Asia

The signing ceremony of the Haj management agreement for Brunei Darussalam pilgrims for the 2025 season took place recently in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with the Minister of Religious Affairs representing the country

Bahrain is planning a $30 billion increase in infrastructure projects, which include 22 large developments including five artificial islands

An Azerbaijan Trade Centre in Lahore,Pakistan and a Pakistani-Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce will soon be established to bring business communities of both countries closer together and open new avenues for cooperation, said the Azerbaijani ambassador

A joint security committee with Syria will secure common border, curb arms smuggling, prevent resurgence of Islamic State militants, as international anti-narcotics officials say captagon, mass-produced in Syria, transits through Jordan to Gulf states

The Maldives Immigration, referring to the Henley Passport Index, announced that the Maldivian passport was again ranked as the strongest in South Asia

The Kyrgyz Parliament's Committee on Budget, Economic and Fiscal Policy adopted at first reading amendments that will allow the National Bank of Kyrgyzstan to launch a pilot project on the prototype of the national digital currency 'digital som'

Royal directives have been issued for names of national and main roads in Oman; His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik also addresses nation on his Accession Day 11 January, the day he assumed power in the Sultanate in 2020

Hunters from all over Cyprus demonstrated outside the presidential palace demanding stricter measures against poaching, such as prison sentences and revoking firearm licence for life, and the removal of the head of the Game Fund, in the place for 24 years

The first Hindi certificate course in Sri Lanka through open and distance learning was recently launched, a collaborative initiative between the Sri Lanka Open University and the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre

The King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Development Authority has launched an initiative to raise environmental awareness and showcase the reserve's biodiversity and achievements, especially to sports enthusiasts

The Warif Academy has been launched: it is the first government academy of its kind for students with multiple disabilities in Qatar, upon initiative of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, in cooperation with the Qatar Foundation

Ukraine released the first testimony of North Korean soldiers captured while fighting for Russia in the Kursk region: two wounded North Korean soldiers were captured and taken to Kiev for treatment and later interrogation