Wednesday 31 October 2018
Death toll rises to nine as storms hammer Italy
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Bangladesh, Myanmar agree to start Rohingya repatriation by mid-November
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China reverses ban on trade in products made from endangered tigers, rhinos
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Syria says Turkey not implementing Idlib deal: Report
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Sri Lanka braces for protests over Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s sacking
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Flamboyant Fewa: In Pictures
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Two held for possessing banned drugs in Nawalparasi
PARASI: Police have recently arrested two persons in possession of drugs from Bardaghat of west Nawalparasi.
A team deployed from Bardaghat-based Area Police Office nabbed Manoj Yadav (27) and Munni Prasad Kewat (28) of Sarawal Rural Municipality-2, in Nawalparasi with drugs.
The police team held them in course of security screening at Bhanunagar in Bardaghat-9.
The duo was riding a motorcycle bearing Indian registration no. (UP 56AA 1841).
Police seized 80 capsules of Spasmo Proxyvon, 447 Nitravet tablets and 50 bottles of Phensedyl (100 ml) from them.
Police informed that a case of drug abuse was registered against the arrestees while investigation is underway.
The post Two held for possessing banned drugs in Nawalparasi appeared first on The Himalayan Times.
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Mac mini 2018 लॉन्च, शुरुआती कीमत 75,900 रुपये
ऐपल ने अपने नए Mac mini रेंज को लॉन्च कर दिया है. यहां जानें कीमत और बाकी खूबियां.from आज तक https://ift.tt/2SuL8u9
पिट्सबर्ग सिनेगॉग पहुंचे ट्रंप, पोस्टरों के साथ हुआ विरोध
ट्रंप पिट्सबर्ग के उस सिनेगॉग में पहुंचे जहां हाल ही में यहूदियों के खिलाफ हमले में 11 लोगों की हत्या...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2zhgSdm
आज भी नहीं बढ़े पेट्रोल और डीजल के दाम, ये हैं कीमतें
पिछले कुछ दिनों से अंतरराष्ट्रीय स्तर पर कच्चे तेल की कीमतों में नरमी जारी है. इसका सीधा फायदा घरेलू स्तर...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2Ros9QA
कांग्रेस ने कहा- पटेल का नाम लेना PM मोदी की मजबूरी
सरदार वल्लभभाई पटेल की दुनिया की सबसे ऊंची मूर्ति 'स्टैच्यू ऑफ यूनिटी' (Statue Of Unity) का बुधवार को प्रधानमंत्री...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2PtpNm4
मूर्ति को लेकर अलग था मोदी का प्लान, नहीं मिला था पहाड़
प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी ने सरदार पटेल की दुनिया की सबसे ऊंची मूर्ति 'स्टैच्यू ऑफ यूनिटी' (Statue Of Unity) को...
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स्टैच्यू ऑफ यूनिटी: आलोचकों को मोदी का जवाब- महापुरुषों को याद करना अपराध नहीं
इस खास मौके पर प्रधानमंत्री मोदी ने कहा कि कच्छ से कोहिमा तक, करगिल से कन्याकुमारी तक आज अगर बेरोकटोक...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2PDXxNP
फ्री कोचिंग पढ़ाने से मना किया तो छात्रों लाठी-डंडों से पीटा
बिहार में पटना के कंकड़बाग इलाके में मंगलवार को एक सनसनीखेज घटना घटी, जहां कुछ छात्रों ने एक कोचिंग संचालक...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2RtddAF
राफेल डील: SC का आदेश-10 दिन में केंद्र दे सौदे से जुड़ी डीटेल
सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने अपने आदेश में यह भी कहा कि विमान कीमत और रणनीतिक जानकारी छोड़कर निर्यण लेने...
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योगी बोले- धैर्य रखें, दिवाली पर खुशखबरी लेकर जा रहा हूं
पिछले साल योगी ने अयोध्या में दिवाली मनाई थी, इस बार भी अयोध्या में ही दिवाली मनाने की बात की...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2EQxDSF
हाशिमपुरा कांडः PAC के 16 पूर्व जवान दोषी, मिली उम्रकैद की सजा
मेरठ के चर्चित हाशिमपुरा कांड में दिल्ली हाई कोर्ट ने अहम फैसला सुनाया है. बता दें कि 22 मई 1987...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2DdvzCx
...तो शिवभक्तों को सोमनाथ वीजा लेकर जाना पड़ता: मोदी
अपने संबोधन में प्रधानमंत्री ने कहा कि स्टैच्यू ऑफ लिबर्टी बनने के साथ आज भारत के वर्तमान ने अपने इतिहास...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2qlMhay
मंदिर में जैन मुनि ने की आत्महत्या, सुसाइड नोट बरामद
मंदिर में मौजूद लोगों ने कमरा नंबर 3 का दरवाजा तोड़ दिया. कमरे के अंदर का मंजर देखकर सभी लोगों...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2CQvJim
अजय-काजोल ने बेटी न्यासा के लिए सिंगापुर में खरीदा अपार्टमेंट?
अजय देवगन और काजोल द्वारा सिंगापुर के सबसे पॉश इलाके में अपने बेटी के लिए अपार्टमेंट खरीदे जाने की खबरे...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2CPOJ0k
बाजार ने बढ़त गंवाई, सेंसेक्स 174 अंक टूटा, निफ्टी में भी गिरावट
वैश्विक बाजार से मिले मजबूत संकेतों के बूते बुधवार को सेंसेक्स 136.70 अंकों की बढ़त के साथ 34027.83 के स्तर...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2P0y55y
13 साल पहले धोनी ने किया था ये कमाल, आज भी कायम है रिकॉर्ड
तीसरे नंबर पर उतारे गए धोनी ने गजब की बल्लेबाजी की. उन्होंने न सिर्फ शतक जमाया, बल्कि विकेटकीपर बल्लेबाज के...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2OXp8tA
RBI- सरकार में बढ़ी तकरार, इस्तीफा दे सकते हैं उर्जित पटेल
आरबीआई और केन्द्र सरकार के बीच मतभेद पैदा हो चुके हैं. ऐसी स्थिति में रिजर्व बैंक के आला अधिकारियों का...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2qkq2BR
अफगानिस्तान: जेल की गाड़ी पर हमला, 7 लोगों की मौत
अफगानिस्तान में पुल-ए-चरखी जेल की गाड़ी को निशाना बनाते हुए हमला किया गया जिसमें 7 लोगों की मौत हो गई...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2qkbCS0
RBI पर केंद्र ने लागू किया सेक्शन-7? चिदंबरम बोले-बुरी खबरें आएंगी
बता दें कि 26 अक्टूबर को विरल आचार्य ने मुंबई में आयोजित एक कार्यक्रम में बयान दिया था. इसमें उन्होंने...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2qkUxrm
पटेल की मूर्ति मोदी का 'पॉलिटिकल ईगो' दिखाती है: विदेशी मीडिया
सरदार वल्लभभाई पटेल की 182 मीटर ऊंची दुनिया की सबसे बड़ी प्रतिमा के ऐतिहासिक अनावरण पर पूरे देश के साथ...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2CSbil5
संघ ने कहा- जमीन अधिग्रहण कर राम मंदिर निर्माण शुरू करे सरकार
आरएसएस की दिन दिवसीय बैठक बुधवार से मुंबई के पास भायंदर में शुरू हुई. संघ की इस कार्यकारिणी की बैठक...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2Q2WMuh
कंगना पर निशाना, शेखर बोले- चुप्पी क्यों, क्या खत्म हो गया #MeToo
मीटू अभियान के तहत आलोकनाथ, सुभाष घई, विकास बहल, अनु मालिक, कैलाश खेर जैसे कई दिग्गज सितारों पर आरोप सामने...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2ACqhOg
NewsWrap: 'स्टैच्यू ऑफ यूनिटी का अनावरण आज, पढ़ें, 5 बड़ी खबरें
आजाद भारत के पहले गृह मंत्री सरदार वल्लभभाई पटेल की 143वीं जयंती के अवसर पर प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी, सरदार पटेल...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2zjuR23
तो नेहरू नहीं, सरदार वल्लभभाई पटेल होते देश के पहले प्रधानमंत्री!
कहा जाता है कि भारत की एकता के सूत्रधार कहे जाने वाले सरदार पटेल देश के पहले प्रधानमंत्री हो सकते...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2PtDUrE
Bigg Boss: विकास गुप्ता से भिड़ गए श्रीसंत, सुननी पड़ीं खरी-खोटी
बिग बॉस में विकास गुप्ता और श्रीसंत का झगड़ा इस हद तक बढ़ गया कि रॉमिल और दीपिका को बचाव...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2SusFOl
3 दोस्तों ने मिलकर की अपने साथियों की हत्या, लाशें यमुना में बहाईं
गाजियाबाद में जिन तीन दोस्तों के साथ 3 दोस्त दिल्ली में नहाने के लिए गए थे, उनके साथ झगड़ा हो...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2RniHgb
शिवसेना गर्माएगी राम मंदिर मुद्दा, चार नेता अयोध्या पहुंचे
अयोध्या मुद्दे को लेकर शिवसेना के तेवर सख्त हैं. उद्धव ठाकरे 25 नंबवर को अयोध्या पहुंचेंगे, लेकिन उससे पहले बुधवार...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2Psy9uh
दिल्ली पर फिर स्मॉग अटैक, बैन हो सकती हैं प्राइवेट गाड़ियां
बुधवार सुबह दिल्ली में PM 2.5 का आंकड़ा 262 और PM 10 का आंकड़ा 283 रहा. ये दोनों ही खराब...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2zfkegJ
देश की एकता के सूत्रधार थे पटेल, ऐसे किया रियासतों का विलय
भारत के 'लौह-पुरुष' सरदार वल्लभभाई पटेल अपने दायित्वों का निर्वहन करते हुए छह सौ छोटी-बड़ी रियासतों का भारत में...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2zh51vS
युवक का अपहरण कर हत्या, शव पेड़ पर टांगा
गाजियाबाद में अखिलेश नाम का युवक 7 दिन पहले अपने घर से गायब हो गया था. परिजनों को अखिलेश ने...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2SwN3yf
Roger Federer turned down an invitation to play Saudi tennis event
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Still golden: Simone Biles, Americans roll at World Gymnastics Championships
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Taliban: Five freed from US military prison now in Qatar office
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World Cup expansion possible for 2022, says Gianni Infantino
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Novak Djokovic eases past Joao Sousa in Paris Masters opener
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Tatiana Calderon sets a female Formula One first for Latin America
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Spanish FA vice president arrested as part of corruption investigation
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Virat Kohli praises Kerala, urges people to pay a visit
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WWE Crown Jewel: Daniel Bryan to skip Saudi Arabia event, Samoa Joe to replace
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Real Madrid goes after new coach to save its season
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I-League: After opening game draw, Minerva Punjab FC ready to face Real Kashmir FC
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Chandigarh: All set for Jeev Invitational challenge
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With career in tailspin, Lisicki breaks down after first round loss
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Sourav Ganguly to BCCI: Experience in the matter of coach selection was appalling
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Chelsea assiatant coach fined for taunting Jose Mourinho
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Santiago Solari says Real Madrid stars in pain and determined to fight back
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ISL 2018: We are not used to such levels of pollution, says Delhi Dynamos coach Josep Gombau
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Pankaj Advani in final of Asian Snooker Tour event
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Pro Kabaddi League 2018: Gujarat Fortune Giants beat Puneri Paltan 37-27
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ISL 2018: NorthEast United FC go top with 2-0 win over Delhi Dynamos
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Saurav Ghosal progresses to the third round at Qatar Classic
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India and other SAFF countries pull out of Saudi-led SWAFF
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Sourav Ganguly hits out at harassment report handling
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Pro Kabaddi 2018 Highlights: Telugu Titans beat Patna Pirates 53-32 Telugu Titans
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Brazilian footballer found dead under mysterious circumstances
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Delhi Dynamos vs NorthEast United FC, ISL 2018 highlights: NorthEast United secure 2-0 victory over Delhi
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Ball tampering aftermath: Banned players angry because officials got away, says Ian Chappell
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Dele Alli pens new six-year deal at Tottenham
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Helicopter crash kills 25 in Afghanistan
10:45 a.m.
An Afghan official says an army helicopter carrying senior officials has crashed in bad weather in the western Farah province, killing all 25 on board.
Naser Mehdi, a spokesman for the provincial governor, says the helicopter crashed around 9:10 a.m. (0440 GMT), shortly after taking off from the mountainous Anar Dara district heading toward nearby Herat province.
He says the passengers included the deputy corps commander of Afghanistan’s western zone and the head of the Farah provincial council.
8:30 a.m.
An Interior Ministry official says a suicide bomber has struck outside the country’s largest prison on the eastern edge of the capital Kabul, killing seven people, including prison workers and security personnel.
Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish says the attacker early Wednesday targeted a bus carrying prison workers. The sprawling Pul-e-Charkhi prison houses hundreds of inmates, including scores of Taliban.
According to Abadullah Karimi, a prison official, the attack occurred near the prison gate where a number of visitors were waiting to pass a rigorous security check before entering.
No one has taken immediate responsibility for the attack.
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Airports in Khotang yet to resume services
Khotang, October 30
Local passengers have been facing difficulties as airports, which were closed during monsoon this year, in Khotang, have not resumed services yet.
Air services at Manamaya Rai Khanidanda Airport, Lamidanda Airport and Thamkharka Airport in the district did not resume services even during the festivals. Regular flights were halted at Khanidanda Airport after rainwater filled the runway and eroded the edge of the runway in May 15. Similarly, regular flights have been halted at Lamidanda Airport for blacktopping the runway. The runway repair has yet to complete due to negligence of the contractor YAN-SAP-Surya Construction JV.
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PM Oli resumes work from hospital
Prof Dr Arun Sayami stated that the PM has begun his official duties by holding a meeting with the Ministers for Defence, Home Affairs and Energy. Photo: RSS
KATHMANDU: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has ‘lightly’ resumed his work from the TU Teaching Hospital where he was admitted on Monday following some health complications.
Prof Dr Arun Sayami stated that the PM has begun his official duties by holding a meeting with the Ministers for Defence, Home Affairs and Energy.
“The Prime Minister has slept well and is eating well. We have adviced him to stay in the hospital for a few days to ensure he is well rested,” Dr Sayami stated.
According to the hospital’s statement containing details Prime Minister’s health, issued at 10 am today, the medical test reports for the morning were satisfactory and there has been further improvement in the PM’s health.
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Godzilla back as animation has human drama, fewer monsters
In this photo, film directors Hiroyuki Seshita, right, and Kobun Shizuno, left, pose with voice actors Mamoru Miyano, second from right, Takahiro Sakurai and Godzilla during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo International Film Festival in Tokyo on Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018. Photo: AP
TOKYO: Godzilla is stomping back into theaters as a fire-breathing animated character, though the movie chosen to close this year’s Tokyo International Film Festival is more focused on human drama than the monsters that have made the franchise famous.
The two directors of “Godzilla: The Planet Eater” acknowledge that their film is so different it might turn off hard-core fans. But they say that’s an intentional attempt to reach out to new audiences.
“We welcome getting bashed by the traditionalists,” Hiroyuki Seshita, one of the directors, told The Associated Press last week. “That proves more than anything we succeeded in creating something different.”
A mutation caused by nuclear testing, the first Godzilla emerged from the ocean in a 1954 film directed by Ishiro Honda. Godzilla flattened much of Tokyo as crowds fled in terror, and went on to become an eternal symbol of human fallacy in the atomic age.
The latest film completes a three-part animated saga that began last year. It premiers Nov. 3, Godzilla’s official birthday, the date the first film was released.
Seshita and co-director Kobun Shizuno said that rather than simply transferring the well-known tale into a computer animation, they have focused on what they call Shakespearean “human drama.” They tackle complex issues, including the meaning of religion, in a futuristic post-apocalyptic universe.
While Godzilla still has its screech and menacingly gigantic shape, it hardly engages in battles with other monsters, a trademark of the mega-series from Toho Co.
“We kept all that is Godzilla-like — its design and how it’s portrayed on film. We have kept its essence,” said Seshita, who has served as art director of the “Final Fantasy” movies.
Although some viewers may find the story rather complicated, Seshita said the film chose to interpret the Godzilla saga as what he called “a kind of animism,” or a godlike force that is bigger than human existence, a perspective he said was integral to Japanese culture and storytelling.
The hero is a doe-eyed, rock-star-like Japanese man who is selflessly determined to reclaim planet Earth, which has been left in shambles from Godzilla’s havoc.
Humans have been relegated to wandering around in space, surviving in a gigantic spaceship that’s factory-like and sterile, unlike the lush greenness that was once home.
“I’m not a Godzilla expert and so I simply made a film I thought would be enjoyable,” said Shizuno, who has also directed the “G.I. Joe: Sigma 6″ and “Detective Conan” animation series.
Yet the film is scattered with tributes to Godzilla, according to the directors, who declined to disclose too many specifics. For one, the hero’s name is Haruo, the same as the actor Haruo Nakajima, who was inside the rubber Godzilla suit in the original 1954 film. Nakajima died last year.
Toho has made 29 Godzilla films, not counting the animation trilogy. The last work, released in 2016, used an actor skilled in traditional Japanese theater known as Kyogen, whose movements were interpreted into computer graphics that brought a terrifying Godzilla to life.
There are two Hollywood Godzilla films, the most recent in 2014. A third is promised for next year.
Ryota Fujitsu, an expert on Japanese animation, said the animated trilogy was commendable for its visual beauty, as well as for tackling Godzilla as a science fiction movie.
“So much has been tried in the long-running series that taking a new approach was inevitable,” he said, noting the work explores the dilemma between civilization and the individual. “This work is facing the Godzilla theme head-on.”
The first two films of the animated trilogy are available on Netflix.
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Blacktopping work of GBIA runway starts
Kathmandu, October 30
Works related to the blacktopping of the runway of the Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) — a national pride project — in Bhairahawa have started from today. The Chinese contractor company, China Northwest Civil Aviation Airport Construction Group, has started blacktopping the 3,000-metre-long and 60-metre-wide runway.
The Chinese contractor company has been given a deadline to complete all works related to the upgradation of the international airport by August next year. Speaking in a programme organised at the project site today, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Rabindra Adhikari, said that the progress of the construction works of the airport has been satisfactory and will be completed within the scheduled timeframe, reads a press note released by the secretariat of the minister.
All works related to blacktopping the runway of the Gautam Buddha International Airport will be finished within the next six months. After the upgradation is completed, the airport will be able to handle large-size aircraft like the Airbus 330-200 and Boeing 777. Meanwhile, airport will have four parking bays for large-size aircraft and eight for small-size planes.
The parking bays of the airport have already been constructed and construction of overhead tank, control tower, runway, international terminal and administrative building is in the final phase.
Minister Adhikari has claimed that the Gautam Buddha International Airport will be open to international flights within the next six months. He added that the most difficult tasks that also require more human resources have reached the final phase and other tasks are also being carried out quickly.
Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has estimated that it will cost around Rs 6.5 billion to construct the core area of the airport. However, after taking the compensation that needs to be paid for the land acquisition process into account, the actual cost will likely reach Rs 24 billion.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has pledged to provide grant and soft loan to build the airport. Out of the total Rs 6.5 billion that is estimated to construct the core area of the airport, 58.5 per cent of the cost will be financed by ADB of which 40 per cent will be provided as loan and 18.5 per cent as grant. The ADB has also pledged to manage another 30 per cent of the cost through other international development partners and the government will bear the remaining cost of the project.
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Chure deforestation a national problem: Former Prez Dr Ram Baran Yadav
DHANUSHA: Former President Dr Ram Baran Yadav has said the government at all three levels should take the issue of Chure deforestation seriously since it is a national problem.
In his address to an interaction programme on “Clean Janakpur Green Janakpur and Chure Conservation” held at Janakpur-based Siddhartha Sishu Sadan, Nepal’s first president underlined the need of taking the responsibility for the conservation of the Chure by the central, provincial and local governments.
“They all are the responsible for deforestation of Chure as well,” he added.
He went on to say that development should not be the cause of destruction and the road construction projects aimed to serve the meaning of development had triggered the rampant degradation of the Chure region.
The duties and responsibilities for controlling of exploitation of natural resources like rivers and forest areas and development of illegal settlement with the fresh tree transplantation and conservation of the Chure’s hilly areas are of the governments at all levels, according to the former President. People residing in the Chure should be encouraged to contribute to the conservation efforts.
As he stated, the current need was that efforts from the government-level from center to the local- were necessary to plant new trees in the forest area, to control encroachment on rivers and remove river-based crusher industries. “Tarai is gradually turning vulnerable to a severe crisis of drinking water due to the Chure deforestation which has pushed it towards the risk of floods and dryness.
On the occasion, Dr Yadav distributed cloth bags to the participants as a symbol to discourage the use of plastic bags so as to support the “Clean Janakpur, Green Janakpur” campaign successful.
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TIA to seek IATA’s help to collect dues from AirAsia
Kathmandu, October 30
The Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) authority has said that it will seek the assistance of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) — the trade association of world’s airlines — to collect pending dues from the Malaysian low-cost airline AirAsia, which suspended its flights to Kathmandu from October 13.
AirAsia, which was under controversy for delaying the payment of airport service charge to the TIA authority, had suspended its flights to Nepal two weeks back citing lack of adequate number of passengers. However, the Malaysian airline company is yet to pay Rs 130 million (late fee) to the TIA authority though it cleared almost Rs 300 million service charge before leaving.
“Since AirAsia is unwilling to clear the remaining dues despite repeated notifications from us, we will be compelled to knock on the IATA’s door in the near future,” said Raj Kumar Chhetri, general manager of TIA.
As AirAsia had announced to cancel its flights to Kathmandu from October 13, TIA authority had grounded its Airbus 330 aircraft on October 12 asking the company to first clear its dues. However, the TIA authority allowed AirAsia to take away its aircraft the next day following commitment from the Kuala Lumpur-based AirAsia’s office to settle the issue soon and a pledge from the Malaysian Embassy in Nepal to facilitate the issue.
The TIA now is seeking possible ways to collect remaining dues from AirAsia after the airline showed no further interest on this matter after suspending its flight to Kathmandu. “We will wait for a week more for AirAsia to pay its dues. If it still refuses to do so then we will consult with the Malaysian Embassy as it had earlier said it would facilitate the issue,” mentioned Chhetri, adding that the TIA authority will write a letter to IATA seeking its help to collect dues from AirAsia if the matter cannot be settled through the embassy.
The remaining dues worth Rs 130 million is the interest and other charges on the principal amount that AirAsia had delayed to pay before leaving Nepal.
The Malaysian airline has also not cleared almost Rs 70 million under the tourism service fee to Nepal Tourism Board (NTB). As AirAsia quit Nepal without clearing aforementioned dues, NTB has urged the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal to facilitate in collecting the sum from AirAsia.
Though AirAsia has quit Nepal, it has hinted that it could resume flights to Nepal any time in the future depending on the flow of passengers.
As the outflow of Nepali migrant workers to Malaysia will soon resume after Nepal and Malaysia inked the long-awaited labour pact, government officials expect AirAsia to resume flights to Kathmandu.
AirAsia had been conducting four flights a week to Kathmandu on an average utilising its Airbus 330 aircraft, with 274-seat capacity.
However, TIA is in no mood to allow the airline to resume flights to Nepal before it clears all pending dues.
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Govt to review labour agreement with Qatar
Kathmandu, October 30
Considering the increasing number of complaints related to problems being faced by Nepali migrant workers in Qatar, the government has started homework to review the 13-year-old bilateral labour agreement with the Gulf nation.
The Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security (MoLESS) has said it has finalised the schedule to hold two meetings on the issue between Nepal and Qatar in near future.
“Complaints have been frequently filed with the government regarding various problems that Nepali migrants have to face in Qatar, hence we decided to hold talks with the concerned Qatari authorities to solve issues related to human rights, security, benefits and wages,” said Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security Gokarna Bista.
As per the ministry’s schedule, a Qatari government delegation will come to Nepal on November 6-7 to hold discussions on issues raised by migrant workers. Likewise, a Nepali delegation will travel to Qatar to hold talks on November 19-20.
A joint committee including representatives from both the countries will be formed to review the pact. The review meeting will be held alternately in Nepal and Qatar.
“We are going to review the bilateral labour pact and amend certain provisions to make it more contextual,” Bista stated. Nepal and Qatar had signed a labour agreement on March 21, 2005, in Doha.
Both the countries have held discussions on many occasions to review the pact and last year too a five-member delegation led by the joint secretary of the Labour Ministry of Qatar had visited Nepal to hold talks to review the labour pact.
According to Minister Bista, the meetings that will be held in November will finalise the content of the pact and later seal a technical agreement. The agreement will authorise the responsible authorities of both the countries to oversee labour related issues and resolve them as per spirit of the agreement.
Qatar has recently emerged as the most popular destination for Nepali migrant workers after the government halted labour supply to Malaysia. Most Nepali workers going to Qatar are unskilled and involved in manual works in construction sector. Only a few are working in service sector like petrol pumps, hotels, restaurants and shopping malls.
Meanwhile, Minister Bista has said that the government will also look into problems being faced by migrants in other labour destinations and sign agreements with countries with which Nepal does not have a bilateral labour agreement. He also mentioned that existing labour pacts made with some countries will be reviewed.
“Foreign employment sector can be made secure and well managed only if we are able to sign bilateral labour agreements with all major labour destinations,” Bista stated.
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Prosperity dreams: Education is the key
Our education system needs an overhaul. Unless we change the system as per the requirements of the country with emphasis on practical and research-based education, the prosperity slogan will face severe challenges
Illustration: Ratna Sagar Shrestha/THT
One of our acquaintances recently appeared in the intermediate level examination (science faculty). He was waiting for the results. When asked what his immediate future plans were, he replied: “I will join diploma in the engineering of the CTEVT (Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training) because it will help me get a government job.”
He is just a representative character which shows Nepali youths’ fixation with “government job”.
In Nepal, the government allocates 70 per cent of the educational budget for technical education—like the one imparted by the CTEVT—and the rest goes to non-technical education sector with the aim of producing self-employed and skilled workforce.
In other words, the government targets to build a workforce that is competitive enough in the public and private sectors in national and the international labour market. However, rather than establishing start-ups and creating new private sector jobs, Nepali workforce is racing towards limited and somewhat routine jobs in the government sector.
Is our education system really competent enough to meet the target of government?
Our prime minister and political leaders have now been using every single opportunity to peddle the slogan of “Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali”. But what seems to be missing is whether we have indeed internalized what all the essential factors that will ultimately contribute to making Nepal a prosperous country. To be more specific: have we acknowledged the importance of the type of education a developing country like ours needs to produce self-employed and skilled labours? Obviously, there are a lot of challenges ahead to achieve the target.
One of the major challenges is curbing the increasing number of drop outs. In the present scenario, various researches of different concerned authorities demonstrate that students’ dropout ratio is in increasing order. Before the completion of secondary education, about 70-80 per cent of students are out of school. In addition, the situation is more miserable in higher level education: only 2 per cent of students attend the university education. This dropout rate is either because of students are not getting what they want to learn or they don’t feel their life secure after 25 years of formal education.
Furthermore, in Nepal, around five lakh youths, along with those dropout and those who have completed formal education, enter the labour market every year. Nonetheless, only around 50,000 among them get an efficient job in public and private sectors collectively.
The next hurdle is the traditional and outdated contents taught in our educational institutions. Several wings of Nepali education have not been able to achieve their respective goals. From pre-primary school, whose goal is to make students free thinkers, to universities, whose aim is to make students contribute to research, their respective objectives are not being met.
In reality, pre-primary schools are teaching students what teachers want (to teach) and universities are just providing degrees rather than producing a quality workforce. Medical institutions are failing to produce quality doctors. And the same applies to engineering faculty, the CTEVT and so forth. This monotonous and unproductive education system that does not create a suitable platform for self-employment and innovation is making the whole country dull and slow.
Nepal has been lagging behind when it comes to providing practical knowledge and exposure to the students, thereby providing minimum time to innovate and experiment.
A new study from Georgetown University’s center on education and workforce finds that over the past 25 years, more than 70 per cent of college students have worked while attending school. But in our country the scenario is different. Organisations don’t want students as part-time workers because they think part-time workers are not productive. Then students in Nepal also do not want to work because of various reasons. For example, a student pursuing BBA or MBA won’t work in a restaurant. Even if students want to take part-time jobs, colleges will stand as an obstacle; for the general belief is it might affect students GPA thereby tarnishing the image of the institution. Additionally, parents do not let their children work because they feel their children are not “mature enough” to work. In Nepal, students spend their first 25 years only on acquiring formal education. This means Nepal is losing the most productive labour hours.
There is no denying that Nepal is lagging far behind in economic development. So we need to learn from different nations, economists, and specialists about the significant role education can play in equal and sustainable development. The education system should be changed with the changing requirements of the country. It should be more practical, or emphasis should be given to formulation and implementation of policies that support technical and skill-based education.
Universities should focus on research and development of different socio-economic phenomena of society. Entrepreneurship and start-up culture should be promoted in business colleges and other educational institutions. Only after that can the “Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali” slogan materialise into reality.
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Remittance inflow increases by 33.4pc
Kathmandu, October 30
Owing to rise in the value of the US dollar, inflow of workers’ remittance in the first two months of the ongoing fiscal year has increased by 33.4 per cent to Rs 154.2 billion, as per Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) despite a significant fall in number of outbound Nepali workers.
As per data of the first two months of the ongoing fiscal year unveiled by the central bank, workers’ remittance grew to the aforementioned level against a growth of 0.7 per cent in the same period of last fiscal year. In terms of US dollar, workers’ remittance has increased by 22.3 per cent in the review period compared to 5.2 per cent in the corresponding period of the previous year, according to the report.
However, the number of Nepali workers migrating for foreign employment has decreased by 41 per cent in the review period. It had decreased by 7.2 per cent in the same period of the previous year. This decline in number of outbound Nepali workers is primarily due to the halt in labour supply to Malaysia, the NRB report states.
Meanwhile, consumer price inflation stood at 3.9 per cent in mid-September this year against 3.4 per cent in the same month last year, as per NRB. The rise in the price of non-food items and services contributed to rise in overall inflation in the review period. Inflation in non-food items and services rose to 5.8 per cent in mid-September from 4.7 per cent during the same month a year ago. A rise in the price of transportation, furnishing and household equipment, housing and utilities, clothes and footwear accounted for the increase in non-food inflation in the review month.
However, the inflation in food and beverages group eased to 1.4 per cent in mid-September this year from 1.8 per cent a year ago, according to NRB.
Similarly, the current account registered a deficit of Rs 35.56 billion in the review period owing to a significant rise in imports. The current account had registered a deficit of Rs 19.74 billion in same period of the previous year. Likewise, the overall balance of payments (BoP) remained at a deficit of Rs 25.45 billion in the review period compared to a deficit of Rs 5.87 billion in the same period of the previous year.
While the country’s total trade deficit widened further by 41.2 per cent to Rs 217.65 billion in the two months of the current fiscal, the export-import ratio declined to 6.3 per cent in the review period from 8.1 per cent in the corresponding period of the previous year.
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iPads, Macs get new screens as Apple pushes creativity
NEW YORK: Apple’s new iPads will more closely resemble its latest iPhones as they ditch a home button and fingerprint sensor to make more room for the screen.
As with the latest iPhone models — the XR and XS —the new iPad Pro will use facial-recognition technology to unlock the device and to authorize app and Apple Pay purchases.
Apple also unveiled new Mac computers, including an overdue refresh of the MacBook Air laptop, now with a high-resolution screen.
Better screens come with price increases for both iPads and Macs.
Tuesday’s announcements took place at an opera house in New York, where the company emphasized its products’ ability to create music, video and sketches. Neither the Mac nor the iPad generates as much revenue for Apple as iPhones.
Tablet sales have been declining overall, though Apple saw a 3 percent increase in iPad sales last year to nearly 44 million, commanding a 27 percent market share, according to research firm IDC. Apple has been promoting its high-end iPad Pro as ideal for artists, photographers and other creators.
D.A. Davidson Co. analyst Tom Forte said Apple did “a nice job of rolling out next-generation devices with features customers want to sustain momentum” in iPad sales growth.
The smaller of the two new Pros will have a wider display than before when held horizontally. Its screen is 11 inches rather than 10.5 inches, measured diagonally. It starts at about $800, or $150 more than the 10.5-inch version.
For the larger, 12.9-inch model, Apple is fitting the same-size display into a smaller device — about the size of a standard sheet of paper. That starts at about $1,000, a price hike of $200.
The new iPads will have an LCD screen similar to the iPhone XR rather than the more vibrant one found in the top-of-the-line iPhone XS models. The displays on the new iPads don’t run to the edges as much as they do on iPhones.
An updated pencil, still at $99, will attach magnetically to the iPad for storage and charging.
Apple is bringing a high-resolution display to its low-end MacBook Air, something until now limited to pricier models such as the MacBook Pro products. But the starting price goes up $200 to about $1,200.
The Air also joins higher-end Pros in sporting a fingerprint sensor, something the iPad just lost.
Apple also announced an updated desktop computer, the Mac Mini, starting at about $800.
The company said both Macs will use aluminum left over from producing iPads and other products.
The new MacBook Air and iPad Pros will now use a standard, oval-shaped connector called USB-C. That means accessories using the iPad’s old Lightning port will need adapters, sold separately. The change will allow people to charge their iPhones through the iPad.
The Air also loses the slot for camera memory cards. An adapter costs $39.
Patrick Moorhead, founder of Moor Insights & Strategy, said the refreshed products are likely to please Apple fans and users.
“The company hadn’t updated the Mac Mini for years, and the MacBook Air for a while, so these are very welcome changes,” he said. But he said the new Mac features aren’t significant enough to draw many people away from Windows computers.
“Overall some nice improvements, but I don’t think these are game changers,” he said.
All the new products come out Nov. 7.
Apple also is releasing a free software update for iPhones and iPads on Tuesday with previously announced features such as group video chats on FaceTime.
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EDITORIAL: Fruits of labour
Labour pact between Nepal and Malaysia not only removes financial burden Nepali migrant workers had to take, it also ensures their safety and security
As Nepal’s Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Security Gokarna Bista and Malaysian Human Resources Minister M Kulasegaran signed a labour pact between the two countries on Monday, the deep-rooted unscrupulous nexus that had been the bane of Nepalis going to the Southeast Asian country for jobs came shattering. Foreign employment has emerged as the only source of income—and a bitter reality—for many Nepali youths in recent years, thanks to lack of job opportunities at home. Malaysia is one of the favoured destinations of Nepali migrant workers, but with foreign employment agencies maintaining highhandedness and working in cahoots with their counterparts in Malaysia it had become extremely difficult for those who wanted to fly there for jobs. Despite the introduction of free visa free ticket scheme about three years ago, Nepalis going to Malaysia—and some other countries—had no option than to shell out thousands of rupees under different headings. Their plight at workplace—and where they were provided lodgings—in the foreign soil was unimaginable.
Now, the new labour pact signed between the Nepali and Malaysian governments means those aspiring to go to Malaysia for employment need not pay more than Rs 5,800. As per the agreement, employer companies will bear recruitment service charges, two-way airfare, visa fee, health check-up, security screening and levy charges, among others. According to the MoU, from now on, Malaysian firms will pay the salaries of workers through banking channel and will have to deposit wages on the seventh day of the month. The employer firms will also have to bear all expenses related to accommodation, health check-up and security.
Minister Bista does deserve appreciation. This also comes amid public outcry against the incumbent government’s failure on different fronts. In the face of lack of jobs, Nepali youths have been left with no option than to fly abroad for employment. According to the Department of Foreign Employment, in the fiscal year 2017-18, of the 354,082 work permits issued for various countries, 104,209 work permits were issued for Malaysia. But their plight used to start from home and not end even in the destination country. While they had to cough up thousands of rupees here at home, there was no guarantee that they would get the job they were promised. In case of disability and death, there was no insurance cover. Despite remittance being the major source of the country’s economy, those who used to send the money back home were neither safe nor secure. Minister Bista hence has achieved a remarkable success in this regard. Not only this, he has also proved that continuous engagement ultimately sets things straight. This labour pact also sets the ground for more government-to-government engagements with other countries to facilitate foreign employment. Amid this positive development, one caveat however remains. For the time being facilitating foreign employment is a good move, but the government must start working with a long-term vision to create a situation where Nepalis will not have to toil in foreign land. For now, the recent development is good news for Nepali migrant workers; they must be able to enjoy fruits of their labour.
Modern farming
Most farmers in Nepal still rely on subsistence farming which barely supports them to earn a decent living. The government has announced an ambitious plan of modernising agriculture through Prime Minister Agriculture Modernisation Project. In line with the federal government policy, the Gandaki province also has came up with an idea of developing as many as 400 model farms in agriculture, livestock and fishery. It has earmarked Rs 400 million.
Province Minister of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives Lekh Bahadur Khadka said his ministry would provide one time 50 per cent of the proposed cost to individuals, groups or firms setting up the model farms. The idea of developing the model farms is a welcome move provided that the subsidy is not doled out only to those who are close to the corridors of power. The government also needs to provide the farmers or firms with technical inputs and ensure easy access to markets for their produce. Farmers should be encouraged to switch towards low-volume, high-value crops. Commercial farming is need of the hour.
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Suicide blast kills six near prison in Afghan capital
KABUL: A suicide bomber blew himself up near the gate of Afghanistan’s largest prison on Wednesday, killing at least six people and wounding three, officials said, but there was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish said the attacker detonated his explosive near a vehicle of the employees of the Pul-e-Charki prison in Kabul, the capital.
Six people died near the gate of the prison on the eastern outskirts of Kabul, and three were injured, another government official said.
“The attacker walked towards a vehicle that was parked at a gate for security clearance. He blew himself up before the vehicle could enter the prison premises,” the official said.
Reportedly, a local news website said women security officials were sitting in the vehicle at the time of the suicide attack.
The sprawling Pul-e-Charkhi prison houses hundreds of inmates, including scores of Taliban insurgents.
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KMC to auction off confiscated goods
Kathmandu, October 30
Kathmandu Metropolitan City has implemented a policy of not returning the goods and logistics confiscated from footpath vendors and putting them on auction.
Pampha Pariyar, a footpath vendor, filed a complaint against KMC in Hello Sarkar, a grievance redressal hotline, at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers over confiscation of her cart on September 26. The OPMCM wrote to the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration to settle the complaint. The MoFAGA asked KMC why the cart was not returned to Pariyar on September 27.
In reply, Ganesh Prasad Thapaliya, chief of Administration Division at KMC, told its line ministry that the metropolis had adopted a policy of confiscating all goods and logistics from footpath vendors and auctioning them, and hence the cart was not returned to her.
Thapaliya said KMC had recently made a decision to this effect to discourage footpath encroachment in Kathmandu.
KMC mobilises city police to implement this policy. Earlier, KMC would snatch the wares from vendors and impose a fine of Rs 500 on offenders before returning the goods. KMC said the fine failed to keep vendors off sidewalks. Footpaths are often occupied by small-time businesses as the vendors are not required to pay any fee. Footpath encroachment in major as well as inner roads is contributing to traffic congestion and road accidents, according to Metropolitan Traffic Police Division. Moreover, pedestrians have no option but to walk on the road risking their lives.
Pedestrians spilling over onto the roads due to encroachment of footpaths is common sight in Sundhara, Chabahil, New Baneshwor, Bhotahiti, Ratna Park, Koteshwor, Swoyambhu, Kalimati, Kalanki, Balaju, Sitapaila, Gongabu and other places in Kathmandu.
On November 2014, the Ministry of Home Affairs had declared that the government successfully removed street vendors from footpaths in Kathmandu valley. It claimed that as many as 16,664 footpath shops had been removed from the streets as part of a crackdown on street vendors.
However, the move did not last long and street vendors started encroaching on the city’s sidewalks again, hindering pedestrian movement and ruining the aesthetics of the city due to lack of monitoring on the part of the concerned authorities.
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Nepal, India to jointly monitor movement of Rohingya refugees in border areas
Kathmandu, October 30
Nepal-India joint border security meeting held last week has decided to monitor the movement of Myanmar’s Rohingya refugees in border areas. Both countries have collected evidences that substantiate the claim that Rohingya refugees are illegally entering Nepal through border points despite efforts made by the authorities to prevent such movement.
These security lapses, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs, may pose security challenges to both countries. The joint border security meeting held last Saturday at Khakrola of Lakhimpur Kheri in the Indian state of Uttrar Pradesh decided to carefully monitor movement of illegal immigrants as well as extremist Muslim groups in border areas and share information on their activities.
Armed Police Force DSP Bishnu Prasad Bhatta led the seven-member Nepali delegation to the meeting. The six-member Indian delegation was led by Narayan Ram Khalaw, deputy commandant of Border Security Force (3rd Battalion) based in Lakhimpur, Khiri. Both the teams have forwarded the meeting’s outcomes to their respective governments.
Rohingyas are Muslims predominantly from Rakhine state of Myanmar. But the Myanmar government has denied citizenship to Rohingyas since 1982, turning them into stateless people. Since the 1970s, they have often become victims of state-led crackdowns, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee the country. Their flight from the home country intensified in 2017 when Rohingya militants launched deadly attacks on security forces of Myanmar.
Some one million Rohingyas have fled from Myanmar and are staying in different countries, including 0.7 million in Bangladesh. Some of them have entered Nepal via open border with India after the 2017 violence.
Nepal does not recognise Rohingyas, who have illegally crossed the border, as refugees. They are considered as illegal immigrants.The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has certified around 360 Rohingyas residing in Kathmandu as refugees. These refugees are residing in two camps, with one housing 183 and the other 177.
UNHCR is providing basic health support to Rohingyas living in Nepal and is sending their children to schools based in Kathmandu. The UNHCR is in the process of certifying around 40 more. But the Home Ministry says over 650 Rohingyas are living in Nepal, as some of them entered Nepal in the 1990s and 2012.
“The flow of illegal Rohingya immigrants into Nepal has lately petered out due to strict surveillance. Yet some of them may have succeeded in crossing the border clandestinely,” Ram Krishna Subedi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Home Affairs, told THT. “We have directed our three security agencies to prevent them from entering Nepal,” he added.
In September, Indian security forces intercepted entry of Rohingyas travelling on fake visas to Nepal via Kolkata. It is said human traffickers ferry Rohingyas from Bangladesh to Nepal via India.
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KMC to launch fire safety awareness programme
Kathmandu, October 30
Kathmandu Metropolitan City is set to organise a week-long fire safety awareness programme to prevent possible untoward incidents caused by fire crackers and oil lit lamps during Tihar.
Organising a meeting at the emergency centre of City Hall today, KMC officials decided to conduct awareness programmes from November 2. Tihar, also known as Deepawali, is a festival of lights. People illuminate their houses with candles, oil lamps and electric lamps and this increases chances of fire. Controlling use of illegal fire crackers during Tihar is another challenge for security personnel.
Disaster Management Department of KMC will conduct fire safety awareness programmes at various public places like schools, government offices and busy market places. “All ward chairs, ward members and local leaders will be asked to spread fire safety awareness in their areas,” said Indraman Singh Suwal head of the DMD, adding, “Nepal Police and Nepali Army personnel, and various fire fighting units will be in alert position during Tihar to prevent incidents of fire,” said Suwal.
Meanwhile, Police have stepped up security to ensure that illegal fireworks are not used in Kathmandu valley during Tihar. Security personnel have been keeping vigil on the outskirts of the Valley, mainly at major entry points, to curb illegal imports of explosive materials and firecrackers in the run-up to Tihar. Police said use of firecrackers can cause serious injuries and pose threats to public health due to noise and air pollution. The smoke from firecrackers consists mainly of toxic dusts and are hence harmful to health. This year Tihar begins from November 5.
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India may halt private cars in capital next week if smog thickens: official
NEW DELHI: India may halt the use of private vehicles in the capital New Delhi if air pollution, which has reached severe levels in recent days, gets worse, a senior environmental official said on Tuesday.
Toxic smog has started to envelope vast swathes of northern India, including New Delhi, as it does each year when winter approaches and farmers burn off the residue of crops.
“Let us hope the air pollution situation in Delhi doesn’t deteriorate but if it turns out to be an emergency, we will have to stop the use of private transport,” said Bhure Lal, chairman of the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA). “There is a committee which will advise me on this.
EPCA, appointed by India’s Supreme Court, has already proposed halting construction, the use of diesel-run power generators, brick kilns and the burning of garbage between Nov. 1 and Nov. 10 when pollution levels are expected to rise.
Data from the Central Pollution Control Board showed the air quality index, which measures the concentration of poisonous particulate matter, hit 469 in parts of Delhi on Tuesday, up from 299.4 a week ago.
Crop stubble burning, a major source of pollution, vehicular exhaust and a drop-off in wind speeds have aggravated the smog that is likely to worsen around Nov. 7, when fireworks will set off to celebrate the major Hindu festival of Diwali.
As a blanket of haze settled over the area, the provincial leaders of New Delhi and a federal government minister sparred over what to do.
“Every year Delhi suffers because of the ineptness of the federal government and the state governments of neighbouring Punjab and Haryana states,” Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said in a tweet.
Farmers in Punjab and Haryana states, India’s bread basket, start burning the residue of the previous crop to prepare for new plantings in November.
Defending the federal government, Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan said his ministry and the state governments of Punjab and Haryana have tried to reduce stubble burning and the Delhi government must intensify its own efforts to help curb pollution.
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Nepali Congress condemns incident
KATHMANDU: The main opposition Nepali Congress condemned the killing of its cadre Ram Bilas Mahato, who was shot dead by Nepal Communist Party (NCP) cadres, in a clash in Ward No 4 of Ramnagar Rural Municipality, Sarlahi district, on Tuesday morning.
Issuing a press release, the NC said, “We have taken the incident seriously and want to draw the government’s attention to it.” The NC demanded martyrdom for the deceased, free medical treatment for the injured and stern action against perpetrators of the crime.
The press release states that the NCP cadres had all of a sudden started thrashing Mahato and shot him in the face and stomach. It further said that NCP cadres vandalised an ambulance which had reached the site to rescue those who were injured. Ward
Chair Mahato’s left leg was fractured and his head had sustained serious injury that required 10 stitches.
The NC further alleged that police were intimidated by the NCP and did not do anything.
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NMC calls full house meeting with doctors
Kathmandu, October 30
After the protest of medical students against the discriminatory decision of Nepal Medical Council regarding the implementation of accreditation standards for MBBS/BDS programme, Nepal Medical council has agreed to reconsider the guidelines.
NMC has called a full house meeting with doctors tomorrow. On October 26, Nepal Medical Council had decided to implement accreditation standards for MBBS/BDS programme which state that medical students studying in the country must complete six-month internship to meet the criteria and students pursuing MBBS/BDS from foreign universities must complete one-year internship to appear the NMC licensing examination.
Earlier, NMC allowed all medical students to participate in the licensing examination after completing six-months internship, but it has decided to implement accreditation standards for the MBBS/BDS programme effectively from this year. NMC is conducting licensing examination for this year on December 8.
Dr Mukti Ram Shrestha, president of Nepal Medical Association, informed that NMC had forwarded official letter for full house meeting and they would discuss amendment to the guidelines. “Although NMC didn’t inform us about the implementation of guidelines, it is an important issue for us as all students should be treated equally by the government. There should not be different internship criteria for medical students and we express solidarity with their protest,” he added.
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‘PM may be discharged today’
KATHMANDU: Doctors treating Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Tuesday said he was recovering, but he would still be kept in the hospital for observation.
They said he had started having normal diet from Tuesday morning. Oli, who had been suffering from seasonal influenza since Friday, was admitted to Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular and Transplant Centre at Tribhubvan University Teaching Hospital, in Maharajgunj yesterday morning following chest infection and blood sugar level fluctuation.
The prime minister’s personal doctor Divya Singh said his respiratory tract infection and blood sugar level were now under control. She said although Oli wanted to return to work, they would keep him in the hospital until he completely recovered and the antibiotics course got over. “He also needs rest,” Singh told THT. “Hopefully, he will be discharged by tomorrow.”
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Acts that disrupt social harmony not acceptable, says Prime Minister Oli
Kathmandu, October 30
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli today said any act aimed at disturbing mutual harmony — be it in the name of religion and culture or partisan dispute — was not acceptable.
PM Oli, who has been hospitalised at Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular and Transplant Centre in Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Maharajgunj, since yesterday for a chest infection, said in a written message that riots, hooliganism, violence and acts aimed at disturbing social harmony would only affect governance.
“Such criminal acts that affect peace and law and order will derail our mega-campaign for prosperity and destroy the road towards development,” stated Oli in his message. “I am aware of such incidents in some parts of the country. The state administration and security agency will take action in line with the laws of the land.”
The prime minister also cautioned all not to get involved in or incite such acts and urged all to refrain from any act that would have a negative impact on religious and social harmony and peace and security. “The government is committed to taking stern action against anybody involved in criminal acts, destroying evidences of criminal acts, protecting criminals and obstructing the investigation,” he stated.
Oli also requested all not to get influenced by ‘sensationalised propaganda’ being disseminated through social and digital media about his health.
He said he was undergoing treatment to avoid possible infection and that he would be discharged from the hospital soon to actively lead the campaign for realising the common dream of a prosperous Nepal. “I am convinced that all will continue to extend their support and wishes as in the past,” he stated.
The PM thanked all for their concern about his health and wishes for quick recovery, including the president, vice-president, ministers, constitutional bodies, political party leaders, lawmakers, ambassadors and members of the diplomatic community, members of the bureaucracy, security agencies, all Nepali brothers and sisters from Nepal and abroad and leaders and cadres of his party.
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