Asia Syria Germany's Ministry of Transport lifted the landing ban and normalized passenger traffic with Syria from 27 July 2026, thus opening to direct flights Düsseldorf-Damascus today 29 July, Berlin Brandenburg-Damascus and Cologne/Bonn-Aleppo on 1 August
Asia Yemen At a high-level conference in Geneva, international donors pledged $1,2 billion to support a humanitarian response plan to help 17,3 million people in Yemen this year
Africa Egypt The Shia mosque of Al Ḥakim bi Amr Allah, in central Cairo, has been reopened after renovations began in 2017; work on the more than 1.000-year-old building included repairing water damage and cracks in the walls
Asia Iran UN Nuclear Observatory inspectors have found uranium particles enriched to 83,7% at Iran's underground nuclear site in Fordo, according to a report seen by the Associated Press
Asia India A temple in the southern Indian state of Kerala has introduced a mechanical elephant donated by People for Ethical Treatment of Animals India and actress Parvathy Thiruvothu to perform its rituals, in a pledge to stop using live animals for celebrations
Africa Burkina Faso The prime ministers of Burkina Faso and Mali, who co-chaired a joint Mali-Burkina Faso Council of Ministers, said they had laid the foundations for a federation between the two neighbouring states 'which share common challenges'
Asia Iraq UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres arrived in Iraq for his first visit in six years as a sign of "solidarity" after a long political crisis in the country
Asia Mongolia As of 1 February, there were 131 elderly people aged 100 years or older living in Mongolia, according to the country's National Statistical Committee, of whom 114 are women
Africa Lesotho Basotho blanket, a garment that became widespread in the country from 19th century, still has a high symbolic value and is present in celebrations and rites of passage; however, its recent use in western high fashion and film has led to criticism
Asia Japan A working group within the Ministry of Justice has proposed raising the age of consent from 13 to 16, part of a wider review of Japan's sex crime laws, after several rape acquittals in 2019 sparked protests
Asia Armenia Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan received last week the delegation led by MEP François Alfonsi, co-founder of the Friendship Group with Artsakh in the European Parliament
Europe France French taxpayers may have to pay out €14,6 billion in unpaid taxes, according to the Tax Fraud Assessment for 2022, reported the Ministry of Public Accounts
Asia Taiwan The Wall Street Journal reported in the last days that the US would increases troops deployed to train Taiwan's military in support of a specific programme, speaking of quadrupled numbers of soldiers involved
Africa Mauritius A training farm in aquaponics and hydroponics as well as a solar water drip has been inaugurated at the Mauritius Prison Service in Beau Bassin to facilitate women prisoners’ transition and reintegration into the community