Asia Brunei Astrophiles in the country will be able to witness the passage of comet Pons Brooks at its maximum distance of 116,8 million km from the Sun on April 21, reaching its maximum brightness of magnitude 4,2, visible to the naked eye
Asia Philippines The Election Commission is set to hold the plebiscite for the creation of 8 municipalities in the Special Geographic Area of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region; April 13 activity will give the people of the 63 villages a chance to form their respective towns
Asia Kazakhstan The worst floods in decades hit Kazakhstan and Russia, with entire neighborhoods evacuated and thousands of homes flooded in the Ural River area between the two countries
Asia Myanmar From the end of April, compulsory conscription will be introduced for all Myanmar men between the ages of 18 and 35, a total of 6 million people
Asia Tajikistan Locust infestations, exacerbated by environmental factors, are a serious problem for Tajikistan's agricultural production, threatening food security and economic stability
Asia Japan Commenting international concern about current spread of streptococcal infections, Hitoshi Honda, professor and infectious disease expert at Fujita Health University said pandemic-level infections are not expected and travel restrictions not required
Asia Taiwan The entire Alishan Forest Railway will be opened and operational on July 1, after 15 years of track work and tunnel repairs, announced Taiwan's Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency
Asia Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev attended a ceremony to launch new industrial and energy projects; according to the presidential press service, 4.600 industrial enterprises were launched in the country in 2023 alone, with industrial output growth of 6%
Asia Qatar The country has achieved a steady, strong increase in its natural gas extraction, exceeding growth fivefold in the past two decades, and has now a projected increase of 70% by 2050
Asia North Korea Ethnic Chinese residents in North Korea have returned to the country for the first time in four years after a long exile during the pandemic, the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang recently made known
Asia Turkey The Turkish government announced that it will restrict exports of 54 categories of products - including jet fuel, construction equipment, cement, chemicals, pesticides, and bricks - to Israel until the Netanyahu government proclaims a cease-fire
Asia Oman With over 350 animals from around the world and a plethora of activities, Oman's largest zoo in Ibra, named "Safari World," will open its doors to the public today
Asia Cyprus Tests for people suspected of driving under the influence of drugs would also be carried out with blood samples under specific circumstances, should a new bill proposed by the transport ministry pass into law