When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan three years ago, one of the first policy changes was to ban public education for girls and women beyond sixth grade. In the years since, those laws have become more restrictive, and they’re enforced more stringently. One woman continues to secretly educate girls in defiance of the law, despite mounting risks and obstacles. 

The widely recognized winner of Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election, Edmundo González, was forced to flee into exile, and is now seeking asylum in Spain. Experts say his decision to leave makes it even more challenging for the opposition to reverse President Nicolás Maduro’s fraudulent victory.

The Bambir is a rock band from Gyumri, the Armenian “city of artists.” The band was founded during the Soviet Union in the late ’70s, and it’s now in its second generation. Some of the current band members are the children of those who started the band. They remain one of the most popular bands in Armenia. The Bambir’s sound is a mix of traditional Armenian folk music, rock and other genres. 

Balneário Camboriú is known as Brazil’s Dubai for the rows of skyscrapers that line the beachfront. It’s home to the three tallest buildings in Brazil. But there’s another city that Balneário Camboriú seems to be increasingly emulating: Orlando, Florida, for its theme parks.

Despite their fraught relationship, Armenia and Azerbaijan are engaged in peace talks. In Armenia, though, many people are not happy with how things are going. In the capital Yerevan, a clergyman has become the face of the Armenian opposition.