Author: Tahleela Yousafzai

By 2026, you can travel to Bhutan from India by train as the Indian government has allocated a significant budget for the development of a 57.5 km railway line connecting Assam and Bhutan. If Bhutan has been unchecked on your travel bucket list, then we’ve got good news for you. And if you love train journeys, that is even better, as the Indian government has allocated INR 120 billion to facilitate the expansion of railway infrastructure that connects Kokrajhar in Assam to Gelephu in Sarpang, Bhutan. The 57.5 km railway line is only the beginning and paves the way for…

Medan, Indonesia – In the early 2000s, the potential for terror attacks in Southeast Asia appeared dramatically different from today. Indonesia was rocked by the Christmas Eve church bombings on December 24, 2000, that killed 18 people. Just six days later, Metro Manila in the Philippines experienced similar bombings that killed 22 people. In 2002, a series of bombings ripped through a popular nightlife spot in Bali, Indonesia, killing more than 200 people and leaving at least another 200 wounded. In the following years, the JW Marriott Hotel, the Philippine Stock Exchange and the consulate, all in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta, were…

Pakistan is struggling with Asia’s fastest inflation, witnessing double-digit percentage increases. This, in turn, has fuelled a cost-of-living crisis in the country and to deal with spiraling prices, many restaurants have increased prices or reduced quantities. US-based fast food restaurant chain Subway has launched a three-inch sandwich in Pakistan, floating a mini version for the first time globally, to tackle inflation in the country. The chain usually offers 6-inch and 12-inch sandwiches. The bite-size sandwich appeared on social media posts earlier in August. A spokesperson for Subway told Bloomberg News on September 13 that the mini sandwich provides ‘value’ to Pakistani customers. Pakistan is…

The country director for Bangladesh and Bhutan at the World Bank (WB) Abdoulaye Seck on Monday laid emphasis on developing high valued new products and exploring new exports destinations, policy reforms to improve business climate as well as addressing climate change impacts to tackle post- least developed country (LDC) graduation challenges. He highlighted improving the business environment for the private sector, transcending financial obligations to support long-term growth, and improving the effectiveness of public institutions as WB’s priorities for Bangladesh. “Navigating these would require constant dialogues among the public and the private sectors along with multilateral organisations,” the WB representative…

Nepal got an additional 3,118 km stretch of transmission lines in the past nine years. According to the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), there were a total of 5,742 circuit km of the transmission line being operated in the country as of the fiscal year 2022/23. The capacity of the grid substation has gone up to 8,867 MVA. As of the fiscal year 2014/15, the capacity of the country’s substation was only 2,132 MVA. Over the period, the capacity of substations has increased by 6,735 MVA. Likewise, the capacity of transmission lines also upgraded from 66 KV and 132 KV to…

The Nepal government on Friday said it wants to export tomatoes in bulk and on a long-term basis to India but for that, it needs to have easy access to the market and other necessary facilities. The neighbouring country’s plea came a day after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told Parliament that India has started importing tomatoes from Nepal amid a record-high spike in prices in the country. India is importing tomatoes for the first time due to high retail prices which were as high as Rs 242 per kg on Friday amid supply disruptions caused by heavy rains. Nepal is…

LAHORE: The Government College University Lahore conferred the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award on General Raheel Sharif (retd), the former Army Chief of Pakistan and the first Commander-In-Chief of the Islamic Alliance against Terrorism, KSA. Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Asghar Zaidi presented the esteemed award to General Raheel Sharif, who spoke to the students about the importance of three Cs in life: Character, Courage, and Competence. The GCU award, presented in a graceful convocation-style special gathering, recognizes the most distinguished alumni who have made outstanding contributions in their respective fields, and it is one of the highest honors bestowed by the GCU.…

Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan’s parliament has been dissolved to prepare for a national election without former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has been jailed and barred from politics for five years. President Arif Alvi ordered the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, dissolved late on Wednesday, on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s advice. Sharif, who assumed power in April 2022 after Khan lost a no-confidence vote in parliament, on Tuesday said he had asked President Alvi to dissolve the assembly three days before the schedule. “Tomorrow [Wednesday], my government completes its term and after meeting constitutional norms, we will hand over the reins…

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has offered Nepal the use of its newly constructed Payra port during a meeting with her Nepalese counterpart Pushpa Kamal Dahal. The two visiting premiers met at newly opened Bangladesh-Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Room in the FAO Headquarters on the sideline of the UN Food Systems Summit. Both leaders are in Rome to attend the summit. In the meeting, Hasina offered Nepal the use of the Pyra port, said Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen while briefing reporters. “Bangladesh has already opened the Chalna and Chittagong ports for Nepal. Nepal can use the newly constructed Payra port…

A point which is often underplayed by commentators and analysts is a discomfort with China’s growing economic clout. As in several other countries, there is a belief that China’s economic links with Nepal being of an exploitative nature and are only benefitting Beijing.  China’s big ticket investments in Nepal and the BRI Project Some of the big ticket projects in which China has invested in Nepal are the Kathmandu-Pokhara highway and the Pokhara International Airport. Both countries are also holding deliberations over a rail service connecting Kathmandu-Kerung (in October 2019 during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping, both countries had signed…