In the quiet classrooms of Pakistani universities, thousands of Afghan students – many in the last stretch of their advanced degrees – are living with an unrelenting countdown. On 31 August 2025, Pakistan’s government has ordered that all Afghan nationals must leave the country or face arrest and deportation.
The initiative, spearheaded by Prime Minister and Minister of Education Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, aims to overhaul the country’s education system to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving global landscape.
An overwhelming number of Sri Lankan households subsist on less than Rs. 1000 a day, or roughly Rs. 30,000 a month. These families are compelled to make impossible choices – often between food and education – leading many to defer or forgo early education for their children.
The orientation program is part of NLUO’s commitment to creating Child-Friendly Communities, and it marks a milestone in Project Kutumb’s mission to foster safer environments for vulnerable and at-risk children.
UNAMA’s quarterly report highlighted sections of the ministry’s law, claiming it imposes new restrictions on women. It stated that the law formalises previous decrees and broadens existing limitations while introducing additional ones.
The report states that 54 million students in India alone were impacted, primarily due to severe heatwaves that led to widespread school closures and changes in academic schedules.
Sher Abbas Stanikzai, a senior political deputy at Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry, stated that there was no valid reason to continue restricting education for women and girls, emphasising that the ongoing ban was not rooted in Islamic law.
In the first quarter of 2025, Bangladesh reported only 641 malaria cases and one death – a dramatic fall from the 13,099 cases and six deaths recorded in 2024, and a far cry from the 84,690 cases and 154 fatalities seen in 2008 at the height of the country’s malaria burden.
Experts stress the need for sustained, multi-sectoral action: improved waste management, better urban infrastructure, public education, and research into vaccines or novel vector controls. Sri Lanka’s experience with malaria eradication shows what coordinated efforts can achieve.
Gulfood 2026, being held across the Dubai World Trade Centre and the Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City Dubai, serves as a crucial platform for global food industry stakeholders, policymakers, and businesses.