Asia

Vietnam is positioning itself as a key player in the global Halal market, projected to hit $12 trillion by 2030, leveraging its strengths in agriculture, food production, and tourism, SGGPO news agency reported. At an international conference in Hanoi, experts…

China announced plans to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into its education system, targeting curricula, textbooks, and teaching methods across primary, secondary, and higher education levels, Reuters reported. The initiative, outlined in a policy paper by the Ministry of Education on…

Almost 200 international hotels are operating or planned in China’s Xinjiang region amid government efforts to promote tourism despite ongoing human rights concerns, The Guardian reported. A report by the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) identified 115 active hotels and…

The decline, driven by aging demographics and a record-low fertility rate (1.2 children per woman in 2023), has prompted urgent policy measures. In June 2024, Japan passed legislation to boost birthrates, expanding child allowances and parental leave. Officials warn the…

Kyrgyzstan has implemented a ban on the full-body niqab, which covers women’s bodies and faces, following a decree from President Sadyr Japarov in January, WION reported. The ban has now received support from the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kyrgyzstan,…

Authorities have detained two teenagers under the Internal Security Act, one for planning to attack mosques and the other for wanting to join Daesh, Arab News reported. The 17-year-old male, who held far-right extremist views, intended to shoot mosques and…

Japan’s parliament, the Diet, has voted to make public high school education free for all students, reversing a previous decision that reinstated tuition fees in 2013 after their abolition in 2010, HRW reported. This new measure, included in the latest…

A curfew has been imposed in the Tinkune, Koteshwor, and Sinamangal areas of Kathmandu following violent clashes between pro-monarchy protesters and security forces, Jurist News reported. The decision, announced by the district administration office, restricts movement and gatherings in the…

Japan is intensifying its focus on artificial intelligence (AI) education in high schools, recognizing the need to equip students for the technology’s significant potential—both beneficial and harmful, Anadolu Agency reported. According to public broadcaster NHK, 48 senior high school textbooks…

In 2024, migrant deaths in Asia reached a record high, with at least 2,514 fatalities reported, a 59% increase from 2023, according to the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM). The surge is primarily linked to vulnerable populations, particularly the…