Oceania Papua New Guinea Machetes and axes are now banned in public, following a court order that also prohibits building roadblocks in an area of Enga province were tribal fights plague the life of communities; the judge cited fundamental constitutional rights to issue the ban
Oceania Papua New Guinea Evictions could violate human rights: this is the concern expressed by the head of PNG Church, Sir John Cardinal Ribat, who warns against evictions that don't follow proper procedures, leaving families homeless
Europe Norway Expanding offshore O&G industry before attacks on Iran, Norway was already cutting Persian Gulf oil supplies; now a majority of Norwegian leaders think it’s even more important to keep Norway’s own oil flowing, despite its contribution to climate change
Asia Qatar 2.610 entries have been recorded for the 12th edition of Katara Prize for Arabic Novel of the Cultural Village Foundation, the highest prize since launched in 2014; Egypt and Sudan led submissions (963), followed by Levant and Iraq (719), Maghreb (666)
America Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Former Prime Minister Gonsalves has raised alarm on the current socio-economic climate in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, saying it is grappling with severe financial hardship, rising costs, and a failing social safety net
Europe Russia The Russia/Sahel Region teleconference was organized by Lomonosov Moscow State University with other institutions and focused on socio-political cooperation, personnel training, interaction between Russia and Sahel countries in the field of security
Oceania Kiribati Amid a shifting balance of influence on Kiribati between Australia and China, international experts say China would be trying to gain more weight but still has to fully consolidate it, a last minute opportunity for Australia to counter it with new ties
Africa Sao Tome and Principe UNDP in Sao Tomé has published two notices: the hiring of a national consultant to promote training in women's leadership with a dedicated project and a list of items on sale due to office renewal
Europe Poland Three bison have been hit by a train – which, in a sad irony, was called Żubr, the Polish word for bison; the incident occurred near the town of Witowo, close to Białowieża Forest, which is home to the country’s largest bison population
Asia Saudi Arabia The National Center for Meteorology forecast a peak of rainfall across most regions of the Kingdom; while also forecasting continued thunderstorms to 28 March, it denied reports of potential hurricanes, urging the public to rely on official sources
America Uruguay Uruguayan drug trafficker Sebastián Marset was captured in Bolivia; the criminal is considered Uruguay’s most dangerous criminal and is one of the five most wanted individuals by the Drug Enforcement Administration DEA
Africa Republic of the Congo Provisional results declared Sassou Nguesso re-elected to a fifth term with 95% of the vote, on a reported turnout of 85%; the figure was notably in contrast to eye witness observations of short queues at polling stations in the capital Brazzaville
Asia Japan The cherry blossom season officially began in Japan with the traditional opening of the Imperial Palace street to the public; an online survey estimates average budget for cherry blossom viewing at -13,8% this year amid consumer concern over inflation
Africa Liberia Liberia and Barbados signed a historic visa waiver agreement; with political consultations, it is expected to unlock new opportunities in trade, labor mobility, and cultural exchange in a wider frame of strengthening South-South cooperation