Afghanistan
Kabul Airport Customs Office Says Imports Will Increase: Tolo News
The customs office at the Kabul airport said that with the recent signing of the contract of the ground handling operation of the Kabul airport with the UAE’s GAAC company, the import of commodities will increase. Click here to read...
Reporters Without Borders Call the Taliban’s Recent Actions Against Female Anchors A Violation of Human Rights: The Khaama Press
With their recent order to require women to wear masks, the Taliban made a last-ditch effort to crack down on and suppress the media and violate women’s rights, according to Christophe Deloire, the organization’s Director General. Click here to read...
More Than Half of the Afghan Population Do Not Know Where Their Next Meal Is Coming From: The Khaama Press
According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Afghanistan’s food security is at an all-time high, and more than half of the country’s population is already reliant on humanitarian assistance. Click here to read...
Bangladesh
Ctg-Dhaka-Sylhet rail link restored 1.5 hr after oil tanker train derails in Cumilla- The Daily Star
Train communication among Chattogram, Dhaka, and Sylhet routes were restored one-and-a-half hours after a Sylhet-bound oil tanker from Chattogram derailed at Cumilla Rail Station's outer track. Click here to read...
Launderers to get a chance to bring back money- The Daily Star
The government will give launderers a special scope to bring back the money they had taken out of the country. Click here to read...
Budget 2022-23: Better targeted social safety net- The Daily Star
The government is committed to using the long-overdue National Household Database (NHD) from the next fiscal year to better target the social safety net programmes, in a development that can infuse dynamism in the flat scheme. Click here to read...
1 in 4 Bangladeshi health professionals had PTSD during pandemic- The Daily Star
One in four healthcare professionals engaged in treating Covid patients in Bangladesh had suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a government study has found. Click here to read...
PM urges Bangladesh’s dev partners to help implement Delta Plan 2100- The Daily Star
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged the country's development partners to help implement the Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100 that seeks sustainable development for future generations. Click here to read...
Govt hajj package: Last-minute hike puts many on edge- The Daily Star
The religious affairs ministry dropped a bombshell on potential hajj pilgrims yesterday telling them that they would have to pay Tk 59,000 by Monday on top of the already hiked hajj package costs. Click here to read...
Bhutan
13th Plan budget to increase significantly- Kuensel
The 13th five-year plan is expected to be ambitious in terms of investments given the focus on economic recovery and aspiration to make Bhutan a high-income country within the next 10 years. Click here to read...
India to restrict sugar export from June- Kuensel
Starting June 1, India will restrict the export of sugar and the restriction will go until October 31, 2022. Click here to read...
Police take action against officials dereliction of duty- Kuensel
After the stabbing case at the Supreme Court recently, five police officers and five police personnel have been held accountable. Click here to read...
Bhutan faces food shortage; spike in domestic prices- Business Today
Bhutan, which depends on imports to meet food demand, imported cereals amounting $30.35 million, mainly rice and wheat from India, in 2021. Click here to read...
Druk Thuendrel Tshogpa submits registration papers to the ECB- BBS
Druk Thuendrel Tshogpa submitted its application for registration to the Election Commission today. As per the Election Act of Bhutan 2008, an application for registration of a political party shall be made to the Election Commission within one month of the formation of the party. Click here to read...
Maldives
India completes survey of Maldives’ northern and central waters: Raajje Mv
The work was part of the second joint hydrographic survey of Maldives by the Indian army and Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF). Indian ship INS Sutlej was used for the survey. Maldivian Defense Minister Mariya Ahmed Didi was briefed regarding the findings of the survey on Tuesday. Click here to read...
No risk to the Maldives in repaying debt: Finance Minister: The Sun
The minister made the statement at the Parliament's Economic Committee on Thursday while briefing the committee on the amendment proposed to the Tourism Act to decrease the land rent imposed on resorts. The government on Wednesday withdrew the amendment after backlash from other agencies and the public. Click here to read...
Myanmar
More than 300 houses burned down in historic Christian village in Myanmar - Christian News
The Myanmar military (Tatmadaw) burned down almost all residential buildings in the predominantly Christian village of Chaung Yoe in the Sagaing Region in a raid on May 20Click here to read...
Rohingya Camps Near the Border — a New Source of Insecurity? - The GeoPolitics
he bordering area at the strategically southern part of Bangladesh is the shelter for over 1.2 million forcibly displaced Rohingya refugees. After the increasing trend of criminal activities notably the kidnapping of four schoolboys from Ramu Upazilla of Cox’s Bazar, killing of the prominent Rohingya leader Mohib Ullah and 7 other people within a month at the Rohingya refugee camp on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. Click here to read...
Threatened on multiple fronts, Myanmar junta calls on young women to join its armed forces - Myanmar Now
Faced with unprecedented nationwide armed resistance, Myanmar’s military is reportedly recruiting young women into its forces in what defecting officers say may be part of a strategy to bolster troop numbersClick here to read...
NUG Plans More Weapons and Funds for Revolution Against Myanmar Junta - The Irrawaddy
U Naing Htoo Aung, permanent secretary of the National Unity Government’s (NUG) Ministry of Defense, talked recently to The Irrawaddy about Myanmar’s armed struggle against the military regime, what the NUG has been doing to step up the attack against the junta, about the availability of funds and the distribution of weapons to resistance groups, and defections from Myanmar’s military. Click here to read...
Ethnic Karen Fighters Take Control of Lower Myanmar Townships - The Irrawaddy
The Karen National Union (KNU) is consolidating its control of Kyaukkyi and Mone townships in eastern Bago Region. The secretaries of KNU bodies in the two townships released notices on May 21 requiring residents to seek their approval for a variety of administrative functions ranging from education, health and business to regional development works. Click here to read...
Nepal
Amnesty International calls for removing 'overly restrictive' statute of limitations on rape- Himalayan
Nepal must urgently remove the restrictive statute of limitations on cases of rape and other sexual violence through amendment as it continues to be a barrier for survivors in access to justice, said Amnesty International today. Click here to read...
Apex court halts construction of Nijgadh airport- Himalayan Times
The Supreme Court today ordered the government to halt construction of multi-billion-dollar Nijgadh International Airport. Click here to read...
Oli takes govt to task from rostrum of Lower House- Himalayan Times
CPN-UML Chair and main opposition leader KP Sharma Oli today spoke for three hours from the rostrum of the House of Representatives to denounce government's policies and programmes and its handling of foreign affairs. Click here to read...
Delhi's sugar export curbs likely to hit market- Himalayan Times
President of Nepal Sugar Mills Association (NSMA) Sashikant Agrawal said the move by India - a sign of growing protectionism around the world - will promote black marketing and price gouging due to tight supply. Click here to read...
Supreme Court says no to Nijgadh airport over environmental concerns- Kathmandu Post
An extended full bench quashes all decisions regarding the airport, envisioned as alternative to Kathmandu airport. Click here to read...
Nepal Army chief to visit Pentagon ahead of Deuba’s Washington trip- Kathmandu Post
General Prabhu Ram Sharma’s proposed travel date is late June, which comes amid increased US political engagements in Nepal. Click here to read...
Balen Shah is the new mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City- Republica
Independent candidate Balendra Shah has won the local level election for the post of Kathmandu Metropolitan City. He has received 61,767 votes. Click here to read...
Pakistan
PTI’s march cost government Rs149 million: Dawn
This amount was released to police after officials sent a written request to the government asking for the amount, police officers on condition of anonymity told Dawn. Despite repeated attempts, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Akbar Nasir Khan could not be contacted for comments. Click here to read...
Pakistan mulls gas import deal with countries including Russia: The News
Pakistan said it is considering to sign a liquefied natural gas (LNG) purchase agreement with various countries including Russia as it seeks to secure supply and ease a crippling shortage. Click here to read...
Govt caves in to IMF, drops petrol bomb: The Express Tribune
In a surprise move, the government on Thursday increased the petroleum products rates by Rs30 per liter, or up to one-fourth of their existing prices, paving the way for reaching a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund by June 12. Click here to read...
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka to restructure public transport to minimize the impact of fuel crisis: Times Of India
In an effort to minimize the impact of the ongoing fuel crisis on the common man, Transport and Highways Minister Bandula Gunawardena said that public transport will be restructured soon. Click here to read...
Sri Lanka PM Wickremesinghe stresses urgency for economic reform plan: Business Standard
Sri Lanka's prime minister said Thursday that he will quickly prepare an economic reform programme and seek approval from the International Monetary Fund because global inflation and the financial impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on other countries could limit their ability to help the island nation. Click here to read...
China will help us weather financial crisis, says Sri Lanka’s prime minister: Financial Times
China has offered “a few hundred million dollars” in lending to Sri Lanka to help alleviate a shortage of essential goods in the crisis-hit country, according to the island’s prime minister. Click here to read...
