Asia Myanmar Peace talks with several smaller ethnic armed organizations have been promoted by Myanmar’s military government as evidence of ongoing national reconciliation; Critics argue the discussions exclude many of the country’s most powerful resistance groups
Africa Sierra Leone 21% of teenage girls between the ages of 15 and 19 have already had pregnancies, and 30% of young women get married before the age of 18, while 9% of young girls have even married before the age of 15, according to ActionAid
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 Moldova 20 school minibuses were donated from Romania to schools in Moldovan districts, part of a larger effort to ensure every child has access to quality education
Oceania Samoa 76 electric vehicles to be used for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting were presented by the Government of Samoa, in collaboration with the Government of Japan and the United Nations Development Programme
Europe Estonia The Environment Agency wants to change the law so that it is only obliged to assist protected species in distress, instead of all animals, in order to save resources on reports that do not turn out to be worthy or of help
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
Europe Bulgaria An underwater training at 1.000m, with a water temperature of 1°C, was conducted by the Bulgarian military at the Iskar dam focusing on reconnaissance, setting up and passing water fences
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
Oceania Australia Surfing Australia has been awarded a $1 million federal grant for the 'New Wave of Female Boardriders' project over three years to make surfing more accessible to women and girls across the country
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
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
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 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