America Cuba International investors can now build and fully own tourism facilities: to reverse the dramatic fall in tourism, authorities have eliminated the requirement for foreign groups to form a joint venture with the Cuban state to manage their tourism activities
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
America Saint Vincent and the Grenadines A series of training workshops were conducted to provide participants with the skills and knowledge needed to create and manage their own home gardens, improving local food production, in the frame of the UBEC CERC Food Insecurity Project
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'
Europe Finland An estimated 20.000 stray cats are to be found on the streets of the country; uncontrolled breeding of unneutered free-roaming cats has led to large colonies of feral cats throughout the country, even hundreds of them
America Argentina Vice President Victoria Villarruel has called for reopening legal cases against leftist guerrilla groups from the 1970s and potentially imprisoning their members today
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
Oceania Tonga Meleane Falemaka, a first-time Paralympian, is the only para-athlete to represent Tonga at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games and will compete in the F38 category in the women's discus throw
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
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
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
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
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