Asia Thailand Rubella has been eliminated in Thailand as a public health threat, achieving the WHO criteria for interruption of endemic transmission; imported cases is now the key concern, especially for infections during pregnancy
Africa Madagascar The technical testing of the cable car cabins for the route from Anosy to Soarano has been completed and the one with human passengers should start shortly
Africa Mali Adama Diarra, Permanent Secretary against the Proliferation of Small Arms in Mali, pointed out that the continuous influx of weapons from Libya since 2011 has exacerbated armed conflicts in the country and increased regional and national tensions
Africa Libya The UN said it was 'deeply concerned' about the allegations of human rights violations, while emphasising the 'determination and unity' of the Libyan people, whose majority expressed the need for political agreement for national elections
Europe Serbia Activists gathered in Belgrade to urge the Serbian authorities to grant legal recognition to victims of sexual violence in war, emphasising that rape is an act of genocide and a form of hatred towards women
America Canada Ottawa listed Iran Revolutionary Guards through the Criminal Code listing regime to be able to use all tools to combat the terrorist activity of the IRGC, also if perpetrated in association with other listed entities such as Hezbollah and Hamas
Europe Greece WWF Greece, with four Greek universities from November 2023 to April 2024, revealed the missed opportunities and chronic characteristics that contributed to the destructive forest fires of 2023, adding important lessons to be learnt
Africa Tanzania The first national Situation Room for emergency communications and operations was introduced in Tanzania thanks to funding from the Italian Cooperation
Asia Iran The country condemned the inclusion of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the list of terrorist organisations as 'an unwise and unconventional step, politically motivated' after Canada joined with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Sweden and the USA
Asia Thailand Thailand became the first country in Southeast Asia to legalise same-sex marriage, in a historic parliamentary vote hailed as a 'victory' by activists
Asia Japan The number of people who required assistance on Japanese mountains hit a record 3.568 cases in 2023, police remind at the start of this summer season, as climbers return to Mount Fuji and other popular peaks after the full easing of COVID-19 restrictions
Oceania New Zealand According to the latest census, there are one million New Zealand Maoris, a surprising result given that in 1890 there were 42.000 left, decimated by the arrival of settlers who increased poverty and mortality by bringing disease, war and dispossession
Europe Denmark The Danish team for Euro 2024 refused a pay rise to guarantee the women's team the same pay, after a new four-year agreement was reached with the Danish Football Association