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
Asia Qatar The second phase of the summer training programme of the Qatar Media Centre of the Ministry of Culture will kick off on 1 August, with workshops, educational and recreational sessions, targeting groups aged between 8 and 16 years old
Africa Cape Verde The amount of water made available to young farmers in Casa de Meio, in the municipality of Porto Novo, Santo Antão, no longer meets their needs, as they denounced; 90 tonnes of water are made available every day for irrigating the plots
Asia Laos As of 1 August, digital platforms such as Google, Facebook and Amazon will charge a 10% value-added tax to customers in Laos, following the VAT increase from 7%
Asia Cambodia The Ministry of Environment's is developing regional nursery stations though a specific initiative that gained the support of the United Nations National Development Programme in Cambodia
Asia Mongolia Journalist Unurtsetseg Naran was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison by a court in Mongolia's capital Ulaanbaatar; according to local analysts and journalists, this represents a worrying development for the country's media
Oceania Vanuatu The Municipality of Port Vila has initiated the installation of solar street lights along the city's main street to improve the visibility, safety and comfort of residents and visitors
Europe Romania The government launched the 'Qualify Romania' campaign, encouraging all Romanian citizens with a valid US visa to apply for its renewal so that Romania can qualify for the Visa Waiver programme
Oceania Kiribati Nepal and Kiribati established diplomatic relations and the ambassadors exchanged views on various issues of common interest to strengthen bilateral cooperation in national and international fora
America Barbados The Director of the Department of Emergency Management thanked the students for participating in the Early Warning poster competition for Hurricane Awareness Month, encouraging them to be more aware of the risks
Asia Oman An emergency financing programme to support small and medium-sized enterprises during emergencies has been launched, as announced by the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority
Asia Turkmenistan The Koytendag State Nature Reserve, located in eastern Turkmenistan near the borders with Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, aims for UNESCO World Heritage status, for its breathtaking landscapes, biodiversity and dinosaur footprints
Europe Slovakia Education of talents, modernisation of health care and coping with impacts of climate change are some of the biggest challenges facing the country, according to the Governor of Central Bank of Slovakia regarding the 'Structural Challenges 2024' document
Africa Lesotho The country ratified the African Risk Capacity Treaty after the Permanent Representative to the African Union and the United Nations Commission for Africa deposited the instruments of ratification with the African Union Commission