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 Gabon All administrative officials are urged to submit their asset declarations before 20 February to strengthen transparency and fight corruption within the institutions, an initiative of the National Commission for Combating Corruption and Illicit Enrichment
Asia South Korea Supporters and opponents of President Yoon Suk Yeol held rallies on Geumnam-ro, Gwangju, a symbol of the 1980 democratic uprising; around 3.000 pro-Yoon protesters and 1.000 opposition members gathered, reflecting ongoing political tensions in South Korea
America Brazil Oil exploration near the Amazon has received support by President Lula, who argued it can fund green energy projects; widespread environmental concerns and criticism fears it could undermines Brazil’s role as a climate leader ahead of hosting COP30
America Bolivia Plan to exploit Bolivia's lithium with Chinese and Russian firms is sparking protests, as citizens are demanding contract annulments over environmental concerns, water use, and low royalties, forcing government officials to suspend the project
Africa Ghana Efforts to combat poaching of pangolins are being stepped up by authorities and conservation groups; in Ghana, the three native species - giant pangolin, ground pangolin and white-bellied pangolin - are all at risk of extinction
Asia Malaysia Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli has criticized the negative perceptions of vernacular schools —public schools that teach in Mandarin or Tamil — emphasizing their role in education; He urges Malaysians to move beyond racial issues and focus on unity
Africa Cape Verde The FIVB Volleyball Empowerment programme successfully implemented a pilot project in Cape Verde, with the aim of strengthening training methods through advanced game analysis tools and training
Africa Central African Republic The UN Secretary-General strongly condemned the killing of a Tunisian peacekeeper of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic while conducting a long-range patrol to protect civilians
Asia Kuwait Kuwait has officially raised the minimum age for marriage to 18, following legislative changes aimed at protecting children's rights and strengthening family stability; 1.145 underage marriages were registered in 2024
Africa Guinea A ship of COSCO Shipping, Chinese state-owned company providing forwarding and logistics services, for the first time docked at the container terminal of the autonomous port of Conakry
Asia Jordan An Indian man, victim of a job scam promising work in Jordan, was shot dead by Jordanian security forces while trying to illegally cross into Israel; reports of Indians falling for employment scams have become increasingly common
America Cuba Non-essential educational and work activities have been suspended for two days in order to save electricity; the measure was announced by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security in consequence of the current energy situation
Europe Switzerland The city of Geneva, considered the world capital of human rights, international law and humanitarian aid, is planning to pay CHF10 million of NGO worker wages following the United States decision to freeze humanitarian aid for 90 days