Asia Kazakhstan 90 people have died since 2006 at ArcelorMittal Temirtau mines, with accident rates in all divisions rising over the past 10 years; urgent action is needed across the country to overcome the emergency
Asia Laos Despite several environmental groups reporting fears of serious damage to the Mekong ecosystem and local people's livelihoods, the country will supply electricity from three hydropower projects to Thailand
Asia North Korea Leader Kim Jong Un has not made a new appearance in state media for over a month, marking the longest period of absence from public activities since 2014 and coming amid an uptick in reports of health issues
Asia Myanmar Threatened by the military junta and its opponents, the artisans who mine and sell jade have been in difficulty since the coup in the country, the world's leading producer of jade, whose billion-dollar trade makes the local fortune
Asia East Timor 30 years from the Santa Cruz massacre were celebrated yesterday; 12th of November has been proclaimed National Youth Day in recollection of the 200 young shot during the struggle for independence
Asia Saudi Arabia As temperatures drop, the country prepares for winter tourism - growing and mostly still national; among top destinations are Wadi Disah in Tabuk, AlUla, Riyadh’s Edge of the World, the Nafud deserts, Al-Ahsa Oasis and Al-Qura Mountains for hikers
Asia Iran The judiciary shut down the state-owned, Tehran-based daily Kelid two days after its front page read 'millions of Iranians live below the poverty line'
Asia India The country's exports of cotton are estimated to potentially grow up to 81% by 2026 - from 36 to 65 US$ million in value - following the industry stakeholders try to take distance from China
Asia Taiwan A recent Airbnb survey reports that around 57% of people in the country think that travel has become a lifestyle for them; the average in six other Asia-Pacific countries is around 40%
Asia Mongolia The minister of environment and tourism and the governor of Aimag Khuvsgul have been asked to submit proposals to ensure the preservation of the Sukhbaatar ship, which sank in Khuvsgul Lake in 1985, and turn it into a museum for tourists
Asia Yemen Intisar al Hammadi, a 20-year-old actress and model, was recently sentenced to five years in prison for "acts of indecency" after being arrested in February by Shiite Huthi rebels; Human Rights Watch defined the sentences unjust and politically motivated
Asia Turkmenistan A national tree planting campaign was held in Ashgabat, part of the systematic nature conservation work; 25 million were planted in 2020 on the 25th anniversary of the country's neutrality and 30 million this year for the 30th anniversary of independence
Asia Uzbekistan According to the External Labour Migration Agency, nearly 92.000 citizens have found work abroad through the agency since the beginning of 2021, of which 84,5 thousand left to work in Russia, 6.197 people to Kazakhstan and 1.174 to South Korea