America Cuba International investors can now build and fully own tourism facilities: to reverse the dramatic fall in tourism, authorities have eliminated the requirement for foreign groups to form a joint venture with the Cuban state to manage their tourism activities
America Bolivia Nearly two million hectares have recently been burned by wildfires in the Santa Cruz region; the Bolivian government has opened a Fire Control Center to combat over 30 active fire outbreaks
America Chile The country just announced that it will host its fourth major event of 2025, the Youth Parapan American Games, joining the FIFA U-20 World Cup, the FIBA Women's AmeriCup, and the Track Cycling World Championships
Asia Malaysia In the mangrove forest near global player Port Klang, a group of employees from China Communications Construction Company and Malaysia Rail Link worked to remove debris and plant mangrove saplings
Europe Lithuania The government plans to invest up to €1,2 billion to equip its soldiers with modern weapons and equipment over the next decade; €30 million will be spent in the period 2025-2027 on various equipment, including clothing
Oceania Vanuatu The Ministry of Health is currently facing a serious shortage, with 1.360 vacant positions out of 2.525, according to the structure approved in 2017; of the total roles, 1.165 are filled, leaving a considerable number of unfilled positions
America Jamaica The Banana Board has urged farmers to prioritise the proper use of fertilisers to aid crop recovery after periods of heavy rains, as these can wash away essential nutrients, leading to the depletion of the soil
Africa Zambia In a press note, the Zambian government announced a crackdown on the misuse of social media, invoking Sec 54 of the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act No 2/2021 adding it 'will not tolerate any form of online misconduct that threatens peace and security'
Asia Armenia A +10,4% increase in economic activity has been recorded in Jan-June 2024 compared to the same period last year, the Ministry of Economy informs; growth was recorded in all sectors of the economy and was due to a rise in both domestic and foreign demand
Asia Singapore Some cat welfare groups fear that cases of abandonment may increase, as some owners may be unwilling to bear the rising costs of microchipping their animals
America Canada New rules that ban the use of cellphones in class are taking effect at schools across Ontario opening this week; critics say they're unsure how the regulations will be enforced or how effective they will be in removing distractions from learning time
America Saint Vincent and the Grenadines A series of training workshops were conducted to provide participants with the skills and knowledge needed to create and manage their own home gardens, improving local food production, in the frame of the UBEC CERC Food Insecurity Project
Asia Saudi Arabia The Holy Makkah Municipality has launched a digital reforestation initiative that, through a platform, allows citizens to choose the tree of their choice, select the location, make payments online and have the trees planted in their name
Europe Serbia The country is unlikely to join the European Union by 2028, warned President Vučić, who expressed scepticism about the EU's willingness to admit new members before 2030