Asia

Japan’s birthrate hits record low, raising alarm over demographic crisis Japan recorded fewer than 700,000 births in 2024 for the first time since records began in 1899, highlighting a deepening demographic crisis, The Guardian reported. Government data revealed 686,061 births…

Asia-Pacific faces record marine heatwave in 2024, triggering extreme weather and coral bleaching A record-breaking marine heatwave engulfed nearly 40 million square kilometres of ocean across Southeast Asia and the Pacific in 2024—an area five times the size of Australia—according…

Vietnam ends two-child policy amid falling birthrate Vietnam has officially ended its decades-old two-child policy, allowing couples to decide freely on family size, state media announced Wednesday. The decision comes in response to a declining birthrate, which fell to 1.91…

Global Islamic Economy Summit starts in Istanbul ———————————– The 2nd edition of the Global Islamic Economy Summit organized by AlBaraka commenced on Friday in Istanbul, aiming to empower Islamic financial and non-financial institutions to achieve sustainable growth and make a…

A joint investigation by The New York Times, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, and Der Spiegel reveals that tens of thousands of Uyghurs are being sent to various Chinese factory towns, often in groups. These state-led labor transfer programs, which…

Tens of thousands rallied in Kathmandu on Thursday, demanding the restoration of Nepal’s abolished monarchy and Hinduism as the state religion, Arab News reported. Protesters, waving flags and chanting slogans like “Bring the king back,” called for former King Gyanendra…

Japan’s parliament approved a groundbreaking AI law on Wednesday aimed at encouraging technological development while tackling risks such as misuse, data breaches, and copyright infringement, Anadolu Agency reported. The new law fosters AI advancement while empowering authorities to address misuse,…

Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Education has announced the closure of all schools across the island on Friday, June 6, and Monday, June 9, in observance of this year’s Hajj season. Eid Al-Adha is expected to fall on Saturday, June 7,…

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) reported on Friday that 427 Rohingya fleeing Myanmar and Bangladesh refugee camps may have died in two boat disasters this month, Arab News reported. Survivor accounts indicate a vessel carrying 267 people sank off Myanmar’s…

Hong Kong authorities have launched tax audits targeting at least eight independent media outlets and about 20 journalists and their family members, RFA reported citing the Hong Kong Journalists Association. The audits, covering up to seven years, contain numerous errors…