South Korea's foreign exchange reserves increased by a record $14.33 billion in August to reach $442.28 billion, according to the Bank of Korea. ^[1] The Pakistani finance ministry posted on X on Thursday that it had raised a record $3 billion from a junk bond sale. ^[2] The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects that Colombia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will reach approximately US$632.1 billion by the year 2030. ^[3] The International Monetary Fund is considering opening a local office in Venezuela to establish a permanent representation for the first time in years. ^[4] The author argues that maintaining the mutual blockade indefinitely is the most effective way for the United States to win the war, as Iran's position will weaken faster than Washington's due to Iran's oil exports being cut off. ^[5] The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has settled into a stalemate after six months, with both sides locked in a mutual blockade of oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and no clear military or diplomatic victory for either. ^[6] Foreign currency deposits at financial institutions expanded significantly due to the increased liquidity in the foreign currency market. ^[7] The Bank of Korea stated that the increase was driven by expanded inflows of current account funds from export firms, which boosted liquidity in the foreign currency market. ^[8] Pakistan sold $1.75 billion of five-year debt at a yield of 7.75% and also sold $1.25 billion of 10-year notes at a yield of 8.25%, according to Bloomberg. ^[9] The finance ministry shared a draft release on social media that included the instruction: 'Not for release, publication or distribution in, or, into, the United States, Australia, Canada or Japan.' ^[10] The sale attracted orders of almost $6 billion, and the finance ministry stated this reflects strong reform progress made under the International Monetary Fund program. ^[11] Under these projections, Colombia is expected to retain the fourth-largest economy position in Latin America, behind Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina. ^[12]