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
America Brazil The state's federal police has raided the house of the suspended governor of Brasilia, Ibaneis Rocha, who is now under investigation for failing to prevent the storming of government buildings by supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro
Africa Senegal Almost a year before the 2024 presidential elections, at least six opposition leaders have already expressed their desire to run for the highest office
Europe Slovakia The country may hold snap elections in September; President Zuzana Čaputová has given the parties until the end of January to find a new majority or decide on a new election date
Africa Chad Hundreds of Chadian protesters told of being severely mistreated while in Koro Toro prison, detained following mass protests against the military junta in October last year
Asia Maldives The Bank of Maldives has reduced the interest rate for student loans to 5%, effective from 1 February
Africa Morocco Spanish travel and tourism magazine Viajar has named Morocco the 'best emerging sustainable destination for the year 2022-2023'
Oceania Australia The country risks being placed on a human rights blacklist for failing to comply with prison monitoring obligations under a UN anti-torture treaty
Asia Qatar The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra will present its most famous opera, 'Scheherazade', evoking 1.001 symphonic tales, at 7.30 pm on Saturday at the Opera House in the Katara Cultural Village
Africa Egypt The Egyptian Lawyers' Association has announced an "indefinite" strike to protest the jailing of six colleagues over a fight with clerks earlier this month
Africa Sudan Sudanese protesters tried to march towards Parliament on Thursday, but were intercepted by security forces who fired tear gas and water cannons at the crowd
Asia South Korea Hundreds of people had to be evacuated after a fire broke out in Guryong Village in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, the only remaining slum area in Gangnam-gu
Africa Sierra Leone The just approved Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment Act states that 30% of government and private sector jobs in the country will be reserved for women
Europe Ukraine Nobel laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk declared that "stopping arming Ukraine is like leaving a woman alone in a lift with her rapist"