Europe Ireland Sanctioned Russian ships, known as shadow fleet vessels, sailing through or just off Irish-controlled waters have sharply increased; as many have sailed on economically inefficient routes or outside shipping lanes, Irish authorities stepped up monitoring
Oceania Samoa Samoa consolidated its place in the history of the Miss Pacific Islands pageant, emerging as the country with the most crowns since the regional competition began in 1987, as Miss Samoa Litara Ieremia-Allan won at 38th Miss Pacific Islands pageant
Africa Mozambique Former Mozambican presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane has announced that he will create his own political party, after announcing the end of his relationship with Podemos, with which he had a 'political agreement' for last October's elections
America Canada Singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie has been stripped of Order of Canada; the appointment has been terminated by the Governor General following a 2023 CBC report questioning her Indigenous heritage and affirming she was born in Massachusetts
Africa Lesotho The Africa Six Advisory Council and the Centre for Anglican Women's Leadership and Research in Africa met at Thaba Bosiu Cultural Village, in the Diocese of Lesotho, for a strategic planning retreat
Europe Italy The secretary of the left-wing Democratic Party Elly Schlein is the first signatory of a bill, signed by all opposition leaders, to increase the maternity allowance and introduce equal leave for fathers
America Nicaragua Nicaragua has announced its withdrawal from the UN’s agency FAO and ordered its offices closed, accusing the agency of publishing “false information” in a report that ranked the country among those suffering the most hunger in Central America
Africa Gabon An online influencer has been arrested after disseminating images shot inside a hospital emergency room, plunged into darkness due to a long power outage
Africa Ivory Coast The chief of staff of Ivory Coast's army has ordered the suspension of five officials tasked with combating cocoa smuggling in the west of the country; 50.000-75.000 tons are estimated to have been trafficked over the western border in the current harvest
Asia Kuwait All forms of cash donations are banned during the coming Ramadan and Kuwait's Ministry of Social Affairs has required charitable organisations to use electronic payment methods instead
America Suriname Suriname will distribute oil earnings by giving each citizen a $750 savings note with 7% annual interest, funded by revenues from its offshore projects, aiming to ensure shared national wealth and long-term economic benefits
Asia Bhutan Starlink’s launch in Bhutan promises high-speed internet, especially in remote areas, but sparks concerns over competition, regulation and affordability; while it challenges local providers, its long-term impact on the telecom industry remains uncertain
America Peru Former President Pedro Castillo will stand trial starting 4 March for rebellion and abuse of authority over his failed 2022 attempt to dissolve Congress; currently serving 18 months of pretrial detention, he faces a potential 34-year sentence while
Europe North Macedonia A new electricity supply model for public institutions will be introduced in a cost-cutting strategy, said Marko Bislimoski, Chairman of the Energy and Water Services Regulatory Commission