Africa Ethiopia Drivers in Ethiopia face a fuel crisis due to disruptions from the Iran war driving a booming black market; Diesel prices reach 300–500 birr (5-9 $) per liter with illegal resale networks and long queues straining transport and businesses
Asia Mongolia Russian President Putin was welcomed in the country, which ignored calls to arrest him on the basis of an international arrest warrant, despite Ukraine's urging; the European Union expressed concern that Mongolia would not execute the arrest warrant
Europe Albania A draft audit on the functioning of the Bank of Albania found that the central bank printed money to finance the purchase of an iconic Tirana hotel and other expenses
Oceania Tuvalu Emphasising the existential threat that climate change poses to Pacific nations such as Tuvalu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paulson Panapa, called for urgent investment and action to launch the Pacific Resilience Facility
Europe Latvia Attempts to disrupt the functioning of Latvian websites continue, and last week there was another wave of attacks, which, however, in most cases only succeeded in slowing down the functioning of various pages, not blocking them completely
America Saint Vincent and the Grenadines A series of training workshops were conducted to provide participants with the skills and knowledge needed to create and manage their own home gardens, improving local food production, in the frame of the UBEC CERC Food Insecurity Project
America Colombia Truck drivers protested in Bogotá and other cities against the government's decision to increase diesel prices, which had been frozen for 4 years, warning that the price hike will raise costs, passenger transport fares, and food prices
Africa Zambia In a press note, the Zambian government announced a crackdown on the misuse of social media, invoking Sec 54 of the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act No 2/2021 adding it 'will not tolerate any form of online misconduct that threatens peace and security'
Europe Lithuania The government plans to invest up to €1,2 billion to equip its soldiers with modern weapons and equipment over the next decade; €30 million will be spent in the period 2025-2027 on various equipment, including clothing
America Bolivia Nearly two million hectares have recently been burned by wildfires in the Santa Cruz region; the Bolivian government has opened a Fire Control Center to combat over 30 active fire outbreaks
Europe Serbia The country is unlikely to join the European Union by 2028, warned President Vučić, who expressed scepticism about the EU's willingness to admit new members before 2030
Asia Kuwait Kuwaitis now make up 31,7% of the total population, with seven out of ten people being expatriates, reveal the latest demographic statistics from the Public Authority for Civilian Information
America Jamaica The Banana Board has urged farmers to prioritise the proper use of fertilisers to aid crop recovery after periods of heavy rains, as these can wash away essential nutrients, leading to the depletion of the soil
Asia Armenia A +10,4% increase in economic activity has been recorded in Jan-June 2024 compared to the same period last year, the Ministry of Economy informs; growth was recorded in all sectors of the economy and was due to a rise in both domestic and foreign demand