Government Proposes Bill to Ban Smoking for Those Born After 2007

Maldives: On April 13, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu's administration announced a decision to implement a smoking ban for future generations starting in 2007. The necessary legislative changes to enforce this ban, proposed by PNC parliamentarian Ali Ashraq from Kinbidhoo, were introduced in Parliament on Tuesday morning. The bill aims to prohibit the consumption and sale of [...]

Kuwait Thwarts Surveillance Camera Hacking Attempts, Issues Cybercrime Warning to Public

Kuwait's Ministry of Interior has announced that it has detected and successfully thwarted multiple attempts to hack into surveillance camera systems nationwide as part of increased efforts to protect national security and individual privacy. In a joint statement from the General Department of Security Media and the Cybercrime Combating Department, officials noted a significant rise in [...]

Myanmar Junta Mandates Exam Retakes for Students Affected by Earthquake

Myanmar: Students at Mandalay University whose answers from the university entrance exam were destroyed in last month's earthquake will be required to retake the test in June, according to a decision made by the military regime. The 2024-25 matriculation exams took place from March 17 to 22, with 220,843 students registering and over 200,000 actually [...]

Hidden Water Crisis: Women in Bangladesh’s Hills Struggle Daily

In Bangladesh’s coastal areas, millions lack safe drinking water because of saltwater contamination. Women must walk long distances daily to find water. The Chittagong Hill Tracts also face serious water shortages. Deforestation, poor farming practices, and climate change worsen the crisis. Hilly areas lack basic water infrastructure like tube wells and rainwater collection. Transporting water [...]

Tetteh Calls for Stronger Legal and Civil Safeguards for Libyan Women

Libya: Hanna Tetteh, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Libya, highlighted the importance of the Libyan government providing legal and civil protections for women. This support is crucial for women to fulfill their ambitions and play a significant role in the country's development. Her comments were made in response to a question about [...]

Deadly Blast Rocks Iran’s Largest Port

A huge explosion happened at Shahid Rajaee port, Iran’s biggest commercial port, near Bandar Abbas. At least 14 people died and around 750 were injured. The blast broke windows, damaged buildings, and was felt up to 50km away. The fire started in a warehouse full of chemicals and spread from one container to another. Officials [...]

Jordan Deepens Tourism Ties with Saudi Arabia

Dr. Abdelrazzaq Arabiyat, head of the Jordan Tourism Board, said that Saudi Arabia is an important partner for Jordan’s tourism. He explained that by inviting Saudi tourism professionals to visit Jordan, they hope to build stronger ties and show what Jordan has to offer. The tour, organized with Royal Jordanian Airlines, helped improve travel connections [...]

Hope and Challenges for Cambodia’s Majority Ethnic Group

The Khmer are the main ethnic group in Cambodia and speak the Khmer language. They once ruled much of Southeast Asia but now mostly live in Cambodia after losing wars in the 1200s. Cambodia became independent from France in 1953 but later suffered under the violent Khmer Rouge. Today, Cambodia is a constitutional monarchy but [...]

Youth Call for Change in Gender Equality Workshop

A youth-led workshop called "Breaking Barriers, Designing Equality" was held to discuss gender equality. Young people shared ideas and created messages to help bring change. They said harmful social norms stop women from growing in education and work. Issues like child marriage, domestic violence, and gender-based violence were often mentioned. Lack of economic power and [...]

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