America Colombia Abelardo De La Espriella has become the new president-elect of Colombia in a tight run-off; the far-right lawyer was openly backed by US President Trump
Africa eSwatini Dessislava Choumelova, EU ambassador to the country, announced and signed financial agreements with the government amounting to €27 million to support young people and women in vulnerable situations
Europe Kosovo Total foreign remittances to Kosovo increased to €1,34 billion in 2023 from €1,22 billion the previous year, +10%, according to data from the Central Bank
America El Salvador El Salvador's teachers took to the streets on January 26 to demand higher pay for this upcoming school year
Asia Kuwait The issuing of visit visas for expatriate families will resume after more than 18 months and will be granted under new conditions, such as a minimum salary of 800 Kuwaiti dinars, a university degree and a job in line with their field of study
Oceania Papua New Guinea Following recent incidents of looting, the Papua New Guinea Defence Forces join with the Royal Papua New Guinea Police to restore order and successfully recover some of the looted items
America Colombia Colombia declared a state of disaster and public calamity due to wildfires, seeking international assistance to combat active fires and potential ones exacerbated by the El Niño phenomenon
America Costa Rica Costa Rica's Supreme Constitutional Court declared unconstitutional that the father's surname must precede the mother's in people's names, thereby eliminating the obligation to place the paternal surname first
Africa Burkina Faso The country's first mining waste treatment plant was inaugurated in the country, one of Africa's leading gold-producing states
Africa South Sudan The country's peace monitoring body, known as Rjmec, has stated that it is necessary to speed up the process in view of the elections scheduled by the end of the year, given the serious delay the country is facing in this regard
Africa Zambia The reopening of schools has been further postponed to 12 February 2024, a decision that follows advice of Council of Ministers for National Disaster Management and Mitigation; calendar for schools and institutes has been changed to make up for lost time
Europe Austria Thousands of people took to the streets across Austria on Friday to protest against right-wing extremism and racism, inspired by similar demonstrations in neighbouring Germany
America United States The United States suspended financial aid for the United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees after Israeli allegations that some of the agency's employees were involved in the violent attack by Hamas on Israel on 7 October
Africa Benin The 27th Chinese medical team, tasked with providing health services and exchanging medical experiences with Beninese health personnel, arrived in Cotonou; the 22-member team will work in Lokossa, in the south-west, and Natitingou, in the north-west