KATHMANDU – The Raute community, endangerd nomadic tribe in Nepal, is facing an existential crisis as the number of single women in the settlement continues to rise. Data since 2018 show that 17 women have become single—many at a very young age—due to a combination of widespread alcohol abuse among men and restrictive traditional customs. In Raute culture, remarriage is strictly forbidden for women. Once widowed, a woman is expected to remain single for the rest of her life, regardless of her age at the time of her husband’s death. “The problem is compounded by the practice of child marriage,”…
Author: Asia News Network
HONG KONG – About 94 percent of Hong Kong students do not get sufficient daily exercise, and 17.5 percent are overweight, according to a Department of Health report released on Tuesday. The Student Health Service (SHS) Annual Health Report summarized key findings from annual health assessments and questionnaires completed by primary and secondary school students over the past academic year. It showed that 93.6 percent of students—91.5 percent in primary and 95.8 percent in secondary schools—failed to engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise daily. In the 2024/25 school year, 17.5 percent of students were classified…
THIMPHU – Financial institutions in the country have introduced a range of deposit schemes offering higher interest rates to Bhutanese living abroad, part of a broader strategy to attract foreign currency inflows into the domestic banking system and bolster foreign currency reserves. While deposit interest rates for residents within Bhutan are modest, financial products tailored for Bhutanese abroad provide noticeably higher returns. The banks generally offer around 4.5 percent interest annually for savings accounts for Bhutanese within the country. The rates have remained largely stable across financial institutions, with slight variations. The Bhutan Development Bank Limited (BDBL) offers 4.75 percent…
ISLAMABAD – A persistent, lung-searing rain of fire is currently cauterising the nerves of the Iranian landscape, exposing the jagged vulnerability of a nation under the reach of a rampaging superpower and the unrestrained fury of its regional spearhead. Above, the indifference of the sky; below, people caught in the crossfire of history. Far from this flayed earth, in antiseptic foreign situation rooms, the conflict is reduced to a clinical simplicity that pits “civilised stability” against a “rogue state.” The nuances of a nation of 92 million people are flattened into targetable dots on a digital map. Again. If Donald…
WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump’s administration will require citizens from 50 countries to post bonds of US$15,000 (S$19,200) to apply for US entry, a State Department official said on March 18. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said 12 countries are being added to a list that already comprises 38 other nations, largely in Africa. The expanded visa bond programme, which requires those foreign nationals to pay US$15,000 for a B1 or B2 visa for business and tourism, goes into effect on April 2. The aim is to prevent visitors from overstaying their visas, the official said. The…
KUALA LUMPUR – Even as war in the Middle East places significant strain on global oil supplies, it is business as usual for Iran’s shadow fleet, say maritime intelligence analysts. This network of tankers transports sanctioned oil from Iran through illegal ship-to-ship (STS) transfers, evading detection through opaque ownership, frequent flag changes and disabled tracking systems. Ms Bridget Diakun of Britain-based Lloyd’s List Intelligence said the Iranian shadow fleet continues to transport and export Iranian oil through the Strait of Hormuz towards East Asia even after the outbreak of war in Iran. “There is more evidence to suggest that things…
KATHMANDU – Rachana Khatiwada is busy responding to congratulatory calls from relatives and well-wishers. Yet she finds herself unable to feel happy. She is the mother of 23-year-old Rasik Khatiwada, a native of Kavre, who was killed during the Gen Z movement on September 8 last year. On Sunday, Rachana’s name was mentioned on the list of Proportional Representation (PR) of the House of Representatives representing the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). While relatives phoned and sent messages in celebration, Rachana’s tears flowed uncontrollably. “No matter where I reach, my young son is not coming back,” she says in a voice…
JAKARTA – The threat of online child exploitation continues to loom despite the government’s plan to restrict children’s access to certain digital platforms, as experts warn that predators can easily move across multiple online spaces where young users interact. Indonesia will soon begin limiting accounts belonging to users under 16 on several “high-risk platforms” under the Child Protection in Digital Space Regulation (PP Tunas), which aims to protect children from online dangers ranging from pornography and cyberbullying to exploitation. However, parents and experts say the policy alone may not fully shield children from online predators. Sali, a 29-year-old mother of…
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan on Tuesday dismissed claims made by the Afghan Taliban that its armed forces allegedly struck a hospital in Kabul, stating that the target was “Camp Phoenix”, which is several kilometres away from the hospital. The development comes amid the ongoing Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, which was launched on the night of February 26, following unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban from across the border. Earlier on Monday, the government said that Pakistani forces targeted the Afghan Taliban’s military installations in Kabul and Nangarhar overnight. A fact check posted by the information ministry on X said that Omid Hospital,…
TOKYO – Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has been forced into a tough spot following U.S. President Donald Trump’s demand that Japan and other countries dispatch vessels to the Strait of Hormuz to ensure its safety. The Japan-U.S. summit meeting scheduled for Thursday in Washington, which Takaichi hoped would be a showcase of her smooth relationship with Trump, looks set to put her diplomatic skills to the test. “Since no [formal] request has been made [from the United States] yet, it is difficult to comment on a hypothetical situation,” Takaichi said at a meeting of the House of Councillors Budget Committee…