Africa eSwatini 11 000 jobs have been added in 2023-25; though it may appear as a positive development for Eswatini’s economy, economists fear that Eswatini’s labour market is expanding in low-productivity jobs rather than sectors building long-term economic security
Asia Taiwan The Taipei 101 Observatory recorded 1,29 million visitors in 2023, with international tourists accounting for 80% of visitors
Europe Albania Uplift Albania, the first European start-up accelerator in Albania, launched its fifth programme to support the country's start-ups
Africa South Sudan South Sudan and Uganda are ready to harmonise grain sampling, testing methods and certification processes to improve bilateral trade, especially for products from the two countries
Asia United Arab Emirates The Dubai Municipality launched the 'Promoting Healthy Eating in Educational Institutions' initiative to help institutions change their approach to meals by offering appropriate food options in canteens and cafeterias to over 300.000 students
Africa Kenya The country has embarked on its largest rhino relocation project to date and has begun the tracking, searching and relocating 21 specimens, which can weigh more than a tonne each, to a new home
Oceania Fiji A Fijian academic challenged the Pacific region's media and politicians on their coverage of the climate crisis, asking whether the discriminatory style of reporting is a case of climate injustice
Africa Burkina Faso The military government of Burkina Faso, born out of a military coup in September 2022, has announced that it has foiled 'yet another destabilisation attempt' and launched a hunt against an alleged network of conspirators involving soldiers and civilians
Europe Italy The northern province of Bolzano intends to track down dog owners who do not clean up after their animals, using DNA testing on waste: a database will be created to record the DNA of dogs for street cleaners and health officers
Europe Sweden Sweden's new right-wing government is distancing itself from the goals of the UN2030 Agenda, a crucial change in the country's approach to environmental and sustainability issues
Europe Russia Russian police have charged with 'public display of the symbols of an extremist organisation' for the first time a person who allegedly posted on the web an image of a rainbow flag symbolising Lgbtq pride, according to human rights group Perviy Otdel
Asia Lebanon The Chief of Staff of the Israel Defence Forces warned that "the probability of war" in Lebanon is at an all-time high after the latest series of missile attacks between the IDF and Hezbollah
Asia China The country reported that it had achieved its target of at least 5% GDP growth, exceeding previous expectations, but it still faces economic headwinds: poor export demand, a critic property market and high youth unemployment
Asia Israel Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had informed the US that he was against the creation of a Palestinian state as part of any post-war scenario