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 Eritrea Eritrea is the worst country in the world for plastic waste management according to Plastic Overshoot Day report: about 97% of plastic waste generated in the country is mismanaged
Europe Estonia University of Tartu Hospital suspects that some cases went undetected by home HPV testing conducted by Synlab Estonia in 2021, challengin the credibility of HPV at-home tests
Asia Kyrgyzstan A new kindergarten for 500 children will be created in the Vostok-5 microdistrict; this facility is currently being reconstructed
America Belize The 2023 Human Rights Report praised Belize for upholding free press principles, noting its respect for freedom of expression and the independent press, though highlighting editorial ties to political parties and some self-censorship practices
Europe Latvia The Council of Ministers approved amendments to the Law on Military Service, which provides for the possibility of admitting foreigners into the national armed forces in the event of exceptional mobilisation or if martial law is declared in the country
Europe Croatia In Adriatic's sea Croatian side 23 fan mussel are known to be alive, their status is being monitored and activities are underway to save fan mussel; Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development invited citizens to report the locations of any sightings
America Haiti 20 million from Open Society Foundation will be allocated in 4 key areas, including capacity building of human rights and women's organisations, promotion of sustainable agricultural practices to protect small farmers and rural livelihoods
Africa Sierra Leone Inhabitants of the southern provinces of Sekong and Salavan can now access empowerment programmes and basic nutritional knowledge thanks to the collaborative efforts of international organisations and the government
Africa Cape Verde The Morabezateatro group visited basic education schools in São Vicente with the show "Criança Cuidada," in an initiative to provide information about sexual abuse, ways to prevent it and seek help
America Bolivia Bolivian President Luis Arce accused foreign powers of trying to control Bolivia's natural resources, particularly lithium, by excluding the country from strategic communication route projects and not respecting historical Lithium agreements
Africa Tanzania The World Bank suspended funding for tourism development in southern Tanzania after allegations of murder, rape and forced relocation
Africa Zambia The Patriarchal Exarch of Africa, Russian Metropolitan Konstantin of Zaraisk, consecrated the foundation stone of the first Orthodox church under construction in Zambia
Asia Cyprus Hotel occupancy rates in Cyprus are expected at 50-55% in April, according to the president of the hoteliers association PASYKE, with about 90% of structures on the island already operational; the figure is in line with annual targets