The former Soviet republic has defeated the Philippines in the run-off for one of the non-permanent seats. A sign of the shift in the geopolitical balance of Central Asia, which until now had been represented for a single two-year term by Kazakhstan. Beijing’s support (hostile to Manila over the South China Sea dispute) proved decisive, bringing with it many votes from countries in the Global South.
At a school, university students had organised the screening of “Banolata Express”, a current box office success in Bangladesh. The show was halted to avoid unrest. Islamist leaders oppose the return of cinema to the city. The incident has sparked a wide debate about cultural and religious identities. For Rumeen Farhana, there is a risk of “leading our next generation into darkness.”
The investment for the MWSIP totals around 0 million, partly funded by the ADB. It is 96 km long and forms part of a wider project to transform one of the island’s driest regions by channelling water from the Mahaweli River. Once completed, it will irrigate 43,000 hectares of land during the Yala and Maha seasons.
Today’s headlines: In Indonesia, the former head of the agency overseeing the free meal program has been arrested; Beijing sanctions four New Zealand lawmakers for visiting Taiwan; Christians are among the more than 6,000 Iranians arrested since the start of the war; Birth rate hits new all-time low in Japan; Democrats make gains in South Korea’s local elections but fail to win in Seoul. Bollywood stars oppose the use of elephants in films.
According to a study conducted in Uzbekistan by the UN in collaboration with the local anti-corruption agency, only 22.5% of men believe that women can be competent leaders. This confirms a gender imbalance in access to resources and power that reinforces the social, political, and economic marginalization of women..
Malaysia’s Refugee Registration Document framework, a programme for asylum seekers held in the country’s immigration detention centres, became operational on 1 June. So far, some 4,000 people have been registered, mostly Rohingya who fled Myanmar. The programme, the government stressed, is not aimed at granting citizenship.
