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 Kyrgyzstan Only one third of the teachers in private universities speak English at the required level, violating the obligation to teach English to foreign students, said the head of the department for monitoring the implementation of the resolutions
Asia Kazakhstan Value-added tax rate could be raised from 12% to 16% in a a package of amendments to the draft Tax Code submitted by Kazakhstan's Ministry of National Economy to the lower house of parliament to improve tax administration
Africa Niger A national convention was held 15-19 February to map out Niger's long-awaited political transition following the July 2023 coup, set governance priorities and determine transition timeline, set at five years from now; international response was positive
Europe Russia An ice fishing event held in Brazhnikov Bay of Vladivostok saw the participation of hundreds of people; families gathered for the flounders catching competition in a bright sunny day
Africa Lesotho For the financial year 2025/2026 the budget presented by the Minister of Finance foresees a total expenditure of 65% of the GDP, reflecting commitment to infrastructure development and economic growth
Africa Madagascar The World Bank has called for Madagascar to unleash private investment to increase and improve energy access on the island; the country has set the target of achieving 80% access to electricity by 2030
Africa Gambia President Adama Barrow presided over the inauguration of the country's first high-voltage power infrastructure project in Salaji in an event that was part of the Gambia's Diamond Jubilee activities
Asia Iraq The Iraqi cabinet approved the Ministry of Electricity's $480 million engineering, procurement and construction agreement for the Al Dora thermal power plant rehabilitation project
Europe Iceland The draft of a new bill by the Ministry of Housing and Social Affairs would make significant extensions to the Icelandic parental leave system, particularly with regard to twin births or illnesses resulting from childbirth
America Dominican Republic Dominican students Mia Alejandra Rodríguez Santos and Ana Margarita Sabillón Méndez from Saint George School won at the Harvard Speech and Debate Tournament in the “Junior Varsity International” category
America Grenada The wastewater treatment and recycling project at the Princess Alice Hospital in Mirabeau, St. Andrew, has officially begun with the installation of a septic tank
Europe Estonia The number of international students in Estonian higher education institutions has decreased since the 2019/2020 academic year when they accounted for 12,2% of the total student population; this year, 8,7% of the population is from abroad
Africa Djibouti The 25th anniversary of the Association of Women of Tadjourah, one of the most prominent civil society movements in the North, was celebrated under the high patronage of First Lady Mrs. Kadra Mahamoud Haid, President of National Union of Djiboutian Women