Asia

The latest revisions to the Foreign Investment Act will increase the role of foreign investment in the development of the Maldivian economy according to Mohamed Saeed, Minister of Economy

If Georgian Dream party were to win the elections with a constitutional majority, constitution would be amended to reflect Orthodoxy as pillar of Georgian state’s identity, stated Bidzina Ivanishvili, head of the ruling Georgian Dream party

Netflix’s series Famagusta led to a spat between Turkey and Greece, with high-ranking government figures from both countries expressing their views; Cyprus President Christodoulides said those reacting negatively to it “have obviously not watched it”

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

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

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

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

Over 530 million cubic metres of water were supplied by Kyrgyzstan during the irrigation season via the transboundary Chu-Talas rivers

In the mangrove forest near global player Port Klang, a group of employees from China Communications Construction Company and Malaysia Rail Link worked to remove debris and plant mangrove saplings

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

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

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'

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