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 Germany Since the introduction of same-sex marriage, some 65.000 marriages have been celebrated, according to data published by Germany's national statistics office Destatis, with the highest number in 2019
Asia North Korea A group of employees and their families from Russian and Mongolian embassies in Pyongyang have left for their home countries, further reducing the total number of foreigners in North Korea while the country's borders remain closed to incoming travellers
Europe Finland The country will update its transgender legislation in the autumn; currently, a transgender person must present proof of sterilisation before they can receive legal gender recognition, but the government would like this requirement to be abolished
Asia Iraq Some 600.000 families displaced by ISIS have returned home since the group's defeat in late 2017 after security, public services and social benefits were restored, said the director general of the ministry's Directorate for Branch Affairs
Europe Kosovo A new opinion poll commissioned by UNDP and USAID and carried out in April shows that 58,4% of Kosovar citizens are satisfied with the performance of President Vjosa Osmani, 52,6% with Prime Minister Albin Kurti, and 47,2% with the government
Europe Montenegro The Montenegrin Orthodox Church, which is not canonically recognised, has declared that it wants the same rights that the government intends to grant to the largest Serbian Orthodox Church in the country, according to an agreement to be signed today
Asia Myanmar The military junta is still targeting Christian churches and institutions in predominantly Christian regions, ignoring repeated appeals by religious leaders to protect places of worship
Europe Poland Quality standards for burning coal for domestic heating have been suspended by the government; environmental groups, however, warn that the decision will cause serious damage in a country that already has the most polluted air in Europe
Africa Libya United Nations Support Mission in Libya has expressed concern over reports of coastal roads being closed by armed groups, stressing the importance of keeping them open to ensure the free movement of people and goods between cities
America Honduras In order to prepare for the Central American and Caribbean games, the government has signed an agreement with Serbia that will allow Honduran athletes to train in Serbian high performance installations along with their professional instructors
Africa Republic of the Congo The Ministry of Public Health and Population plans to vaccinate 4.500.000 people as part of a preventive vaccination campaign against yellow fever that will be launched on 30 July in eleven departments of the country
Oceania Palau US marines and sailors from Task Force Koa Moana 22 recently volunteered to work with the Palau National Police in a summer youth programme
Africa Uganda The country imposed the world's longest school closure period, 22 months, during the pandemic; statistical models predict a 2,8-year learning deficit in Uganda, a 22,5% increase in pregnancies among girls and an increase in child labour from 21% to 36%