Asia Bangladesh Recent studies demonstrated that microplastics are present in water, sediments, fish, salt, soft drinks, milk, edible oil and more products in Bangladesh, underscoring the growing concern that these pollutants are transferred to humans through food
Europe Norway The government has reportedly proposed measures to ensure that those who are reluctant to use digital payments can pay with notes and coins
Europe Italy At the Olympic Stadium in Rome, with a score of 31-29, the Italian national team beat Scotland at the Six Nations rugby tournament: it had been 11 years since the national rugby team won a home game in the tournament
Africa Niger Niger leads the world ranking of the 20 countries with the strongest economic growth expectations in 2024, according to the African Development Bank Group's macroeconomic report
Africa Guinea-Bissau The civil registration system in Guinea-Bissau is classified as an unsatisfactory system, according to the typology defined by the World Health Organisation, stated the Minister of Justice and Human Rights
Europe Slovakia Slovakia should leave NATO and the European Union, while the most important power of the president is the ratification of international agreements, said presidential candidate Robert Svec in a much debated declaration
Oceania Papua New Guinea The International Monetary Fund re-established a resident mission in Papua New Guinea, ending an absence of more than two decades from a Pacific island country with which it has had stormy relations
Asia Vietnam The country is facing the dual challenge of micronutrient deficiencies and malnutrition, which have a major impact on the productivity and health of the population, experts said
Africa Republic of the Congo The ambitious Kinshasa-Brazzaville road-rail bridge project, which will connect the two closest capitals in the world, will have a 1.575-metre-long toll bridge over the Congo River, with a railway and a two-lane road and pedestrian crossing
Europe Belarus The film The Women President, broadcast on the Mir TV channel, showed the children with whom President Lukashenko posed for photos in the National Mother and Child Research Centre in December 2021, showing how they grew up
Europe Lithuania The country would risk violating international agreements by unilaterally imposing a ban on the import or transit of Russian wheat, said Agriculture Minister Kestutis Navickas
Africa South Sudan The elections to be held in South Sudan in December are not on the way to a credible process without urgent action, a senior US State Department official warned, and the government is behind in its preparations
Africa Senegal In a surprising twist, Senegalese President Macky Sall officially announced the date of 24 March for the next presidential elections, triggering reactions across the country and evoking a mixture of relief and uncertainty among citizens
Asia Saudi Arabia The world's first mosque built with 3D printing technology, located in the Al-Jawhara suburb of Jeddah, recently celebrated its inaugural ceremony