Asia Iraq Iraq's cinema industry, flourishing in the '50s, is seeing a comeback, bolstered by recent international recognition for the film “The President’s Cake”; relative stable situation in the country is helping a new generation of filmmakers drive a comeback
Asia Oman Dhofar’s Khareef high season is starting: visitors from across Oman still prevale, but neighbouring states are arriving: vehicles from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar were visible this week around several coastal and tourism areas
Asia Nepal First 5G spectrum auction is in preparation; it is expected to pave the way for commercial 5G rollout, enabling faster mobile internet expanded digital services nationwide
Asia Uzbekistan Cabinet approved a procedure for issuing permits for transplanting, shaping, and pruning of green spaces not included in the state forest fund; the resolution specifies activities are allowed after the vegetation season to 1 April of the following year
Asia Cambodia Cambodian students won the Asia-Pacific Debate Championship, triumphing on major global issues through their argumentation and rebuttal skills; The victory earns them the right to represent the whole Asia-Pacific region at the upcoming global finals
Asia Indonesia Students in Jakarta staged protests against rising fuel prices and what they described as costly government programs that burden public finances; Demonstrators argued that increasing living costs are worsening economic pressures on ordinary Indonesians
Asia Bahrain Bahrain’s gemological laboratory and research centre Danat tested over 32 million pearls and stones since establishment in 2017; the institution released 2025 Sustainability and GHG Report and Hayrat Project supporting conservation of pearl oyster beds
Asia Laos Laos has joined the East-West Rail Corridor, a transcontinental network linking Southeast Asia to Europe; The initiative is expected to facilitate trade and position Laos as a key overland transit hub connecting Asian markets with Europe
Asia Malaysia Plans for an anti-bullying tribunal have been welcomed by the Bar Council; the proposed body would provide a more accessible mechanism to address bullying cases; A dedicated tribunal would strengthen child protection and ensure quicker resolutions
Asia North Korea Roofwork, maybe more upgrades are ongoing on at least 9 of leader Kim Jong Un mansions across North Korea, according to NK Pro analysis of satellite imagery, a rare visual sign of the resources maintaining the luxurious lifestyles of Kim and his family
Asia Armenia Railway links to Turkey and Azerbaijan will be restored without Russia’s help, assessing the project from the perspective of transit, security and overall economic impact; work has begun on the Turkish side, reconstruction of Yeraskh junction will be next
Asia Bangladesh A severe nationwide measles outbreak, among the largest in the country’s history, has brought to over 92.000 suspected cases since mid-March 2026, with almost 700 deaths, the majority among children
Asia Iran A growing number of experts and scholars is advancing theories that paint a declining era for political Islam; Iran’s current travails have intensified discussion on whether a new nationalism, more national and less Islamic, is rising in the country