Asia

Another 48 families were relocated to the country’s liberated Shusha city as part of the Great Return State Program; around 30.000 people now live in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur, mainly former internally displaced persons and workers in various sectors

Dockworkers have called for an indefinite strike starting on 17 December if the government fails to implement wage revisions and productivity schemes before 15; approximately 18.000 workers could potentially paralyse operations at the 12 state-owned ports

Netanyahu, indicted in 2019, is Israel’s first sitting prime minister to be charged with a crime and must testify three times a week; he took the witness stand for the first time on 10 December 2024 in his long-running corruption trial, denying charges

Over 75% of the world's landmass is drying up permanently, according to a report released at the UN summit in Riyadh on combating desertification

Severe monsoon floods hit Malaysia and southern Thailand, with over 30 casualties and 150.000 displaced; hardest-hit areas include Kelantan and Terengganu, with entire towns submerged and thousands missing as six months’ worth of rain fell in five days

PIA airlines is to resume flights to Europe in January 2025 after four and a half years, starting with Paris, as the EU aviation regulator lifted a ban on Pakistan flag carrier over concerns about compliance with international regulations

All citizens and residents are asked to exchange obsolete banknotes before the 31 December deadline, in order to streamline the circulation of the national currency and align with updated monetary policies

Two art galleries reopened after the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect on 27 November: 'as long as we can work, we will,' said a spokesman for Sfeir-Semler Gallery

Certificates of origin issued by the Amman Chamber of Commerce Jan-Nov 2024 amounted to JD1.276 billion, €1.723 billion, and increased by 8,9% to 36.342 compared to same period in 2023; Saudi Arabia sees highest number of certificates, Iraq highest value

Sincerely interested in normalizing relations with Turkey, Armenia believes that this can positively affect the rapprochement processes with Azerbaijan as well, Deputy FM said at a panel discussion during the Manama Dialogue 2024 international forum

An offensive by Syrian armed groups that started in Idlib province in the north of the country prompted other groups and individual civilians to rebel against Bashar al Assad's dictatorship, toppling it in just 11 days

Over 35% of foreign trade is currently conducted with the 10 member countries of Economic Cooperation Organisation: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan