Europe Serbia Chinese and Russian companies have contributed in drafting Serbia’s mining regulations, now adopted by Parliament, raising concerns among non-governmental organizations, citizens and experts that say the practice could hide concessions
Oceania Papua New Guinea The NRL Bid Academy was officially launched to cultivate future rugby league stars, marking another major boost for the sport in the region
Africa Togo The main destination of Togo's exports in the fourth quarter of 2023 was India, 31,3% of total exports, followed by Burkina Faso, with a share of 8,4% and Mali with 7,4%
Oceania Tonga The Tonga National Under-20 Rugby Team visited the Prime Minister, Hon Hu'akavameiliku, at the St George Building, ahead of their departure for New Zealand to participate in a new age-grade competition
Asia Pakistan Local production and assembly facilities in Pakistan produced 2,27 million mobile phones in January 2024, of which 0,72 million were 2G phones and 1,55 million were smartphones, a significant increase from the 0,24 million imported phones
Africa Somalia Save the Children called for greater protection of women and girls in Somalia, following the increase in sexual abuse and rape of teenage girls in recent months
Asia Turkmenistan Over 300 online shops selling food, everyday goods, clothing, furniture, are registered in the country, also thanks to the implementation of the State Programme for the Development of the Digital Economy in Turkmenistan for the period 2021-2025
America Saint Kitts and Nevis A resolution to increase the salaries of government ministers, senators, opposition members and both rapporteurs of the National Assembly was passed in Parliament after years of debate
Europe Finland The Central Criminal Police is currently investigating a major fraud involving the misuse of social benefits provided by Kela, the Social Security Institute of Finland
Asia Sri Lanka Diana Gamage, Minister of State for Tourism, emphasised the critical role of nightlife in driving economic growth, citing it as the cornerstone of the night economy as it accounts for as much as 70% of revenue
Asia Nepal The Department of Immigration has started issuing travel permits for domestic and foreign tourists travelling to restricted zones through an online system
Africa Mauritania The President, together with the President of Algeria, inaugurated two land border crossings after detailed presentations of their structures, of their advantages and perspectives
Asia Thailand Thai Airways reported a rebound in profits upon increased demand for air travel; a net profit of 28,1 billion baht (US$782 million) in 2023, shows a substantial recovery from the 272 million baht loss reported the previous year
Europe Norway Over half of Norwegians believe that 'everyday racism', characterised by derogatory comments related to ethnicity, is widespread in Norway while only 2% think it's not widespread, a new poll indicates