Asia Philippines A persistent infestation of soft scale insects continues to threaten Philippines’s sugar industry, damaging crops and reducing yields in key producing provinces; Authorities are expanding monitoring and pest-control measures to contain the outbreak
America Saint Vincent and the Grenadines A group of American scientists visiting the country to study different animal groups found three new species of Daddy Longlegs, thus doubling the number of known long-legged species on the island
Africa Morocco Bouchra Karboubi, from Morocco, has become the first Arab woman to referee an African Cup of Nations football match, having refereed the match between Nigeria and Guinea Bissau, at the Felix-Houphouet-Boigny stadium in Abidjan
Oceania Tonga An upgrade of Tonga's seismic network will cover five strategically located stations, where infrastructure improvements will help to better monitor and detect earthquakes thanks to work funded by the World Bank through the Pacific Resilience Programme
Europe Bulgaria The construction of two crucial motorways is about to begin; they will connect the city of Varna to Durankulak, in north-east Bulgaria, and to Silistra, on the Danube
Asia Georgia Tbilisi Tango, a school teaching the iconic Argentine dance, celebrates its 16th anniversary with the 5th Tbilisi Tango Weekend, to be held from 26 to 28 January
Asia Saudi Arabia The Prophet's Mosque in Madinah is furnished with more than 25.000 carpets for the comfort of worshippers and pilgrims, Saudi Press Agency reported, mentioning that carpets in the mosque, its courtyards and roof section are sterilised and perfumed daily
Europe San Marino A new law passed by Parliament aims to ban smartphones and tablets for children under 11, first and foremost in schools but also and possibly in public places, after a group of teachers had denounced an 'educational emergency'
Africa Liberia New president, Joseph Boakai, was sworn in after his narrow victory in the November 2023 elections; Boakai, who at the age of 79 became the country's oldest president, promised to unite and save Africa's oldest republic from its economic problems
Asia Brunei The new president of the Football Association of Brunei Darussalam has expressed his desire to change the football landscape in the Sultanate for the better, working to support students or football players who have fewer financial opportunities
America Ecuador The family of Ecuador's most-wanted fugitive, Jose Adolfo Macias "Fito," were arrested in Argentina and deported to Ecuador; Macias, leader of the Los Choneros gang, escaped from prison, triggering gang violence and prompting a state of emergency
Africa Cameroon A pilot vaccination programme against malaria is underway, the first of its kind in the world and could represent a breakthrough on the African continent
Africa Cape Verde During the first leg of his African tour, in Praia, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken named the country a 'beacon of stability in the region'
America Brazil Brazil celebrated its first Winter Youth Olympic Games medal as 17-year-old snowboarder Zion Bethonico won bronze in the men's snowboard cross at Gangwon 2024