Asia China Unilateral zero-tariff treatment is now applied to all African countries except Eswatini, which maintains ties with Taiwan; duty-free policy for 33African countries was introduced in 2024, now covers 53 countries and will be in place until 30 April 2028
Asia Palestine At least 135 crimes, assaults and violations committed by the Israeli occupation against journalism in Palestine were recorded in January, including the killing of 14 of them, according to the report of the Palestinian Journalists' Union Freedom Committee
America Colombia The Embassy of Korea and the IOM have joined forces to strengthen access to rights in Colombia, signing an agreement to increase access to primary health services, enhance protection strategies for victims of trafficking, and promote economic integration
America Ecuador Over 4.800 individuals have been detained in Ecuador since President Daniel Noboa declared a state of internal armed conflict around a month ago
Africa Lesotho A new $72 million project has been launched to protect the livelihoods of Lesotho's wool and mohair farmers, thereby supporting 225.000 rural inhabitants who are struggling to cope with the impacts of climate change and other challenges
Asia Indonesia The president of the Indonesian Medical Association stated that of the total 226.190 doctors in Indonesia, about 160.000 reside in western Indonesia, underlining a problem that the health system has been facing for a long time
Europe Ireland The Dublin City Centre Transport Plan, which aims to end the dominance of cars on city streets by reducing their routes and creating new civic squares, was overwhelmingly approved by the public, with over 80% in favour
Europe Vatican City Pope Francis expressed his condolences for the death of Antonio Paolucci, former director of the Vatican Museums and prominent art historian
Asia Maldives The Parliament accepted the bill to ban national elections during the month of Ramadan and appointed a special committee to examine it; the bill was tabled ahead of the parliamentary elections to be held on 17 March
Africa Eritrea Eritrean citizens living in various countries made monetary contributions to support the families of the martyrs and to increase the Martyrs' Trust Fund; in total, 7.330 Swiss francs, 3.960€, 1.000 Canadian dollars and 89.000 nakfa were collected
Asia Nepal The encroachment of arable land near rivers and lakes for infrastructure construction has damaged the bird population in wetlands along the Rapti River in Bhalubang, leading to a shortage of food for the birds
America Bolivia Bolivia enhanced its customs control at the Chilean border with the opening of the upgraded Integrated Control Area of the Border Customs Administration in Pisiga, aiming to expedite the process for goods entering the country from overseas
America Dominican Republic The Consulate General of the Dominican Republic in New York received a diploma of recognition for being named the Best Digital Communication System of 2023
Asia Bhutan For 8th birthday of His Royal Highness Gyelsay Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck, more than 500 DANTAK Project officials engaged in clean-up activities on 900 km of highways, in initiative aimed at creating awareness about the importance of keeping the roads clean