Myanmar's military leader Min Aung Hlaing has transitioned from commander-in-chief to president. This follows a coup five years ago that removed an elected civilian government. Foreign governments should carefully manage their interactions with Naypyitaw. This will help avoid granting undue legitimacy to the current administration. Five years after mounting a coup that ousted an elected civilian government, Min Aung Hlaing has overseen tightly staged elections transitioning him from commander-in-chief to president.
Manori Sallay, wife of Sri Lanka's detained former intelligence chief Suresh Sallay I've been informed by my children that upon leaving the hospital premises, a CID officer has entered the lift with them and appeared to follow them, says Manori Sallay, ex- Sri Lanka's State Intelligence Service head Suresh Sallay's wife.
The Taliban has started restricting smartphone use among government employees in Afghanistan. Enforcement is uneven across the country. The Taliban has begun restricting the use of smartphones by government employees, although the order appears to be unevenly enforced across the country. In some areas, civilians' mobile devices have reportedly been targeted as well, sparking concern that the ban may eventually extend nationwide.
Tajikistan officials rejected a couple's chosen name for their newborn. A Tajik couple was forced to abandon the name they chose for their newborn child after officials said it was not on an approved registry. The case highlights Tajikistan's controversial effort to promote Persian-rooted names and curb visible Islamic influences.
Indonesia’s Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa secured Chinese backing for Indonesia When Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa landed in Beijing last week, the official agenda appeared straightforward: secure support for Indonesia’s first sovereign Panda Bond, deepen financial cooperation with China and strengthen investor confidence. By those measures, the visit was productive. Purbaya returned with Chinese backing for the Panda Bond initiative, discussions on expanding yuan-rup.
Bangladesh Investment Development Authority chairman Ashik Chowdhury stated defense issues would be discussed during Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s upcoming trip When Ashik Chowdhury, the executive chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, was recently asked about Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s upcoming trip to China, his response caught the room off guard. “Many issues will come up,” Chowdhury remarked, “starting with defense.” For a diplomatic trip strictly billed around trade, investment, and business, it was an The post Everythi.
Zardaly, a Kyrgyz village in the Batken region, is seeing its only access road expanded and reinforced. Previously, the precarious mountain pass was dangerous for people and horses, with some falling to their deaths. The infrastructure improvements are bringing new life to the area. New housing is being built. A power station is also planned for Zardaly. In Kyrgyzstan's remote Batken region, locals say people and horses have fallen to their deaths while traversing the only road to the village of Zardaly.
Armenia will hold its general election on 7 June. Foreign policy issues are dominating the campaign. This includes relations with Russia and the ongoing dispute with Azerbaijan. Voters are focused on the country's security and its place in the region. The election results could shape Armenia's future alliances. Armenians will head to the polls on 7 June for the country’s first general election since 2021.
Djibouti navigates shifting alliances in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea. This week on The Horn, Alan speaks with Samson Abebe Bezabeh, Assistant Professor of African Studies at the University of Hong Kong, about Djibouti’s history, politics and efforts to navigate turmoil and shifting alliances in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea.
Pakistan began proposing solutions to end the war soon after the United States and Israel Soon after the U. S. and Israel began bombing Iran on 28 February, Pakistan started conveying proposals for ending the war. The mediator’s mantle comes with risks, but Islamabad feels the stakes are high enough that it has persevered at the task. A New Player in the Quest for a U. S.-Iran Breakthrough.
The European Union's next seven-year budget proposal may reduce funding for conflict prevention and aid to fragile states. Experts warn this could impact the EU's ability to address global instability. The proposed budget prioritizes other areas, potentially leaving less for crucial diplomatic and development initiatives. This shift could weaken the EU's role in promoting peace and stability in vulnerable regions.
Iranian negotiators departed the Geneva venue after President Trump threatened sanctions. The talks aimed to resolve decades-old U. S.-Iranian disputes. A 60-day period was intended for broader issue settlement. The negotiations to end a war that sowed chaos across the region and rattled the global economy are meant to trigger a 60-day period to settle broader issues that have dogged U. S.-Iranian relations for decades.
David Miliband, IRC President and CEO, reported U. S. David Miliband, the IRC’s President and CEO, said it was still vital to recognise the impact of aid cuts, led by the U. S., that have halved the IRC’s budget in the country to a current estimate of $20 million in 2027 from $40 million last year.
Delegations from the United States, Iran, Qatar, and Pakistan gathered on June Delegations from the United States, Iran, Qatar and Pakistan began gathering on June 21 at the Lake Lucerne Summit, launching what could become the most consequential diplomatic effort yet to stabilize the Middle East after weeks of war. Delegations Gather For US-Iran Summit Amid Fragile Regional Truce. High-level talks have begun between US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian representatives at the Burgenstock resort in Switzerland, launching what could become the most consequential diplomatic effort yet to stabilize the Middle East after near four months of war.
Twenty thousand runners competed in the Comrades race in South Africa. For one day every June, South Africa’s searing racial inequality seems to melt away at Comrades raceIn the early morning dark, thousands of runners waited, jostling with anticipation. South Africa’s national anthem rang out. Then the haunting swell of Shosholoza, first sung by Zimbabwean migrant workers in South Africa’s goldmines.
Marjane Satrapi was laid to rest in Paris on June 19. The Iranian-born author wrote the graphic novel Persepolis, which was later adapted into a Cannes-winning animated film. Satrapi's work was honored with tributes in Paris. She was a renowned artist, activist, and filmmaker. Iranian-born author Marjane Satrapi, who wrote the hit graphic novel Persepolis, was laid to rest on June 19 in Paris amid tributes honoring her work.
Russia is experiencing gas shortages at fuel stations. Pulling up at a gas station with no fuel for sale, a Russian woman is aghast: “What’s going on in this country?” What’s going on is that in the fifth year of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine is fighting back with strikes on oil refineries, part of a bid to bring the war to citizens across Russia.
US and Iranian delegations delayed travel to Switzerland for peace talks after Israeli military bombardment in southern Lebanon US and Iranian delegations delayed plans to travel to Switzerland on Friday for the opening round of talks to cement the details of a peace agreement as the Israeli military bombarded southern Lebanon, killing at least 18 people and threatening once again to derail momentum toward a diplomatic resolution.
Artists at the United Nations used cultural artifacts and performances to illustrate how art can counter hate. Examples included an enslaved African's gold collar and Holocaust-era music. A staged hate radio broadcast and participatory porcelain cup displays were also presented. From a gold collar worn by an enslaved African to music preserved for nearly a century after the Holocaust, a staged reconstruction of a hate radio broadcast or porcelain coffee cups laid out in participatory remembrance, artists in a United Nations discussion on Friday used powerful images to underscore how culture can shape the fight against hatred.
The term "Wasian" is gaining visibility in popular culture. “Wasians” are having a moment right now. Think of Winter Olympians Alysa Liu and Eileen Gu, singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo, actors Lola Tang (The Summer I Turned Pretty) and Hudson Williams (Heated Rivalry), or singer/dancer Megan Skiendiel from Katseye. In fact, Icelandic-Chinese singer Laufey featured many of these same “Wasians” in her recent Madwoman music video.
A mother had an awkward first period talk with her daughter in a supermarket aisle Her first period talk with her daughter – unexpectedly in a supermarket aisle – was awkward and far less reassuring than she had imagined. But experts say open, ongoing conversations about puberty and menstruation matter more than getting them perfectly right.
Advocates state Canada's Safe Third Country Agreement compels asylum seekers to enter the Advocates say the Safe Third Country Agreement forces immigrants to head to an unsafe country: the United StatesIt was the threat of gang violence in Honduras that pushed Carlos and Antonia to flee their home. In 2021, with their toddler, Alejandro, and a handful of belongings, the married couple ventured north hoping to reach safety in the US. The journey, through Guatemala and Mexico, was filled.
Colombia holds a presidential runoff vote on Sunday. Colombians will choose on Sunday between two men whose lives have been very differently shaped by the militias, and whose visions for the country are poles apartWhoever wins Sunday’s presidential runoff vote in Colombia, the country’s next leader will have a personal history intertwined with one of the criminal forces at the heart of a decades-long armed conflict that claimed nearly half a million.
A 21-year-old New Zealander, known by his call A soldier who goes by the call sign Kiwi was still a teenager in Wellington, New Zealand, when he saw Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on the news in February 2022. As the war dragged on, he learned that he could enlist and receive training to fight alongside the forces defending Ukraine.
Severe thunderstorms caused destruction in the Balkans last week. The storms formed over the Adriatic Sea due to lingering hot air and a southward cold front. Slovenia experienced strong winds and heavy rain. Strong winds and heavy rain batter Slovenia, while France experiences atypical heatwaveSevere thunderstorms swept across the Balkans last week, bringing widespread destruction to parts of the region.
