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 Tonga The Tonga National Under-20 Rugby Team visited the Prime Minister, Hon Hu'akavameiliku, at the St George Building, ahead of their departure for New Zealand to participate in a new age-grade competition
Oceania New Zealand Possible serious adverse effects, along with concerns about efficacy and protection period, lead to hesitation about the vaccine according to a New Zealand study by researchers at the University of Auckland prompted by low vaccination rates after COVID-19
Africa Somalia Save the Children called for greater protection of women and girls in Somalia, following the increase in sexual abuse and rape of teenage girls in recent months
Asia Turkey New regulations will be implemented to improve rights and living conditions of seasonal agricultural workers, who will be accommodated in temporary settlement areas, mainly on state-owned land, with housing, infrastructure, sanitation and security guards
Africa Mauritania The President, together with the President of Algeria, inaugurated two land border crossings after detailed presentations of their structures, of their advantages and perspectives
America Colombia Colombia has repatriated 77 pre-Hispanic artifacts from Germany, arriving in Bogotá on the presidential plane; the move is part of the government's commitment to restoring the collective and historical memory of indigenous peoples
Asia Nepal The Department of Immigration has started issuing travel permits for domestic and foreign tourists travelling to restricted zones through an online system
Europe Finland The Central Criminal Police is currently investigating a major fraud involving the misuse of social benefits provided by Kela, the Social Security Institute of Finland
Asia Taiwan The country will participate in the construction of the world's largest optical-infrared telescope together with six other countries, the National Science and Technology Council announced after signing a MoU with the Giant Magellan Telescope programme
Asia Sri Lanka Diana Gamage, Minister of State for Tourism, emphasised the critical role of nightlife in driving economic growth, citing it as the cornerstone of the night economy as it accounts for as much as 70% of revenue
Asia Thailand Thai Airways reported a rebound in profits upon increased demand for air travel; a net profit of 28,1 billion baht (US$782 million) in 2023, shows a substantial recovery from the 272 million baht loss reported the previous year
Asia Oman Many strategic road projects will be prioritised this year, including those planned to provide connectivity to important and popular tourist areas - the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology stated
Asia Jordan A total of 26.272 young men and women are members of the Kingdom's 33 licensed political parties according to the Independent Election Commission