Gunmen Kill 9 Aid Workers in Northern Afghanistan; US, Pakistan Strikes Kill 14 Militants; RBI Cuts Interest Rates for the Third Time This Year

Afghanistan

Gunmen kill 9 local aid workers in northern Afghanistan

Gunmen stormed into the compound of an aid agency in the Zari district of Balkh province early Tuesday, killing nine aid workers before fleeing the scene (NYT, RFE/RL). The target of the attack was a house used as an office and residence by People in Need, a Czech charity that has delivered educational, health, and agricultural services in the country for more than a decade. Ross Hollister, the country director for the organization, said the gunmen entered the compound at around 1:30am and shot two drivers, two guards, and five other staff members — all of whom were Afghans.

Minister of Women’s Affairs gives 100-day plan

Minister of Women’s Affairs Dilbar Nazari laid out her 100-day plan on Monday, becoming the sixth minister to map out plans over the past few days (TOLO). Nazari vowed to work on women’s empowerment projects, defend women’s basic rights, implement reforms within organizations that involve women, and establish a special court to handle cases of violence against women, among other things. “We plan to implement actions which directly impact women’s lives and to expand their role and to address the issues facing women,” Nazari said. She also said she was going to appoint women to key posts in her ministry. The 100-day plan laid out by ministers is in keeping with a mandate to address the public in a transparent manner on actions they intend to take in their ministries.

Pakistan

US, Pakistani strikes kill 14 militants

Pakistani intelligence officials say a U.S. drone strike killed four militants on Monday while Pakistani airstrikes killed another 10 militants in the North Waziristan tribal area (AP, RFE/RL). Two intelligence officials said that the drone fired missiles at a vehicle in the Shawal area, but that the dead militants had not yet been identified. According to data collected by New America, the strike is the seventh U.S. drone strike in Pakistan this year (NewAmerica). Meanwhile, Pakistan’s army targeted militant hideouts in Datta Khel, killing 10 militants with airstrikes.

Biometric attendance log to continue for teachers

Sindh’s Senior Minister for Education Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said the biometric system used to monitor the attendance of teachers would continue in spite of opposition (Dawn). At a meeting of education officers on Monday, Khuhro said that those opposing the biometric system would be handled sternly. The office where the system in Larkana had been installed was ransacked by vandals who opposed the new attendance-tracking tool. The system is supposed to aid in identifying ghost teachers and enhance record keeping for student enrollment. Those teachers who do not check-in using the biometric tracking system face penalties, such as suspension and docked salaries.

India

RBI cuts interest rates for the third time this year

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cut interest rates for the third time this year, in an attempt to “put growth on firmer footing” (NDTV, BBC, Reuters, Hindu). RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan addressing a news conference on Tuesday said that “We still have very weak investment. We haven’t seen a strong pick-up.” The central bank lowered its repo rate to 7.25% from 7.50%. The repo rate is the level at which the central bank lends to commercial banks. Earlier in January and March this year, RBI had undertaken similar measures but analysts are divided over the success of those efforts. However, the Indian economy grew by 7.5% in the January to March period, outpacing the world’s second largest economy, China. Other data released on Tuesday such as the MNI consumer sentiment indicator, report that India fell by 2% in May compared to April, indicating that consumers were less optimistic about the economy. On the other hand, the markets had already discounted the RBI cut. After the move by the RBI, Nifty stood 1.4% down from Monday’s close and Sensex closed 661 points lower.

India revises estimates of monsoon rains for the year

Earth Sciences Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Tuesday that the government has revised its estimate for the annual monsoon rainfall this year, raising fears of drought like conditions that could lead to poorer output in the agriculture sector (HT, TOI, WSJ). The India Meteorological Department said that rainfall expectations during the June to September monsoon season have been revised lower to 88% of the long-term average, from 93% estimated in April. A blistering heat wave since April has claimed over 2200 lives, with southern states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana being the worst hit. The monsoon rains account for nearly three fourths of the annual rainfall and are a vital source of irrigation in most of India’s farmlands. A spell of unseasonal heavy rainfall earlier this year has already damaged crops in the northern Indian states of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, which produce most of the country’s wheat.

— Emily Schneider and Shuja Malik

Edited by Peter Bergen