Asia Tajikistan An amnesty law signed by President Rahmon to celebrate 35 years of independence will cover 18.038 convicted people, with full release for 11.305 people, reduced terms for 6.733; of 507 women, 248 will be released, of 134 minors, 99 will be freed
Africa Cameroon The country has obtained a $2,2 million investment commitment from Japan to boost the coffee and cocoa sectors; the plan is to increase domestic cocoa and coffee production by 2030, with targets set at 640.000 tons and 160.000 tons, respectively
Oceania Australia Australia will begin funding UNRWA again, after stopping funding in late January, foreign Minister Penny Wong announced
America Costa Rica Melissa Pérez has become the first female data engineer graduate in Costa Rica; she is aiming to inspire women in STEM fields and urging more female participation in the development of innovative solutions
America Bolivia La Paz, facing intensified flooding following record-breaking rainfall attributed to El Niño, declared a state of emergency, prompting government assistance as the deluge, which destroyed hundreds of homes, continues to cause chaos
America Trinidad and Tobago The Trinidad and Tobago chess team won the gold medal at the inaugural Caricom Classic, held at the Ramada Georgetown Princess Hotel in Guyana
Asia Turkmenistan Short films made by creative groups from Turkmenistan will be presented as part of "Film in 48 Hours - 2024" project, which is being held fin its 9th edition among passionate filmmakers from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan
Africa South Africa Citizens who fought in Israel will be arrested, South Africa's Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said
Oceania Palau Omung, a nongovernmental organization of women who share an interest in horticulture, is using its green thumb to beautify the welcome sign on the hill at Palau International Airport to make it beautiful for "a lasting good impression"
Asia Thailand The head of national parks and wildlife announced the establishment of training centers to discipline aggressive wild elephants, facing growing number of attacks on people; in 16 forest complexes are about 4.000 wild elephants that pose serious problems
Oceania Papua New Guinea PNG was listed as a very high-risk destination for security in a recent report by the Tourism Promotion Authority, with particular emphasis on concerns for travelers from the United States, Australia and China
Africa Sudan The number of inhabitants facing emergency levels of hunger, the stage before famine, more than tripled in one year, approaching five million, according to the Integrated food security phase classification, the food security index used internationally
Asia Turkey An accumulation of water in the foundation of a construction site in Istanbul's Kadıköy neighborhood has been falsely identified as a lake on Google, Apple and Yandex digital maps
Asia Singapore Eight Singapore restaurants have been named to Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2024 51-100 list