- Jul 13
Paris–Berlin night train arrives in Hamburg for the first time as European Sleeper extends its cross-border route
The overnight rail link between the French and German capitals added its first and only German intermediate stop in Hamburg on Sunday morning, strengthening cross-border sleeper connections through Belgium.
- Jul 10
France lifts storm alert after tornado-like winds leave 53,000 without power and extensive damage across centre and east
A mini-tornado toppled two lorries on the A72 near Saint-Étienne, hail ignited a house fire in Haute-Savoie and a road worker was seriously hurt, as the most intense thunderstorm episode of the year swept France on 16 July. The orange vigilance was lifted early on 17 July while the heatwave receded to the south-east.
- Jul 7
Ebola death toll in DR Congo passes 500 as health workers threaten strike
The Bundibugyo strain, for which no vaccine exists, has killed 506 people out of 1,561 confirmed cases since the outbreak was declared on 15 May. Frontline health workers in Ituri province have threatened to strike over unpaid wages and poor conditions.
- Jul 1
EU imposes €3 customs levy on all low-value online imports from non-EU countries
From 1 July, the European Union applies a €3 customs duty per product category to all low-value e-commerce packages arriving from outside the bloc, ending decades of duty-free entry for orders under €150 and targeting fast-fashion platforms like Shein, Temu and AliExpress.
