Afghanistan
Islamic Emirate Welcomes Possible EU Office Reopening: Tolo News
The Islamic Emirate on Monday welcomed the reopening of the European Union’s office in Kabul, saying that the step could be the beginning of engagement with European countries. Click here to read....
16 People Killed in Herat Clashes: Sources: Tolo News
At least 16 people including seven children and three women were killed in clashes that erupted between the forces of the Islamic Emirate and a group of armed men in the western province of Herat. Click here to read....
Taliban welcomes Putin’s remarks over removing them from blacklist: The Khaama Press
Spokesperson of Afghanistan’s ministry of foreign affairs Abdul Qahar Balkhi in a series of Twitter posts said that the Taliban welcomed the Russian President Vladimir Putin’s remarks over removing the name of the Taliban from their list of terror organizations. Click here to read....
Afghanistan clinches over Scotland in its first game of T20 WC: The Khaama Press
Afghanistan won its first game of the T20 World Cup in Sharja and beat Scotland by 130 runs. Click here to read....
Bangladesh
Communal tension prevails despite action- Dhaka Tribune
Extreme tension between different religious groups of the country has prevailed over stern action to uproot communalism by law enforcement officials and local government bodies for the past two weeks Click here to read....
PM Hasina: South Asian nations should work to alleviate poverty- Dhaka Tribune
After the meeting, Prime Minister's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed the newsmen. The prime minister said the cardinal principle of Bangladesh's foreign policy, enunciated by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is "Friendship to all, malice to none".Click here to read....
BNP chief Khaleda safe in ICU after minor operation- Dhaka Tribune
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has been moved to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after undergoing a minor surgery at Evercare Hospital, says her personal physician. Click here to read....
Hajiganj attacks: Families claim 4 out of 5 deceased were bystanders- Dhaka Tribune
Four out of the five people who were killed in violent clashes with police following attacks on puja mandaps in Hajiganj on October 13 were innocent bystanders. Click here to read....
Lessons from the untimely Teesta flood- The Daily Star
An untimely flood wreaked havoc on the Teesta basin in Bangladesh, beginning on the night of Wednesday, October 20. Click here to read....
10 Bangladeshi youths on Top 100 Young Talent of Asia list- The Daily Star
The Asia Young Talent Awards aims to recognise young people aged between 18 and 30, who inspire, influence, and motivate with their talent, story or work towards people and their community. Click here to read....
'South Asian nations should work together'- The Asian Age
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said South Asian nations should work to eliminate the curse of hunger, poverty and illiteracy and for the well-being of the people in the region. Click here to read....
Awami League behind communal violence, alleges BNP- Daily Observer
BNP senior leader Gayeshwar Chandra Roy on Monday alleged that the ruling party leaders and activists were directly involved in the recent communal violence as part of a 'blueprint of the government'. Click here to read....
Steps taken to return Tk 2.14b stuck at payment gateway: Tipu Munshi- Prothom Alo
Commerce minister Tipu Munshi on Monday said the government is working to find out a way to return the money stuck at the payment gateway. Click here to read....
Bangladesh Trade and Investment Summit begins Tuesday- Prothom Alo
A weeklong 'Bangladesh Trade and Investment Summit-2021' will begin tomorrow bringing together policymakers, business leaders and investors from across the world on a virtual platform. Click here to read....
Bhutan
What Bhutan got right about happiness - and what other countries can learn- World Economic Forum
Bhutan is best known for its philosophy of promoting Gross National Happiness over Gross Domestic Product and productivity. Click here to read....
Digital literacy programme for Trongsa residents- BBS
Sangay Tashi, a curator at the Taa Dzong Museum in Trongsa, posts pictures, videos, and information online to promote the Museum. But since recently, he has been careful with his online activities. Click here to read....
Tourism Association proposes incentivising tourists with SDF exemption- BBS
If approved, the first more than 300,000 tourists visiting Bhutan hereafter won’t have to pay the Sustainable Development Fee (SDF). Click here to read....
Norgaygang Gup files case against Home Secretary and two others- Samtse- BBS
The Norgaygang Gup in Samtse filed a case against the Home Secretary, the Dzongkhag Tshogdu Chairperson and the planning officer today for alleged administrative lapses. Click here to read....
Second dose for children aged 12-17 to begin from 26th October- BBS
The health ministry will roll out the vaccination drive for children who are yet to receive the second dose of COVID vaccines from Tuesday. Click here to read....
Future of Bhutanese tourism- Kuensel
Contravening the government’s recent announcement that international tourists wishing to come to Bhutan, at this time of the pandemic, should undergo a 21-day quarantine if unvaccinated and 14 days quarantine if vaccinated. Click here to read....
Bhutan to integrate smooth transition strategy in next Plan for LDC graduation- Kuensel
Bhutan will graduate from LDC list in 2023. Click here to read....
Gewogs in Thimphu face difficulty emptying waste facilities on time- Kuensel
When Thimphu dzongkhag decided to construct waste collection facilities (WCF) in five gewogs through the Waste Management Flagship programme, gewog officials were worried they would not be able to handle the facilities. Click here to read....
Maldives
CAG, Auditor General of Maldives ink MoU to strengthen public finance audit - Daily Pioneer
Comptroller General of India and Auditor General of Maldives have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen the audit process of public finance. CAG of India and Auditor General of Maldives have decided to develop and strengthen respective institution’s professional capacity and improve methodologies in the field of audit of public finance, an official release said on Monday. Click here to read....
Maldives President celebrates his country’s National Day at Expo - Sharjah 24
The Republic of Maldives celebrated its National Day at Expo 2020 today with an impressive line-up of cultural and entertainment activities – including a performance on Al Wasl stage, a parade and live music at the Maldives Pavilion. Click here to read....
Maldives suffering impact of climate change ‘now’, former president says - Channel 4
For the low-lying islands of the world this crisis is truly existential, literally lapping at their feet. Richer countries had agreed to provide $100 billion to help developing countries deal with the impact of global warming. But that cash has still not arrived, and today it seems it may not appear for another two years. Click here to read....
Myanmar
Myanmar rejects reports, dialogues contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations: MOFA - Eleven Myanmar
The ministry of foreign affairs issued a statement on October 24 saying that Myanmar rejects reports and dialogues that run contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations. Click here to read....
Myanmar Junta Supporters Hold Rallies in Military-Dominated Cities - The Irrawaddy
Pro-junta rallies were held on Monday in the Myanmar capital Naypyitaw and other towns with a strong military presence. A mix of Buddhist nationalist monks and the supporters of military-backed political parties paraded with posters declaring their support for the military regime and denouncing the civilian resistance movement as terrorists. Click here to read....
ASEAN leaders hold summit with Myanmar’s general shut out - AP News
Southeast Asian leaders are holding their annual meeting this week without Myanmar’s top general, who seized power in February and shattered hopes for one of Asia’s most dramatic democratic transitions, and was excluded for refusing to take steps to end the deadly violence. Click here to read....
Nepal
US donated 100,000 Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines arrive in Nepal- Time of India
A total of 100,620 doses of Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine donated by the United States of America arrived in Kathmandu on Monday. Click here to read....
It’s premium Darjeeling Tea, but from Nepal: How ‘fake’ tea is threatening the pride of India- The Print
Tea imports from Nepal rose by over 60% last year and this year, till June, it crossed over 50%. Growers say only solution is banning the sale of loose Darjeeling tea. Click here to read....
No Peace Would Prevail In Nepal If India Not Positive: Prachanda- Odisha Times
CPN-Maoist Centre Chairman and former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' on Monday said that it would not have been possible to restore peace in Nepal if India was not positive. Click here to read....
11 Afghans arrested in Nepal for illegal entry- Xinhua
Nepali police on Monday arrested 11 Afghan nationals suspected of entering the country illegally. Click here to read....
Nepal seeks deal with India for flight inspection services- TKP
Airport and flight inspections have to be conducted every year, but Nepal has not been able to conduct the tests for the last two years due to Covid-19. Click here to read....
Nepal’s remittances, forex reserves drop- Nepali Times
Even as Nepal tries to recover from the impact of the pandemic, the country’s economic indicators released this week by the central bank show dismal performance in the first two months of the fiscal year. Click here to read....
NEPAL COVID-19 UPDATE: 673 fresh cases recorded on Monday- Himalaya
Nepal recorded 673 new coronavirus infections in last 24 hours, pushing the nationwide tally to 809,729, while the death toll climbed to 11,361 with 13 fatalities today. Click here to read....
Noose is tightening around chief justice’s neck- TKP
On Monday, as many as 13 Supreme Court justices kept themselves busy holding a meeting to discuss the controversies surrounding Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana. Click here to read....
Nepali insurers see notable rise in their businesses in Q1 of current FY- Republica
Nepali insurance companies collected insurance premiums worth Rs 47.87 billion in the first three months of the current fiscal year. Click here to read....
Adhikari appointed Executive Chairman of Nepal Airlines Company- Republica
The government has appointed Yubaraj Adhikari as Executive Chairman of the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC). Click here to read....
Nepal received 6.3 percent less remittance during mid-July and mid-September of current FY- Republica
Nepal’s earnings from remittance declined by 6.3 percent to Rs 155.37 billion during the first two months of the current fiscal year. Click here to read....
MCC deal endorsement only after consensus among parties: Foreign affairs minister- Online Khabar
Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Khadka has said that the MCC deal signed with the United States government in 2018 could be passed only after forging a consensus among political parties. Click here to read....
PM, EC Officials Discuss NA, Local Elections- Rising Nepal
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba said on Monday that the government would soon set the date for the elections to the National Assembly seats which will become vacant in March next year. Click here to read....
Pakistan
Sheikh Hasina desires stronger trade ties between Bangladesh, Pakistan: Dawn
She was talking to Pak¬istan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Imran Ahmed Siddiqui during their meeting in Dhaka. Click here to read....
Prices of food items see surge in three years: Dawn
For example, the per-kilo price of vegetable ghee has risen 27 per cent every year on average for the last three years. Click here to read....
PM heaps praise on Saudi Arabia’s ‘idealistic’ climate initiatives: The Express Tribune
Prime Minister Imran Khan has heaped praise on Riyadh for launching initiatives to combat climate change, saying “greening Saudi Arabia is idealistic and romantic”. Click here to read....
Govt to unfreeze accounts of TLP seminaries: Rashid: The Express Tribune
Addressing the media, the federal minister said the accounts were being activated as of now, terming the ongoing dialogue with the banned outfit “good”. Click here to read....
‘No row with India if Kashmir issue resolved’: The News
Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday said that the two countries, Pakistan and India, had only one issue — the Indian-Occupied Kashmir, and advocated resolving it like "civilised" neighbours. Click here to read....
Bring IMF agreement in Parliament, Shehbaz asks govt: The News
Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) President and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif Monday asked the government to present details of conditions reached with the IMF before the Parliament. https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/903216-bring-imf-agreement-in-parliament-shehbaz-asks-govt " target="_blank">Click here to read....
Sri Lanka
Six Indian Naval Ships Arrive In Sri Lanka To Boost Defence Cooperation: NDTV
For the first time, the six ships of the Indian Navy's first training squadron have arrived in Sri Lanka on a four-day visit to further bolster the bilateral defence cooperation and to enhance the interoperability of the two forces, officials said. Click here to read....
India comes to Sri Lanka’s rescue despite its China tilt. Will Colombo mend its ways now?: Firstpost
With Sri Lanka facing a severe shortage of fertilizers after the import of chemical fertilizers from China was banned, Delhi steps in to speed up supply of nano fertilizer to Colombo. Click here to read....
