America Haiti Parties and civil society groups signed “National Pact for Stability and the Organization of Elections” backing PM Alix Didier Fils-Aimé as only head of the executive power; for supporters a step toward elections, for critics it lacks an end date
Africa Mauritania A four-day awareness caravan was organized in Aleg on the role of women’s mediation in resolving social disputes; specialized presentations will be offered on communication and advocacy, as well as how to promote and protect the rights of women and girls
America Brazil A US$5,6 billion aid package for exporters affected by trade disruptions has been announced: it includes credit lines, direct aid, tax reliefs, and government purchases to stabilize the sector
Asia North Korea A Chinese website dedicated to DPRK investment opportunities published a list of NK export products with items like textiles, machinery and cars that violate UN sanctions but it’s unclear if shipments have actually occurred
Africa Togo Africa’s second-leading exporter of organic products to the EU, is urging stakeholders, especially those working with soya, pineapple, other key crops, to enhance practices and meet new certification standards set by EU and US Department of Agriculture
Africa Namibia From tomorrow 18 August Windhoek will phase out cash and outdated cards used for its bus service; passengers have been able to verify and transfer balances from their old smartcards to the new cashless system until yesterday
Europe Iceland A man involved in what is thought to be Iceland’s first bank robbery walked into a police station and confessed to the crime, police posted on Facebook; the robbery took place in 1975 and was relatively small in scale compared to later bank robberies
America Saint Lucia To improve support for citizens during difficult times, the National Insurance Corporation is developing a plan for an unemployment insurance program that will provide temporary financial relief to people who become involuntarily unemployed
America Barbados A major agreement to build a coconut processing plant was signed with India, part of Barbados' plan to industrialize and expand its agro-processing sector; Export Barbados said it will create full value chains for coconut products with Indian technology
Europe Kosovo Liberation Army veterans, citizens and other organizations held a protest in Pristina against the Hague-based Kosovo Specialist Chambers, accusing it of bias, namely of 'doing an injustice to the people [of Kosovo] who were persecuted by Serbia'
Asia Kazakhstan A new nationwide coordination body has been set up to unite state agencies in the fight against drug addiction and drug-related crimes; it will focus on developing comprehensive prevention measures, improving treatment and rehabilitation programs
Europe Albania Draft of a new Penal Code has sparked critics among politicians, legal community, civil society, international observers; critics say it contains authoritarian-style restrictions on free speech while reducing sentences for corruption for senior officials
Europe Denmark Copenhagen Municipality will keep its job centres open as one of the pillars of its employment service, despite the national reform that removed the requirement, encouraging their closure
Asia Cyprus A Turkish Cypriot has been diagnosed with mad cow disease, prompting the north’s veterinarians’ association to demand urgent biosecurity measures, pointing out that in southern Cyprus, eradication and surveillance are implemented following EU regulations