October 22, 2021

*) Pakistan to keep the border open with Afghanistan to support bilateral trade Pakistan will keep its border with Afghanistan open for longer hours to support bilateral trade and the new Taliban-led administration. The country's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi made the announcement after his visit to Kabul where he met several Taliban leaders. Qureshi said Pakistan will provide humanitarian aid worth at least $280 million to Afghanistan. *) Russia reports record 1,064 Covid-19 deaths in the past 24 hours. President Vladimir Putin this week approved a nationwide workplace shutdown in the first week of November, and the capital Moscow will reimpose a partial lockdown from October. *) Turkey could expel 10 Western envoys over remarks on Osman Kavala case Ankara is likely to expel ambassadors from the United States, Germany and eight other Western countries. This group of ambassadors recently made a joint statement and called for the release of jailed Turkish businessman Osman Kavala, which did not go down well with Ankara. The 10 envoys were summoned to the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Tuesday. *) Late monsoon floods kill more than 150 in India and Nepal More than 180 people have died in flooding across India and Nepal as heavy late monsoon rains triggered flash floods, destroyed crops and infrastructure and left thousands stranded. The north Indian state of Uttarakhand has been especially badly hit, with 88 confirmed deaths, officials say, while at least 99 have died in neighbouring Nepal. Police in Nepal said rescuers were looking for at least 40 people who have been reported as missing, sparking fears that the death toll could rise. *) US Households Trump ally Bannon in contempt, seeks prosecution US lawmakers have voted 229 to 202 to hold ex-president Donald Trump ally Steve Bannon in criminal contempt of Congress. Bannon is accused of refusing to cooperate with a probe into the deadly January 6 attack on the US Capitol. The House referral will now move to the Justice Department, which will