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 Malaysia Malaysia's economy is estimated to have grown 3,9% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2024, driven by growth in the services sector
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
Africa Tanzania The World Bank suspended funding for tourism development in southern Tanzania after allegations of murder, rape and forced relocation
Europe Luxembourg The Grand Duchy is one of nine countries in the EU with rising GDP-to-GDP ratios between the end of 2022 and the last quarter of 2023
America Jamaica 20 young people were honored with the Prime Minister's National Youth Excellence Awards 2023 for their achievements in various fields such as sports, agriculture, arts and culture, leadership, journalism/social media influencers and entrepreneurship
America Costa Rica Costa Rican health authorities have intensified efforts to vaccinate children against measles, rubella, and mumps, aiming to close vaccination gaps and achieve 100% coverage, especially with over 88.000 children currently susceptible due to missing doses
Asia Turkey President Erdogan visited Iraq to sign security and development agreements and for more cooperation in the fight against Kurdish PKK militants in northern Iraq; Erdogan's last visit to Iraq was in 2011, when he was prime minister
Europe Denmark Based on decades of extensive data, a University of Copenhagen study has established a correlation between exposure to air pollution and elementary school pupils' grades, as children have pronounced negative effects on their brains
America Cuba FAO and EU will help strengthen the capacity of institutions and companies involved in seed production and certification in Cuba through a project implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture in 8 municipalities aimed at increasing local production
America Ecuador Ecuador has approved a referendum to enhance security measures against organized crime, proposing military street patrols, criminal extradition, and increased prison terms
America Colombia Tens of thousands of Colombians protested in multiple cities against President Gustavo Petro's proposed reforms; protesters are concerned about the health reform aimed at decreasing power from insurers and expanding access to public healthcare
Asia Taiwan Environmental groups presented four proposals for Taiwan's carbon pricing strategy, including a carbon tax collection system to discourage and reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Europe Iceland Iceland's Minister of Health will meet with the president of the Icelandic Association of Family Physicians to discuss doctors' criticism of excessive bureaucracy that reduces their time with patients