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 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
Asia Vietnam 2023 brought a major breakthrough for science and technology: Vietnam had the first scientist to win the VinFuture prize and saw an explosion in AI with the country's desire to implement ChatGPT
Oceania New Zealand A dentist with a private practice in Ashburton complained that Māori still receive inadequate dental care and that the coalition government's policies on oral health care remain ambiguous
Europe Iceland Bus routes will undergo major changes in the coming months due to construction work at Hlemmur, the main bus terminal in the centre of Reykjavík
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
Asia Kyrgyzstan Reporters Without Borders called on Coalition for Media Freedom to take action against the liquidation of Kloop Media, known for its news website and journalistic investigations, after the Oktyabrsky District Court decided on 9 February to close it down
Europe Luxembourg Single and widowed parents will pay less tax from 2025 and a broader reform to eliminate higher taxes for singles than for married couples will be presented no earlier than 2026
Oceania Palau Charter flights from Macau to Palau doubled in February compared to January, with 19 flights scheduled for the Chinese New Year holiday; this is expected to bring up to 2.800 visitors from China, a boost for the island nation's tourism industry
Africa Ivory Coast The Ivory Coast won the African Cup of Nations 2023, beating Nigeria 2-1 in a comeback in the final, for the third time in its history
Europe Slovakia The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs is launching a new project in the field of nursing services, worth €100 million, to help almost 13.000 people over two years
Oceania Papua New Guinea Detective Senior Constable Hakaiwa and Constable Koma, both serving with Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary, have advanced police forensic skills in East Sepik and Morobe, thanks to the collaborative efforts of Australian High Commission in the country
Asia Nepal 321 families affected by wild elephant attacks in Jhapa district are awaiting compensation from the government after the animals caused damage to people and property in various places and at different times in the current 2023/24 fiscal year