Asia China 10 United States-based companies have been added to China's export control list, government procurement barred from 50 US companies two weeks after the Pentagon blacklisted some of China’s best-known companies for alleged ties to the Chinese military
Asia Qatar The country described as 'destructive' leaked audio statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticising Qatar's efforts to mediate with Hamas as 'problematic', complicating the already difficult negotiations
Europe Austria Thousands of people took to the streets across Austria on Friday to protest against right-wing extremism and racism, inspired by similar demonstrations in neighbouring Germany
Africa Benin The 27th Chinese medical team, tasked with providing health services and exchanging medical experiences with Beninese health personnel, arrived in Cotonou; the 22-member team will work in Lokossa, in the south-west, and Natitingou, in the north-west
Asia Azerbaijan Only a month after the first UN climate summit, Azerbaijan, the next host, announced a 28-strong organising committee without a single woman; after criticism, it added 12 women to the committee
Africa Madagascar Faced with steady increase in sexual offences, the Council of Ministers has come out in favour of harsher punishments for child rapists and the government is reportedly considering new measures, including life imprisonment, chemical or surgical castration
Europe Lithuania The purchase of Leopard 2 main battle tanks from Germany has been decided at government level and the Lithuanian State Defence Council authorising the start of negotiations for an order
Africa Malawi Malaria Initiative by the US Presidency has proposed $23 million in funding to support Malawi's Malaria Operational Plan for the 2024 fiscal year
Europe Liechtenstein The municipal council of Vaduz discussed whether the Rhine dam between Obere Rüttigass and Lettstrasse should continue to be open to slow traffic with a maximum speed of 50km/h after expansion to accommodate car traffic
Africa Egypt EC Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi announced that EU is Egypt's main trading partner and accounts for 27% of total trade on the occasion of 10th meeting of Association Council between EU and Egypt, marking the 20th anniversary of the Association Agreement
America Bolivia Bolivia's Constitutional Court has barred former president Evo Morales from seeking re-election in 2025, overturning a 2019 ruling that allowed him a fourth term
America Chile Recent studies show that in 2023, Chile experienced the lowest number of births in the last decade, in a continuous decline in the birth rate
Asia Japan A Japanese court has sentenced to death Shinji Aoba, the man behind the 2019 attack on Kyoto Animation, one of Japan's most important animation studios; Aoba, now 45, set fire to the studio's headquarters, causing 36 deaths and several injuries
Asia Turkmenistan The World Trade Organisation reported that the country intends to finalise its Memorandum on Foreign Trade Regime by mid-2024; the submission of this document is one of the conditions for WTO accession