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
Europe Austria The Austrian human rights organisation Südwind, in cooperation with the environmental organisation GLOBAL 2000 and the German Romero Initiative, conducted a survey of 63 quality labels and initiatives in the food and clothing sector
Asia Iraq Iraq's official media regulator has ordered all media and social media companies operating in the state not to use the term "homosexuality" and instead say "sexual deviance"
America Argentina Argentina and China have strengthened their scientific cooperation, discussing projects like the Sustainable Food Innovation Center, Youth Scientist Exchange, and signed an agreement for future collaboration
Asia Iran Executions for political reasons are increasing at a fast pace, according to the Centre for Human Rights in Iran, which reports 17 executions in the last 10 months, adding that they were mostly young people with 'blatantly illegal' prosecution
Asia Nepal A daily meal programme is underway in 251 community schools in Bajura with financial support from the World Food Programme and non-governmental organisations Mercy Corps and Gift Nepal
Oceania New Zealand Pak'nSave supermarkets used artificial intelligence to create recipes and suggest to consumers how to avoid waste, but the app recommended recipes containing toxic products
Europe Belarus Nearly 60% of the cultivated area of cereals and pulses has been harvested, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food
Africa Ivory Coast Open information days called 'Destination Manitoba' on how to immigrate and work legally in Canada will be held from 17 to 19 August in Cocody (Abidjan), given Canada's demand for legal migrants
Europe Spain A Spanish court has refused to consider former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont's appeal against an arrest warrant issued against him, complicating Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's attempt to remain in office
America Antigua and Barbuda Senator Dwayne George made his first official appearance and delivered his first address to the Upper House Parliament, which debated an amendment to the Registered Land Act
Europe Belgium Nine life-size wooden elephants, designed by South African artist Andries Botha, took over Brussels' Grand Place as part of the Flowertime festival, which opened in the capital on Friday 11 August
Africa Sudan Without emergency visas granted by the Sudanese authorities, Médecins Sans Frontières may soon be forced to withdraw its support for the Turkish hospital in the capital Khartoum after visa applications have been pending for eight weeks
Europe United Kingdom For the first time in the UK, a drone recently acted as a postman in Orkney, an archipelago of 70 islands sixteen kilometres off the north coast of Scotland, a remote and inaccessible place for postmen to reach