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 Somalia The country announced it had granted banking licences to two foreign institutions, Egypt's Banque Misr and Turkey's Ziraat Katilim, opening up the country to international investment for the first time in decades
Asia Singapore Most of this year's work accidents involved workers employed by small and medium-sized enterprises and experienced workers; preliminary investigations show that most accidents were caused by avoidable safety deficiencies
Europe Ireland Number of Ukrainian pupils enrolled in Irish schools has risen to 7.285, around +500 in one monthn and a larger increase is expected in September; Education Minister has stated that the capacity of the school system is generally good
Asia Kyrgyzstan The country has developed an app in 14 languages for travellers to promote tourism, an effort supported by the Department of Tourism together with SmartGuide
Europe Spain June, traditionally good in Spain for temporary employment due to the start of the summer season, generated 115.607 jobs, a figure only surpassed in the same month in 2005
Africa Sao Tome and Principe The country integrates for the first time a UN peacekeeping mission, through a police commissioner who will join the 'blue helmets' starting this month in South Sudan
Oceania Kiribati The US are providing $500.000 in humanitarian assistance in response to the drought that has affected the country due to below-normal rainfall; so far this year, some areas have experienced less than 2,3 inches of precipitation
Asia Philippines Philippine Post Corporation has partnered with UBX, a leading open financial platform in the country, to launch 'Kasama Lahat', a capacity-building project that will transform the main postal agency into a modern hub offering financial and data services
Oceania Samoa The delivery of a new Guardian Class patrol boat to Samoa, scheduled for next year by the Australian Foreign Minister, could be delayed due to the discovery of defects in the boats' engines
Asia Indonesia The Indonesian Police will create three new provincial police stations in consequence of the ratification of bills on the creation of three new provinces in Papua
Asia Saudi Arabia Women will be part of the General Car Syndicate in Makkah, an executive body that organises the transport of pilgrims through affiliated companies, for the first time since it was established nine decades ago
Africa Zimbabwe Crispen Tsavarai, CEO of the Zimbabwe Building Contractors Association, says the group has observed a significant increase in women entering the construction industry, with a big rise in the last year
Africa Democratic Republic of the Congo According to the UN, at least 27 million people in the country face food insecurity; the situation may worsen due to recent fighting between the M23 rebel group and the army in the east of the country