Asia Japan Proof of proficiency in Japanese will be required to apply for a working visa for engineering, humanities or international services; policy will be revised tightening screening after workers entered Japan under a specialized job visa but do unskilled jobs
Africa Burkina Faso Voice of America broadcasts has been suspended in Burkina Faso for three months for coverage of militant attacks in the country and neighbouring Mali
Africa Namibia The Namibian Police have urged the public and businesses to inform law enforcement authorities when transporting large amounts of money, as communication between the police and communities is vital to prevent robberies and ensure public safety
Africa Mauritania The GALAB-Global Accelerator Lab project has been launched in Mauritania to combat child labour, trafficking and exploitation in the region upon initiative of the International Labour Organisation
Asia Uzbekistan French language courses will be set up in 12 kindergartens in Uzbekistan for one year using the innovative Kokoro lingua platform
Oceania Micronesia U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Guam personnel, as part of the Pacific Partnership 2024, conducted a series of boating safety workshops and community outreach activities in Kosrae
Europe North Macedonia Vulnerable to both severe flooding and drought, the country could suffer economic damage of up to 4% of its gross domestic product by 2050 due to the impact of climate change, according to a new World Bank Group Country Climate and Development Report
America Venezuela Opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia has announced his return to Caracas on 10 January to claim the presidency, asserting he won the 28 July election despite Nicolás Maduro's contested victory
Asia Israel The Bank of Israel kept interest rates unchanged for the sixth consecutive meeting, but raised the prospect of future rate hikes if armed conflicts on two fronts push inflation higher than expected
Asia Bangladesh The US has appealed to Bangladesh to protect the rights of its minority communities in the wake of increasing attacks on the Hindu minority community after the resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
Oceania Nauru 'I take no responsibility,' said Baron Waqa, former president of Nauru and the current secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum, refusing to accept blame for the poor treatment of refugees in Nauru
Europe Portugal 35% of wildfires recorded this year were caused by arson, with 79.118 hectares of burnt area; the 28% caused by burnings (illegal during the summer months) account for 20.950 hectares, while 15% of the fires were accidental and 9% reignitions
Asia Sri Lanka The second Resilience, Stability, and Economic Turnaround development policy operation has been signed with the World Bank for $200 million, the second operation in a two-part series that began in 2022
Africa Sudan The war in Sudan could cost countless more lives if immediate action is not taken: famine and disease are spreading as fighting intensifies and humanitarian workers struggle to gain access, said a senior World Health Organisation official