America Canada "Lake Ontario – then, now and always” Prime Minister Carney posted, saying the name comes from the Wendat word Ontari’io, pre-dating the foundation of both Canada and the USA, who proposed Lake America as a new name following Canada's retaliatory tariffs
Europe Latvia 32% of Latvian families - almost a third - will face financial difficulties with the start of the new school year says a survey conducted by the research agency Norstat in July 2023 on 510 residents aged between 25 and 65
Oceania New Zealand Air New Zealand reported solid customer demand for the 2024 financial year after registering a large annual profit boosted by a recovery in travel and falling fuel prices, sending its shares up more than 3% in early trading
Asia Lebanon Exploratory drilling for oil and gas, organised by the country with international partners, is starting; experts warn that without structural reforms, the new marine gas field will not end country's economic malaise
Oceania Kiribati Tematong Kamarie, a volunteer with UNFPA's partner Y-PEER, runs a programme to prevent unwanted teenage pregnancies in Kiribati, in a conservative environment where many religious leaders condemn birth control
Africa Rwanda At least 23 baby mountain gorillas born in the past 12 months will be named during a naming ceremony scheduled for next month in Rwanda
Africa South Africa The 15th Brics summit involving Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa closed in Johannesburg; Brics members make up a quarter of the global economy, account for a fifth of global trade and are home to more than 40% of the world's population
America Haiti 61% of the population agreed with deploying armed forces according to a nationwide poll
Africa Ivory Coast Didier Drogba, former Chelsea striker, has been appointed as new coach of national football team, with contractual goals of winning the next 2024 and 2025 African Cups and leading the country to win the 2026 World Cup
Asia Jordan Hotel occupancy rates in the Kingdom have decreased due to high temperatures and approaching school season; reservation rate at five-star hotels from August 17-19 in Aqaba reached 87%, 61% in the Dead Sea, 62% in Amman and 40% in Petra
Europe Portugal Nationalist far-right party Chega! has tabled a bill proposing windfall tax on bank profits to finance housing support programs through a temporary solidarity grant, arguing that it would be an "effective and fair" measure
Africa Malawi A training course for artisanal and small-scale miners on the correct use of a manual to promote and support sustainable mining and environmental monitoring at community level has been conducted by the government, in collaboration with several partners
Africa Egypt Solar power stations have been installed at major museums and archaeological sites, including the Alexandria's National Museum, the Giza Plateau housing the Pyramids and the Palace of Mohamed Ali in Cairo, as part of a plan to promote sustainable tourism
Asia Iran Iran - with Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the UAE - has been invited by the BRICS group of nations to become new members of the bloc