QUICK HITS

1 Insect decline: Environmental groups are urging the European Union to take drastic action to protect insects, saying in a report Tuesday that more than 40% of the world’s insect species are in decline because of pesticide use and industrial farming.

2 Taiwan visit: The speaker of the Czech Republic’s Senate announced Tuesday he will visit Taiwan despite warnings from China and a recommendation from his own government that he not take the trip. Milos Vystrcil said he would be accompanied by a business delegation on his visit, which is tentatively scheduled to begin Aug. 30.

3 Tourists allowed: Spain’s Balearic Islands will allow thousands of German tourists to fly in for a two-week trial that tests how to balance the needs of Spain’s vital tourism industry with new regulations to battle the spread of the coronavirus. The trial that begins June 15 comes before the archipelago and the rest of Spain reopen to international tourism on July 1.

4 Charges dropped: Malaysian prosecutors on Tuesday dropped 46 corruption charges against a former state leader, the second high-profile graft case to be dismissed since a new government took over in March.

5 Storm continues: The remnants of Tropical Storm Cristobal moved across parts of the Midwest on Tuesday after lashing the South, unleashing downpours and bringing gusty winds as more high winds, heavy rain and thunderstorms were forecast. Heavy rain hit Missouri on Tuesday morning and Cristobal was expected to intensify later in the day as another “energetic” weather system approaches from the west and begins to interact with it, the National Weather Service said.