Asia Mongolia A 40-metre replica of Japan’s historic Illustrated Account of the Mongol Invasions was donated to Mongolia by a Japanese collector; The replica, depicting the Yuan dynasty’s invasions of Japan in 1274 and 1281, will be housed at the Kharakhorum Museum
Asia Lebanon US envoy Tom Barrack’s visit to Lebanon opened the “window of diplomacy”; a tense atmosphere had preceded his arrival in Beirut, where he received the official Lebanese response to a three-point paper with a path leading to Hezbollah’s disarmament
Africa Republic of the Congo Congolese lawyers are closing ranks against the establishment of the Moroccan business firm Bennani & Associés, expressing concern about the violation of specific national legislation in this area
Asia Oman “Shabab Oman II” from Oman Royal Navy docked at Le Havre, France, 10th stop of its international voyage: the vessel's mission is to spread messages of love and peace, highlighting Oman’s maritime heritage and reinforcing the historical ties with France
Europe Latvia Changing the system of service pensions, said Prime Minister Evika Silina, is necessary to restore equality with other recipients of retirement pensions; the retirement pension age was raised some time ago, but the age for service pensions hasn't
Africa Liberia A National Inspector Course was conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO with 20 aviation personnel; the first in-country course aimed to build self-reliance in aviation oversight within Liberia’s Aviation Security Improvement Plan
Europe Netherlands A new maternity hotel opened in Groningen and one is due to begin operations in Hoorn; mothers stay with their newborns under professional supervision instead of receiving postnatal care at home amid a growing shortage of postnatal caregivers
Africa Namibia 45.000 tonnes of salt shipped to Nigeria is the first consignment under African Continental Free Trade Area agreement; as only the Walvis Bay Salt Company took part in the program, Namibia Trade Forum said more work is needed to fully benefit from ACFTA
Africa Eritrea The UN Human Rights Council has rejected Eritrea’s bid to shut down an independent investigation into alleged rights abuses, a move hailed as vital to preventing impunity, with 25 votes against, 18 abstentions and 4 votes in favour
Africa Cameroon A new tax on all used vehicles entering the country came into effect on 1 July that adds to the existing 19,25% VAT; the fee covers the Société Générale de Surveillance verification and the mandatory vehicle identification control
Africa Libya A humanitarian convoy of a hundred cars and volunteers en route to break Gaza's siege was welcomed in Tripoli, where locals offered food, and mistreated in Sirte, reports say: another sign of the east-west split in the administration in Libya
Africa Burundi New provincial governors have been officially appointed, thus completing a major administrative reform announced in 2022 that reduced provinces from 18 to 5 to streamline governance, reduce costs and improve public services
Europe Lithuania Construction at the Rūdninkai military training area, a €125 million contract, is 6 months ahead of schedule; Lithuanian defence officials are speeding up operations on the campus that will house part of a German brigade deployed to the country by 2027
America United States A sudden flash flood devastated Hill Country, in Central Texas; the Guadalupe River in Kerr County rose over twenty feet in just a few hours, leaving thousands of homes destroyed and resulting in the death of over a hundred people, mostly students at camp