Indian Sub-continent

KATHMANDU, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Nepal's President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Sunday called on the political parties to make a claim for a new coalition government within seven days, nearly one month after the country went to the polls.

The president made the call three days after the Election Commission presented her the final report on the general elections held on Nov. 20, in which no single party has won a majority of seats in the federal House of Representatives and the seven provincial assemblies.

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Four Pakistani police officers were killed and another four critically wounded Sunday when suspected militants attacked a police station in the country’s volatile northwest, police said.

The suspects used grenades and automatic weapons on the station in Lakki Marwat district before fleeing the scene overnight, said Nawaz Khan, an officer of the targeted police station.

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — At least 19 people were killed and 32 injured when a fuel tanker exploded in a tunnel north of the Afghan capital Kabul, a local official said Sunday.

The Salang Tunnel, which is around 80 miles north of Kabul, was originally built in the 1960s to assist the Soviet invasion. It is a key link between the country’s north and south.

NEW DELHI, Dec 17 (NNN-PTI) – India’s trade exhibited an impressive performance during Nov, as the country’s overall exports (merchandise and services combined) rose to 58.22 billion U.S. dollars in the month, showed the data, released by the federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

This was a rise of 10.97 percent compared to the same month last year.

Overall imports in Nov are estimated to be 69.33 billion dollars, exhibiting a growth of 5.6 percent over the same month of last year.

LAHORE, Pakistan, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan announced on Saturday that his party would dissolve two provincial assemblies next week, earlier than scheduled, in an attempt to build pressure on the federal government to hold early general elections.

Khan has campaigned for snap polls since being ousted from power in a parliamentary vote in April, which has heightened political uncertainty in the South Asian nation even as it struggles to stave off financial default.

NEW DELHI, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- The death toll in the suspected toxic liquor consumption in the eastern Indian state of Bihar Saturday has risen to 81, state-run broadcaster All India Radio (AIR) said.

"The death toll in Bihar hooch tragedy has risen to 81," the broadcaster said. "Maximum (of) 74 deaths have been reported from Saran district as 15 more people succumbed to the consumption of spurious liquor in the district. Five people died in Siwan district, while two died in the Begusarai district."

New Delhi, Dec 17 (PTI) The Centre on Saturday said it has sufficient foodgrain stocks to meet the requirements under the food security law and other welfare schemes.

The government is also regularly monitoring the prices of essential commodities.

"Government of India has sufficient foodgrain stocks under central pool to meet the requirement of NFSA and its other welfare schemes as well as for additional allocation of PMGKAY," an official statement said.

COLOMBO, Dec 16 (NNN-XINHUA) – Sri Lanka’s Department of Census and Statistics, said yesterday that, the country’s estimated gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by 11.8 percent, year-on-year, in the third quarter of 2022.

The GDP for the third quarter at constant (2015) price was 2,884 billion rupees (7.9 billion U.S. dollars), the department said.

The department said, the overall agriculture, industry and services activities, declined by 8.7 percent, 21.2 percent and 2.6 percent, respectively, in the quarter.

DHAKA, Dec 16 (NNN-BSS) – Bangladesh’s first-ever metro will begin commercial operations on Dec 28, easing gridlock in capital city Dhaka, an official said, yesterday.

“Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, will formally inaugurate the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT Line)-6 of the metro rail, from the capital’s Uttara to Agargaon area, at a function on Dec 28,” Bangladeshi Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary, ABM Amin Ullah Nuri told journalists yesterday.

He said that, all sorts of construction works were completed and the MRT Line-6 was ready for commercial operation.

NEW YORK, Dec 15 (APP): Pakistan on Thursday said that as the developing countries endeavored to recover from multiple crises, the Group of 77 and China must take the lead in promoting the systemic and structural changes needed to revive sustainable global growth.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, also the host of the G-77 and China Ministerial Conference held here, in his opening statement, urged the body to induct equity in international economic relations and restore the developing economies on a path leading to realization of the SDGs and environmental objectives.