CHINA - ASIA
Twenty-nine countries signed an agreement yesterday to establish the World Organisation for Cooperation on Artificial Intelligence, an intergovernmental body which, according to China, aims to promote international cooperation and global governance in the sector.
Representatives from the 29 countries – including Russia, Belarus, Serbia, Cuba, Brazil and Venezuela, along with 10 African and 12 Asian nations – signed the document as founding members. The organisation’s headquarters will be in Shanghai, which hosted the signing on the eve of the annual World Conference on Artificial Intelligence, at which President Xi Jinping is expected to outline an ambitious vision for Beijing’s role.
GULF
Another night of war in the skies over the Gulf: the United States has launched a wave of attacks against Iran for the sixth consecutive night, as the two sides vie for control of the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command (Centcom) said the attacks were intended to “further degrade Iranian military capabilities”. Tehran accuses the United States of striking civilian infrastructure, including bridges, a railway station and an airport. The Pasdaran (IRGC) claim to have retaliated by striking US maritime surveillance radar sites in Oman and targets in Kuwait and Bahrain. They also claim to have attacked a US special operations command centre in Syria, in retaliation for the killing of Iranian soldiers two days ago. Neither Syria nor the US has commented on the claim. Kurdish forces in Iraq are reported to have shot down eight drones over the Iraqi city of Erbil, with no casualties reported.
INDIA
At least one person died and nearly 100 were taken to hospital on 16 July following an accident that occurred during a popular chariot festival in Pur, in the state of Odisha, eastern India. Thousands of devotees had flocked to the Jagannath Temple to take part in the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra, one of the country’s most famous and revered festivals. Last year, three other people were killed in a stampede during a similar incident.
SOUTH KOREA
Naver is to revise the wording of a setting in Naver Maps that appeared to allow businesses to refuse bookings from foreign customers, as critics argue the feature could encourage discrimination. The controversy centres on Naver SmartPlace, the platform businesses use to manage bookings, payments and information. A setting designed to allow traders to decide whether to accept bookings and purchases made with credit cards issued abroad. However, the instructions displayed to users ended up asking whether bookings from ‘foreigners’ were accepted.
JAPAN
Parliament today passed a revision to the 19th-century law on the Imperial Household, reaffirming that only men can become emperors. This decision is unpopular with the public and risks further alienating public support. The amendments include the adoption of distant male relatives as future heirs and, for princesses, the possibility of retaining their royal status even after marrying commoners.
Royal observers and experts fear that the new measures could undermine the 1,500-year-old hereditary institution by insisting that only men can be emperors, at a time when the royal family is ageing and its numbers are dwindling. Emperor Naruhito’s 24-year-old daughter, Princess Aiko, is very popular and many hope she might become empress, but this cannot happen as she is a woman.
THAILAND
A total of 3,621 local government officials have had their appointments revoked after the authorities uncovered evidence linking them to a nationwide scandal involving alleged fraud relating to the civil service recruitment examination. The officials are among the 14,988 candidates appointed following the local government recruitment examinations held at the end of last year. A review of the results identified 5,814 candidates with irregular scores; the Central Committee is considering revoking the appointments of the first group of 3,621 candidates for whom there is clear evidence of wrongdoing. This decision aims to restore confidence in the recruitment process and ensure fairness for the thousands of candidates.
RUSSIA
An electronics retailer in Chechnya has begun advertising an iPhone 17 Pro rebranded as ‘Dustum’ and customised with artwork depicting leader Ramzan Kadyrov and his son, Adam Kadyrov. The luxury smartphone is marketed as an exclusive collector’s item, featuring premium finishes and a limited production run. The device features platinum plating, carbon fibre details and other high-end materials. The retailer initially priced the smartphone at 400,000 roubles (around $5,000) before lowering the price to 350,000 (US$4,500). The launch follows that of a K-13-branded energy drink, also linked to Adam Kadyrov, which appeared in the video released at the opening of the Vkusdom hypermarket in Grozny.
ARMENIA
Yerevan is proposing to establish a procedure to identify children who are victims of bullying, protect them and organise activities to support them. The government has published the relevant draft on the unified portal for the publication of draft legislation, with a view to gathering public comments. The plan is to implement “sustainable, transparent and clearly predictable prevention measures” for organisations involved in child care and protection, school and educational activities, sporting and cultural events, and much more.
