Asia Tajikistan A temporary ban on cement exports has been imposed to fully meet domestic needs for this construction material
Asia South Korea Heavy rainfall has been affecting South Korea since 9 July, causing floods and landslides with casualties and damage; as of 18 July, media reports indicate 49 deaths, with the highest number of 19 people dead in North Chungcheong Province
Asia Kazakhstan More than 590 vegetable stores in operation do not appear in the statistics, according to the Trade Committee
Asia Israel Israeli protesters blocked highways and gathered in front of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange and army headquarters in the latest demonstration across the country against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's planned overhaul of the judicial system
Asia Palestine Outgoing EU envoy paraglided off the coast of Gaza in a rare flight aimed at drawing attention to the blockaded Palestinian enclave
Asia Georgia According to information released by the National Environment Agency, the quality of water in the Black Sea continues to meet the standards established in the analysis of 59 parameters in water samples from the region
Asia Kyrgyzstan The Capital Construction Department of the Bishkek mayor's office is building a kindergarten in the Archa-Beshik residential district and said construction is 90% complete
Asia Laos Laos plans to release 62 million aquatic and wild animals to raise awareness of conservation work in the country; the initiative has been announced on the occasione of Wildlife and Aquatic Animals Conservation Day
Asia Lebanon Lebanon's central bank will dismantle the controversial exchange platform known as Sayrafa after the end of Governor Riad Salameh's 30-year term
Asia Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih called on the Maldivian people to build the nation on a foundation of peace and harmony, leaving a legacy of economic and social prosperity for future generations
Asia India Speaking at Connect Karo 2023 event in Delhi, G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant stated that India must become the first country in the world to industrialize without carbonizing
Asia Azerbaijan Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev urged France's Macron to apologise for French colonialism, saying that acknowledging France's historical guilt will help solve the country's deep social and political crisis
Asia Japan E-prescriptions have not caught on in Japan: due to cost and time-consuming procedures, only 2% of Japanese medical institutions and pharmacies have introduced prescription sharing with online pharmacies