Oceania Palau A historic $15 million financing agreement has been signed with Saudi Arabia, marking a shift in how Palua's National Development Bank will now operate, as the loan will be directly invested into building affordable housing
America Antigua and Barbuda The first international flights will land in Barbuda next month: the government finally received approval from the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority after a long wait
Africa South Africa Thekwini Municipality is urging pet owners to vaccinate their animals against rabies after a child died for having played with a rabid dog
Europe Austria Austrian agriculture is struggling with the effects of the severe drought of recent weeks and months: damage to agriculture caused by the drought is estimated at €150 million
America Panama Panama deported 130 Indian migrants to New Delhi under a US backed repatriation deal; these migrants entered Panama through the dangerous Darien jungle, marking the first deportation outside the Americas under the agreement
America Nicaragua 135 political prisoners from Nicaragua have been released due to US intervention, including students and religious leaders detained under President Daniel Ortega's crackdown
Oceania Australia Australia's ability to respond to an outbreak of a deadly strain of avian influenza will undergo a planned test today at national level; the country is the only continent not to have recorded any cases of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza
Europe Italy A record-breaking Paralympics saw 71 podiums for Italy, two more than those collected three years ago in Tokyo, a result beaten only in Rome in 1960; Italian expedition returns from Paris with a record number of 24 golds
Africa Rwanda Promoting literacy has emerged as a critical national goal; although significant progress has been made, challenges persist and education and culture leaders are calling for intensified efforts
Asia Bhutan 8 national chess players will represent Bhutan at the prestigious 45th Chess Olympiad, which will be held in Budapest, Hungary, from 10 to 23 September; the team is made up of students and professionals, comprising four students and four working adults
Africa Chad Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, who travelled to Beijing as part of the Sino-African Cooperation Forum, then left for Budapest to finalise a military partnership that had been under discussion for almost a year
Oceania Solomon Islands Solomon Islands signed a MoU for Humanitarian Mine Assistance with the United States; the HMA program provides assistance to civilian populations plagued by landmines, explosive remnants of war and the hazardous effects of unexploded ordinance
Asia China Super typhoon Yagi affected over 500.000 people in the southern Chinese province of Hainan; it is the strongest typhoon to hit mainland China this autumn and the fourth strongest typhoon since 1949
Europe Bulgaria From 2029, wood and coal heating will be completely banned in Sofia and the entire municipality will be designated as a low-emission zone