social responsibility by rehabilitating schools and improving the road section serving the premises
Asia Iraq The country is witnessing a steady increase in patent registrations, a sign of growing scientific and research activity, according to Fadhil al-Gharawi, head of the Strategic Centre for Human Rights
Africa Kenya A young Kenyan, Joseph Nguthiru, proposed to turn an invasive plant on Lake Naivasha into biodegradable packaging; his company, HyaPak, works together with fishermen at the lake who are affected by the phenomenon
Europe Ireland 800.000 households, including homes, offices and shops, were left without electricity after the passage of storm Éowyn; according to ESB, the company that manages the electricity grid, some buildings could remain without electricity for a week
Africa Rwanda The Plenary Sitting of the Chamber of Deputies called for immediate action to address challenges in Rwanda's agricultural sector, emphasizing the necessity for increased productivity and sustainable market solutions, particularly focusing on rice harvest
Europe Iceland The use of tanning beds has steadily decreased: only 5% of people said they had used them in the past 12 months, compared to over 30% in 2004; the number of tanning beds has also decreased, with 86 beds in 2023, compared to 97 in 2020
Europe Hungary Prime Minister Orbán, speaking on Kossuth radio about the main current political issues, stated, among other things, that 'Hungarians were Trumps even before Trump'
Africa Ghana A new set of words, relating to cooking, dance, music, but also expressions of popular slang, from Ghana and Nigeria have made it into the latest edition of the Oxford Dictionary; one example is 'Ghanaian banku', a paste of fermented maize and cassava
Asia Afghanistan Karim Khan, the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, asked the Court to issue arrest warrants for the leader of the Taliban in Afghanistan, Hibatullah Akhundzada, and for Abdul Hakim Haqqani, head of the Afghan Supreme Court
Europe Vatican City Cardinal Parolin, reaffirming that the presence of Christians in the Middle East is essential, held a meeting in Amman with papal representatives of ME nations, in which he called for a ceasefire “on every front”, and spoke to Lebanon's new president
Europe Russia Russian students celebrate a national Students’ Day on January 25; it is often referred to as Tatiana Day because it's the day of Saint Tatiana, the patron saint of students, in the Eastern Orthodox Church; the history of the feast goes back to 1755
Europe Switzerland Switzerland adopted new EU regulation to standardise the collection and transfer of passenger information that aims at enhancing the accuracy and precision of the data gathered and preventing illegal entry of air passengers into the Schengen area