DWAIPAYAN REGMI, TON, NEPAL
There always have been a large number of youths participating in various sets of democratic movements in Nepal. They should be properly engaged within numerous sets of democratic activities like that of a social and political set of discussion where voting would take within the election process for decision making, set of leadership along with the related ones within the engaged and set of responsible members within the society. So, the role of the young mass in Nepal has been growing. Youth 27 years old, Sobita Gautam got elected from Kathmandu valley this time the election. But, that is not the entire story.
Bivek Sharma (name changed), 29 years old, had his name on the voter list but didn’t feel like going to his hometown, which is around 500 km away from Kathmandu simply to cast vote. He didn’t want to spend $30 for his traveling expenses there. Anisha Maharjan (name changed), 31 years old didn’t feel like walking for half an hour just to cast the vote. Both of them felt that their single vote didn’t have any impact on the entire election - there was just a unit of the vote there. Aparchit Sharma (name changed), 33 years old did not feel like going to the Government office simply to register his name in the election’s voters list. He felt like doing that would cost him a day off from his office, and unwanted hassles there.
The above cases are just sample cases. But, there had been a large number of Bivek Sharmas, Anisha Maharjans, and Aparachit Sharmas in the background there who had to remain beyond the surface and hesitated from casting the vote. After all, the voting percentage dropped down to 61%. At a time when 100% itself is not a true representation, where a large number of youths are not within the list; a voting percentage of 61% means that the votes are not even 50% of the total population.
Frustrations of youth towards politics and losing hope in the political scene have remained to be a true indicator of why participation in such political movements has been under the diminishing charm of Nepalese youths. What has been presented in the picture cannot be stated to be the reality as there had been layers of aspects there focusing on those factors. The basic aspects through which all of these dimensions of youths seek have been shaping and determining the future of the country right now.
The sad irony behind the low interest of Nepalese youth is that there was the next mass of youth, right before the election lined up in Tribhuwan International Airport for flying abroad - rich ones to third world nations seeking good education and poor ones in countries like Qatar, Dubai or Saudi Arab in the name of good job opportunities. They had no concern about who will be winning or losing the election, and they didn't care much about their right to vote either. What a citizen holds is the right to vote and elect their representatives, but the frustration level because of which they rather decided to leave the country kept them all away from regular rights.
It is sad to see that still, people above the age of 60 are key dominant players in Nepalese politics, and the coming victories have been providing that too. The sad reality behind every tale there does no restrict on any one aspect but there should be something triggering it. Nepal has always been prone to troubles like a high corruption rate, growing inflation, liquidity crisis, unstable political scenario, and increasing discrimination. While citizens have been loaded with a higher rate of tax (where they need to pay as high as 36%), even the employed ones are not so happy about it. In such context, it has been seen that new youths are coming around from different sectors like Rabi Lamichhane, who used to work in the media industry as the winner; Dr. Toshmia Karki, who was in medical line into this line or Hari Dhakal, who belonged to the track of Share Market in this stream - all committed to strengthen their sector and bring glory.
The new hope has been there because two independent candidates Balendra Shah and Harka Sampang won in places like Kathmandu and Dharan in the local level election. This has raised a tiny set of hope among general people about a possible change, but their action during their tenure is yet to be seen. Similarly, these independent young candidates, who had been away from old faces, if they happen to come around with glorious victory, there can be next set of hopes too.
Youths are the future of the country. But, during the time of youth bulge here, youths are not at all motivated towards political actions. It is agreeable that there had been a growing population of youth participation in political action, but there are diminishing lines too - silver lining ones, which should be well thought of.

RIYADH, 25 November 2022, (TON): Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir received Philippe Errera, director-general for political affairs and security at the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France.
Bilateral relations between the two countries were discussed, along with prominent regional and international issues of common interest.
The two countries also aim to boost their cultural relations. Several agreements have been signed, including one for Villa Hegra, an ambitious institution of contemporary art.
The agreements signal the beginning of a new era of cooperation between France and Saudi Arabia.

GENEVA, 25 November 2022, (TON): The UK’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Simon Manley, raises concerns about the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran.
Thank you High Commissioner and Special Rapporteur for your powerful statements this morning.
Sixteen year old Nika Shakarami, last heard from by a friend whilst being chased down a street during a protest in Tehran, identified by her parents in a morgue nine days later.

KUALA LUMPUR, 25 November 2022, (TON): Malaysia’s king has named Anwar Ibrahim as the nation’s 10th prime minister, ending five days of political uncertainty after the general election ended with no single coalition earning enough seats to form the government.
Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, the country’s constitutional monarch, said he was satisfied that Anwar and his Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition had secured enough support from fellow elected representatives to lead Malaysia for the next five years.
The king “made a decision to appoint a member of the Dewan Rakyat who to his understanding may hold the support of the majority of Dewan Rakyat members as prime minister”.

ATHENS, 25 November 2022, (TON): Greece’s coast guard said nearly 500 asylum seekers rescued in a dramatic operation this week off the island of Crete had been temporarily transferred to a ferry for processing.
The migrants including 128 boys and nine girls were on board a derelict fishing boat that issued a distress call late on Monday whilst sailing southwest of Crete.
Greek officials say "because of bolstered patrols by the Greek coast guard and EU border agency Frontex in the Aegean Sea, migrant smugglers embark increasingly on a longer and more perilous route south of Crete."

DHAKA, 25 November 2022, (TON): Bangladesh and the European Union expressed willingness to sign a "partnership cooperation” agreement to elevate the relations to the next level.
However, it is still at an initial stage as it requires extensive discussions and negotiations.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam together with Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service Enrique Mora conveyed two sides' willingness regarding such a mechanism.

RIYADH, 25 November 2022, (TON): Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received the first deputy chairman of Kyrgyzstan’s cabinet of ministers in Riyadh on behalf of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Adylbek Kasymaliev headed the Kyrgyz delegation that participated in the third session of the Saudi-Kyrgyz joint committee that took place between Nov. 21-23.
During the meeting, Prince Faisal and Kasymaliev reviewed bilateral relations and ways of enhancing them in various fields.

MOSCOW, 25 November 2022, (TON): Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said "contacts with the UN nuclear watchdog over safety at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine were constructive and showed some promise."
The Zaporizhzhia plant, which Russia seized shortly after its Feb. 24 invasion, was again rocked by shelling last weekend, prompting renewed calls from the International Atomic Energy Agency to create a protection zone around it to prevent a nuclear disaster.
The head of the UN nuclear watchdog met a Russian delegation in Istanbul on Wednesday to discuss safety at the plant, which both Ukraine and Moscow have accused each other of shelling.

DHAKA, 25 November 2022, (TON): Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has sought supply of LNG and investment from the United Arab Emirates in special economic zones, high-tech parks, and in establishing warehouses and hypermarkets in Bangladesh.
UAE State Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ahmed bin Ali Al Sayegh met with Foreign Minister Momen on the sidelines of the IORA Ministerial meeting in Dhaka and discussed bilateral issues of mutual interest.
The state minister highly appreciated the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the socio-economic development of Bangladesh.
He emphasized cooperation for enhancing trade and investment, air and shipping connection, agriculture, food security, energy, pharmaceuticals, IT, aforestation, alliance for mangrove forest, renewable energy, and enhancing efficiency of energy systems.

KYIV, 25 November 2022, (TON): Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded the United Nations punish Russia for air strikes on civilian infrastructure, after a missile barrage plunged cities into freezing darkness in the worst nationwide power outages yet.
With temperatures falling below zero, authorities were working to get the lights and heat back on.
Russia’s latest missile barrage killed 10 people and shut down all of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants for the first time in 40 years.
Regional authorities in Kyiv said "power had been restored to three quarters of the capital by Thursday morning and water was working again in some areas."