Asia Israel Airstrikes were launched on a Defense Ministry compound and near the presidential palace in Damascus; the action followed clashes with over 500 casualties in the region of Sweida, the heartland of Syria's Druse minority, whom Israel pledged to protect
Asia Cyprus Rules regarding swimming pools serving multiple households have been relaxed: a special category clearly differentiates obligations of pools 'for private use serving up to five residential units', recreational/competition pools and hotel/resort pools
Asia Afghanistan Approximately 18.000 carats of emeralds, worth 1,1 million USD, have been sold since the beginning of year 1404, or 20 March 2025, in five rounds of bidding for Panjshir area emeralds and new emerald mine sites were discovered in Pariyan district
Asia Singapore To strengthen protection of citizens’ genetic and genomic data a new law has been proposed by Health Minister Ong Ye Kung: it will define hereditary information clearly and regulate its use in jobs, insurance, research to ensure privacy and prevent misuse
Asia Azerbaijan Members of the Most Traveled People international travelers club, representing 15 countries, will watch the process of clearing mined areas and a controlled detonation of recovered mines as part of their visit to Karabakh and East Zangezur regions
Asia Brunei Foreign permanent residents and foreign spouses of Brunei citizens won't have free healthcare following a major policy shit effective since 1 July; thousands in Brunei are now required to have personal health insurance to cover medical expenses
Asia Kuwait The Kuwait Visa platform has been launched: it enables foreigners to apply online for four types of visitors visas to visit Kuwait, including tourist e-visa that grants access to the country for tourism and entertainment for 90 days from the date of entry
Asia Yemen Local Houthis claim they have sunk the Greek-operated, Liberia-flagged ship Eternity C in the Red Sea in their second strike after months of relative calm to express solidarity with Gaza, as the vessel was headed toward Eilat in Israel
Asia Pakistan Maulana Khan Zeb, a noted peace advocate and member of the Awami National Party, was assassinated on July 10 while campaigning in Bajaur, sparking national mourning and condemnation
Asia North Korea Leader Kim Jong-un paid tribute to North Korean troops killed in Russia’s war against Ukraine during an event broadcast on state TV
Asia Nepal Nepali Congress reignited debate on restoring the country’s Hindu state status; Some leaders called for amending the secular constitution to reflect cultural identity, sparking internal divisions ahead of upcoming elections
Asia Syria Prospects and plans to deepen cooperation in the education sector have been discussed by Syrian Minister of Education with the Head of EU delegation; the initiative is a part of wider reconstruction efforts
Asia Japan For the first time since 2016, a typhoon made landfall on Hokkaido coast; Typhoon Nari crossed near Cape Erimo before weakening to a storm according to the Japan Meteorological Agency