Pakistan floods ‘10th costliest disaster’ in a decade
Dawn |17th November
The calamitous Pakistan floods of 2022 were the tenth most expensive climate disaster to have buffeted a nation over the last decade, according to risk modelling firm RMS.
The floods inflicted an estimated loss of $3 billion on the country, caused over 1,700 deaths and displaced eight million people.
Poor countries like Pakistan, which saw around eight million people displaced, often bear the brunt of devastating weather events, RMS said in its observation.
Indian economic development model recommended for SL
The Island | 17th November
Sri Lanka and Bangladesh could follow the Indian economic development model because both countries have similarities. India being in the same region, maintained 10 per cent growth well over ten years, newly appointed Mexican ambassador to Sri Lanka Federico Salas Lofte said.
“Sri Lanka has the potential to boost tourism and trade with Mexico, with exports from the island outweighing imports by a big margin, ambassador Federico Salas Lotfe told a round table media conference recently at Kingsbury Hotel Colombo.
Prothom Alo | 17th November
The death toll in dengue crossed 200 this year. And chances are, these deaths can go up even further in numbers.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) is thinking of tackling the situation putting emphasis on the management of dengue patients.
They are saying that the dengue situation is taking a critical turn.
DGHS’s Health Emergency Operation Centre and Control Room reported three more deaths from dengue on Sunday. With this, a total of 202 people died of dengue this year.
SRI LANKA
President emphasizes on immediately executing the Singapore-Sri Lanka FTA
Colombo Page | 16th November
President Ranil Wickremesinghe has instructed the relevant officials to implement the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (FTA) immediately.
The President issued these instructions during the discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (16) on the implementation of the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement.
Tourist arrivals in November first half top 27,000
Daily Mirror | 17th November
The tourist arrivals for the first 15 days of November stood at 27,213, making Sri Lanka inches away from crossing the 600,000 arrival mark for the year.
As per the provisional data released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, tourist arrivals for the January 01 to November 15 period stood at 595,471.
PAKISTAN
US raises $135m to combat food insecurity, aims to support Pakistani farmers
The Express Tribune | 17th November
The United States announced on Thursday that a total of $135 million had been raised as funding to combat global fertiliser shortages and food insecurity in low- and middle-income countries, according to a US Department of State press release.
In a tweet, the US Embassy in Islamabad announced that the United States plans to provide support to Pakistan through the funds raised by the Global Fertiliser Challenge.
US values its longstanding cooperation with Pakistan: State Department
The Nation | 17th November
US State Department principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel while briefing the newsmen in Washington on Wednesday said that US values our longstanding cooperation with Pakistan
US State Department principal deputy spokesperson said that the United States has always viewed a prosperous and democratic Pakistan as critical to US interests and that remains unchanged.
AFGHANISTAN
Moscow Meeting: Unanimous Call for Inclusive Government in Afghanistan
The Khaama Press | 17th November
Russian Special Presidential Representative for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said that participants in the Moscow format consultations on Afghanistan expressed unanimity in support and called for forming an inclusive government in Afghanistan.
The so-called Moscow format of consultations on Afghanistan was attended by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, China, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Iran, India, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, according to Sputnik news agency’s report.
UN Officials Meet With Ministry of Industry and Commerce
TOLO News | 14th November
The UN General-Secretary’s special envoy discussed the ministry’s efforts to support private sector development and urged continued dialogue with women entrepreneurs, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said on Twitter.
“UN envoy (Roza) Otunbayeva and Ramiz Alakbarov (OCHA humanitarian coordinator) discussed with de facto authorities’ Ministry of Industry & Commerce efforts to support private sector development, urging continued dialogue with women entrepreneurs in order to help their and Afghanistan’s advancement,” UNAMA said.
SIGAR Assesses Factors Behind the Collapse of Afghan Gov’t
The Khaama Press | 16th November
The US Special Inspector for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) in a recent report assessed the underlying factors behind the collapse of former Afghan government in 2021, listing at least nine factors that led to Taliban’s regime in Afghanistan.
SIGAR found the single most important factor in the ANDSF’s collapse in August 2021 was the US decision to withdraw military forces and contractors from Afghanistan, which was based on the US-Taliban agreement signed in February 2020 under Trump administration.
BANGLADESH
Bangladesh Post | 14th November
Despite the ongoing economic crisis, per capita income in Bangladesh has increased by $233 to $2,824 in 2021-22 compared to the previous fiscal year.
In the previous fiscal, the per capita income was $2,591.
This information was given in the annual report on the activities of the ministries and departments for the fiscal year 2021-22 presented at the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Prime Minister’s Office on Monday.
PM Hasina seeks robust Singaporean investment in economic zones
Dhaka Tribune | 17th November
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday urged Singaporean entrepreneurs to make larger investment in Bangladesh’s economic zones as Singapore expressed eagerness to work together on sustainable and renewable energy alongside exploring new areas of cooperation.
“Bangladesh is establishing 100 special economic zones across the country. I invite entrepreneurs of Singapore to invest in those economic zones,” she said.
Sergei Lavrov’s Dhaka trip to dominate geopolitics
Prothom Alo | 16th November
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on 23 November on a two-day visit to attend the ministerial-level meeting of Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), an inter-governmental organisation of 23 countries formed in 1997 to foster regional economic cooperation.
However, foreign policy analysts say his visit to Dhaka has a distinct geopolitical importance under the current global context of Russia-Ukraine war.
BHUTAN
Japan, Bhutan sign technical cooperation project on digital health
Kuensel | 17th November
To improve healthcare services, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Ministry of Finance (MoF) signed a record of discussions in Thimphu for implementation of the project “Strengthening government capacity for using digital technology and data” yesterday.
Representatives from the Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC) and the Ministry of Health (MoH), which will implement the project, attended the signing ceremony.
Bhutan exports electricity worth over Nu 11.6bn to India
Business Bhutan | 15th November
Bhutan exports about 75.5% of electricity generated in the country to India
Bhutan exported electricity worth over Nu 11.6bn in the last nine months, according to the department of hydropower and power system. As of September, the four hydropower plants including the Chhukha hydropower plant, (CHP) Tala hydropower plant, (THP) Dagachhu Hydropower Corporation (DHPC), and Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Project (MHCP) exported around 3.8MU.
MALDIVES
Partnership with Japan has grown to encompass many areas of cooperation: FM Shahid
Raajje | 15th November
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives, Abdulla Shahid has stated that the diplomatic relations between the Republic of Maldives and Japan has grown to encompass many areas of cooperation.
Minister Shahid stated this in his message of felicitation to Hayashi Yoshimasa, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, on the 55th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Maldives and Japan.
Maldives become member of AOSSG
The Edition | 17th November
The Institute of Chartered Accounts of the Maldives (CA Maldives) has become a member of the Asian Oceanian Standard Setters Group (AOSSG).
Maldives became a member of the accounting standard-setters in the Asian-Ocean region at the 2022 Annual AOSSG Meeting held in Nepal.
Vice President of CA Maldives Hassan Mohamed signed the agreement, of becoming an AOSSG member, on behalf of the country.
Tourism Ministry pledges technical support to develop tourism in Isdhoo
Sun | 17th Sun
ourism Ministry and L. Isdhoo Council signed an agreement on Thursday, under which the ministry pledged provide technical support to develop the tourism industry in the island.
Under the agreement, the ministry will provide technical support to the council in issuing land for tourism, in determining the best locations to build guesthouses, in planning and designing guesthouses, and in allocating land and obtaining the necessary construction permits for guesthouses.
MYANMAR
Some Political Prisoners Among Almost 6,000 Freed in Myanmar Junta Amnesty
The Irrawaddy | 17th November
Myanmar’s military regime released some political prisoners including a minister from the country’s ousted National League for Democracy (NLD), the party’s spokesperson, a former student leader and an anti-regime activist Buddhist monk among almost 6,000 prisoners granted amnesty on Thursday.
Ko Mya Aye, one of the leaders of the ’88 Generation Students group, was released from Yangon’s Insein Prison along with the NLD’s spokesperson Dr. Myo Nyunt. Both were arrested by the regime on the first day of the coup on Feb. 1 last year.
Indian state extends ban on cross-border travel from Myanmar
Myanmar Now | 16th November
The government of the Indian state of Manipur has extended a ban on travel through a major border gateway for three more months to prevent “illegal entry of Myanmar nationals.”
The move, which bars Myanmar citizens from entering India through the Tamu-Moreh border gate, was announced last Friday.
NEPAL
Nepal, China seal a deal for utilisation of Rs15 billion in Chinese grant
The Kathmandu Post | 16th November
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.
Silence period begins, EC all set to conduct polls
The Himalayan Times | 17th November
The Election Commission has completed almost all its preparations for November 20 parliamentary and provincial elections, the silence period for which starts at midnight today.
Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya said at a press conference today that all 80,567,500 ballot papers – 39,962,500 ballot papers for election to the House of Representatives and provincial assemblies under the firstpast-the-post system and 40,605,000 ballot papers for provincial and parliamentary election under proportional representation system – have been dispatched to polling centres.
Nepal’s foreign exchange reserves begin to improve in the 3rd month of the fiscal year
Onlinekhabar | 17th November
Nepal’s foreign exchange reserves have improved in the third month of the fiscal year (September 17-October 17), apparently owing to the ongoing ban on some luxury items.
Whereas the foreign exchange reserves had unexpectedly gone down in the first and second months of the fiscal year (mid-July to mid-September) despite the luxury import ban, the central bank has shown hopeful reviews for the third month.