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
Africa Zambia Health authorities recorded 4.162 cases of cholera with a peak of 257 new cases in just 24 hours, with 8 people dying; the total number of deaths is 124 since the outbreak of the disease in January 2023
Asia Myanmar The junta granted amnesty to 9.652 prisoners on 76th anniversary of the independence from the UK; the amnesty was conditioned on the agreement that, should they reoffend, they would be required to serve both the remaining sentence and any new punishment
Europe Switzerland Around one million counterfeit Swiss watches were confiscated worldwide in 2023, says the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry despite a constant monitoring for fake "Swiss Made" on websites or socials and training for customs officers in many countries
Europe Bosnia and Herzegovina In a series of indictments announced over the New Year period, 15 suspects were charged with various wartime crimes including attacks on villages that left dozens of Bosniaks and Croats dead and executing hundreds of men from Srebrenica
Asia Malaysia Gerbang Alaf Restaurants, licensee of McDonald's in Malaysia, has sued the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Malaysia movement alleging that it published a series of social media posts linking the fast-food franchise to Israel's military offensive in Gaza
Africa Guinea The ruling military junta has officially announced that a constitutional referendum will be held in 2024, a key step towards returning power to civilians, without specifying a date
Europe United Kingdom Junior doctors demanding better working conditions have begun an unprecedented six-days strike expected to bring massive disruption of non urgent care and tens of thousands services cancelled, amid flu peaks and a surge in the need of hospital care
Asia Bahrain Aluminium Bahrain registered a record-breaking production of 1.620.665 metric tonnes in 2023, +1,3% Year-on-Year on 2022
America Costa Rica As of January 1, 2024, Costa Rica has revised minimum wages, witnessing nearly a 2% increase for the private sector
Asia Nepal An agreement was signed with India to export 10.000 MW of energy over 10 years; other agreements were also signed on earthquake reconstruction, satellite launching and renewable energy
Africa Tanzania During the New Year festivities, there was a large influx of Tanzanian visitors (around 400) to the Mikumi National Park; according to the Tanzania National Parks Authority, the promotion campaign for wilderness visits was a great success
America Chile A streamlined process to enhance tourism between Argentina and Chile has been introduced by Customs Authority that only requires bureaucratic procedures for private vehicles with trailers; this initiative marks a shift towards more ‘paperless’ tourism
Europe Moldova Moldova is officially a member of the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism, an initiative of coordination in crisis situations and natural dangers, since the beginning of this year