Africa Morocco Rivalry between Morocco and Algeria has a new geopolitical battlefield in the Sahel, where they are deploying radically different strategies; the area is under geopolitical reconstruction after the vacuum left by French withdrawal and the rise of Russia
Asia Cyprus Hotel occupancy rates in Cyprus are expected at 50-55% in April, according to the president of the hoteliers association PASYKE, with about 90% of structures on the island already operational; the figure is in line with annual targets
Europe Latvia The Council of Ministers approved amendments to the Law on Military Service, which provides for the possibility of admitting foreigners into the national armed forces in the event of exceptional mobilisation or if martial law is declared in the country
Asia Malaysia Malaysia's economy is estimated to have grown 3,9% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2024, driven by growth in the services sector
Europe Liechtenstein The country placed four Israeli settlers on the sanctions list after the increase in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank
Europe France TotalEnergies generated a net profit of 19,8 billion euros in 2023, a new record after the historic 2022 result, improving 4% despite a depressed environment for gas and oil prices
Europe Denmark Based on decades of extensive data, a University of Copenhagen study has established a correlation between exposure to air pollution and elementary school pupils' grades, as children have pronounced negative effects on their brains
Oceania Fiji The retirement age for specialized expert positions has been extended from 60 to 62 by the government, seen as a strategic approach to maintaining skills and addressing professional shortages
Asia Turkey President Erdogan visited Iraq to sign security and development agreements and for more cooperation in the fight against Kurdish PKK militants in northern Iraq; Erdogan's last visit to Iraq was in 2011, when he was prime minister
Asia Kazakhstan Of the 388.400 children born in Kazakhstan last year, males accounted for 51,6% and females 48,4%, the National Bureau of Statistics reported; urban areas saw 59% of the total births, while the remaining 41% occurred in rural areas
America Costa Rica Costa Rican health authorities have intensified efforts to vaccinate children against measles, rubella, and mumps, aiming to close vaccination gaps and achieve 100% coverage, especially with over 88.000 children currently susceptible due to missing doses
Europe Luxembourg The Grand Duchy is one of nine countries in the EU with rising GDP-to-GDP ratios between the end of 2022 and the last quarter of 2023
Asia East Timor A new manganese prospect has been discovered in East Timor, with X-ray fluorescence grades as high as 27,9% manganese, by Perth-based explorer Estrella Resources
Asia Taiwan Environmental groups presented four proposals for Taiwan's carbon pricing strategy, including a carbon tax collection system to discourage and reduce greenhouse gas emissions