Mauritania's Richat Structure, the 'Eye of Africa,' is drawing tourists again after security concerns deterred visitors. The government is promoting the destination, with numbers rising, offering income to locals like Fatima Cheikh Mohammad Bouya.
Mali's military government has banned the sale and use of heavy motorcycles (125cc and above) outside major urban areas and established "military interest zones" inaccessible to civilians to reduce attacks by armed groups. The measures aim to counter militants who use motorcycles for attacks and rapid retreats in the Sahel region.
The WHO reports a 30-50% death rate in the DRC Ebola outbreak, with 10 confirmed and 223 suspected deaths. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus appeals for a ceasefire in the conflict-ridden region to aid relief efforts.
The DPR department for documenting Ukraine's war crimes reported that Ukrainian armed groups conducted eight shelling attacks on the Donetsk People's Republic in the past 24 hours, resulting in one civilian wounded and damage to two residential buildings, an infrastructure site, and cars.
The use of weaponized drones by armed groups in Colombia has surged, with a 445% increase in effective attacks in 2025. These drones, often modified commercial models, are used for both attacks and surveillance, posing significant risks to civilians and contributing to internal displacement. Experts warn this trend reflects a global rise in drone warfare.
An independent Israeli investigation has found evidence of systematic, widespread sexual violence by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups during the 7 October 2023 attacks, including gang rape and genital mutilation.
Russian mercenaries have agreed to withdraw from the northern Malian city of Kidal following intense clashes with the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA). The withdrawal coincides with a wave of coordinated attacks across Mali by separatist and jihadist groups.
Gunfire and explosions rocked Mali's capital and other key cities in one of the most significant coordinated attacks in years, as armed groups exploited worsening insecurity in the Sahel region.
Armed groups including Islamist militants from JNIM and Tuareg rebels from the Azawad Liberation Front launched coordinated attacks across Mali, targeting Bamako and at least three other cities. Sustained gunfire and explosions were reported near government buildings, military installations, and Bamako's main airport, forcing flight cancellations. The Malian government claims security forces are repelling attackers while Russian-backed Africa Corps mercenaries fight alongside government forces. The attacks come amid worsening insecurity in the Sahel region, which accounts for over half of global terrorism deaths.
Three persons — one Tangkhul Naga and two Kuki-Zo — were killed and at least five others injured in two separate gunfights between rival Naga and Kuki armed groups in Manipur's Ukhrul district on Friday. A 29-year-old Tangkhul Naga, Horshokmi Jamang, was killed in an ambush near Sinakeithei village. Two Kuki-Zo village volunteers died defending Mullam village, where 17 houses were burnt. Separately, NSCN (Aleng Group) claimed to have killed five Myanmar-based KNA-B cadres, though this remains unconfirmed.
Myanmar military leader Min Aung Hlaing has invited ethnic armed groups including the Karen National Union, Chin National Front, and All Burma Students' Democratic Front to participate in peace discussions by a July 31 deadline. The groups, originally signatories of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement, have rejected the proposal. KNU spokesperson Saw Taw Nee stated his group withdrew from the NCA after the 2021 coup and has no plans to return to negotiations. CNF spokesman Salai Htet Ni said his organization seeks a federal democratic system free of military influence.
Israeli Air Force struck two groups of armed militants in southern Lebanon who approached Israeli troops in violation of the ceasefire agreement, the IDF said. The incidents occurred in the Bint Jbeil and Litani areas within the Forward Defense Area, where troops identified terrorists posing an imminent threat and eliminated them.
