Afghanistan
Qosh Tepa Canal Phase Two Reaches 90% Completion-Tolo News
The National Development Company has announced a 90% completion rate in the excavation work of the second phase of the Qosh Tepa Canal project. According to the company's spokesperson, the construction of the headworks for this phase has also reached nearly 80% completion. Click here to read...
India launches New Visa Module for Afghans, Afghan nationals to update Visas under new policy- The Khaama Press
India has introduced a new visa module allowing Afghan nationals in India to update their visas under the revised immigration policy. India on Thursday announced the implementation of a new visa module specifically for Afghan nationals. The new module came into effect on April 29, 2025, Randhir Jaiswal, Spokesperson of India’s Ministry of External Affairs stated during a briefing on Thursday. Click here to read...
Bhutan
Poverty Rate Drops, regional disparities still a hurdle – The Bhutanese
Bhutan's national poverty fell from 28 percent in 2017 to 11.6 percent in 2022. The World Bank's Poverty and Equity Assessment Report 2024, Launched May 29, highlights the country's progress in very reduction. Highlighting the long-standing Bhutanese commitment to well-being, the resident representative of the World Bank in Bhutan Adama Coulibaly, said, "Bhutan has been working on poverty reduction and the well-being of the Bhutanese people way before it started its engagement with the world, adding that His Majesty the Fourth King's early articulation of the Gross National Happiness philosophy in 1972." He acknowledged the visionary leadership within Bhutan and the tangible achievements the nation has secured, including the near-eradication of extreme poverty and the expansion of essential services. Click here to read...
Maldives
President Muizzu Receives WHO Honour for Leadership in Tobacco Control – PSM News
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has been honoured with the World No-Tobacco Day Special Recognition Award by the World Health Organization (WHO). The award was presented to President Muizzu at a ceremony held at Barcelo Nasandhura on May 29 night to mark the World Health Day. The award was presented to the President on behalf of WHO by its Regional Director Saima Wazid. WHO annually awards individuals and organisations worldwide to recognise their efforts to control tobacco. These include the Special Recognition Award by World Health Organisation’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and the World No Tobacco Day Award. President Muizzu was awarded the Director-General’s Award in recognition of his efforts to control tobacco in the Maldives, acknowledging his leadership and commitment to protecting public health in the Maldives through robust tobacco control measures. Click here to read...
Myanmar
Under Pressure From China, Myanmar Rebels Cede Hard-Won Territory – The New York Times
It was one of the biggest rebel victories of the four-year civil war in Myanmar. Thousands of resistance fighters from half a dozen rebel armies took the city of Lashio and overran a military command center 75 miles from the Chinese border. Facing junta artillery and airstrikes, the rebels attacked with small arms, rocket-propelled grenades and drones, ultimately winning in intense street fighting. The triumph in August came at a cost of more than 500 fighters killed, the rebels said. Click here to read...
Chinese ventures crop up in northern Shan State town under Kokang administration – Myanmar Now
Since its capture by an ethnically Kokang armed group in 2023, the town of Hseni (Hsenwi), northern Shan State has drawn large numbers of Chinese business people, reportedly encouraged further by a recent, Chinese government-brokered ceasefire. Located on a major trade route crossing northern Shan State’s border with China’s Yunnan Province, the city has been under the control of the Kokang Army—also known by its official name, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA)—since late October 2023. Click here to read...
Pakistan
PM arrives in Dushanbe for talks, glacier conference-The Express Tribune
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has arrived in Tajikistan for a two-day official visit aimed at enhancing bilateral relations and addressing regional and environmental challenges. The visit, announced by the Prime Minister’s Office, signals Islamabad’s renewed diplomatic outreach in Central Asia. On arrival at Dushanbe Airport on Thursday, the PM was warmly received by his Tajik counterpart, Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda, along with other high-ranking Tajik officials including Deputy Foreign Minister Sharifzoda Farrukh Homiddin. Click here to read...
PM reaffirms support for strengthening UN peacekeeping missions-The Express Tribune
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s enduring commitment to United Nations peacekeeping missions on Thursday, urging the international community to adapt UN operations to meet evolving global challenges. In a message on the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, He highlighted that more than 235,000 Pakistani troops have served in 48 UN missions over the last seven decades. Click here to read...
Afghan FM to visit Pakistan soon-The Express Tribune
The Afghan Interim foreign minister is expected to travel to Islamabad soon on a first visit in two years, highlighting the growing high-level exchanges between the two neighbours in recent weeks. "He (Amir Khan Muttaqi) will visit Pakistan soon. Dates are being worked out," said a diplomatic source on Thursday. The source said the Afghan side has already accepted the invitation. Click here to read...
