America Colombia Abelardo De La Espriella has become the new president-elect of Colombia in a tight run-off; the far-right lawyer was openly backed by US President Trump
Oceania Palau The Senate is again considering a proposal to lift the ban on the export of reef fish, with a bill that would allow limited shipments abroad of certain species for personal use
Asia East Timor The One Stop Shop was opened in the municipality of Liquiça; it is an initiative of the Government, through the Ministry of State Administration to modernise and improve the provision of public services to citizens
Oceania Papua New Guinea Arnold Amet has been appointed as the new ambassador to the United States; his endorsement, that came both from King Charles III and US President Donald Trump, marks a step in strengthening relations between the countries
America Cuba The NGO Amnesty International accused the Cuban government of 'irregularities' and 'lack of transparency' in the process of releasing 553 prisoners, announced following the agreement between Washington and Havana
Asia Qatar The Qatar Sports for All Federation has announced the calendar of tournaments and special events it organises during the month of Ramadan, which includes 66 events
Africa Burkina Faso Burkina, with Mali and Niger, launched the common flag of the Confederation of Sahel States; the green background symbolises hope and prosperity, rebirth and renewal
Europe Moldova The tree planting action, initially scheduled for 1 March, has been postponed to 15 March 2025 due to the current weather conditions and excessive cold
Europe Ukraine Ukraine rejected US demands for $500 billion in mineral wealth from Ukraine to repay Washington for wartime aid, saying the United States had supplied nowhere near that sum so far and offered no specific security guarantees in the agreement
Oceania Fiji The Fiji National Provident Fund is in negotiations with the Government to allow its members to make voluntary contributions after they reach 55 years of age, the age of entitlement to retirement for FNPF members
Europe Austria After more than 40 years, the deposit for reusable glass bottles has been increased earlier this month from 9 cents (previously 1,2 Schillings) to 20 cents; brewery products are the most commonly sold in glass bottles
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 Norway Almost 90% of all new car sales in Norway involved electric or hybrid cars last year, and the numbers continued to grow in the new year
Europe Lithuania A commission to reduce red tape will be established with new body called' Commission for the Elimination of Excessive Business Requirements', chaired by the Prime Minister