Asia Brunei Defence spending for the next fiscal year will focus on developing and enhancing assets, in line with the strategic objectives set out in the Defence White Paper 2021
Asia Georgia A Russian takeover of the country seems to be receding for now; after protests, Georgian ruling party Dream announced yesterday that it had withdrawn the disputed 'foreign agents' bill
Asia Japan The head of an upscale inn and onsen in Fukuoka apologised for only changing the water in its hot-spring bath every six months, allowing legionella bacteria to breed 3.700 times over the standard limit
Asia Turkmenistan Meetings of the 258 candidates elected by organizations and citizens began; they compete for 125 seats in parliament in the elections to be held on 26 March 2023, announced the “Watan” news program of the Turkmen television
Asia Maldives State Electric Company brought a new generator to K. Himmafushi, increasing the island's electricity generation capacity
Asia South Korea The world's tallest spokeless Ferris wheel, 180-meter tall, will be built on the banks of Han River in Haneul Park, near the World Cup Stadium in northwestern Seoul, by 2027, announced the city’s metropolitan government
Asia Tajikistan The country will start supplying onions to Kazakhstan in exchange for grain in a new agreement signed to expand cooperation in agriculture
Asia Singapore FairPrice, Cold Storage, Giant, Sheng Siong and Prime Supermarket will charge the mandatory minimum of 5 cents per plastic bag starting 3 July; proceeds will go to social and environmental causes
Asia Palestine UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East launched appeal for $16,2 million to meet the humanitarian and early recovery needs of Palestinian refugees affected by earthquake in Syria and Lebanon
Asia Pakistan Textile exports fell for the fifth consecutive month in February, down 28% to USD 1,2 billion, according to data from the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association; textiles are most important sector of the economy in terms of employment
Asia Lebanon Acting Minister of Economy and Trade welcomed the Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Beirut to discuss procedures to be adopted following the inclusion of the Rashid Karami International Exhibition on the "List of World Heritage in Danger"
Asia Indonesia Customs controls at small ports will be strengthened to crack down on the illegal import of used shoes, said Ministry of Industry responding to a Reuters report that found that shoes donated to a recycling programme in Singapore were shipped to Indonesia
Asia Cyprus The new government has put on hold a budget request of around €3 million earmarked for the purchase of state vehicles, including 35 limos for officials