Afghanistan
Islamic Emirate Leader Stresses Sharia, Upholding of People's Rights- Tolo News
The leader of the Islamic Emirate, Sheikh Hibatullah Akhundzada, in a message on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, emphasized the implementation of Sharia, serving the people, and national unity. The Islamic Emirate leader in his message, highlighting security achievements and the establishment of a Sharia-based system, emphasized the responsibility of all government institutions and the need for sincere service to the people. Click here to read...
Road Connecting Kabul to Badakhshan Via Panjshir 70% Done- Tolo News
The construction of the Panjshir-Badakhshan road, which is 210 kilometers long and 12 meters wide, is being carried out by the Panjshir Extraordinary Brigade. The road will connect Badakhshan to the capital, Kabul, via Panjshir. According to the Engineering Director of the Panjshir Extraordinary Brigade, 70% of the road leveling and graveling work has been completed. Click here to read...
Pakistan to chair UN Security Council Taliban Sanctions Committee- The Khaama Press
Pakistan will now chair the UNSC Taliban Sanctions Committee, overseeing sanctions related to the Taliban’s activities and influence. Reports indicate that Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, has been appointed as the new chair of the 1988 Sanctions Committee. This committee, responsible for monitoring sanctions imposed on the Taliban, was previously headed by Ecuador’s representative, José Javier de la Gasca, until December 31, 2024. Click here to read...
Panjshir Cherries to Be Exported to Russia and Central Asia- Tolo News
Local officials in Panjshir have announced that around 100 tons of cherry products from the province will be exported to several Central Asian countries and Russia. According to officials, traders from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan plan not only to purchase cherries but also to buy apples and grapes to export to Central Asian countries. Previously, cherry products from Panjshir and other provinces were exported to India and Pakistan. However, according to Panjshir’s local authorities, these exports have been suspended this year for various reasons. Click here to read...
Bhutan
Government begins phase seven of rural connectivity programme – Kuensel
The Minister of Industry Commerce and Employment, Namgyal Dorji, during the National Assembly session yesterday, said that to address the persistent lack of mobile network and internet access in remote communities, the government has launched the seventh phase of the Rural Connectivity Programme. The seventh phase, which began last month, aims to connect unserved areas with telecommunications and internet services by November 2026. The minister was responding to a petition submitted by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Nyishog-Sephu constituency, Kuenga, who raised concerns over poor network coverage and ongoing telecommunication issues in highland areas. The MP also proposed the provision of satellite phones to support communication in emergencies. Click here to read...
Bhutan grapples with alarming youth drug crisis – Kuensel
Bhutan faces an escalating youth drug crisis, with 3,678 individuals under the age of 24 arrested for drug-related offences between 2023 and 2024, accounting for over 50 percent of all drug arrests. This alarming data, primarily involving unemployed male youth and students, was revealed in a comprehensive review report presented by the National Council’s (NC) Social and Cultural Affairs Committee (SCAC) during the ongoing 35th NC session on June 3. The SCAC report, focusing on youth and substance abuse, highlighted inhalants, marijuana, sedatives, and opioids as the most commonly abused substances among young people. The widespread import of over 491,518 kilogram of inhalants and solvents in 2024, despite their classification under the Schedule VI of the Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Substance Abuse Act (NDPSSAA), underscores a growing concern. Beyond illicit drugs, the report also detailed pervasive issues with alcohol and tobacco. Click here to read...
Maldives
Maldives and Japan Sign $1.3 Million Agreement for Human Resource Development – PSM News
The governments of Maldives and Japan have signed an Exchange of Notes to provide a grant aid of USD 1.3 million to the Maldives for the continuation of scholarships opportunities to be offered by the Japanese government for the fiscal year 2025. The scholarships are provided under the Japanese Project for Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS). The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sheryna Abdul Samad and the Ambassador of Japan to the Maldives Ishigami Rumiko signed the Exchange of Notes on Tuesday, at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ceremony was attended by the Minister of State for Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development Dr Abdul Raheem Hasan and senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development, Civil Service Commission, the Embassy of Japan, and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Click here to read...
Maldives' Fish Exports Surge 64.7 Percent in First Four Months of 2025 – PSM News
The Maldives has reported a sharp increase in fish exports during the first four months of 2025, with total shipments rising 64.7 percent year-over-year, according to the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA). The surge, driven largely by fresh and frozen fish sales, underscores broader efforts to expand the fisheries sector's role in national revenue. From January to April, the Maldives exported 31,000 metric tonnes of fish, a substantial increase from 19,000 metric tonnes during the same period in 2024, according to the MMA's Monthly Statistics Report. The largest gains were recorded in frozen and fresh skipjack tuna, with exports rising 78 percent to 28,000 metric tonnes, up from 15,000 metric tonnes the previous year. Click here to read...
Maldives-China Initiate Detailed Design of Vilimale’ Hospital Project – PSM News
Maldives and China have signed an agreement to initiate the detailed design phase of the Vilimale’ China-Maldives Friendship Hospital Project. The letter of exchange was signed at an official ceremony held at Dharumavantha Hospital by the Minister of Construction, Housing and Infrastructure, Dr Abdulla Muththalib, and the Ambassador of China to the Maldives, Kong Xianhua. The Minister of Health, Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim, also attended the ceremony, along with senior government officials and representatives from the Chinese Embassy in Male’. The feasibility study for the 112-bed capacity hospital has been completed, and the letter of exchange signing marks the official commencement of the project's detailed design phase, the Ministry of Construction, Housing and Infrastructure said. Click here to read...
Nasheed considering 2028 presidential run – Adhadhu
Former President Mohamed Nasheed has stated that he intends to run in the Presidential Elections of 2028 in the Maldives. Nasheed, who also served as the Speaker of the 19th Parliament, sent a message to several senior members of the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) sharing his opinion. It remains unclear under which party's ticket he intends to run in the elections. "I'm considering running for President, what do you think? Whichever answer you give won't affect our relationship", Nasheed is said to have messaged senior MDP members. Nasheed departed from the MDP due to conflicts with former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. The primary issue was Solih's choice to pursue a second term. Earlier that year, Solih triumphed in the MDP presidential primary over Nasheed. Since that time, Nasheed lead a faction within the party known as "Fikurehge Dhirun". Click here to read...
Myanmar
China Pushing Myanmar Ethnic Armies to Halt Offensives Along BRI: Sources – The Irrawaddy
China’s special envoy to Myanmar, Deng Xijun, has urged the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and Arakan Army (AA) to halt military offensives in Kachin State’s Bhamo and Rakhine State’s Kyaukphyu, sources close to the ethnic armed groups said. Deng reportedly told both ethnic armies to refrain from fighting during meetings in late May, offering improved ties with China in return. Kyaukphyu is home to a China-backed deep-sea port, special economic zone, and the starting point of 973-kilometer pipelines supplying gas and crude oil to Yunnan Province as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Bhamo, situated on the banks of the Irrawaddy River and just 65 kilometers from the Yunnan border, is a key cargo hub for the BRI. Click here to read...
Myanmar Junta Collects US$34m in Quake ‘Donations’ – The Irrawaddy
Junta boss Min Aung Hlaing received more donations from cronies as Myanmar’s regime held a second ceremony for earthquake victims on May 29 in Naypyitaw. Tycoon Maung Weik, A Bank founder Zaw Win Shein, Myanmar Airways International owner Aung Aung Zaw and Zay Thiha, son of property mogul Khin Shwe, attended the event. The regime said almost 132 billion kyats (around US$32 million) and $2 million were donated to help construct 51 four-story buildings, each with 16 apartments. At the first ceremony in April, the regime reportedly received around 125 billion kyats. Min Aung Hlaing said the March 28 earthquake killed 3,740 people and caused 3.8 trillion kyats of damage. The junta boss said he had visited earthquake-affected areas 15 times, while his ceasefire had helped reconstruction efforts. Click here to read...
China lead mine plan weighs heavily on Myanmar tribe – The Times of India
Hundreds of protesting Myanmar tribespeople march up a hillside to a cavernous facility where a Chinese joint venture's giant milling machines stand ready to grind up the rocks of their ancestral homeland for lead ore. Demand for the heavy metal is forecast to rise, driven by its use in the batteries needed for the global energy transition. But its extraction can pollute the environment and the Pradawng tribespeople carry banners reading: "No transparency, no responsibility". "We don't have any plan to exchange this inheritance from our ancestors for money or riches," said 24-year-old protest leader Khun Khine Min Naing. Click here to read...
Rakhine Reset: India, Bangladesh Turn to AA as Myanmar Junta Ousted – The Irrawaddy
The geopolitics is shifting in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, where the Arakan Army (AA) has taken control of 14 out of 17 townships since November 2023. With the Myanmar junta ousted from most of Rakhine, including the entire border with Bangladesh and parts with India, both neighbouring countries have begun engaging directly with the AA. Bangladesh, acknowledging the AA’s de facto authority along the Naf River, has initiated dialogue to ensure border stability and protect national interests. India, through its Mizoram state, is also reportedly engaging with the AA, even allowing the group to establish an office in the state. Despite Myanmar's military regime objecting to such moves, both India and Bangladesh have argued that engagement with on-ground actors is necessary due to the junta’s loss of territorial control. These developments signal a significant realignment in regional diplomacy and border security strategies. Click here to read...
Pakistan
Pakistan wants Trump to arrange talks with India-Dawn
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari have praised US President Donald Trump for his role in helping de-escalate the latest India-Pakistan military confrontation, and urged Washington to facilitate a comprehensive dialogue between the two nuclear neighbours. Speaking at an event at the US Embassy in Islamabad marking the 249th anniversary of American independence, PM Shehbaz said the recent four-day conflict had revealed the “Pahalgam incident was a false-flag operation”, and credited President Trump for playing a decisive role in ensuring a ceasefire. Click here to read...
Provinces demand NFC, agri tax review- The Express Tribune
The National Economic Council on Wednesday approved an enlarged national development outlay of Rs3.9 trillion, as some of the provinces have demanded reviewing the National Finance Commission and reopening the agriculture income tax issue with the International Monetary Fund. The NEC-approved the federal Public Sector Development Programme 2025-26 shows the government's political priorities to appease allies and spend more on roads. It approved reduced budgets for Pakistan's space and atomic energy programmes, health and education but increased allocations for the Sindh-specific projects and the parliamentarians' schemes. Click here to read...
Pakistan becomes co-chair of UNSC Counter-Terrorism Committee- The Express Tribune
In a major setback for India, Pakistan has been elected vice-chair of the United Nations Security Council's (UNSC) Counter-Terrorism Committee and will also chair the UNSC’s 1988 Taliban Sanctions Committee in 2025. This marks a significant diplomatic victory for Islamabad on the global stage. Click here to read...
Event celebrates Pakistan-Bulgaria diplomatic ties- The Express Tribune
The Embassy of Bulgaria in Islamabad hosted a vibrant reception titled "The Ancient Treasures of Bulgaria" to mark the Day of the Bulgarian Alphabet and Culture, as well as the 60th anniversary of Bulgaria-Pakistan diplomatic relations. Click here to read...
