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 Finland Forest owners flooded the Centres for Economic Development, Transport and Environment with applications for permanent protection under Metso, a state-funded programme for voluntary conservation in Southern Finland
Africa Gambia A toiletries factory was opened in the country for the first time and is located in Kamalo
Oceania Fiji The new forest policy will define sustainability for various categories and establish a methodology for measurement and verification; Minister of Forestry said it will ensure that resources are managed sustainably to avoid abandonment
America Cuba Several experts from UN bodies have called on the US government to lift all restrictions of the blockade against Cuba, considering the detrimental impact on the living conditions of the Cuban people
Europe Bosnia and Herzegovina A first risk-sharing framework instrument aimed at stimulating the competitiveness and business potential of BIH enterprises has been signed by Intesa Sanpaolo Banka D.D. Bosna i Hercegovina and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Africa Cameroon An alarming drop in the passing rate of the general secondary education baccalaureate is is widely reported in headlines: only 37,6% of students graduated, down from 75,73% in 2023
Asia Cyprus Preparations are underway in the Paphos district village of Lysos for the drying and production of the area’s cured figs, commonly known as ‘maxilles’, which are on the island’s Unesco list of tangible cultural heritage
Asia Maldives A mega initiative is planned to be launched in September to have only local teachers in the Maldives education system
Oceania Palau The government is struggling to manage the influx of solar energy and is asking neighbouring countries to suspend new solar projects, President Surangel Whipps said
Africa Comoros The Coordination of Comoros Pensioners held its annual congress, with Director General of the Civil Service, Omar Chehani, members of the college of wise men and more than 1.000 pensioners from all the islands
Africa Burkina Faso The start of kidney transplant operations in the country is expected by the end of 2024, said Burkina Faso's Minister of Health and Public Hygiene Robert Lucien Jean-Claude Cargougou
Asia Georgia Kutaisi has been nominated as one of the selected extraordinary destinations to visit in 2024 in the TIME magazine list
Asia East Timor East Timor deposited the instrument of accession to the 1907 Convention for the Settlement of International Disputes in the Pacific