As Pakistan intensifies mass deportation of Afghan refugees, the businesses owned by Afghans in the commercial centres of Rawalpindi city and cantonment areas have started to shut down.

As the deadline of March 31 arrived, thousands of Afghan refugees were deported back to Afghanistan, according to local media reports.

The repatriation affected a large number of Afghans who have lived in Pakistan for decades, including many born in Pakistan and have never lived in Afghanistan.

Afghan shopkeepers in Rawalpindi have started selling their goods, locking up their stores, and disappearing, according to the country’s leading daily, The Express Tribune.

South Korea logged a current account surplus for the 22nd consecutive month in February on rising exports, central bank data showed on Tuesday.

The country's current account surplus reached US$7.18 billion in February, following a $2.94 billion surplus the previous month, according to the data compiled by the Bank of Korea.

It marked the third-largest surplus ever for any February. The country has reported a current account surplus every month since May 2023, reports news agency.

The goods account logged an $8.18 billion surplus in February, marking the 23rd consecutive month of surplus.

The surplus came as exports climbed 3.6 percent on-year to $53.79 billion. Outbound shipment of computers, cars and bio-health items led the upturn, while exports of semiconductors and petroleum products went down in February.

Sri Lanka's Ministry of Defence on Monday stated that the State Visit of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reaffirmed the shared vision of both nations for a prosperous and secure Indian Ocean Region (IOR), strengthening further the profound historical, cultural, and strategic ties that unite both countries.

"We deeply appreciate India's unwavering support in strengthening Sri Lanka's maritime capabilities, ensuring safer seas for both our nations and beyond. As we navigate the challenges of the 21st century, we must continue expanding our defence and security collaboration, particularly in addressing emerging threats such as maritime security challenges, drug trafficking, transnational crimes, and climate change," said Sri Lankan Deputy Minister of Defence Aruna Jayasekara.

Australia's Opposition party has abandoned its plan to end work-from-home (WFH) arrangements for public servants and cut 41,000 bureaucracy jobs, in a major policy reversal ahead of the general election.

Peter Dutton, leader of the Opposition coalition, announced the policy shift on Monday, admitting the party "made a mistake" and "got it wrong" with the plan that had proved unpopular with voters.

He said that a coalition government will not change current flexible working arrangements, including work-from-home policies, for federal public servants.

Instead of cutting 41,000 public service jobs to reduce government spending, Dutton said that a coalition government would reduce the public service workforce over five years through hiring freezes and not always replacing workers who retire or resign.

At least 33 people have been confirmed dead following heavy rains that flooded Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), authorities said on Monday.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior and Security, Jacquemain Shabani said the torrential downpour, which occurred overnight from Friday to Saturday, has caused major damage across several districts of the capital, leaving dozens injured and destroying numerous homes.

In response, the government has set up a crisis management unit in coordination with the armed forces, several ministries and the Kinshasa provincial government to carry out evacuations and deploy emergency teams.

The flooding has paralysed much of the city's infrastructure, submerging major roads and triggering widespread power and water outages across the city.

The Ministry of Transport reported severe disruption to routes to and from the N'djili International Airport, prompting the deployment of emergency ferry services to assist stranded travellers.

Residents in the southern county of Hadong in South Korea were advised to evacuate to safe locations on Monday, as firefighters battled to contain a wildfire in the region, according to authorities.

The fire erupted at a mountain in Hadong, some 290 kms southeast of Seoul, at 12:05 p.m., according to the Korea Forest Service.

Hadong is one of the regions devastated by the nation's worst wildfires that were contained late last month.

The Korea Forest Service mobilised 15 firefighting helicopters and 105 personnel to put out the latest wildfire.

Former South Korean President, Yoon Suk Yeol, remained at the official residence in Seoul for the fourth day on Monday after being removed from office over his short-lived martial law declaration in December.

Yoon is currently preparing to vacate the Hannam-dong residence in central Seoul following the Constitutional Court's ruling last Friday, though specific details have not yet been finalised, a presidential official said.

"The date of his departure and his next residence have not been confirmed," the official told News Agency by phone.

Following his inauguration in May 2022, Yoon relocated the presidential office from Cheong Wa Dae in downtown Seoul to the Defence ministry compound in the central district of Yongsan.

Israel has made public an intelligence document that, according to its officials, reveals a direct financial and operational link between Hamas and Iran, including a request for $500 million to carry out its plans to invade Israel -- an attack that was executed on October 7, 2023.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz shared the document and accompanying video on social media platform X, stating, "I am presenting here for the first time a document that was found in the tunnels of senior Hamas officials in Gaza, which proves a direct relationship between Iran and Yahya Sinwar and Muhammad Deif, as part of Iran's support for the Hamas plan to destroy Israel."

The intelligence material was reportedly discovered by Israeli forces during operations in Hamas tunnels and was unveiled during Katz's visit to the IDF's "Amshat" intelligence unit, as reported by The Times of Israel.

Thousands of Afghan refugees are being forcibly repatriated from Pakistan as the country intensified the deportation process with the end of the March 31 deadline.

Over 944 Afghan families, comprising 6,700 individuals, were deported from Pakistan since April 1, according to local media reports.

The most significant transfer took place in the Punjab province, where 5,111 other Afghan nationals were transported to the transit camps or holding centres across the province for repatriation, including 2,301 children and 1,120 women.

From Karachi, over 300 Afghans were deported from Pakistan to their home country.

Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that those deported from Karachi included 79 children, 37 women, and 191 men.

As the US reciprocal tariffs hit global markets, Neelkanth Mishra, chief economist at Axis Bank, said on Monday that some countries like China will have no option but to devalue their currencies in the current scenario.

The global markets have been shaken by tariffs implemented by US President Donald Trump, as countries plan to respond to these strict trade measures.

Mishra mentioned China’s mounting balance of payments pressure, driven by capital flight and decreased foreign direct investment.

With China’s trade surplus narrowing and tariffs impacting the economy, he predicted the country might be forced to devalue the yuan.

The risk of a currency war is high, and once devaluation begins, the situation could spiral into an unpredictable environment.