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
Asia Mongolia 22 projects for the development of model cooperatives, fruit crops and beekeeping clusters will be financed, after the selection committee decided to whom loans from the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Fund will be granted
Africa Zambia The International Monetary Fund granted an additional $385 million for the Extended Credit Facility to provide financial aid to the country after a six-month drought
Europe Bulgaria The national COVID-19 control system and the unified information portal, coronavirus.bg, ceased operation on 1 July and information will now be published weekly in the epidemic situation reports
Oceania Samoa Thousands of Methodist believers, both local and foreign, gathered in the Mulivai-o-Aele church in Faleula to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Annual Methodist Church Conference
Asia North Korea The problems experienced in recent weeks by people trying to phone North Korea from various countries, including those working with the country, could be related to the security surrounding Russian leader Vladimir Putin's visit to Pyongyang
America Saint Vincent and the Grenadines The headmaster of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College revealed plans to double the number of students at the institution by 2027
Africa Ethiopia A number of plants from Ethiopia could help fight cancer, according to recent research conducted by Georgia State University and Perimeter College in the US, Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia and the Winship Cancer Center at Emory University
America Belize Belize's state of emergency to combat gang-related murders has resulted in nearly 100 arrests, allowing police to search homes without warrants and detain suspects for up to 90 days, while imposing a curfew on minors; mixed public reactions have sparked
Europe Kosovo The use of the social network TikTok has been banned by the government in state institutions, following growing global concerns over its potential vulnerability to cyber threats
Europe Norway The Norwegian authorities' decision to ban wild salmon fishing in 33 Norwegian rivers this summer has triggered concerns and complaints
Europe Lithuania The monthly minimum wage in Lithuania could exceed the €1.000 threshold before taxes in 2025, predicts the Minister of Social Security and Labour
Europe Romania A total of 350 jackals will be removed from the Danube Delta in Romania by next spring due to the damage caused to local communities, according to an announcement by representatives of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Administration
America Costa Rica President Rodrigo Chaves has fired the Minister of Culture and Youth, Nayuribe Guadamuz, and the Commissioner for Social Inclusion, Ricardo Sosa, for backing the LGBTQ+ pride march in San Jose without his authorization