Displaying items by tag: Asia

The Safe Motherhood Programme, which has drastically reduced maternal and neonatal mortality in Nepal, is at risk due to severe funding shortages. Rs 380 million (£2 million) is urgently needed to reimburse hospitals and continue essential services. An additional Rs 600 million (£3.3 million) will be needed this fiscal year to sustain operations. Launched two decades ago, the programme offers free delivery services, antenatal checkup incentives, and transportation allowances. It helped raise institutional deliveries from 18% to 80% and cut the maternal mortality rate from 539 per 100,000 live births in 1996 to 239 by 2016. However, nearly 130 maternal deaths have already occurred in the current fiscal year. The WHO has warned that progress toward the goal of reducing maternal mortality to 75 per 100,000 by 2030 could stall without immediate investment. The report stresses that broader efforts, like ensuring girls’ education, improving family planning, and tackling health inequalities, are crucial to safeguarding maternal and newborn lives.

Donald Trump is intensifying his efforts to address Iran’s nuclear ambitions. After withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA), he reimposed sanctions, citing Iran's support for militias like Hamas and Hezbollah. Iran has subsequently ignored some of the deal's restrictions and enriched more and more uranium nuclear fuel: analysts fear it could soon be capable of making a nuclear warhead. Trump has reinstated his ‘maximum pressure’ strategy, imposing additional sanctions, but he has now agreed to direct discussions between US and Iranian officials in Oman. However, the USA is demanding full dismantlement of Iran's nuclear programme, a request Tehran will find difficult to accept. Iran’s hardliners view nuclear deterrence as essential, and past negotiations show how challenging these discussions can be. Israel insists on the complete dismantling of Iran’s nuclear capacity, while military action remains a possibility if talks fail.

On 9 April Israel carried out an airstrike in northern Gaza, reportedly killing a senior Hamas commander, Haitham al-Sheikh. The IDF said the operation targeted a high-ranking terrorist and said there were multiple measures to minimise civilian casualties. However, Palestinian sources reported at least 23 killed, including women and children, though the numbers remain unverified. Local accounts described missiles striking a building near tents housing displaced families. Hamas condemned the strike as a ‘massacre’, while Palestinian Islamic Jihad also denounced the attack. Al-Sheikh is the third commander of the battalion killed since the war began in October 2023. His predecessors, Wisam Farhat and Jamil Amar Wadia, were also eliminated in IDF operations. Meanwhile, the World Food Programme is desperately short of funding for its aid programme in Gaza: see

China has announced an 84% tariff on all US imports, up from 34%, in retaliation to Donald Trump’s increased tariffs on Chinese imports (now 104%). This move escalates tensions in the ongoing trade war and sent global stock markets into further decline. Global oil prices also fell, adding to fears of a recession. However, US markets later showed some recovery after treasury secretary Scott Bessent hinted at potential trade agreements with allies. Trump is encouraging businesses to move to the USA, claiming zero tariffs and favourable conditions for companies. While China has expressed reluctance to engage in a full-scale trade war, it said it needed to protect its economy. Despite concerns over higher inflation, Trump remains optimistic about revitalising US manufacturing. He has now announced a pause in imposing the harsher tariffs, which has encouraged the stock markets. For a view about what this pause will mean, see

A catastrophic 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on 28 March, with the effects being felt as far away as Thailand and China. The death toll has already surpassed two thousand, with over 3,400 injured and many still trapped under rubble. Collapsed bridges and crumpled roads have delayed rescue efforts, and the secretive ruling junta has taken the unusual step of appealing for international assistance. In Mandalay, people are digging through debris with bare hands due to equipment shortages, while temperatures soar above 39°C (102°F). Communication breakdowns have forced rescue teams to rely on social media to locate victims. With rising temperatures and limited resources, rescuers fear more deaths are inevitable. Despite the odds, emergency workers remain committed to saving lives while grappling with overwhelming loss and unbearable heat.

For the second time in four days, Israel’s military have struck a Hezbollah target in Beirut. The precision airstrike, carried out by the air force, killed Hassan Ali Mahmoud Bdeir, a senior Hezbollah operative. According to Israel, he was orchestrating an imminent terror attack against civilians. The strike hit the top floors of an apartment building, killing at least three and wounding seven. Lebanese officials condemned the attack, calling it a violation of UN Resolution 1701 and an assault on Lebanese sovereignty. The president vowed to rally international support, while Hezbollah’s leadership placed responsibility on Lebanon’s government to respond diplomatically. The USA reiterated its support for Israel, claiming that it was operating in response to rocket attacks. Although Hezbollah denied launching the rockets, authorities have arrested thirteen suspects. The targeted strikes and political fallout highlight deepening regional instability and the increasing entanglement of Iranian-backed terror groups.

China has launched large-scale joint military exercises around Taiwan, involving its navy, air force, army, and rocket force, in what it described as a ‘stern warning’, just days after defence secretary Pete Hegseth, on his first visit to Asia, vowed to counter ‘China’s aggression’ and reaffirmed US support for Taiwan and regional allies. The manoeuvres simulated maritime assaults and blockades, deploying 71 aircraft and thirteen ships including an aircraft carrier. Taiwan condemned the actions as provocative and unjustified, maintaining high vigilance and deploying its own military assets. Analysts see the timing as symbolic, signalling discontent with the USA’s increased Indo-Pacific focus. China has intensified pressure on Taiwan, especially under president Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing labels a ‘separatist’. He has called on China to cease its intimidation, and the island’s population remains firmly opposed to Chinese rule.

The constitutional court has overturned the impeachment of South Korean prime minister Han Duck-soo, reinstating him as acting president amid ongoing political upheaval. Han was removed from office after president Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law late last year, suspending civilian legal processes and triggering a national crisis. After Yoon's suspension by lawmakers on 14 December, Han took over presidential duties - only to be impeached himself less than two weeks later for allegedly undermining the constitution. The opposition Democratic Party accused him of aiding Yoon’s martial law plan and refusing to appoint constitutional court justices or pass a bill investigating First Lady Kim Keon-hee. However, the court found no evidence to support these accusations; only one of eight judges supported the impeachment. Han welcomed the ruling, calling it ‘wise’. The nation now awaits the court’s decision on whether Yoon will be impeached.

Israel has launched a ‘limited ground operation’ to retake the Netzarim corridor in Gaza, escalating the conflict after the ceasefire agreement with Hamas collapsed. The corridor, previously used by Israeli forces, had been vacated as part of the truce. Meanwhile, a Bulgarian UN worker has been killed, and five others, including a British man, were wounded in a strike on a UN guesthouse in Gaza. Israel denies responsibility, saying that an initial investigation found ‘no connection’ between the strike and the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). The UN has condemned the attack on its personnel. The Gaza health ministry says that at least 436 people have been killed since Israel launched the fresh wave of airstrikes, though Israel disputes the accuracy of those figures, maintaining that it targets militants, not civilians.

More than eighty Afghan women studying in Oman on US-funded scholarships have received a temporary extension of support until 30 June, after an abrupt funding cut by the Trump administration. The scholarships, provided through USAID, were crucial for students who fled Afghanistan, where the Taliban has banned women from higher education. The students expressed relief but remain uncertain about their future, fearing forced return to Afghanistan, where they would face severe restrictions and potential persecution. The US government has not confirmed whether long-term funding will be restored, and efforts are under way to secure alternative financial support. The Taliban claim to be addressing women’s education but continue to enforce oppressive policies. They have cracked down on women protesting about those policies, with many activists beaten, detained and threatened.