Asia Iran President Pezeshkian announced the suspension of Iran'a cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency following parliament approval of a bill with general and specific provisions on the matter, a politically-motivated resolution
Asia China Beijing has once again stated that only the Chinese government can choose the future leader of Tibetan Buddhism; the Dalai Lama, who will turn 90 this month, had instead said that his successor will be identified by a Tibetan exile group
Asia Afghanistan Students in 500 villages across the southern province of Zabul are deprived of access to education due to a shortage of teachers, local Department of Education reported; residents are calling on authorities to provide both modern and religious education
Asia Palestine Residents of the city of Tulkarem in the West Bank were scrambling to save their belongings after Israel issued additional evacuation orders announcing the demolition of over one hundred buildings
Asia Japan Researchers from major universities, including Tokyo's Waseda, have used prompts in their papers to get positive AI-based reviews, raising concerns about integrity, amid a surge in peer-to-peer review exploitation in academic publishing
Asia Kuwait A circular mandating employees to strictly adhere to the official uniform while at work has been issued by the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training; attire must reflect the values of Kuwaiti society and align with professional standards
Asia Pakistan The Dhabeji pumping station remained without power for over 96 hours due to cable faults worsened by rain, deepening Karachi’s water crisis with a daily shortfall of up to 350 million gallons and residents forced to rely on expensive water tankers
Asia Turkey Tens of thousands of people, 42 arrested, took part in a rally marking the 100th day since the arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, opposition's chosen candidate for the next presidential elections; the crowd was demanding his release
Asia Taiwan The Penghu Water Recreation Activities Association is offering a bounty of NT$300 (US$10) for each crown-of-thorns starfish caught in local waters: feeding on coral polyps, the living tissue of coral reefs, the are killing off large tracts of reefs
Asia Azerbaijan Two Azeri brothers died in Russian custody, enlarging a diplomatic rift between the to countries; experts say Azerbaijan is challenging Moscow's dominant role in the South Caucasus and establishing itself as a regional power
Asia East Timor The Samoa Agreement was ratified by National Parliament in a Plenary Session with 58 votes in favor, no abstentions or votes against; signed on 15 November 2023, it establishes the new legal framework for partnership between the EU and OACPS countries
Asia Yemen To commemorate the Prophet's migration to Medina, or Hijra, a cultural symposium was held in the Badbadah district of Marib Governorate where the head of the governorate's guidance sector discussed its significance for the Islamic state
Asia Nepal Joint anti-drug operations will be performed by Nepal and India at their shared border in consequence of increased trafficking cases; the pact includes joint patrols and intelligence sharing to curb cross-border narcotics movement