IPL 2020: Unlike Virat Kohli, his Royal Challengers Bangalore teammate AB de Villiers has showed no ring rust, peeling off his second fifty in three games of the 2020 Indian Premier League.
from Hindustan Times - cricket https://ift.tt/30iQVZ0
Monday, 28 September 2020
Hong Kong denies approval for protest on China National Day
from World | The Indian Express https://ift.tt/2S4K5Sw
IPL 2020: Nicholas Pooran takes flight, leaves wheelchair days behind
IPL 2020: On Sunday, as Nicholas Pooran pulled off a jaw-dropping save near the boundary, the West Indies batsman showed how he’s come a long way since a near career-ending injury in 2015.
from Hindustan Times - cricket https://ift.tt/3kWVrEx
from Hindustan Times - cricket https://ift.tt/3kWVrEx
Editorial: Mass migration
The unemployment problem cannot be addressed unless all levels of govt work together to create jobs within the country
Unemployment is a big problem in Nepal. That is why youths in large numbers migrate to other countries, mostly India, the Middle East, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan, where they engage in agriculture, services and manufacturing sectors to earn a living. The side effect of youth migration has, however, reflected in falling gross domestic production (GDP), especially in the agriculture sector, and shortage of labour in the construction sector, which must meet the shortfall by importing labour from India.
The government does not have exact statistics on how many of them migrate to other countries annually, as many of them migrate through informal channels. The mass exodus of the workforce serves as a safety valve for the powers that be and the policymakers, who do not need to worry about creating jobs in the country. Creating job opportunities within the country is a challenging task for all governments worldwide. But the Nepali government gives little priority to addressing this perennial problem that has been confronting the nation since time immemorial.
Everybody had hoped that the government would come out with some concrete plans of action to address the unemployment problem following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic that has laid off or furloughed millions of people. The government had also announced that it would focus its attention on creating more job opportunities in the agriculture and construction sectors, where a large number of people can be employed, giving a boost to the national economy. The line ministry — Ministry for Agriculture and Livestock Development — had also come out with an integrated plan in which farmers would get subsidies in the means of production, have easy access to markets and also earn a minimum profit for their agriculture produce. But the plan could not be implemented.
After five months of nationwide lockdown and one month of prohibitory order, around a million people who had returned home from different countries are leaving the country for the host countries from where they had come following the outbreak of the virus.
Migration of around 22,000 people from the Nepalgunj-Jamunaha border point in just a week’s time speaks volumes about the living conditions in Nepal, where they were unable to find any work in their villages.
Some of them are said to have migrated to Himachal Pradesh to pick apples while others are said to have gone to Laddakh region to work as high altitude porters. Others who used to work in Malaysia and the Middle East are also waiting for the renewal of their work permits and visas. But the government seems to be shutting its eyes and ears to this problem assuming as if everything is going fine. This attitude on the part of the government can be detrimental to the well-being of the economy. If the people in midand far-western Nepal can pick apples in India and work as porters in Laddakh or Leh, they can also do the same work here provided the government offers them the same jobs requiring similar skills and expertise.
Things can change for the better when all levels of government sincerely work together to address the unemployment problem.
Count on the Nepalis
A walk through the streets of Thamel, the tourist hub of Kathmandu, says it all. Empty streets, unoccupied hotels, and shops and restaurants sans buyers and customers, at a time when it should have been brimming with tourists and keeping the foreign exchange flowing in. Not only Thamel but all places frequented by visitors across the country this year wear a deserted look due to the coronavirus, which has hit the tourism industry the hardest. With the month of September begins the autumn mountaineering season and other tourist activities, but business is likely to stand static well into the spring season next year.
Can something be done to revive the industry and provide jobs to tens of thousands both in the cities and rural areas? Since foreigners are likely to stay away from Nepal for some time to come, the government is counting on the Nepalis themselves to give tourism a shot in the arm. If managed properly, trekking and other adventure activities as well as safaris could help revive the tourism business in the hinterlands, where cases of the coronavirus have been few.
This will help realise the slogan ‘Tourism and Development’ of the 41st World Tourism Day.
A version of this article appears in e-paper on September 29, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.
The post Editorial: Mass migration appeared first on The Himalayan Times.
from The Himalayan Times https://ift.tt/3l8A2sj
Villa beat Fulham 3-0 to move into top four
LONDON: Aston Villa moved into the Premier League top four after they strolled to a 3-0 win at Fulham thanks to goals from Jack Grealish, Conor Hourihane and Tyrone Mings in a lopsided contest on Monday.
The result left Villa, who narrowly avoided relegation last season, fourth on a maximum six points from two games while promoted Fulham are rooted to the bottom with no points after a third successive defeat.
Villa boss Dean Smith was pleased with a performance which also saw his side keep a clean sheet for the first time in 27 away Premier League games since a 0-0 draw with West Bromwich Albion in January 2016.
“We scored some quality goals,” he told Sky Sports.
“On top of all that, you have to find the balance in football, and that can be the desire to keep the ball out of the back of the net, and the players have found that at the moment.
“John McGinn being fit makes a massive difference. He’s a fantastic player, and he was terrific tonight.”
Villa displayed clinical finishing at Craven Cottage but their victory was made easier by continued shambolic defending from Fulham, who have conceded 10 goals in their opening three matches and look out of their depth in the top flight.
Grealish fired Villa ahead in the fourth minute when he took a simple pass from McGinn into his stride and drilled a low shot past goalkeeper Alphonse Areola from a tight angle.
Hourihane doubled their lead in the 15th after a lightning-quick move down the left flank as McGinn racked up another assist when he teed up the Ireland midfielder to sidefoot the ball into the bottom corner.
The match was over as a contest in the 48th minute when Villa‘s England centre back Mings ghosted into the penalty area and turned in a predictable cross from the left with Fulham’s defenders positioned like statues.
The home team’s manager Scott Parker rued their poor defending.
“I’ve stood in this position for the first three games and it’s a common theme of what I’m saying. You can’t give up goals like we are, I’ve highlighted it and we know where we are.
“It’s tough to fix the defensive frailties. I went with a back five today just to maybe give us a bit more solidity and it didn’t work obviously.”
The post Villa beat Fulham 3-0 to move into top four appeared first on The Himalayan Times.
from The Himalayan Times https://ift.tt/3n1Hl6M
President issues ordinances on acid attack punishment, acid sale regulation
KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 28
President Bidhya Devi Bhandari today issued two ordinances to increase jail sentence for acid attackers and to regulate the sale and distribution of acid and other harmful chemicals.
One of the ordinances amended the new penal code, proposing to increase jail term for acid attackers to 20 years and fine up to Rs 1,000,000.
Under the existing law, perpetrators of acid attack face a maximum jail term of eight years.
The ordinance states that if a person attacks another person with harmful chemicals or acid and if the victim suffers damage to eyes, ears, nose, face, breasts (in case of a woman/girl) or private parts, then the attacker(s) shall be awarded a jail term of 20 years and a fine of Rs 1,000,000.
If the acid attack causes blindness in one eye or deafness in one ear, partial damage to the face, damage to one breast of a woman victim, damage to a part of the head or if the victim suffers damage to his/her back, limbs, then the attacker(s) shall face a jail term between 15 years and 20 years and a fine between Rs 700,000 and 1,000,000.
For other types of injuries caused by an acid attack, the new law proposes a jail term of seven to 10 years and a fine of Rs 500,000 to Rs 700,000.
According to the draft ordinance, if a person attempts to attack a victim with acid or harmful chemicals and the victim escapes without injury, then the attacker will face a jail term between five years and seven years and a fine between Rs 100,000 and Rs 300,000.
The fine amount will be given to the victim as compensation.
The new law also stipulates that victims of acid attack will receive reasonable compensation depending on the injuries they suffer.
The president also issued an ordinance to regulate the sale and distribution of acid and other harmful chemicals. The ordinance stipulates that acid and other harmful chemicals can be sold only after duly obtaining licence for the same.
It adds that the government may issue licence to only industries to purchase specific type of chemicals that they need. Sellers will have to keep a record of the amount of acid and other harmful chemicals they have sold to customers and the amount they have in their shops.
Acid and harmful chemicals cannot be sold or distributed to people below the age of 18. Only industries, laboratories, academic institutions and jewellery shops can purchase acid and other harmful chemicals.
Shops will have to keep details of persons who purchase acid and other harmful chemicals from them, including names of buyers, their parents’ name, addresses and contact telephone numbers of buyers.
A source at the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs said the ministry was still in the process of finalising the content of the two ordinances.
The source added there might be some changes in the final draft of the ordinances.
The president also issued another ordinance to amend provisions of Operation, Supervision and Coordination between Nepal Police and Provincial Police Act.
Feature Image: File
A version of this article appears in e-paper on September 29, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.
The post President issues ordinances on acid attack punishment, acid sale regulation appeared first on The Himalayan Times.
from The Himalayan Times https://ift.tt/3kVEE4D
Private hospitals, labs to charge Rs 3,899 for PCR test
KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 28
Private hospitals have fixed their own rate for conducting polymerase chain reaction tests, saying that the fee allocated by the Ministry of Health and Population was too less.
Eight private hospitals and labs, including HAMS Hospital, Star Hospital, B&B Hospital and Nepal Mediciti Hospital, issued a joint press release today, stating that they would charge Rs 3,899 for a PCR test.
On September 14, the government had decreased the fee for polymerase chain reaction test from Rs 4,400 to Rs 2,000.
The Health Emergency Operation Centre had issued a directive to all the laboratories conducting PCR test to charge Rs 2,000 per test as per the decision taken by the Incident Command System meetings held in the presence of Minister of Health and Population Bhanubhakta Dhakal on September 14.
On August 31, the government had slashed the fee for PCR tests to Rs 4,400 from Rs 5,500.
“We can’t conduct PCR test at the rate fixed by the government.
We need to follow World Health Organisation guidelines while testing samples for COVID-19.
We need high-end equipment and medical supplies,” said Bijay Rimal, executive director at Nepal Mediciti Hospital.
“Government hospitals can charge a lower fee as they don’t need to invest in staff salaries.
The government has also bought reagents and viral transport medium at cheaper rates. We have to buy the same equipment and other stuff at much higher price from the black market. We also need to test samples of our staff free of cost. We can’t conduct tests charging the amount fixed by the government. The government didn’t consult us on PCR test fee,” Rimal added.
Nepal Mediciti tests about 50 to 100 samples per day.
A press release issued by private hospitals and laboratories states, “The Ministry of Health and Population and private labs and hospitals complement each other. Discussions are being held with the government authorities on revising PCR test fee.”
“We have not been able to purchase personal protective equipment, gloves and other medical equipment necessary for a PCR test at lower rates. If we are forced to test samples at the fee fixed by the government, it would be unsustainable,” said Shail Rupakheti, managing director at Star Hospital.
Assistant Spokesperson for the health ministry Samir Kumar Adhikari, however, claimed that the decision to charge Rs 2,000 for a PCR test was taken in consultation with private laboratory operators and hospitals.
“When other private laboratories and hospitals are charging the fee fixed by the government, why can’t these eight labs do so?” wondered Adhikari.
He added, “If they can’t test samples for the price fixed by the government, then they must give us a convincing reason. They can’t fix the fee on their own,” Adhikari added.
Feature image: File
A version of this article appears in e-paper on September 29, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.
The post Private hospitals, labs to charge Rs 3,899 for PCR test appeared first on The Himalayan Times.
from The Himalayan Times https://ift.tt/3i9GLzZ
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)