Women’s rights in Afghanistan are in a state of deterioration, amplified by tensions from the Taliban who regained control of the state in August 2021. Throughout November, four prominent women’s rights activists were arbitrarily detained by the Taliban. Hundreds of women’s rights activists, fighting for the right to allow girls to receive an education, are now in the Taliban’s custody.

The Indian delegation to the The United Nations Conference of Parties (COP) pledged to redouble efforts moving away from fossil fuels to renewable energy, among many other commitments, led by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The conference, the only multilateral decision-making body on climate change, is taking place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from November 30 to December 12, 2023.

In late November, Forbes Magazine used satellite imagery to uncover four previously undisclosed state-run Bitcoin mining facilities in Bhutan. The locations include Dochula Pass, a sacred region home to 108 shrines for fallen Bhutanese soldiers, the town of Trongsa, the Dagana district, and Education City – a failed megaproject designed to create an educational hub in the region.

On Tuesday, rescuers freed 41 construction workers trapped under a collapsed tunnel in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, after spending 17 days under rubble. The laborers, all migrant workers from poorer states in India, quickly reunited with their families after their release.

On Nov 11, the Pakistan Navy and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) launched the third edition of their “Sea Guardian” maritime drills. The exercise comes as a move to strengthen Sino-Pakistani ties and enhance strategic capabilities in jointly safeguarding the oceans.

On Tuesday, the state legislature elections within the Indian states of Mizoram and Chhattisgarh began. Elections in the states of Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan are set to begin later this week.