Oceania Palau A historic $15 million financing agreement has been signed with Saudi Arabia, marking a shift in how Palua's National Development Bank will now operate, as the loan will be directly invested into building affordable housing
Asia Malaysia In the mangrove forest near global player Port Klang, a group of employees from China Communications Construction Company and Malaysia Rail Link worked to remove debris and plant mangrove saplings
Asia Saudi Arabia The Holy Makkah Municipality has launched a digital reforestation initiative that, through a platform, allows citizens to choose the tree of their choice, select the location, make payments online and have the trees planted in their name
Africa Zambia In a press note, the Zambian government announced a crackdown on the misuse of social media, invoking Sec 54 of the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act No 2/2021 adding it 'will not tolerate any form of online misconduct that threatens peace and security'
America Jamaica The Banana Board has urged farmers to prioritise the proper use of fertilisers to aid crop recovery after periods of heavy rains, as these can wash away essential nutrients, leading to the depletion of the soil
America Colombia Truck drivers protested in Bogotá and other cities against the government's decision to increase diesel prices, which had been frozen for 4 years, warning that the price hike will raise costs, passenger transport fares, and food prices
Oceania Vanuatu The Ministry of Health is currently facing a serious shortage, with 1.360 vacant positions out of 2.525, according to the structure approved in 2017; of the total roles, 1.165 are filled, leaving a considerable number of unfilled positions
Europe Serbia The country is unlikely to join the European Union by 2028, warned President Vučić, who expressed scepticism about the EU's willingness to admit new members before 2030
Asia Kuwait Kuwaitis now make up 31,7% of the total population, with seven out of ten people being expatriates, reveal the latest demographic statistics from the Public Authority for Civilian Information
Europe Lithuania The government plans to invest up to €1,2 billion to equip its soldiers with modern weapons and equipment over the next decade; €30 million will be spent in the period 2025-2027 on various equipment, including clothing
America Chile The country just announced that it will host its fourth major event of 2025, the Youth Parapan American Games, joining the FIFA U-20 World Cup, the FIBA Women's AmeriCup, and the Track Cycling World Championships
Europe Latvia Attempts to disrupt the functioning of Latvian websites continue, and last week there was another wave of attacks, which, however, in most cases only succeeded in slowing down the functioning of various pages, not blocking them completely
America Canada New rules that ban the use of cellphones in class are taking effect at schools across Ontario opening this week; critics say they're unsure how the regulations will be enforced or how effective they will be in removing distractions from learning time
Asia Singapore Some cat welfare groups fear that cases of abandonment may increase, as some owners may be unwilling to bear the rising costs of microchipping their animals