Oceania New Zealand 'Our Freshwater 2026' report highlights worsening quality of groundwater, rivers and lakes, with increasing levels of nitrates, E.coli above legal limit, and nearly half of New Zealand's river network unsafe for swimming due to faecal contamination
Asia Turkey The 9th National Antarctic Science Expedition - in coordination with MAM Polar Research Institute of Turkey - is conducting extensive research in Antarctica, focusing on the impact of human activities on aquatic ecosystems and the region's biodiversity
Africa Tanzania As generative AI continues to transform journalism globally, approximately 53% of newsroom leadership is prepared to adopt AI in Tanzania and only 22% have actually discussed AI policies, a new study on AI adoption in Tanzania’s media sector shows
Europe France Parisian zinc roofers and ornamentalists have entered UNESCO’s official list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity: the distinctive grey roofs of the Paris Haussmannian buildings built in the 19th century used zinc too reduce weight and thickness
Europe San Marino Training has begun for the team of young citizens that will present the San marino pavilion at the Expo Osaka 2025, opening on 13 April; classes will focus on the country's institutions, history and culture in order for the staff to present them at best
America Venezuela Donald Trump announced the revocation of the oil company Chevron's license to operate in Venezuela, citing Maduro's failure to meet agreements on deported migrants, a decision that could severely impact Venezuela’s economy by reducing government revenue
America Brazil Brazil's government is intensifying raids against illegal gold mining in Indigenous territories, destroying equipment and enforcing new regulations, as President Lula is pushing to eliminate the practice
Asia Indonesia The free nutritious meal program, a goal of President Prabowo Subianto, again faces reports of food poisoning, undercooked meals and spoiled food in its rollout; authorities are investigating incidents to improve the program's safety and implementation
Africa Comoros Flight Y61103 Moroni/Mohéli bound for Mwali was reported missing with 14 people on board: air traffic lost contact with the aircraft, unable to land for bad weather and redirected to Ngazidja; rescue teams are patrolling off the coast of Mbatse
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
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
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
Asia Laos Laos, with Nepal, has been added the FATF ‘grey list’ in its latest update as the Financial Action Task Force said the countries would need increased monitoring, while the Philippines have been removed due to satisfactory on-site inspection
Asia Syria The Syrian Ministry of Electricity announced the construction of a new 100 megawatt photovoltaic power plant to address the country's energy crisis