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 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
America Honduras Próspera ZEDE, the Honduras special economic zone, has officially recognized Bitcoin as a unit of account: this move effectively acknowledges the legitimacy of the cryptocurrency in diverse commercial, tax, and financial transactions
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
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
America Trinidad and Tobago The preliminary rounds of the national Junior Panorama competition are taking place, with eighteen steel orchestras in three regions to be judged between 8 and 10 January
America Bahamas Four Seasons will open a new 67-bed facility in the Bahamas in 2027, to be designed by SB Architects and Champalimaud Design of New York, USA
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 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
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
Oceania Marshall Islands A $10,8 million grant agreement was reached between the US and RMI governments to fix the Majuro sewage outflow system
Asia Singapore Singapore's average sea level could rise by up to 1,15 metres by 2100, exceeding previous estimates of a 1 metre rise; the study also predicts an average sea level rise of up to 2 metres by 2150, in a worst-case scenario
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
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