America Grenada Toll-free 988 Suicide Hotline for Crisis Response has been launched to guarantee immediate support for people experiencing suicidal thoughts, emotional distress and other mental health crises; an awareness campaign will start soon
Oceania Nauru Dave Kitson has been named Nauru's new national soccer team manager and international ambassador; he has played 81 times in the English Premier League and 155 times in the Championship, scoring a total of 69 goals
Oceania New Zealand The country will record "significantly slower" economic growth in the coming years, the finance minister said, as slowing productivity hampers the economy; the announcement came as New Zealand is about to issue a pre-budget update in two weeks
Africa Mali Mali's junta has disbanded the nation's main student organization, the Mali Student Association, accusing it of disrupting classes and provoking clashes and killings
Africa Namibia The country will begin distributing the HPV vaccine to adolescent girls in April, a senior Namibian health official said
Europe Vatican City The Holy See Pavilion at the 60th International Art Exhibition - Venice Biennale, which will be displayed in the Giudecca women's prison, will illustrate the ability of inmates to embrace art to transform their lives
Oceania Micronesia Ms Jenny Grant-Curnow is the new Australian Australian ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia
Africa Mauritius The ceremony for the laying of the foundation stone for the construction of 100 housing units by New Social Living Development on Puspass Avenue in La Source was held in the presence of many government ministers
Asia Uzbekistan Mobile operator Perfectum has been privatized: 100% of the legal entity, Rubicon Wireless Communication, is now owned by Abdumalik Iminov; privatization was ordered by presidential decree in October 2020
Oceania Vanuatu The Department of Biosecurity has partnered with New Zealand's AgResearch to release a virus in areas of Efate heavily infested with the coconut rhinoceros beetle, including Devils Point, Bukura, and Ifira
Asia Qatar Over 50 dolphins of different species have been encountered in Qatari territorial waters by a research team, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change announced
Asia Malaysia The country is growing among major producers of semiconductors, being the world's sixth largest exporter; in the 1970s, Malaysia created a free trade zone on the island of Penang, offered tax exemptions and built dedicated districts and warehouses
Asia Bhutan Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accepted an invitation from his Bhutanese counterpart Tshering Tobgay to visit Bhutan next week; PM Tshering Tobgay is in India on an official visit, his first foreign visit since taking office in February 2024
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