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
Oceania Tonga Three repatriation flights from Australia, New Zealand and Fiji took place on June 29 and 30, with more than 500 passengers; more flights are scheduled for several days in July
Europe Portugal A recent discovery by a group of researchers in the Algarve has uncovered a new species of microscopic mud dragon; the marine animal serves as an indicator of the health of the ecosystem
America Saint Lucia Saint Lucia Olympic Committee recently handed over a cheque for US$5853 to the Saint Lucia National Table Tennis Association to fund national table tennis player De'Andre Calderon, who will represent Saint Lucia at the upcoming Commonwealth Games
Africa Chad The Chadian diaspora contributes to the achievement of sustainable development goals through remittances, according to the IOM, which conducted a study on a sample of over 800 households in N'Djamena
Asia Maldives Maalaa High Rising Construction signed a contract with the Ministry of Gender Affairs to build a home for 28 children in Nilandhoo
Europe Luxembourg The number of solar panels increased by almost half in Luxembourg last year, according to the national energy regulator, although overall sustainable energy production increased only slightly due to light winds
Africa Gambia More than half of girls between the ages of 0 and 14 have experienced some form of female genital mutilation, while more than one in four girls are married before they turn 18, according to figures recently released by UNICEF
Africa Madagascar The state will provide additional aid of 120 billion ariary (almost US$30 million) to Jirama, a state-owned electric utility and water services company in the country
Asia Saudi Arabia Saudia airline offers a new baggage transport service for its Hajj customers, an initiative to ensure smooth travel arrangements for visiting pilgrims and limit overcrowding and long waits at the airport during baggage and check-in procedures
Europe Croatia The material well-being of Croatian households, as measured by actual individual consumption, increased in 2021, although it is still 30% below the EU average, the Statistical Office of the European Union recently reported
Asia Tajikistan Refugees living in Tajikistan - according to UNHCR data - are mostly citizens of neighbouring Afghanistan, in transit to third countries, with numbers decreasing since 2021; there are currently no resettlement programmes in the country
Europe Belgium Many changes scheduled for this month have been implemented: from new e-scooter laws to stricter technical inspections, from Brussels’ Low Emission Zone (LEZ) fines to all retailers to offer at least one electronic payment method