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
Oceania Palau In a rally echoing his campaign slogan 'Palauans First', President Surangel Whipps Jr. officially launched his re-election bid, becoming the first candidate to declare for the November 2024 general election
Europe Netherlands Persons subject to integration obligations must integrate within three years and if they do not obtain the integration certificate the government can fine them; the European Court of Justice will assess whether this is contrary to European standards
Europe Denmark The country will send its entire stockpile of ammunition to Kiev, announced Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, becoming the first to do so and appealing to other European nations to do more to help Ukraine
Africa Guinea Guinea's ruling National Rally for Development Council dissolved the interim government, stressing that the transition will end this year with the appointment of a new administration
Africa Cameroon Cameroonian plastic artist Hako Hankson has been invited to represent Cameroon at the next Venice Art Biennale; born in 1968 in Bafang, in the west, he now lives and works in the economic capital Douala
Europe Slovakia Malnutrition affects almost two-thirds of Slovakian hospitalised patients; despite additional costs of malnutrition entails for healthcare system, interventions remain minimal, according to research by Slovakian Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition
Africa Rwanda The local office of the Mechanism in charge of the last files of International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the special court in charge of trying those responsible for the Rwandan genocide and other human rights violations, is about to close its doors
Africa Somalia The Somali authorities banned, for security reasons, the wearing of masks in the capital Mogadishu, as the use of masks would be used to conceal identity and facilitate criminal activities
Asia Japan A traditional rice-planting dance was performed on 18 February at Kusano shrine in the Ukedo area in Namie, Fukushima Prefecture; the shrine was rebuilt after being swept away by tsunami triggered by the March 2011 earthquake
Africa Tunisia Tunisian opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi began a hunger strike on Monday in solidarity with other anti-government figures who are leading a protest fast
Africa Morocco Initially scheduled for January-February 2025, a new speculation suggests that the African Cup of Nations 2025 could be held in the summer, with the Confederation of African Football agreeing to hold the competition in July-August 2025 in Morocco
America Saint Lucia The Epidemiology Unit reports that 82% of deaths are attributed to non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes
Asia North Korea In defiance of UN resolutions, Vladimir Putin paid homage to Marshal Kim Jong-un with a luxury limousine made in Russia, 'as a demonstration of their special relationship', as the North Korean state media writes