Asia Pakistan A crackdown on factories producing illegal goods will begin on 5 June, as the production, distribution, sale and purchase of plastic will be banned throughout the province, said Punjab Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb
Asia Philippines More commodity producers have committed to a voluntary price freeze to support Filipino consumers in the wake of rising commodity prices and the negative effects of the El Niño phenomenon
Asia Singapore Illegal short-term stays are still offered on the Airbnb rental platform in Singapore, as short-term rentals of less than three months for private properties and six months for Housing Board flats are not permitted by law
Asia Brunei A new leisure venue was officially opened in Kampong Serdang: the Bukit Kamser recreational park will be a centre for outdoor activities and events
Asia United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi has begun banning certain expanded polystyrene products as part of a wider campaign in the country to stop the use of plastic products, applying to items such as cups, lids, plates and beverage containers
Asia Saudi Arabia Badael, a company founded to help reduce the number of smokers in the UK by providing safer alternatives, announced the launch of the 'Let's Clear the Air' anti-smoking campaign in Saudi Arabia to help 1 million people quit smoking by 2028
Asia Qatar The Ministry of the Interior's directive to halve fines for traffic violations came into force: the 50% discount is applied from 1 June to 31 August
Asia Nepal The municipality of Birendranagar, Surkhet, decided to close schools for a week due to the scorching heat after students started to fall ill and the learning environment was severely affected
Asia Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan's universities have become a sought-after destination for thousands of Asian students, especially in medicine, but the good reputation built up over the years is in danger of being undermined by recent violent occurrences
Asia Lebanon Adam Afana, aged five, is the first Palestinian child injured in the Israeli war in Gaza to land in Lebanon, where he has been receiving treatment at Medical Centre of the American University of Beirut
Asia Yemen Yemeni Houti rebels claimed an attack on the US aircraft carrier Eisenhower in the Red Sea, a response to the latest joint British-US air raids in Yemen against the same rebels, in which at least 16 people died
Asia Japan The first survey on how much foreign residents are paying in health insurance and pension premiums will be conducted to analyze their impact on Japan’s social security system; currently the country has no data specifically regarding foreign nationals
Asia Thailand The Bangkok Municipality is inviting street vendors to register for the government's fee system to regulate their presence on pavements and in public spaces