Asia Kazakhstan Over 530 million cubic metres of water were supplied by Kyrgyzstan during the irrigation season via the transboundary Chu-Talas rivers
Asia Kuwait Kuwaitis now make up 31,7% of the total population, with seven out of ten people being expatriates, reveal the latest demographic statistics from the Public Authority for Civilian Information
Asia Armenia A +10,4% increase in economic activity has been recorded in Jan-June 2024 compared to the same period last year, the Ministry of Economy informs; growth was recorded in all sectors of the economy and was due to a rise in both domestic and foreign demand
Asia Singapore Some cat welfare groups fear that cases of abandonment may increase, as some owners may be unwilling to bear the rising costs of microchipping their animals
Asia Saudi Arabia The Holy Makkah Municipality has launched a digital reforestation initiative that, through a platform, allows citizens to choose the tree of their choice, select the location, make payments online and have the trees planted in their name
Asia Bahrain Pool booking rates exceeded 90% in August 2024 as temperatures soared; private bookings for family celebrations and corporate events increased, impacting on small and medium-sized pools
Asia Indonesia A mega-earthquake could hit Indonesia in the future, warned a researcher at the Geological Disaster Research Centre of the National Agency for Research and Innovation, but reminded that 'claims about the exact date of the earthquake are false'
Asia Laos To cope with rising cost of living the government is considering a proposal to increase company employees benefits; in July, inflation was reported at 26,10% and since May 2022 it has remained in the double digits and hit a peak of 41,26% in February 2023
Asia Turkmenistan The first lesson of the new school year will be dedicated to the theme 'Magtymguly Fragi's fountain of wisdom' and the country's achievements in 33 years of independence
Asia Turkey 2.500 new taxi licenses have been approved by the Transport Coordination Centre of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality to alleviate the chronic shortage after years of delays; they can only be booked via a digital App and drivers can't choose passengers
Asia Iran An increasing number of Iranian women have been sentenced to death in a frame of rising executions in the country, which have grown since unprecedented anti-establishment protests broke out in 2022
Asia Afghanistan The Taliban have formally codified into law a rule on the propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice that places severe restrictions on the appearance, behaviour and movements of women and also imposes constraints on men
Asia India The country is considering sourcing cheetahs from Somalia, Sudan and Tanzania and no longer from South Africa and Namibia, as cheetahs imported from southern Africa have struggled to adapt to the Indian climate due to differences in circadian rhythms