इस कार्रवाई पर पाकिस्तान ने उल्टा ही भारत पर साजिश का आरोप लगाया है. पाकिस्तान ने कहा है कि...
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Sunday 31 May 2020
नशे में की थी ऐसी हरकत कि डॉक्टर भी रह गए हैरान, सर्जरी से बची जान
एक व्यक्ति को गुरुवार को पेट में तेज दर्द की शिकायत के बाद नागपट्टिनम सरकारी अस्पताल में लाया गया....
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नरगिस संग शादी करने से पहले सुनील दत्त को मिली थी अंडरवर्ल्ड से धमकी
नरगिस ने अपने शानदार करियर में कई हिट फिल्मों में काम किया. यहां तक कि पहली बार ऑस्कर के नॉमिनेशन...from आज तक https://ift.tt/3gQevmO
Police to probe manhandling of NMC doc
KATHMANDU, MAY 31
Nepal Police has formed a four-member probe committee to investigate the manhandling of an on-duty doctor at the emergency ward of Attarkhel-based Nepal Medical College and subsequent deletion of the CCTV footage of the incident.
The panel led by Superintendent of Police Somendra Singh Rathore of Metropolitan Police Range, Teku, includes a deputy superintendent of police.
On May 27, the doctor was allegedly beaten up by the son of a 54-year-old patient who had succumbed to ‘respiratory illness’ a few hours after being brought to the emergency ward of the hospital.
Talking to THT, the doctor, who was beaten up, alleged, “The man listened to us calmly when we briefed him about the death of his relative, but he charged at me and punched me when we sought his permission to test the deceased’s swab samples for COVID-19.”
According to him, the man alleged that his kin died due to the carelessness of doctors and that doctors were trying to hide their negligence by suggesting that the death occurred due to the respiratory pandemic.
After a heated debate on the issue with patients, doctors found to their shock that the CCTV footage of the incident inside the emergency ward was missing.
Doctors then went to Bouddha-based Metropolitan Police Circle to file an FIR against the man who had beaten up the on-duty doctor.
The medical fraternity, meanwhile, has criticised the incident and lamented that it was unfortunate doctors were being attacked even in the time of COVID-19 when they were risking their lives to save the lives of others.
Accusing the hospital’s administration of deleting the CCTV footage of the incident, protesting NMC doctors today padlocked the administrative block of the hospital and raised slogans outside the hospital decrying the bid to botch up the investigation.
The hospital’s management board later today formed an independent probe committee to investigate the case.
Meanwhile, the family of the deceased has written a letter to the hospital administration, Kathmandu District Administration Office and the local government, seeking fair investigation into the case.
The hospital administration, on the other hand, has refuted the allegation that it deleted the CCTV footage of the incident. Prakash Poudel, deputy director of NMC, said, “We do not know how the footage was deleted. We have handed over all the possible evidences to the police and will support the investigation.”
He added that the hospital administration was with the doctors and condemned the attack on a doctor of the hospital.
A version of this article appears in e-paper on June 1, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.
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Chinese national held for misbehaving with girls
Kathmandu, May 31
Thamel police have taken Chinese national Chen Xi, 21, into custody after some locals caught a few Chinese men for allegedly misbehaving with some local girls in Chhetrapati area near Thamel, Kathmandu, yesterday.
Chhetrapati area was tense yesterday, after two Chinese men allegedly ‘groped’ and pulled two local girls aged between 14 to 16. The girls were moving towards their home from a relative’s home when the two Chinese men stopped them and started conversing with them using an application that translated Chinese into English.
Yadav Lal Kayestha, a local resident of Chhetrapati told THT that the girls had wanted to help the men. “However, after a few seconds, the Chinese men invited them for coffee. The girls refused and wanted to leave. But, one of the two Chinese pulled a girl towards him, groped and molested her,” Kayastha said.
The incident drew the attention of locals, including an elderly, who immediately came for their rescue.
The incident was reported to the nearby Sorhakhutte Police Circle where a heated argument took place. By the evening, scores of Chinese had gathered near the police circle to exert pressure on the police to dismiss the case. But the locals wanted the accused molesters to be arrested.
Today, police registered the first information report of the girls who accused one the men of misbehaving with them. After the FIR was registered, the Chinese national was arrested and presented to Kathmandu District Administration Office. He has been remanded to seven-day police custody, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police Deepak Khadka, head of Sorhakhutte Police Circle.
Kayastha also said the same Chinese men, had a few days ago, tried to misbehave with a married woman at the same place.
A version of this article appears in e-paper on June 01, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.
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India expels two Pakistani officials for ‘espionage’
MUMBAI: India on Sunday expelled two officials working at the Pakistan embassy in New Delhi after they were held for espionage, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
“Two (Pakistani) officials were apprehended on Sunday by Indian law enforcement,” the ministry said, adding that the Indian government had declared them “persona non grata” for indulging in activities incompatible with their status as members of a diplomatic mission.
Both were expected to leave the country within 24 hours.
The Indian government also delivered a strong protest to the head of Pakistan’s Delhi embassy concerning the alleged espionage against Indian national security.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry condemned what it called the detention and torture of two diplomatic officials by Indian authorities.
“The Indian action has been accompanied by a negative pre-planned and orchestrated media campaign, which is a part of persistent anti-Pakistan propaganda,” the ministry said.
Indian and Pakistani troops in Kashmir were earlier this year engaged in some of the most intense cross-border fighting in at least two years.
India and Pakistan routinely accuse each other of using spies to gather intelligence through their diplomatic missions.
Last week, Indian police released a pigeon belonging to a Pakistani fisherman after an investigation found that the bird, which had flown across the contentious border between the nuclear-armed nations, was not engaged in spying.
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JSP-N registers private bill
KATHMANDU: The Janata Samajwadi Party-Nepal is preparing to register a private constitution amendment bill at the Parliament Secretariat seeking to amend several provisions of the constitution to address the demands of Madhesis, Janajatis and other marginalised groups and communities.
Senior Advocate Mithilesh Kumar Singh, who is helping the JSP-N draft the bill said it would seek to introduce the presidential form of government modelled on the American system and fully proportional electoral system. Singh said the bill would also seek simplification of the current citizenship provisions so that poor Nepali citizens who do not own houses but live in Nepal would be able to get their citizenship without any hassle.
According to Singh, the bill would also seek incorporation of languages recommended by the Language Commission in the schedule of the constitution.
Singh said the JSP-N’s bill would also seek to create 11 provinces including one non-territorial province as recommended by the majority members of the erstwhile State Restructuring Commission.
A version of this article appears in e-paper on June 1, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.
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World alarmed by violence in US; thousands march in London
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Brazil: Maskless Bolsonaro joins protesters against Congress, court
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Lewis Hamilton criticises Formula One for staying silent on George Floyd death
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अनलॉक-1 का असर, दिल्ली-गुरुग्राम बॉर्डर पर वाहनों की आवाजाही शुरू
हरियाणा सरकार ने अंतरराज्यीय और अंतरजनपदीय वाहनों को अनुमति दे दी है. इस फैसले का सबसे बड़ा असर...
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नहीं रहे वाजिद खान, आखिरी बार कंपोज किया था सलमान का सॉन्ग भाई-भाई
ईद पर रिलीज हुआ सलमान खान का गाना भाई भाई साजिद और वाजिद की जोड़ी ने मिलकर कंपोज किया था....
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जानें- दिल्ली-नोएडा- गाजियाबाद जाने के लिए आज से मिलेंगी क्या छूट?
लॉकडाउन के आज से पांचवें चरण की शुरुआत हो रही है, जिसे अनलॉक-1 का नाम दिया गया है. इसके...
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Horoscope Today, 1 june: जानें कैसा रहेगा आज आपका दिन?
किन राशि वालों का दिन बेहद अच्छा गुजरेगा, किसे चुनौतियों का सामना करना पड़ेगा और किस राशि में यात्रा...
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पाक उच्चायोग के अफसरों पर महीनों से थी नजर, करोलबाग में रंगे हाथ पकड़ा
मिलिट्री इंटेलिजेंस यूनिट को इनपुट मिले थे कि पाकिस्तान उच्चायोग में काम करने वाले आबिद और ताहिर भारतीय सेना...
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जब असिस्टेंट डायरेक्टर ने रणबीर को कहा लव यू, एक्टर ने यूं दिया जवाब
वीडियो में देखा जा सकता है कि एक फीमेल असिस्टेंट डायरेक्टर रणबीर के बगल में खड़ी हैं. वहीं रणबीर मुंह...from आज तक https://ift.tt/3gzbarY
FNCCI calls for lockdown extension review
KATHMANDU, MAY 31
A day after the government decided to extend the nationwide lockdown for the seventh time till June 14, the private sector has urged the government to review its decision and modality of the lockdown.
Issuing a press statement today, the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry stated that the continuous lockdown without any plan to normalise business activities would only deteriorate the economy and urged the government to change the modality of the lockdown, allowing businesses and the market to gradually operate.
Stating that the lockdown is not the only solution to cope with the current crisis, a that fact has already been accepted by several countries, the private sector recommended that the government make the lockdown flexible and resume economic activities by adopting precautionary measures.
“The government is only extending the lockdown and doing nothing substantial to ramp up COVID-19 tests or normalise economic activities. Such a lockdown is sheer waste of time,” reads the FNCCI’s press statement.
It adds that more than two months of lockdown has resulted in significant economic loss — worth more than four per cent of the gross domestic product — and rendered thousands of people jobless.
Moreover, industries are on the verge of collapse, while the general public is facing hardships, states the release.
“Ignoring all this, the government has been continuously extending the lockdown without consulting the business community and other stakeholders of the economy.
It is high time the government reviewed its decision to extend the lockdown and adopt an effective modality to both contain the spread of the virus and resume business activities,” adds FNCCI.
It has also urged the government to ensure easy mobility of workers and raw materials during the lockdown period.
The post FNCCI calls for lockdown extension review appeared first on The Himalayan Times.
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Sancho hat-trick keeps Dortmund in title hunt
PADERBORN: England forward Jadon Sancho capped a blistering individual performance with a second-half hat-trick which helped Borussia Dortmund to a 6-1 win at Paderborn on Sunday and kept alive their slim Bundesliga title hopes.
The result left Dortmund second on 60 points from 29 games with five rounds of matches remaining, seven behind champions and league leaders Bayern Munich, while Paderborn remained rooted to the foot of the standings on 19 points.
With prolific 19-year-old Norway striker Erling Haaland sidelined by a knee injury, the visitors missed a string of chances in the first half but Sancho lit up the second as Dortmund ran riot.
Thorgan Hazard, who took Haaland’s place up front, gave Dortmund a 54th-minute lead from close range after keeper Leopold Zingerle, who had made a string of good saves, failed to deal with an Emre Can cross from the left.
Sancho made it 2-0 with a simple tap-in from two metres three minutes later thanks some good work from Julian Brandt before an Uwe Hunemeier penalty briefly rekindled Paderborn’s challenge in the 72nd minute.
It turned out to be a false dawn as Sancho scored Dortmund’s third two minutes later with a fine left-foot shot from inside the penalty area and Paderborn fell apart in the closing stages.
Achraf Hakimi drilled in the fourth in the 85th minute with a crisp shot into the far corner and Marcel Schmelzer added the fifth in the 89th from close range.
The unstoppable Sancho broke away at the halfway line barely 60 seconds later and with Paderborn throwing everybody forward for a corner, he had all the time and space to put the icing on the cake with a clinical finish.
Dortmund, the 1997 Champions League winners who last won the German title in 2012, are at home to ninth-placed Hertha Berlin in the next round on Saturday while Paderborn visit fifth-placed RB Leipzig.
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China cities aid Pokhara metropolis
Pokhara, May 31
Various cities of China have helped Pokhara metropolis with health materials worth 79,000 US Dollars.
Mayor Man Bahadur GC said the metropolis had established relationship of brotherhood with different cities of China. He said nine types of health materials had reached Pokhara from Lingzi, Kunming, Guangzhou, among other cities of China.
Metropolis Chief Secretary Laxman Timilsina said as many as 10,000 surgical masks, gloves, shoe covers, among other materials had arrived in the metropolis from China.
COVID-19 Disease Control and Treatment High Level Committee Coordinator of the metropolis Manju Devi Gurung said the health materials would also be provided to the rural municipalities and municipalities adjacent to Pokhara, among other cities of Nepal.
The materials were provided with the initiative of former chairman of Pokhara Chamber of Commerce and Industry Bishowshankar Palikhe.
Meanwhile, the metropolis has provided some health materials to Federation of Nepali Journalists, Kaski.
Mayor GC and Deputy Mayor Manju Gurung handed over surgical masks, thermal guns, among other materials to Federation of Nepali Journalists’ Kaski Chairman Dipendra Shrestha today.
Mayor GC said there was no alternative to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the health materials provided by the cities of China would be used properly.
A version of this article appears in e-paper on June 01, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.
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Amendment bill to update emblem tabled
KATHMANDU, MAY 31
Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Shiva Maya Tumbahangphe tabled the Constitution Amendment Bill (second amendment) in the House of Representatives today seeking to update Nepal’s emblem by including the revised map of Nepal after amending Schedule 3 of the constitution.
On May 20, the government had issued the new administrative and political map of the country, depicting Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani as Nepal’s territories although India has administrative and political control over Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani and has counter claim over these territories.
The bill needs to be passed by two-thirds members of the House of Representatives present on the day of voting to amend the constitution.
Although the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) is short of two-thirds majority in the Parliament, the bill is likely to be passed as the main opposition Nepali Congress has decided to support it.
Senior Advocate Mithilesh Kumar Singh said the bill would have to complete the process mandated by Article 274 (4) of the constitution which meant that the government would have to seek the consent of Sudurpaschim Province to incorporate Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani in that province. He said a notice would have to be sent to Sudurpaschim Province within 30 days about the change in the boundary of the province.
“Our new map depicts Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani as the country’s territories, but the map does not show which local level these territories belong to.
The government should also inform the Election Commission about these territories.
The government has not done census and it has not earmarked budget for these areas,” Singh added.
Parliament Secretariat Secretary Gopinath Yogi told THT that a notice would be published in the Nepal Gazette and Gorkhapatra tomorrow to inform the public about the presentation of the constitution amendment bill in the HoR as per the House of Representatives Regulation. The HoR cannot move any process on the constitution amendment bill in the next seven days. After seven days, the HoR can debate the principles of the bill before giving 72 hours to lawmakers to present amendments against the provisions of the bill, if any. If amendments are registered against the bill, then there will be a deliberation on the amendments; if not, discussion will take place on the contents of the bill.
According to Yogi, the bill could be put to vote directly after lawmakers discuss it or a special committee can be formed before the bill is put to vote. Parliament Secretariat sources said chances of forming a special committee were slim, as there was only one issue — the revision of map — for the amendment.
Once the bill is passed by the HoR, it would be sent to the National Assembly, where a similar process would be followed. Yogi said the Upper House would be able to immediately conduct other proceedings as the seven-days public notice process would have been completed in the HoR.
Parliament sources said that if both the houses wanted to fast-track the passage time, they could do so by suspending House rules. Spokesperson for the Parliament Secretariat Rojnath Pandey said the House could shorten the time required to register amendments on the bill’s provisions. The HoR could pass the constitution amendment bill after three to four House meetings. “But if the House decides to hold two to three meetings in one day, then the bill could be passed within days,” Pandey said. He added that the bill would not be decided through voice voting.
Lawmakers will have to put their signatures to support or oppose the bill.
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NHRC deploys separate team to probe Soti incident
Kathmandu, May 31
The National Human Rights Commission has sent its own team to Jajarkot and Rukum West to probe the Soti incident where five people died and one went missing over an inter-caste marriage dispute.
The NHRC, issuing a press statement today, said the team would be led by Deputy Director Chandrakanta Chapagain. It added that the team would investigate the immediate reason behind the incident, state of caste discrimination in the area and the state of peace and security after the incident.
The rights watchdog has also said it will study the police and local government’s investigation of the case.
The constitutional body also urged all to not to instigate inhumane and criminal activities. It has asked the police, local representatives, political parties, human rights activities, civil society, and locals to support and help the investigation to instil justice and punish the guilty in the incident.
The NHRC also claimed that it had earlier conducted preliminary investigation into the incident with support from Nepal Bar Association, an umbrella organisation of lawyers, Federation of Nepali Journalists, similar organisations of Nepali journalists and the NGO Federation of Nepal.
On May 23, Nawaraj Biswokarma, 21, of Bheri Municipality, Jajarkot, along with his 18 friends, had gone to Soti village to escort a girl from the ‘Malla’ clan — the so called higher caste. The group, however, was confronted by the locals in Soti village, including ward chair Dambar Bahadur Malla and the girl’s family at 6:30pm that day. The boys were reportedly ‘beaten mercilessly’ and chased towards the Bheri River ‘forcing’ them to jump into it. Of the six youths, the bodies of five, including Nawaraj, were recovered in the past one week while one is still missing.
Meanwhile, a group of people led by leader of Janata Samajbadi Party-Nepal and former prime minister Baburam Bhattarai staged a protest against the incident here in the capital today.
Nationwide protest were organised across the country on the ground that the incident was instigated on the basis of caste discrimination.
The incident has also drawn the attention of international communities.
A version of this article appears in e-paper on June 01, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.
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Nepal govt ups the ante, tables Bill to alter map and emblem
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Saturday 30 May 2020
दिल्ली दंगे का एक भी साजिशकर्ता बच नहीं पाएगाः अमित शाह
केंद्रीय गृह मंत्री अमित शाह ने कहा कि दिल्ली दंगे की जांच की प्रक्रिया पूरी गति के साथ जारी...
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मरकज के कार्यक्रम को समय पर रोक देते तो स्थिति न बिगड़तीः शाह
केंद्रीय गृह मंत्री अमित शाह ने कहा कि मरकज में सालभर ऐसे कार्यक्रम होते रहते हैं. वो कोई सार्वजनिक कार्यक्रम...from आज तक https://ift.tt/3cggAEP
लॉकडाउन में बेरोजगार हुए अनूप जलोटा, पालात लोक में ऐसे मिला था काम
अनूप जलोटा ने कहा- मुझे अनुष्का शर्मा प्रोडक्शन से फोन आया कि अनूप जी आ जाइए आपके लिए एक रोल...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2Xg6MXl
मैं अपनी भूमिका खुद तय नहीं करता, ये पार्टी तय करती है: अमित शाह
गृह मंत्री और पार्टी अध्यक्ष दोनों में सहज क्या था? इस सवाल के जवाब में केंद्रीय गृह मंत्री अमित शाह...from आज तक https://ift.tt/3dhaDsQ
यूपी-हरियाणा के लोग अब जा पाएंगे दिल्ली? जानें क्या कहती है गाइडलाइन
केंद्र सरकार ने राज्यों को इतनी छूट दे दी है कि वह अपने हिसाब से गाइडलाइंस ला सकें. हालांकि केंद्र...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2XM2Xs0
बिहार में हम बहुत अच्छी स्थिति में, बंगाल में बहुमत सुनिश्चित है: शाह
पश्चिम बंगाल और बिहार में बीजेपी की स्थिति पर बात करते हुए बीजेपी के पूर्व अध्यक्ष और देश के गृह...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2zLgTKL
शाह बोले- पैकेज मांगना राज्यों का काम, केंद्र का किसी से मतभेद नहीं
अमित शाह ने कहा कि किसी भी राज्य के साथ इस संकट में कोई भेदभाव नहीं हो रहा है. मुफ्त...from आज तक https://ift.tt/3gBgQBP
Action plan to address problems of women, children and senior citizens
Kathmandu, May 30
The Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens has developed an action plan to address the problems facing women, children, differently-abled persons and senior citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide lockdown imposed by the government.
The objectives of the action plan are to provide emergency services to women, children, differently-abled persons and senior citizens; prevent potential violence and discrimination against them; mobilise resources of national and international non-governmental organisation through one-door system; establish and mobilise a joint mechanism of all three levels of the government for preparedness, response and recovery of beneficiaries during the pandemic; prepare and implement transformational programmes to translate challenges into opportunities and develop and implement proportional inclusive standard for providing relief to the beneficiaries.
The action plan envisions a 16-member steering committee led by the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens to respond to the problems of women, children, differently-abled persons and senior citizens, who are more vulnerable to COVID-19 pandemic and its social impacts.
The committee includes representatives from the Ministry of Social Development of all seven provinces, National Planning Commission, Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration and other organisations.
Functions, duties and powers of the committee are to mobilise national and international social organisations affiliated to the Social Welfare Council; make arrangements for necessary budget for providing relief to beneficiaries; maintain coordination among governmental and non-governmental organisations; make recommendation to the Government of Nepal and concerned agencies with regard to relief for the beneficiaries; form and mobilise provincial, district and local level coordination committees for attainment of the objectives of the action plan; raise public awareness against COVID-19 and provide relief with special focus on women, children, senior citizens, differently-abled persons, single women, LGBTs, pregnant and lactating women, helpless persons and patients from remote areas.
A version of this article appears in e-paper on May 31, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.
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Trump postpones G7 summit, seeks to add countries to invitation list
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE: US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would postpone a Group of Seven summit he had hoped to hold next month until September or later and expand the list of invitees to include Australia, Russia, South Korea and India.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One during his return to Washington from Cape Canaveral in Florida, Trump said the G7, which groups the world’s most advanced economies, was a “very outdated group of countries” in its current format.
“I’m postponing it because I don’t feel that as a G7 it properly represents what’s going on in the world,” Trump said.
It was unclear whether Trump’s desire to invite the additional countries was a bid to permanently expand the G7. On several previous occasions, he suggested Russia be added, given what he called Moscow’s global strategic importance.
Russia was expelled from what was then the G8 in 2014 when Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama, was US president, after Moscow annexed the Crimea region from Ukraine. Russia still holds the territory, and various G7 governments have rebuffed previous calls from Trump to readmit Moscow.
White House spokeswoman Alyssa Farah said Trump wants the countries to discuss China at the summit.
Trump has attacked Beijing over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which began in China, and on Friday he ordered his administration to begin the process of ending special U.S. treatment for Hong Kong in retaliation for China’s decision to impose a new security law on the former British colony.
The decision to postpone the G7 summit is a retreat for Trump, who had sought to host the group of major industrialized countries in Washington as a demonstration that the United States was returning to normal after the coronavirus epidemic, which has killed more than 103,000 Americans to date.
Trump had canceled an in-person G7 meeting scheduled for March as the virus spread, but had recently sought to revive it.
French President Emmanuel Macron backed the idea of an in-person meeting, according to the White House, but Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declined to endorse it, saying there were too many health-related questions. This week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she could not attend.
South Korea is aware of Trump’s invitation and will discuss the matter with the United States, a government official in Seoul told Reuters on Sunday.
The G7 groups the United States, Britain, France, Japan, Germany, Italy and Canada, and the European Union also attends.
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NHRC concerned about CPN leader’s arrest
Kathmandu, May 30
The National Human Rights Commission has expressed serious concern about arbitrary and frequent arrests of Chakra Bahadur Khatri of Khotang district, a leader of the Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal.
Issuing a press statement today, the rights body said the government was responsible for making the condition of Khatri unknown even to his family, meting out inhumane treatment to him and refusing to abide by frequent orders of the Supreme Court.
The NHRC said that it had corresponded with the Ministry of Home Affairs seeking clarification on the issue within 24 hours.
According to the NHRC, Khatri was last arrested on May 28 from Khotang and taken to Siraha through Udayapur and Solukhumbu the following day. It was his sixth arrest in the past one year.
“Arbitrary arrest of a citizen perpetrated by the Government of Nepal, local administration and police is against the fundamental rights guaranteed by articles 17, 20 and 126 of the constitution.
It is also in contravention of legal rights enshrined in sections 10, 200 and 202 of the new penal code,” read the statement issued by the rights body.
The rights body has also called on the government to end the tendency of making arbitrary arrest of a citizen against the constitutional and legal provisions and orders of the apex court, while respecting human rights and guaranteeing the presence of law in the state.
A version of this article appears in e-paper on May 31, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.
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Rajbiraj-based hospital to begin tests for coronavirus
Rajbiraj, May 30
Considering the increasing number of coronavirus patients in the province, Province 2 government has decided to set-up a laboratory for conducting tests for COVID-19 in Saptari headquarters Rajbiraj.
Rajbiraj-based Gajendra Narayan Singh Hospital is all set to begin the coronavirus tests. After providing a PCR machine to the hospital, the provincial government also provided Rs five million rupees for the manpower required to conduct lab-tests.
Handing over a cheque bearing Rs five million rupees to the hospital’s Medical Superintendent Dr Chumanlal Das today, Province 2 Social Development Minister Nawal Kishor Sah asked health workers present at the hospital to work with high morale. “The provincial government is committed to helping the hospital with necessary equipment and fund to control the pandemic and address the concerns of health workers. We want health workers to work without any worries,” he said.
Upon receiving the monetary assistance, Dr Das thanked the provincial government and vowed to start testing from tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Minister Sah today handed over a Rs 2.5 million cheque to Nepali Army’s Bhim Dal Battalion for construction and management of an isolation ward. Due to lack of an isolation facility, 22 COVID-19 infected persons have been kept in separate rooms of quarantine facilities set up at different schools in Rajbiraj, Bodebarsain and Dakneshwori.
A version of this article appears in e-paper on May 31, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.
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Government's Phase 3 Covid-19 reopening guidelines raise IPL hopes
The second phase of reopening is planned for July, and Phase 3 could kick in anytime after that. “It’s a positive. If international travel resumes, and sporting activities will be allowed, then we can plan for the future,” BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal said.
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Donald Trump postpones G7 summit, wants India, others to join group
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Somalia says elections set for early 2021 despite coronavirus risk
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Venezuela to raise fuel prices in historic policy shift
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Donald Trump vows to stop ‘mob violence’ protesting George Floyd death
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Horoscope Today, 31 May: जानें कैसा रहेगा आज आपका दिन?
किन राशि वालों का दिन बेहद अच्छा गुजरेगा, किसे चुनौतियों का सामना करना पड़ेगा और किस राशि में यात्रा...
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तूफान और ओलावृष्टि से यूपी के कन्नौज में भारी तबाही, 6 लोगों की मौत, 4 घायल
उत्तर प्रदेश के कन्नौज जिले में चक्रवाती तूफान और ओलावृष्टि से ने भारी तबाही मचाई है. आंधी की चपेट में...
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JK: सोपोर से LeT के 3 आतंकी गिरफ्तार, हथियार-गोला बारूद भी बरामद
जम्मू-कश्मीर में सुरक्षाबलों और राज्य पुलिस को उस समय बड़ी कामयाबी हाथ लगी जब सोपोर में लश्कर-ए-तैयबा के 3 आतंकियों...
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महाराष्ट्र में राष्ट्रपति शासन की मांग बीजेपी की नहीं: अमित शाह
कोरोना से लड़ाई में राज्यों के सहयोग पर बात करते हुए अमित शाह ने कहा कि हर राज्य ने कोरोना...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2TXRogi
OHCHR seeks independent probe into Soti incident
Kathmandu, May 30
Expressing concern over two separate incidents — death of five young Dalits and a 13-year-old Dalit girl’s rape and subsequent death — the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has called for independent investigation.
The OHCHR expressed concern about the Soti incident and murder of a girl in Devdaha of Rupandehi.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said, “It is distressing that caste-based prejudices remain deeply entrenched in our world in the 21st century, and I am filled with sadness for these two young people who held high hopes of building a life together despite the obstacles presented by their accident of birth,” in a press statement issued from Geneva.
On May 23, Nawaraj Biswokarma, 21, of Bheri Municipality of Jajarkot District along with his 18 friends had gone to Soti village to escort a girl from the so called ‘higher class’, to marry her. The girl and the boy were in love and had decided to elope.
The group however, was, confronted by the locals in Soti village, including ward Chair Dambar Bahadur Malla and the girl’s family at around 6:30pm that day. The boys were reportedly ‘beaten mercilessly’ and chased towards the Bheri River ‘forcing’ them to jump into it. Of them, the bodies of five youths, including that of Nawaraj, were found on the following days, while authorities are still struggling to recover the body of one missing youth.
A search team deployed by Nepal Police had found the body of Sandip Biswokarma,17, from the river on May 27. The body of Lokendra Sunar,18, was found on May 26. Bodies of Nawaraj and Tikaram Sunar were found the day after the incident while Ganesh Budha’s body was found two days later. Govinda Shahi,17, who had also jumped into the river is still missing. Everyone except Ganesh and Govinda are Dalits.
In another incident that took place in the Tarai region of eastern Nepal in Rupandehi district, 13-year-old Angira Pasi, a Dalit girl, who was allegedly raped on May 22, was found hanging from a tree the next day. Locals had forced the rapist to marry the girl on the day she was raped.
Bachelet in the statement stressed that Nepal was a state party to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, one of the core international human rights treaties. “After its last review in May 2018, the Committee tasked with monitoring the treaty observed that despite abolition of untouchability in Nepal, Dalits continued to face deep-rooted discrimination,” read the statement.
The official added that the coronavirus pandemic has made the underprivileged communities more vulnerable.
A version of this article appears in e-paper on May 29, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.
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NASA resumes human spaceflight from US soil with historic SpaceX launch
CAPE CANAVERAL: SpaceX, the private rocket company of billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, launched two Americans into orbit from Florida on Saturday in a landmark mission marking the first spaceflight of NASA astronauts from US soil in nine years.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center at 3:22 p.m. EDT (1922 GMT), launching Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken on a 19-hour ride aboard the company’s newly designed Crew Dragon capsule bound for the International Space Station.
Just before liftoff, Hurley said, “SpaceX, we’re go for launch. Let’s light this candle,” paraphrasing the famous comment uttered on the launch pad in 1961 by Alan Shepard, the first American flown into space.
Minutes after launch, the first-stage booster rocket of the Falcon 9 separated from the upper second-stage rocket and flew itself back to Earth to descend safely onto a landing platform floating in the Atlantic.
High above the Earth, the Crew Dragon jettisoned moments later from the second-stage rocket, sending the capsule on its way to the space station.
The exhilarating spectacle of the rocket soaring flawlessly into the heavens came as a welcome triumph for a nation gripped by racially-charged civil unrest as well as ongoing fear and economic upheaval from the coronavirus pandemic.
The Falcon 9 took off from the same launch pad used by NASA‘s final space shuttle flight, piloted by Hurley, in 2011. Since then, NASA astronauts have had to hitch rides into orbit aboard Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft.
“It’s incredible, the power, the technology,” said U.S. President Donald Trump, who was at Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral in Florida for the launch. “That was a beautiful sight to see.”
The mission’s first launch attempt on Wednesday was called off with less than 17 minutes remaining on the countdown clock. Weather again threatened Saturday’s launch, but cleared in time to proceed with the mission.
SPACEFLIGHT MILESTONES
NASA chief Jim Bridenstine has said resuming launches of American astronauts on American-made rockets from U.S. soil is the space agency’s top priority.
“I’m breathing a sigh of relief, but I will also tell you I’m not gonna celebrate until Bob and Doug are home safely.” Bridenstine said.
For Musk, the launch represents another milestone for the reusable rockets his company pioneered to make spaceflight less costly and more frequent. And it marks the first time commercially developed space vehicles – owned and operated by a private entity rather than NASA – have carried Americans into orbit.
The last time NASA launched astronauts into space aboard a brand new vehicle was 40 years ago at the start of the space shuttle program.
Musk, the South African-born high-tech entrepreneur who made his fortune in Silicon Valley, is also chief executive of electric carmaker and battery manufacturer Tesla Inc. He founded Hawthorne, California-based SpaceX, formally known as Space Exploration Technologies, in 2002.
Hurley, 53, and Behnken, 49, NASA employees under contract to fly with SpaceX, are expected to remain at the space station for several weeks, assisting a short-handed crew aboard the orbital laboratory.
Boeing Co, producing its own launch system in competition with SpaceX, is expected to fly its CST-100 Starliner vehicle with astronauts aboard for the first time next year. NASA has awarded nearly $8 billion combined to SpaceX and Boeing for development of their rival rockets.
Trump also hailed the launch as a major advance toward the goal of eventually sending humans to Mars.
He was joined at the viewing by Musk, as well as Vice President Mike Pence, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Florida congressman Matt Gaetz and Senator Rick Scott.
Earlier on Saturday, the crew bid goodbye to their families. Prior to climbing into a specially designed Tesla automobile for the ride to the launch site, Behnken told his young son, “Be good for mom. Make her life easy.”
During the drive, Behnken and Hurley passed former astronaut Garrett Reisman who held a sign saying, “Take me with you.”
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Five-star Bayern thrash Fortuna to close in on league title
MUNICH: Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski ended a personal jinx when he opened his account against Fortuna Duesseldorf by scoring twice in a 5-0 win on Saturday as the holders moved closer to a record-extending 30th Bundesliga title.
The thumping victory left leaders Bayern, who are chasing an eighth successive league title, top of the standings on 67 points from 29 games, 10 ahead of second-placed Borussia Dortmund who visit bottom team Paderborn on Sunday.
Lewandowski snapped his goal drought versus Fortuna when he scored for the first time against them to give Bayern a 3-0 lead in the first half after a Mathias Joergensen own goal and a Benjamin Pavard header opened the floodgates.
It also meant the Pole had netted against every current Bundesliga team, having failed to score in five league meetings versus Fortuna either with Bayern or his previous club Dortmund.
The prolific striker’s brace took his season’s tally in all competitions to 43 goals and equalled his personal best, which was set in the 2016/17 campaign.
Bayern coach Hansi Flick, who became the club’s first coach to win 22 of his opening 25 games in charge and surpassed Pep Guardiola’s record of 21, stressed he only cared about filling the trophy cabinet.
“I am not interested in statistics, it’s about being successful and it was important for us after the Dortmund game not to let up,” he said, referring to Bayern’s 1-0 win at their closest rivals on Tuesday.
Left back Alphonso Davies, who also got on the scoresheet witht he fifth goal, added: “After our game with Dortmund we wanted to go out and show the same attitude.”
LEWANDOWSKI SHINES
France defender Pavard took centre stage when his scuffed shot led to Joergensen’s own goal after 15 minutes before he made it 2-0 just before the half-hour with a header which keeper Florian Kastenmeier got a hand to but could not keep out.
It was Lewandowski’s turn to shine as he capped a flowing move with a clinical finish from the heart of the penalty area in the 43rd after a flowing move through the middle.
The Poland international made it 4-0 five minutes after the break with another predatory finish, steering the ball in at the near post with a superb back-heel from Serge Gnabry’s low cross.
Davies completed the rout two minutes later after weaving his way through three defenders and firing past Kastenmaier, who made several fine second-half saves to keep the score down.
Bayern became the first Bundesliga side to score 86 goals after 29 matches, breaking their own record of 84 in 1973/74.
The result left Fortuna in 16th place — the relegation playoff spot — with 27 points, one point behind Mainz 05 and two above Werder Bremen who have a game in hand.
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Friday 29 May 2020
रंगोली के नए घर को खुद सजा रहीं कंगना रनौत, वायरल हो रहा वीडियो
एक्ट्रेस कंगना रनौत अपनी बहन रंगोली के नए घर को बड़े चाव से सजा रही हैं. वो उनकी पसंद के...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2Mee5Z7
J-K: कुलगाम में दो आतंकवादी ढेर, घरवालों के कहने पर भी नहीं किया सरेंडर
जम्मू और कश्मीर के कुलगाम जिले में पुलिस और स्थानीय सुरक्षाबलों ने दो आतंकियों को ढेर कर दिया है. कुलगाम...from आज तक https://ift.tt/36MQ5pI
Police fire in the air to save health workers
RAUTAHAT, MAY 29
Police fired over a dozen rounds of bullets in the air in Rauathat’s Ishanath Municipality today after a group of locals attacked them and health workers while they were attempting to transfer COV- ID-19 infected persons.
A team of health workers, accompanied by police, had reached Jokaha Madarsha-based quarantine shelter in Ishanath Municipality-6 to transfer two persons diagnosed with COVID-19 to Basabiti Jigadiya-based isolation facility in Garuda Municipality this morning.
But the locals, sceptical about the transfer of the infected away from their locality, started hurling stones at the police. Police then resorted to firing shots in the air in self-defence. Last evening the locals had vandalised an ambulance that had reached the site to collect the infected persons.
“As the locals gheraoed the police and health workers and resorted to attacking them indiscriminately with stones, the police had to fire 13 rounds of bullets in the air to take the situation under control,” said SP Rabiraj Khadka of Rautahat.
According to SP Khadka, a police vehicle belonging to Area Police Office, Rajpur was damaged in the incident. “In the wake of the incident, more police personnel have been deployed and search for the persons involved in the attack has begun,” said Khadka.
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Kylie Jenner, Forbes spar over story on billionaire status
LOS ANGELES: Forbes magazine, which once declared Kylie Jenner a billionaire on its cover, says she no longer deserves the title, but Jenner is pushing back.
Forbes said in a story posted Friday that an examination of financial filings after the reality star and beauty mogul sold a majority share in her cosmetics company revealed that Jenner’s worth was inflated. Jenner sold 51% of her Kylie Cosmetics company to Coty in a deal valued at $1.2 billion early this year.
“Kylie’s business is significantly smaller, and less profitable, than the family has spent years leading the cosmetics industry and media outlets, including Forbes, to believe,” the magazine said in the story. “Forbes now thinks that Kylie Jenner, even after pocketing an estimated $340 million after taxes from the sale, is not a billionaire.”
Jenner responded in a series of tweets, saying “what am i even waking up to. i thought this was a reputable site.. all i see are a number of inaccurate statements and unproven assumptions lol. i’ve never asked for any title or tried to lie my way there EVER. period.”
She later tweeted, “but okay, i am blessed beyond my years, i have a beautiful daughter, and a successful business and i’m doing perfectly fine. i can name a list of 100 things more important right now than fixating on how much money i have.”
Jenner’s business and social media prominence have made her stand out even in the exceedingly famous family behind “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.” She is the younger daughter of Kris and Caitlyn Jenner, sister to Kendall Jenner and half-sister to Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian.
In March 2019, Forbes featured Jenner along with the headline, “At 21, Kylie Jenner Becomes The Youngest Self-Made Billionaire Ever.”
On Friday, Forbes offered a starkly different headline: “Inside Kylie Jenner’s Web of Lies — And Why She’s No Longer a Billionaire.”
The story acknowledges that the coronavirus crisis and its effect on the cosmetics industry has hurt her net worth.
But it says it is “likely” that the “business was never that big to begin with, and the Jenners have lied about it every year since 2016 — including having their accountant draft tax returns with false numbers — to help juice Forbes’ estimates of Kylie’s earnings and net worth.”
The magazine said it cannot prove the documents were forged.
Jenner’s attorney says the story is “filled with outright lies.”
“Forbes’ accusation that Kylie and her accountants ‘forged tax returns’ is unequivocally false and we are demanding that Forbes immediately and publicly retract that and other statements,” attorney Michael Kump said in an emailed statement. “We would not expect that from a supermarket tabloid, much less from Forbes.”
Forbes spokesman Matthew Hutchison said in a statement the magazine’s “extensively-reported investigation was triggered by newly-filed documents that revealed glaring discrepancies between information privately supplied to journalists and information publicly supplied to shareholders. Our reporters spotted the inaccuracies and spent months uncovering the facts. We encourage her attorney to re-read the article.”
The spat between Jenner and Forbes spilled over to Wall Street, where shares of New York-based Coty Inc. fell more than 13% on Friday.
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West Indies cricket bosses approve England tour
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is now looking at hosting the series in July. “CWI ... received and reviewed detailed plans for players and staff to be kept in a bio-secure environment for the duration of the tour, with all matches being played ‘behind closed doors’,” it said in a statement on Friday
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WWE superstar Jeff Hardy gets arrested for allegedly hitting Elias with car
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Salzburg win Austrian Cup as season restarts
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Forbes list: फेडरर बने दुनिया में सबसे ज्यादा कमाई करने वाले खिलाड़ी
दुनिया में सर्वाधिक कमाई करने वाले खिलाड़ियों की फोर्ब्स की सूची में टेनिस स्टार रोजर फेडरर टॉप पर पहुंचे. लियोनेल...from आज तक https://ift.tt/3ex2uR1
दिल्ली में कोरोना से 392 नहीं 1036 मौतें, केजरीवाल सरकार पर माकन का बड़ा आरोप
दिल्ली के उपमुख्यमंत्री मनीष सिसोदिया ने बताया कि शुक्रवार को 13 लोगों की मौत हुई है जबकि पिछले 34...from आज तक https://ift.tt/2XG4gst
सरकार 2.0 का एक साल-निर्विवाद नेता, कमजोर विपक्ष और मजबूत होता गया ब्रैंड मोदी
मोदी सरकार ने अपने दूसरे कार्यकाल के पहले साल में कई ऐसे फैसले लिए हैं, जिनसे पहले से ही कमजोर...from आज तक https://ift.tt/3eskQm8
मोदी सरकार 2.0 का एक साल, डिजिटल जश्न मनाएगी BJP, नड्डा देंगे भाषण
लॉकडाउन की वजह से किसी भी तरह के आयोजन पर पाबंदी है, ऐसे में मोदी सरकार के दूसरे कार्यकाल का...from आज तक https://ift.tt/3cg75Wf
Rs 210-billion stimulus package in budget: FinMin
KATHMANDU, MAY 29
Finance Minister Yubaraj Khatiwada claimed today that the government had announced stimulus package exceeding Rs 210 billion in the budget for fiscal 2020-21 to help businesses cope with unfavourable circumstances created by the COV- ID-19 pandemic and to boost the economy.
Responding to criticism that the government had failed to introduce effective and concrete relief measures to support coronavirus-hit businesses in the new budget announced yesterday, Khatiwada held a virtual press conference saying that relief measures worth around Rs 60 billion in terms of tax relaxation, interest rate subsidy and waiver of different fees — on top of Rs 100 billion in refinancing facility and Rs 50 billion in subsidised loan facility — were announced through the budget.
“Stimulus package is never homogeneous. It is a basket of facilities, including subsidised loan facility, tax waiver, cash subsidy, compensation and other discounts announced in the budget,” the finance minister said during the post-budget discussion held today.
The government has earmarked Rs 100 billion in the budget for refinancing facility at five per cent interest rate to industries/businesses affected by the coronavirus.
Moreover, Rs 50 billion relief fund has been kept aside for special loan facility to industries/enterprises at five per cent interest rate to sustain their businesses.
“Tax subsidies, interest rate subsidy and import subsidy will be given to sectors severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and these discounts account for more than Rs 60 billion,” claimed Khatiwada.
Those rendered unemployed will be provided relief worth Rs 3 billion through local levels, he added.
He claimed relief worth almost Rs 8 billion would be provided to businesses and the public through discounts on electricity tariffs — 50 per cent waiver on electricity demand charge for industries in the lockdown period, free electricity for those consuming less than 10 units per month, 25 per cent discount on tariff for those consuming 150 units a month and 15 per cent discount for consumers consuming up to 250 units of electricity a month.
Khatiwada said Rs 4 billion had been set aside to provide relief to the aviation sector and for the Social Security Fund meant for the public.
He added that subsidised loans worth almost Rs 14 billion would be given to businesses as announced in the budget.
In addition to that, businesses will get relief worth Rs 20 billion by taking loans from Nepal Rastra Bank’s refinancing facility at cheaper interest rate, he added.
“Stimulus package is never homogeneous. It is a basket of facilities, including subsidised loan facility, tax waiver, cash subsidy, compensation and other discounts announced in the budget”
A version of this article appears in e-paper on May 30, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.
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NC points out flaws in fiscal budget
KATHMANDU, MAY 29
The main opposition Nepali Congress today consulted former finance minister Ram Sharan Mahat, economist Swarnim Wagle and former vice-chairpersons of National Planning Commission Jagadish Chandra Pokharel and Govinda Pokharel on the fiscal budget presented by the government in the Parliament yesterday.
As suggested by the experts, the NC has decided to point out major flaws of the budget, including the issue of inadequate budget to check the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, over dependence on domestic and foreign loan and lack of clear vision to revive the national economy affected by the lockdown, NC Chief Whip Bal Krishna Khand told THT.
Khand said the government proposed to arrange around 36 per cent of the budget amount in the form of domestic and foreign loan and grant, but since the coronavirus had badly affected the economy of all the countries, the government might not get the anticipated foreign loan and grant. He said the government had earmarked only six billion rupees to cope with the COVID-19 crisis in the next fiscal which would be far from enough as World Health Organisation and experts had warned that threat posed by COVID-19 was unlikely to subside soon.
Khand said the government failed to bring programmes to revive industries, hotels and tourism sectors that had been paralysed by the prolonged lockdown.
If tourism and other industries are not revived, the government will not be able to meet its revenue target, which will ultimately ruin the national economy, added Khand. He said the government had failed to bring enough programmes to create jobs for lakhs of migrants, who would be forced to remain in the country as the pandemic had badly affected the labour destinations as well.
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रैना ने बताये लॉकडाउन पार्टनर के नाम, कहा- फार्म हाउस जाकर समय बिताऊंगा
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Move to raise taxes on EVs draws flak
Kathmandu, May 29
At a time when the country is on the cusp of generating excess electricity, the government’s decision to raise taxes on import of electric vehicles is widely being criticised as counter-intuitive.
While unveiling the federal budget for fiscal 2020-21 yesterday, Finance Minister Yubaraj Khatiwada announced imposition of 80 per cent customs duty on EVs, along with 40 per cent to 80 per cent excise duty, depending on the capacity of the vehicles. This will basically double the price of EVs in the market.
The move is in sharp contradiction to the government’s own policy to increase electricity consumption to 700 units per person within four years.
“While announcing the government’s policies and programmes for the next fiscal, the government had said EVs would be promoted to increase consumption of electricity. Then through the budget, taxes were levied on their import, which makes no sense,” said Bhes Bahadur Thapa, president of Sundar Yatayat, an electric bus transportation service.
On the one hand, the government has committed to promoting EVs and establishing more charging stations across the country, while on the other, it has severely dampened the appeal of EVs that used to invite only 10 per cent excise duty, 13 per cent value added tax and four per cent road maintenance charge until yesterday.
“Based on investment and benefits of EVs, the government should have subsidised them, but instead it has imposed taxes on EVs comparable to petrol/diesel vehicles,” Thapa said.
Anup Basnet, CEO of BYD Cimex, said the government’s decision to increase taxes on EVs was an emotional decision rather than a rational one. “Instead of supporting the industry, the government seems afraid to embrace the new technology,” he said, adding that the tariffs would simply kill the fledgling industry.
But more than anything, the government’s decision came as a shock to the private power developers already anxious about lack of market once the country starts generating surplus electricity throughout the year.
Shailendra Guragain, president of Independent Power Producers’ Association-Nepal, said, “Instead of promoting EVs and use of electric appliances to promote domestic consumption, the government seems more interested in widening the already ballooning trade deficit by encouraging import of fossil fuel and non-electric vehicles.”
However, addressing a postbudget discussion today, Khatiwada defended the decision to impose additional tariffs on import of EVs as the trend of importing expensive EVs had increased. “The increased tariffs are only applicable for ‘expensive’ EVs,” he said, without elaborating further.
It is not clear how the government plans to categorise EVs as being ‘expensive’.
Meanwhile, a meeting of NADA Automobiles Association of Nepal held today decided to either urge the government to withdraw its decision to raise taxes on EVs or launch a protest against the move.
A version of this article appears in e-paper on May 30, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.
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Nepalis stranded abroad to be evacuated
Kathmandu, May 29
The government has finally decided to start evacuating vulnerable Nepalis, including migrant workers who have been stranded in countries other than India.
A meeting of the High-Level Coordination Committee for the Prevention and Control of COVID-19 today passed the working guideline on rescuing vulnerable Nepalis and decided to start bringing such citizens on priority basis as soon as possible, Narayan Prasad Bidari, member secretary of the committee, told THT.
“An action matrix on how to bring home stranded Nepalis from foreign countries was prepared and passed by the committee today and a decision was taken to soon start evacuating them,” added Bidari.
As per the guideline, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will collect details of the vulnerable Nepalis stranded abroad through Nepal’s embassies and missions in different nations within 10 days. Thereafter, the government will start evacuating them on priority basis.
Meanwhile, Canberra-based Nepal’s Embassy in Australia has started registration of stranded Nepalis in the country. However, the embassy said returnee Nepalis should bear the flight and quarantine cost on their own and submit documents that prove they are not infected with coronavirus.
The government plans to evacuate 25,000 vulnerable Nepalis stranded in foreign lands in the first phase, which is likely to begin in the third week of June.
According to Bidari, the government will evacuate such Nepalis via flights of Nepal Airlines, while aircraft of other Nepali airline companies and chartered flights of international airline companies will also be used, if necessary.
As per the working guideline, returnee Nepalis will be kept in quarantine in Kathmandu for two weeks. After that, they will be sent to their respective hometowns under supervision of the provincial and local governments.
Returnee Nepalis will get two quarantine options — hotel quarantine and public quarantine. While those who want to stay in hotels must book their rooms in Kathmandu in advance and fulfil all financial liabilities on their own, the government will bear the quarantine cost of all those preferring to stay in public quarantine.
The high-level committee has also set 20 specific entry points for Nepalis entering the country from India via land route. These entry points include Pashupatinagar, Kakadbhitta, Sunauli, Malangawa, Gaur, Birgunj, Belahiya, Krishnanagar, Gaurifanta and Jhulaghat.
Evacuation on priority basis
Top priority will be given to evacuate Nepalis stranded abroad who are most vulnerable. They include:
- Those who have been granted amnesty
- Those whose visas have expired
- Those who have been staying in repatriation centres
- Those who have already received permission to return home
- Those who have lost relatives in Nepal or need to return for attending last rites and other such functions in the memory of the departed
- Those who have lost their jobs
A version of this article appears in e-paper on May 30, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.
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Thursday 28 May 2020
Minnesota calls in National Guard to quell unrest over black man’s death in police custody
MINNEAPOLIS: Minnesota‘s governor activated the National Guard on Thursday to help police restore order following two days of violent protests in Minneapolis city over the death of a black man seen in graphic video footage gasping for breath as a white officer knelt on his neck.
Governor Tim Walz ordered Guard troops to assist police as local, state and federal law enforcement officials sought to ease racial tensions sparked by Monday night’s fatal arrest of George Floyd, 46, by vowing to achieve justice in the case.
Four city police officers involved in the incident, including the one shown pressing his knee into Floyd’s neck as he lay on the ground, moaning, “please, I can’t breathe,” were fired from their jobs the next day.
The Floyd case was reminiscent of the 2014 killing of Eric Garner, an unarmed black man in New York City who died after being put in a banned police chokehold as he, too, was heard to mutter, “I can’t breathe.”
His dying words became a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement that formed amid a wave of killings of African-Americans by police.
Protesters thronged Minneapolis streets for a third day on Thursday chanting “I can’t breathe,” as they rallied peacefully at the Hennepin County Government Center and marched through downtown, demanding the four officers be swiftly arrested.
“There is probable cause right now” to make those arrests, civil rights activist the Rev. Al Sharpton said as he addressed the crowd. “We’re not asking for a favor. We’re asking for what is right.”
Garner’s mother, Gwen Carr, said Floyd’s case had renewed the trauma she suffered six years ago. “This is just opening up an old wound, and pouring salt into it,” she said.
Separately, hundreds of demonstrators milled around a police station and Target discount store that were the center of running clashes Wednesday night between rock-throwing protesters and riot police firing tear gas and rubber bullets.
A car in the Target parking lot was set ablaze, and looters periodically ducked inside the vacant Target store to make off with whatever was left inside.
Both gatherings began with little police presence and no immediate sign of National Guard troops.
At a morning news briefing, Police Chief Medaria Arradondo apologized to Floyd’s family, conceding his department had contributed to a “deficit of hope” in Minnesota‘s largest city.
‘GIVE US TIME TO DO THIS RIGHT’
Hours later, officials overseeing investigations from the U.S. Justice Department, FBI, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and local prosecutors appealed for calm at a joint news conference, as they gathered evidence.
“Give us the time to do this right, and we will bring you justice,” County Attorney Mike Freeman told reporters. He acknowledged the policeman’s conduct depicted in the video was “horrible,” but said, “My job is to prove that he has violated a criminal statute.”
Minnesota‘s U.S. attorney, Erica McDonald, pledged a “robust and meticulous investigation into the circumstances surrounding” Floyd’s arrest and death.
The federal investigation, which Attorney General William Barr had designated a “top priority,” will focus on whether the arresting officers used the “color of law” to deprive Floyd of his civil rights, a crime under U.S. law, she said.
Floyd, a Houston native known affectionately to friends as “Big Floyd” and who had worked as a nightclub security staffer, was reportedly suspected of trying to pass counterfeit money when police took him into custody.
Wednesday’s disturbances, punctuated by looting, vandalism and arson, began hours after Mayor Jacob Frey urged local prosecutors to file criminal charges in the case.
Most protesters had been peaceful, while a smaller, core contingent engaged in unruly behavior, the police chief said.
Sympathy protests erupted on Wednesday in Los Angeles and Thursday in Denver, with hundreds of demonstrators blocking freeway traffic in both cities.
In a sign the Floyd case had garnered international attention, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet urged U.S. authorities on Thursday to deal with “entrenched and pervasive racial discrimination” in America’s criminal justice system.
The city named the four officers involved in the encounter as Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J Alexander Kueng. Local news media have identified Chauvin as the officer seen kneeling on Floyd’s neck.
Chauvin’s attorney, Tom Kelly, declined comment in an email to Reuters.
Police department records posted online show 18 internal affairs complaints filed against Chauvin, 16 of which were closed without discipline.
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Zuckerberg distances Facebook from Twitter in Trump fight
SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg took pains to distance his company from Twitter and its fight with US President Donald Trump on Thursday, as the White House moved to scrap a law protecting social media companies.
Republican Trump, who accuses social media firms of bias against conservatives, without evidence, stepped up his attacks on Twitter after the company put a fact-checking label on two of his tweets about mail-in ballots on Tuesday for the first time.
“We have a different policy I think than Twitter on this,” Zuckerberg told Fox News, Trump’s preferred broadcaster.
Both sites take down content that violates their terms of service, but Facebook’s approach, he said, has “distinguished us from some of the other tech companies in terms of being stronger on free expression and giving people a voice.”
While Facebook does apply labels to misleading posts, it exempts from review posts by politicians, a decision that some lawmakers and presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden say helps lies to flourish online.
Unlike Twitter, Facebook outsources its fact checking to media partners and says it takes no stance itself. (Disclosure: Reuters is one of Facebook’s fact-checking partners and receives compensation through the program.)
The split with Twitter comes despite Zuckerberg‘s more aggressive posture against misinformation in recent months, including pledges to wipe from Facebook’s apps any misleading posts about the novel coronavirus which could cause physical harm.
Facebook took down a coronavirus-related post from Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in March. It also explicitly bans content that misrepresents methods for voting or voter registration “regardless of who it’s coming from.”
Zuckerberg said Trump’s comments on Tuesday did not hit Facebook’s bar to be considered in violation of its voter suppression rules.
Trump had posted unsubstantiated claims on both Twitter and Facebook saying the governor of California was sending mail-in ballots to anyone living in the state, “no matter who they are or how they got there,” although ballots are only sent to registered voters.
Twitter Chief Executive Jack Dorsey said Trump’s claims “may mislead people into thinking they don’t need to register to get a ballot” and hit back at the White House for pinning the decision on a mid-level Twitter staffer.
A Twitter spokeswoman said that senior executives, including Dorsey, had approved the decision to label Trump’s tweets.
Twitter, for its part, has at times sought to differentiate itself from Facebook. Last year, it announced a political advertising ban just as criticism of Zuckerberg‘s fact-checking exemption was reaching a fever pitch.
Trump remains one of Facebook’s top political spenders, although campaign ads comprise a tiny slice of its total revenue.
Nu Wexler, a former spokesman for both companies, said Twitter’s political ads decision gave it more freedom to maneuver now. Trump’s threats against the platform, he said, amounted to little more than “Washington kabuki theater.”
“Trump has much less leverage over Twitter than other companies. Twitter don’t sell political ads, they’re not big enough for an antitrust threat and he’s clearly hooked on the platform,” Wexler tweeted.
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SC rules lockdown time as zero period
Kathmandu, May 28
The Supreme Court today ruled that the period between March 22 and the time when the lockdown would end should be considered zero period for those whose deadline for filing or contesting cases or joining court proceedings had lapsed.
The grand Full bench of the apex court comprising 19 justices delivered the verdict in response to petitions filed by advocates Tikaram Bhattarai and Maheshwar Shrestha in the Case and Writ Division of the Supreme Court. The SC had decided to halt its non-urgent court proceedings from March 22.
The SC said that those persons who had time to file case or join court proceedings on March 22, will have 30 days’ period barring travel time after the lockdown ends to file or contest cases, or join court proceedings in a court of law or quasi-judicial bodies.
The court also said if anybody who is supposed to contest a case or join court proceedings in 30 days after the end of lockdown, is sent to quarantine or isolation, then that person can contest his/her case or join court proceedings within 15 days after s/he is released from quarantine centres or isolation wards.
A version of this article appears in e-paper on May 29, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.
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