Asia Tajikistan The Global Slavery Index 2023, compiled by the Walk Free Foundation, showed Tajikistan ranked 6th among countries with the highest estimated prevalence of modern slavery, with a rate of 14 per 1.000 population
Asia Turkey The country's central bank will be led for the first time by a female manager, Hafize Gaye Erkan, 41, a US resident, who will be the fifth head in four years
Asia Saudi Arabia Exhibition 'Journey through the Holy Places' opened in Jeddah, offering a compelling exploration of the pilgrim's experience during Hajj with historical pieces and the participation of 26 artists, including three Saudi photographers
Asia Singapore National Water Agency PUB will increase the funding cap for water recycling projects under the Water Efficiency Fund as of 1 July, as part of its ongoing efforts for water conservation and sustainable water management practices in the non-domestic sector
Asia Oman The Omani cave exploration team is making great strides in the field of cave investigation, having recently explored a cave that may be the deepest, descending to a depth of at least 300 metres
Asia Cambodia The country's second motorway, from Phnom Penh to the town of Bavet, on the border with Vietnam, was officially opened and an agreement was signed for the construction of a third motorway from the capital to Siem Reap and up to the border with Thailand
Asia Yemen Abda Sharif, a lawyer and diplomat, has been appointed as the UK's new ambassador to Yemen; following the start of the war in late 2014, the UK closed its embassy in Sanaa and relocated its ambassador and staff to Riyadh
Asia Jordan The first Aqaba International Underwater Photography competition is taking place in the Red Sea city from 12 to 16 June, welcoming participating professionals from 14 countries
Asia Mongolia Pope Francis will pay a state visit to the country from 30 August to 4 September at the invitation of President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa; it will be the Pope's first ever visit to the country
Asia Lebanon According to Amnesty International there has been a significant increase in prison deaths: the number has almost doubled in 2022 compared to 2021, requiring immediate attention from the authorities
Asia Iran A subsidiary of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran has unveiled an in-house production system that simplifies pest control in the food industry with the application of ionising radiation
Asia Indonesia The Indonesian and US governments are seeking to build community resilience against extremism in Southeast Asia by hosting the 3rd ASEAN-US Regional Workshop on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism
Asia China China's economy posted a drop in exports for the first time since February, raising global concerns about growth in the world's second-largest economy