Africa Somalia New EU VISA restrictions make it more difficult for Somalis to travel to the bloc; the recently approved measures intensify an ongoing dispute with Mogadishu over the return of Somalis living irregularly in the EU
Africa Egypt After Children Cancer Hospital 57357 met top standards and is the first hospital in Egypt, second in the Middle East, to be awarded the GAMSAS accreditation, Minister of Health stated that Egypt is fully committed to preventing antimicrobial resistance
Asia China A record number of university students will graduate next year, with the Ministry of Education predicting as many as 12,22 million graduates, 430.000 more than this year's number of graduates, that set latest record
Europe Albania Only 1 in 8 companies in Albania paid taxes on profits in 2023, according to official data from the Ministry of Finance
Asia Myanmar The junta is urging citizens abroad to return for mandatory military service; the move follows intensified recruitment efforts amid escalating conflicts with ethnic minorities within the country displacement and humanitarian crises
Africa Libya The “She Leads” project to support entrepreneurship for women in the cities of Tripoli and Sabha were launched at an event in the Old City, Tripoli; it aims at training over 80 women to facilitate their entry into the labour market
Asia Kuwait Despite ongoing efforts to curb drug trafficking and addiction, a surge in consumption is prompting authorities to take new measures, including actions that involve communities, specially as there is a clear link with a surge in domestic violence
Europe Switzerland Nearly four million of Rolex Submariner and Sea Dweller diving watches were produced between 1953 and 2020; all Submariner watches make a total value of almost $50 billion, based on analysis of the first-ever release of production data by the watchmaker
America Saint Vincent and the Grenadines A monitoring project to protect the SVG parrot and other endemic species kicked off with a four day training workshop on the Passive Acoustic Monitoring – a non-invasive method ideal for studying wildlife, with a focus on the endangered Amazona Guildingii
Asia Bahrain The Bank of Bahrain launched first bitcoin investment fund in the Gulf; the country had been proactive in establishing crypto banking regulations and confirms its attitude with the offer of a structured instrument to institutional investors
Asia Mongolia Youth chess team returned with three medals from the 2024 FIDE World Youth Chess Championship in Brazil: Margad Munkhpurev got silver in Girls' Blitz, Tenguundalai Ganbat bronze in U14 Boys' Blitz and gold in Solving, Urangoo Gurvanbaatar got Master Title
Asia Vietnam The Bac Ninh festival celebrates 15 years of Quan Ho singing being recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage; known for its male-female duet style, Quan Ho is celebrated for its melodic richness and cultural importance
Europe Bulgaria Belene Island Foundation, an NGO, wants to honour with a memorial the 15.000 people considered enemies of the communist regime who were interned in Persin, many of whom died as a result of forced labour
Africa Gambia A €29.000 women's community garden in the village of Boraba, 300 kilometres from Banjul, has been inaugurated by the German ambassador to The Gambia