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
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
Europe Liechtenstein The Family Hotel Gorfion hosted a children's and family party on Saturday with activities and food stalls whose entire proceeds will be donated to the SOS Children's Village Liechtenstein
Asia Indonesia A mega-earthquake could hit Indonesia in the future, warned a researcher at the Geological Disaster Research Centre of the National Agency for Research and Innovation, but reminded that 'claims about the exact date of the earthquake are false'
Africa Guinea-Bissau The review of Guinea-Bissau's Extended Credit Facility agreement has been completed; subsequently, the IMF unblocked the disbursement of aid amounting to approximately €6,3 million
Africa Ethiopia A new site, Aftit, in the Amhara region, has been created for people fleeing Sudan's civil war, which will replace two other sites, Awlala and Kumer, recently closed, Ethiopia's Refugee and Returnee Service and UNHCR announced
Europe Luxembourg The government once again discussed the future of Caritas, with a plan to liquidate some of its entities; the new organisations that would replace them could then employ Caritas employees, but under separate management
America Brazil A Supreme Court justice has ordered the "immediate suspension" of the social media platform X, former Twitter, in Brazil until the company complies with all court orders, including the identification of a legal representative and payment of fines
Asia Bahrain Pool booking rates exceeded 90% in August 2024 as temperatures soared; private bookings for family celebrations and corporate events increased, impacting on small and medium-sized pools
Europe Iceland The Naming Committee, an independent body that determines whether a new name can be authorised or not, added several new names; among the criteria is whether it has a historical precedent and whether it's believed that a child can be bullied for the name
Asia Laos To cope with rising cost of living the government is considering a proposal to increase company employees benefits; in July, inflation was reported at 26,10% and since May 2022 it has remained in the double digits and hit a peak of 41,26% in February 2023
America Belize The country is moving to end child marriage by proposing amendments to its Marriage Act to raise the legal age for marriage from 16 to 18, also eliminating provisions allowing minors to marry with parental consent
Europe Slovenia Podčetrtek Castle in the east of the country has reopened to visitors after extensive renovations that restored it to its former glory after being left to decay for decades; the last major renovation dates back to 1874
Asia Turkmenistan The first lesson of the new school year will be dedicated to the theme 'Magtymguly Fragi's fountain of wisdom' and the country's achievements in 33 years of independence