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
Asia Thailand King and Queen led a 52 royal barge procession along Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River presenting traditional Kathin robes to monks at the Temple of Dawn; over 2.000 rowers and thousands spectators from across the country celebrated His Majesty’s 72nd birthday
America Trinidad and Tobago To address the growing number of vehicle related crimes - fraud, theft and road safety violations - the country will move toward video analytics and registered plate suppliers or manufacturers to build a robust secure vehicle registration system
Asia Bahrain Stricter technical requirements have been issued for street advertising; the decree aims at ensuring safety standards and guarantee compliance with engineering regulations
Africa Rwanda Thousands of citizens participated in a mass tree planting campaign in eastern Rwanda, advancing the nation's goal of planting 65 million trees by the end of the fiscal year
Africa Tanzania The UN commended Tanzania for continuing to uphold its fundamental principles, including the promotion of peace, human rights and democracy, while accelerating the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals
Europe Latvia In 2022, more companies were born in Latvia than those that disappeared, better than the EU average for the birth rate of companies, which was 14,3% against 10,5% of the EU, about the double of the company death rate of 7,85%, against 8,7% of the EU
Europe Hungary 'Stars of the Polar Night', new exhibition of documentary Word Press Photo Winner Esther Horvath, opened at the Capa Centre; the work focuses on researchers working in Ny-Alesund, the epicentre of global warming in the Norwegian Spitsbergen mountains
America Ecuador Amid a severe energy crisis with daily 14-hour blackouts, Ecuador’s government extended next week’s holiday to create a five-day break aimed at boosting tourism, despite recent power rationing due to drought affecting the main hydroelectric source
America Colombia At the UN Biodiversity Conference COP16, the Colombian Catholic Church formally expressed its support for biodiversity protection, aligning fully with the government's stance on this issue
Asia Bhutan In Thimphu, five new schools will become 'inclusive', ensuring access to support, resources and tailored education for children with disabilities; the initiative is part of a broader national plan to enhance inclusive education
Africa Togo Cotton production could reach 66.000 tonnes in 2024-2025 marketing year, compared to 67.000 tonnes of previous year; cotton operators gathered in Sokodé to discuss the reasons, including climatic challenges like prolonged drought during the sowing phase
Africa Guinea-Bissau Family Care and Planning Unit has been inaugurated next to the Maternity Unit of the Simão Mendes Nacional Hospital, with ultrasound equipment for pregnant women, in project to improve access to sexual and reproductive health and reduce maternal mortality
Asia Tajikistan The Integrated Rural Development Project/TRIGGER recognised the invaluable contribution of rural women to agriculture, food security and community development in workshops with 300 people including women, entrepreneurs, government officials and partners