Asia Philippines Former President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested in Manila on an International Criminal Court warrant for crimes against humanity linked to his deadly war on drugs, which left up to 30.000 dead; he has been transferred to The Hague for the upcoming trial
Asia Cambodia Health Minister urges continued efforts to promote public health through the Health Equity Fund Card, which provides free healthcare to vulnerable groups; the program ensures access to medical services for the poor, elderly, and disabled
Asia Indonesia 2.000 more judges are needed in the Supreme Court to solve a growing shortage caused by retirements and vacancies; Chief Justice Syarifuddin urges the government to accelerate recruitment to ensure efficiency and timely case resolutions across the country
Asia Saudi Arabia The Saudi Architecture Characters Map has been officially launched; featuring 19 distinct architectural styles inspired by the Kingdom’s geographical and cultural highlights, aiming at enhancing quality of life and modernizing the urban landscape
Asia Oman To create 45.000 job opportunities - including 11.000 for training and qualification, 10.000 in government establishments and 24.000 in the private sector - is one of the goals of the operational plan for 2025
Asia Georgia Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili was sentenced to a further four years and six months in prison for illegally crossing the Georgian border in 2021
Asia Maldives The 'Hulhumale' Anex-2 power plant was inaugurated by the State Electricity Company, ahead of the peak electricity consumption season
Asia North Korea Kim Jong Un inspected Pyongyang's newest skyscraper and declared that the 10.000-home project is ready to open in about a month's time
Asia Turkmenistan A briefing was held at the Foreign Affairs for the announcement of 2025 as International Year of Peace and Trust and 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality: diplomatic missions, international organizations, national/foreign media attended
Asia Syria The Kurdish-led militia that controls the northeast territories agreed to merge with Syria’s new government: a major achievement for the new leaders as they try to unify a country wrestling with violent turmoil
Asia Iraq Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al Sudani, with US President Donald Trump, declared that a joint operation killed Islamic State leader in Iraq Abdallah Maki Mosleh al Rifai, also known as Abu Khadija
Asia Kyrgyzstan A historic agreement with Tajikistan has been signed, defining the 1.000-km border running between them, subject of a deep-rooted territorial dispute whose reasons go back to the days when they were part of the Soviet Union
Asia Tajikistan A historic agreement with Kyrgyzstan has been signed, defining the 1.000-km border running between the two countries, subject of a deep-rooted territorial dispute whose reasons go back to the days when they were part of the Soviet Union