MONTH IN BRIEF – MAY 2025
MONTH IN BRIEF
India probes Mumbai ‘mastermind’
Indian investigative agencies have interrogated a man they extradited from the US and charged with being a ‘mastermind’ of the deadly 2008 Mumbai siege. New Delhi accuses Pakistan-born Canadian Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 66, of being a member of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) group, designated by the UN as a terrorist organisation.Rana has denied all charges – including waging war against Indiaand acts of terrorism – but could face the death penalty if convicted. India blamed the LeT, along with intelligence officials from arch-enemy Pakistan, for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, in which 10 Islamist gunmen carried out a multi-day siege of the city.
Hopes for Rohingya return
Authorities in Myanmar haveverified that 180,000 Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh since fleeing their homeland are eligible to return. The announcement by the Bangladesh government’s press office, in the wake of talks in Bangkok, has offered a potential breakthrough in the long delayed repatriation process, although many Rohingya refugees believe all of them should be allowed to go home to Myanmar. More than a million Rohingya live inthe camps in south-eastern Bangladesh, the world’s largest refugee settlement,most having fled a brutal crackdown by Myanmar’s military in 2017.
Malaysia’s former PM laid to rest
Malaysia’s former prime minister Abdullah Badawi was interred at Makam Pahlawan (Heroes’ Mausoleum) on April 15, after thousands of mourners descended on the National Mosque to pay their last respects. Among the dignitaries present were Singapore’s Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PM Anwar Ibrahim and his Cabinet ministers, along with former premiers Mahathir Mohamad, Najib Razak, Muhyiddin Yassin and Ismail Sabri Yaakob. The ruler of Terengganu, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin – who served as the 13th Malaysian King during Abdullah’s tenure as premier – also arrived to pay his respects. Mr Abdullah was the fifth Malaysian national leader to be buried at the mausoleum in Kuala Lumpur.
Japan builds world’s first 3-D printed railway station
Japan has once again proved itself to be a global leader in blending tradition with technological innovation, having officially constructed the world’s first 3D-printed train station. The building is at Hatsushima Station, located in the picturesque Arida City of Wakayama Prefecture in Japan’s Kansai Region. West Japan Railway said it expected to open the new building for use in July.The small but groundbreaking station is the latest effort by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) to modernise rural infrastructure while preserving local charm.
Conservation in action
A conservation plan has been launched which aims to halt the decline of langur monkeys in Southeast Asia.The 10-year Asian Langurs Conservation Action Plan focuses on the Sundaland biodiversity hotspot and prioritises measures needed to safeguard 28 species and subspecies of langur. Bringing together the expertise of leading primatologists,key goals include strengthening and enforcing existing wildlife laws, reducing demand for langurs and their body parts, and raising awareness about their protected status and cultural and ecological importance.
Trouble brewing
The Darjeeling tea industry is in crisis, having been hit by violent protests and prolonged strikes as part of a campaign demanding a separate state for the area’s majority Nepali-speaking Gorkha community. This is a further blow to an industry already hit by declining production and increasing competition.Famously called the ‘champagne of teas’, Darjeeling is grown in the foothills of the Himalayas in West Bengal state.The strike could not have come at a worse time – in the middle of the second season –where production accounts for half of the annual yield.
A nation mourns
The death of Pope Francis is being felt particularly acutely in Asia’s largest Roman Catholic country. When a typhoon hit Tacloban in 2015, Pope Francis was advised to cancel the open air mass but would not be deterred – flying through the typhoon to address the huge number of pilgrims. This act, along with his humility and calls for justice, won him the hearts of Philippines’ 80 million Catholics, with many pinning their hopes on Cardinal Tagle, a Filipino in Pope Francis’ inner circle, becoming the next leader.
Pakistan deports Afghans
Pakistan deported nearly 20,000 Afghans this month, ahead of a 30 April deadline,according to the UN.It has accelerated its drive to expel undocumented Afghans and those who had temporary permission to stay, saying it can no longer cope. Pakistan has taken in Afghans through decades of war, but the government says the high number of refugees now poses risks to national security and causes pressure on public services.Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar flew to Kabul on Saturday for talks with Taliban officials and said the two sides had ‘discussed all issues of mutual interest’.