Asia Laos About $12 million in digital taxes from global technology companies have been collected under new law: foreign providers of online services must register with Lao tax authorities regardless of whether they have a physical presence in the country
Asia Tajikistan Three new drinking water supply systems and three school latrines have been officially handed over by USAID and AKF to the authorities in Qubodiyon district, providing uninterrupted access to clean water to over 10.000 people
Africa Djibouti The 11th African Union retreat on industrialisation and economic diversification was chaired by the Djibouti Minister of Economy and Finance with responsibility for Industry
Africa Eritrea Cultural programmes to mark the 32nd anniversary of Independence Day began with songs and dramas illustrating the resilience and development path of the Eritrean people
Asia Brunei The country has ratified the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), five years after signing the wide-ranging trade agreement, which covers a free trade area worth $13,5 trillion
Asia Turkey The Ministry of Culture and Tourism intends to complete work on all cultural structures damaged by the 6 February earthquake within three years, a senior official said
America Bahamas The Long Island community has honoured the memory of the nation builder, community leader, war hero, Joseph Benjamin Carroll, by officially naming a road in his honour, which from King's Highway is now Joseph B. Carroll Highway
Oceania Vanuatu Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau said he is confident of defeating the no-confidence motion against him, scheduled for Friday, 19 May 2023
America Peru The country has begun selling advanced drones to Ukraine for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance purposes, a sale that raised questions about China's approval, given its relations with Russia
Europe Bosnia and Herzegovina Heavy rainfall over the past few days has raised the water level of Una and Unac to over 6 metres in some places and the rivers have overflowed, with flooded land, houses in danger and part of the population evacuated
Oceania Fiji Four Fijian political parties have been suspended with immediate effect for 30 days for violating the Political Parties Act 2013 by failing to provide their accounts within the prescribed time limit
America Guatemala Local newspaper El Periódico has closed amid judicial attacks on its staff, facing charges against its founder and president; press freedom organizations have condemned the closure as a setback for democracy
Africa Chad Chadian Transition President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno announced new pardons, 11 men accused of coup d'état and 77 people arrested after the October 2022 protests
Africa Gabon Striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has announced his return to the Gabonese national team a year after retiring from international football, citing the influence of the country's president Ali Bongo Ondimba in his decision to return