Oceania Tonga Heavy machinery, marine equipment and construction crews have started work at Fangaʻuta Lagoon site for Tonga’s long‑awaited US$97 million bridge; The 720‑metre infrastructure will strengthen the key transport link between Nukuʻalofa and Eastern Tongatapu
Africa Lesotho First National Bank-Lesotho officially launched its credit card tracking programme to improve financial inclusion and facilitate payments
America Jamaica 20 young people were honored with the Prime Minister's National Youth Excellence Awards 2023 for their achievements in various fields such as sports, agriculture, arts and culture, leadership, journalism/social media influencers and entrepreneurship
Oceania Fiji The retirement age for specialized expert positions has been extended from 60 to 62 by the government, seen as a strategic approach to maintaining skills and addressing professional shortages
Asia East Timor A new manganese prospect has been discovered in East Timor, with X-ray fluorescence grades as high as 27,9% manganese, by Perth-based explorer Estrella Resources
America Costa Rica Costa Rican health authorities have intensified efforts to vaccinate children against measles, rubella, and mumps, aiming to close vaccination gaps and achieve 100% coverage, especially with over 88.000 children currently susceptible due to missing doses
America Cuba FAO and EU will help strengthen the capacity of institutions and companies involved in seed production and certification in Cuba through a project implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture in 8 municipalities aimed at increasing local production
Europe Liechtenstein The country placed four Israeli settlers on the sanctions list after the increase in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank
Europe Hungary The Balaton Shipping Company has started its 178th shipping season with four new ships; in addition to the two new ferries designed for Lake Balaton, two new catamarans have arrived, one of which will operate in the western basin
America Colombia Tens of thousands of Colombians protested in multiple cities against President Gustavo Petro's proposed reforms; protesters are concerned about the health reform aimed at decreasing power from insurers and expanding access to public healthcare
Europe Luxembourg The Grand Duchy is one of nine countries in the EU with rising GDP-to-GDP ratios between the end of 2022 and the last quarter of 2023
Africa Guinea While the increase in the number of fires in Conakry and surrounding areas worries the population, the civil defence services lack adequate means to deal with disasters
America Ecuador Ecuador has approved a referendum to enhance security measures against organized crime, proposing military street patrols, criminal extradition, and increased prison terms
Asia Turkey President Erdogan visited Iraq to sign security and development agreements and for more cooperation in the fight against Kurdish PKK militants in northern Iraq; Erdogan's last visit to Iraq was in 2011, when he was prime minister