Europe Luxembourg Luxembourgish Gynecologists's association announced that they are relieved to hear that surgical reconstruction of the hymen and virginity certificates will no longer be allowed; the move is considered a step towards better protection of women's rights
Oceania Tonga The project Upgrading Tonga's International Port, a major investment to strengthen the Queen Salote International Wharf, is being supported by Australia through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific
Oceania Samoa A power outage in Upolu exposed the vulnerabilities of Moto'otua National Hospital's emergency power supply, as the backup generator failed to kick in, leaving the facility without electricity for an hour earlier this week
Asia United Arab Emirates The UAE Moon Observation Committee announced that today, Saturday 1 March 2025, will mark the first day of the holy month of Ramadan; for the first time ever, drones equipped with artificial intelligence were used to sight the crescent moon
Europe Sweden Swegreen has launched its largest vertical cultivation plant inside the Maxi ICA Stormarknad Ängelholm shop, offering a new approach to fresh food production, making it possible to harvest more than 160.000 plants per year with a minimum use of resources
Africa Burkina Faso The country is aiming for the Étalon d'or de Yennenga, the highest award of Pan-African Film and Television Festival in Ouagadougou, where it is competing in the fiction feature film category with two Burkinabe directors, Dani Kouyaté and Chloé Aïcha Boro
Asia Cambodia At the Education Congress, Education Minister Hang Chuon Naron launched Sala Digital, a virtual learning platform, and urged teachers to use ChatGPT and AI to enhance teaching, learning and research; teachers requested training for better implementation
America Suriname Climate change is less alarming in the coastal plain than in the inland area, where villages near rivers are at risks, government stated as it is developing adaptation policies and zoning plans to potentially relocate vulnerable villages
America Paraguay Recent data uncovered that over 50% of Paraguay’s waste is organic, 80% of plastics are recovered, but gaps remain in other materials; moreover, the lack of municipal waste management plans are hindering progress
America Uruguay A decade after Uruguay legalized cannabis, strict regulations limiting legal access and excluding tourists have led to a growing gray market, pushing consumers toward informal sources, highlighting the need for policy adjustment to meet demand effectively
Asia Singapore Singapore will implement large-scale applied AI projects and expand AI use in healthcare, finance, sustainability and cross-sector research; the final goals include boosting economic growth and improving public services in a responsible AI environment
Europe Switzerland Cigarette smuggling at Swiss airports increased sharply in 2024 with 880.000 undeclared items, compared to 690.000 in 2023; Geneva airport was the focus point with over 700.000 undeclared cigarettes discovered, mostly probably intended for sale in France
Europe Poland The IDEAS Research Institute was launched to give Poland a competitive edge in artificial intelligence research and development; it is jointly supervised by the Ministry of Digital Affairs and the Ministry of Defence
America Saint Kitts and Nevis The Day of Interruption, a nationwide student action against crime, violence and unsocial behavior at school, was celebrated on 26 February; organized by the Citizen Security Secretariat, it saw a massive participation of volunteers