Earth News How climate change could stunt millions of children’s growth Researchers have warned of the unexpected consequences of extremely hot, humid conditions during pregnancy. 22/12/2025
No Comment Hundreds join annual year-end clean at Kyoto's major Buddhist temples Hundreds joined the annual year-end clean at Kyoto's Higashi-Honganji and Nishi-Honganji temples, a 500-year-old tradition to prepare for the New Year. 22/12/2025
Culture news UNESCO adds Central Asian traditions to global heritage list Central Asian cultural traditions have received international recognition as the ancient bowed instrument Kobyz and the traditional nomadic Yurt shared across Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have been added to UNESCO’s Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage. 22/12/2025
West Bank Israel approves proposal for 19 new Jewish settlements in West Bank The decision is a harsh blow to the Palestinian state and brings the total number of new settlements over the past few years to 69. 21/12/2025
Pakistan Former Pakistani PM Imran Khan sentenced to 17 years in prison Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi, his wife, have both been sentenced to 17 years in prison over retaining and selling state gifts at prices well below market value. 20/12/2025
Focus Turkmenistan celebrates 30 years of permanent neutrality In partnership with the International Conference on Peace and Trust The International Conference on Peace and Trust hosted in Ashgabat, focused on how the notion of neutrality can help solving conflicts and crisis. 20/12/2025
Uzbekistan Central Asia and Japan expand cooperation Meeting in Tokyo for the first time at leaders’ level, Central Asian states and Japan set out a framework for deeper political, economic and sectoral cooperation amid growing regional and global challenges. 20/12/2025
Syria US launches massive attack on Islamic state group fighters in Syria The US launched a massive attack on 70 Islamic State combat forces in Syria on Friday, in retaliation to a recent ambush attack in which two US soldiers and one US civilian interpreter were killed. 20/12/2025
Earth News How the galaxy frog’s striking appearance became its biggest threat Scientists warn that the desire to photograph the rare galaxy frogs could be behind their mysterious disappearance. 20/12/2025
Uzbekistan Mirziyoyev’s Tokyo visit highlights growing Uzbekistan-Japan ties The Tokyo visit brought together political dialogue, business engagement and cooperation in education, science and culture, reflecting the increasingly wide-ranging nature of relations between Uzbekistan and Japan. 19/12/2025
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan and Japan sign €3 billion worth of agreements Kazakhstan signed over 40 agreements worth more than €3 billion with Japanese companies during President Tokayev’s visit to Japan. 19/12/2025
Focus Doha Forum 2025: From Dialogue to Action The 2025 Doha Forum gathered global leaders to confront the world’s toughest challenges, highlight Qatar’s growing mediation role, and unveil major development pledges. Under the theme “Justice in Action,” the focus was clear: turning dialogue into real, measurable progress. 19/12/2025
Travel News Uzbekistan among fastest-growing tourism destinations in the world Arrivals in Uzbekistan are up to 73 per cent compared to 2019, exceeding national targets as investments, visa-free travel and global promotion fuel growth. 19/12/2025
Syria Lifting of US sanctions on Syria could spur refugee returns, UN says The UN refugee agency reports that altogether more than 1 million refugees and nearly 2 million internally displaced Syrians have returned to their homes since Bashar al-Assad's fall. 18/12/2025
Tech News Woman marries video game character created through ChatGPT 'You taught me love': Japanese woman marries AI partner after 100 daily messages as concern over 'AI psychosis' rises. 18/12/2025
Myanmar Trafficked, exploited: Rohingya children's lives crushed by aid cuts Though the US spent just 1% of its budget on foreign aid, Trump dubbed USAID wasteful and shut it down, a move that has proven catastrophic for the world's most vulnerable. 18/12/2025
Energy Frontiers IEA analyst warns global energy efficiency progress remains off track In partnership with Azpromo The IEA (International Energy Agency) warns global energy efficiency gains are improving in 2025 but remain off track for 2030 goals. 18/12/2025
Around Azerbaijan Why Shusha remains a cradle of culture and creativity In partnership with Azerbaijan Tourism Board Shusha, known as Azerbaijan’s cultural cradle, reveals its rich heritage through historic landmarks, music, poetry, crafts and traditions shaped by centuries of creativity. 18/12/2025
No Comment Heavy rain turns Iran’s Hormuz Island beach deep red Rainfall on Hormuz Island transformed its Red Beach as iron-rich soil runoff colored the shoreline and waters deep red, drawing wide attention online. 18/12/2025
Culture news How the FIFA Arab Cup Final became a symphony of sound and light Some say football matches are not only determined by action on the field but by songs sung in stadiums. The Qatar 'Soundbeats' campaign wants to orchestrate an enormous wave of support at the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar by combining the noise of crowds with classical music as part of a new interactive show. 18/12/2025
Cult Baku Creative Week celebrates culture and creative industries In partnership with Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan Baku Creative Week 2025 brought together artists, entrepreneurs and cultural leaders for the OIC Cultural Festival, showcasing heritage, creative industries and women’s empowerment through exhibitions, performances and discussions. 17/12/2025
Qatar in Motion Securing water sustainability beneath the surface In partnership with Media City Water management in arid conditions and limited rainfall pose an inevitable challenge. But what if the solution lies beneath our feet? In this episode of Qatar in Motion, Laila Humairah goes to the depths of the earth to uncover how Qatar is creating a sustainable oasis for its green landscape. 17/12/2025
Travel News Thailand-Cambodia fighting: Is it safe to travel now? The UK's foreign office is now advising against all travel within 50 km of the Thai-Cambodian border - with some caveats. 17/12/2025
Uzbekistan Transport, energy and raw materials drive EU-Central Asia cooperation The European Union is expanding its engagement with Central Asia through transport connectivity, energy investments and cooperation on critical raw materials. 17/12/2025
Afghanistan Millions face food insecurity in Afghanistan as winter looms, UN says Food assistance in Afghanistan is reaching only 2.7% of the population, the IPC said, exacerbated by a weak economy, high unemployment and lower inflows of remittances from abroad. 16/12/2025
No Comment Gaza's displaced struggle with rain and cold in fragile tents Gaza is facing another hardship as heavy rain and cold weather hit thousands of displaced people living in fragile tent camps. 16/12/2025