Mekhri feels “a sense of freedom and self-confidence” when she’s behind the wheel of a car — despite being forced to drive illegally because of an unwritten rule preventing women getting a licence. In Turkmenistan, the reclusive Central Asian state where she lives, young women are effectively banned from driving. “I know the rules of … Read more
A divisional secretariat at the Mihintale village marks a tally sheet after counting monkeys as he conducts a census in Anuradhapura on March 15, 2025. | Photo Credit: AFP Sri Lanka began a wildlife census on Saturday (March 15, 2025) to count monkeys, peacocks and giant squirrels, aiming to manage their populations as farmers complain … Read more
Representational image only. File | Photo Credit: Reuters Pakistan has officially launched the national crypto council to regulate and integrate blockchain technology and digital assets into the country’s financial system. The development comes following the recent appointment of Bilal bin Saqib as Chief Advisor to the Finance Minister for the management of digital assets. India … Read more
An Iranian woman, without a mandatory headscarf, or hijab, walks in downtown Tehran, Iran. File photo | Photo Credit: AP Iran increasingly relies on electronic surveillance and the public to inform on women refusing to wear the country’s mandatory headscarf in public, even as hard-liners push for harsher penalties for those protesting the law, a … Read more
U.S. President Donald Trump steps off Air Force One as he arrives at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, on March 14, 2025. | Photo Credit: AFP The Trump administration is considering issuing sweeping travel restrictions for the citizens of dozens of countries as part of a new ban, according to sources … Read more
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres gives a speech while attending Ramadan Solidarity Iftar with thousands of Rohingyas, at the Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, March 14, 2025. | Photo Credit: Reuters UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has discussed with Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus the country’s domestic issues and the Rohingya situation and expressed … Read more
The IMF and the Pakistani authorities made significant progress toward reaching a Staff Level Agreement on the first review of the Extended Fund Facility. File | Photo Credit: Reuters An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission after a key visit to Pakistan acknowledged that the country achieved a strong implementation of the $7 billion loan programme … Read more
A man walks on a street during a general blackout in Havana on March 14, 2025. | Photo Credit: AFP Cuba suffered a massive power outage Friday (March 14, 2025) ight affecting Havana and the country’s provinces that left millions in the dark. Cuba’s Ministry of Energy and Mines said at around 8:15 pm local … Read more
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. File | Photo Credit: Reuters U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday (March 14, 2025) that he was “being a little bit sarcastic” when he repeatedly claimed as a candidate that he would have the Russia-Ukraine war solved within 24 hours — and even before he even took office. Mr. Trump was … Read more
In this file photo a man checks a cracked wall that was possibly caused by an earthquake in Mexico City’s Roma neighborhood. | Photo Credit: AP A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck Mexico’s southern state of Oaxaca on Friday (March 14, 2025) evening, Mexican authorities and the United States Geological Survey said. The quake hit near … Read more