News: the UK has become the most powerful nation in the world in terms of cultural influence following the success of the London 2012 Olympics, according to Monocle magazine's annual Soft Power Survey. More about UK overtakes US as nation with strongest cultural influence
Product news: Paris designer Inga Sempé has extended her range of little round wall-mounted shelves and dishes for French brand Moustache. More about Balcon collection by Inga Sempé for Moustache
News: Swedish furniture retailer IKEA has apologised for selling products manufactured by East German political prisoners in the 1970s and 1980s. More about IKEA says sorry for using East German forced labour
Daylight funnels into this dark concrete house in Japan through two narrow light wells in the roof. More about Ryusenji House by Tomoaki Uno Architects
Dezeen promotion: lighting consultancy LightCollective has collaborated with electronics brand Philips to create a smartphone app enabling lighting designers to collect and share their inspirations, available to download and trial for free from today on Apple and Android (+ movie). More about Philips LightCollector App now available to download
This house by architects Destilat appears to climb down a hill at the foot of the Pöstlingberg mountain in Austria. More about House Y2 by Destilat
This tower with a rippling facade of faceted concrete piers is the new Berlin headquarters for French oil giant Total, designed by German architects Barkow Leibinger. More about Tour Total in Berlin by Barkow Leibinger
Can the shape, texture and colour of cutlery change the way food tastes? Design Academy Eindhoven graduate Jinhyun Jeon created this set of knobbly, bulbous and serrated cutlery to stimulate diners' full range of senses at the table (+ slideshow). More about Tableware as Sensorial Stimuli by Jinhyun Jeon
The residential buildings of Paris appear to be sailing through the sky like kites in these dream-like images created by French photographer Laurent Chéhère (+ slideshow). More about Flying Houses by Laurent Chéhère
Designers Oscar Medley-Whitfield and Harry Trimble have turned clay dug from the muddy banks of the river Thames into ceramic tableware (+ movie). More about Oscar Medley-Whitfield and Harry Trimble at Designers in Residence 2012
Architect and writer Sam Jacob wants to transform St Paul's Cathedral in London into a live map of the phases of the moon. More about Man Made Moon by Sam Jacob
British artist Jeremy Hutchison will open a pop-up shop selling useless objects at a London gallery this December. More about Erratum by Jeremy Hutchison
Here are photos of the full collection of furniture designed by actor Brad Pitt, which features a dozen pieces including a bed, tables, chairs and a marble bathtub (+ slideshow). More about Pitt-Pollaro furniture collection by Brad Pitt
Product news: this magnetic bicycle light by Danish design studio KiBiSi lights up instantly when its two halves snap together. More about iFlash One by KiBiSi
Product news: these chunky aluminium structures provide the legs for a colourful range of tables, cabinets and benches designed by Barcelona studio Lagranja Design for Spanish design brand Sistema Midi. More about Midi Colors by Lagranja Design for Sistema Midi
This week on Dezeen we've been focussing on architecture and design in China, with Hong Kong designer Michael Young telling us that China will produce as many world-class designers as Japan within 20 years but Shanghai architects Neri&Hu maintaining that "architects in China are lost". More about This week on Dezeen
We don't usually publish single photographs on Dezeen, but we really like this atmospheric shot by photographer Edmund Sumner showing London skyscraper The Shard framed by the towers of Canary Wharf in the east. More about Distant Shard View from the East by Edmund Sumner
Chinese firm MAD has today unveiled plans for a village of towering apartment blocks beside the Huangshan Mountains in eastern China (+ slideshow). More about Huangshan Mountain Village by MAD
News: Chinese architects need to develop their own design manifesto to stem the tide of "half-assed" building projects in the country, according to Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu of Shanghai studio Neri&Hu. Update: this interview is featured in Dezeen Book of Interviews, which is on sale now for £12. More about "Architects in China are lost" - Neri&Hu
Product news: Japanese designers Nendo used glass from old Coca-Cola bottles to make these bowls with dimpled bases, which are meant to resemble the classic green bottles with their tops sliced off. More about Bottleware by Nendo for Coca-Cola