Asia Maldives Sheikh Ismail Mohamed, the first Maldivian student to graduate from the Islamic University of Madinah and one of the most influential religious scholars in the Maldives, has passed away at the age of 85
Asia Myanmar Government has regained full control of the strategic Mandalay–Myitkyina highway, a key route linking central Myanmar with Kachin State; The road is vital for military logistics, trade and access to northern border areas
Asia Qatar Special team from Ministry of Environment, in a field visit to the whale shark aggregation site in Qatar’s waters, reviewed monitoring activities, site condition and habitats to ensure protection of one of the region’s main seasonal wildlife phenomena
Asia Israel Ben Gvir has been ordered to delete flotilla abuse video from media as it constituted unlawful election propaganda; the head of the Central Elections Committee also ruled that the minister pay $7.800 in legal fees
Asia Taiwan Cybersecurity experts warned of possible early-stage influence operations ahead of Taiwan’s local elections later this year, identifying coordinated Facebook page activity and a large-scale wave of nearly identical posts spreading suspiciously
Asia Turkey Taxi passengers in Istanbul can now submit complaints, report lost items and share feedback through a new WhatsApp-based service launched by the Istanbul Taxi Drivers Chamber, part of broader efforts to improve service quality and customer satisfaction
Asia Japan Rruling Liberal Democratic Party proposed reducing the consumption tax rate on food and beverages from the current 8% to 1% for two years starting April 2027; in the last general election campaign it pledged cutting it to zero
Asia East Timor Economic diversification and job creation will be at the core of 2027 State General Budget that aims to reduce the country's dependance on petroleum revenues; the budget will support investments in key industries, infrastructure, connectivity, services
Asia Palestine Israeli settlers set fire to two mosques north of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, and spraied the word "revenge" on walls, according to local witnesses, in an unprecedented episode of escalating hostilities
Asia Sri Lanka Unprecedented visitors' arrivals have been registered in 2026, marking a strong recovery in numbers; However, the tourism boom has not translated into higher earnings, as shorter stays and lower spending per visitor have led to declining dollar revenues
Asia Georgia Roads Department has dismissed reports suggesting that tolls could be introduced on the country’s major highways, including the East-West Highwayg
Asia Syria Severe flooding along the Euphrates River has affected eastern Syria after exceptional inflows from Türkiye caused the river to triple in size; over 8.000 people were displaced, 7.210 hectares of farmland were inundated
Asia Iran Sky News verified and made known that 152 (120 students aged 6 to 13, and 26 teachers) of those killed when a US missile struck a primary school in Minab on day 1 of the attack on Iran have been identified cross-checking a number of sources