America Canada Canada has become a significant player in the illegal wildlife trade according to an investigation by the Globe and Mail and the Pulitzer Center that give evidence of black-market activity propped up by vast wilderness, patrol blind spots, weak penalties
America Haiti Outrage grows in north-east Haiti over the deportation of unaccompanied Haitian children; human rights organisations have urged the Dominican Republic to respect treaties and conventions on the deportation of minors
Europe Croatia Thousands of Yugoslavian monuments to the anti-fascist struggle of World War II were destroyed, looted and left to rot, with great loss to the collective memory and to the architectural and cultural heritage
Africa Angola The two recently enacted laws on the offences of vandalism of public property and services and national security, which have been strongly criticised by national and international human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, are causing controversy
Europe Denmark House insurance prices of Denmark's three largest insurers have risen by over 20% in the past year; association of insurance companies Forsikring & Pension says the increase in rates is due to extreme weather
Europe Belgium 23 out of 29 Belgian banks held up well to a recent stress test on the guarantee of customer deposits in case of failure, with six banks failing to provide sufficient information to the federal government
Asia Brunei Gross domestic product grew by 6% in the second quarter of 2024, due to a 7,7% increase in the oil and gas sector and a 4,5% increase in the non-O&G sector, the Department of Economic Planning and Statistics said
Europe Greece Eighteen years after construction of the Thessaloniki metro began, it should finally open to the public on 30 November; however, officials failed to start the tender procedures for the ticket rolls in time and it risks opening without tickets
Asia Georgia The agreement with Spain on the mutual recognition and exchange of national driving licences has entered into force; holders of a valid driving licence will be able to obtain one without having to pass a theory or practical test
Europe Slovenia A 10 floor, sustainable certified office building was inaugurated in north-eastern Ljubljana; designed by Barcelona-based archistudio BAX, the €30 million project was awarded DGNB gold pre-certification by German Association for Sustainable Construction
Asia North Korea A giant construction workers' camp was built at the site of a former inter-Korean joint nursery project, refers NK Pro satellite image analysis
Asia East Timor Extraordinary results are now seen in small Betano, were in 2019 the women of the village became involved in experimenting with climate-smart farming techniques, particularly conservation agriculture, at that time promoted in the area by FAO
Asia Jordan The King Abdullah II Centre for Excellence held the 9th edition of the King Abdullah II Award for Excellence awards ceremony at the Cultural Palace; of the 144 employees from ministries and institutions nominated, pictures show 2 women in the finals
Asia Indonesia 39 state-run madrasah, Islamic schools, will be opened starting 2025 to provide religious and general education; the initiative aims to enhance access to education in underserved regions and includes building schools to improve education level nationwide