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
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
Africa Seychelles For this year’s golden jubilee celebrations a dedicated website has been launched; www.gov.sc/anniversary was officially unveiled during a ceremony in Praslin, coinciding with the International Day of Forests
Asia Qatar 2.610 entries have been recorded for the 12th edition of Katara Prize for Arabic Novel of the Cultural Village Foundation, the highest prize since launched in 2014; Egypt and Sudan led submissions (963), followed by Levant and Iraq (719), Maghreb (666)
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
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
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
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
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
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 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
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 Colombia A Colombian Air Force Hercules plane crashed in Puerto Leguízamo loosing altitude a few minutes after take off leaving 68 dead, two missing, 57 injured, many of whom seriously