Asia Israel The Knesset has passed a media overhaul law giving government greater regulatory control; PM Netanyahu attended the debate, skipping the vote; the news has been released by a number of online media in the late hours of 16 July
Africa Ghana The country is evaluating the bids of five companies for the construction of what would be its first nuclear power plant; among the reasons for the choice, industrialisation ambitions, fuel constraints, limited resources, climatic conditions
Asia Kyrgyzstan To control the activities of mining companies, the Kyrgyz State Committee for National Security initiated the creation of the state enterprise Jalal-Abad ken Bailyktary
Africa Burundi CIVICUS and independent Burundian civil society organisations welcomed the important work of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Burundi, which shows that civic space remains difficult for CSOs and journalists
Asia East Timor President Jose Ramos Horta acknowledged Cuba's medical support to his country and the training of health professionals; out of all 1.300 doctors in East Timor, over a thousand were trained by Cuban professors
America Grenada As of 1 July 2024, Grenadian citizens can benefit from a passport extended to 10 years instead of 5 by paying a new fee; passports for those under the age of 18 will retain their five-year validity period, recognising the rapid changes in their appearance
America Paraguay Senator Salyn Buzarquis accused high-ranking officials at the National Electricity Administration ANDE of accepting up to $500.000 monthly in bribes from illegal Bitcoin mining farms, demanding the resignation or questioning of ANDE's president
America Saint Lucia Hurricane Beryl's fury in the Caribbean caused $XCD7 million (US$2.590.000) in damage to agriculture in St Lucia; banana and plantain sectors were the hardest hit, highlighting the urgent need for immediate support
Africa Algeria Algeria signed with Italy a 420 million euro agreement to increase wheat production and strengthen food security in Africa's largest nation
Oceania New Zealand Immigration policies have been revised to improve opportunities for partners of international students enrolled in specific higher education programmes to obtain work visas
America Mexico As Hurricane Beryl approaches, the Mexican government has begun evacuating sea turtle eggs from beaches near Cancun, moving them to safer spots and creating sand-bag barriers to protect nests against the expected storm surge
Europe Belarus A total of 111.504 foreign citizens have visited Belarus without a visa since 1 January 2024; the most frequent origins were Lithuania, Latvia and Poland
America Cuba Cuban passengers traveling to Nicaragua will now need a visitor visa due to the recent high influx of Cuban migrants, causing frustration among travelers who now face uncertainties and additional costs
Asia Bangladesh 9.500 flood-affected families in four districts - Gaibandha, Kurigram, Sirajganj and Jamalpur - received cash aid from the United Nations Population Fund