Asia Thailand The BMA launched Sarawat Choey AI, an AI-upgraded traffic police figure to detect violations like illegal parking, helmetless riding, wrong-way driving; it records data for officer review and was first deployed near a major shopping mall in Bangkok
Asia China The World Bank, in its latest economic update on China, revised upwards - even though minimally - its economic growth forecast for 2024 to 4,9%
Asia East Timor Independent study on the development of the Greater Sunrise gas project, conducted by company Wood earlier this year confirms that developing it in East Timor waters is feasible and would be provide significant economic and social benefits
Asia Iraq One of the main ways Baghdad intends to meet its climate commitments, become self-sufficient and reduce import costs is to reduce, and utilise, gas flaring in the country, reducing it to 20% by 2025
Asia Kuwait The Cabinet approved a draft decree-law imposing a 15% tax on multinational entities operating in multiple jurisdictions, aligning with global tax regulations to curb tax evasion and ensure revenue retention, coming into force on 1 January 2025
Asia Lebanon Three students from the American University of Beirut launched a donation campaign, called 'Hope for Our Lebanon', to support displaced Lebanese families by distributing food, sanitary boxes and clothes
Asia Palestine Journalists Faisal Abu al-Qumsan, Ayman al-Jadi, Ibrahim al-Sheikh Khalil, Fadi Hassouna and Mohammed al-Lada'a were killed by the Israeli army while they were sleeping in their truck marked as "press"; over 200 registered journalists have now been killed
Asia Vietnam Phạm Duy Khanh, a 39-year-old entrepreneur in Cà Mau, manages 60 hectares of melaleuca forest to attract wild bees, blending conservation with eco-tourism and sustainable travel, offering activities like honey harvesting and fishing
Asia Laos Houaphanh Province,will recognize Tai Daeng singing and Pa Bum sauce as cultural heritage on 30 December; Tai Daeng features traditional instruments in ceremonies, while Pa Bum is a fermented fish sauce central to local cuisine
Asia Armenia The Armenian sugar market saw import volumes falling by more than half in the first half of 2024, and the supply structure shifting drastically in favour of Russian products
Asia Brunei Brunei's gross domestic product grew by 6% year-on-year in Q3 2024, driven by a 12,9% expansion in the oil and gas sector, while the non-O&G sector grew by 0,3%
Asia Iran The ban on WhatsApp and Google Play has been lifted; it was imposed over two years ago during the mass protests against the government that began in reaction to the death of Mahsa Amin
Asia Georgia The European Higher Education Quality Assurance Registry suspended the registration of the National Centre for Quality Improvement in Education of Georgia due to violations dating back to 2023