Asia Pakistan The country formally requested new loans of $600 million from two Chinese banks, signalling a critical step in the ongoing negotiations with the International Monetary Fund for the disbursement of the second tranche of a $3 billion rescue package
Asia Kazakhstan Kazakhstan's population will surpass 20 million in November 2023, a 1,02% increase from the beginning of the year, or 201.100 people; at the beginning of October, the urban population amounted to 12.387.957 and rural population to 7.580.007
Asia Afghanistan Some 200.000 Afghans have fled Pakistan in a month, ahead of the deadline announced by Islamabad, which has issued an ultimatum for 1,7 million undocumented refugees from Afghanistan
Asia Yemen Almost 50.000 people in northern Shan have been displaced by fighting after an alliance of ethnic armed groups launched an offensive against the military two weeks ago
Asia Philippines To organize commemoration of 650th anniversary of Philippine Muslim history and heritage a national committee has been formed; Islam arrived in 1380, making it “the oldest monotheistic religion” in the country that has around 6% of Muslims
Asia Kyrgyzstan 85% of women between 15 and 49 suffer from folic acid deficiency, nutrition expert Tursunai Mamyrbaeva said during the budget hearings in parliament, recalling how much this investment is also needed for the health of the children born to such women
Asia Laos Members of the National Assembly expressed concern about the rising dropout rate and acute teacher shortage plaguing both Vientiane and rural areas; it has also doubled in some places due to economic hardship of families struggling to cover school fees
Asia Bangladesh Up to 25.000 garment workers clashed with police in Bangladesh, officials said, while protests over the refusal of a pay rise offered by the government forced the closure of at least 100 factories outside Dhaka
Asia South Korea Activists, unions, environmental groups will stage protests in Seoul today, as part of a series of demonstrations to demand various concessions from the government, including the resignation of President Yoon Seok-yeol
Asia Sri Lanka President Wickremesinghe issued an extraordinary gazette notification declaring the postal service an essential public service, as postal workers in the country went on strike against the decision to turn post offices in Nuwara Eliya and Kandy into hotels
Asia Qatar The Tobacco Control Centre of the Hamad Medical Corporation, a World Health Organisation accredited centre, organised a training workshop to improve the skills of health workers in treating tobacco addiction and reducing the prevalence of smoking in Qatar
Asia Lebanon War escalations has made the olive harvest near the southern border particularly dangerous: farmers are denouncing they have to brave war perils to secure their crop
Asia East Timor President José Ramos-Horta will arrive today in the Philippines to discuss political and economic ties, including educational partnerships