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
America Costa Rica Residents of El Tirol are protesting against the court-mandated cypress tree removal, they are also seeking legal alternatives to stop or mitigate the deforestation, as well as organizing a reforestation project to restore the affected landscape
America El Salvador Minors linked to gangs will be sent to adult prisons in separate units until 18, a move backed by President Bukele and approved by Congress; Unicef warns it violates international child rights standards
Asia Lebanon Prominent Lebanese journalist and executive producer Ahmad Farhat was killed in an attack by an Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle that hit his car in the Iqlim al-Tuffah district in the south of the country
America Colombia Over 46.000 children in Catatumbo are facing danger, NGO Save the Children is warning, as renewed clashes between FARC dissidents and the national army are forcing mass displacement and increasing risks of forced recruitment
Europe Albania The fight against organised crime in Albania has intensified and the authorities have seized millions of illicit assets, but the management of these properties is proving difficult, raising fears that they could return to criminal control
Asia Pakistan Punjab launches a project to greenify Cholistan desert in the frame of the Green Pakistan Initiative; the initiative includes a 5.000-acre Smart Agri Farm, Green Agri Mall and research centers to boost agriculture with modern tech and farmer support
Africa eSwatini A new project will support the country reach the remaining 12% of the population with electricity access in remote and disadvantaged areas; financed by the World Bank, the plan aims at reaching universal energy access by 2030
Europe Belarus 143.936 large families have opened deposit accounts in Belarus under the family capital programme as of 1 February 2025
Asia Vietnam Universities are launching AI programs to tackle talent shortage; HCMC University of Economics offers AI-driven digital business, the University of Economics and Law pioneers AI in e-commerce and more schools integrate AI into finance, banking, analytics
Africa Mauritius The Council of Southern African Football Associations will assist Mauritius in the development of youth football and regional sports competitions
Africa Mauritania The 10th edition of the Nouakchott Arab Poetry Festival took place; a three-days event organised by the Sharjah Department of Culture, it saw a wide participation of Mauritanian and African poets, intellectuals and writers
Asia Bahrain The Bahrain Cancer Centre made medical history by successfully treating a sickle cell disease patient using CRISPR-based gene editing therapy, the first successful treatment of its kind outside the US
America Ecuador Ecuador closed its borders with Peru and Colombia on the eve of the presidential elections to ensure security, restricting foreign entry; military presence increased at border crossings, and only Ecuadorians with proper documents can enter