Africa Zambia To support formalized and safe gold mining in Chitambo district, government pledged to provide equipment to registered cooperatives, enabling small scale miners enhance their operations, and to build a district hospital with mortuary services
Oceania New Zealand From 1 April 2024 electric vehicles will have to pay road user charges (RUC); initially exempted, electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids inclusion is the first step in fulfilling the National-ACT coalition's commitment to include all vehicles in RUC system
Asia Brunei Brunei wushu star Basma Lachkar has been nominated as a candidate for the World Games Athlete of the Year 2023 by the international multi-sport event World Games
America El Salvador 88% of Salvadorans did not use Bitcoin in 2023 - an Institute of Public Opinion study reveals - despite the cryptocurrency being legal tender alongside the US dollar in El Salvador
Oceania Marshall Islands A state of emergency has been declared for Kili Island due to food and fuel shortages caused by mismanagement of trust fund covering expenses; local government of Kili-Bikini-Ejit represents the population exiled by the nuclear tests in the Bikini Atoll
Africa Egypt The country remains Africa's leading military power, according to 2024 edition of the ranking of world's most powerful armies published by the US defence industry website, Global fire power, ranking 15th globally, out of a total of 145 countries analysed
Africa Eritrea Flynas will start today, 17 January, weekly direct flights linking Asmara and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia
America Honduras In 2023, Honduras experienced a 40,4% decrease in deportations, with 56.172 individuals repatriated, including 11.220 children, as reported by the National Institute of Migration
America Guatemala Bernardo Arévalo has officially assumed the Guatemalan presidency after an eight-hour delay, marked by chaotic parliamentary sessions, as leaders including Colombia's Gustavo Petro and Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Bárcena expressed support
Africa Djibouti President of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and Djibouti Ismail Omar Guelleh called for an extraordinary session to discuss recent events involving Ethiopia and Somalia, as well as Sudan
America Colombia After 24 hours of heavy rain landslides in Colombia's Chocó region have claimed at least 37 lives, devastating the Quibdó-Medellín road and triggering a massive response from national authorities
Africa Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of Congo's ruling party, the Union for Democracy and Social Progress, headed by President Felix Tshisekedi, won a majority of seats in the December parliamentary elections and can therefore form a government
America Costa Rica Costa Rica and the United Arab Emirates have achieved a groundbreaking pact with the Comprehensive Economic Partnership on Trade and Investment, granting Costa Rican exporters preferential access to a market of 10 million consumers
Europe Netherlands The country should aim for a total population of 19/20 million in 2050, thus having 'moderate growth', as Staatscommissie Demografische Ontwikkelingen believes this will allow to have enough housing, healthcare and education and to promote quality of life