Oceania Palau A historic $15 million financing agreement has been signed with Saudi Arabia, marking a shift in how Palua's National Development Bank will now operate, as the loan will be directly invested into building affordable housing
Africa Mauritius In an effort to support small tea planters, a free fertiliser distribution ceremony was held as part of the Tea Sector Support Scheme
Oceania Australia The oldest known meteorite impact crater in the world has been discovered by researchers in the Pilbara region of Western Australia: believed to be 3,47 billion years old, it pushes back the previous record by more than a billion years
Asia Kazakhstan Oil production will be reduced in March to meet OPEC+ obligations following the January excess, Minister of Energy said at a press conference; overproduction was caused by an early start at the Tengiz oilfield, originally scheduled for production in June
Europe Belarus The Moscow Centre of the World Association of Nuclear Operators will conduct a planned partner inspection at the Belarusian nuclear power plant from 10 to 26 March 2025 for the achievement of high performance
Africa eSwatini In recent years, Eswatini has achieved major milestones in snakebite management, reducing snakebite deaths to zero in the summer season of 2023; results are now threatened by funding cuts, exacerbated by the suspension of US aid
Africa Sierra Leone Orange Sierra Leone donated 100 durable tarpaulins to the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, through the Ministry of Social Welfare, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives
Asia Bahrain Startup Bahrain, a Tamkeen-supported platform for Bahraini start-ups, has kicked off a new season of its StartUp Bahrain Pitch entrepreneurship series highlighting Bahrain's most promising founders
Africa South Africa Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will pay an official visit to South Africa on Thursday 10 April, the South African presidency confirmed, calling it part of an inclusive peace process after talks with Russian President Putin
Asia Japan A bill to tighten regulations on host clubs was approved, aiming to curb abusive practices that force female patrons into prostitution and will now be submitted to parliament; 2.776 official reports in 2024 of such exploitation have drawn public outcry
Europe Albania TikTok will be banned in Albania for 12 months; access to the platform will be cut off within a week, following a decision by the Council of Ministers
Europe Belgium A new record was set on Friday for the warmest March 7 since measurements began in 1880, the Royal Meteorological Institute confirmed, with 17,7 degrees; the last record was recorded in 1991
Europe Bosnia and Herzegovina The political situation has deteriorated in recent days, after the State Court last week found Milorad Dodik, the president of Republika Srpska, guilty of resisting the High Representative's decisions
Europe Vatican City The England and Wales Cricket Board has apologized after it reposted a message from the account of Pope Francis for the beginning of Lent "The #Ashes remind us of who we are, which does us good" and suggested the pontiff was a fan of the Ashes series