Asia

Reports of a meeting between Tehran's envoy to the UN and Elon Musk, close adviser to President-elect Donald Trump, have been denied by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on Saturday

Arab media recently reported that over the past year Israel has killed at least 208 health workers and carried out more than 280 attacks on emergency medical facilities in Lebanon, including 66 attacks on hospitals and 220 on emergency medical services

A project to extend ID card and passport services to all atolls by the end of November next year has been unveiled by President Mohamed Muizzu

Tangled wires from utility poles in New Road and nearby areas famous among tourist have been removed by Kathmandu Metropolitan City authorities; haphazardly placed and potentially dangerous, they had long been criticised for also creating an eyesore

Bangladeshi expatriates sent about $655 million in remittances in the first nine days of November of the 2024-25 fiscal year, according to Bangladesh Bank data

Events like the Snowman Race and the rising popularity of cricket have fueled growing enthusiasm for sports; Bhutan has thus launched training programs to develop professional commentators, aiming to improve sports coverage and audience engagement

To ensure safety and privacy of both students and teachers, a new ministerial directive has been issued requiring all public and private schools to enforce measures for the confiscation and safekeeping of students' mobile phones in school premises

The Bank of Bahrain launched first bitcoin investment fund in the Gulf; the country had been proactive in establishing crypto banking regulations and confirms its attitude with the offer of a structured instrument to institutional investors

Despite ongoing efforts to curb drug trafficking and addiction, a surge in consumption is prompting authorities to take new measures, including actions that involve communities, specially as there is a clear link with a surge in domestic violence

The Malabon-Navotas Waste Workers' Association is tackling flooding prevention by educating residents on proper waste disposal, clearing blocked drains and replanting mangroves to absorb waters - essential efforts in Malabon, a city steadily sinking

In a landmark move towards ending statelessness, Thailand’s cabinet has approved an accelerated pathway to permanent residency and nationality for nearly half a million stateless people, marking one of the region’s most significant citizenship initiatives

Youth chess team returned with three medals from the 2024 FIDE World Youth Chess Championship in Brazil: Margad Munkhpurev got silver in Girls' Blitz, Tenguundalai Ganbat bronze in U14 Boys' Blitz and gold in Solving, Urangoo Gurvanbaatar got Master Title