Asia

After 23 years, Ghodegaun village in Jumla district celebrates the return of electricity, now powered by solar energy from nearby Pokharigaun; the village had lost power due to Maoist insurgency in 2001

Government is expanding mental health services nationwide through The PEMA Center, which offers key helpline support and early intervention programs, focusing on reducing mental health stigma and providing accessible care across the country

The city of Kolkata looks set to decommission its iconic trams, in operation since 1873 and India's oldest tram, after a lack of investment, inadequate maintenance and a sharp decline in passenger numbers led to a decline in their status in recent decades

A wave of resignations has swept the Ministry of Education, which is fighting with a wave of retirement requests, as some 2.500 employees in educational, supervisory and administrative roles seek to leave their places

The budget for 2025 will include changes to subsidies for sugar, domestically produced white rice and RON95 petrol, and will likely introduce further cuts in subsidies and new taxes to strengthen the fiscal position ahead of declining government revenues

Government is considering a large-scale demographic strategy 2024-2040, reducing population aging by 20% by 2040 compared to inertia-based forecast and promoting a balanced age distribution; planned investment is $6,5 billion, expected return $44 billion

China's total foreign trade reached 32,33 trillion yuan ($4,57 trillion) in the first three quarters of 2024; electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and photovoltaic products accounted for 4,1% of the total value

Hà Nội's local administration has launched a mass measles vaccination campaign, aiming to administer 70.000 doses to children and healthcare workers by November 15; The initiative seeks to achieve over 95% vaccination coverage for children aged 1-5

Raihana G. Ambangala, from the Mindanao region in the southern Philippines, won female second place at the International Qur'an Reading Competition in Malaysia with participants from 71 countries; the event celebrates excellence in Qur'an reading

State-owned PT PLN is supplying electricity to a 1 million-hectare food estate in Merauke, South Papua, with its Electrifying Agriculture program that aims to replace diesel-powered with electric tools for a more sustainable and productive agriculture

As of 1 October, the World Food Programme, the UN agency that provides food assistance worldwide, had to stop sending food aid to the north of the Gaza Strip due to shelling by the Israeli army

The 2024 Global Hunger Index report ranked Afghanistan 116th out of 127 countries, with a score of 30.8, whereas last year it was ranked 114th