Nepal Graded “BB” In First Sovereign Credit Rating

KATHMANDU, Nov 22 (NNN-XINHUA) – Credit rating agency, Fitch, has given Nepal “BB,” with a stable outlook in the country’s first-ever sovereign credit rating. Releasing the rating outcome yesterday, Fitch categorised Nepal in its speculative grade, as its rating from BB to D falls under this category. The speculative grade…

Large Haul Of Narcotics Seized In Myanmar

YANGON, Nov 22 (NNN-MNA) – Myanmar authorities seized large amounts of narcotic drugs in the regions of Mandalay and Sagaing, the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC), reported late yesterday. The confiscated narcotics included over 150 kg heroin, over five million stimulant tablets, 412 kg ICE (methamphetamine) and three…

UAE, U.S. Discussed Developments In Mideast

ABU DHABI, Nov 22 (NNN-WAM) – Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, held discussions with U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, yesterday, focusing on the evolving situation in the Middle East. In a phone call, the two diplomats…

Turkish Intelligence “Neutralised” Senior PKK Militant In N. Iraq

ANKARA, Nov 22 (NNN-TRT) – Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organisation (MIT), “neutralised” a senior member of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), in an operation in northern Iraq, the semi-official Anadolu Agency reported yesterday, quoting Turkish security sources. Serhat Tagar, codenamed Mervan Hizan, was “neutralised” in a pinpoint strike in northern…

Indonesia Agrees To Repatriate Filipino Drug Convict: Philippine President

MANILA, Nov 21 (NNN-PNA) – Philippine President, Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos, said yesterday that, Indonesia has agreed to repatriate a convicted Filipino woman, who has been sentenced to death for drug smuggling. Marcos said that, the Filipino convict, Mary Jane Veloso, will soon return to the Philippines after 14 years of…

Sri Lanka To Import 70,000 Metric Tonnes Of Rice To Address Shortages

COLOMBO, Nov 21 (NNN-XINHUA) – Sri Lanka’s cabinet approved a proposal to import 70,000 metric tonnes of rice, as a short-term solution to address the current rice shortages, a minister said yesterday. Wasantha Samarasinghe, minister of trade, commerce, food security and cooperative development, told the media that, the rice will…

IAEA Chief Welcomed Iran’s Plan To Cap Enriched Uranium Stockpile

VIENNA, Nov 21 (NNN-XINHUA) – Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, yesterday, welcomed Iran’s move towards capping its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, describing it as “a concrete step in the right direction.” Grossi briefed a quarterly meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors earlier…

Gaza Becomes “Graveyard” For Palestinian Children: UNRWA Chief

GAZA, Nov 21 (NNN-WAFA) – Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), said yesterday that, Gaza has become a “graveyard” for Palestinian children. “They are being murdered, injured, forced to flee, and deprived of safety, education, and play,”…

Int’l Book Fair Kicked Off In Kuwait

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 21 (NNN-KUNA) – The 47th Kuwait International Book Fair kicked off yesterday, in Kuwait’s Hawalli Governorate under the theme “The World in a Book.” The event, organised by Kuwait’s National Council for Culture, Arts, and Letters, features 544 publishing houses from 31 countries and regions. In his…

Pakistan Committed To Rights, Well-Being Of Children: PM

ISLAMABAD, Nov 21 (NNN-APP) – Pakistani Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, yesterday, highlighted his country’s unwavering commitment to the rights, well-being, and development of children, terming them, the most valuable asset of the nation. “It is our collective responsibility to protect and fulfill the rights of every child, without discrimination, and…