Asia

The Reko Diq mine, located in Chagai, Balochistan, will begin gold and copper production by 2028 under Barrick Gold’s leadership; with major investments planned, the project aims to boost exports, though local refining capacity remains a challenge

The 50-year-old Tilawe River bridge in Parsa district collapsed four months ago due to a broken pillar, and repairs have yet to begin; a temporary diversion is in poor condition, raising concerns about possible disruptions during the upcoming rainy season

Yak farming in Bhutan faces threats from declining populations, wildlife conflicts and rural depopulation; new Ministry’s Five-Year Plan provides for improved rangelands, breeding programs and support for highlanders to sustain this traditional livelihood

An arrest warrant against ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad on suspicion of complicity in war crimes has been issued by two French examining magistrates; it's the second such move ever by French judicial authorities

Israel's military chief Lt Gen Herzi Halevi has resigned, admitting in a letter that the Israel Defense Forces had "failed in its mission to protect the citizens of Israel" on 7 October 2023, when Hamas carried out the attack that triggered the Gaza war

Citizens over the age of 18 will be able to apply for a new national electronic identity card as of 27 January; the issuance of the first 100.000 eIDs will be subsidised by the government: 30.000 of them given out for free and 70.000 available for €15

The country is among the most likely candidates to host the qualifying tournament for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, said the president of the International Weightlifting Federation

Lebanon's new president called for Israel to withdraw from the south of the country by the January 26 deadline agreed to in last year's cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, citing continued violations by land and air

The consortium led by Saudi Arabian ACWA Power has won the tender to build a seawater desalination plant in Baku, considered a major step forward for water security and infrastructure development

Israeli security forces, backed by helicopters, raided the West Bank town of Jenin, killing at least eight Palestinians in what Prime Minister Netanyahu called a 'large-scale and significant military operation'

ChatGPT was the fourth most visited website in Uzbekistan last December, according to SEMrush; platform traffic from Uzbekistan reached 42,73 million visits

Additional measures to prevent the sale and consumption of counterfeit alcohol have been announced by the Istanbul governor's office, after dozens of deaths linked to smuggled drinks have been recently reported

The Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation announced a major promotional campaign in Germany ahead of the ITB Berlin 2025 tourism fair to be held 4-6 March