Asia Georgia Dream ruling party, in the face of days of violent local protests and sharp criticism from the West, is withdrawing its controversial "foreign agents" legislation; the bill would have considered as such ONGs and media with over 20% foreign financing
Asia Lebanon As the Lebanese pound lost 98% in value since late 2019, the government began allowing grocery stores and restaurants to be paid in dollars; this would help ease inflation without much-needed structural reforms, but will deepen inequalities
Asia Iran The five young women from Ekbatan, who filmed a video in which they danced without veils, were reportedly detained for 48 hours and forced to repent for dancing in defiance of the bans imposed by the authorities
Asia Maldives 417.070 tourists have visited the Maldives as far as 11 March this year; Russia is the leading country in terms of entries, with 52.291 visitors
Asia Malaysia Iconic electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla will open an office in the country and create a network of charging stations for its cars, according to Malaysian sources
Asia Cyprus After the period to renew road tax expired at midnight on Saturday, police on Sunday warned they will start checking for those who have not paid up and eventually report them
Asia Jordan Vice President of Al Balqa Applied University Nidal Younes on Saturday confirmed the signing of an agreement to provide Al Hussein New Salt Hospital with medical staff
Asia Afghanistan UN stated that Taliban restrictions on the rights of women and girls have 'effectively trapped' most of them in their homes, turning Afghanistan into the 'most repressive' country in the world for women
Asia Turkey President Erdogan, who is seeking to extend his two decades in power, formally scheduled the country's parliamentary and presidential elections for 14 May, a month earlier than expected despite last month's devastating earthquake
Asia Qatar The International Committee of the Red Cross signed an agreement with Qatar to establish headquarters in Doha
Asia Kuwait The country wants to strengthen its female population as "equal partners" to help propel the country towards a sustainable future, the Minister of Social Affairs and Women's Affairs said
Asia South Korea Seoul announced a plan to compensate citizens involved in forced labour during the Japanese occupation (1910-1945); public opinion found the proposal humiliating and disrespectful of the historical truth
Asia Yemen Residents of Sanaa have found a 2.000-year-old mummified body in the rubbish; the discovery has triggered the fury of archaeologists who have long struggled to protect and preserve historical artefacts during the country's long war