Afghanistan
Iran's Foreign Minister Appoints Alireza Bigdeli as Ambassador to Kabul-Tolo News
Iran's Foreign Minister has dismissed the ambassador and special representative of the country's president for Afghanistan and appointed Alireza Bigdeli as Iran's ambassador to Afghanistan. Reports indicate that the newly appointed ambassador to Afghanistan has previous experience as Iran's ambassador to Azerbaijan, Cyprus, and Turkey. Click here to read...
UN denies Afghanistan Seat to Taliban for fourth consecutive year-The Khaama Press
For the fourth consecutive year, the United Nations has rejected the Taliban’s request to assign Afghanistan’s seat to a representative of their group. This decision was made during a session of the Credentials Committee. Diplomatic sources at the UN confirmed that during the Credentials Committee meeting on November 20, the Taliban’s request to allocate Afghanistan’s seat to their representative was denied. Click here to read...
Over 50,000 women in Herat employed in Saffron processing industry-The Khaama Press
Sayed Abdul Wahid Sadat, Deputy of the Afghanistan Saffron Union, has announced that currently, 50,000 to 60,000 women in Herat province are employed in saffron processing. Bakhtar News Agency, under the control of Taliban, reported on Saturday, November 23 that 85% of saffron processing in Afghanistan is carried out by women, according to the Afghanistan Saffron Union. Click here to read...
Afghanistan receives First Direct Shipment from China-The Khaama Press
Afghanistan has received its first direct shipment from China via rail, facilitated by trade efforts with China, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, marking a milestone in regional economic connectivity. The Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Afghanistan announced that, as a result of efforts and visits by Nooruddin Azizi, acting minister of the ministry, to China, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, and the expansion of trade relations with these countries, Afghanistan has received its first imported shipment via rail from China. Click here to read...
Bangladesh
LDC graduation: Bangladesh to face substantial losses - The Daily Star
The decision on whether Bangladesh will graduate to the developing country bracket in 2026 will be taken shortly, said the finance adviser to the interim government yesterday. The issue will be discussed with other important persons including the chief adviser in the cabinet soon, said Salehuddin Ahmed, finance adviser, at a discussion organised by the Economic Relations Division (ERD) at the InterContinental Hotel in Dhaka. Click here to read...
Another complaint filed with ICT against Hasina – The Daily Star
Another complaint has been filed with the chief prosecutor at the International Crimes Tribunal against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 43 others, accusing them of committing genocide and crimes against humanity during a Hefajat-e-Islam rally in the capital's Motijheel Shapla Chattar on May 5, 2013. Click here to read...
Disband the new EC – The Daily Star
The Jatiya Nagorik Committee yesterday demanded the dissolution of the recently formed Election Commission, replacing it with one based on the proposals to be submitted by the Election Reform Commission. The platform rejected the formation and swearing-in of the commission, saying that the new EC was formed under the fascist framework of the illegitimate president and demanded abolishing the Election Commissioners Appointment Act, 2022. Click here to read...
Press Wing: Chief adviser will declare election date – Dhaka Tribune
The Press Wing of Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus has clarified that the head of the interim government himself will officially announce the date for the 13th general election, saying statements by other advisers are their personal opinions. This information was shared at a press conference held on Sunday at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka. Click here to read...
Chinese ambassador highlights Dhaka's genuine friendship with Beijing – Dhaka Tribune
Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen has said he has felt strongly the "genuine friendship" of the Bangladesh government and people towards China in recent exchanges with the interim government, political parties, students and various communities of Bangladesh. "Everyone believes that China is a true and good friend that can be trusted," the ambassador said at the 2024 Reunion for Bangladeshi Persons in China event in Dhaka on Sunday. Click here to read...
Bhutan
Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay To Visit India From November 24-26– NDTV World
Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay is scheduled to undertake a three-day visit to India starting November 24, the Ministry of External Affairs has said. The MEA shared a brief itinerary of his upcoming visit on November 22. Bhutanese Prime Minister Tobgay had visited India in March, his first foreign trip after assuming the charge of the top office in January. According to the advisory issued by the MEA, the "visit of H.E. Dasho Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of Bhutan to India" will be from November 24-26. Click here to read...
Maldives
Maldives named World's Leading Destination for fifth time in a row– Adhadhu
Maldives has defended its "World's Leading Destination Award" for the fifth time at the World Travel Awards. Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal accepted the award at a ceremony held in Portugal. In a post on X, Faisal said the achievement reflects the dedication and hard work of everyone in the tourism industry. Maldives also won the World's Leading Green Destination Award. Faisal said the award is "a new milestone in our journey toward sustainability." The World Travel Awards is the most prestigious award in the global travel industry since 1993. Awards are given in regional and global categories. UAE has been named the World's Leading Destination Award six times while the Maldives has won the award five times in a row. Click here to read...
MDP to intervene in top court case to revoke constitutional amendments – Adhadhu
The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has decided to intervene in the constitutional case to revoke the amendments to Article 73 of the Constitution. The case was submitted to the Supreme Court by lawyer Ali Hussain who previously served as the MP for Kendhoo constituency. In a statement, MDP said the amendments erode the supremacy of the Constitution and contravenes basic democratic principles. MDP stated that the change has deprived the people of their right to elect a representative to represent them in Parliament. The party welcomed Ali Hussain's decision to submit the case and announced that they would formally intervene in the proceedings at the apex court. Click here to read...
Pakistan
Teargas shelling, clashes with police as PTI convoys led by Gandapur, Omar Ayub enter Punjab-The Express Tribune
A large convoys of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters, led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and opposition leader Omar Ayub, encountered intense tear gas shelling from law enforcement as it entered into Punjab on its way towards Islamabad. Click here to read...
China pushes to ease Pak-Afghan tensions-The Express Tribune
China seems to have launched a fresh diplomatic effort aimed at defusing brewing tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan over the terrorist sanctuaries that Kabul has yet to dismantle despite Islamabad's repeated demands. Following a visit to Islamabad, a top Chinese diplomat dealing with Afghanistan travelled to Kabul over the weekend to meet with the Taliban leadership. Click here to read...
More cases against Bushra over Saudi Arabia statement-Dawn
At least three more cases have been lodged against Bushra Bibi, the wife of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, in different police stations of Gujranwala on hate speech, religious instigation and other charges based on her video statement, criticising Saudi Arabia. Click here to read...
7-day ceasefire agreed between warring tribes in Kurram: Barrister Saif-Dawn
Following the government’s efforts to ease tensions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram District, a seven-day ceasefire was agreed between two warring tribes in the region on Sunday. The ceasefire comes after the KP government decided to constitute a high-powered commission to settle land disputes between the tribes in the Kurram district as the death toll from recent violence reached 64. Click here to read...
Sri Lanka
Third review approved by IMF, SL to get next US$ 333 million tranche – Daily Mirror
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reached a staff level agreement with Sri Lankan authorities, paving the way for the next tranche, for US$ 333 million, of the four-year Extended Fund Facility. “We are pleased to announce that the IMF team reached staff-level agreement with the Sri Lankan authorities on the third review under the 4-year Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement. The arrangement was approved by the IMF Executive Board for a total amount of SDR 2.3 billion (about US$3 billion) on March 20, 2023. Click here to read...
Sri Lanka launches new initiatives to attract Indian tourists – Daily Mirror
Aiming to cash on growing outbound Indian tourists, Sri Lanka and Australia have launched new initiatives to cash in on this. Sri Lankan Airlines has launched a unique package for Indian tourists- the "Ramayana Trail" that includes 50 significant locations in the country which is associated with the Hindu epic. These include Seeta Amman Temple, where Mata Sita is said to have prayed during her captivity, to Rumassala hill, where a piece of the Himalayas is believed to have landed, dropped by Hanuman. Click here to read...
Prez Dissanayake must fully implement ’vision document’ with India: Wickremesinghe - Daily Mirror
Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe said his successor Anura Kumara Dissanayake should fully implement the “vision document” adopted with India last year. President Dissanayake, elected to the top office in September this year, is scheduled to visit India in mid-December. During his India trip in July 2023, then-President Wickremesinghe had signed a vision document with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, outlining areas of cooperation between the two countries, especially economic partnership. Click here to read...
