Afghanistan
Islamic Emirate Denies Smuggling of US-Origin Weapons to Pakistan-Tolo News
The Islamic Emirate has rejected a Washington Post report alleging that US-origin weapons are being smuggled from Afghanistan to Pakistan, saying that such equipment has long existed in black markets. The deputy spokesman of the Islamic, Emirate Hamdullah Fitrat, emphasized that all military equipment left behind by the United States in Afghanistan is under the control of the caretaker government. Click here to read...
Parandi Dam in Panjshir Will Start Operating in Near Future: Governor-Tolo News
Mohammad Agha Hakim, the governor of Panjshir, stated at a meeting called "Urban Dialogue" that the Parandi Dam project has been completed and will start operating in the near future. He added that the Dalan-Sang Dam in Panjshir has also been approved by the leader of the Islamic Emirate, and initial work on it has begun. According to the governor, the cost of the Parandi Dam is estimated at 7.6 million USD, and it has the capacity to produce four megawatts of electricity. Click here to read...
Germany to conduct 3 more Flights for Afghan Refugees from Pakistan-The Khaama Press
Germany plans three additional charter flights by April’s end to relocate Afghan refugees from Pakistan, continuing its resettlement efforts. These flights aim to bring former Afghan employees of German institutions, human rights activists, and women’s rights defenders to Germany. Approximately 2,800 Afghan refugees have already been approved for resettlement and are awaiting transfer. Click here to read...
Afghanistan and the Scourge of Landmines: A Call for Global Support-Tolo News
The National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA) held a special event in Kabul to mark International Mine Awareness Day. During the event, Nooruddin Rustamkhil, head of the Mine Action Coordination Authority, stated that approximately 1,150 square kilometers of Afghan territory remains contaminated with landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXOs). Click here to read...
Bhutan
Bhutan bets big on Bitcoin to battle economic woes – First Post
Long known for measuring progress through Gross National Happiness and environmental sustainability, Bhutan is taking a major step toward financial innovation— by investing heavily in Bitcoin, the world’s most popular cryptocurrency. The Himalayan kingdom, nestled between India and China, has quietly mined millions of dollars’ worth of Bitcoin in recent years, leveraging its surplus hydropower to run energy-intensive supercomputers. Bhutan is among the few countries worldwide that invest in digital assets at a national level. Click here to read...
Maldives
Passport ban bill passed after paving the way for Israeli citizens to enter Maldives – Adhadhu
The parliament has passed the amendment bill to the Immigration Act to ban Israeli passports after paving the way for Israeli citizens to enter the Maldives. The bill was proposed by MP Meekail Naseem last year. It was stalled for months in the committee before changes were brought to allow the entry of Israeli citizens. The bill was approved today on the parliament floor to allow Israeli citizens with dual passports to enter the Maldives and to allow entry on Israeli passports when attacks stop. It was passed with the votes of 83 MPs. There were no votes against the bill and some MPs from the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) voted in favour. Israel has been attacking the Palestinian people since it occupied Palestinian land 77 years ago. The bill passed today does not specify who will determine when or whether attacks have stopped. Click here to read...
Maldives embassy inaugurated in Türkiye – Adhadhu
Foreign Minister Dr. Abdulla Khaleel has officially inaugurated the Maldives Embassy in Türkiye. A flag-hoisting ceremony was held at the embassy in Ankara. Türkiye's Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy and Maldives Ambassador to Türkiye Lieutenant General (Retd) Abdul Raheem Abdul Latheef attended the ceremony. Speaking at the ceremony, Khaleel said the embassy is a testament to the growing ties between the two nations. Meanwhile, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy highlighted that friendly relations have developed and deepened over the years in many areas. Click here to read...
Myanmar
Malaysia PM Says to Meet Myanmar Junta Chief Over Quake Relief – The Irrawaddy
Malaysian Prime Minister and ASEAN chair Anwar Ibrahim said Monday he will meet Myanmar’s isolated junta chief in Bangkok this week as the strongman makes a rare trip abroad to discuss earthquake relief. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has barred junta officials from summits after their 2021 coup deposed civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and plunged Myanmar into a fractious civil war. But Anwar—who holds the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN—said he would meet Min Aung Hlaing on April 17 to discuss the safety of Malaysian aid workers dispatched to help after last month’s earthquake. More than 3,600 people were killed in the March 28 disaster which destroyed more than 5,000 buildings, according to official figures, and left more than two million in need, said the UN. Click here to read...
Pakistan
Govt skips fuel price cut, redirects funds to Balochistan projects-The Express Tribune
Despite a decline in global oil prices, the federal government has decided not to reduce domestic petroleum rates, choosing instead to allocate the savings to key infrastructure and development projects in Balochistan, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Tuesday. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, during a federal cabinet meeting, announced that the funds saved from the global oil price dip would be used to dualise the strategic N-25 Highway — the Chaman–Quetta–Kalat–Khuzdar–Karachi route. Click here to read...
Three personnel martyred, 20 hurt in Mastung blast-Dawn
At least three personnel of Balo¬chistan Constabu¬lary (BC) were martyred and 20 others sustained injuries in a bomb attack that targeted a police bus on Dasht Road in Mastung district, some 35km south of Quetta, on Tuesday. Click here to read...
PM Shehbaz showers incentives to entice expats-Dawn
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday announced a series of incentives for overseas Pakistanis, including special courts, tax remissions, job quotas, and skill development opportunities to acknowledge their contributions to the country’s development. Addressing the Overseas Pakistanis Convention in Islamabad, the prime minister said the government will also operationalise the ‘green channel’ facility in the next couple of weeks. Click here to read...
Sindh cries foul after Punjab opens link canal-Dawn
The Sindh irrigation department has objected to the opening of the Taunsa Panjnad (TP) link canal by the Punjab irrigation department on April 15, arguing that the link canal was opened when Sindh was experiencing a severe water shortage at its barrages. A flow of 2,981 cusecs was reported in the TP link canal on Tuesday. These flows are diverted to the Jhelum Chenab (JC) zone. Click here to read...
