Oceania Australia New law to ban social media for children under 16 passed after days of heated debate; Australia set a benchmark for jurisdictions around the world with one of the toughest regulations targeting Big Tech
Oceania Micronesia U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Guam personnel, as part of the Pacific Partnership 2024, conducted a series of boating safety workshops and community outreach activities in Kosrae
Asia Armenia Twenty-eight young people, representatives of the Armenian diaspora from various countries of the world, participated in training sessions in Armenia as part of the 'Young Diaspora Ambassador' programme"
Oceania New Zealand Three New Zealand universities dropped in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025 and none of the eight New Zealand featured universities improved their ranking this year
Europe Montenegro Investors are submitting another wave of permit applications for their solar energy projects to the Montenegrin authorities
Asia Bangladesh The US has appealed to Bangladesh to protect the rights of its minority communities in the wake of increasing attacks on the Hindu minority community after the resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
America Peru In the first eight months of 2024, Peru set a new record in avocado exports, shipping 539.313 tons worth US$1,129 billion, making it the highest value yet recorded
Asia Iran International oil traders have been anxiously watching Israel's expected military response to Iran's latest missile attack, with prices likely to depend on what happens in the country
Europe Kosovo The decision to scrap a ban on imports of Serbian finished goods at the Merdare border crossing - a key demand of the EU and a measure Kosovo imposed citing security reasons - was welcomed by the European Union’s office in Pristina
America Paraguay New NGO reports reveal that collagen trade is a contributor to deforestation in Paraguay's Gran Chaco forest, particularly impacting the Ayoreo Totobiegosode indigenous territory, where it caused 18.000 hectares of deforestation from 2021-2023
Asia Afghanistan Song Wenbing, the head of the contracting company of the Aynak copper mine, revealed plans to invest over five billion dollars in the first phase of the project after meeting in the presence of the Taliban authorities
America Venezuela Opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia has announced his return to Caracas on 10 January to claim the presidency, asserting he won the 28 July election despite Nicolás Maduro's contested victory
Africa Gabon 6 memorandum of understanding between US companies and the Gabonese government, aiming at increasing investment and bilateral trade, have been signed by Gabon's transitional President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema at the US Chamber of Commerce
America Suriname Customs rates in Suriname have increased again and exchange offices and banks report rising rates, contradicting previous predictions by Finance Minister Stanley Raghoebarsing that rates would decline