Europe Netherlands Equal opportunities are under scrutiny on Women's Day, as government plans to reduce parental leave benefits for higher income earners: the measure would disproportionately affect men, who often earn more than women, discouraging fathers from taking leave
Europe Bulgaria Public attention in Bulgaria has been focused on an opaque criminal case, made more disturbing by lack of official information: in a week six people were found dead in Western Stara Planina, all linked to NGO National Agency for Control of Protected Areas
America Argentina Special conservation campaigns have been launched to recover firefly populations, which have been declining in Argentina due to habitat loss, artificial light, and pesticide use
Africa Botswana New rate for personal income tax will be debated in the upcoming sitting of Parliament; proposed changes will impact corporate tax and International Financial Services Centre companies and increase top tax rate for individuals from 25% to 27,5%
Asia Myanmar The US extended sanctions against the military junta in Myanmar as well as financial and trade restrictions, citing the crisis following the 2021 coup still threatening regional stability, democracy and human rights
Africa Mozambique Sovereign Wealth Fund posted profitable financial statements on 31 December 2025 thank to very short-term deposits of US$110 million government funding in Bred Banque Populaire, The Toronto-Dominon Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank from 12 December 2025
Asia Maldives Customers have been reporting delays in receiving gas from state‑owned Maldive Gas, company says the issue is beyond their control and caused by delays in supply; Gas is being delivered through Villa Gas, private supplier with large reserves in Thilafushi
America Barbados General elections in Barbados are scheduled for tomorrow 11 February 2026 where 30 members of the House of Assembly will be elected; parliament was dissolved on 19 January and nomination day was on 27 January
Europe Lithuania 88% of Lithuanians oppose raising the retirement age, latest survey shows; Minister of Social Security and Labour underlines there are no plans to make people retire later and the currently existing retirement age for women and men, 65 years, is optimal
Africa Cameroon The Port of Douala, strategic gateway for trade in Central Africa, is gripped by a tug-of-war centered on the management of the non-intrusive cargo scanning: two rival operators have been claiming the right to inspect containers, paralyzing cargo flow
Asia Armenia Nearly two years after the fall of Artsakh, or Nagorno Karabakh, 25.000 displaced families remain without permanent housing despite government claims progress on assistance programs, says Founding Chairman of the NGO Artsakh Union
Oceania Australia Armed carjackings have almost doubled in Victoria, increasing to an unprecedented extent, despite “tough new laws” being introduced to combat the crime in 2016, with rideshare drivers and delivery workers increasingly targeted
Africa Ivory Coast Ivory Coast could be buying its entire stockpile of cocoa beans as stocks pile up in a low of the international market; the move would help thousands of smallholder cocoa farmers, who are the backbone of the world's largest producer
Asia Bhutan Kabesa Local Area Plan is nearing completion after 15-years due to land disputes and revisions; The plan will regulate zoning and infrastructure in an area long affected by unplanned housing, informal land use and stalled construction near the capital