Asia

Punjab launches a project to greenify Cholistan desert in the frame of the Green Pakistan Initiative; the initiative includes a 5.000-acre Smart Agri Farm, Green Agri Mall and research centers to boost agriculture with modern tech and farmer support

Universities are launching AI programs to tackle talent shortage; HCMC University of Economics offers AI-driven digital business, the University of Economics and Law pioneers AI in e-commerce and more schools integrate AI into finance, banking, analytics

Prominent Lebanese journalist and executive producer Ahmad Farhat was killed in an attack by an Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle that hit his car in the Iqlim al-Tuffah district in the south of the country

The Bahrain Cancer Centre made medical history by successfully treating a sickle cell disease patient using CRISPR-based gene editing therapy, the first successful treatment of its kind outside the US

Supporters and opponents of President Yoon Suk Yeol held rallies on Geumnam-ro, Gwangju, a symbol of the 1980 democratic uprising; around 3.000 pro-Yoon protesters and 1.000 opposition members gathered, reflecting ongoing political tensions in South Korea

Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli has criticized the negative perceptions of vernacular schools —public schools that teach in Mandarin or Tamil — emphasizing their role in education; He urges Malaysians to move beyond racial issues and focus on unity

The Kuoy ethnic group is celebrating Bonn Prey Lang, a two-day festival honoring the forest; around 2-300 people take part in religious ceremonies, including ordaining 100+ big trees to promote conservation and preserve their indigenous cultural identity

The Indonesian Migrant Worker Protection Agency reported that around 5.300 Riau Islanders were trafficked to Cambodia, forced to work in online scams and gambling operations; many were lured by fake job offers and now face abuse and exploitation

Kuwait has officially raised the minimum age for marriage to 18, following legislative changes aimed at protecting children's rights and strengthening family stability; 1.145 underage marriages were registered in 2024

In a recent study evaluating liveability, lovability, and prosperity Singapore has been ranked as the top city in the Asia-Pacific; the study highlighted its dynamic retail and dining scenes and its robust economy as key factors to its leading position

North Korean rights groups fear collapse after US Treasury Department freezes National Endowment for Democracy funds

Police have arrested over 30.000 suspects in anti-drug and crime prevention operations across the country that began in December

Iraq has been elected vice-president of the Middle East Committee of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation during the 51st committee meeting