Following are the top foreign stories at 1920

FGN37 NEPAL-SAARC-LD INDOPAK Nepal 'ready and very eager' to handover SAARC Chairmanship to Pakistan: Gyawali

Kathmandu: Nepal, which is holding on to the Chairmanship of the SAARC grouping since 2014, is "ready and very eager" to handover the position to Pakistan, Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali said on Friday, hoping that New Delhi and Islamabad can sort out their differences through negotiations, keeping in mind the challenges facing the region. By Anil K Joseph

FGN35 NEPAL-INDIA-LD BOUNDARY Nepal says if India can resolve boundary issue with Bangladesh, why not Kathmandu

Kathmandu: If India can resolve its land boundary issue with Bangladesh then why not with Nepal, Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali said on Friday, referring to the lingering territorial differences between the two neighbours. By Anil K Joseph

FGN46 CHINA-LDALL VIRUS China shuts down 13 cities as coronavirus death toll climbs to 26

Beijing: Battling the fast spreading coronavirus, China on Friday said that it is building a 1,000-bed hospital for patients infected with the deadly virus that has claimed 26 lives so far with confirmed cases rising sharply to over 880, prompting authorities to shut down 13 cities during the country's most important holiday. By K J M Varma

FGN36 WEF-CLOSING WEF 2020 meeting ends with hopes for better and cleaner economy

Davos: Global leaders expressed hope for better economic growth with lesser trade tensions and a safer planet with commitments to work in areas like climate change, as the 50th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum ended here on Friday. By Barun Jha

FGN42 WEF-SOROS Soros blasts Trump, Xi; questions success of Belt Road Initiative

Davos: Billionaire investor George Soros, known for his outspoken liberal views, has criticised virtually all economic powers of the world, including the US and China, for being ruled by "would-be or actual dictators" and named India among the countries where nationalism is making further headway. By Barun Jha IND IND