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
Africa Ethiopia According to Unicef, the worst drought in 40 years in the Horn of Africa is reversing decades of civil progress made in combating early marriage and female genital mutilation across Ethiopia
Europe Latvia Defence Minister said the state will reinstate compulsory military service, following growing tension with neighbouring Russia; the country had revoked compulsory military service a few years after joining the Nato defence alliance
Europe Moldova According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the next census in Moldova should be conducted in 2024; a new draft law establishes that the next censuses will be conducted at regular intervals, at least once every 10 years
Europe Bosnia and Herzegovina The two entities that make up Bosnia and Herzegovina have agreed on the need to build gas interconnections with Serbia and Croatia; the Council of Ministers is expected to soon discuss the proposal to build the gas interconnection
Asia Cyprus The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has submitted its proposals for cooperation with the Republic of Cyprus on hydrocarbons, electricity, renewable energy and water to the UN
Europe Slovenia The Slovenian Commodity Reserves Agency is to buy all the wheat produced by Slovenian farmers this year to protect food stocks and stabilise prices, at the urging of farmers
America Paraguay As part of the country’s battle against corruption, the government has established a 15 year jail sentence for any corrupt government officials
Asia Sri Lanka A $55 million credit line was granted through Exim Bank of India for the purchase of approximately 65.000 tonnes of urea fertiliser under 'Neighbourhood First' programme and for financial support to the development of the Kankesanthurai port in Jaffna
America Suriname The country has made it a legal obligation for all boats to have installed surveillance devices, as a way to catch more illegal Guyanese fishing boats that enter national waters
America Panama The country has officially criminalised the sale and import of vapes and heated tobacco products, and prohibited its use in areas that aren’t for smoking
America Uruguay The government has imported millions of frozen flies, to then revive them, and release them in the wild with the aim of killing a cattle parasite that is causing losses equivalent to US$40 million a year
Oceania Australia The negative impact of rising interest rates on house prices, household spending and housing investment volumes could damage consumer confidence and fuel the likelihood of a recession in Australia, analysts and economists say
Africa Niger The International Fund for Agricultural Development has urged farmers and investors in Niger to support its Value Chain Development Programme that will end in 2024