Asia Bangladesh Prisoners in Bangladesh legally earn Tk2, € 1 cent, per day for their labour: so low that it undermines efforts to rehabilitate inmates through meaningful work; the inspector general of prisons raised the issue amid reforms in the prison employment system
Africa Burkina Faso Burkina, with Mali and Niger, launched the common flag of the Confederation of Sahel States; the green background symbolises hope and prosperity, rebirth and renewal
Oceania Fiji The Fiji National Provident Fund is in negotiations with the Government to allow its members to make voluntary contributions after they reach 55 years of age, the age of entitlement to retirement for FNPF members
Europe Moldova The tree planting action, initially scheduled for 1 March, has been postponed to 15 March 2025 due to the current weather conditions and excessive cold
Africa Lesotho For the financial year 2025/2026 the budget presented by the Minister of Finance foresees a total expenditure of 65% of the GDP, reflecting commitment to infrastructure development and economic growth
Europe Luxembourg 265 falsified sickness certificates were filed last year to Luxembourg's health insurance fund, said the Minister of Health
Africa Madagascar The World Bank has called for Madagascar to unleash private investment to increase and improve energy access on the island; the country has set the target of achieving 80% access to electricity by 2030
Africa Libya In the presence of international football stars, the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi has inaugurated its new stadium, after years of closure during which the facility underwent a process of development and modernisation
Europe Russia An ice fishing event held in Brazhnikov Bay of Vladivostok saw the participation of hundreds of people; families gathered for the flounders catching competition in a bright sunny day
Europe Latvia 111 people died in road accidents in Latvia in 2024, the lowest number since the country regained independence in 1991, according to information gathered by the State Police
Asia Kyrgyzstan Only one third of the teachers in private universities speak English at the required level, violating the obligation to teach English to foreign students, said the head of the department for monitoring the implementation of the resolutions
Europe Malta A total of 45 concerts and around 700 artists will benefit this year from a €1 million fund for Rock'N Malta
Africa Niger A national convention was held 15-19 February to map out Niger's long-awaited political transition following the July 2023 coup, set governance priorities and determine transition timeline, set at five years from now; international response was positive
Europe Austria After more than 40 years, the deposit for reusable glass bottles has been increased earlier this month from 9 cents (previously 1,2 Schillings) to 20 cents; brewery products are the most commonly sold in glass bottles