Today's headlines: Honduras inaugurates Chinese embassy after breaking relations with Taiwan;  An Indian travels from Kerala to Mecca on foot on Hajj pilgrimage, the major pillar of Islam; South Korean police arrest 77 people for espionage, including abroad; Several people killed in two separate shootings in central Vietnam, police stations targeted; Heavy rains in Pakistan kill 27 people; Marriages collapse in China; Tajikistan's largest mosque inaugurated in Dushanbe, with the help of Qatar.

Iraq has drawn up a plan dubbed 'Development Road' that wants to connect the south with the Turkish border in the north. An almost 17 billion euro project that involves other partners from Iran to Qatar. In response to the 'Silk Road', the United States - with Saudi Arabia, the Emirates and India - are studying a capillary network from Asia to Europe

Today's headlines: Iran sets record with 142 executions in May, at least 307 since start of year; Japan launches "special bonds" to finance child care plans; Annual inflation in Pakistan hits 38 percent, highest figure among South Asian countries; Jakarta offers  "golden visa" to attract talent from around the world; Bangladesh looks to Qatar for liquefied natural gas supply; A new church for the Russian Orthodox community in Manama.

Today's headlines: Seoul to overhaul warning systems after panic following yesterday's North Korean launch; Activists appeal against trials in Islamabad military courts of supporters of former premier Khan; Chinese authorities forcibly evict Tibetans for the construction of a dam; Companies in the Emirates now subject to profit tax; Kuala Lumpur ready to set up a 'war room' against the effects of El Nino.

Today's headlines: Pyongyang punishes unmarried couples with labour camps; For the Buddha's birth festival, the military junta pardons over 2,000 political prisoners; Eight Indians jailed in Qatar for pro-Israel espionage; Laotian activist critical of government killed in execution, authorities fail to open investigation; Tehran uses new "weapons" to punish women who do not wear the hijab.

Rising crude oil prices, linked to production cuts by the OPEC+ countries, had an impact. In Saudi Arabia, growth should drop to 3.2 per cent in 2023, down from 8.7 per cent last year. The UAE’s growth should also decline from 7.6 per cent to 3.7 per cent. Inflation also weighs in.