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”
Africa Lesotho Civil servants have given the government a week to honour its 'promise' of a 25% wage increase, otherwise they will go to court, after a meeting between the government and the Coalition of Lesotho Civil Servants that allegedly produced no positive outcome
Africa Ivory Coast The Ivory Coast won the African Cup of Nations 2023, beating Nigeria 2-1 in a comeback in the final, for the third time in its history
Oceania Palau Charter flights from Macau to Palau doubled in February compared to January, with 19 flights scheduled for the Chinese New Year holiday; this is expected to bring up to 2.800 visitors from China, a boost for the island nation's tourism industry
Oceania Papua New Guinea Detective Senior Constable Hakaiwa and Constable Koma, both serving with Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary, have advanced police forensic skills in East Sepik and Morobe, thanks to the collaborative efforts of Australian High Commission in the country
America Saint Kitts and Nevis The new tax administration system of the St. Kitts and Nevis Department of Revenue, SMARTS - Smart Modernised Administration for Revenue and Taxation System, is now up and running to offer more simplified and efficient services to taxpayers
Asia Japan Recent survey by Taisho University shows Japanese people in smaller towns and villages with at least 5% foreign population do not regularly interact with the foreigners who live in their communities, underscoring the need to work on integrating society
Europe Ireland Almost 30% of new rents across Ireland exceeded €2.000 per month in the third quarter of last year, and in Dublin over half of new lettings exceeded this figure, according to the latest Residential Tenancies Board index
Asia Uzbekistan Uzbekistan's courts found 666 people guilty of sexual harassment under the new Article 41-1 of the Code of Administrative Responsibility in 2023, said Supreme Court spokesman Aziz Abidov
Africa Seychelles The Seychelles Fire and Rescue Services Agency reported a sharp increase in domestic accidents and electrical fires over the past year
Oceania Nauru After China and Nauru officially resumed diplomatic relations, 26 international students from Nauru arrived in Beijing to participate in a month-long learning programme focusing on China's national conditions and Chinese language
Asia Nepal 321 families affected by wild elephant attacks in Jhapa district are awaiting compensation from the government after the animals caused damage to people and property in various places and at different times in the current 2023/24 fiscal year
Europe Luxembourg Single and widowed parents will pay less tax from 2025 and a broader reform to eliminate higher taxes for singles than for married couples will be presented no earlier than 2026
Asia Jordan The number of Jordanians participating in ‘Urdun Jannah’, the program aimed at stimulating domestic tourism, reached 14.199 in January; Aqaba welcomed 11.413 visitors, while Jerash, Dana Reserve and Shobak recorded no visits through ‘Urdon Jannah'