Asia Afghanistan The number of members of the Islamic State terrorist organisation in Afghanistan has increased threefold to 6.000 since the Taliban came to power last year, said Zamir Kabulov, head of the second Asian department of the Russian Foreign Ministry
Asia Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah is both the 29th Yang di-Pertuan (Sultan) of Brunei and the country's Prime Minister since gaining independence from British rule in 1984; apart from Queen Elizabeth II, he is the longest-serving monarch
Asia Azerbaijan The 'Great Return' of refugees in areas liberated from Armenia has begun, with almost 60 people having returned to the district of Zangilan, from which they had to flee in 1993 when Armenian forces attacked and occupied it
Asia Pakistan The country has withdrawn from the 44th Chess Olympiad to be held in Chennai, with India reacting strongly to Pakistan for opposing the passing of the torch from Kashmir
Asia Bahrain It has emerged that the cost of renovating the 200-year-old Hindu temple of Manama Suq has increased by 30% due to the global increase in prices of materials and logistics
Asia Bangladesh The water level in 67 river stations monitored by the Flood Prediction and Warning Centre marked an increase, while 40 stations recorded a decrease
Asia Bhutan The country is home to 7% of the world's bird species, with the global ornithological community considering it one of the world's top bird destinations
Asia Georgia Kobuleti’s new boulevard opened on July 24 as part of the Renewed Regions program; works kicked off in 2021
Asia Cambodia Ly Chansocheata - the first Cambodian woman to graduate from Japan's National Defence Academy with a degree in International Relations - is now a military officer in Cambodia's Ministry of National Defence
Asia Philippines The Election Commission stated that voter registration from 4 to 23 July saw 2.936.979 registered voters nationwide, with the 15-17 age group being the most populous
Asia Palestine Family members of the Palestinian-American Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh met US Secretary of State in Washington to renew their demands for justice and stress the need for a ‘US investigation that leads to real accountability’
Asia North Korea The latest addition of a cargo vessel to its merchant fleet once again demonstrates how the country flexes international networks to evade UN sanctions, expert says
Asia Malaysia The water tariff for the domestic category, or residential premises, in the peninsula and the Federal Territory of Labuan will not be increased, in view of the rising cost of living faced by the people