America Venezuela Nonstop commercial flight between Venezuela and the United States resumed seven years after the US Homeland Security Department ordered an indefinite suspension citing security concerns; Flight AA3599, operated by Envoy Air, landed in Caracas from Miami
America Costa Rica A court in Costa Rica has blocked an increase in visitor quotas at Corcovado National Park, ruling the measure lacked scientific backing and violated environmental protections for one of the world's most biodiverse areas
Asia Bhutan The King of Bhutan paid a historic first state visit to Vietnam, a milestone in the countries' relationship since diplomatic relations were established in 2012; The visit aims to enhance cooperation in various sectors, including trade and tourism
Asia Laos Mimee Phommaly, a 27-year-old woman with a degree in agriculture, is transforming in Luang Prabang farming: her Khamphet Farm cultivates over 25 types of fruit, actively challenging gender stereotypes in farming and empowering community by providing jobs
Asia Indonesia 80th Independence Day was celebrated with nationwide festivities on 17 August; the grand ceremony in Jakarta, led by President Prabowo, with a historic flag parade, cultural performances and fireworks, marked the milestone with massive public celebration
Africa Guinea The liquidity crisis affecting the Guinean banking sector has hit electronic money agents too; struggling to meet the growing demand for withdrawals, while facing scarce deposits, is worryingly eroding their margins
Asia Brunei A surge in ‘Macau Scam’ cases with impersonation of bank and police officers is causing public distress: Cyber Crime Investigation Division warned citizens, saying it typically begins with phone calls signaling suspicious transactions on victim’s account
America Chile A man with Down syndrome, Sebastián Solorza, has launched a historic bid to run as an independent presidential candidate in Chile, aiming to collect 35.000 signatures to promote inclusion and challenge political polarization
Asia Saudi Arabia Saudi Regional Cloud Seeding Program aims to implement operations in six main regions: Riyadh, Qassim, Hail, Makkah, Al-Baha, Asir and gradually cover all regions following climate studies and rainfall distribution, according to an Al-Arabiya.net report
Asia Qatar 800 new university students were welcomed for the start of the new academic year; now part of Qatar Foundation’s unique ecosystem of education, they have been encouraged to embrace the spirit of giving back, serving their communities
Europe Netherlands Cybercrime group Nova, hacking on the Dutch laboratory that handles population screenings, is threatening to publish more medical data after having leaked data of nearly half a million women who participated in the cervical cancer screening
America Bolivia Amid a deep economic crisis, over US$3 billion have been raised by Bolivia through buying locally mined gold and selling it abroad to meet debt payments and support fuel imports
Asia Palestine People from Gaza, including young children with serious conditions, will be denied entry to the US, a key pathway for medical care: the US administration stopped approving visitor visas after a lobbying campaign called incoming flights a national threat
Europe Austria Airbnb has been providing data to the city of Graz, including the identity of the landlords, in response to growing opposition by many cities to short-term apartment rentals; Graz is demanding accommodation fees from landlords and will impose fines soon