Asia Syria Germany's Ministry of Transport lifted the landing ban and normalized passenger traffic with Syria from 27 July 2026, thus opening to direct flights Düsseldorf-Damascus today 29 July, Berlin Brandenburg-Damascus and Cologne/Bonn-Aleppo on 1 August
Oceania Micronesia The former president of the Federated States of Micronesia urged US lawmakers to keep their promise to approve funds for the Compact of Free Association (Cofa), warning against China's push into the Pacific
Asia Afghanistan According to the US State Department, the country experienced a significant decrease in terrorist threats: in 2022, it did not enter the top 10 for terrorist attacks and the number of victims decreased by 88% compared to 2021, with 726 people affected
Asia Maldives Pakistan has agreed to assist the country in fulfilling President Mohamed Muizzu's commitment to plant 5 million trees, in an agreement reached on the sidelines of COP28
America Grenada A senior Grenada government minister has confirmed that all elected members of parliament, including those in opposition, will benefit from a salary of $5.000 East Caribbean dollars (€1.700) starting 1 January 2024
America Saint Vincent and the Grenadines The country returned to the top of the list of reported crimes against yachtsmen in the Caribbean; 2022 saw an overall a 19% increase, from 102 to 121 cases
Europe Romania The guarantee-return system for plastic, glass and metal packaging has come into operation, with the aim of recycling around 7 billion pieces of reusable PET plastic each year, to increase the country's current separate collection rate of around 12-13%
Asia Nepal With up to $24,5 million in funding, 'Feeding Nepal's Future' will work to simplify access to agricultural inputs and contribute to the country's overall agricultural development, USAID said
America Bahamas A bill to regulate cannabis and hemp will be brought to Parliament early next year, Attorney General Ryan Pinder said, wanting to hold another public consultation by the end of the year
Europe Malta Malta-sponsored research will measure the impact of climate change on small island states; the tool, based on the multidimensional vulnerability index, is designed to be scalable and universally applicable
Africa Seychelles The presence of blue whales in Seychelles waters was discovered during dedicated scientific investigations and scientists hope that further research on these elusive animals will be possible, said the Save Our Seas Foundation
Africa Angola The country's meteorological and geophysical systems have been modernised to provide rapid responses to populations affected by continuous natural disasters
Europe Albania At least 1.700 organised criminals from Albania are at large in the UK, British police fear; officers from the Metropolitan Police and the National Crime Agency have requested documents from the Albanian authorities on each of the suspects
America Brazil Brazil has forged a new partnership with China to promote family farming, particularly engaging with small farmers linked to Brazil's Landless Workers' Movement, marking collaborative efforts to support agricultural sustainability