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 Belgium Brussels announced a €6,3 million budget to renovate the Jewish Museum and Forest Abbey; the works at Forest Abbey aim to renew and strengthen its role as a cultural centre by uniting several cultural institutions
America Costa Rica Costa Rica has reported its first case of screwworm infection in the Altamira de Pavones area, triggering investigations and the implementation of an action protocol by the Ministry of Health and SENASA to address and contain potential outbreaks
America Colombia President Gustavo Petro has announced the suspension of arms purchases from Israel, condemning the deaths in Gaza as "genocide" after Palestinians allegedly claimed Israeli soldiers shot people seeking food
Africa Algeria The country plans to invest around $50 billion in hydrocarbon projects over the next four years, as part of a plan to expand oil and gas supply capacity
America Chile A foundation in Chile, dedicated to locating children adopted irregularly and taken abroad during the dictatorship of Pinochet, has initiated a new search campaign using AI to reunite families affected by forced adoptions during the regime
Africa Nigeria The authorities have tightened security measures for food warehouses after recent attacks to loot food
Asia North Korea The Asian Football Confederation sent a team of inspectors to North Korea this week, ahead of a World Cup qualifying match between the DPRK and Japan's men's football team in Pyongyang later this month
Europe Portugal Credit rating agency Fitch upgraded the risk rating for the Portuguese Republic’s debt to "A-", with a stable outlook, placing the country on the "A" grading scale for the first time since 2011
Europe Ireland Two referendum will be held on 8 March to amend the constitution on the themes of marriage as fundament of the family and on the role of women in the family; proposed texts would bring the basic principles - fully respected - closer to 'real life'
Africa Chad In a rather exceptional meteorological phenomenon, it snowed in the village of Tarsus, in the Tibesti region in the far north of Chad, on the border with Libya, a region generally known for its torrid heat
America Antigua and Barbuda The country will not participate in Full Free Movement of Caricom Nationals, as the government argues that full freedom of movement is too demanding for the country at this time
Africa Egypt Egyptian mezzo-soprano Farrah el-Dibany received the 'Arab Woman of the Year' award for 2024 from the London Arabia Organisation for her work in cultural exchange