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
Europe United Kingdom The coronation of King Charles III last year cost taxpayers £72 million, including £50 million for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and almost £22 million for policing costs, Government figures revealed
Asia Yemen The country fired a hypersonic missile at an Israeli airbase in the Negev, in the southern part of the occupied territories
Asia Turkmenistan In honor of the 300th anniversary of the great Turkmen poet Magtymguly Fragi, an unusual competition of artists was held in Urgench: participants created a portrait of the classic from memory after viewing the original for five minutes
Europe Ukraine According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russian leader Vladimir Putin is using Ukraine as a weapons testing ground
Europe Switzerland From January 1, 2025, it will be forbidden to cover the face in public places throughout Switzerland; violations can be fined up to CHF1.000 (about $1.143); the new law does not apply in diplomatic premises and exceptions span from art to health reasons
Asia Laos The government held a meeting in Vientiane targeting Lao diaspora and descendants of Lao heritage; officials urged them to reconnect with their ancestral homeland and explore investment opportunities to support economic growth and strengthen cultural ties
Asia Yemen According to media reports, the leader of the Yemeni resistance movement Ansarullah would have called on all Muslim nations to join forces and engage in jihad against their enemies to protect Palestine and the entire region from Israel
Europe Finland One in four men in Finland under the age of 35 believe women may be deserving of violence due to behaviour or how they dress, showed survey on men's attitude commissioned by the Coalition of Finnish Women's Associations; it called findings "alarming"
America Canada Canada Post general strike enters 2nd week, affecting most services and people, from isolated communities in the North to tens of thousands of citizens whose passports, printed and ready to be mailed before festive season, are being held by Service Canada
Africa Chad A MoU was signed with neighboring Libya aimed to enhance joint cooperation in several areas, including moving workforce, protecting the rights of workers and employers and organize the presence of Chadian labor in Libya legally
Oceania Palau A government proposed plan to allow fishing in 50% of Palau waters (now 20%) has heated a debate that is becoming one key issue dividing voters in this year’s general elections, which will take place on 5 November
Europe Portugal 70 beaches have been closed this season, 58 of which in the Centre, Tagus and West regions, according to data from Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente published following the official end of the summer season on 31 October in mainland Portugal
Asia Singapore Tailored on Asians, the Centre for Advanced Metabolic Imaging is addressing the gap in diagnostics, traditionally based on Caucasian body types; with cutting-edge technology like 320-slice CT scans, it provides more accurate heart and metabolic diagnoses