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
America Guatemala The US announced new visa restrictions for nearly 300 Guatemalan lawmakers, other leaders and their families, as they could be "undermining democracy and the rule of law" in the country
America El Salvador President Nayib Bukele took his presidential reelection campaign beyond El Salvador's borders to capitalise on his rising profile across Latin America, and he affirmed that he doesn’t aspire to indefinite reelection
Africa Democratic Republic of the Congo The Electoral Commission wrote off 82 candidates for fraud in December elections for national, provincial and municipal assemblies, the results of which have not yet been published; it did not concern the presidential vote, that took place on the same day
Oceania Australia Nazi salutes and the display or sale of symbols associated with designated 'terrorist' groups have been criminalised with the enactment of legislation drafted last summer, government's response to the increase in hate incidents in recent months
Asia China iPhone sales in China fell more than 30% year-on-year in the first week of January, while competitors such as Xiaomi and Huawei 'remained much stronger' with flat sales, according to a note from analysts at Jefferies
Africa Botswana Giyani Metals Corp, developer of the K.Hill battery-grade manganese project in Botswana, has received the Environmental Authorisation and submitted its Mining Licence application
America Barbados The Ministry of Education has announced that the resumption of classes at Princess Margaret Secondary School will be delayed by one week, due to 'newly identified renovation works'
Africa Burkina Faso The Consulate General of Burkina Faso in Niger will become a resident embassy, in line with the dynamic brought about by the new Alliance of Sahel States; an estimated 800.000 Burkinabe citizens reside in Niger
Africa Central African Republic The government has worked hard to ensure that free healthcare is not just a slogan, but a reality, as President of the Republic emphasised in his end-of-year address to the nation; the number of doctors in hinterland is at 122 in 2023, up from 27 in 2016
Asia Mongolia 5% of GDP of Mongolia will be spent for the education sector, with Ministry of Education and Science of Mongolia set to finance 442 educational and science projects in 2024
America Canada The Belfry Theatre in Victoria, B.C., is cancelling The runner from its March festival “given the current conflict”; the play focuses on the moral dilemma of a volunteer of ZAKA, a group of mostly Orthodox Jewish men who provide emergency medical rescues
America Panama The Panama Canal has imposed unprecedented restrictions on transits, driven by water shortages linked to the El Niño phenomenon; the canal’s reservoir system is significantly impacted, causing ripple effects across global shipping operations
Africa Nigeria Stakeholders in Nigeria’s cocoa and chocolate industry are gearing up for the 2024 International Cocoa and Chocolate Forum to be held in Abuja and Lagos on 9 and 11 January 2024, respectively