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 Angola Growing use of minors in gold mining in the municipalities of Jamba and Chipindo, in the central province of Huila, has been reported by the National Institute for Children
America Guyana Guyana received US$1 million from the US for Coast Guard vessel maintenance, including training for Guyanese naval personnel by the US Coast Guard
Asia Iraq The country is grappling with an extreme heat wave that exceeds 50 degrees Celsius, causing serious health problems for the population and impacting on work, agriculture and production routines
Africa Burkina Faso Last year, Burkina Faso overtook Afghanistan as the country most affected by terrorism, with almost 2.000 deaths, further demonstrating how the epicentre of global Islamist terrorism is moving from the Middle and Far East to the Sahel
America Cuba The 4th International Cuban Industry Convention and Exhibition opened its doors in Havana under the theme 'For Greater Complementarity, Integration and International Commitment to Industrial Development'
Europe Andorra Tobacco taxes will be raised by 6% aiming to reduce the differential with neighbouring countries and to curb smuggling
America Barbados An Ageospatial map developed by the governemnt will help determine the location of people across the island, identify vulnerable people and respond to their needs before and after a disaster
Africa Benin Relations with Niger have deteriorated further and Niger has stopped exporting oil to China via its pipeline on the Benin coast
Africa Ethiopia UNICEF is leading efforts to ensure education for all children in Ethiopia: according to recent estimates, around 17 million children between pre-primary, primary and secondary level are currently out of school and almost half of them are girls
Africa Comoros The national vanilla, a product once recognised on the international scene, now faces recurring problems and high price excludes Comoros from the race against established competitors
Africa Cape Verde A recent round of negotiations between the government and teachers' unions brought to light the critical need for increased funding for public education
America El Salvador Over 2.000 individuals accused of gang affiliation were transferred at the same time to El Salvador's Tecoluca mega-prison, which human rights organizations are criticizing as a "concentration camp", with the facility now holding over 12.500 gang members
Europe Bosnia and Herzegovina The black market in tobacco and tobacco products has been drastically reduced thanks to increased controls by the Indirect Tax Administration and other law enforcement agencies