Economist speaks on 7.5% new tax regime

Chess master, Tunde Onakoya, has embarked on a mission to surpass the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon. The event, which is currently underway at New York City's iconic Times Square, started at 10am on Wednesday, April 17, and is scheduled to end at 8pm on April 19. Onakoya is set to engage in an intense chess marathon, aiming to play for 58 hours without a single defeat.

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As elections near, India's nationalist BJP is trying to wrestle votes away from the opposition in Indian-administrated Kashmir. But standard campaign tactics might not be enough to win over Muslim voters in the region.

ing Abdullah II of Jordan defends his country's actions in shooting down Iranian missiles on Saturday, saying that Jordan's security comes above all else. Also, MPs in the UK back a new bill to ban smoking in the country, but Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faces rebellion from within the Conservative Party. Finally, Paris Saint-Germain mount a comeback to beat Barcelona and qualify for the Champions League semi-final, with one Spanish newspaper blaming the result on "suspect refereeing".

Authorities in Germany's Bavaria say they want to restrict the use of cannabis at festivals and beer gardens. Germany legalized recreational marijuana earlier this month, a move opposed by the Bavaria-based CSU.

Solomon Islanders began voting on Wednesday in a crucial election that will decide China's foothold in the Pacific region. Polling booths opened at 7 a.m. local time on Wednesday (2000 GMT on Tuesday), with almost 420,000 registered voters to elect 50 members of the national parliament. There are more than 1,000 polling stations scattered across the Solomons archipelago, 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) off Australia's coast.