Asia

Local production and assembly facilities in Pakistan produced 2,27 million mobile phones in January 2024, of which 0,72 million were 2G phones and 1,55 million were smartphones, a significant increase from the 0,24 million imported phones

QatarEnergy, the state-owned company of one of the world's largest LNG exporters, is adding another major LNG expansion project to its two ongoing ones, aiming to increase its total LNG export capacity by 85% from current levels by 2030

Over 300 online shops selling food, everyday goods, clothing, furniture, are registered in the country, also thanks to the implementation of the State Programme for the Development of the Digital Economy in Turkmenistan for the period 2021-2025

New regulations will be implemented to improve rights and living conditions of seasonal agricultural workers, who will be accommodated in temporary settlement areas, mainly on state-owned land, with housing, infrastructure, sanitation and security guards

For the first time, the presence of Skywalker hoolock gibbons has been confirmed in the forests of north-eastern Myanmar, discovered by researchers who used acoustic monitoring and DNA analysis to identify 44 groups of these endangered primates

Researchers claim that dozens of archaeological sites have been demolished to allow 'systematic looting', with satellite images providing first visual evidence that looting trends began under the previous government and continued under the Taliban

Under the amendments to the country's education law, school attendance in grades 10-11 (upper secondary education) became compulsory, whereas previously only education grades 1-9 were compulsory

Diana Gamage, Minister of State for Tourism, emphasised the critical role of nightlife in driving economic growth, citing it as the cornerstone of the night economy as it accounts for as much as 70% of revenue

The country will participate in the construction of the world's largest optical-infrared telescope together with six other countries, the National Science and Technology Council announced after signing a MoU with the Giant Magellan Telescope programme

Thai Airways reported a rebound in profits upon increased demand for air travel; a net profit of 28,1 billion baht (US$782 million) in 2023, shows a substantial recovery from the 272 million baht loss reported the previous year

The Department of Immigration has started issuing travel permits for domestic and foreign tourists travelling to restricted zones through an online system

Many strategic road projects will be prioritised this year, including those planned to provide connectivity to important and popular tourist areas - the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology stated

A total of 26.272 young men and women are members of the Kingdom's 33 licensed political parties according to the Independent Election Commission