Asia Laos New rules for intellectual property protection wereintroduced, allowing businesses to protect industrial designs internationally through a single application under the Hague System; It simplifies registration and administrative procedures, reducing costs
Europe Portugal Teachers, parents and students held protests over Portugal national exam system; 50.000 teachers had been rallying in May asking for just pay and Minister's resignation, now students and parents joined to change the allegedly unfair examination system
Africa Eritrea The document produced in 3rd Congress of the Eritrean Afar National Congress is deemed a most ambitious resolutions for Eritrean nationality movements; despite its vision, impeccable structure and clarity, experts fear it won't be enough for durable peace
Europe Romania The Danube reached the lowest historical flow in 20 years with 1750 cubic meters/s, with a downward trend for the next 4-5 days to 1700 according to National Waters Administration; lowest flow was recorded in 1985 at 1400 m3/sec at the entrance to Romania
America Mexico Since may, relatives of the 135.000 and over missing people, known as desaparecidos, led protests in front of a number of Mexican stadiums to enhance awareness of the phenomenon
Europe Montenegro Lavish rewards have been established for crime whistleblowers; experts say the offer of up to one million euros for reporting wanted criminals won't be enough without changing current culture, sharing values and making those who act feel safe
Europe Lithuania The shortage of skilled workers in the agriculture sector has made job vacancies increasingly filled by foreigners; Employment Service reports that in the first half of 2026 658 employers registered in a total of 2.800 vacant jobs
Africa Ethiopia Over 4.000 participants gathered in Addis Ababa for the final conference of Ethiopia’s National Dialogue; The forum at the Addis International Convention Center is scheduled for several weeks, follows input collection by ND Commission since 2021
Africa Mauritius Price pressures intensified in the second quarter of 2026, primarily due to rising energy, transport; Consumer Price Index rose by 2,4% increase over three months, Mauritius Statistics revealed
Africa Senegal Finning, the practice of removing fins and casting the rest of the shark overboard, largely prohibited across regulatory zones, countries and international conventions, has found a hotspot in Dakar, according report by NGO Environmental Justice Foundation
Asia Palestine About 25.000 purebreds are registered today through the Israel Arab Horse Society, compared to around 20 in the 1970s: horse culture still works as an element of cohesion and spreads despite scarce land remaining in the West Bank
America Grenada Cuban doctors working at Grenada's General Hospital have been offered special contracts in an effort to keep them on the job and to address allegations from the US that Havana is using them to earn foreign currency, as 10 countries caved into the pressure
America Ecuador The first steps in the selection process for the architectural proposal of the new National Museum MuNa have been made; it is envisioned as a new cultural landmark for the country
Africa Niger The first ordinary session of the Consultative Council for the Refoundation CCR for the year 2026 has been convened for today 17 July following a decree signed on 15 July by the President, Head of State, General Abdourahamane Tiani