Latest

Race for rare minerals brings boom to Tajikistan's mines
Race for rare minerals brings boom to Tajikistan's mines
Economy
by  AFP

In a labyrinth of tunnels running beneath 4,000-metre peaks, Tajik miners are scrabbling to secure antimony, one of the metals at the centre of a worldwide race for rare minerals. The miners drill sample holes 50 metres (165 feet) long to check for minerals and can dig a 54-metre tunnel for extraction in half a day, said underground site manager Kholmakhmad Khakimzoda.

Iran's carpet industry unravelling under sanctions
Iran's carpet industry unravelling under sanctions
Economy
by  AFP

Once a symbol of cultural prestige, Iran's handmade rugs are no longer selling as fast as they once did, as sanctions weigh on an already troubled economy and buyers' tastes change. Nabizadeh moreover says that even the tourists who come "might not be interested in our work as consumer tastes have changed" and "the price tags are quite high".