Asia Uzbekistan Responding to an official invitation from the national authorities, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights has opened an election observation mission for the 9 July early presidential elections
Asia Syria The tourism sector recorded an estimated 40% year-on-year growth in the first five months of 2023, from 727.000 foreign tourists to 519.000, the Syrian daily al-Watan reported citing the Minister of Tourism
Asia Myanmar Myanmar's state media condemned the UN as 'rotten'. just days after the UN special envoy for the country resigned and the world body placed limits on aid for cyclone survivors
Asia Lebanon Protesters attacked several bank buildings, set fire to tyres and smashed windows to demand the return of their money
Asia India State-owned NHPC Ltd. will begin trials in July for the Subansiri Lower project, a mega hydropower project 20 years in the making that represents a key step in the country's energy transition; the first unit could come on stream in December
Asia East Timor 24 schools in the Municipality of Baucau have received various equipments to improve child nutrition
Asia Indonesia A ban on climbing Bali's mountains is still under discussion, after Governor I Wayan Koster proposed a ban following several reports of misbehaviour at what are believed to be sacred sites
Asia Kuwait The Ministry of Interior announced the cancellation of 66.854 valid driving licences for expatriates whose work permits have been permanently revoked
Asia Taiwan The prices of several Taiwan Beers will be increased over the summer to reflect the increase in raw material prices on the international market, by 1-2% for large wholesalers and 3-7% for small wholesalers
Asia Iran Parliament lawmakers voted to approve Abbas Aliabadi as the country's new Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade, for more than 15 years CEO of Iranian energy and infrastructure conglomerate MAPNA Group
Asia Kazakhstan Svetlana Zhakupova has been appointed as Ombudsperson for the rights of socially vulnerable groups of the population, a new position proposed by President Tokayev in his State of the Nation Address in September last year
Asia Laos Laotian film 'The Signal' has been listed by The Hollywood Reporter, a renowned US magazine, as one of the five must-see films at the ongoing Shanghai Film Festival
Asia Sri Lanka Dr Asha DeVos, founder of Oceanswell, Sri Lanka's first marine conservation research and education organisation, and the country's first National Geographic explorer, has been included in the 2023 Asian Scientist 100