Afghanistan

Kabul: Unidentified Man Killed Pakistani Soldier at Spin Boldak Crossing: Tolo News

The US State Department said that Washington’s “commitment to the people of Afghanistan is enduring,” in a recently released statement. “We will continue to press for an orderly transition of power to an inclusive government with broad support, especially women and minorities,” the US State Department said. “We will use every diplomatic, economic, political, and assistance tool at our disposal to uphold the basic rights of all Afghans; support continued humanitarian access to the country; and ensure the Taliban honors its commitments.” Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Bangladesh abstains from UN vote against Russia – Dhaka Tribune

Bangladesh has abstained at the UN General Assembly on a draft resolution calling for Russia to be held accountable for violations of international law through its invasion of Ukraine and requiring Moscow to pay reparations to Kyiv for damages, loss and injury resulting from the war. Click here to read…

COP27: Bangladesh wants climate finance doubled by 2025 – The Daily Star

Bangladesh has demanded that developed countries double their collective provision of adaptation finance by 2025, as was agreed at COP26 in Glasgow last year, and provide support to vulnerable countries to implement the National Adaptation Plan (NAP). Click here to read…

G7 ‘global shield’: Bangladesh among first to receive climate funding – The Daily Star

Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Ghana will be among the first recipients of funding from a G7 initiative to help countries affected by climate change, according to a programme announced Monday at the COP27 summit in Egypt. The “Global Shield” initiative, coordinated by G7 president Germany, aims to provide rapid access to insurance and disaster relief funding for climate-vulnerable countries following floods and droughts. Click here to read…

First-ever hajj conference from Nov 17 – The Daily Star

The first-ever national level conference and fair on hajj and umrah management will be held in the capital from November 17. The three-day conference will be held at the capital’s Bangabandhu International Conference Center. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the conference virtually at 10:00am on Thursday. Click here to read…

Bangabandhu Railway Bridge: Crossing the Jamuna in 5 minutes: Dhaka Tribune

Rail travel over the Jamuna River is set to become significantly faster with the expected completion of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge in 2024. Due to the risky condition of the existing Jamuna Bridge, trains currently need half an hour to trundle across the river. Furthermore, broad-gauge trains are not allowed to operate on the bridge in order to ensure safety. On the other hand, the Bangabandhu Railway Bridge will allow trains to travel across the river at over 100kmph, cutting down the river-crossing time to around five minutes. The bridge will also allow broad-gauge trains to cross. Click here to read…

Bhutan

SoEs should let private sector grow: NA’s Economic and Finance Committee – Kuensel online

The National Assembly’s Economic and Finance Committee (EFC) recommended that state-owned enterprises (SoE) refrain from venturing into businesses that offer better prospects and opportunities to the private sector. The chairperson of the committee and MP for Gangzur-Minjey, Kinga Penjor, said that most of the SoEs operate in commercial sectors such as manufacturing, energy, natural resources, financial, communication, aviation, trading, and real estate sectors. Click here to read…

Maldives

Maldives arrests 14 for alleged Islamic State-tied bomb plot – The Hindu

Police in Maldives have arrested 14 people allegedly working with foreign Islamic extremists to carry out a bombing in the tiny archipelago state, police said. The suspects had been working with the Islamic State group and apparently planning an attack with the intent of killing many people, Uswath Ahmed, the nation’s counterterrorism head, told reporters Monday night. He did not elaborate. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Ground Report: Myanmar Refugees in Mizoram Camps Are a Picture of Resilience – The Wire

On September 19, military helicopters attacked a school and village in Myanmar, killing at least 13 people, including seven children. Six days earlier, India’s National Investigation Agency announced it had seized explosives and cash in Mizoram that were meant for the Chin National Front (CNF), a constituent group of the democratic resistance to Myanmar’s military coup in February 2021. Click here to read…

Myanmar, climate and economy on agenda for U.S. VP Harris in Asia – Kalki Media

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will discuss Myanmar, regional security, economic ties and the climate crisis during a trip to Asia that starts this week, according to a senior administration official. Harris is expected to meet with Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on Saturday in Bangkok and on Monday she will sit down with Philippines leader Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the U.S. official said on Tuesday. Click here to read…

India Should Exercise Caution Over Myanmar Timber Imports – The Irrawaddy

The confusion over Myanmar timber exports to India was laid to rest last month when the central government in New Delhi informed the Indian border state of Mizoram that timber was not on the restricted list of commodities from Myanmar. New Delhi’s directive was in response to a letter written by Mizoram governor Hari Babu Khambhampati seeking clarification on the issue of timber imports, following a petition by an association of wood-based industries in the state pushing for the removal of timber from the restricted list of commodities. Click here to read…

Malaysia Says No to Myanmar Junta’s Poll Plan – The Irrawaddy

Malaysia announced on Monday it will not support the Myanmar junta’s planned election next year, becoming the first among the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to reject the polls. Myanmar’s military staged a coup in February last year after the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) government won a second term with a landslide election victory. The military accused the NLD of serious election fraud – a claim that was debunked by international observers. Click here to read…

Nepal

Nepal, China seal a deal for utilisation of Rs15 billion in Chinese grant – The Kathmandu Post

Nepal and China on Tuesday signed an agreement for the utilisation of Rs15 billion (800 million RMB) in Chinese grants for various projects selected by the Nepali side. Bishnu Pukar Shrestha, Nepali ambassador to China, and Luo Zhaohui, chairman of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), signed the agreement on the behalf of their respective governments, in Beijing. CIDCA is China’s external aid and development agency that has already made a foray in Nepal with different developmental activities. Click here to read…

Elections fail to perk up the economy – The Kathmandu Post

Polling day is less than a week away, and the high-pitch campaigning has reached a crescendo; but the same fervour is not being seen in the economy as the expected election bonanza has failed to materialise. Domestic airlines are flying half-empty planes, retailers are reporting low demand for meat, restaurant owners say only a few diners are walking in through the doors, and beverage dealers say alcohol consumption has dropped to an all-time low. Click here to read…

In Kathmandu, leaders compete to be ‘different’, make & break ties, as Nepal voters ‘seek change’ – The Print

Communist leader and former Prime Minister K. P. Oli, 70, released a rap song at the Lord of the Drinks (LOD) nightclub in the heart of Kathmandu’s tourist paradise Thamel in the past weekend, in a bid to connect with the youth. Outgoing Prime Minister, and Nepali Congress leader, Sher Bahadur Deuba’s wife Arzu Rana Deuba, disarmingly told a podcaster Monday — who asked her if she wanted to be PM — that she had taught assertiveness training to young women and yes, someday (she would), but that Nepal’s patriarchal society was likely not ready for a woman PM. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Govt seeks IMF waivers amid flood-driven slippages: Dawn

Pakistan’s formal talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the 9th quarterly review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) have been delayed further amid authorities’ request for a series of waivers on performance criteria owing to flood losses and the Fund’s push for sticking to committed tax-to-GDP ratio of at least 11pc.Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Budget allocated Rs.852 bn for social welfare – State Minister – Daily News

Finance State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya told Parliament yesterday that social welfare has not been forgotten in this year’s Budget and the government has allocated Rs. 852 billion out of the total state expenditure through this Budget. Click here to read…

China’s top global ambassador says Sri Lanka is ready to take off – Daily News

President Xi Jinping’s top-most international roaming ambassador said Sri Lanka’s infrastructure facilities, human resources and other required facilities are in place and the country is all set to take off. President of the Chinese Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Ambassador Lin Songtiyan said now what is needed to attract foreign investments is to enact necessary legal reforms. Click here to read…

UNP to take action against its LG member for holding protest in front of Chinese Embassy – Daily Mirror

UNP is to take action against its local government member Sashi Hettiarachchi who held a protest in front of Chinese Embassy asking China to restructure Sri Lanka’s debt to that country, Party General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara said yesterday. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Foreign Airlines’ Use of Afghan Airspace is Increasing, Say Aviation Author: Tolo News

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation (MoTCA) said that the number of flights passing through Afghanistan’s airspace has increased compared to the past six months. Click here to read…

Taliban Orders Full Implementation of Sharia Law in Afghanistan: The Khaama Press

The Islamic Emirate leader Mawlawi Hebatullah Akhundzada ordered judges to fully implement Shaira law on criminals, according to sources, months after the group leadership announced the need for preserving Islamic values. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

A watershed moment for Bangladesh-US relations?: Dhaka Tribune

The military junta of West Pakistan organized among the most brutal genocides in history on March 25, 1971 with a plan to crush the Bengali nation. On a single day, around 50,000 people were massacred across the country. Click here to read…

Health minister: Population growth rate decreases significantly in Bangladesh: Dhaka Tribune

Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Monday said Bangladesh has been successful for controlling population growth rate as the current population increasing is now 1.22%. “Population growth rate has decreased significantly as the government of Bangladesh has been implementing various effective family planning programme since 2009,” he told a meeting titled “Population and Development” in Pattaya of Thailand, an official release said. Click here to read…

Bhutan

RCSC will provide Nu 10,000 for childbirth for civil servants – Kuensel Online

The Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC) will pay Nu 10,000 to every civil servant on the birth of a child under the Civil Servant’s Welfare Scheme (CSWS). This was decided during its 160th Commission meeting held on November 9. It was an effort to explore avenues to introduce additional welfare benefits to cater to the emerging needs of the civil servants under the CSWS. Click here to read…

Canada govt. to offer biometrics service in Thimphu this month – Kuensel Online

The Embassy of Canada in New Delhi on November 24 and 25 will offer biometrics collection services for visa applicants at the Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Thimphu. According to a press release from the embassy, the biometrics collection service is offered to those living in or who can legally enter Thimphu and have applied for a visitor visa, study or work permits, or permanent residence. Click here to read…

Maldives

President Solih sends greetings on 55th anniversary of Maldives-Japan ties – Raajje

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has extended greetings on the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Maldives and Japan. The president sent his greetings to the Emperor of Japan, H.M. Naruhito, and the Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida on the occasion on Monday. President Solih told H.M. Naruhito that over the course of the past decades, Japan has proven to be one of the most “steadfast” and “reliable” development partners to the Maldives. Click here to read…

Discussions held on opening an Australian High Commission in the Maldives – Raajje

The new High Commissioner of Australia to the Republic of Maldives, Paul Wesley Stephens and President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has held discussions on opening an Australian High Commission in the Maldives. High Commissioner Paul presented his credentials to the President during a ceremony held at the President’s Office, on Monday. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Myanmar’s Most Powerful Ethnic Group Rejects Junta’s 2023 Poll Plan – The Irrawaddy

The Karen National Union (KNU) political wing of Myanmar’s oldest ethnic armed group has rejected the junta’s plan for a national election next year, calling it an attempt to legitimize military rule. The rejection came on Friday at a public meeting of the KNU-led National Unity Committee of Karen Ethnic Armed Groups held in Takaw village, Hlaingbwe township, Karen State. The meeting was attended by leaders of Karen armed groups, religious groups, Karen political parties, and over 1,500 people. Click here to read…

It’s Time to Take the Gloves Off on Myanmar – The Diplomat

When G-20 leaders meet on the resort island of Bali this week, Russia’s war in Ukraine will undoubtedly dominate the conversation. But U.S. President Joe Biden should also use the G-20 to address another conflict unfolding much closer to Bali, as the people of Myanmar valiantly resist an illegitimate junta that is unleashing a campaign of violent repression, including war crimes and crimes against humanity. To date, the United States has taken an equivocal approach to the crisis raging in Myanmar. This visit presents a perfect opportunity to make clear that the U.S. and its international allies support the Myanmar peoples’ struggle for democracy by announcing new financial measures aimed at pressuring the corrupt, criminal junta responsible for these atrocities. Click here to read…

Biden, Xi start summit with vow to avoid conflict – Mizzima

Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping opened their high-stakes summit in Bali with a handshake on Monday, and with both men stressing the need to manage differences and avoid conflict. Biden says he looks forward to having “continuing and ongoing open and honest dialogue” while Xi urges “finding the correct direction” in developing mutual relationship. Click here to read…

Nepal

Nepal reduces power export to India as production dips – Kathmandu Post

On Monday, the NEA exported 230MW to the southern neighbour, although Nepal is authorised to sell over 400MW of electricity in the Indian market. Recently, the NEA started exporting the power generated also by the Chilime (22.1MW) and Solukhola (23.5MW) hydropower projects. The total installed capacity of hydropower projects in Nepal is over 2,200MW, according to the NEA. But, the state-owned power utility said that available output at the moment is around 1,550MW as projects’ output fluctuates depending on water levels of rivers and production dips to the lowest especially during winter. Domestic peak demands of the electricity on Monday stood at 1,418MW. Click here to read…

China company to build Nepal road linking India border – Economic Times

The Nepal Army has awarded the contract for the sixth package of the Kathmandu-Terai-Madhesh Expressway to China First Highway Engineering, sidestepping an Indian firm, less than 10 days before the general elections in the country. On November 11, the Nepal Army, which is in charge of the project, issued a letter of intent to China First Highway Engineering that was earlier disqualified in the tender but later made a backdoor entry despite lacking technical expertise, according to people in the know. The companies whose proposals have been rejected are preparing to approach court against the decision, ET has learnt. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Lawmakers want Imran to pay for ‘US plot’ allegations: Dawn

Treasury members, including two federal ministers, lambasted Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in the National Assembly on Monday for “taking a U-turn on the cipher issue”, declaring that the ex-premier would have to pay a “political price” for his “lies and false narrative” regarding the US-backed regime change conspiracy. Click here to read…

Pakistan out of UK’s ‘high-risk countries’ list: Dawn

The United Kingdom has removed Pakistan from its ‘high-risk third countries’ list through a statutory instrument, effectively meaning the UK foreign office recognises the progress Pakistan has made to be removed from FATF’s grey list. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

IGP, Public Security Ministry Secy summoned by SLHRC: Daily Mirror

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) and Public Security Ministry Secretary were summoned by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (SLHRC) to inquire into possible violations of human rights following the arbitrary actions by policemen these days. Click here to read…

Budget 2023 sticks to reform path with IMF nod pending: Daily Mirror

With an International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal yet to be sealed, Budget 2023 presented to Parliament yesterday stuck with the reform path Sri Lanka had embarked upon after the economy crashed in April, as a result of bad economic policies followed for decades. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

OIC Opens Mission in Kabul: Tolo News

The Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) opened a mission in Kabul with a ceremony attended by senior officials of the Islamic Emirate and OIC representatives. Speaking at the ceremony, the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amir Khan Muttaqi, said the office would play an important role in the improvement of relations between Afghanistan and Islamic countries. Click here to read…

Islamic Emirate Denies Terrorist Groups’ Presence in Afghanistan: Tolo News

The Islamic Emirate once again denied the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan, saying that there is no evidence to show that there is any threat to the world from Afghan soil. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Istanbul explosion: No Bangladeshis injured: Dhaka Tribune

No Bangladeshis were injured in the blast on Istiklal street in the tourist centre of Istanbul, Turkey. Six people were killed and 53 others were wounded on Sunday when an explosion rocked a busy pedestrian street in central Istanbul in an incident President Tayyip Erdogan called a bomb attack that “smells like terrorism”, reports Reuters. Click here to read…

‘Bangladesh on track to achieve Vision 2041’: Dhaka Tribune

Charles Whiteley, ambassador of the European Union to Bangladesh, recently sat for an exclusive interview with physician, author, and youth leader Dr Rakib Al Hasan to discuss Bangladesh’s development over the past 50 years, what it must do to continue its progress, and the country’s relationship with the EU. Click here to read…

Bhutan

US offers opportunities for Bhutanese students

Apart from popular destinations like Australia and Canada, Bhutanese students also apply to study, learn, and experience exchange programmes in the United States (US). Such opportunity, according to officials from the Embassy of the United States of America in New Delhi, is facilitated through the prioritisation of student visa appointments. This assurance comes after many Bhutanese complaints that it has become extremely difficult to get visa appointments in Delhi which many say has been filled until 2024. Click here to read…

Maldives

Maldives arrests 13 in crackdown on terror groups

A joint counter-terror operation is underway in the Maldives where the Maldives police and the defence forces have arrested 13 people. The operation was launched on Saturday. The Maldivian media has reported that nine people have been arrested from Addu City, two from capital Male and two from Guradhoo island. All the arrested people are Maldivian men. Click here to read…

Maldives inflation rose to 3.1 percent in September 2022

The rate of inflation, as measured by the annual percentage change in the national Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose to 3.1 percent in September 2022. Inflation rate rose from 2.6 percent in August 2022, reports Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA). Meanwhile, the monthly percentage change in the national CPI decelerated to 0.16 percent in September 2022, from 0.22 percent in the preceding month. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Myanmar’s junta slams opponents with prison sentences of up to 225 years

Myanmar’s military junta has imposed prison sentences of up to 225 years on nearly 20 of its political opponents since taking power in a coup early last year, sending a clear warning to anyone who might dare challenge its rule. Click here to read…

UN chief tells Myanmar junta to get democracy ‘back on track’

UN chief Antonio Guterres on Saturday urged the Myanmar junta to immediately return to democracy, saying it was the only way to stop the “unending nightmare” engulfing the country. Myanmar has spiralled into bloody conflict since the military ousted Aung San Suu Kyi´s civilian government in February last year, with thousands killed. Click here to read…

Myanmar objects ASEAN’s review on 5PC and its engagement with the country’s ‘unlawful’ organisations

Myanmar categorically rejects and dissociates itself from the said-review on the Five Point Consensus (5PC) and the decision made by the nine ASEAN leaders at the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits and Related Summits in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Friday. Click here to read…

Myanmar Junta Facing Major New Armed Threat in Far West

Renewed fighting in Myanmar’s far west between the military and a powerful rebel group is opening another deadly front in the country’s post-coup chaos, piling pressure on a junta still struggling to consolidate power. The military’s February 2021 coup and subsequent crackdown on peaceful protests set off a wave or armed resistance across Myanmar that has been stretching the junta’s forces thin. By some estimates they now hold effective control over less than half the country. Click here to read…

Nepal

Nepal and India agree to repair Koshi embankment at 35 locations

November 14, 2022
Nepal and India have agreed to conduct repair and maintenance works at three dozen locations of the Koshi embankment that got damaged in monsoon floods this year. After conducting a joint inspection of the embankment from Chatara down to the Nepal-India border, officials of the two countries concluded that the embankment should be repaired to prevent future disasters from floods. Click here to read…

China’s vice minister for culture Li Qun visits Nepal

China’s Vice Minister for Culture and Tourism Li Qun, who has arrived in Nepal on a five-day trip, visited Durbar Square in Kathmandu where he inspected the heritage site jointly reconstructed by the two countries. The site was damaged during the 2015 earthquakes. Li, who is leading a delegation of Chinese officials, on Saturday visited Durbar Square in Kathmandu where he inspected the heritage site jointly reconstructed by Nepal and China. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Govt. in balancing act between social welfare and fiscal stability with Budget 2023: Daily Mirror

Ahead of today’s budget presentation, the government yesterday disclosed plans to prop up State expenditure by 29.2 percent to provide relief to the economically-battered population while moving towards fiscal stability and expecting a gradual economic recovery.
State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya yesterday said that all preparations are made to present the 2023 budget with an expenditure of Rs.7.88 trillion. Click here to read…

SLT September profits down on higher costs; revenue at Mobitel declines: Daily Mirror

Sri Lanka Telecom PLC (SLT) saw its profits declining in the three months ended September 30, 2022 (3Q22) due to sharply rising costs stemming from a bevy of factors including the sharp fall in the value of the rupee against the dollar and the soaring inflation amid the decline in revenues at its mobile services subsidiary, Mobitel Private Limited. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Afghanistan is Candidate for UN Human Rights Council: Faiq: Tolo News

The Chargé d’Affaires of the Afghanistan Permanent Mission to the UN, Naseer Ahmad Faiq, said that Afghanistan is a candidate for membership in the UN Human Rights Council. Faiq said that 14 countries including Afghanistan have been nominated to be selected for membership in the OHCHR. Click here to read…

Islamic Emirate Leader Meets with Provincial Intelligence Heads: Tolo News

Islamic Emirate spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said on Twitter that the Islamic Emirate leader Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada met with officials of the general intelligence department and provincial intelligence heads. According to a statement issued by Mujahid, Akhundzada ordered the officials to protect the rights, culture, religion and property of the citizens. Click here to read…

Earthquake of Magnitude 4.9 Shakes Northern Afghanistan: The Khaama Press

The provincial capital of Balkh province in northern Afghanistan, Mazar-e-Sharif, was jolted by an earthquake that had a moderately strong Richter magnitude of 4.9, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). According to the USGS, the US scientific agency that provides information on natural hazards, the earthquake shook Mazar-e-Sharif at around noon on Tuesday, October 11. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Shahriar: Bangladesh elected UNHRC member because of experience with rights issues: Dhaka Tribune

In a video message, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam has said the UN member states voted for Bangladesh with an expectation that it will be able to help with its experience in dealing with human rights issues. Click here to read…

LNG: European thirst for natural gas puts Bangladesh in dark: Dhaka Tribune

European countries have already bought more liquefied natural gas (LNG) in 2022 than in any year previously. The surge in demand followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with various European governments rushing to end their dependence on Russian energy as quickly as possible. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Bhutan To Launch Its First-Ever International Snowman Race – News18

Bhutan is all set for its first-ever international Snowman Race which is touted to be one of the high-altitude ultra-marathons. The event is geared to being on October 13 and will conclude on 17 in the Land of Thunderbolt. The event will witness 25 athletes of which nine are hailing from Bhutan, who will compete across five days to cover a distance of 203 kilometres as they travel across an oxygen-sparse average of 14,800 ft. The race will start from Gasa Dzong and will finish at Chamkhar, Bumthang. Click here to read…

Maldives

Suspected drug lord arrested upon arrival in the Maldives – Avas

A suspect believed to be one of the most notorious drug lords of the Maldives, Arshad Khalid, 28, of Alora, S. Hoadedhdhoo, has been arrested. At the time, the state charged him due to links to nine kilograms of drugs and MVR 4.2 million that were seized by the police. Late last year, the police seized 119 kg of drugs in another drug operation, linked him to the drugs, and attempted to arrest him. However, he had already left the country by then. Click here to read…

Myanmar

More Than 40 Myanmar Junta Troops Killed in Two Days of Resistance Attacks – the Irrawaddy

Over 40 Myanmar junta forces were reportedly killed in the last two days as People’s Defense Force (PDF) groups continued to attack regime targets in Sagaing, Magwe, Mandalay and Tanintharyi regions and Chin State. Click here to read…

Myanmar Junta Jails and Files Cases Against Journalists – the Irrawaddy

Myanmar junta’s media crackdown has continued with one journalist being sentenced to three years in jail for incitement while two charges were filed against an editor last week. Detained political columnist U Sithu Aung Myint was sentenced to three years in prison with labor by a special court inside Insein Prison in Yangon on October 5 for alleged incitement under Article 505(a) of the Penal Code. Click here to read…

Myanmar Junta Uses Japan-Donated Ships to Transport Troops in Rakhine: HRW – the Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s military regime used ships donated by Japan for civilian use to transport troops in war-torn northern Rakhine State, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Tuesday. The rights watchdog called on the Japanese government to suspend non-humanitarian aid to Myanmar and sanction junta officials linked with serious human rights violations. Click here to read…

Nepal

‘Govt committed to providing citizenship to NRNs’ – the Himalayan Times

Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand has said the incumbent government was committed to providing citizenship to Non-Resident Nepalis as per the constitutional provision.At a programme organised by the Non Resident Nepalis Association on the occasion of its establishment day here today, Home Minister Khand recalled that the bill on citizenship had not been authenticated by the president though the bill was passed twice by the federal Parliament. He added that the bill was passed with the purpose of granting citizenship to all Nepali citizens and also to give citizenship to the NRNs as per the constitution. Click here to read…

Government to utilise knowledge of elderly – The Himalayan Times

The Ministry of Women, Children, and Senior Citizens has invited applications from eligible non-governmental organisations to receive grants for construction and operation of senior citizens’ meeting centre.According to the notice published on it website, the MoWCSC said the applications along with required documents should be submitted to the ministry before October-end. The MoWCSC said the NGOs would be selected on the basis of provisions mentioned in the Senior Citizens’ Meeting Centre Grant Procedure, 2022. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Stage set for major reshuffle in top military brass: Dawn

The promoted generals, according to ISPR, are Maj Gen Inam Haider Malik, Maj Gen Fayyaz Hussain Shah, Maj Gen Nauman Zakria, Maj Gen Mohammad Zafar Iqbal, Maj Gen Ayman Bilal Safdar, Maj Gen Ahsan Gulrez, Maj Gen Syed Aamer Raza, Maj Gen Shahid Imtiaz, Maj Gen Mohammad Munir Afsar, Maj General Babar Iftikhar, Maj Gen Yousaf Jamal, and Maj Gen Kashif Nazir. Click here to read…

Editorial: Much-needed probe: Dawn

Last evening, there were several tweets from the president’s official Twitter handle to ‘clarify’ that there was no change in his views on the matter, that he very much had suspicions about a conspiracy. In the TV interview, he said he had already requested the Supreme Court to launch an inquiry and while he did not expect any “smoking gun”, he believed it should take “circumstantial evidence” into account. He also asserted on air that he was impartial in his role as president and that his affiliation with the PTI — of which he is one of the founders — was in the past. Click here to read…

Civilian, democratically elected govt main interlocutor of Pak-US: Ned Price: The News

The US appreciates the longstanding cooperation with Pakistan, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Tuesday. He said Pakistan and the US governments share common interests in many areas.

“We value our longstanding cooperation with Pakistan. There are a number of areas where our interests are aligned,” he said, addressing a press briefing at the State Department in Washington. Click here to read…

Unemployment, inflation to rise: IMF: The News

Without incorporating the impact of recent floods, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has kept Pakistan’s GDP growth projection at 3.5 percent for the current fiscal year 2022-23 against 6 percent growth achieved in the last financial year. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

President’s office strikes at Bandula, says SL will remain ’middle income’: Daily Mirror

Contradicting Cabinet Spokesman Bandula Gunawardane, President’s Media Division (PMD) said Sri Lanka will remain a middle-income country.
The PMD said in a statment that the government is pursuing a “reverse graduation” policy for a limited period of time. Click here to read…

Import, Export Control Act to be submitted to parliament for approval: Daily Mirror

The regulations under the Import and Export Control Act will be submitted for parliament approval in due course after Cabinet nod for the same was given this week. Approval for the gazette issued in September will be sought to pave the way for migrant workers to import electrical vehicles. The allowance is made by the government as a means to encourage Sri Lankans working overseas to remit foreign earnings via legal and formal channels into the country. Click here to read…

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…