Asia Syria The main churches have limited their celebrations to Christmas prayers in solidarity with Palestinians suffering from the war in Gaza: 'in Palestine, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, people are suffering,' said the Syrian Catholic Archbishop of Aleppo
Asia Kyrgyzstan The government has decided to remove the sunflower from the national flag, considered a symbol of servility; demonstrations have been banned in the centre of the capital, but on social media thousands of citizens say they are against the change
Asia Philippines The Philippines Department of Trade and Industry is preparing a national road map for the halal industry, while planning to launch an international exhibition next year to showcase the best halal products
Asia India Although the Christian community is in the minority (third after Hinduism and Islam), there are many Christmas markets in the country's cities, while Santas, Christmas trees and illuminations decorate shopping centres and children set up cribs
Asia Cambodia The General Department of Immigration has announced that it will begin drug testing all its employees starting next week
Asia Brunei Brunei's growing popularity as a travel destination has seen an increase of people offering guiding services without licences, jeopardising the integrity of tourism industry and raising concerns about the quality of the experiences provided to visitors
Asia Sri Lanka Under a special presidential amnesty, 1.004 prisoners are to be released this Christmas, of whom 15 are female
Asia Iraq With a turnout of 41%, Iraq's first provincial elections have come to an end; the Coordination Framework alliance won 101 of the 285 council seats
Asia Indonesia A five-year multiple-entry visa has been introduced for foreigners who want to visit the country for tourism or business reasons; he policy is part of the government’s efforts to increase the number of visitors and stimulate the economy
Asia Georgia The McLain Association for Children - Georgia is the first recipient in the country to receive the Project Zero Award for its efforts in promoting a barrier-free world for people with disabilities
Asia Turkmenistan Freight transport by the ships of the Turkmenistan Merchant Navy fleet in the period January-November 2023 increased by 21,6% compared to the same period in 2022 and amounted to 2,06 million tonnes
Asia Mongolia A total of 40 volunteers appointed by the Seoul Metropolitan Government will work in Mongolia for three months, in volunteer activities organised together with students from two secondary schools and universities
Asia Saudi Arabia Hanan Elatr, widow of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, will receive political asylum in the United States after, according to several investigations, her husband was killed on the orders of her country's government