Cargo ship carrying tonnes of chemicals sinks off Sri Lanka
A cargo ship carrying tonnes of chemicals sank off Sri Lanka's west coast on June 6. Tonnes of plastic pellets have fouled the country's rich fishing waters in one of its worst-ever marine disasters. The government suspended fishing along an 80 km stretch of the island's coastline, affecting 5,600 fishing boats, and hundreds of soldiers have been deployed to clean affected beaches.
Source- Al Jazeera
Nepal President dissolves parliament, fresh elections in November
Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari dissolved the parliament on May 22 and ordered fresh polls to be conducted in six months. The decision was made on the recommendation of the Cabinet headed by caretaker Prime Minister KP Oli. The dissolution of the parliament comes after Oli’s claim to form the government had to be dropped by the President on legal advice. Oli was recently appointed as Prime Minister after the opposition parties, led by Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuja, were unable to put together a coalition government.
Source- Al Jazeera
Bangladesh mulls over 5% corporate tax cut for companies employing transgender people
The Bangladesh government is considering cutting corporate tax by 5% for companies that employ 100 transgender people. The country wants to foster the inclusion of the community into mainstream society. A member of Dhaka Chambers of Commerce and Industries (DCCI), wishing to remain anonymous, said, “Undoubtedly, this is a praiseworthy decision. But in reality, employment for them in factories and companies is challenging due to the mindset of mainstream society and a lack of educational background.”
Source- Reuters
Myanmar forces clash with villagers in Delta region, 20 dead
Villagers in Myanmar fought security forces with catapults and crossbows in the Ayeyarwady river delta region, with local media reporting that 20 lives were lost in the violence. State television claimed three “terrorists'' had been killed and two arrested at the village of Hlayswe, where the security forces were trying to nab a wanted man on Saturday. Some 845 people had previously been killed by the army and police since the February 1 coup.
Source- Al Jazeera
Bhutan vaccinates 60% of the population with Covishield in record time
Bhutan said it had given about 60% of its entire population the first jab against Covid-19 since the country started an ambitious vaccination drive.
The tiny nation wedged between India and China told AFP that 470,000 people out of 770,000 in total had been administered the first shot of a two-dose regime of the Covishield vaccine (Oxford Astrazeneca) donated by India.
Source- Al Jazeera
US senators promise vaccines for Taiwan amid China tension
The U.S. will give Taiwan 750,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, after the self-ruled island complained that China is hindering its efforts to secure vaccines as it battles an outbreak. Taiwan was included on a long list of places announced last week that would receive 25 million doses from the United States in what the Biden administration says is the first tranche of at least 80 million doses to be distributed globally.
Source- Mint
Pakistani journalist Mir ‘taken off air’ after military outburst
Prominent Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir has been taken off the air just days after he spoke out against the country’s military at a protest against an attack on another journalist.
Last week, independent Pakistani journalist Asad Ali Toor, known for his critical coverage of the country’s government and military, was attacked in his Islamabad home by three unidentified men, who beat him up and warned him about his work.
Source- Al Jazeera
20 years after 9/11, US troops are leaving Afghanistan
The 2,500-odd US troops that are now present in Afghanistan will fly back to their homeland by September 11, 2021- exactly 20 years to the day that al-Qaeda brought down the World Trade Centre.
A total of $2 trillion of US taxpayer money has been spent on the Afghan campaign, which has now continued under the watch of four different US presidents since 2001, when the invasion began. The war is a major political issue for voters in the US and all of Biden’s predecessors have tried to end it for good.
Source- News18
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