Afghanistan
India, Central Asia Reaffirm Support for Peace in Afghanistan- Tolo News
India and five Central Asian countries in a joint statement, emphasized that peace and stability in Afghanistan are vital and essential. The foreign ministers of these nations declared their firm support for a stable, peaceful Afghanistan free from terrorism and narcotics. According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, during the fourth meeting of the foreign ministers of India and the five Central Asian countries, it was agreed to continue coordinated dialogue on issues related to Afghanistan. Click here to read...
Pakistan blocks 11 Afghanistan trucks at Wagah border- The Khaama Press
Pakistan has blocked 11 Afghanistan trucks at the Wagah border due to documentation issues, causing delays and losses, says Indian media. According to Indian media reports, Pakistan has blocked the passage of 11 Afghanistan’s cargo trucks carrying semi-perishable goods at the Wagah border crossing. These trucks have reportedly been stranded since April 23 due to administrative issues and their absence from the official clearance list. Click here to read...
Germany granted citizenship to 10,000 Afghans last year- The Khaama Press
Germany granted citizenship to 10,000 Afghans last year, marking a significant milestone in Afghan migration and integration within German society. Germany granted citizenship to nearly 292,000 people in 2024, marking a historic 46% increase compared to the previous year, according to data released by the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). This surge in naturalizations is the highest ever recorded in the country. Click here to read...
Maldives
Maldives invites UN Rapporteur amid backlash over dismissals Supreme Court Justices – Adhadhu
The Government of Maldives has extended an invitation to Margaret Satterthwaite, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, to conduct an official visit to the country. The invitation follows international criticism over the recent dismissal of two Supreme Court justices. Earlier this month, the People’s Majlis voted to remove Justice Azmiralda Zahir and Justice Mahaz Ali Zahir from the bench, prompting condemnation from the United Nations. Responding to the UN’s concerns, the Government of Maldives issued a comprehensive 101-point statement asserting that the judges were removed in accordance with national laws and due process. Click here to read...
Maldives Launches National Roadmap for Ocean Accounts – PSM News
The Maldives has unveiled a national roadmap for the development of ocean accounts on the sidelines of the ongoing Third United Nations Oceans Conference in Nice, France. The roadmap was officially launched by Minister of Tourism and Environment Thoriq Ibrahim at a side event organised by the Maldives in collaboration with the Global Oceans Accounts Partnership. Ocean accounts are a structured framework used to track and assess the condition, use, and value of the ocean and marine ecosystems in a way that aligns with national economic accounting systems. The framework measures their status as natural resources and calculate their economic and social benefits to shape sustainable development. Click here to read...
Myanmar
Myanmar guerrillas claim rare downing of junta jet – The Hindu
Myanmar anti-coup guerrillas claimed to shoot down a junta jet on June 10, declaring a rare victory over the air force which has kept them at bay in a grinding civil war. The military swiftly denied their claim, saying the plane crashed near the central village of Min Taing Pin around midday because of "sudden engine failure" while on a "practice flight". Myanmar has been consumed by civil war since the military ousted a democratic government in 2021, but analysts say its air force backed by Russia and China has allowed it to fend off a myriad of lesser-equipped opposition groups. The military and some of its adversaries have pledged a truce this month as the country continues to recover from March's devastating magnitude-7.7 earthquake which killed nearly 3,800 people. Click here to read...
Myanmar, Nepal further cooperate to enhance diplomatic ties – The Global New Light of Myanmar
Myanmar Ambassador to Nepal U Myo Myint Maung called on Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nepal Dr Arzu Rana Deuba at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal at noon (Nepali Standard Time) on 9 June. At the call, they frankly discussed bilateral friendship, relations between the peoples of both countries, further cooperation in the enhancement of diplomatic relations, and preparations of Myanmar to hold a general election. Also, present at the meeting together with the Nepali Foreign Minister were officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Myanmar Ambassador was accompanied by the deputy head of mission of the Myanmar Embassy to Nepal. Click here to read...
Pakistan
Govt slaps Rs415b taxes to raise Rs2.2tr-The Express Tribune
The government on Tuesday proposed over Rs415 billion worth of new tax measures to extract an additional Rs2.2 trillion from the sluggish economy by taxing digital earnings, online services, solar panels, and cars used by the middle class. It also proposed drastic reductions in import taxes to open the economy to foreign competition. Click here to read...
Anti-digital, pro-realty sector budget- The Express Tribune
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Tuesday unveiled a Rs17.6 trillion budget, which attempted to limit fiscal expansion but taxation measures were clearly self-contradictory that on one hand would promote cash economy and fossil fuels but discourage these too on the other. Click here to read...
Budget grants 10pc pay raise, 7pc pension increase for govt employees- Dawn
The government has increased the salaries of federal employees (Grade-1 to Grade-22) by 10 per cent, while the retired government servants will be eligible for a 7pc pension raise in light of the budget for the financial year 2025-26 tabled on Tuesday. The government also introduced pension reforms, in a bid to reduce the expenditure under this head, as it eliminated multiple allowances and limited the family pension period to 10 years in case of the death of the actual beneficiary. Click here to read...
Defence budget sees major boost amid India tensions- Dawn
The federal government on Tuesday proposed an allocation of Rs2.55 trillion for the country’s armed forces in the fiscal year 2025-26, marking the highest annual increase in defence spending in over a decade, amid heightened tensions with India and last month’s military clashes between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. The new allocation represents a 20.2 per cent rise over the previous year’s budget of Rs2.122tr, pushing defence spending to around 1.97pc of GDP — up from 1.7pc last year — as it inches back to 2pc after years of incremental decline. The increase also contrasts with the decline in national spending on health and education in terms of GDP, with figures for the first nine months of the outgoing fiscal year well below 1pc. Click here to read...
