Africa Sierra Leone A ship departed from Freetown was intercepted and diverted to Canary Islands, in a crackdown on international drug trafficking; Spanish police found aboard 35-40 tonnes of cocaine in what has been called “record-breaking cocaine seizure in the Atlantic”
America Saint Lucia The long-discussed demerit point system designed to track traffic offences and penalise repeat offenders, existing as a framework but never fully applied, will be implemented amid a rise in road accidents and fatal collisions in recent years
Asia Laos Thailand has eased oil export controls to Laos, allowing shipments to resume under revised monitoring measures; The move follows supply disruptions and aims to stabilise cross-border energy trade
Europe Sweden Over 2.000 reports of suspected crimes targeting socially important activities have been received in 2025, double than 2024: among them burglary and involuntary illegal trespassing or photography; figures are partly due to more sites being classified
Asia Nepal Digital payment services will be redefined under amendments to the Nepal Rastra Bank Act; The proposal would expand the central bank’s regulatory scope, raising concerns from fintech firms about compliance burdens and conflicting oversight frameworks
Oceania Australia Fuelled by growing anti-immigration sentiment in the wake of the Bondi Beach terror attack, the right-wing party One Nation has surged in the polls in recent months, overtaking Liberals to emerge as the nominal opposition to Labor
Asia India The AI Impact Summit 2026 held in New Delhi in February marked a global turning point by focusing on "Shaping a Human-Centric Future for AI"; India has been the first Global South nation to host the event bridging the gap between AI's potential and risks
Africa Rwanda The Appeal Tribunal for refugees and asylum seekers, established in 2024, now has two co-presidents, four members, and a registrar; former diplomat and Minister of Justice Edda Mukabagwiza was appointed co-president alongside Jean Damascène Rusanganwa
America Ecuador Since November 2025 the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights issued two precautionary measures concerning Ecuador: one addressing the alleged forced disappearance of 26 individuals and another related to a growing health crisis in the prison system
Asia Pakistan At news of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death in U.S.–Israeli strikes, outrage sparked among Shiite communities with protests across Pakistan; in Karachi demonstrators tried to storm the US Consulate, clashing with police
Africa Zambia Launching Zambia Brand Initiative President Hichilema called upon Zambians to rise to promote, preserve, protect and defend heritage with pride and spread it to the outside world
Oceania Marshall Islands Japan Ambassador Hirohisa Soma and International Organization for Migration office head Hilary Vanderwey signed an agreement earlier this week that sets in motion a two-year plan to strengthen Majuro and Wotje local food systems
Africa Angola A public tender worth almost USD 5 million will be held for the acquisition of medications for diabetes, hypertension, and sickle cell anemia, to be distributed to public hospital units
Asia Lebanon Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel to avenge the death of Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei; in response, the Israeli military hit Hezbollah targets in Beirut and southern Lebanon, ending a shaky cease-fire, with 31 dead and over 3.000 people displaced