Afghanistan

Department of Food Safety Forms Within AFDA: Tolo News

According to AFDA representatives, the department was created to examine the quality and freshness of foods sold in the nation’s markets.”With the creation of new departments and staff, we monitor and inspect 24 hours a day in all areas of all the drug facilities; at the same time, we will also have twenty-four hour monitoring of all our food facilities,” said Jawid Hajir, spokesman of the AFDA. Click here to read…

Moscow to Host Conference on Afghanistan on Nov. 16: Tolo News

The Russian Federation’s Foreign Ministry said that Moscow will host a multilateral meeting due to be held on November 16 in Afghanistan. A spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said that the discussion will focus on the military-political, socioeconomic and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan as well as coordinating efforts to strengthen regional security. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Freight operation from Chittagong suspended as lighter vessel workers on strike: Dhaka Tribune

Lighter vessel workers in Chittagong launched an indefinite strike from 6am Friday refraining from transferring goods from moored ships to press home their five-point demands. Click here to read…

FM Momen urges Japan to stand by Bangladesh in its development journey: Dhaka Tribune

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has expressed optimism that Japan will play a crucial role while Bangladesh is graduating from the LDC status in 2026 on way to becoming a developed country by 2041. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Bhutan witnesses drop in tourist arrival due to new tourism rules – NE Now

Bhutan, which reopened its border for tourists on September 23 this year after a gap of over two years following the Covid-10 pandemic, has witnessed a significant drop in tourist footfall thanks to the Himalayan nation’s new tourism rules. Hit hard by the pandemic, the country’s tourism industry hoped for a revival after the reopening of the gates for visitors but minimal tourist footfall has left the people involved in the tourism sector worried a lot. Click here to read…

Bhutan Parliament Passes Bill Mandating One Year Training Programme for All Citizens – The Wire

Both houses of the Bhutan parliament recently approved a Bill that would mandate every citizen who attains the age of 10 to attend a one-year integrated training programme. The one-year training programme, called Gyalsung (National Service), would include three months of basic military training followed by nine months of specialised training in various fields like agriculture sciences, entrepreneurship, computers and coding, and health sciences. Commencing in 2024, it will be mandatory for all those who have reached 18 years of age and completed Class XII. Click here to read…

Maldives

9 Indian workers among 10 dead in Maldives fire The Tribune

At least nine Indians are reported to have died in a blaze in Male quarters housing migrant workers from Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. The fire broke out in a garage, near a mosque, around 12:30 am on Thursday and quickly spread upstairs to the cramped living quarters. The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed the 10 deaths, but said it would not comment on how many of the deceased were Indians till their identification. Reports from the Maldives said of the dead, nine were Indians and one Bangladeshi. Click here to read…

Hungary’s Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister arrives in the Maldives – Avas
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, Péter Szijjártó has arrived in the Maldives today, on an Official visit. He is visiting the Maldives at the invitation of Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid. This is the first Official visit from a Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary and marks an important milestone in the 47-year-long bilateral relationship between the Maldives and Hungary. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Appointment of Myanmar junta general as ASEAN Air Chiefs Conference chair criticised – Mizzima

CSO Progressive Voice has joined with other organisations in condemning the appointment of a Myanmar junta general, General Tun Aung, to the chair of the of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Air Chiefs Conference (AACC). It has called for other countries to immediately sanction General Aung Tan and for ASEAN to ban Myanmar any ASEAN meetings, group=s and activities. Following Justice For Myanmar’s revelation that the Myanmar military junta had recently been appointed chair of the ASEAN Air Chiefs Conference (AACC). General Tun Aung led the junta’s delegation where they assumed the AACC Chairmanship for the coming year. Click here to read…

ASEAN summit begins with Myanmar likely to dominate agenda; ‘little progress expected’ – Reuters

Leaders of Southeast Asian nations began an annual summit on Friday that is likely to be dominated by Myanmar’s escalating violence and political gridlock, with increasingly frustrated members of the group struggling to get the country’s junta to comply with an agreed peace plan. Several representatives of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have blamed Myanmar’s military rulers for failing to implement a peace plan agreed jointly last year, which includes ending hostilities and allowing access for a special envoy and aid. Click here to read…

Australia to give $135 million as humanitarian support to Bangladesh and Myanmar – TBS News

“As part of the Albanese Government’s commitment to supporting the humanitarian response in Myanmar and Bangladesh, Australia will provide $135 million in2022-23 to assist with the delivery of life-saving food, water and shelter through partner organisations,” said Australian Foreign Ministry said in a press release. The package of support will also deliver essential protection, education and health services for those most in need, including women, girls and people with disabilities. Click here to read…

Nepal

Senior Chinese official coming today despite Nepal’s reservations – The Kathmandu Post

Despite reservations from the government, Chinese Vice Minister for Culture and Tourism Li Qun, who is also the head of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, is arriving in Nepal on Friday on a five-day visit. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had advised the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu to postpone the visit until after the November 20 elections, but the Chinese side insisted that the trip would be purely “personal” and involve visits to cultural heritage sites, officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation told the Post. The Nepali Embassy in Beijing is not aware of the visit. Click here to read…

The Election Manifestos of Nepal’s Parties Run Along Predictable Lines – The Diplomat

Political and economic issues have dominated the political parties’ agenda per their manifestos. Parties have pledged to develop better infrastructure, accelerate economic growth to over 7 percent, create 250,000 jobs per year, and provide free services such as electricity and water. Similarly, some parties are seeking to change the political system. Click here to read…

India hands over 200 vehicles to Nepal for use in general elections – Daily News

On Nepal’s request, the Indian government on Tuesday handed over 200 vehicles to the Himalayan country that would be utilized at the time of general elections slated for the 20th of this month. The Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, handed over vehicles to Minister for Finance, Janardan Sharma, as a gift of India for logistical support to various Nepali institutions for the conduct of elections. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Imran asks CJP to probe army officer’s role in attack: Dawn

As Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) long march resumed after a week from Wazirabad on Thursday, party Chairman Imran Khan addressed the participants from his Zaman Park residence here through a video link, reiterating his accusation that a senior army officer was behind his attempted assassination. Click here to read…

Pakistan, Saudi FMs discuss security: The Express Tribune

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, held wide-ranging discussions on host of issues related to political and security domains, a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Foreign Ministry to extend diplomatic support to resolve Chinese organic fertilizer cargo issue: Daily Mirror

The Foreign Affairs Ministry is to seek a diplomatic solution between the two countries regarding the Chinese ship which freighted organic fertilizer to Sri Lanka in 2021, at diplomatic level and the payment of US$ 6.7 million made by the Sri Lankan government. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Afghanistan Exported $1.8 Billion in Goods in Past 7 Months: Tolo News

The office of the first deputy prime minister, Mullah Abdullah Ghani Baradar, said that Afghanistan’s exports abroad have reached $1.85 billion over the past seven months. According to Baradar’s office, exported goods went to Pakistan, India, Iran, China, UAE, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Iraq. Click here to read…

Afghanistan Among Countries with Most Displaced People: Tolo News

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said that over 70 percent of the world’s refugees and displaced people come from the most climate-vulnerable countries including Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, and Yemen. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

AIUB-supported Bangladesh Education Forum inaugurated in Dubai: Dhaka Tribune

American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB) organized a conference ‘Education Forum 2022′ at the Crown Plaza, Deira, Dubai, UAE, on November 4. Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury, deputy education minister of Bangladesh, inaugurated the education campaign. Click here to read…

Hasan: World leaders’ COP27 engagement brings new hope: Dhaka Tribune

Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Tuesday said the joining of world leaders’ to the COP-27 conference ushered a new hope towards protecting the world from the adverse impact of climate change. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Bhutan’s UN Peacekeeping Contingent leaves for CAR – Kuensel Online

Bhutan’s first UN Peacekeeping Contingent boarded a special Drukair flight to Central African Republic (CAR), yesterday. His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen graced the departure ceremony at Paro Airport. A Guard of Honour was presented at the Ceremony. Bhutan’s contingent, which comprises of 180 Royal Bhutan Army Personnel, is part of the United Nations’s Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission for the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). Click here to read…

Building a Resilient Food System in Bhutan – Relief Web

The Royal Government of Bhutan in its 12th Five Year Plan (2018-2023) has provided strategies to promote commercialization, and agribusiness development and diversification while ensuring food self-sufficiency. The 2030 Renewable Natural Resources (RNR) Strategy 2030 prioritises food self-sufficiency through transformation of the RNR sector while ensuring sustainable natural resource management. Click here to read…

Maldives

Discussions held on new avenues for cooperation between Maldives, Serbia – Raajje

This was done during a meeting held between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives, Abdulla Shahid and the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia. His visit came upon the official invitation from his counterpart, the First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Serbia, Ivica Dačić. Discussions have been held regarding new avenues for cooperation between the Maldives and Serbia. This was done during a meeting held between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives, Abdulla Shahid and the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, Ivica Dačić as part of FM Shahid’s recent visit to SerbiaClick here to read…

Myanmar

ASEAN actively aiding and abetting Myanmar junta’s war crimes and crimes against humanity – Mizzima

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has appointed the Myanma junta to chair the ASEAN Air Chiefs Conference and allowed it to take control of the ASEAN counter-terrorism website. The illegitimate Myanmar military junta has been appointed chair of the ASEAN Air Chiefs Conference, as it intensifies the use of its air force to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity. It is also continuing to co-chair the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) – Plus Experts’ Working Group on Counter Terrorism and will host a meeting in December. The junta is using its control of the ASEAN counter terrorism website to post disinformation and propaganda. Click here to read…

US, EU add more sanctions as Myanmar violence deepens – Aljazeera

The United States and European Union have announced new sanctions against Myanmar’s military regime aimed at officials, companies and arms dealers, as campaigners urge quicker implementation of the measures given the deepening crisis in the country. The EU sanctions apply to 19 more individuals and entities, including a minister and chief justice, and are a result of “the continuing escalation of violence and grave human rights violations following the military takeover two years ago”, the European Council said on Tuesday. Click here to read…

How China, India and Bangladesh could be drawn into Myanmar’s conflict – Lowly Institute

The 2021 military coup in Myanmar sparked renewed civil conflict between Myanmar government forces, the Tatmadaw, and perhaps a dozen insurgent groups seeking their own ethnic states. Many of these conflicts have cross-border implications, but the insurgency in Rakhine state has particular consequences for the broader region. China has already been drawn into the conflict in Rakhine state to protect key interests, and India and Bangladesh could soon follow. This may produce unpredictable outcomes. Click here to read…

Nepal

Six dead after earthquake hits Nepal, tremors felt in New Delhi – Aljazeera

A magnitude 6.6 earthquake has struck Nepal, killing at least six people, injuring several others, and destroying multiple houses in the northwestern district of Doti, officials said. The earthquake, which hit at about 2am local time on Wednesday (20:15 GMT), sent tremors into northern India. Click here to read…

India-Nepal border to be closed for 72 hours before Nepal general elections – Live Mint

As Nepal goes to the general election on 20 November, the India-Nepal border will be closed for 72 hours to prevent any movement of anti-social elements. The officials from the border areas of both nations held a meeting in the Rupandehi district of Nepal on Saturday and discussed the preparations regarding the border. “A decision to seal the border for 72 hours from November 17 till 12 midnight of November 20 was taken at the meeting of the coordination committee of officials of the neighboring districts of the two countries,” said Maharajganj District Magistrate Satendra Kumar. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Imran ‘abandons’ designs to sway chief’s selection: Dawn

After repeatedly calling for a consultative process before picking the new army chief, ousted prime minister Imran Khan now does not see any problem if the appointment is made by the Shehbaz Sharif government. Click here to read…

Editorial: A state of anarchy: Dawn

WHAT happened in Wazirabad last week was perhaps a story foretold. The gun attack on Imran Khan has pushed the country deeper into anarchy. The would-be assassin may have been arrested but the motive behind the shooting remains shrouded in mystery. The former prime minister has been quick to blame the top government leaders and a senior ISI official for plotting the attack. He has named names. Click here to read…

We need funds, not debts: Shehbaz: The Express Tribune

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, sensitising the international community on the plight of flood-hit Pakistan, on Tuesday said the country needed additional funding, not debts, to rebuild a resilient and adaptive infrastructure as the financing gap was widening by the day. Click here to read…

Disqualification sword hangs on Imran over failure to submit poll expenses details: The Express Tribune

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to take action against former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan over his failure to submit details of election expenses that he incurred during the recently-held by-elections held on October 16. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

UNHRC must get SL rulers to work according to Intl. norms: Cardinal: Daily Mirror

Whilst highlighting that cruel and intolerable suppression is exercised by the government, and expressing his surprise over the alleged attempts to hide evidence and save those who are responsible for the Easter Sunday attack, Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith yesterday said he hopes UNHRC takes notice of the situation and get Sri Lankan rulers to work according to international norms. Click here to read…

President mulls appointing new governors: Daily Mirror

President Ranil Wickremesinghe is mulling to appoint new governors to the nine provinces in place of the present ones appointed by his predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Daily Mirror learns. A governor is a post appointed by the president to exercise executive powers over the provincial councils. Any statute passed by a provincial council comes into force only after assent by the governor concerned. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

UNAMA Calls for Climate Change in Afghanistan to Be Addressed: Tolo News

As the UN climate change summit began in Egypt on Sunday, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) called for urgent global cooperation to stop the destructive effects of climate changes in Afghanistan.“The Afghan people stand on the precipice of devastating climate projections. As COP27 opens today, the UN in Afghanistan calls for urgent collective action to halt the destructive impact of the altering climate in the country that is one of the least prepared against climate shocks but is ranked the sixth most affected in the world to climate-related threats,” UNAMA report reads. Click here to read…

Islamic Emirate: Moscow Format Should Have Kabul Delegate: Tolo News

In response to TASS news agency’s reporting that Kabul would be absent from the “Moscow Format” meeting on Afghanistan which will take place in Moscow in mid-November, the Foreign Ministry of the Islamic Emirate said that this meeting would be incomplete without a representative from the current government. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

PM Hasina: Bangladesh an ideal place for investment: Dhaka Tribune

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said many renowned companies from around the world are setting up their factories in the economic zones of Bangladesh. “Bangladesh has emerged as an ideal place for investment with a favourable investment climate. We are building 100 Special Economic Zones across the country with all amenities available. Many of the world’s famous companies are setting up their factories in these zones,” she said. Click here to read…

IMF team attends BERC presentation on setting power, gas tariffs: Dhaka Tribune

The visiting team of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been keen to know how the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) sets power and gas tariffs. A four-member IMF delegation, led by Rahul Anand, head of its Asia and Pacific Division, has been in Bangladesh since October 26 to discuss the government’s request for a $4.5 billion loan and held a series of meetings with its different departments. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Sagar: Indian Army personnel, 350 trainees from Bhutan, Sri Lanka visit ICCC – Free Press Journal

India Army personnel, along with the 350 trainee soldiers from Bhutan and Sri Lanka, visited the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) set up by Sagar Smart City Limited on Friday to learn more about monitoring of administrative services. Click here to read…

Revival of a traditional art form – Kuensel Online

The exhibition by Rinzin Dorji and Penjor Dorji includes a piece that is 100 percent made in Bhutan, using nettle canvas and mineral paint. The event was organised to showcase works of art with the use of natural pigments – organic and mineral-based. The Executive Director of RTA, Rinzin Ongmo Dorji said that although RTA’s main mandate is to promote the traditional art form of weaving, the organisation also works towards promoting the other traditional crafts in the country. Click here to read…

Maldives

Tourism occupancy averages at 58.8 percent – Avas

According to the MMA’s October data, the occupancy rate stood at 58.8 percent this year, up 6.6 percent compared to the same period last year. While tourism occupancy peaked in February this year, standing at 72.7 percent, it stood at 70.1 percent earlier in January. According to MMA statistics, the number of flights to the Maldives is also increasing. The number of international flights arriving in the Maldives reached 11,070 as of September. There were 8,698 flights during the same period last year. Click here to read…

Goods worth MVR 39 bln imported thus far this year – Avas

The Maldives’ imports from January to September this year stood at MVR 39 billion. According to the central bank, Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) data, while goods worth MVR 39 billion have been imported thus far this year, imports stood at MVR 27 billion during the same period last year. This year’s figures are up by MVR 12 billion compared to 2021. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Australia under pressure to sanction Myanmar military after Amnesty

International report and leaked ANZ Bank transactions – ABCNet

The Australian government is under pressure to impose sanctions on Myanmar’s military junta and activists are calling on ANZ Bank to reconsider its dealings in the South-East Asian nation amid new revelations about jet fuel supply chains and transactions. An Amnesty International report released on Thursday called on the international community to “urgently prevent shipments of aviation fuel from reaching the Myanmar military”. Click here to read…

Crime Surges Under Myanmar Junta as Rule of Law Crumbles – The Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s citizens have witnessed surging crime in their neighborhoods since the military coup last year, as law enforcement deteriorates and the regime is unable to run the country properly. The country’s business hub, Yangon, is no exception. Click here to read…

Myanmar to top Asean summit agenda as G20 and Apec draw big powers to region – SCMP

Southeast Asia’s territorial disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea are likely to take a back seat when officials gather this week amid growing violence in military-ruled Myanmar and heightened Sino-US tensions, analysts have said. Top diplomats from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) are set to convene in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh for an annual summit, which is also expected to draw world leaders to the region. The meeting often takes centre stage in Southeast Asia’s year-end diplomatic bustle but this time, it would wrestle for attention with other high-profile forums, including the G20 and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summits in Bali and Bangkok, respectively. Click here to read…

Nepal

Hamro Nepali Party aims to emerge as an alternative force – Khabar Hub

The Hamro Nepali Party has made public its election commitment paper for, aiming at establishing itself as an alternative political force. At a program organized in Lalitpur on Sunday, the party said time has come to break the traditional standard of Nepali politics. The party launching ‘stick campaign’ said its political philosophy and principle would be ‘Nepal-ism’. The party has shared the national programme of constructing seven ring roads linking mountain, hill and Tarai regions in each province. The commitment document also stated that long term plan would be made for the development of health, education, agriculture and tourism. Click here to read…

Climate shocks add risks to Nepal’s power projects – Kathmandu Post

People’s Hydropower Company Limited had planned on completing the 54MW Super Dordi Hydropower Project B in 2021 before the landslide debris brought by the Dordi stream in Lamjung damaged the project’s dam in the monsoon last year. “We had completed 95 percent of the dam-related work, and the project’s overall physical progress was over 70 percent when the massive debris brought by floods damaged the intake,” said Keshav Bahadur Rayamajhi, managing director of People’s Hydropower Limited. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Imran endorses PM-suggested SC probe panel: Dawn

The PTI’s long march, which came to a standstill after the assassination attempt on Imran Khan in Wazirabad, will resume its journey on Tuesday (tomorrow) from the same place where the party chairman was injured in the gun attack. Click here to read…

PM Shehbaz arrives in Egypt to attend climate change summit: Dawn

PM Shehbaz was received at the international airport of Sharm El Sheikh by Egypt’s senior officials and the officers of the Pakistani embassy. The prime minister was accompanied by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, cabinet members and other senior officials. Click here to read…

Pak-China ties: challenges & avenues: The Express Tribune

In a 47-point communique, both sides have brought up all issues of mutual interest worthy of in-depth analysis. In this limited space, I will address four points, particularly on the socioeconomic front. According to the numbers available publicly, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has already brought $46 billion worth of capital to Pakistan including concessionary loans, commercial debt and investment with state guarantees. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

President meets UN Secretary General: Daily Mirror

President Ranil Wickremesinghe met the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres in Egypt, Cairo where he briefed the Secretary-General on the Government’s plans on the National Environmental Policy.
The Secretary General recalled memories of his first visit to Sri Lanka in 1978, President Media Division (PMD) said. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

SIGAR Highlights Afghan Situation in Latest Quarterly Report: Tolo News

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction released its 57th quarterly report, in which it highlighted the political, economic, humanitarian and human rights situation in Afghanistan. The report underlined the establishment of the “The Afghan Fund,” saying that the US State Department did so to provide $3.5 billion in frozen Afghan central bank assets for the benefit of the Afghan people. Click here to read…

Czechia to Close Embassy in Kabul: Reports: Tolo News

Czechia will close its embassy in Kabul on January 1 this year, as no improvement in the country’s security situation is expected anytime soon, Anadolu Agency reported, citing the country’s local media. The Czech embassy opened in Kabul in 2007, temporarily closed in August 2021, and had to evacuate its staff due to the rapid advance of Taliban forces to the capital, according to Anadolu. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

PM Hasina: Mustaque, Zia were behind Nov 3 jail killings: Dhaka Tribune

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday told Parliament that those who killed Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman committed the November 3 jail massacre in 1975. Click here to read…

Bhutan

India defence secretary, COO Bhutan meet to enhance defence cooperation – Live Mint

India’s defence secretary Giridhar Armane and Chief Operations Officer Lt Gen Batoo Tshering, Royal Bhutan Army, met in New Delhi to enhance bilateral defence cooperation. “During their interaction, they discussed ongoing defence cooperation between the two country’s armies and reviewed areas of mutual interest to increase cooperation,” the ministry of Defence said in a press release. Click here to read…

Maldives

Single Use Plastic Waste Threatens Maldives – NTD

Community leaders in the Maldives have called for the world to stop using single-use plastics. The discarded waste often ends up on their picturesque beaches. Click here to read…

Maldives welcomed 153,737 tourists during October – Raajje

In the first two days of November alone, Maldives had welcomed 10,471 tourists. India remains the top source market for the archipelago nation’s tourism. Daily arrivals this ongoing month is much higher than that of September’s. Maldives welcomed a total of 153,737 tourists during October this year. This was revealed by the Ministry of Tourism in its latest weekly statistics, publicized on Thursday. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Myanmar junta responsible for crisis, says Indonesia foreign minister – Reuters

Myanmar’s military government is responsible for a lack of progress on a peace plan agreed with ASEAN, Indonesia’s foreign minister said on Thursday, adding the regional bloc has done its part in trying to end hostilities in the strife-torn country. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations has urged Myanmar to implement a peace plan agreed last year to halt a spiral of violence that has gripped the country since the military overthrew an elected government in Feb. 2021. Click here to read…

Myanmar court sentences ex-politician to 173 years in prison – Aljazeera

A court in military-ruled Myanmar has handed a 148-year prison sentence to a former parliamentarian from the deposed National League for Democracy (NLD) party, adding to a previous conviction which will now see Win Myint Hlaing, 52, spend a total of 173 years in prison. The sentence, which was handed down on Monday to Win Myint Hlaing after his conviction on terrorism charges, appeared to be the longest jail term given to any member of Aung San Suu Kyi’s government and NLD party since the military grabbed power in February 2021. Click here to read…

Myanmar: Investigation reveals aviation fuel supply chain linked to war crimes – Amnesty

The international community must urgently prevent shipments of aviation fuel from reaching the Myanmar military, Amnesty International said today, as it published an investigation into the companies involved in the supply chain, as well as shocking new accounts of deadly air strikes on civilians. Deadly Cargo: Exposing the Supply Chain that Fuels War Crimes in Myanmar provides the most detailed look into aviation fuel since the military seized power in the 2021 coup, from the distant port where the fuel originally departed to the unlawful air strikes that killed civilians – and every step in between. Click here to read…

Myanmar could face aid ‘catastrophe’, experts warn, after junta law change – The Guardian

Myanmar’s junta has passed a law that grants it sweeping powers over aid delivery, prompting warnings of a “catastrophic” effect on services to those in need in the crisis-hit nation. Sources inside aid agencies in Yangon, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Guardian that the new rules would severely impact their ability to reach vulnerable communities, likely resulting in wholesale shutdowns of some programmes. Click here to read…

Nepal

India to import 22 megawatt more energy from Nepal – Khabar Hub

The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has received approval from India to export 22 megawatt of power produced from Chilime Hydropower Company. Spokesperson of NEA Suresh Bahadur Bhattarai confirmed that the approval was obtained on October 31 from India’s Central Electricity Authority to export more power to India. With this approval, Nepal now would export 386 MW of power to India, Spokesperson Bhattarai added. Click here to read…

Supreme Court order against extending term of GMR Upper Karnali Hydropower Limited in Nepal – Economic Times

Nepal’s Supreme Court on Thursday issued an interim order and asked the government not to implement its decision to extend the term of India’s power giant GMR that is developing the Upper Karnali Hydropower Project. The Cabinet had decided to extend GMR’s term by two years. A single bench of Justice Ishwor Prasad Khatiwada issued the interim order against the Cabinet’s July 15 decision, according to the apex court sources. Click here to read…

Nepal’s Oli vows balanced ties with China, India if returned to power – The Print

Nepal’s main communist opposition party will balance the Himalayan nation’s ties with neighbours China and India for mutual benefit if it is returned to power in a general election this month, its leader said. oth Asian giants have been locked in a high stakes battle for influence in Nepal — sandwiched between the two countries — longing for a friendly government in Kathmandhu. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Attempt on Imran Khan’s life shocks nation: Dawn

In what appeared to be an assassination attempt, former prime minister Imran Khan was shot at and injured on Thursday evening when a suspect, standing in front of the container carrying the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief and senior party leaders, showered a volley of bullets with an automatic pistol when the party’s ‘Haqaaqi Azadi’ march reached Wazirabad’s Allahwala Chowk. Click here to read…

Imran named PM, interior minister, army officer for assassination bid: Umar: The Express Tribune

Umar issued a video statement, accompanied by a fellow party member and provincial minister Aslam Iqbal, wherein he disclosed that both of them had a conversation with Imran after the attack and the PTI chief revealed that he already had information about it. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Ban on travelling overseas under tourist visa and finding jobs stays: Daily Mirror

The Foreign Employment Ministry is to take every possible action to prevent all attempts to travel abroad for work under tourist visas. Addressing the media, Minister Manusha Nanayakkara advised the ministry officials to take action to send women abroad for all jobs especially to the countries such as the UAE and Oman under work visa. Click here to read…

Two Russian warships enter territorial waters of Sri Lanka: Daily Mirror

A detachment of Pacific Fleet ships led by the flagship of the Nakhimov Guards missile cruiser Varyag, the large anti-submarine ship Admiral Tributs and the large sea tanker Boris Butoma have entered the responsibility zone of the TOF south of Sri Lanka. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Female Students Above 6th Grade Get Schooling from Kabul Organization: Tolo News

An institution in Kabul is supporting girls’ education and providing work opportunities for nearly 2,000 girls above grade sixth in Kabul. In this institution, students take regular school lessons and prepare for the university entrance exam. They also learn practical skills like tailoringClick here to read…

Pakistan Calls for Sustained, Practical Engagement With Kabul: Tolo News

Addressing the 21st Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (CHG) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that sustained and practical engagement with Afghanistan is important in order to help the Afghan people overcome the humanitarian and economic crises afflicting their country. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

PM Hasina pays homage to Bangabandhu, four national leaders on Jail Killing Day: Dhaka Tribune

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday paid rich tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and four national leaders marking the Jail Killing Day. In showing respect to the memory of the Father of the Nation and the four national leaders, the premier placed wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi Road No 32 in Dhaka in the morning. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Army Chief Gen Pande holds talks with Bhutanese commander – Economic Times

Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande on Tuesday held wide-ranging talks with Royal Bhutan Army’s Chief Operations Officer Lt Gen Batoo Tshering on ways to expand bilateral military ties amid China enhancing infrastructure around Bhutanese territory in the Doklam plateau. Officials said the talks focused on various key dimensions of India-Bhutan defence cooperation and the two commanders reviewed the evolving regional security scenario. Click here to read…

Organisational rejig for Bhutan tourism – Telegraph India

The Bhutan government on Tuesday announced to absorb the Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB), an autonomous organisation, into the ministry of economic affairs as one of its departments. North Bengal tourism stakeholders are keenly following the development as Bhutan contributes a good part of tourism revenue to their kitty. Till 2020, around 70 per cent of foreign tourists visiting Bhutan were Indians. Click here to read…

Maldives

Azur Air resumes flights to the Maldives – Edition

Russia’s charter airline Azur Air has resumed direct flights to the Maldives. Last Friday, the airline resumed service from Moscow to the Maldives for the high season. The flights were discontinued mid March following the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Click here to read…

Myanmar

ANZ, UOB face scrutiny over business with Myanmar military’s bank

Big banks, including Australia’s ANZ, have continued to do business with a bank owned by Myanmar’s military administration despite its bloody crackdown on anti-coup protests, according to an advocacy group and leaked documents. ANZ, one of Australia’s “big four” banks, was used by Hong Kong-based insurer AIA to transfer funds to Innwa Bank, which is owned by military conglomerate Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC), in August and September 2021. Click here to read…

Myanmar’s Lawyers Face Increasing Junta Threats – – The Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s defense lawyers for political detainees are facing increased threats from the junta which has carried out arbitrary arrests and extrajudicial killings since last year’s coup. The junta supporters watch them and encourage their arrest. There were calls for the arrest of a female lawyer who posted condolences on social media after the mother of her jailed client was killed in October’s blasts and junta shooting at the parcel drop-off at Yangon’s Insein Prison. Click here to read…

China Opens New Shipping Route to Myanmar From South China Sea – The Irrawaddy

In the latest sign of its growing ties with Myanmar’s military regime, China has opened a direct shipping route linking its international port in the South China Sea to Myanmar’s business hub, Yangon. Named after the Beibu Gulf Port complex in Guangxi Province, the new Beibu Gulf Port-Myanmar shipping route was opened last Friday, the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar announced on its Facebook page. Click here to read…

Number of Myanmar Children Made Homeless Under Junta Passes Half a Million – The Irrawaddy

The number of children in Myanmar forced to flee their homes to escape violence since last year’s coup has reached 520,000, according to Save the Children. More than 1.4 million people have been displaced by conflict in Myanmar – including over half a million children – with 1.1 million forced to flee since the military takeover and crackdown in February 2021, said Save the Children in a statement released yesterday. Click here to read…

Nepal

India provides 200 vehicles to Nepal for general elections – Times of India

On request of Nepal, the Government of India on Tuesday handed over a total of 200 vehicles that would be utilized at the time of general elections slated for 20th of this month. The Indian Ambassador to Nepal- Naveen Srivastava, handed over vehicles to Minister for Finance- Janardan Sharma as a gift from India for logistical support to various Nepali institutions for conduct of elections. Out of 200 vehicles 120 will be utilized by security forces and 80 vehicles by the Election Commission of Nepal. These vehicles would be useful in further augmenting the logistical arrangements of various institutions of Nepal across the country for conducting the polls. Click here to read…

Is Nepal Under China’s Thumb – Foreign Policy

On Nov. 20, Nepalis will head to the polls to elect their 11th government since the country became a democratic republic in 2008, after more than 200 years of monarchical rule. In that time, the continuous formation and breakdown of alliances have plagued Nepal’s politics, leaving voters disillusioned. Yet there is still a greater threat to the country’s young democracy: China has become increasingly more involved in Nepal’s domestic politics. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Pakistan, China agree to expand, accelerate CPEC: Dawn

China on Wednesday assured Pakistan of its continued support to the country’s sustainable economic and strategic projects, including expansion of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Main Line-1 (ML-1) rail track besides an additional assistance package of RMB 500 million for the country’s flood-relief efforts. Click here to read…

Long march could go on for 10 months: Imran: Dawn

Addressing participants of the rally at Gakharmandi on the sixth day of the travails, the former prime minister asked the ‘institutions’ if they were neutral, then what was stopping them from holding “free and fair” elections. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Urgent Qatari medical aid arrives in Sri Lanka: Daily Mirror

An urgent shipment of medical aid has arrived in Sri Lanka, and which has been provided by the Qatar Fund for Development to support the health sector in the country, QNA reported. Qatar’s ambassador to Sri Lanka Jassim bin Jaber al-Sorour received the Qatari medical aid, which he handed over to Minister of Health of Sri Lanka Keheliya Rambukwella. Click here to read…

Economic crisis to reverse SL’s gains in economic freedom: Daily Mirror

As per the latest Economic Freedom of the World report, Hong Kong and Singapore top the index, continuing their streak as first and second, respectively. New Zealand, Switzerland, Denmark, Australia, the United States, Estonia, Mauritius and Ireland round up the top 10. Research shows that people living in countries with high levels of economic freedom enjoy greater prosperity, more political and civil liberties and longer lives. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

US to act unilaterally against terrorist threats from Afghanistan – Dawn

The United States will continue to act unilaterally to address emergent terrorist threats from Afghanistan, the US State Department has warned. The warning followed news reports that Al Qaeda, the Islamic State militant group — which the US refers to as ISIS — and other terrorist groups have been reactivated in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover and were gradually becoming a major threat to the US and its allies. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

India helped maintain political stability in Bangladesh, says minister. He explains – Hindustan Times

Hasan Mahmud, one of the senior-most ministers in Hasina’s government and a top leader of the Awami League, said Dhaka had taken strong action against people involved in attacks on Hindus and there were 700 more Durga Pujas in Bangladesh this year as compared to 2021. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Indian Railways exploring logistic trade ties with Bhutan – Deccan Herald

Days after helping Bhutan to transport a consignment of vehicles from Chennai, Indian Railways have started exploring logistic trade ties with the neighbouring country. Officials of The Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) on Tuesday met a delegation comprising officials of Bhutan’s foreign ministry, trade bodies and chamber of commerce at Alipurduar junction in North Bengal. Click here to read…

Why we need to act on climate change to avert glacial melting in Bhutan – WEF

At 4,200 metres above sea level, the remote highland community of Lunana – made up of a cluster of 17 villages – is a place almost untouched by visitors. Tucked away in a corner of the tiny Kingdom of Bhutan, it takes seven days to trek here from the capital Thimphu. The only other way in, depending on the weather, is a helicopter ride that follows the river bending and weaving between the mountains. Click here to read…

Foreign exchange quota misuse affects reserve – Kuensel Online

The foreign currency reserve is dwindling, risking the country’s ability to fund essential trade and foreign currency reserves. Bhutan’s convertible currency (CC) was reported at USD 717 million (M) as of June, according to the Royal Monetary Authority’s (RMA) provisional figure. It was short by USD 40M from the central bank’s threshold of USD 757M. If the CC is in a freefall, the tricks to get the greenback are not helping. Add on it the increased imports from third countries (having to pay in USD), Bhutanese travellers with a quota of USD 3,000 a year and the gaping loopholes jeopardise the CC, say many. Click here to read…

Maldives

Maldives sets new record for tourist arrivals in October – Avas

According to the Tourism Ministry, 153,000 tourists visited the Maldives in October. This is an eight percent increase compared to October 2021 and 2019. Ministry data shows 141,929 tourists visited the Maldives in October 2019 and 142,066 tourists in October 2021. The highest number of tourists visited the Maldives this year in February. With an uptick in arrival numbers last month, October becomes the month in which the second-highest number of tourists visited the South Asian archipelago this year. While the total number of tourists visiting the Maldives as of October 26 reached 1.3 million, this is a 33.5 percent increase over the same period last year. Click here to read…

Myanmar

New Zealand to reopen diplomatic post in junta-ruled Myanmar – Stuff.co.nz

Nearly two years since Myanmar’s military ousted a democratically-elected government in a coup, and after the onset of Covid-19, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Mfat) will send a high-ranking diplomat to Yangon to reopen New Zealand’s embassy. Click here to read…

Myanmar extends Covid-19 restrictions until end of November – DajjiWorld

Myanmar extended its Covid-19 preventive measures until November 30, the Central Committee on Prevention, Control and Treatment for Covid-19 has said in a statement. The extension is applied to all Covid-19 restrictions that expired on October 31, except the ones that will be eased, the committee added. Click here to read…

HRW calls on international leaders to impose harsher sanctions on Myanmar junta ahead of Asia summits – jurist

Human Rights Watch (HRW) Tuesday urged governments attending Asian summits in November to support tougher sanctions to curb human rights abuses by Myanmar’s junta. The Myanmar junta seized power in February 2021 and has since then committed “widespread and systematic abuses,” according to HRW. Click here to read…

Nepal

India to export 600,000 tons of unmilled rice to Nepal – Khabar Hub

The Indian government permitted duty-free exports of rice to Nepal in a move that is seen as helping the Nepal meet its food security. Nepal relies on India to fulfill its food grain requirements. India is to allow cargoes of white and brown rice backed by letters of credit (LoC) issued before September 9 to be shipped overseas, Reuters has reported. Click here to read…

Ruling alliance intensifies campaign in Dhangadi – Himalayan Times

With the November 20 elections just around the corner, election campaign of the ruling alliance is running in full swing in Constituency No 5 of Kailali.Among their election agenda are pledges ranging from ending inundation and erosion, problems bedevilling Dhangadi, to developing it into a model city. Dhangadi is a major business hub in Sudurpaschim Province that falls in Kailali Constituency-5. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Pakistan approves deal to import 300,000 tonnes of Russian wheat – Aljazeera

The government’s Economic Cooperation Committee backs $112m deal aimed at meeting country’s shortfall after weak production, floods. The government of Pakistan has approved a deal worth nearly $112m to import 300,000 tonnes of wheat from Russia to meet its domestic shortfall. The deal endorsed by the Economic Cooperation Committee on Monday comes as Pakistan struggles to balance its fragile economy and manage the aftermath of devastating floods this summer that killed more than 1,700 people and affected some 33 million. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Economic crisis | Drug shortages persist in Sri Lanka – The Hindu

Sri Lanka’s health sector is still short of over 150 essential drugs. Sri Lanka’s painful economic crisis may have let up a little, mainly for those who can afford higher living costs, but shortages continue to affect its noted health care system, according to officials and medical practitioners. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Women Hold Protest for Right to Learn and Work: Tolo News

Following calls to reopen girls’ schools above sixth grade and employment for women, a group of women staged a protest in Kabul to express their concerns about the continued effective ban on female students over 6th grade and on female employment. Click here to read…

Save the Children: Malnourished Afghan Children Up Nearly 50% Since January: Tolo News

The number of dangerously malnourished children has spiked 47% since January this year, Save the Children said in a recent report. However, the Ministry of Public Health denied an increase in the number of children affected by malnutrition. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

World Bank: Climate change to hit Bangladesh’s poor, vulnerable hardest: Dhaka Tribune

A new World Bank report predicts that climate change will hit poor and vulnerable people the hardest. Average tropical cyclones cost Bangladesh about $1 billion annually. By 2050, a third of agricultural GDP could be lost. In case of severe flooding, GDP could fall by as much as 9%, according to the World Bank Group’s Country and Climate Development Report for Bangladesh, published on Monday. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Asian Development Bank to Fund Bhutan’s First Utility-Scale Solar Project – Saurenergy

Bhutan may well be moving beyond hydropower as far as renewable energy development in the Himalayan country is concerned. In a key development, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $18.26 million financing for the construction of the first utility-scale solar photovoltaic power plant in BhutanClick here to read…

How BRO used shredded plastic to construct road in Bhutan – The Kashmir Monitor

Border Road Organisation (BRO) has used shredded plastic in resurfacing 4.5 km on Phuentsholing-Thimphu Road under Project Dantak in Bhutan. BRO has used the technology in It has been used in the resurfacing of the 5.22 km Hnahthial-Sangau-Saiha Road under Project Pushpak in Mizoram and the two km resurfacing of Hapoli-Sarli-Huri Road under Project Arunank in Arunachal Pradesh. Click here to read…

Maldives

Maldives govt proposes MVR42.6 bln budget for 2023 – Avas

Maldives government on Monday proposed an MVR42.6 billion state budget for next year, keeping with the increasing annual trend. Finance Minister Ibrahim Ameer presenting the state budget to the parliament on Monday, said next year’s budget aims to ensure fiscal and debt sustainability while mitigating the challenges caused by the global economic crisis stemming from the Russian-Ukrainian war. Click here to read…

Maldives state debt soars to 113 billion – Edition

Forecasts show that the Maldives national debt including sovereign guarantees will reach MVR 113 billion in 2023. According to the proposed state budget, Internal borrowings are expected to rise from MVR 57 billion to MVR 62 billion in 2023. It is anticipated that external borrowing will rise from MVR 35 billion to MVR 40 billion and the sum of sovereign guarantee is expected to be reduced from MVR 12.4 billion to MVR 11.7 billion, according to the Ministry of Finance. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Myanmar rebels moving arms via Mizoram to fight junta, say security forces in Northeast – Deccan Herald

Sources in Assam Rifles said more than 20 Myanmar nationals have been arrested in the past few months in Mizoram alone. However, security agencies in the region, have been recently claiming that they have begun to witness a “reversing trend”, where rebel groups of Myanmar are now found to be using Mizoram to arrange and transport arms and equipment to aid their fight against the military junta that usurped the elected government there last year. Click here to read…

Myanmar junta bans Irrawaddy news agency after months of harassment – RFA

Myanmar’s junta has officially banned online news outlet The Irrawaddy and charged the outlet’s registered publisher for violating national security laws, state media reported over the weekend, following months of legal harassment. Click here to read…

ASEAN, EU invite Myanmar youth to express their thoughts on climate change issues – Mizzima

The European Union continues to emerge as the world’s climate trailblazer. Every year in the lead up to the Conference of the Parties (COP27), EU delegations and embassies of EU Member States around the world hold various events to foster dialogue and cooperation on climate change, showcase success stories, and inspire further action. This year, the EU delegation to ASEAN is preparing a series of events to be held from 25 to 31 October 2022 as part of the Climate Diplomacy Week. Click here to read…

Myanmar Junta Frees NLD Finance Minister and Two Political Prisoners – The Irrawaddy

Former planning and finance minister U Soe Win of the deposed National League for Democracy (NLD) government was among three regime opponents released from jail by the junta on Friday, sources close to the trio said. The other two political prisoners freed were singer Po Po and beauty blogger Win Min Than. Click here to read…

Nepal

Nepal enters full campaign mode – The Hans India

With just three weeks left for the November 20 elections, political parties in Nepal are campaigning at a feverish pitch. This is the second general election in Nepal after the country adopted its first secular republican constitution in 2015. The first elections under the new federal structure were held in late 2017. Click here to read…

Nepal election is crucial for India – Deccan Herald

When China’s outgoing ambassador to Nepal, Hou Yanqi, recently penned an article in The Kathmandu Post, she made it a point to take note of the upcoming parliamentary elections and hoped bilateral relations would “continue to reach new levels”. Click here to read…

Nepal: Hindu procession attacked by an Islamist mob in Mahottari, several people including police officials injured – OpIndia

On Thursday, October 27, a Hindu procession allegedly came under attack from a Muslim mob. Reportedly, following a dispute over a flag hoisting, the procession came under attack. Police had to resort to lathicharge and tear gas to bring the situation under control. In the preceding violence, several people as well as police officials were left injured. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Imran promises revolution, through ‘ballot’ or ‘bloodshed’

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan kicked off the fourth day of his ‘Haqeeqi Azadi’ long march with an aggressive message, tweeting early on Monday that the sea of people on the roads with him indicated the dawn of a revolution, and asked “handlers and facilitators” if they would allow a soft revolution through the ballot or a destructive one through bloodshed. Click here to read…

PM hopes to revive CPEC, expand trade with maiden China visit: Dawn
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is embarking on a two-day official visit to China on Tuesday (today) in an effort to revive the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), expand trade and investment ties with the neighbouring country by making optimal use of the second phase of the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
SL starts discussions to join OACPS with potential EU FTA: Daily Mirror
Sri Lanka’s Presidential Envoy to Europe and Commonwealth Niranjan de Silva Deva Aditya (Nirj Deva) said this week in Brussels that he has started discussions for Sri Lanka to join the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS). Click here to read…

Colombo inflation rate eases to 66% in October: Daily Mirror
Inflation in the Colombo district made an about turn in October, bringing an end to the current spell of runaway inflation, which set off more than a year ago when the global commodities prices started rising, caused by the surge in demand amid the supply chain bottlenecks and emergence of foreign currency shortages in the domestic market. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Uzbekistan President Suggests Forming Intl Group to Coordinate with Kabul: Tolo News

Speaking at the 6th CICA Summit Astana 2022, the president of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, suggested the establishment of an international group to arrange and coordinate with the Afghan authorities. Click here to read…

Ministry Says Media Law is Essential, Urges Its Approval Be Expedited: Tolo News

The head of publications in the Ministry of Information and Culture said he considers the mass media law to be a necessity and that this law should be approved as soon as possible. The head of publications added that in a meeting of the Media Violations Commission there have been violations by eleven media outlets. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Bangladesh defends latest UN resolution vote against Russia: Dhaka Tribune

Bangladesh on Wednesday voted in favour of a UN resolution that condemned Russia’s “illegal” annexation of four Ukrainian regions last month, at the 11th emergency special session of the UNGA on the Russia-Ukraine war. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Local growers worried as Centre decides to import areca from Bhutan – The Hindu

Areca growers of Malnad region are up in arms over the recent Central government decision to import green arecanuts from Bhutan. The unconditional consent to import 17,000 metric tons of arecanuts will bring down the price in the local market, they fear. Growers, who are already facing difficulties due to yellow-leaf disease and leaf spot disease, that brought down the yield significantly in many parts of the region, are planning protests against the move. Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) has called for a protest march in Shivamogga on October 14 on this issue. Click here to read…

Bhutan brings business back to Jaigaon – Telegraph India

The reopening of Bhutan’s land borders with India after a gap of two-and-a-half years has made Jaigaon — that sits on the international border — a bustling town once again. After March 2020, when the Himalayan kingdom had closed its land borders for passenger movement because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the economy in Jaigaon took a hit as the town had flourished because of demand from Bhutan. Click here to read…

Maldives

Fitch Revises the Maldives’ Outlook to Negative; Affirms at ‘B-‘ – Fitch Ratings

The Outlook revision reflects our assessment that tightening global financial conditions are intensifying the Maldives’ external liquidity strains, even though tourism has made a remarkable recovery to pre-pandemic levels. A sharp decline in foreign-exchange buffers, if sustained, could complicate the government’s external debt-servicing and maintenance of the currency peg to the US dollar. Click here to read…

Maldives wins a seat at the UN Human Rights Council – Raajje

Maldives won in the voting held at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday. The election saw 17 countries competing for 14 vacant seats. The Maldives competed in the Group of Asia-Pacific States, for one of the 4 vacant seats. The Maldives won with 154 votes, out of a total of 189 votes cast. Along with the Maldives, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Kyrgyzstan also won seats in the Asia-Pacific Group. Click here to read…

Myanmar

The Dominance Of The Myanmar Military Is Under Challenge Now – Eurasia Review

The Myanmar military seized power in a coup by toppling democratically elected government in February 1, 2021. In 2020 election, National League for Democracy had a landslide victory and was preparing to lead the democratic government for the second time in Myanmar’s recent history. People spontaneously came out to protest against military takeover. Myanmar is currently in a state of civil war and the army is desperate to control the conflict and has increased the level of torture and oppression on the people. Click here to read…

Challenges Await New Contractor as India Rejigs Plan for Completion of Kaladan Project in Myanmar – The Irrawaddy

The Indian government has fine-tuned plans to complete the delayed Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Transport Project in Myanmar, considered crucial for New Delhi’s ambitious Act East Policy. A corpus of 17.8 billion rupees (US$216.32 million) has been earmarked for completion of the stalled project in Myanmar’s troubled Chin State contiguous to the Indian border state of Mizoram. The estimated cost will be adjusted owing to fluctuations or change in the availability of essential commodities required for the project. Click here to read…

Nepal

Nepal votes in favour of UN resolution to condemn referendums in Ukraine – Kathmandu Post

Nepal on Wednesday voted in favor of a resolution condemning Russia’s attempted annexation of four Ukrainian areas by conducting a referendum within Ukraine, at the United Nations General Assembly. According to the United Nations news, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution that condemns Russia’s “illegal so-called referendums” in regions within Ukraine’s internationally-recognized borders, and demands it reverses its annexation declaration. Click here to read…

Major changes unlikely in Nepal-China ties during Xi’s third term – Kathmandu Post

The 20th plenum of the Chinese Communist Party scheduled to begin on October 16 in Beijing is expected to give a third presidential term to the incumbent, Xi Jinping. Over 2,292 party delegates will also select the CPC’s Politburo Standing Committee (PSC) as well as a new Cabinet for the next five years. Click here to read…

Pakistan

IMF team due in November for next review: Dawn

The Inter¬national Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Thursday that it would send a team to Pakistan early next month to start the process for the next review of their current programme. Click here to read…

US sees China, not Russia, as ‘biggest geopolitical challenge’: Dawn

The 48-page document, released on Wednesday evening, does mention terrorism and other geo-strategic threats in the South and Central Asian region, but unlike the recent past, it does not name Pakistan as an ally needed to tackle those threats. Pakistan was also absent from the 2021 strategy paper. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

SL to set up climate change Uni – President Wickremesinghe: Daily Mirror

Sri Lanka is to set up a climate change university soon, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday. Speaking during an interview with Leader TV, the President said he will send former Maldivian President Mohamed Bashir as his convoy together with advisor on Climate Change Erik Solheim to a number of countries to get support from.various nations for the proposed university and to minimise effects of climate change. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Cargo Leaves China For Afghanistan On New Route Bypassing Russia – Oil Price

China has dispatched a first load of freight to Afghanistan on a new road and rail route transiting Central Asia which will cut travel time by several weeks.The multimodal route starts in China’s northwestern Xinjiang province then passes through Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan before entering Afghanistan. Click here to read…

21 years after 9/11, where does Afghanistan stand today – Economic Times

On May 2, 2011, the U.S. Special Forces killed Al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden in Pakistan’s Abbottabad in operation Neptune Spear. The fact that Bin Laden was hiding out in Pakistan exposed Islamabad’s failure to track down, or failure to reveal the hideout of America’s most wanted terrorist. The U.S. led NATO forces left Kabul in 2021, but the war against terror continues in Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Bangladesh, Cambodia to sign FTA for boosting trade cooperation – New Age BD

During a bilateral meeting between Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina and her Cambodian counterpart Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen in New York on Thursday night, they agreed to do it, said foreign minister AK Abdul Momen while briefing reporters about the activities of the PM on the sidelines of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Click here to read…

Traders worried as India top bank suspends dollar transaction with Bangladesh – TBS News

The public sector lender State Bank of India (SBI), which has been operating for four decades in Dhaka, has suspended export-import transactions in dollars with Bangladesh, raising concern among the business community of both countries as India is the second highest import source for Bangladesh. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Bhutan Reopens with New Sustainable Tourism Strategy – Travel Pulse

The Kingdom of Bhutan officially reopens to international travelers since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic today, September 22, unveiling a new tourism strategy focusing on sustainable development, infrastructure upgrades and more. Click here to read…vv

Maldives

Maldives is proud to have demonstrated leadership at the UN General Assembly: FM Shahid – Raajje

Maldives is proud to have demonstrated leadership at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), says Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid. FM Shahid said this in a message on the 57th Anniversary of the Maldives Membership at the UN, extended on Thursday. As such, FM Shahid highlighted on the fact that Maldives joined the UN at a time a small state joining the UN was questioned, 57 years ago. Click here to read…

Myanmar

US seeks action, possible UN resolution, on Myanmar junta – Channel News

The United States is seeking more pressure on Myanmar’s junta through the United Nations (UN) and is urging the international community not to recognize upcoming elections, a senior official said Thursday. Click here to read…

Mizoram chief minister meets Shah, discusses influx of refugees from Myanmar – Hindustan Times

Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga on Thursday met Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi to discuss the influx of refugees from neighbouring Myanmar. In an Instagram post, Zoramthanga said Shah took stock of the situation at the meeting. Click here to read…

Tatmadaw, ARSA, Arakan army, Yaba economy – News Age BD

BANGLADESH is in a spot as far as Myanmar is concerned. Not that Myanmar is doing much better having to fight just about every ethnic group in the country. Given the truncated reality of its cartography, Myanmar probably does not qualify as a state, certainly not as a single unit or even a federation. A half of the map is under rebel control. Click here to read…

Nepal

Nepal’s NDC on climate change – Kathmandu Post

The last three decades of the international climate regime have shown positive accomplishments. The establishment of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) with the goals of mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change, the Kyoto Protocol with legally binding emissions targets for developed countries, the Paris Agreement with a temperature threshold of 2 degrees Celsius (and pursue best efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius), and establishment of the net-zero target are three key milestones of past 30 years of climate change negotiation. Click here to read…

Two Nepal projects selected under China’s GDI – Kathmandu Post

At a time when not a single project under the Beijing-led Belt and Road Initiatives has commenced in Nepal, two projects from Nepal have been selected under China’s another initiative called, the Global Development Initiative. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Death toll in devastating Pakistan flooding reaches 1,596

The overall death toll in Pakistan from the devastating floods has increased to 1,596, with 12,863 others injured, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said. In the last 24 hours, 20 new fatalities were reported, reports Xinhua news agency citing the NDMA as saying. Click here to read…

China blocks action against Pakistan-based terrorist in ‘favour’ to close ally – Siasat

China has again blocked action in UN Sanctions Committee against Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) leader and 26/11 Mumbai attacks accused Sajid Mir, drawing strong criticism from India. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Foreign ambassadors assure support to recover Sri Lanka from the economic crisis – Colombo Page

The foreign ambassadors to Sri Lanka have assured President Ranil Wickremesinghe their support to get the assistance of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to recover the island nation from the worst economic crisis in its history. Click here to read…

New resolution on Sri Lanka tabled in Geneva – Colombo Gazette

The draft resolution, which was formally handed over to the Human Rights Council Secretariat on Wednesday, has been sponsored by the UK, US, Germany, Canada, Malawi, Montenegro and North Macedonia. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Qatar Calls on ‘All Parties’ to ‘Preserve’ Doha Peace Deal: Al Thani: Tolo News

Speaking at the UN General Assembly Annual Meeting, the Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani called on “all parties to preserve and build on the Doha Peace Agreement achievements, namely, preventing Afghanistan from becoming a haven for terrorists and radical individuals and groups.” Click here to read…

Taliban Distributes Aid to Families in Central Afghanistan: The Khaama Press

The Taliban distributed food assistance to over 1,600 needy families in Ghor province, in central Afghanistan, the Taliban-controlled Bakhtar state news agency reported. According to the report, the Taliban government’s State Ministry for Disaster Management distributed aid to 1,609 impoverished families in Ghor province who were affected by the recent natural disasters. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

PM Hasina invites Biden to visit Bangladesh: Dhaka Tribune

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina invited US President Joe Biden to visit Bangladesh during a reception hosted by the US President on Wednesday.
The US president, along with his wife hosted the event at the American Museum of Natural History in honour of the heads of state and heads of the government who came in New York to attend the 77th UN General Assembly. Click here to read…

PM Hasina to give prize money to Saff champions upon return: Dhaka Tribune

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will give prize money to all the players of the Bangladesh Women Football Team after returning home from United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Click here to read…

Bhutan

EU, Bhutan launch sustainable agriculture food systems programme – Kuensel Online

The European Union provided Euro 15 million to Bhutan for agricultural development in Thimphu on September 20. Finance Minister Namgay Tshering and the European Union (EU) Ambassador to Bhutan and India, Ugo Astuto launched the programme to promote inclusive, sustainable and resilient agricultural food systems in the presence of Minister of Agriculture and Forests Yeshey Penjor, and Members of the EU Parliament. Click here to read…

Bhutanese products gain access to international markets -Kuensel Online

The Bhutanese traditional products by artisans and farmers, gained access to international markets with the support of the European Union (EU)-Bhutan Trade Support Project. Four years after launching the project in May 2018, it came to an end on September 19 with a display of businesses supported by the project. The project has helped link 1,400 artisans, farmers and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in horticulture and textile handicraft sectors to 11 export markets. Click here to read…

Maldives

ADB approves $10 M to strengthen COVID-19 vaccination in Maldives – BioSpectrum India

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $10 million grant under its Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility to help Maldives upgrade storage facilities and strengthen the distribution and administration of COVID-19 vaccines. Click here to read…

Saudi Arabia, Maldives sign political consultations agreement – Saudi Gazette

Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with his Maldivian counterpart Abdulla Shahid on Tuesday for political consultations. The MoU for political consultations between both countries aim at strengthening relations of cooperation and friendship and reaching broader horizons to serve the aspirations of the governments and peoples of the two countries. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Myanmar Junta Arms Dealer Arrested in Bangkok on Drugs, Money Laundering Charges – The Irrawaddy

Myanmar national Dr Tun Min Latt, 53, was arrested along with three Thai nationals in Bangkok last week. They face narcotics and money laundering charges. Over 200 million baht (US$5.4 million) worth of drugs and other items were confiscated from them, the Thai police said. Click here to read…

Myanmar spiralling ‘from bad to worse, to horrific’, Human Rights Council hears – UN News

“With each report I have warned that unless UN Member States change course in the way they collectively respond to this crisis, the people of Myanmar will suffer even further,” he told the Human Rights Council in Geneva, saying that conditions have “gone from bad to worse, to horrific for untold numbers of innocent people in Myanmar”. Click here to read…

Economic Meltdown Highlights Success of NLD’s Policies – The Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s economic troubles caused by Covid have deepened intensely since last year’s coup. The economy has contracted by 18 percent since February 2021 and it is projected to grow 3 percent in the fiscal year ending this month, according to the World Bank. The kyat slumped by 60 percent against the US dollar this year. Click here to read…

Nepal

Asian Development Bank cuts Nepal’s economic growth forecast – Kathmandu Post

The Asian Development Bank has downgraded Nepal’s growth forecast for the current fiscal year as the economy takes a beating from high inflation, slowed trade and monetary tightening.The Manila-based bank says Nepal’s economy is estimated to expand by 4.7 percent in the fiscal year 2022-23, down from an estimated 5.8 percent in the last fiscal year. Click here to read…

Japan helping Nepal rehabilitate oldest irrigation system with Rs 2 bln grant – Online Khabhar

Japan has committed to helping Nepal rehabilitate its oldest irrigation system with the grant support of Rs two billion. Officials of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Nepal and the Ministry of Finance on Wednesday signed an agreement in this regard, in Kathmandu on Wednesday. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Biden urges world to help ‘underwater’ Pakistan: Dawn

As Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged the international community on Wednesday to stay engaged with Islamabad as it struggles to recover from the devastating effects of this season’s unprecedent floods, US President Joe Biden made a fervent appeal to the world to help Pakistan deal with the devastation of the recent floods in his speech to the UN General Assembly (UNGA). Click here to read…

Current account deficit narrows to $0.7bn: Dawn

Pakistan’s current account deficit (CAD) fell to $0.7 billion in August, compared to $1.2bn in the previous month, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said late on Wednesday night. This equates to a decline of 41.67 per cent month-on-month. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Petroleum Products Bill inconsistent with Constitution: SC informs Speaker:,Daily Mirror

The Supreme Court informed speaker that Petroleum Products Special Provisions Amendment Bill is inconsistent as a whole with the article 12(1) of the Constitution, Speaker announced a shortwhile ago. Click here to read…

National inflation breaches 70% in August: Daily Mirror

The national index of consumer prices for August notched above 70 percent, as the sharp electricity tariff revision, which came into effect from the start of the month, hit the consumer wallets hard on top of the soaring food prices. Click here to read…