Asia Bahrain 128 competitors, 59 male and 69 female, took part in this year's Mutun competition; the event awards the three best in seven categories, each focusing on the memorization and comprehension of foundation texts related to Quranic sciences
Asia Nepal Department of Passports is in final negotiations with French and German firms to secure a short-term supply of machine-readable passports: stock has fallen below 170.000 units and the new biometric passport contract doesn’t begin until mid-March 2026
Europe North Macedonia An official agreement was signed with Bulgaria for the construction of a cross-border tunnel completing the long-discussed railway connection along Corridor VIII; the signing ceremony took place at the Gyueshevo station, near the border
America Cuba Hunger is reshaping moral and social behaviors; according to Food Monitor Program families resort to hunting wild or domestic animals for food: poaching birds, capturing and selling cats, consuming iguanas - years ago unthinkable practices
America Honduras Honduras has registered a 90% drop in irregular foreign migrant entries compared to last year, largely due to stricter US immigration policies, with most migrants now coming from Cuba and Haiti
Africa Cape Verde Felisberto Moreira was elected president of the NGO Platform with 99% of the votes; his priority is the administrative and financial reorganization to resolve sensitive issues such as debts and salary regularization
Africa Ivory Coast The organization “La Force du Nous” - The Strength of Us, in collaboration with the youth of the Aboisso and Ebroakro Sanwi Solidarity Fund, launched the 6th edition of the Peace Marathon to encourage people to embrace peace as a daily practice
America El Salvador Venezuelan nationals deported by the US have allegedly been tortured and abused in El Salvador high-security prison, despite most having no violent criminal record, according to advocacy groups
Asia Kuwait 64 years since first Kuwait television broadcast was recalled as a long media journey from a small black-and-white broadcaster in 1961 to a multi-channel digital network; tv began operating on 15 November 1961, from Sharq and aired only a few hours a day
America Jamaica The Falmouth Public General Hospital received a key donation from the Chinese Benevolent Society to help cope with the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa; relief items include toilet paper, bottled water, food supplies, baby pampers, blankets
America Dominica Public voting for the Dominica Music Awards 2025 has officially begun: fans across the island and around the globe can support artists, musicians, producers, and creative professionals casting their vote; winners will be announced on 3 January 2026
Africa eSwatini Dance community in Eswatini has secured an official invitation to the 2025 World Federation of Acrobatic Dances and Dance Sport; the newly-formed Eswatini Federation of Acrobatic and Swing Dances confirmed the nation’s participation
Asia Yemen Looting and vandalism has struck archaeological sites across Yemen’s central Dhamar Governorate, with outrage of communities and cultural heritage advocates; local sources report that organized gangs excavate artifacts damaging irreplaceable structures
Africa Senegal Senegal’s public finances on international financial markets deteriorated; according to Bloomberg, the country’s sovereign risk has reached an unprecedented level, putting Senegal in financial distress and on the brink of bankruptcy