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By Saeed Shah KABUL (Reuters) -The United Nations called on Thursday for the Taliban administration in Afghanistan to lift restrictions on its local female staff coming to work, warning that aid for earthquake victims and other vulnerable Afghans is at risk. The Taliban authorities deployed security forces at the entrances to U.N. compounds and field …

UN calls for lifting of workplace ban on its local women aid workers in Afghanistan Read More »

By Emily Schmall KATHMANDU (Reuters) -As protesters in Nepal stormed parliament this week forcing the prime minister to quit, luxury hotels and residences were attacked by arsonists amid anger at the lavish lifestyle of the elites in one of the world’s poorest countries. The demonstrations, popularly referred to as the “Gen Z” protests as most …

From parliament to luxury hotels, Nepal’s protest movement targeted the elite Read More »

THE HAGUE (Reuters) -Lawyers for detained former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte say he suffers from significant cognitive deficiencies that affect his memory and daily functioning, documents made public by the International Criminal Court on Thursday showed.  Duterte, 80, was arrested and taken to The Hague in March on an arrest warrant that linked him to murders committed during …

Duterte defence says ex-Philippine president suffers deteriorating cognitive condition Read More »

By Olivia Le Poidevin GENEVA (Reuters) -Urgent funding is needed to scale up life-saving support for families forced to sleep outdoors following powerful earthquakes that recently struck eastern Afghanistan, the UN’s migration agency said on Thursday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is appealing for $16.8 million, in line with the United Nations joint humanitarian …

Funding urgently needed as thousands homeless after Afghanistan quake, says UN Read More »

By Panu Wongcha-um and Chayut Setboonsarng BANGKOK (Reuters) – Three blankets to sleep with, an open bathing area, bland food and the constant risk of violence. These are the conditions inside the maximum security prison in Thailand’s capital where 76-year-old former premier Thaksin Shinawatra is jailed, according to two people with knowledge of the facility. …

‘Not a friendly place’: Inside the Bangkok prison where ex-PM Thaksin is jailed Read More »

(Reuters) -China is preparing to tackle the significant backlog of unpaid bills owed by local governments to the private sector, estimated by some at over $1 trillion, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday. The government is considering asking state lenders and policy banks including China Development Bank to lend to local authorities so they can make …

China considers helping local governments with $1 trillion of unpaid bills, Bloomberg News reports Read More »