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
America Chile This week Chile celebrated World Tourism Day 2024 with a historic record, having welcomed nearly 3 million foreign tourists this year, surpassing pre-pandemic levels
Africa Equatorial Guinea The fifteen pre-selected projects of the Total Energies Startupper competition were presented; the contest is organised every two years to support young entrepreneurs aged between 18 and 35
Europe Romania Pets will be able to accompany their owners in Bucharest's public institutions, according to a draft law presented for public debate by the City Hall
America Belize The Belize Fisheries Department has officially reminded the public of regulations for the Queen Conch season, which runs until June 2025; the restrictions include a ban on harvesting or possessing conch
Europe Andorra The bus routes transported 7,3 million passengers last year, a 19% increase over the previous year and three times the number of people using the transport when the current concession began in 2019
Asia Bhutan The country will need $26 billion to build hydropower plants to meet domestic demand by 2040; it is estimated that domestic energy demand will increase to 4.000 megawatts by 2040 from the current requirement of 1.000 megawatts
Europe Czech Republic The population decreased by 21.500 to 10,88 million in the first half of 2024, with deaths exceeding births and a negative migration balance contributing to the decline, shows the Czech Statistical Office
Europe San Marino The San Marino Personal Data Protection Authority fined the TikTok platform €3,5 million because it did not adopt any suitable methods for verifying and detecting the age of users
Africa Seychelles The 39th edition of the annual Creole Festival kicks off on 5 October with the 'Moman Kreative' (creative moment), an event that offers primary, secondary and post-secondary school students a platform to showcase their talents
America Bolivia Bolivia has advanced in preserving underwater heritage with recent archaeological research in Lake Titicaca, revealing prehispanic boats and other cultural artifacts, underscoring the need for protection against both climate change and human activity
Africa Ethiopia Facing arbitrary detention of hundreds of people, including members of the academic community in the Amhara region, Amnesty International stated that 'the ongoing campaign is further evidence of the government's total disregard for the rule of law'
Africa Lesotho Harry, Duke of Sussex and member of the British royal family, is visiting the kingdom of Lesotho, where he is known as 'the warrior'; in 2006, Harry co-founded a charity to support children in southern Africa
Europe Sweden Swedish gambling regulator Spelinspektionen set the country's online channelling rate at 86%, higher than operators' estimates and far above the previous year's figure of 77%