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
Asia Philippines The investigation to determine whether the New Year's Eve air traffic disruption was due to a cyber attack, conducted by the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, is expected to be complete by next week
America Costa Rica The country will begin exporting its first ever carbon neutral pineapple: it follows a specific production protocol to have a carbon footprint equivalent to zero
Europe Romania The executive approved a decision initiated by the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitisation to pay Romania's pending contribution to the European Space Agency and a part of the one of 2023
America Guatemala The state accused Colombian Defense Minister Ivan Velasquez, who led a Guatemalan anti-corruption unit, of committing illegal acts; Colombian President Gustavo Petro has rejected any arrest warrants, thus rising political tensions between the 2 countries
Europe Slovenia Slovenia's only nuclear power plant has obtained an environmental permit, a prerequisite for extending its lifespan by 20 years, until 2043; the permit was issued by the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning
Europe Monaco The Festival International du Cirque de Monte-Carlo, the world's biggest circus festival, is celebrating its 45th anniversary with a show that promises to be memorable at the iconic Big Top in Fontvieille from tomorrow 20 January to 29 January 2023
Oceania Samoa Mr and Mrs Nico and Jo Ioane are hoping to contribute to the revival of the sport of hockey in Samoa, which has taken a hiatus after 2019 like all things affected by the pandemic, involving children and adults in the country
America Uruguay National agricultural emergency has been extended for another 3 months due to drought, thus unlocking the government’s agricultural emergency plan in order to provide funds and further support to its local farmers
Asia Taiwan The Taiwan Army has announced it will soon allow reservists to voluntarily enrol in reservist training, also open to women; it will be the first time the Taiwan Army will include discharged female military personnel in its reservist training programme
Europe Denmark Some 1.382 pets were abandoned by their owners in 2022, according to Dyrenes Beskyttelse, the organisation that goes by the name Animal Protection Denmark, a number that has set a sad new record
Africa Malawi Academic activity is resuming in primary and secondary schools in Malawi's two main cities after the cholera epidemic that killed hundreds of people imposed the closure of schools and public spaces
Asia Yemen There are 81.000 patients registered with the National Oncology Centre from across the country, seeking free treatment that is increasingly limited by shrinking funds and restrictions on the flow of goods into the import-dependent country
Europe Ukraine Ukrainian soldiers have arrived in the United States to learn how to use the US Patriot air defence system