Europe Spain A political and cultural dispute erupted over Basque regional government's formal request to host Pablo Picasso’s anti-war painting Guernica for 9 months; 2027 marks 90th anniversary of the first Basque government and of the bombing of the town Guernica
Europe Latvia The robbery of a watch shop in Old Town Riga doesn't indicate an increase in crime in the country: it makes considerate more investment in security for exclusive goods shops, said Artis Velss, former Chief of the State Police
Africa Madagascar France President Macron seeked "forgiveness" for France’s colonisation of Madagascar, starting with the return of looted cultural artefacts, in his visit, to Antananarivo, where he announced plans for economic ties and investment in hydroelectric project
Europe Lithuania Rounding cash payments began: under the new rules, the final amount of a purchase paid in cash will be rounded to the nearest multiple of 5 cents; the new practice is part of a gradual move to phase out the use of 1- and 2-cent euro coins
Asia Maldives Proposed amendments to the Tobacco Control Act – the chief of which is the enforcement of a smoking ban for the post-2007 generation – have been accepted into the Parliament and sent to a select committee for review, approved with a majority vote of 63-2
Africa Zimbabwe Bulawayo, second largest city in Zimbabwe, has refuted claims on social media alleging a bedbug infestation in four of its suburbs; city authorities declared the messages as false and malicious, urging residents not to panic or spread misinformation
America Trinidad and Tobago The opposition centrist United National Congress decisively won parliamentary elections held on 28 April and Kamla Persad-Bissessar will be the next prime minister; 73-year-old, she held the post from 2010 to 2015 and remains the only woman leader of TT
Oceania Samoa Samoa has become the first Pacific Island country to develop a National Action Plan for Health Security; it is led by the Ministry of Health with funding support from the World Bank and technical assistance from the World Health Organization
Asia Turkmenistan Turkmenistan Airlines will resume passenger flights on the Ashgabat-Moscow-Ashgabat and Ashgabat-Kazan-Ashgabat routes today 1 May 2025; periods of disruption of these services began in August 2023 due to security reasons
Europe Malta The move to curb migrant workers could lead to a slowdown in Malta’s economic growth according to the chief economist of the Central Bank speaking at the presentation of the 2024 annual report, which reviewed Malta’s economic performance in the past year
Asia Armenia 15.000 out of 35.000 Armenians who submitted income declarations claimed their right to reimbursement for social expenses and have received around AMD1,4 billion (€3,2 million) in reimbursements; a proposed law aims at extending the declaration deadline
Europe France A new website dedicated to summer jobs 2025 is online to help students plan before the school year ends; tips and rules for minors are covered: legal age, type of contracts and payments allowed, working hours and more
Europe Switzerland Retailer Migros is planning its first Switzerland supermarket with 24/7 opening in Herisau; the test will start this summer 2025: after normal opening hours it will be open in self-service mode, with automatic payments only and CCTV security
Europe Estonia Estonia’s first training center for unmanned aerial vehicles has been opened at the Koigi grass airfield and will support the training of the Defence League, the Defence Forces and allied units