Asia Yemen Turbulence in Red Sea caused tanker prices to soar 182%, changing the dynamics of global shipping, according to Bloomberg; tanker industry revenues are soaring to unprecedented levels with rates on some routes rising by the most in a single day since 2022
Asia United Arab Emirates UAE residents stuck in daily traffic are estimated to lose the equivalent of one day a month, according to motorists who spoke to Khaleej Times
Asia Japan A Japanese court has sentenced to death Shinji Aoba, the man behind the 2019 attack on Kyoto Animation, one of Japan's most important animation studios; Aoba, now 45, set fire to the studio's headquarters, causing 36 deaths and several injuries
Asia Kazakhstan The number of measles cases in Europe skyrocketed in 2023, to the point that WHO called for an urgent vaccination effort to stop the spread: Kazakhstan and Russia had the worst of it, with around 10.000 cases each from January to October last year
Asia Myanmar Lake Paleik in Singaing municipality and Lake Pyu in TadaU municipality have been designated as the seventh and eighth Flyway Network Sites in the country
Asia Oman The number of passengers using Muscat International Airport increased by 19% to 1.192.832 in December 2023 compared to 999.935 in the same period last year, according to data published by the Civil Aviation Authority
Asia Georgia Tbilisi Tango, a school teaching the iconic Argentine dance, celebrates its 16th anniversary with the 5th Tbilisi Tango Weekend, to be held from 26 to 28 January
Asia China The number of foreclosed homes increased by 43% y-o-y in 2023, according to a private survey, highlighting a worrying upward trend in mortgage delinquencies against a backdrop of a prolonged slump in the property market and uneven economic recovery
Asia Bangladesh Coca-Cola has appointed Ju-un Nahar Choudhury as the new managing director of Coca-Cola Bangladesh Ltd, becoming the first Bangladeshi and the first woman to hold this position
Asia Bahrain The Parliament is preparing to debate a bill that aims to prohibit the conversion of visit visas into work visas
Asia Saudi Arabia The Prophet's Mosque in Madinah is furnished with more than 25.000 carpets for the comfort of worshippers and pilgrims, Saudi Press Agency reported, mentioning that carpets in the mosque, its courtyards and roof section are sterilised and perfumed daily
Asia Brunei The new president of the Football Association of Brunei Darussalam has expressed his desire to change the football landscape in the Sultanate for the better, working to support students or football players who have fewer financial opportunities
Asia Vietnam Bình Duong Province, in Dong Nam Bo region just north of Ho Chi Minh, is committing to accelerate decarbonisation efforts towards a zero-emission future and to help promote sustainable development