Asia Thailand Rubella has been eliminated in Thailand as a public health threat, achieving the WHO criteria for interruption of endemic transmission; imported cases is now the key concern, especially for infections during pregnancy
Europe Romania Data on illegal logging are contradictory, said the European Parliament delegation; the mission had been requested after civil society petitions highlighting 'acts of violence by loggers against environmental activists'
America Haiti Haiti's head of diplomacy, Jean Victor Geneus, is seeking military assistance from Africa and regional partners to help deploy a multinational military force
Asia Philippines A bill to protect women and children from all forms of electronic violence, including those involved in the manipulation of technology, was passed on third and final reading by the House of Representatives
Africa Burkina Faso Over 40% of Burkinabe citizens live below the poverty line according to latest data from UNDP
Africa Ghana The first cocoa fruit juice created in the country is called Koa Natural; the new drink, launched by Swiss-Ghanaian company Kao, is made from the pulp of the cocoa fruit that was previously unused, allowing farmers additional income
Asia Palestine On 15 May, for the first time in history, the UN commemorated the nakba, the Palestinian catastrophe; President Abu Mazen recalled that there are more than a thousand resolutions on Palestinians adopted by UN that have never been implemented
Europe United Kingdom The UK's development finance institution, Investment Partnerships, plans to mobilise $40 billion by the end of 2027 for global infrastructure and economic development
Asia China After 15 years of activity, the Beijing LGBT+ Centre, one of the most important institutions against sexual and gender discrimination, closed
Europe Belarus Rumours about the serious health problems of President Aleksandr Lukašenko are spreading; first ally of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, he appeared weakened and trembling at the celebrations for the defeat of Nazism on 9 May in Moscow
Africa Chad Only 1 in 10 students have access to a textbook, according to WB report; a Chadian child completes 5,3 years of schooling, but, due to the poor quality of education, this amounts to only 2,8 years of schooling adequate for learning
Europe Andorra 53,6% of companies had difficulty filling vacancies with qualified staff in 2022; “great difficulty” was recorded in construction sector - 9 out of 10 companies lamented scarce workforce availability - followed by the hotel sector with 8 out of 10
Asia Qatar The 9th Qatar International Mental Health Conference, to be held from 25-27 May, presents the largest programme to date for all professionals interested in mental health and wellbeing
Asia North Korea A large-scale memorial event for the late military officer Hyon Chol Hae was held in the country in a ceremony described as "surprising" by analysts, with honours typically reserved exclusively for members of the Kim family