Europe Montenegro Montenegro will be first country to join the European Union under the new safeguards designed to ensure all new members uphold agreed democratic standards, preventing backsliding on the bloc’s values
Europe Sweden Over 2.000 reports of suspected crimes targeting socially important activities have been received in 2025, double than 2024: among them burglary and involuntary illegal trespassing or photography; figures are partly due to more sites being classified
Asia Laos Thailand has eased oil export controls to Laos, allowing shipments to resume under revised monitoring measures; The move follows supply disruptions and aims to stabilise cross-border energy trade
America Saint Lucia The long-discussed demerit point system designed to track traffic offences and penalise repeat offenders, existing as a framework but never fully applied, will be implemented amid a rise in road accidents and fatal collisions in recent years
Asia Philippines The annual Bataan–Tarlac Freedom March has been held across 28 February and 1 March, commemorating the WWII Death March; Participants retraced key routes in Central Luzon to honor Filipino and American soldiers who endured the 1942 forced trek
Africa Morocco New spatial divisions for coastal trawlers and longline fishing fleets have been established: Moroccan marine waters will be divided into five management units, each coastal trawler will operate in one and unload catches solely at ports located within
Asia Maldives An additional opportunity has been granted to become monitors and observers for the Local Council and Women’s Development Committee elections and the public referendum, extending deadline for submitting application forms until 3:00 PM today
Europe Finland Non-biometric passports issued by the Russian Federation will no longer be accepted in Finland starting 1 June, with a few exceptions, foreign affairs ministry announced
Europe Croatia Croatia is officially free of landmines thirty-one years after the end of the Homeland War; the effort to clear all known minefields cost 208 lives, including those of 41 deminers, and around 1,2 billion euros
Europe Albania Protests organized last Saturday by opposition Democratic Party have degenerated into violence against people and property, resulting in arrests and a notable development as case materials have been submitted to Special Prosecution Against Corruption
Africa Angola A public tender worth almost USD 5 million will be held for the acquisition of medications for diabetes, hypertension, and sickle cell anemia, to be distributed to public hospital units
Asia Lebanon Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel to avenge the death of Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei; in response, the Israeli military hit Hezbollah targets in Beirut and southern Lebanon, ending a shaky cease-fire, with 31 dead and over 3.000 people displaced
America Dominican Republic A new School of Hospitality and Tourism has been opened in Punta Cana with a strategic partnership between Meliá and the National Institute of Technical and Vocational Training; it will develop local talent, improve employability, enhance competitiveness
Europe Bulgaria New interim government, led by Andrey Gyurov, announced general elections for 19 April, the eighth in Bulgaria since 2021; polls predict a strong showing by former President Rumen Radev’s as-yet-unnamed new party