Potato imported for first time

Bangladesh

Bangladesh, which usually exports potato, has imported the tuber for the first time for domestic consumption in a frantic effort to curb spiralling prices of the popular vegetable. Nine trucks carrying 175 tonnes of potato grown in West Bengal have entered from India. On October 30, the commerce ministry decided to allow potato imports in an effort to increase supply of the tuber and curb prices, which have reached a historic high of Tk 60 (Rs 45) per kg in Dhaka. The imported potatoes will cost half the price. The government has given permission to import 1.07 lakh tonnes.

The Daily Star

Sri Lanka
Tourist targets missed again

Sri Lanka has not met its monthly tourist arrivals’ targets for three consecutive months, with October falling short as well. Provisional data released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority showed that for the 31 days of October, tourist arrivals totalled 1,09,998, significantly down from an arrival target of 1,47,789. For the month of October, India ranked as the largest tourist traffic generator, accounting for 26 per cent of the total arrivals with 28,222 visitors. The Russian Federation ranked second with 10,629 arrivals, followed by the Uniked Kingdom at 8,454 international visitors.

Daily Mirror

Singapore
Cat escapes at Changi Airport

Cathay Cargo has apologised following the recovery of a cat that escaped while being transferred to an aircraft, sparking a five-day search at Changi Airport. Cathay Cargo is the cargo arm of Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific. The eight-year-old cat, named Aiko, escaped from her carrier on October 28, according to a Facebook post by her owner. He arrived in Hong Kong from Singapore without his cat. In April 2022, a dog was found nine days after it had escaped from its crate at Changi Airport.

The Straits Times

Vietnam
Hubs for digital nomads 

Da Nang, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have joined a list of 10 fastest-growing remote work hubs for digital nomads, thanks to free WiFi services and the cheap cost of living. The central beach city of Da Nang ranked second on the list after Japan’s Tokyo, witnessing a 109 per cent growth of digital nomads in 2023, according to Nomad List, the biggest crowdsourced database of remote workers around the world. Seoul came in third, followed by Kuala Lumpur and Penang. Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia offer special visas.

VN Express

#Bangladesh #West Bengal