Asia

Gerakan, the People’s Movement Party supporting inclusion, called for a review of the proposal to require halal certification for food outlets; Kelantan state, with a Muslim majority, seeks to enforce the policy, raising concerns for non-Muslim businesses

Lebanon's National News Agency NNA reported that Israel has violated the ceasefire with Lebanon 392 times since cease-fire came into force on 27 November 2024

Ministries and government departments began implementing an evening shift to improve the working environment in the public sector and provide more flexibility to public access; the selection of employees for evening shifts have been completed in advance

Iraq tops the list of Arab countries in terms of the number of visitors to Turkey between January and the end of November 2024; figures have been released by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism

Over 900 people have been executed in Iran in 2024, of whom at least 31 women; most of the executions were linked to drug-related offences, but also to the mass protests of 2022 and included political dissidents, the UN human rights office reported

Foreigners illegally residing in Bangladesh without a valid visa are asked to obtain the document by 31 January; the interim government has warned that those who fail to do so will face legal action

A Grant Note with the Asian Development Bank has been signed to finance a US$16 million project aimed at strengthening rural resilience and improving the quality of life in the Municipality of Manatuto; the activities will be developed over five years

With major political events occurring in the Middle East, Qatar, a regional diplomatic heavyweight, saw a year 2024 full of political events: from mediation efforts in conflicts to the reopening of its embassy in Damasco following restored ties with Syria

The second phase of the plastic bag ban in the Sultanate of Oman has begun on 1 January 2025; Environment Authority said this phase will focus on tightening restrictions on the use of single-use plastic bags

A transplant-policy change has been proposed to allow ABO-incompatible kidney transplants, offering hope to over 411 dialysis patients; the plan also suggests raising daily allowances for patients referred to India to approximately $4,65

Bahrain’s Alba, aluminium smelter, will continue pursuing mergers and acquisitions, particularly in Europe, after its multi-billion-dollar agreement with Saudi Arabian Mining Company Maaden will be officially signed, presumably in the first half of 2025