Africa South Africa The sale of unregulated medicines is increasing in South Africa, where fake and substandard medicines are distributed through informal channels, informal outlets, online platforms, and cross-border smuggling, with people often buying unaware of fakes
Asia Palestine The city of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza held its first elections in more than 20 years, though for a small fraction of the shattered territory’s population; municipal elections also took place in the West Bank
Europe Italy Milan confirms its leadership as the regional capital with the highest average income per capita with €40.316, followed by Monza €35.628, Bergamo €34.263, Bologna €32.302 (+4,2%); Sicily closes the ranking with Palermo and the province of Ragusa, €17.770
Oceania Kiribati UNICEF Australia and Rotary are supporting the HPV vaccination campaign in Kiribati, where logistics and culture make immunization challenging; working in synergy with communities is crucial to protect girls from cervical cancer
Asia Kyrgyzstan Aside the 9th meeting of health ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan held talks with Tajikistan to deepen collaboration in the health sector; proposed activities range from digitalization to training
Asia Tajikistan The Central Asian Security Forum will be held in Dushanbe on 30 April; organized at the initiative of the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of Tajikistan, it will also focus on transregional factors influencing the region's stability
Africa Comoros 15th Indian Ocean Islands Economic Forum will take place in Moroni on 27-29 April; organizers met the press to raise awareness among economic stakeholders about the event aimed at the region's business community in order to develop joint projects
Asia Armenia The reported demolition of one more church of Armenian cult in Azerbaijan, just few days before the 111th commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, has sparked sharp condemnation from cultural heritage observers
Asia Taiwan National Health Insurance budget has been raised over $31,8 billion for the first time; with expanded budget medical workers will be paid on workload or case difficulty, hospitals will have resources to raise salaries, invest in equipment and training
Asia United Arab Emirates Residents in Abu Dhabi have been warned about a surge in fake social media accounts and messages aimed at defrauding the public and stealing personal data by promoting a range of scams: concert tickets, domestic worker recruitment, insurance products
Africa Zimbabwe 61% of a joint venture for the development of a Special Economic Zone on 1.200 hectares of state land in Victoria Falls, with services targeting tourists, has been surrendered to private company JR Goddard Private Ltd
America Chile A color image of the 'Sombrero Galaxy' has been released this week by the U.S. National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab; galaxy Messier 104 and its halo of stars had been observed four years ago by a telescope in Chile, 30 million light-years away
Asia East Timor 10th Dili International Marathon, scheduled on 8 August 2026, will be supported by Australia's National Critical Care and Trauma Response Center; the international competition has developed into a platform for community participation and health awaremness
America El Salvador Constitutional reform approved with 59 votes out of 60, with those of opposition Republican Nationalist Party, will come into force tomorrow; it includes the possibility of life sentences for homicide, violation or terrorism, including for minors above 12