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
Africa Zambia Schools in Zambia reopened for the first time this year, after several five-week delays after the Christmas holidays following an ongoing cholera epidemic in the country
Europe Serbia The European Parliament called for an international investigation and the dispatch of an EU expert mission on alleged fraud in the 2023 parliamentary elections in Serbia and the Belgrade City Assembly
Europe Latvia Electronic timetables at public transport stops in Rīga have had their day and no longer display information: the public transport company Rīgas Satiksme plans to replace these screens and install new ones throughout the city
America Saint Lucia Banana production in Saint Lucia is higher than what the market demands, Minister of Agriculture Alfred Prospere announced; last year, however, the country could not meet the desired market demand of 15.000 crates per week for banana exports
Africa Libya Abdoulaye Bathily, UN Envoy to Libya, emphasised the possible role of the African Union in achieving national reconciliation based on lessons learnt from similar experiences in member states, according to the UN Support Mission in Libya
Africa Rwanda The Rwandan Ministry of Health has urged citizens to take precautionary measures, such as regular hand washing, to prevent the spread of the highly infectious 'red-eye disease'
Europe France The government announced the much requested temporary suspension of the programme it had launched in January to incentivise the use of electric cars, which allowed citizens to rent an electric car by spending between €100 and €150 per month
Europe Hungary The number of visitors to the Fiumei Street Cemetery, the Jewish Cemetery on Salgótarjáni Street and the National Mourning Park in the New Public Cemetery is increasing year by year, turning Budapest's historical cemeteries into tourist attractions
Europe Switzerland The man who took over 13 hostages on a Swiss regional train, before being shot dead by police, has been formally identified as a 32-years-old Iranian asylum seeker, who repeatedly tried to contact with a member of staff at an asylum centre
Europe Russia Moscow said it was ready to consider the African initiative to resolve the Ukrainian crisis, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's African department, Vsevolod Tkachenko, told Tass news agency in an interview
Africa Tanzania The shortage of alcohol and the consequent soaring prices have left Zanzibar in severe difficulties at the beginning of the tourist season, with expected deep consequences as the tourist season generates 90% of the archipelago's revenue
Europe Monaco The average real estate price per square metre in Monaco reached €51.418 in 2023, an increase of almost 40% in a decade
Asia Iraq A 3D-printed copy of Bull of Nimrud, built in 9th century BC and destroyed by Isis fighters in 2015, donated has been donated by Italy; previously on display at Colosseum in Rome and Unesco headquarters in Paris, it's now relocated at the of Basrah Museum