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 Russia The mother of Alexei Navalny, dissident who died in jail on 16 February, has filed a lawsuit against the Russian authorities' decision not to immediately return her son's body
Asia Georgia President Zurabishvili intends to veto the amendments to the Electoral Code recently approved by the Georgian Parliament, as these amendments contradict the 9 recommendations of the Venice Commission and the EU
America Argentina The 24-hour strike led by the La Fraternidad union in Argentina, involving passenger and cargo train operators completely stopping, marks the beginning of a series of worker protests demanding salary increases amid a 254% annual inflation rate
Africa Gabon Gabonese artist and designer Eddy Heindrickx Mayombo works mainly with discarded materials like paper and cardboard and an origami-like folding technique to create his pieces, which he has exhibited in Senegal, Burkina Faso and Russia
Africa Mauritius In an attempt to alleviate the shortage of vegetables, the government is proposing measures to revitalise local production by providing financial aid to farmers whose production has been affected by cyclonic weather conditions
Asia Maldives A 24/7 mental health helpline, answering the number 1677, was launched to support people in their mental health and psychosocial wellbeing
Europe Greece Beekeepers from all over Greece gathered in the centre of Athens to protest against the problems plaguing their sector, including high production costs and unfair competition from imported honey labelled as Greek
Europe Ireland University of Galway study shows decline in well-being and high rates of self-harm among adolescents, noting that young people who have suffered adversity, such as bullying or conflict with parents, are substantially more at risk of self-harm
Europe Malta Only 32% of Maltese think that the national authorities are prepared to respond to natural disasters triggered by climate change; 44% think the EU is prepared
Europe Spain Microsoft has announced plans to increase investment in AI and cloud infrastructure in Spain, quadrupling spending over the period 2024-2025 to reach $2,1 billion, which is Microsoft's largest investment since it settled in the country 37 years ago
Asia Iraq The advisor to Iraq's National Investment Commission revealed that the country plans to produce around 12.000 megawatts of solar energy by the end of 2030
Asia Cyprus The recent controversy surrounding the removal of a book depicting families with same-sex parents from a nursery school in Cyprus has sparked a debate on the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ rights in the country’s education system
Africa South Africa The unemployment rate increased by 0,2% in the fourth quarter of last year to 32,1%, according to figures released by the National Statistics Agency, a blow to the African National Congress ahead of the May elections