Asia Bangladesh Prisoners in Bangladesh legally earn Tk2, € 1 cent, per day for their labour: so low that it undermines efforts to rehabilitate inmates through meaningful work; the inspector general of prisons raised the issue amid reforms in the prison employment system
Asia Syria Over 100 chemical weapons sites, many not secure, could have remained after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, according to a leading chemical weapons watchdog, a number higher than any previous estimate; government pledged to destroy any remaining weapons
Asia Nepal Thousands of teachers of the Nepal Teachers’ Federation protested in Kathmandu earlier this month wearing black masks and demanding the long-delayed School Education Act; a nationwide strike closed schools and put more pressure on the government
America Saint Vincent and the Grenadines To celebrate his 2nd anniversary, Coastal Adrenaline Inc. will honor its commitment to environmental stewardship by organizing a coastal clean-up event instead of a traditional party and is inviting the public to join forces on 19 April
Europe Greece Greece has completed its first marine spatial planning and released the official map with the extension of territorial waters up to 12 nautical miles, as per UN Convention; the continental shelf of the Aegean islands is a point of friction with Turkey
Asia Malaysia Curtailments to gas flow are expected to end on 20 April; they have been imposed after a fire in Petronas Putra Heights on 1 April resulted in a mushroom cloud in a residential area, where 50 houses were damaged by temperatures reaching over 1.000 °C
Africa Zambia A training for licensed artisanal miners has started; the pivotal Ministerial initiative addresses several critical aspects regarding these key workers contributing to local and national economies especially in rural areas, with safety at first place
Africa Ethiopia 40 trade investment permits for export, import, retail and wholesale will be granted to foreign companies as part of the government’s steps to liberalize economy; the Ethiopian Investment Commission said the permits follow months of work on guidelines
Asia Armenia In Jan-March 2025, 988 road accidents where recorded in Armenia, resulting in 60 deaths and 1.391 injuries, confirming an alarming trend of the past 10 years; lawmakers held hearings on Road Safety to identify key problems and find systemic solutions
Asia South Korea The presidential election have been officially scheduled for June 3, following the Constitutional Court's impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol; Candidate registration closes May 11, with campaigns starting May 12
Asia Taiwan Taiwan’s youth suicide rate has risen above the OECD average of 6,5, up from 4,5 in 2021, latest comparative report says, and mental health problems are worsening according to a National Taiwan University survey
Europe Slovakia While Slovak president condemned Russian strike on Sumy and urged to make pressure for peace, the parliament refused to sign the international document condemning Russia for those deadly attacks
Asia Iraq A sandstorm swept through Iraq, filling the air with choking dust that closed airports and put over 3.700 people in hospital with breathing difficulties; Visibility fell to less than one km in central and southern cities cloaked in an orange haze
Africa South Africa Google plans to invest $90 billion in economic output and help create 300.000 jobs in South Africa by 2030; among the fastest-growing tech giants globally, with 30% y-o-y growth, Google claims AI will bring a wave of new jobs, not just tech roles