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 Bosnia and Herzegovina The two entities that make up Bosnia and Herzegovina have agreed on the need to build gas interconnections with Serbia and Croatia; the Council of Ministers is expected to soon discuss the proposal to build the gas interconnection
Africa Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio recalled that his government unanimously supported a law decriminalising abortion in the country; current abortion law dates back to 1861 and it allows the procedure only if the mother's life should be at risk
Europe Serbia Serbian population continues to decrease, down to 6,83 million in 2021 from almost 6,9 million in 2020, according to estimates released by the Statistical Office; the population growth rate in 2021, compared to 2020, was negative (-9,4%)
Asia United Arab Emirates Al Ain Zoo is now home to 19 Rothschild's giraffes, classified as 'endangered' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature; part of the efforts to protect rare and endangered species, it began housing Rothschild's giraffes in 1974
Europe Germany Digital association Bitkom has called on the government to launch the '#greencard22' programme aimed at easing the emigration of IT specialists from Russia and Belarus, provided they don't pose a security risk, to combat the shortage of skilled workers
Asia Thailand Hundreds of thousands of GrabBike passengers will seek alternative transport after unregistered bike taxis will be removed from service in mid-July by order of the Department of Land Transport; tens of thousands of GrabBike drivers will be out of work
Africa Togo The number of HIV/AIDS cases has decreased and the infection rate was cut by over 50% between 2017 and 2021, according to data published by the National Council for the Fight against AIDS
Africa Ivory Coast Yesterday closed the 4th edition of the Salon des Grandes Cimaises in Abidjan, where some sixty figurative artists exhibited their works amidst training events for artists
Asia Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has named 2716 educational institutions across Bangladesh to come under the government's monthly payment order (MPO)
America Panama The country has officially criminalised the sale and import of vapes and heated tobacco products, and prohibited its use in areas that aren’t for smoking
Oceania Australia The negative impact of rising interest rates on house prices, household spending and housing investment volumes could damage consumer confidence and fuel the likelihood of a recession in Australia, analysts and economists say
Africa Tunisia Tunisian tennis player Ons Jabeur yesterday in Wimbledon became the first African player to play in the final of a Slam tournament
Oceania Micronesia A government team from the country met this week in San Francisco with their US counterparts to continue negotiations on economic assistance, federal programs and other issues related to the Compact of Free Association