Europe Sweden A new species has been discovered in Swedish forests, a fungus that parasitizes lichens; it has been recognized by researchers at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Europe Czech Republic Draft law on the social and legal protection of children should increase the number of foster parents, as it simplifies the assessment process for interested persons and increases the state contribution for organisations that help foster parents
Africa Burkina Faso Homosexuality will be made illegale in the country upon decision of the council of ministers of the junta; it has been legal in Burkina Faso since 1996, although homosexuals and LGBT+ activists in the country have often faced difficulties
Asia Japan Unable to get married legally in Japan, LGBTQ couples are celebrating their special bond by donning traditional kimonos and fashionable formal wear for "photo weddings"; still, these choreographed images are often kept hidden in the conservative society
Europe Denmark From 15 July in Copenhagen, tourists who travel by public transport or bicycle and take part in activities that are good for the environment will be rewarded with free meals and free entry to museums in a pilot programme called CopenPay
Asia Cambodia A series of workshops entitled 'Governance of Financial Institutions to Ensure Sustainable, Effective and Inclusive Operations' was launched to address the challenges of the banking and financial sector
Africa Zimbabwe 7,6 million Zimbabweans, almost half the population, are in need of aid given the severe drought in the country, the UN has reported; in June, the UN appealed for $429 million, but funding has been slow to materialise
Africa Benin French-Beninese citizen Kemi Seba, a well-known pan-Africanist activist in both France and West Africa, has been stripped of his French citizenship for his strongly anti-Western analyses cloaked in pan-Africanism
Africa Nigeria Google will help train 8.000 young Nigerians in creative industries through Engage Nigeria, a programme that has already trained 20.000 Nigerians in digital technology last year
Africa Ivory Coast Abidjan has given the go-ahead for the establishment of a US base in Odienné, north-west Ivory Coast, from where Sahelian jihadist groups can threaten the Gulf of Guinea countries
Europe Bulgaria The government avoided protests from pharmacies by agreeing to pay higher fees to pharmacies that provide free medicines to patients; some pharmacies in large cities had started to stop work for two hours a day
Europe Belgium June was the ninth consecutive month in which it rained more frequently than normal: according to the Royal Meteorological Institute, the federal weather forecasting agency, it has not rained so much and for so long since 1905, 119 years ago
Africa Mali The ruling military junta in Mali and the Russian state nuclear company Rosatom signed three cooperation agreements and discussed projects, including a Russian-designed low-power nuclear power plant
Africa Cape Verde The President of the Republic, José Maria Neves, denounced fake profiles in his name and that of the First Lady on the social network Facebook for attempted fraud