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
Oceania Samoa The deputy leader of the Human Rights Protection Party, Lauofo Fonote Pierre, has been declared leader of the opposition in Parliament
Europe North Macedonia Bulgaria has returned its ambassador to Skopje after tensions with North Macedonia escalated over the past three weeks
Asia Indonesia Several Indonesian residents have filed a legal complaint in a Swiss court against the world's leading cement producer, Holcim, which they claim is doing 'too little' to reduce carbon dioxide emissions
Africa Seychelles Airtel Seychelles celebrated its 25th anniversary by unveiling its silver jubilee logo and motto for the year: 'Young, Smart and Strong'
Europe Finland 2 pandas that China loaned to Finland 5 years ago could have a major impact on trade relations if Helsinki does not find the funds to maintain them, since the pandemic has dashed all hopes of the expensive animals becoming lucrative tourist attractions
Africa Morocco Cultivating, producing, processing and exporting cannabis for medical purposes will now also be possible in Morocco, which is taking starting steps in this industry with the first ten authorisations for production, processing and marketing
Europe Belgium The Tihange 2 nuclear reactor - the second largest of the three reactors in Tihange - has been shut down for good after 40 years of operation, making it the second nuclear reactor to be shut down in the country
Asia Cambodia Mine clearance experts from the Mine-Free Cambodia 2025 Foundation are preparing to carry out operations in various provinces after plans were approved by the national authorities to use Cambodian-trained mine-sniffing dogs
Africa Democratic Republic of the Congo The authorities have declared 1 February a public holiday in the capital Kinshasa, a decision aimed at allowing Catholic citizens to attend a mass presided over by Pope Francis at Ndolo airport
Africa Namibia The number of rhinos poached in Namibia last year was the highest ever recorded in the country and almost double than previous year: a total of 87 rhinos were killed in 2022 compared to 45 in 2021, according to government figures
Africa Cameroon Shakiro, a Cameroonian transgender woman persecuted by the Cameroonian justice system and victim of aggression, has been granted protection in Belgium, where she has arrived
Europe Netherlands The government needs to be more transparent about how the billions of euro in funds allocated to combating climate change will be used, states the Court of Auditors in a letter to the parliament
Africa Ghana International attention is gathering around the works of Michael Tetteh, professional glassblower and pioneer artist in Ghana, who makes his colourful glass artworks using scrap metal, glass, TV screens, bottles and other waste