Asia Maldives The development of new residential buildings to accommodate people living in the Male' Hiyaa and Sinamale' flats in the city of Male' and the suburb of Vilimale' will begin in February next year
Asia North Korea Kim Jong Un said he would not hesitate to launch nuclear weapons against the United States in response to a 'nuclear provocation', according to state media reports that Kim met with soldiers responsible for this week's long-range missile test
Asia Cyprus Tourism revenues grew by 25% in 2023 compared to the previous year, potentially marking a new record, according to Deputy Minister of Tourism Kostas Koumis
Asia South Korea A survey released on 10 December by nongovernmental organization Workplace Gapjil 119 showed that 15,3% of South Korean workers have been subject to direct physical or verbal abuse at work, highligthing the ongoing issue of workplace harassment
Asia Turkey The recent incident involving a primary school student in the capital Ankara who suffered serious injuries after an attack by stray dogs has reignited the debate on the issue of stray animals, raising concerns about escalating attacks in various cities
Asia Vietnam The main celebration of the 16th Red Sunday, the annual blood donation campaign, will take place at the Ha Noi University of Science and Technology on 24 December; it is expected to mobilise over 100.000 people and receive around 50.000 units of blood
Asia Yemen "Our military operations will not stop," declared the Houthis of Yemen, saying they will not cease attacks on ships in the Red Sea, despite the US announcing a new maritime protection force to counter them
Asia Sri Lanka The police have launched a new system to simplify the process of identifying criminals arrested for drug-related activities, with a specialised data system linking all police stations
Asia Mongolia Farmers will be able to buy fodder from the State Reserve at a 50% discount; governors have been instructed to monitor the proper distribution of fodder and to prevent its misuse and sale
Asia Nepal An increasing number of Nepalis are undergoing cosmetic surgery as a beauty-enhancing treatment, but many raised an alarm on the lack of regulation to govern this sector
Asia Armenia The ‘EU4Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Armenian Communities’ project, with a budget of €2,8 million and co-financed by the EU and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, was launched in Yerevan
Asia Azerbaijan 4 candidates are running in the extraordinary presidential elections to be held in Azerbaijan on February 7 after Elshad Musayev, chairman of the Great Azerbaijan Party, has presented his candidacy
Asia Bangladesh 29 near extinct fish species have been recovered in the past 14 years and preserved in the newly established Live Gene Bank