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
Africa Ghana Former Ghana star Opoku Nti has commended the Ghana Football Association for establishing the Ghana Football School, a platform to train new coaches, agents and administrators, fostering their growth and development within the football ecosystem
Asia Indonesia The country, the world's largest palm oil exporter, urged importing countries to recognise and pay the premium for sustainably produced palm oil rather than boycott the widely used oil, whose production critics say has been linked to deforestation
Africa Equatorial Guinea The official unveiling of the mascot and logo of the First National Games, called For a Lasting Peace, took place on the Paseo Marítimo de Bata
Oceania Papua New Guinea Drugs, firearms and ammunition seized last year and long due for destruction were safely disposed of in a bonfire (drugs) and at sea (arms and ammunition); the action was taken now to underline the commitment to curb criminal activities
Europe Czech Republic Prague City Hall has commissioned a new copy of the calendar of the Old Town Square astronomical clock to replace 2018 version, which came under heavy criticism because the artist modified some elements of Mánes 1866 original to give it a more modern look
Europe Estonia While Estonian banks increased interest rates on term deposit accounts almost monthly this year, the interest rate on ordinary current accounts remained firmly fixed at 0,01% in all major institutions
Asia Taiwan The legislature passed amendments to the Criminal Code increasing the penalties for crimes associated with organized fraud and human trafficking, with special focus on crime groups luring people abroad, holding them captive and forcing into illegal work
Europe Sweden Over 35.000 summer job positions, also open to international applicants, are still to be filled according to the Public Employment Service
Asia United Arab Emirates The Central Bank of the UAE imposed administrative sanctions on eight banks operating in the country following their failure to comply with the regulator’s did guidelines on not granting loans to select organisations
America Panama By increasing the quality of maintenance work on its canal, the country reportedly expects to extend its life by a century
Africa Ivory Coast Associations “Des Livres Pour Tous" and "Making Waves" have awarded the winners of the inter-school contest ”le Projet l’Afrique en conte" - “Telling Africa” in a ceremony held in Treichville, in the frame of the Abidjan International Book Fair
America Mexico The Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation has delivered 8.000 tablets to Cuba's National Office of Statistics and Information for census-related tasks, accompanied by specialists, as part of a cooperation project
America Dominican Republic A new suite hotel has been inaugurated in Casa de Campo with the presence of President Luis Abinader; the $90 million investment is expected to generate numerous direct jobs in the province and the eastern part of the country