Oceania Marshall Islands The fish aggregation devices FADs that fishing boats use to make catches easier, lately equipped with satellite communications gear to pinpoint location, are now being built by drug cartels that wrap packs of cocaine and radio transponders to trace troves
Asia Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah is both the 29th Yang di-Pertuan (Sultan) of Brunei and the country's Prime Minister since gaining independence from British rule in 1984; apart from Queen Elizabeth II, he is the longest-serving monarch
Africa Burkina Faso Statements by the French ambassador to Burkina Faso, Luc Hollade, have aroused such anger and controversy that some civil society organisations and political actors are calling for his departure
Asia Pakistan The country has withdrawn from the 44th Chess Olympiad to be held in Chennai, with India reacting strongly to Pakistan for opposing the passing of the torch from Kashmir
Oceania Micronesia More than $10 million has been dedicated to support the local population after Typhoon Maysak struck the North Pacific earlier this year, causing millions of dollars of damage and five deaths
Africa Niger Alkabouss Moussana, Director General of the Niger Coal Company in Anou-Araren, emphasised that the coal-fired power plant still is a resource for the country, given its potential and competitiveness
Europe Belarus The country has harvested and reached the first million tonnes of wheat, as stated by the head of the crop production department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food
Africa Guinea-Bissau The European Union has launched an €8 million programme in Bissau to help combat maternal and child mortality
Africa Madagascar European company Semlex, the Malagasy State's supplier for the manufacture of passports, has terminated its contract; the State will proceed with an international tender, according to the Council of Ministers
Africa Djibouti Italy has granted €1 million to Unicef to strengthen child protection systems, particularly on preventing and responding to violence and supporting legal and policy environment to access quality child protection and other basic social services
Africa Central African Republic A report by the Ohchr says a total of 245 women and girls suffered sexual violence from Dec 2020 to early March 2022 in the prefectures of Mbomou and Haute-Kotto; the figure is considered hugely underestimated by the ONGs working on field
Oceania Palau A new study conducted by marine scientists from the Palau International Coral Reef Center and Center Scientifique de Monaco found that (micro)plastic had polluted islands, reefs and beaches of the country
America Ecuador The town of Zaruma is suffering from the creation of enormous sinkholes caused by 1000 years of gold mining, still often ‘artisanal’
Africa Eritrea In a seminar organised with the Eritrean community and the embassy in Israel, residents expressed their conviction to strengthen organisational capacity and participation in national affairs