Asia Palestine Israeli settlers set fire to two mosques north of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, and spraied the word "revenge" on walls, according to local witnesses, in an unprecedented episode of escalating hostilities
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
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
America Ecuador A genetic analysis revealed that over 47% of corvina samples collected from a number of markets trace like shark meat; the molecular technology thus confirms that shark meat is being sold as corvina in Ecuador
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
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
Europe Kosovo An exhibition has opened to mark the anniversary of NATO air strikes; the open-air selection of pictures in Pristina commemorates the 27th anniversary of NATO’s military intervention to end the Kosovo war and the ethnic cleansing of ethnic Albanians
Oceania Solomon Islands Residents in Gizo, the Western provincial capital, signaled a growing number of thefts: in recent days mobile phones and personal belongings were amongst the most commonly stolen items, with thieves moving around residential areas and public places