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ISLAMABAD: Nepal has banned imports of Indian mangoes after inspectors detected excessive levels of chemical pesticides and inadequate quarantine facilities along parts of the border, a move that could lead to shortages and higher prices in the Himalayan nation, according to the Indian news website, First Post. The restrictions, imposed by Nepal&#39;s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and reportedly in effect since April-May, target Indian mango shipments entering through border regions, particularly in Madhesh Province. Authorities say the measure is intended to protect consumers and encourage domestic fruit production. &quot;The federal government&#39;s decision will provide additional encouragement to local production, while citizens will have access to healthier and safer produce,&quot; Manish Kumar Pal, spokesperson for the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives of Madhesh Province, told state-run newspaper The Rising Nepal. Nepal produces mangoes domestically, with major cultivation concentrated in the districts of Siraha, Saptari and Dhanusha. The harvest season runs from mid-May to mid-July. However, local production is insufficient to meet year-round demand. Ban to benefit local farmersAjaya Gyawali, an information officer at the province&#39;s agriculture ministry, said the ban has benefited local farmers by reducing competition from imported fruit. &quot;It has promoted local production, which is a positive development,&quot; Gyawali said. Still, he warned that domestic supplies may not be sufficient to meet nationwide demand, particularly in major urban centers such as Kathmandu. Mangoes currently sell for about 100 to 150 Nepalese rupees ($0.73 to $1.10) per kilogram in Kathmandu. Traders warn prices could rise significantly if the restrictions remain in place. They point to a previous ban on banana imports from India, after which prices reportedly doubled from around 120-150 Nepalese rupees ($0.80 to $1.00) per dozen to 250-300 Nepalese&nbsp;rupees ($1.60 to $1.95) per dozen. The restrictions could also affect industries that depend on mango supplies, including juice manufacturers, Gyawali said. For India, the impact is expected to be limited yet symbolically significant. India produces about 24 million metric tons of mangoes annually, exporting only a small share. Its largest export markets include the United States, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Saudi Arabia. While Nepal is not a major destination for Indian mangoes, the ban affects premium varieties such as Alphonso, Dasheri, Chausa, Kesar, Langra and Banganapalli. The move comes weeks after Japan suspended imports of several Indian mango varieties for the first time in two decades, following inspections that found irregularities at treatment and production facilities. In March, Japanese quarantine officials identified deficiencies in fumigation and disinfection procedures at facilities in Uttar Pradesh. The subsequent import suspension has added pressure on Indian exporters.

Mango cultivation in Nepal -(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

India

For India, the impact is expected to be limited yet symbolically significant. India's largest export markets include the US, the UAE, the UK, the Netherlands, and Saudi Arabia.

Nepal bans Indian mango imports over pesticide concerns

ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of residents in Surat&rsquo;s Muslim-majority Nasirnagar locality have been left scrambling for shelter after nearly 100 houses were demolished in what locals described as a &ldquo;ghost demolition&rdquo; carried out without clear official accountability, The Observer Post reported on Wednesday. Nasirnagar, Surat, is an area largely inhabited by working-class Muslim families. Residents told the publication that bulldozers arrived with police protection and razed dozens of homes, leaving families homeless overnight. According to local accounts, many residents claimed they were not given adequate notice before the operation. The demolition reportedly affected around 95 houses and displaced hundreds of people, including women, children and elderly residents. Several families said household belongings, documents and personal possessions were buried under the rubble. The controversy deepened after multiple government departments reportedly denied authorizing the demolition. Rights group Indian American Muslim Council flagged the incident on Thursday in a post on the social media platform X. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2064766219593425378&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Flogin%2F&sessionId=ed944e922fd35313ddeef5d28bdbfc89aa71021f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 849px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>Residents and activists questioned how such a large-scale operation could have been conducted without a formal order from any authority. According to Indian media, officials from the Surat Municipal Corporation and other agencies distanced themselves from responsibility for the action. The lack of clarity has fuelled allegations of administrative irregularities and demands for an independent investigation. Affected families said they were struggling to find temporary accommodation and were relying on relatives, neighbors and community organizations for support. Local activists alleged that the operation disproportionately affected a Muslim-majority neighborhood and demanded transparency regarding the decision-making process. Community members also raised concerns about the absence of rehabilitation arrangements for those displaced. Residents said they had repeatedly sought answers from officials regarding who ordered the demolition and under what legal provisions it was carried out. Rights advocates called for authorities to release all relevant documents related to the operation. They also demanded compensation for families who lost homes and property during the demolition. The incident has drawn wider attention to concerns surrounding demolition drives and housing rights in several parts of India. Authorities had not publicly clarified responsibility for the operation at the time of reporting. For many displaced families in Nasirnagar, uncertainty continues as they seek accountability and answers over the destruction of their homes.

Nearly 100 homes in Surat’s Muslim-majority Nasirnagar demolished, hundreds of residents displaced; authorities deny ordering the operation, prompting demands for accountability, compensation and an independent investigation.

Muslim families displaced after nearly 100 houses razed in Surat, India

MUMBAI: India&#39;s aviation accident probe agency is facing renewed criticism from pilot groups ahead of the anniversary of the 2025 Air India Boeing-787 crash in Ahmedabad, which killed 260 people. Families of the victims had expected a final report by Friday to explain the cause of the disaster &mdash; exactly a year after the Boeing 787-8 crashed in a fireball shortly after takeoff and smashed into a medical college. But with investigations continuing, local media suggest India&#39;s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will only issue an interim report &mdash; frustrating those awaiting clear answers about why their relatives died. &quot;I don&#39;t have much trust,&quot; said Charanvir Randhawa, president of the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), which has more than 5,000 members. &quot;I will be very honest; they are not transparent at all,&quot; Randhawa told AFP. His organization has criticized the composition of the initial investigation team, and its decision to question the family of one of the deceased pilots. &#39;Path toward answers&#39; On Friday, relatives of the victims will meet in Ahmedabad at a conference organized by lawyers, along with aviation and air safety experts, to &quot;discuss the path toward answers and safer skies.&quot; It also plans to hold a candlelight vigil in memory of those who died &mdash; 241 of the 242 people on board, and 19 on the ground. Among the dead were 200 Indians, 52 British citizens, seven Portuguese and one Canadian. Only one passenger survived, Briton Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who told the Press Association news agency that he continued to &quot;live with the significant psychological scars&quot; following the crash, in which his brother died, and &quot;the constant unanswered questions&quot; about why it took place. &quot;Those questions are not just on my mind &mdash; they are on the minds of every affected family,&quot; he said. &quot;Nothing will ever change what happened, but families deserve clarity.&quot; As required by international law, the AAIB published a preliminary report on July 12, 2025, a month after the disaster. That 15-page document said the fuel supply to the jet&#39;s engines was cut off moments before impact, raising questions about possible pilot error. &#39;Flawed&#39; reportIt also published a conversation between the captain and his co-pilot about the fuel supply being cut off &mdash; two brief sentences that sparked theories of pilot suicide. The report was met with strong criticism. It did not say why the fuel switches were turned off &mdash; whether that was the fault of a pilot or a result of a malfunction. Pushkaraj Sabharwal, 91, father of pilot Sumeet Sabharwal, called that report &quot;profoundly flawed&quot; and filed a petition at India&#39;s Supreme Court. He argued it focused on the dead pilots &quot;while failing to examine or eliminate other more plausible technical and procedural causes of the crash.&quot; Randhawa worries another inconclusive finding could result in &quot;far more speculations&quot; rather than understanding the disaster. &quot;You have to give an indication. Why did the crash occur?&quot; In May, the FIP pilot group submitted a letter to the aviation ministry calling for further investigation to rule out electrical failure. &quot;Even if they are going to take more than one year, they should say: &#39;We are still investigating&#39;,&quot; he said. &quot;They should publish the full investigation report.&quot;

Federation of Indian Pilots president says Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau not “transparent at all”; organization has criticized composition of the initial investigation team.

Pilots demand answers ahead of Air India crash anniversary

ISLAMABAD: Air India&#39;s transformation under new ownership has turned into an operational disaster, marked by pilot rebellions over pay cuts, a fatal crash, safety violations, and geopolitical airspace closures, resulting in a $2.8 billion loss and significant route reductions. The crisis began in early 2024, when the Tata Group imposed unified contracts, slashing pilot guarantees from 70 to 40 flight hours per month, according to The Hindu. First officers faced a 57% pay reduction and had to fly 76 hours to match previous earnings. Sixty pilots transitioning from AirAsia India struggled with 900,000 Indian rupees ($9,434) in training debts, now impossible to service. By March 2024, two pilot unions sent a joint letter to Tata Chairman N. Chandrasekaran, warning that the changes had reduced aviators to &quot;bonded labor,&quot; according to The Hindu. Between March 31 and April 2, sick-out protests forced 150 flight cancellations. At least 15 senior first officers resigned. Cabin crew discord erupted in May 2024 when Air India Express workers staged a mass sick leave, canceling 90 flights and affecting 13,000 passengers, according to The Times of India. Management initially fired 25 employees before reversing course following mediation. On June 12, 2025, Flight AI171 crashed near Ahmedabad in western India, killing 242 people on board and 19 on the ground, according to AFP. The director-general of the civil aviation (DGCA) subsequently found that 83% of Air India&#39;s aircraft exhibited recurring technical defects, according to the analysis cited in the original document. In February this year, the DGCA fined Air India 10 million Indian rupees ($104,845) for flying an unairworthy Airbus A320 on eight revenue flights, according to The Hindu. Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian carriers following a military confrontation in May 2025. Air India then requested the Indian government to press China for access to sensitive Xinjiang airspace to reduce costs and flight times, according to an internal company document reported by Indian media. The airspace closure reportedly cost the carrier $455 million, nearly matching its entire fiscal year 2024-25 pre-tax loss of $439 million, according to a parliamentary response by the Indian Minister of State for Civil Aviation. A similar Pakistani airspace closure in 2019 cost Air India and other Indian carriers at least $64 million over five months. For the fiscal year ending March 31, Air India posted a $2.8 billion consolidated loss, according to PRESS Insider and The Economic Times. Singapore Airlines, holding 25.1%, saw profits collapse 57.4%. The once fledgling carrier was forced to request temporary government subsidies to offset the financial impact.

Air India faces mass pilot resignations and cabin crew strikes following 57% pay cuts. Safety incidents, including a fatal crash and maintenance violations, have led to a record $2.8 billion loss.

Air India's pay cuts trigger pilot revolts, deepen crisis

ISLAMABAD: Border security chiefs from India and Bangladesh met in New Delhi on Monday for high-level talks &quot;to discuss and deliberate on border-related issues and to improve coordination between the Border Guarding Forces,&quot; India&#39;s Border Security Force said on its social media channels.&nbsp; The 57th Director-General-level Border Co-ordination Conference between India&#39;s Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guard Bangladesh is being hosted at BSF Headquarters in New Delhi, running from June 8 to 11. Discussions are expected to cover alleged illegal &quot;push-ins,&quot; border killings, infiltration, smuggling and the construction of border fencing, The New Indian Express reported. The conference comes days after India deported nearly 5,000 Bangladeshi immigrants since Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s Hindu-nationalist party swept to power in West Bengal last month, according to official statistics quoted by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. According to Adhikari, authorities have established detention centers across the state and are identifying and deporting undocumented migrants. India&#39;s ruling BJP has made illegal immigration a key political issue, particularly in states bordering Bangladesh. Critics have accused authorities of targeting Bengali-speaking Muslims and carrying out deportations without due process. Top Indian officials have previously used incendiary language to describe migrants, with senior figures referring to them as &quot;termites&quot; and &quot;infiltrators.&quot;&nbsp; Relations between New Delhi and Dhaka have remained strained since the 2024 political upheaval in Bangladesh that ended the rule of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, a close partner of India. Border management, migration, and security cooperation have since emerged as major points of contention between the neighbors. Officials from both sides said the latest talks aim to improve coordination between border forces and reduce tensions along one of South Asia&#39;s busiest and most sensitive international borders, according to BSF officials cited by Indian media.

FILE: Indian troops patrolling the border fence with Bangladesh in India's Assam state in May 2025. (Photo: Biju Boro/AFP)

Bangladesh

Talk comes days after India deported nearly 5,000 Bangladeshi immigrants since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu-nationalist party swept to power in West Bengal last month

India, Bangladesh aim to tighten border security to address migrants issue

KOLKATA:&nbsp;India has deported nearly 5,000 Bangladeshi citizens since Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s Hindu-nationalist party swept to power in West Bengal last month, according to official statistics. Modi&#39;s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won a sweeping victory in elections in the eastern border state of more than 100 million people, promising to &quot;detect, delete and deport&quot; illegal migrants. India shares a long and porous border with Muslim-majority Bangladesh, where migration has historically been driven by economic hardship and longstanding family links. On taking power, the new West Bengal government ordered the establishment of detention centers for undocumented Bangladeshis and Rohingya refugees, a mainly Muslim people who fled persecution in Myanmar. State Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, speaking in the capital Kolkata on Sunday, said nearly 5,000 Bangladeshi citizens had been deported across the border. &#39;Deporting Bangladeshi infiltrators&#39; &quot;We have started the work of deporting Bangladeshi infiltrators who do not fall under the purview of the Citizenship Amendment Act,&quot; Adhikari said, saying the government had &quot;established holding centers in all districts of the state&quot; in May. &quot;From these centers, 4,800 Bangladeshi infiltrators have already been deported so far,&quot; he added. &quot;Another 836 people are currently in the holding centers... we are making arrangements to deport the 836 soon,&quot; Adhikari said. The deportation campaign comes against a backdrop of longstanding political tensions over immigration in the border state. &#39;Termites&#39; and &#39;infiltrators&#39; Top Indian officials have referred to migrants as &quot;termites&quot; and &quot;infiltrators&quot;. Critics say the BJP&#39;s rhetoric and policies have added to the unease and marginalization of India&#39;s more than 200 million Muslims, accusing the party of conflating religious identity with illegal migration. Rights groups have previously accused India of also pushing hundreds of Bengali-speaking Muslims into Bangladesh without due process. Relations between India and Muslim-majority Bangladesh soured after a 2024 revolution in Dhaka ended the autocratic rule of then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina, an ally of New Delhi, who fled to India. Bangladesh and Indian border force chiefs are due to meet in New Delhi on Monday.

Deports nearly 5,000 Bangladeshi nationals from West Bengal, officials say, as the government intensifies action against illegal immigration and plans a high-tech border security project.

India detains, deports 5,000 Bangladeshis: State chief minister

NEW DELHI: Hundreds of people in India&#39;s border region with Bangladesh have fled to the frontier, police said Wednesday, after the government ordered the construction of detention centres for undocumented Bangladeshi migrants and Rohingya refugees. Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept to power in West Bengal state in early May with a hardline policy to &quot;detect, delete and deport&quot; illegal migrants. India&#39;s right-wing have long argued that illegal migration is a national security threat, and warned of changing demography in India&#39;s border states. West Bengal government&#39;s last week ordered the setting up of &quot;holding centres&quot; for &quot;apprehended foreigners&quot;, singling out both Bangladeshis and Rohingya. The decision has fuelled anxiety among West Bengal&#39;s roughly 35 million Muslims, many of whom share linguistic and cultural ties with neighbouring Bangladesh. Indian police officer Shirshendu Pati, from the Swarupnagar Police Station about 10 kilometres (six miles) from the Bangladesh border, said streams of people had arrived since Tuesday. &quot;People who say they are from Bangladesh and want to return home have been coming here since yesterday,&quot; Pati told AFP. &#39;Holding centre&#39;Pati said that the process had &quot;been peaceful and smooth so far&quot;, and they received about 200 people on Tuesday and 40 people early Wednesday. &quot;While we verify their identities and complete the necessary paperwork, all of them are in a holding centre,&quot; he said, noting they will be handed to India&#39;s border security force and sent to Bangladesh. &quot;The local administration is catering to all their needs including food, water and lodging,&quot; Pati added. On Tuesday, Home Minister Amit Shah announced the formation of a special committee on demographic change. &quot;Illegal migration and other reasons for unnatural demography change are a big challenge for any country&#39;s present and future,&quot; Shah said in a speech. &quot;Demographic change is a serious issue linked not only to our sovereignty but also to national security, law and order (and) profound changes in social structure,&quot; Shah added. Top BJP members have previously referred to Bangladeshi migrants as &quot;termites&quot; and &quot;infiltrators&quot;. Critics say BJP&#39;s rhetoric and policies have added to the unease and marginalisation of India&#39;s estimated 200 million Muslims, accusing the party of conflating religious identity with illegal migration. The West Bengal centres have drawn particular concern because of the state&#39;s porous border with Bangladesh and its long history of migration. Relations between India and Muslim-majority Bangladesh soured after a 2024 revolution in Dhaka ended the autocratic rule of then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina, an ally of New Delhi who subsequently fled to India. The detention order&#39;s apparent inclusion of Rohingya refugees -- &nbsp;a mainly Muslim group who fled Myanmar during a brutal military crackdown in 2017 -- has also drawn criticism.

Hundreds of people in India's border region with Bangladesh flee to the frontier after the government ordered the construction of detention centres for undocumented Bangladeshi migrants and Rohingya refugees.

Hundreds flee India migrant crackdown towards Bangladesh

WASHINGTON: The International Monetary Fund said Tuesday it was in negotiations with the Bangladeshi government for a new assistance program at Dhaka&#39;s request, as the South Asian country reels from the economic fallout of the Iran war. &quot;The Bangladeshi authorities have requested a new IMF-supported program,&quot; said Ivo Krznar, the Fund&#39;s Mission Chief for Bangladesh. &quot;IMF staff are in discussions with the authorities on their reform agenda and policy priorities.&quot; In March, Bangladesh&#39;s government said it was seeking loans of around $2 billion from multilateral donors to tackle energy security concerns sparked by the surging fuel prices caused by the war on Iran. In a virtual meeting last week between Bangladesh Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and IMF Deputy Managing Director Nigel Clarke, both sides agreed to move quickly toward a new program, the finance ministry said in a statement on Monday. Bangladesh is already in the middle of a $5.7 billion IMF program, which began in 2023 and was due to run for four years. Last week, the World Bank said it had approved a $350 million loan to help Bangladesh manage rising fuel import pressures and strengthen energy security after shortages linked to the Middle East war. The South Asian nation of 170 million people imports 95 percent of its oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG), much of it from the Middle East, where energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have been disrupted since the war began on February 28. Bangladesh relies on imported LNG to meet its electricity demands, with power needs surging as the South Asian country swelters in the summer heat. The government has already taken several measures to curb fuel consumption, including halting production at most fertilizer factories.

Bangladesh is already in the middle of a $5.7 billion IMF program, which began in 2023 and was due to run for four years; World Bank says it had approved a $350 million loan to help Bangladesh manage rising fuel import pressures and strengthen energy security after shortages linked to the Middle East war.

IMF says Bangladesh requests new assistance program amid Iran war fallout

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations has expressed deep concern over the Taliban&rsquo;s arrest of women in Afghanistan&rsquo;s western Herat province, warning that the detentions and the subsequent use of force against protesters raise serious human rights concerns amid an expanding crackdown on women across the country. The warning comes as reports emerge of a pregnant woman who was allegedly detained by Taliban morality police in Kabul and remains missing days later, with her family saying authorities have provided no information about her whereabouts. According to a UN statement issued Wednesday, at least 30 women were detained in Herat by officials from the Taliban&rsquo;s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. The arrests followed a large-scale operation targeting women accused of violating the Taliban&rsquo;s dress requirements. The detentions sparked protests in Herat city, where residents gathered to denounce the arrests before Taliban security forces moved to disperse the crowd. In its statement, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said it was concerned that &ldquo;dozens more women reportedly received verbal warnings&rdquo; during the operation. &ldquo;While the women were released on June 8, the impact of such arbitrary arrests and detentions on women and their families is profound,&rdquo; UNAMA said. The UN mission also raised alarm over what it described as the &ldquo;excessive use of force by Afghanistan&rsquo;s de facto security forces&rdquo; against demonstrators in Herat&rsquo;s Jibreil area on June 9. According to UNAMA, &ldquo;at least one person, a boy, was killed by gunfire, while several others suffered injuries, including from being beaten with sticks,&rdquo; adding that it was verifying reports of a second fatality. The developments underscore growing international concern over the Taliban&rsquo;s enforcement of morality regulations, which rights groups say have increasingly curtailed women&rsquo;s freedoms since the group returned to power in 2021. Pregnant woman detainedSeparately, sources told Afghanistan International that a Hazara woman was detained by Taliban morality police in Kabul three days ago after leaving her home to carry out routine shopping.&nbsp; The woman, who is reportedly pregnant, was allegedly taken away in a government vehicle to an undisclosed location. Her family says repeated attempts to obtain information from local police and the Taliban&rsquo;s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice have yielded no answers. &ldquo;We have approached all the relevant offices, but no one accepts responsibility for the arrest or tells us where she has been taken,&rdquo; one source told the outlet on condition of anonymity. &ldquo;We are deeply concerned about her well-being and that of her child,&rdquo; the source added. Taliban authorities have not publicly explained the reason for the detention, though morality police have frequently detained women accused of failing to comply with the Taliban&rsquo;s interpretation of hijab requirements. UNAMA reiterated its call on Afghanistan&rsquo;s de facto authorities to &ldquo;rescind all policies and practices that restrict the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls in Afghanistan,&rdquo; including limitations on freedom of movement, expression, education, employment and participation in public life. Since regaining power nearly five years ago, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on women and girls, barring them from higher education, limiting employment opportunities and restricting access to public spaces.&nbsp; International organizations have repeatedly warned that the cumulative effect of these measures has resulted in the systematic exclusion of women from public life and one of the world&rsquo;s most severe women&rsquo;s rights crises.

Afghan women wearing chador walk along the street near the Grand Mosque in Herat on June 8, 2026. (AFP)

Afghanistan

The United Nations agency condemned the detention of at least 30 women in Herat and the use of force against protesters, while reports of a pregnant woman missing after arrest in Kabul have intensified concerns over Taliban treatment of women.

UN alarmed as Afghan Taliban detain women, pregnant mother disappears

ISLAMABAD: Taliban security forces used force to disperse a rare public protest in Herat after demonstrators gathered to oppose the detention of women accused of violating the country&#39;s strict Islamic dress code, according to a report by the BBC.&nbsp; Two people were killed during the unrest, though they did not specify the cause of death; several others were reported injured. Taliban authorities denied that anyone had died but acknowledged responding to the demonstration. The protest took place in the western Afghan city of Herat, where local Taliban officials had recently intensified enforcement of mandatory hijab regulations. Men and women joined the protest days after reports emerged that women perceived as improperly wearing the hijab were being detained by Taliban authorities. Taliban security forces used live fire to break up the protest. Taliban police did not directly address allegations that officers fired on protestors but said they had taken measures to maintain security and public order. Taliban security personnel used &ldquo;sticks, whips and firearms&rdquo; to disperse the crowd and fired shots into the air, according to the BBC.&nbsp; Videos circulating on social media appeared to capture the sound of gunfire as women screamed and pleaded with security forces not to beat protesters. Sayed Masoud Hosseini, a spokesperson for the Herat Police Command, accused demonstrators of disturbing public order. He said some protesters sought to create tension under the pretext of opposing Islamic hijab requirements, which Taliban authorities consider a religious obligation. According to reports from the BBC Afghan service, some demonstrators chanted &ldquo;Education, Work, Freedom,&rdquo; a slogan associated with calls for greater rights for Afghan women. Richard Bennett, the United Nations special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, expressed his alarm over reports indicating excessive force used against what seemed to be peaceful protesters. In a statement shared on social media, Bennett called for accountability for those responsible for these actions. The protest underscores the rising tensions regarding Taliban restrictions on women, which have intensified since the group regained power in August 2021. Women have been prohibited from attending secondary and higher education, excluded from numerous job opportunities, and face increasingly strict regulations concerning their appearance and movement. The Taliban made the hijab mandatory for women in May 2022, but residents in Herat said enforcement efforts intensified in recent days. According to the BBC, they had seen women being detained since the weekend for allegedly failing to comply with dress requirements.

Women in Burqas in Herat, Afghanistan (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Taliban forces violently dispersed a protest in Herat over strict hijab enforcement, with reports of deaths, injuries, and accusations of excessive force.

Two women killed in crackdown on protests in Herat

ISLAMABAD: Taliban forces opened fire on protesters in the western Afghan city of Herat on Tuesday, wounding multiple people and triggering a broader security crackdown that included reported arrests and visits to hospitals to detain injured protesters, according to Amu TV.&nbsp; The protests began in Herat&#39;s Jibril area after reports emerged of a wave of arrests targeting women by Taliban.&nbsp; Hundreds of people gathered to denounce the detentions before Taliban security forces moved to disperse the crowd. The mounting anger over reports that women and girls in Herat were being detained for purportedly violating the Taliban&rsquo;s interpretation of Islamic dress regulations. The shooting occurred near an intersection known as &ldquo;Bahar-e Zendagi&rdquo; as protesters marched through the area. Taliban forces fired live ammunition at protesters. Afghanistan International qouting an eyewitness stated&nbsp;that he personally saw one dead person and at least 22 wounded individuals after the confrontation.&nbsp; No official casualty figures have been released, and the exact number of people injured or detained remains unclear. Protesters arrested&nbsp; According to Afghanistan International, Taliban authorities subsequently arrested a number of protesters.&nbsp; Qouting sources, Afghanistan International reported that Taliban personnel visited hospitals in Herat in an effort to identify and detain injured protesters receiving medical treatment. Flyers circulated across Herat on Monday called on residents to assemble at 8 am in District 13 of Jibrail township to condemn the arrests.&nbsp; Qouting witnesses it reported that crowds gathered despite the risk of retaliation from Taliban authorities. Taliban forces reportedly deployed additional personnel across the Jibril and nearby Jami&#39; areas of the city.&nbsp; Residents described a heightened security presence, with increased checkpoints and patrols. &#39;Deeply alarmed&#39;This incident has drawn international concern as well.&nbsp; Richard Bennett, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, said Monday he was &quot;deeply alarmed&quot; by reports that scores of women had been detained in Herat for a third consecutive day over alleged dress code violations. The issue was also raised before the UN Security Council.&nbsp; Georgette Gagnon, acting head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, cited reports that about 30 women had been detained in Herat by Taliban morality police and law enforcement personnel.&nbsp; The Herat protest appeared to be among the largest public demonstrations in recent months opposing the Taliban&rsquo;s enforcement of these restrictions.

Women wearing Burqas in Afghanistan - (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Taliban forces reportedly opened fire on protesters in Herat, wounding multiple people and triggering a wider crackdown amid growing anger over the detention of women for alleged dress-code violations.

Taliban open fire on protesters in Herat: Afghan media 

HERAT: Afghan residents in the western city of Herat have told AFP of witnessing multiple women detained by the Taliban government&#39;s morality police, in a crackdown over clothing which has drawn criticism from the United Nations. The UN mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/un-agency-raises-concerns-over-taliban-arrests-of-women-in-herat" style="color:#0073e6;">said</a>&nbsp;on Sunday it was &quot;concerned over multiple arrests and detentions of women in Herat Afghanistan for alleged non-compliance with dress requirements.&quot; Taliban authorities rule according to a strict interpretation of Islamic law, and have gradually tightened restrictions on women since returning to power in August 2021. Women nationwide must be completely covered when they leave home, with many wearing a flowing abaya robe along with a Muslim headscarf and a face covering. In Herat, residents witnessed women being detained on Saturday for not wearing the body-cloaking chador or burqa. They spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity for security reasons. &quot;I saw two employees of the ministry, one of whom was carrying a whip, putting two women who were not wearing chadors into a vehicle,&quot; said a 23-year-old woman, referring to officials from the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (PVPV). She said those detained were fully covered, including wearing Muslim headscarves. &quot;Everyone is frightened,&quot; she told AFP. Another woman said she saw PVPV officials stopping vehicles and checking passengers&#39; clothing, and saw multiple women being detained and put into vans. &quot;The majority of those arrested were women who were not wearing chadors,&quot; the 27-year-old said. The PVPV ministry did not comment on women being detained when contacted by AFP. &quot;There is nothing unusual in Herat,&quot; the ministry&#39;s information department said. The dress code &quot;is a divine command and an enforced law, and we are obligated to implement it,&quot; the ministry said. Since the crackdown was launched, an AFP journalist and multiple residents in Herat said the number of women leaving home had dropped sharply. A 20-year-old taxi driver said &quot;they&#39;re not seen in the city at all.&quot; &quot;We&#39;ve been told not to transport women without a chador,&quot; he said. One woman described the situation as &quot;unbearable.&quot; &quot;I am genuinely saddened that we don&#39;t even have the right to breathe freely,&quot; the 33-year-old said. &quot;Life has become very difficult for us.&quot;

Women detained in Afghanistan's Herat in clothing crackdown

KATHMANDU: A Nepali climbing guide who went missing on Mount Everest for six days and was feared dead has been found alive after crawling back to Base Camp, officials told AFP on Thursday. The experienced Hillary Dawa Sherpa vanished on the upper reaches of the world&#39;s highest mountain early on May 30. He was found on Thursday morning close to Base Camp by the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC), a Nepali team that helps set routes on Everest and clean up waste left behind. &quot;He was crawling down,&quot; Pemba Sherpa of 8K Expeditions, which was overseeing search and rescue efforts, told AFP. &quot;A helicopter has been sent to bring him to a hospital in Kathmandu.&quot; Climber Chris Thrall, a former British Royal Marine, said he successfully summited the 8,849-metre (29,032-foot) peak with a Sherpa around 5:00 pm on May 29. He posted a video message on Instagram on Wednesday, mourning what he thought was the death of Sherpa. He called Sherpa an &quot;absolute gentle giant of a man and a true &#39;tiger of the mountains&#39;&quot;, in a post that assumed the worst. Thrall described how on May 30 he had begun to descend from Camp Four -- at around 7,950m -- and just below the low-oxygen &quot;death zone&quot;. He said that as he descended, Sherpa stopped. &quot;He sat down for a rest with his backpack, these guys carry huge loads,&quot; he said. &quot;And I turned, and I said, &#39;Hillary, are you okay, brother?&#39; He said, &#39;Yes, yes, fine, Chris, please go, go!&#39; This is nothing new, you know, I&#39;d go ahead, he&#39;d go ahead.&quot; As Thrall went down, he found a Polish climber who was struggling after running out of supplementary oxygen and had suffered frostbite. &quot;It had been a long summit push. What should have been five days to the summit and back took us 11 days; that&#39;s how challenging the conditions were,&quot; said Thrall. &quot;So, do I go back for Sherpa, who&#39;s probably going to rock up and be fine, as he has done hundreds of times before?&quot; he added. &quot;Or do I help my fellow climber, who&#39;s got no oxygen, frostbite in his fingers, and obviously you&#39;re never far off hypothermia up there?&quot; Thrall described tough conditions, sharing his oxygen cylinder with the Pole as they descended, taking 11 hours to get to Camp Three. It would usually take two hours. He said: &quot;I realised we had a really serious situation.&quot; Search teams set out to find Sherpa, but he was not seen again until Thursday morning, having made his way down on his own. The climb was one of the last of the season, meaning that there were few other mountaineers on the peak. At least five people have died this season -- two Indians and three Nepali climbers involved in Everest preparations. More than one thousand climbers reached the summit of Everest this season, according to initial tallies by Nepali officials, making it the busiest season on record.

Nepal

The experienced Hillary Dawa Sherpa went missing on the upper reaches of the world's highest mountain on May 30; was found on Thursday morning close to Base Camp by the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee. 

Nepali climber alive after six days missing on Everest

<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">KATHMANDU: A Turkish Airlines plane carrying 277 passengers and 11 crew members caught fire while landing at Kathmandu&rsquo;s Tribhuvan International Airport on Monday, officials confirmed.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">According to Nepal&rsquo;s civil aviation authority spokesman Gyanendra Bhul, sparks emerged from the aircraft&rsquo;s right landing gear during landing after the flight arrived from Istanbul.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&ldquo;All aboard are safe; the rescue part is over. We are now investigating the accident,&rdquo; Bhul told AFP.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Airport authorities temporarily shut down the airport&rsquo;s only runway for nearly two hours following the incident.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Flight operations later resumed after emergency teams secured the area.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nepal, known for its mountainous terrain and challenging runways, has witnessed several aviation incidents in recent years.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Safety concerns prompted authorities to introduce improved radar and weather-monitoring systems.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In 2015, another Turkish Airlines aircraft carrying 224 passengers skidded off the same runway in Kathmandu, causing a four-day airport closure and widespread flight cancellations.

A Turkish Airlines plane caught fire while landing at Kathmandu airport after sparks appeared in the landing gear. All 288 people onboard were safely evacuated without injuries, officials confirmed Monday.

Turkish airliner catches fire during Kathmandu landing, passengers safe

KATHMANDU: Nepal has issued an arrest warrant for former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba for alleged corruption, officials said Thursday, making him the latest high-profile figure targeted by the new government. Deuba, 79, is abroad for medical treatment and said that &quot;an investigation on money laundering has been initiated against me and my family.&quot; He rejected the accusation of corruption. &quot;False propaganda is being spread concerning my family&#39;s property,&quot; he said in a statement on social media. Authorities also issued a warrant for Deuba&#39;s wife, former foreign minister Arzu Rana Deuba, court officials in Kathmandu told AFP, following a request from the Department of Money Laundering Investigation. Deuba said he and his wife were &quot;currently abroad for long-term medical treatment,&quot; without giving further details. Nepali media reported that the couple was recently in Singapore, and that police are seeking an Interpol notice. The warrants come a month after Prime Minister Balendra Shah, a 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician, won a landslide election victory on a platform of youth-driven political change, the first elections since a deadly September 2025. Deuba, who served five terms as prime minister, is a senior leader of the Nepali Congress party. &quot;My life has been an open book,&quot; he said. &quot;I have spent my entire life striving for the establishment of a democratic system of governance in Nepal.&quot; His tenure as party president ended in January, after younger members pushed for a leadership change. Last month, authorities arrested former prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli and ex-home minister Ramesh Lekhak for their alleged roles in the deadly crackdown on the anti-corruption protests in September. The youth-led uprising began in Kathmandu and was triggered by a brief social media ban. It spread countrywide the following day, fueled by longstanding frustration over corruption and economic hardship. Protesters set fire to the parliament building and offices, and eventually toppled the government. Deuba&#39;s home was among the buildings torched, and videos of protesters attacking the couple circulated widely online. Bundles of cash were reportedly discovered at the property. In his statement to the investigation commission on the protests, Deuba said that videos circulating on social media &quot;must be AI-generated.&quot; &quot;This is a conspiracy, although I do not know who is behind it,&quot; he said in his statement. The commission has recommended further investigation into the cash allegedly found at Deuba&#39;s home and other properties. Former energy minister Deepak Khadka was also arrested last month as part of a money laundering investigation.

Former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Warrants have been issued for Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife over alleged corruption and money laundering, which they deny, amid a broader crackdown on former leaders.

Nepal issues arrest warrant for ex-PM Deuba in graft probe

ISLAMABAD: Nepal&rsquo;s spring Everest season has opened under the shadow of a major rescue-fraud scandal that investigators say exploited trekkers, insurers and the country&rsquo;s mountaineering industry. Police allege that trekking guides, helicopter operators, hospitals and agents worked together to stage or exaggerate medical emergencies, trigger unnecessary evacuations and submit inflated insurance claims worth nearly $20 million, local media reported on Friday. The case centres on what Nepal Police&rsquo;s Central Investigation Bureau says was a years-long racket embedded in the trekking business. According to recent reporting, investigators found 317 fake rescues between 2022 and 2025 out of 2,320 helicopter operations, with fraudulent claims totalling about $19.65 million. Authorities have said the matter is now before the Kathmandu District Court, with 32 accused in the case, while some reports have described the action as 33 charges, reflecting different snapshots of the proceedings.&nbsp; Investigators say the scam followed a repeatable script. Trekkers were allegedly frightened into believing they were too ill to continue, or were made to appear sick, and were then flown to Kathmandu by helicopter. Once there, hospitals allegedly created false or inflated admission records, treatment notes and billing documents to support large insurance claims. Reporting also says that even when several trekkers shared one helicopter, each could be billed as if they had taken a separate full-fare flight.&nbsp; Some of the most disturbing allegations involve the deliberate creation of symptoms. Recent accounts citing police findings say certain trekkers were allegedly given substances such as baking soda or excessive Diamox with water to mimic altitude sickness and justify evacuation. Those claims remain allegations under investigation rather than court-established fact, but they have become the most alarming part of the case.&nbsp; The scandal is not entirely new. The Kathmandu Post first exposed Nepal&rsquo;s fake rescue network in 2018, prompting a government inquiry and a lengthy report, but the problem allegedly persisted and worsened. Officials now fear the case could damage Nepal&rsquo;s image just as climbers prepare to arrive for the main Everest window from late April through May.&nbsp;

Nepal’s Everest season begins amid a massive rescue scam, with police claiming 317 staged evacuations, nearly $20 million in fraudulent claims, and trekkers manipulated or sickened for profit.

Nepal Everest season opens amid $20 million rescue scam

ISLAMABAD: Bhutan exports more oxygen than it consumes, legally mandates forest cover and calls its citizens trustees of the earth. It is also watching 13.5% of its land degrade. Officials from the country&rsquo;s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock confirmed the figure at the country&#39;s first national workshop on land degradation earlier this month in Phuentshogling. Agencies gathered in the country&rsquo;s second-largest city to confront what they described as a crisis cutting across food security, climate resilience and biodiversity. Soil erosion, unsustainable land use and climate change are the primary drivers, as reported by the Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS). In Wangdue Gatshel, Phuentshogling, a landslide active for several years has left communities stranded on unstable ground. This is a sign, officials said, of how the problem is no longer abstract. &quot;We need support and data from different agencies, so we met to discuss and work on it,&quot; said Tashi Wangdi, Program Director at the National Soil Services Centre. He said national reporting tracks restoration progress, shapes evidence-based policy and attracts financial support for sustainable land management. The three-day workshop, which drew participants from multiple government agencies, focused on reviewing and revising Bhutan&#39;s voluntary land degradation neutrality targets, which are country-level commitments to keep land in productive condition, according to BBS. Tashi Phuntsho, Agriculture Officer of Zhemgang, said groups worked to set new targets and address existing gaps.&nbsp; Meanwhile, the Water and Wetland Specialist at the Department of Water, said participants came away with clearer understanding of inter-agency data standards and mandates. The crisis is unfolding inside one of the most legally fortified conservation systems in the world. Article 5 of Bhutan&#39;s Constitution requires that no less than 60% of national territory remain permanently forested. Research from the World Bank and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization documents how the Constitution designates every Bhutanese citizen a legal trustee of the kingdom&#39;s natural resources. The National Environment Protection Act of 2007, as documented by the World Bank, requires Environmental Impact Assessments for all major development projects. Bhutan pledged permanent carbon neutrality at COP15 in 2009. Its Third Nationally Determined Contribution shows forests sequestering approximately 9.4 million tons of CO2 annually against national emissions of around 3.8 million tons. The World Bank places 51% of Bhutan&#39;s territory within protected areas or biological corridors. Reports from the UN Convention to Combat Desertification confirm that Sustainable Land Management is embedded in Bhutan&#39;s five-year national development plans. The laws have not come without cost. A computable general equilibrium model study, cited by the UN FAO, found that full conversion to organic agriculture could cut crop yields by 24% compared to conventional methods, a gap that has historically contracted GDP and deepened food import dependency. The World Bank has flagged that conservation restrictions on timber and biomass have narrowed economic diversification. The same institution notes that reliance on hydropower revenues, which fluctuate with climate-driven changes in water flow, is widening the fiscal deficit. Nowhere is the strain more visible than in Bhutan&#39;s organic farming ambitions. The goal of becoming the world&#39;s first entirely organic nation, set for 2020, has been pushed to 2035, as reported by BBS. As of 2021, just 1.09% of farmland carried organic certification, per institutional research, despite nearly two decades of government commitment. Chemical fertilizer imports reached over 4,300 tons in recent periods and the country continues to rely on imported rice for basic food security, as documented by the World Bank. Labor shortages from rural-to-urban migration, an aging farmer population and the high cost of foreign certification laboratories are stalling progress, per the UN FAO. The government approved the National Agroforestry Strategy for 2026 to 2035 to integrate trees and livestock into farming, reduce external inputs and rebuild soil fertility from within.

Despite legal mandates for forest cover and its status as a carbon-negative nation, approximately 13.5% of Bhutan’s land is currently experiencing degradation. (bhutan.travel)

Bhutan

Bhutan, known for strict environmental protections and carbon negativity, faces growing land degradation. Officials warn erosion, climate change and unsustainable use threaten food security, biodiversity and long-term economic stability.

Bhutan: How the world's greenest country is losing its land

WASHINGTON: The International Monetary Fund&#39;s board on Wednesday approved two reviews of Sri Lanka&#39;s loan program, making $695 million in additional loans immediately available to the crisis-hit island nation. It is the latest tranche in the country&#39;s four-year $3 billion bailout, with the Fund warning of further risks due to the economic impact of the Iran war. Surging oil prices due to the war, launched by the United States and Israel on February 28, have heavily impacted many import-dependent Asian countries. &quot;Sri Lanka&#39;s strong implementation under the EFF arrangement has continued despite challenging circumstances,&quot; said Kenji Okamura, the IMF&#39;s Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair. &quot;Gains from the economic reform program helped preserve economic resilience and provided room to respond to cyclone Ditwah and the Middle East war. The latter, however, has significantly worsened Sri Lanka&#39;s economic outlook and tilted risks to the downside.&quot; The IMF projects 2026 growth to slow to 3%, with higher oil prices increasing inflation and weighing on the current account balance. The board&#39;s approval was contingent on Sri Lanka adjusting certain energy market subsidies issued in the wake of the war. Wednesday&#39;s statement said the Sri Lankan authorities had met the Fund&#39;s requirements on fuel and electricity prices, meeting cost-recovery criteria. Criteria on ensuring no new external debts and on not imposing or intensifying import restrictions &quot;were not observed,&quot; however.

Sri Lanka

It is the latest tranche in the country's four-year $3 billion bailout, with the Fund warning of further risks due to the economic impact of the Iran war.


South Asia