Asia Nepal New members of Nepal’s National Assembly were sworn in following upper-house elections, where the Balendra Shah’s reformist Rastriya Swatantra Party won by a landslide, reshaping Nepal’s political landscape
Asia Saudi Arabia King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology in Riyadh honored Omar Yaghi, the Saudi scientist and recipient of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, with a reception at its headquarters in Riyadh
Africa Botswana Department of Veterinary Services is investigating on whether an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease has occurred in the North-East and its extent; fears are mounting around potential losses to farmers and Botswana Meat Commission and costs to Batswana
Oceania Kiribati A team from the Research and Monitoring Unit, Coastal Fisheries Division certified 15 open-water divers for pet fish operators on Kiritimati Island and CFD extension Unit Kiritimati, include Fisheries Assistants from Tabueran and Teraina
Africa Nigeria A second group of 705 Nigerian refugees from 85 households has returned from Cameroon to Banki town in Bama Area of Borno State; the displaced returned voluntarily as part of an ongoing repatriation and resettlement programme
America Haiti A fire tore through the historic Cluny Market in downtown Cap-Haitien, destroying 30 storage units and hundreds of small shops: no deaths or injuries were reported, the cause is still unknown; once extinguished, vendors tried to collect salvageable goods
Asia Lebanon The election process has begun with the publication of the decree calling for elections in the Official Gazette: expats would vote abroad on 1 and 3 May, election workers would vote in Lebanon on 7 May and resident voters would vote on 10 May
Europe Lithuania Lithuanians that have returned to the country double those that left it over the past six years, preliminary data from the State Data Agency shows; Most returnees came from the United Kingdom, Norway, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands
Asia Maldives Southern connectivity project linking Gaafu Alifu, Gaafu Dhaalu, Fuvahmulah and Addu atolls in the Maldives by air has been inaugurated, as flights have been established for the southernmost atolls, with facilities in place to accommodate small aircrafts
Africa Niger Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey has been targeted by terrorists on motorcycles, who were met with "vigorous air and ground response" by the Nigerien military who neutralized 20 mercenaries and arrested 11
Oceania Palau The Compass Point Institute, Palau's first locally based think tank, has been launched, marking a milestone in the efforts to promote evidence-based policymaking and civic dialogue
Asia Oman 1st International Conference on the Archaeology of Oman Peninsula will open on 1 February at Sultan Qaboos University; The three-day event will welcome around 100 scientists, researchers, and archaeologists
Europe Romania Romania will be promoted internationally through a series of film screenings and cultural events organised by British writer and producer Charlie Ottley; The tour will touch Thailand, Malaysia, Chile, Peru, Colombia, and the United Kingdom among others
Asia North Korea Textiles and wigs reign supreme in North Korea-China trade in 2025: the countries exchanged over $18 million in sanctioned goods and DPRK’s rice imports hit multi-year high in December