Pakistanis traditionally give generously to charities, yet the majority do not pay taxes. The pressure is now on charities as donations drop in the face of record-breaking 38% inflation. Meanwhile, poor tax collection hurts economic growth and forces more people to rely on charity.
President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, announced after taking office on May 29 that he would soon end a long-standing fuel subsidy since the country could no longer afford the cost. His comments sparked a gas buying frenzy and raised inflation concerns in one of Africa’s top oil-producing countries.
Russian authorities have issued a missing persons alert for the family of a North Korean diplomat, in what local and international media reports said could be an attempted defection.
The Tanzanian government is encouraging drivers to switch from filling their tanks with gasoline to compressed natural gas (CNG). The initiative tries to lower carbon emissions that cause global warming. Some drivers are also expecting that switching would result in long-term savings in money.
Myanmar’s military sent a helicopter gunship to attack a school in Sagaing region, injuring four people, locals told RFA Tuesday.
Bangkok Pride was celebrated in Thailand on Sunday with a parade attended by tens of thousands people. Some Thais hope laws will eventually allow same-sex marriages in a society that has already undergone change.
Supporters of a former senator who is a fierce critic of ex-Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday they hoped she could be released on bail “very, very soon,” after judges previously dismissed two of the three drug-related complaints against her.
Myanmar’s junta has sentenced at least 156 people to death – including four teenagers and manyl in their 20s – since seizing power in a coup d’etat, according to a group monitoring prisoners of conscience in the country.
Stretch limousines, long a symbol of the wealthy and famous, are now rarely seen on the roads and at red carpet events. The decline in limousine demand is being investigated by Karina Bafradzhian.
Since 1998, the U.S. Border Patrol recorded more than 8,000 migrant deaths along the border with Mexico.VOA immigration reporter Aline Barros visited a South Texas county with a high rate of migrant deaths.