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
Asia Lebanon Government has approved financing fuel imports at a rate above the official exchange rate, actually reducing critical gasoline shortages, but later increased fuel prices by 35%
Africa Botswana According to a national multidimensional analysis of deprivation overlap, sanitation is the most common form of deprivation among children in the country regardless of age group, particularly the provision of clean water and adequate sewage disposal
Europe Bosnia and Herzegovina To renovate its buildings in Sarajevo and Mostar, the federal government has earmarked BAM 12 million - around US$1.2 million - in this year's budget
America Saint Lucia Prime Minister Allen Chastanet has announced his top five commitments to the people for the next five years, including guaranteeing income and donating money to the needy with a revised vulnerability list
Europe Estonia The icebreaker Botnica set out to the Canadian Arctic to provide escort, ice and pollution monitoring services and eventual emergency aid to a mining company extracting iron ore near the port of Milne Inlet
Asia Japan The main tower of Kumamoto Castle, the samurai fortress completed in 1607 and damaged by an earthquake in 2016, has reopened to the public
Asia North Korea In the first half of 2021, Kim Jong-un has exchanged correspondence 12 times with President of Syria Assad, four times the frequency of Kim’s reported communications with China’s Xi Jinping during the same period
America Ecuador 400 producers from Pichincha and Azuay, mostly women, can now place their produce through the web platform La Cosecha del Día
Europe Sweden Prime Minister Stefan Löfven announced his resignation to avoid a snap election; after talks among all the parties involved, opposition leader Ulf Kristersson is asked to try and form a government
America Saint Vincent and the Grenadines The emergence of a fake Covid-19 vaccination card has been confirmed by Chief Education Officer Simone Keizer Beache
America Guatemala Partners, including the British Embassy, have worked with the authorities to improve observation of human rights during private security practices
Europe Austria Night trains in Vienna are returning for the first time since the pandemic impact began last year
Africa Liberia All social programs in schools, including graduation, gala day, queen pageant, parade and field trips have been suspended