Europe Moldova Authorities have pledged to overhaul the care system for fragile persons after an investigation into the country’s 5 institutions for people with disabilities uncovered widespread exploitation, violence and sexual abuse by staff against the residents
Oceania Samoa A power outage in Upolu exposed the vulnerabilities of Moto'otua National Hospital's emergency power supply, as the backup generator failed to kick in, leaving the facility without electricity for an hour earlier this week
Europe Greece Demonstrations were staged across all Greece, including Crete, to mark the second anniversary of the 2023 train disaster that killed 57 people, mainly students; sporadic, provoked clashes occurred between protesters and police
Asia Taiwan The government has pledged to reduce mortality rates for chronic diseases related to hypertension, blood sugar and high cholesterol by one third by 2030
Oceania Kiribati BPA Radio Kiribati has welcomed Australian Broadcasting Corporation on they visit to Tarawa, announcing a new media partnership with the network
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
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
Oceania Tonga 25 Tongan police officers successfully completed a two-week leadership training programme for 'emerging leaders' conducted in collaboration with the UK College of Policing
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
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 United Arab Emirates The UAE Ministry of Education has designated Friday of each week during the month of Ramadan as a distance learning day for students in public schools, its the exception of students whose exam schedules have been approved for Friday
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
America Saint Kitts and Nevis The Day of Interruption, a nationwide student action against crime, violence and unsocial behavior at school, was celebrated on 26 February; organized by the Citizen Security Secretariat, it saw a massive participation of volunteers
Asia Malaysia Malaysian gig industry players urge refinements to a proposed bill, citing concerns over worker classification, social security and pay; they seek a balanced approach between workers’ rights and industry growth; government is planning further discussions