WATERLOO, CANADA The rituals of fall in the northern hemisphere now include preparing for a fresh variant of COVID-19, in addition to the annual flu season. This year, it is EG.5 (nicknamed Eris, the ancient Greek goddess of strife and discord), a subvariant of Omicron that is already prevalent in the United States, Canada and several Asian countries.
Leading economists have urged South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to reject an EU and US compromise that would provide a temporary waiver on the intellectual property rights on COVID vaccines, warning that “a bad deal is worse than no deal".
Rwanda has made major socioeconomic progress in the last 20 years, with a $1.2 billion investment into energy production and a rapidly growing population attracting the attention of foreign investors. A deep dive into the existing trademark regime shows why the country is one to watch.