January 4, 2008 (Friday)
- China allows academics to own patents (RSC)
- Transaven crash: A Venezuelan Let L-410 Turbolet carrying at least 14 people crashes near the Los Roques Archipelago. (Reuters)
- The 2008 Dakar Rally is cancelled due to safety concerns in Mauritania. (Jornal de Negócios)
- North Korean officials accuse the United States of not fulfilling its promise of humanitarian aid after an international disarmament agreement. (AP via CNN)
- Winter storms in California cause power outages, destruction of property and flight delays in San Francisco.
- Former Indonesian leader Suharto is taken to hospital in critical condition for anemia and low blood pressure. (BBC)