NBL opens on holiday

KATHMANDU: Nepal Bank Ltd (NBL) has decided to provide banking services during the holidays of Dashain and Tihar. As per the bank’s policy to provide 365-day banking services, NBL’s branch offices in major cities will provide deposit collection and payment from 11am to 2pm, states a press release. In the Kathmandu valley, Kathmandu city office, Kantipath, Lazimpat, Chabahil, Dilli Bazaar, Jawalakhel, Kopundol and Bhaktapur branch will provide the services, while city office Biratnagar, Birgunj, Pokhara, Siddharthanagar and Hetauda will remain open during the holidays. — HNS

China’s trade surplus

BEIJING: China’s trade surplus hit $185.65 billion in the first nine months of the year, surpassing the full-year figure in 2006. Last year, China’s trade surplus soared by 74.2 per cent to a record $177.47 billion. This year’s trade volume is likely to reach a record $2 trillion, compared with $1.76 trillion in 2006. With government restrictions on exports of natural resources, China’s exports of crude oil in the first nine months dropped by 49.3 per cent to 2.44 million tonnes. — Xinhua

Industrial output up

NEW DELHI: India’s annual industrial output rose in August by 10.7 per cent, led by gains in mining and manufacturing. For April to August, the first five months of the financial year, industrial output grew by 9.8 per cent, down from 11 per cent in the same year-earlier period. The industrial performance was driven by the mining sector which expanded by 17.1 per cent and manufacturing which grew by 10.4 per cent. — AFP