In response to U.S. criticism over religious freedom issues, Algeria's Minister of Religious Affairs, Youcef Belmehdi, asserted that Algeria guarantees freedom of worship within a legal context, despite closures of evangelical churches and blasphemy laws, which have led Washington to place the country on a religious freedom watchlist.

As tensions rise in the region, Israeli military actions in southern Lebanon have sparked a response from Hezbollah and diplomatic efforts from the United States to prevent further conflict, while Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati calls for stability to assist displaced people's return amid ongoing security challenges.

In Libya, a severe cash shortage has driven many citizens to rely on bank cards for transactions, despite limited infrastructure, as the country remains divided politically, with Misrata seeing an increase in electronic payment registrations amidst the turmoil from the 2011 uprising.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., Shenghua Wen, an illegal Chinese resident, was arrested for allegedly smuggling weapons to North Korea, facing charges that include attempts to send firearms and ammunition, highlighting ongoing international tensions and sanctions violations.

Simultaneously, a Yale report supported by the U.S. State Department accuses the Kremlin of forcibly relocating Ukrainian children to Russia to erase their identities, amidst war crime allegations against Russian leaders, pointing to continued international scrutiny over Russia's actions in Ukraine.

Lastly, at the One Water Summit, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman engaged with global leaders to discuss environmental sustainability and water resources, reinforcing Saudi Arabia's commitment to addressing desertification and strengthening international cooperation on water sustainability.