Oceania Marshall Islands The fish aggregation devices FADs that fishing boats use to make catches easier, lately equipped with satellite communications gear to pinpoint location, are now being built by drug cartels that wrap packs of cocaine and radio transponders to trace troves
Africa Uganda The Uganda Coffee Development Authority distributed 56 professionals, high performance moisture meters to farmers, processors and traders in the frame of a wider strategy to improve the quality of Ugandan coffee and cocoa
Africa Zimbabwe Approximately 4.000 local and foreign white farmers who lost land and property over 20 years ago in farm confiscations aimed at righting certain wrongs of colonialism will be reimbursed
Asia Turkmenistan UNICEF launched a water management initiative at the UN House in Turkmenistan, focusing on improving water use and integrating practices into local management
Africa Cape Verde Joaquina Almeida from the Union of Workers of Cape Verde classified as 'very worrying' the labor situation on Barlovento Island, speaking in São Vicente in a press conference aside the meeting with the Chamber of Commerce on Labour Code
Europe Germany Germany is the winner of the 2024 European Cybersecurity Challenge, followed by Italy and Poland; 31 teams from EU States and EFTA countries and 6 guest teams took part in the 10th edition of the event that gathers the top cybersecurity talents of Europe
America Costa Rica President Chaves is considering a controversial crocodile hunting season in response to recent attacks, though conservation experts warn it could harm the environment, arguing that they play a key role in ecosystem balance in Costa Rica
Europe Lithuania The Lithuanian Cabinet approved the central government draft budget for 2025; budget revenues are expected to grow by 5,9%, to €17,98 billion, and expenditures are expected to increase by 11,7%, to €23,02 billion; budget deficit is projected at 3% of GDP
Asia Israel The government has turned to the defense industry to bolster the military’s ability to intercept aerial drones; a competition was launched among eight large and small firms including Elbit, Rafael and Israel Aerospace Industries
Europe Hungary Semmelweis University's free symptom control app, Semmelweis HELP, has been expanded to cover adult diseases such as ophthalmology, obstetrics, gynaecology and general medicine, reports the university's official website
Europe Ireland It will be a criminal offence to destroy or allow to be damaged the records of 250.000 survivors of historical institutional abuse, under legislation that was fast-tracked this week by Children's Minister Roderic O'Gorman
America Bolivia Former Bolivian President Evo Morales threatened to block major roads if prosecutors pursue his arrest for alleged crimes of "human trafficking" and "statutory rape," with his supporters vowing national roadblocks in defense
Europe Iceland The fee to participate in breast cancer screening has been drastically reduced from ISK 6.098 (€40) to ISK 500 (around 3 euros) at the breast centre in Eiríksgata, hoping to encourage demographic groups that access screening less, such as foreign women
Asia Malaysia The budget for 2025 will include changes to subsidies for sugar, domestically produced white rice and RON95 petrol, and will likely introduce further cuts in subsidies and new taxes to strengthen the fiscal position ahead of declining government revenues