Africa Cameroon In an unprecedented disruption to academic calendar, the Ministry ordered the immediate rescheduling of all remaining papers for the ongoing 2026 examination session after a severe security breach compromised confidential materials across digital networks
Africa Central African Republic 25.000 tonnes of Russian free wheat arrived in Cameroon to be milled into wheat flour; the flour that will then be sent to the Central African Republic
Asia Philippines A huge crowd of faithful Catholics, mostly barefoot, marched on Tuesday 9 January in an annual procession in Manila praying for peace in the Middle East, where tens of thousands of Filipinos work
Europe France According to founders and strategists working in the quantum sector in France, the EU should support more funding initiatives targeting deep tech and quantum technologies
Africa Botswana Global diamond giant De Beers will go ahead with a planned investment of $1 billion to prolong the life of its flagship mine, Jwaneng in Botswana, even though demand for diamonds has registered a decline in the past year
Asia Indonesia 241.000 Indonesian pilgrims will perform the Hajj this year, sending the largest contingent ever to Saudi Arabia after the Kingdom approved the quota for Indonesia for 2024, up from 221.000 in 2023
Asia Bhutan Bhutanese voters overwhelmingly chose Tshering Tobgay as Prime Minister for a second term, in a significant political development, with the People's Democratic Party winning almost two-thirds of the seats
Europe Germany The German drivers' union announced the start of nationwide strikes which will increase traffic chaos while the confrontation between farmers and the government over agricultural subsidies continues
Europe Belarus Current Time, a Russian-language network operated by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA, has been added to the register of extremist organisationsa in a frame of ongoing repression of independent media and civil society by Belarusian authorities
Europe Ireland Homeless organisations told the government of their 'deep concerns' over a potential move to restrict access to emergency accommodation, warning that it would lead to an increase in sleeping rough and the risk of illness and death
Europe Belgium Belgian prison staff went on a 24-hour strike starting at 10 p.m. on Thursday evening to protest against overcrowding and poor working conditions; Belgian prisons currently house around 12.000 people, exceeding the capacity by around 1.300 inmates
Africa Mauritius A memorandum of understanding was approved between India and Mauritius for the joint development of a satellite, scheduled to be launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation in early 2025
Africa Somalia A helicopter belonging to the UN mission in Somalia was captured by al-Shabaab militiamen after accidentally landing in territory controlled by the armed group; at least six aid workers who were on the aircraft are now in their hands
Africa Morocco The country won the vote to head the UN Human Rights Council after a heated showdown with South Africa, which argued that Rabat's human rights record made it unfit to chair the body