Asia China 10 United States-based companies have been added to China's export control list, government procurement barred from 50 US companies two weeks after the Pentagon blacklisted some of China’s best-known companies for alleged ties to the Chinese military
Oceania Fiji Efforts are underway to further strengthen and promote kava exports to the US and the entire North American region; new import tariffs introduced or planned by President Trump are a pending variable
Europe Iceland Iceland Foods is reintroducing plastic trays in response to consumer dissatisfaction with vacuum-packed minced meat; vacuum-sealed packages were designed to contain 50% less plastic and reduce the retailer's annual consumption by 35 tonnes
Africa Ethiopia Ethiopia's ruling Prosperity Party re-elected Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed as its president during the party's second congress
Africa Sao Tome and Principe Dozens of tourists gathered to watch over 400 baby sea turtles being released into the sea at Vila Maria beach on the island of São Tomé; the release is overseen as an initiative of the Tatô programme, an international NGO based locally
Europe Kosovo Extremism in Kosovo remains limited, but conditions for its spread persist, according to a report by the Pristina-based think tank Sbunker
Asia Saudi Arabia Saudi Founding Day will be celebrated on 22 February to mark the establishment of the first state in 1727 with a calendar of events celebrating history, traditions and heritage that include the concert of Arab world's icons Nawal and Ahlam in Riyadh
Europe Denmark Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil, candidate for mayor of Copenhagen, has made public her plan over Airbnb's rules in Copenhagen: one would only be allowed to rent the house of the address registered as usual living
Europe Croatia Croatia's first satellite, CroCube, launched on 21 December 2024, successfully captured and transmitted its first images of Croatia from space
Asia Iran A new ballistic missile, capable of travelling 1.700 kilometres, was unveiled at a ceremony in Tehran attended by President Masoud Pezeshkian
America Haiti The President of Haiti's Transitional Presidential Council has promised to hold elections this November and inaugurate an elected government by February 2026; the last elections were held in 2016
Europe Estonia Inequality between the skills of different generations is growing faster in Estonia than in other OECD countries, increasing the risk of marginalisation among the least qualified adults
America Dominica Construction of the world's longest cable car in Laudat is expected to be completed in December 2025; Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit expects Dominica to benefit from an increase in tourist arrivals upon completion of the project
Europe Bulgaria The cost of driving courses will rise even further, with prices exceeding 2.000 leva (1.000 euro); Yonko Ivanov, president of the Union of Car and Motorcycle Instructors, explained that they must adapt to European standards and technological advances