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“Failure to ratify the MCC will have serious repercussions for Nepal”

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


“Failure to ratify the MCC will have serious repercussions for Nepal”

Experts, diplomats and analysts call protests against MCC ‘destructive mentality’

Participants in the “Khabarhub Debate” held at the Pavilion Hall, Durbarmarg, Kathmandu.

KATMANDU: At a time when some political leaders made a lot of noise about the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), experts argue that Nepal could see repercussions if it does not ratify the Pact.

They were unanimous in saying that false and misleading accounts and misinformation against the MCC must be countered.

Misinformation that parliament’s ratification of the MCC meant joining the Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS), they argued that the international community would view Nepal as incapable of managing the subsidies.

Participating in the “Khabarhub Debate” organized by Khabarhub in the capital on Friday, they said that since there were no conditions, the non-ratification of the Compact would create a negative opinion on Nepal at the international level.

Political analyst Arun Kumar Subedi suggested to Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to table the Pact in Parliament and approve it, saying, “Without further ado, Parliament should endorse the MCC Pact by imposing a development emergency in the country. country.

Political analyst Arun Kumar Subedi.

Subedi argued that since this is an economic issue rather than a political one, failing to do so would be unfortunate for Nepal and the Nepalese people. “Or, people will start looking for an alternative to the current system.”

He called the ongoing street protests against the MCC a “destructive mentality” and even criticized the young leaders of the Nepalese Congress for their silence on the issue.

“NC’s reluctance to come out clear has further complicated the problem,” Subedi said.

He wondered why the Nepalese communist leaders are making a hoopla for China when she has not said a word against the MCC.

Gyanendra Lal Pradhan, a hydropower investor, said Nepal should not miss an economic opportunity like MCC at any cost.

Gyanendra Lal Pradhan, hydroelectric investor

“This will have a negative impact on Nepal’s development efforts,” Pradhan said, urging intellectuals and experts to speak out on infrastructure development.

Foreign affairs expert Gopal Thapa suggested an all-party meeting to forge consensus on the issue and approve it by parliament “otherwise the United States could not offer any aid or subsidy to Nepal to the to come up”.

He also strongly criticized what he said: “so-called intellectuals” for making shoddy comments and extreme opinions about the MCC.

Gopal Thapa, foreign affairs expert

Thapa suggested that a country like Nepal should not upset the United States and other donor countries while criticizing the protesters for their “act of stupidity.”

Human rights activist Kapil Shrestha called the protests a sign of “extreme nationalism,” he said, since there are no conditions attached to the MCC and is not part of the Indo strategy. -pacific, parliament should approve it soon.

Kapil Shrestha, human rights activist

“People with little knowledge and failed Communists are protesting,” Shrestha said, adding that “misleading and false information must be countered accordingly.”

“The problem with the MCC in Nepal is due to transparency on the part of the United States,” Shrestha said.

Ganesh Mandal, an activist and intellectual from Madeshi, said that since MCC has come about as a game-changing project, it should not be fired.

“Only people with a criminal mindset oppose it,” he added.

Ganesh Mandal, Madeshi activist and intellectual

Former Ambassador Vijay Kanta Karna said all claims and arguments against MCC are without merit and ratification of the Covenant will not undermine the sovereignty of Nepal.

“It’s because of the geopolitical rivalry,” he said, adding that the MCC has become a means of gaining political ground.

Former Ambassador Vijay Kanta Karna

Foreign affairs expert Saroj Mishra called the anti-MCC rhetoric “ridiculous” asking, “Has China ever openly declared that ratification of the MCC in Nepal would pose a threat to China?” “

Mishra questioned why some Nepalese leaders are more worried about China and suggested direct dialogue between Nepal and the United States on the MCC Compact.

Foreign affairs expert Saroj Mishra

Binoj Basnyat, a (retired) major general and security analyst, said the extreme nationalist rhetoric would impact Nepal’s international relations.

“This is politicization in development,” he said, adding that the political behavior of the leaders has affected the image and relations of the country.

Binoj Basnyat, Major General (retired) and Security Analyst

Stating that all of this is due to a lack of balanced diplomatic seriousness, Basnyat said such protests would only push the country into obscurity.

Shailendra Guragain, an energy expert, called the protests a “communist narrative” that people are disillusioned with.

Political analyst Devesh Jha agrees with Guragain that the protests and misinformation about the MCC have disillusioned the people of Nepal.

Political analyst Devesh Jha

Hydropower developer Prakash Chandra Dulal called the protests a “communist narrative” based on misinformation and disinformation.

The president of the Institute for Strategic and Socio-Economic Research (ISSR), who chaired the session, held the government accountable for being immature while seeking answers on MCC.

President of the Institute for Strategic and Socio-Economic Research, Prof. Dr. Bishwambhar Pyakuryal.
Chairman of Pavilion Media and Khabarhub, Naresh Shrestha.


India sells newly constructed school building worth USD 76,347 to Nepal – Edexlive

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


Representative image | Photo: Wikimedia Commons

A new two-story school building built with India’s financial assistance of 8.97 million Nepalese rupees after it was damaged by the devastating 2015 earthquake in the country was inaugurated on Thursday in the district of Makwanpur in Nepal.

The Shree Bagmati Lower Secondary School building in Makwanpur district was jointly inaugurated by Nitesh Kumar, Consul General, Consulate General of India in Birgunj, and District Coordination Committee, Management Committee of the school and Makwanpur and local officials, the Indian embassy here said in a statement. The school was built with financial assistance from India to the tune of 8.97 million Nepalese rupees (US $ 76,347), the statement said.

Currently, a total of 355 students are enrolled in the school located at Liti Khola in Phaparbari in the district of Makwanpur.

The grant from the Indian government, under the Nepal-Bharat development cooperation, was used for the construction of the two-story school building, comprising 10 classrooms, furniture and sanitary facilities, he said. declared. The project was taken over as a high impact community development project under a bilateral agreement.

The building is constructed to meet the needs of the school and improve the learning environment for students.

?? The financial support from the Government of India for the construction of this school reflects the importance placed on improving educational infrastructure by the Government of India and Nepal, ?? the statement said. The inauguration of the school is a milestone in various activities undertaken by the Indian government to celebrate “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” (India @ 75) commemorating 75 years of Indian independence, did -he adds.

The devastating earthquake, which struck the Himalayan nation in April 2015, claimed more than 9,000 lives and damaged more than 800,000 homes and schools.

telegram


Nepal aim to build on winning streak against United States

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


Nepal will aim to continue their winning streak against the United States when they play in the third match of the ongoing International Tri-Series One Day Series (ODI) of the ICC League 2 World Cup on the pitch. Al Amerat cricket tournament in Oman on Friday.

Nepal have won three previous consecutive ODI matches against the United States in League 2 matches. Nepal beat them by five wickets with a surplus to spare in the first game of the series on Monday. Nepal also claimed victory over the same opponents in the two Ligue 2 ODIs played on TU grounds in Kathmandu in February last year. In one of TU’s two matches, Nepal had limited the United States to 35 points, the lowest ODI total.

But a day after beating the United States, Nepal suffered a five-wicket loss to hosts Oman at the same location. Nepal’s six points accumulated after three wins came against the United States.

Opener Kushal Bhurtel and middle order Rohit Paudel each scored half a century against the United States to guide Nepal to victory in their final game. Bhurtel had scored 84 points and Paudel 62 points. But batsmen other than opener Aasif Sheikh fell short of expectations against Oman. Sheikh contributed 90 points while other batsmen were sent on cheap. Nepal must find an improved stick in the next two games of the series.

Nepal was also deprived of star pitcher Sandeep Lamichhane in bowling against Oman after he suffered a batting injury. But he is recovering well and is expected to play against the United States on Friday. Nepal will play their next match against Oman on Sunday.

Nepal currently sit sixth in the League 2 standings with six points from as many matches in the seven-team competition. The United States is second in the standings with 12 points from 13 matches while Oman leads the standings with 18 points from 11 matches. Besides the United States, Oman and Nepal, League 2 includes Scotland, Namibia, the United Arab Emirates and PNG. Each team will play 36 ODIs at the end of the event in February 2023.

The event is the gateway to the World Cup, as teams finishing in the top three will secure World Cup qualifying spots. The bottom four will compete in the World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe in June and July 2023.


An urban horror story

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


Many years ago, my grandmother and I went down the Bagmati River in front of Tripureshwor, which today is part of the Bagmati Corridor that leads to Balkhu. We came across a decrepit patati-like a structure on the side of the road with a stone slab about four feet high, with Hindu deities carved on top. It was a Brahman, the stone slab on which the dead are laid to dip their toes in holy waters. But here it is, at the edge of a dusty road, far from the river, an obscure object which aroused curiosity since the Bagmati had withdrawn in its current channel.

A friend’s dad likes to remind us that he and his friends swam in the Bagmati not so long ago. I have fuzzy memories of a Bagmati flooded along our perimeter walls in the 1990s. Old photo archives on the internet repost images of a healthy river that touch the banks of the Kaalmochan Ghat at Tripureshwor. The river seemed to be picking up those memories as it rose and flooded the city the previous week. Perhaps he also remembered his past glory, like all of us. He didn’t care about our shoddy town planning; its original floodplains may have been forgotten by humans, but the river has not.

It is now a cliché to say that the Kathmandu Valley is an urban disaster waiting to happen. Perhaps we can now extend the cliché to the rest of the country. Concrete structures have settled on the hills around all the cities of Nepal. Some of the new roads make it look like someone with a point to prove drove a bulldozer up a hill and poured concrete on it. Our landfills are filling in place, and we no longer have an alternative. Floods and landslides are a common annual phenomenon. The roads in our cities are congested with traffic. The division of land has never been so clear; the slums along the Teku ghats live in a totally different world than the bungalows in Baluwatar. There is no zonal planning; welders and metal garages coexist with homes and shops. And anyone who walks up to one of the hills surrounding a city can see for themselves how a Nepalese urban sprawl looks like a concrete jungle.

It is not that the authorities ignore it. The report of the National Urban Development Strategy 2017 said, “While urbanization and urban growth seem inevitable, urban areas face a host of critical issues related to urban development, management and institutions. Forty percent of the population today lives in designated urban areas. In 2013, the World Bank declared the Kathmandu Valley to be among the fastest growing metropolitan areas in South Asia, growing 4% per year since the late 1970s. Pokhara’s population growth was 5% at the time; Bharatpur, Butwal and Dhangadhi at over 4 percent per year. ‘Kathmandu The metropolitan city (hereafter Kathmandu) – the only urban center in Nepal with a population of over one million people – is growing by 4.0% per year, the medium-sized cities (100,000 to 300,000) by 3 , 5% and small towns (50,000 to 100,000) 3.6%. percent.’

The 2017 report highlighted the main issues facing Nepalese cities today: informal urban growth and sprawl; gaps in basic urban infrastructure such as roads and waste treatment; increasing levels of pollution and poverty; weak urban planning institutions; poor database on urban land use; and a “lack of a coordinated vision and urban investment plan at national, regional and municipal levels”. He estimated that Rs 2,453 billion should be invested in basic infrastructure in all urban areas, old and new, “to achieve better conditions” by 2031. However, as municipalities alone could only raise about 5 percent of funds through of their own sources of revenue under the federal mechanism, around 60 percent of funds were to come from the federal government, while development partners were to contribute 30%, with the remaining 5% to be community funded and the private sector.

These figures are striking; they presage a future where all the existing problems in our urban areas will be amplified. Urban planning is low on the political agenda; instability could be attributed as the cause, but this does not excuse the inaction of local governments which have remained mostly stable. Local governments have contributed to the deterioration of our urban sprawl. Enlightened Pokhara authorities decided to lease the Seti River and other water bodies for sand mining inside the city itself. The corridors of our governments operate in mysterious ways; no one seems to have heard of risk assessments, or even if they do, the benefits outweigh the costs.

Compared to what the future holds, the past looks a lot better in Nepal. I caution, however, against such a nostalgic view. Urban migration is a natural phenomenon that accompanies income and population growth; rural areas are not very attractive for a globalized generation; and most would prefer to live in cramped urban spaces rather than on isolated hills.

In my opinion, there are two roads ahead of us. Most of Nepal will move to cities over the next few decades. Without urban planning, these cities will become more unlivable, and those who can afford it will migrate, either outside Nepal or to better neighborhoods within the city itself. The hills around the towns will be bare; the woods will give way to concrete horrors as in Kathmandu. The positive side of this scenario is that the rural areas of Nepal could conserve their vegetation cover; urbanization could thus lead to an increase in forest cover for the rest of Nepal, even if cities are empty of trees.

The second is to work with the assumption that urban population growth is a given, and thus create a policy framework that immediately begins to work on zoning, infrastructure requirements and the knowledge database. . This may require politically difficult decisions: rehabilitating slums, moving industries out of city limits, creating green zones and protected areas around cities to limit expansion, and enforcing strict standards for new construction. . Investments in urban infrastructure can generate their own economic cycle; local communities may be given more opportunities to raise funds and even to form partnerships with the private sector. But in a society where opposition politics means street protests, as we saw last week, such a scenario is highly dubious.

To believe the Nepalese experience, it may be necessary to make peace with the first scenario. Things will continue as they did. Maybe one day we will regret the past as the older generation does today. Then it will be our turn to recall the stories of a time when the Bagmati was more than a stream.



Climate Action Tracker Deems India’s Climate Action “Very Insufficient” | Latest India News

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


New Delhi: India’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which was rated 2 degrees compatible or “near sufficient” by the Climate Action Tracker until last month, has now classified India as “highly insufficient In its action and policies on climate change.

Indeed, Climate Action Tracker, an independent scientific analysis that tracks government climate action and measurement against Paris Agreement targets, updated its rating system on Wednesday.

Only Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Morocco, Nepal and the UK were rated as “nearly sufficient” and only The Gambia is “sufficient” or 1.5 degrees compatible. The United States, which was previously classified as “critically insufficient”, is now “insufficient” under the new rating system, after incorporating the new climate policies of US President Joe Biden.

Describing CAT’s new scoring system, its website says that, according to many fair share assessments, it would be fair for some countries to continue to emit at high levels. “We are now in a situation where these countries can no longer follow a high emissions trajectory, but other richer countries must help them decarbonize quickly. We have also seen that it is not just the goals that matter, but the policies that governments put in place to achieve those goals. The CAT not only assesses government targets, but we also provide an estimate of countries ’emissions given the measures implemented, ”adding that the new rating system takes a more granular look at countries’ national policies.

Under India‘s current targets and policies, emissions will continue to increase and are consistent with a warming of 4 degrees C or more, showing a modeled trajectory of national emissions according to the CAT. India’s NDC has three main components: an economy-wide emissions intensity target of 33% to 35% below 2005 levels; Electricity capacity target of 40% of installed capacity from non-fossil energy resources by 2030 (subject to international support); and the creation of a carbon sink expansion target of creating an additional (cumulative) carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 GtCO2e through additional forest and tree cover by 2030. such as ” Very insufficient ”.

If all countries followed India’s approach, the warming would exceed 4 ° C according to the CAT. The score is based on what the global least cost modeled national pathways say India needs to do, with international support, to meet the 1.5 degree C limit of the Paris Agreement. As of July 2021, India had 39% non-fossil installed capacity based on data from the Central Electricity Authority.

India is on track to meet its 40% non-fossil capacity target a decade earlier. India is on track to reach around 60-65% of non-fossil installed capacity by 2030 in CAT states. “If India reached the top of this range – 65% of non-fossil installed capacity in 2030 – our score would improve, but only from a category to ‘Very insufficient’. Even though India is not responsible for paying all the reductions, it should predict how quickly it could reduce its emissions if there was sufficient international support available, and not lock itself into a high future. carbon content. This would mean starting to phase out the use of coal and adopting plans to reduce emissions across the economy, and clearly specifying the international support it needs to achieve this goal, ”the said. CAT. India’s current policies also indicate an increase rather than a decrease in emissions and are not at all compatible with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5 ° C temperature limit. India also does not have a net zero emissions target by 2050, reports the CAT which is supported by several foundations and governments, including the European Climate Foundation and the German Ministry of the Environment. , Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), etc.

Among various other policies, CAT pointed out that although India has reduced its share of global electricity to coal, it continues to be the second largest coal pipeline in the world, behind China and has more than 200 GW of coal production capacity in operation. The Central Electricity Authority predicts that figure will rise to nearly 266 GW over the next few years. There is a significant risk that India’s coal assets will be stranded, especially considering that two-thirds of India’s coal-fired power plants have been built in the past 10 years, says CAT.

Interestingly, India has used CAT analysis several times in the past to show that it is among the few countries in the world to have a 2 degree C compliant NDC.

“Countries should be evaluated on promises made not just in word but in deed,” said a senior Environment Ministry official who declined to be named, responding to the analysis.

“The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued a ‘code red’ warning to the world on the dangers of climate change, reinforcing the urgent need for the world to halve emissions by 2030. A number more and more people around the world are suffering from increasingly serious problems. and the frequent impacts of climate change, but government action continues to lag behind what is needed. While many governments are committed to achieving net zero, without short-term action it is virtually impossible to achieve net zero, ”said Bill Hare, CEO of Climate Analytics, a partner of CAT on the website by CAT.


UK may play role in Bangladesh stock exchange development (sent)

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson said the UK could support the government of Bangladesh for capital market development.

Dickson said: “The City of London, as a preeminent global financial center and home to some of the deepest and most sophisticated international capital markets in the world, can play an important role in providing the government and the private sector of Bangladesh a gateway to capital markets and investors. . ‘

He made the comment during a webinar “Bangladesh Capital Markets: A New Frontier” hosted by the British High Commission in Dhaka on Wednesday.

Planning Minister MA Mannan attended the webinar as the main guest.

The webinar explored how the Bangladesh capital market works and discussed how capital market reform and financial sector modernization in partnership with the UK could support increased private sector investment and help Bangladesh achieve achieve sustained economic growth.

Rushanara Ali, UK Member of Parliament and UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy for Bangladesh, said: “A strong and modern UK-Bangladesh financial sector partnership has the potential for mutual benefits. The basic ingredients already exist: Bangladeshi banks have a presence in the UK and UK financial services companies, such as HSBC and Standard Chartered Bank, operate in Bangladesh. Others, including insurance companies, are exploring the market.

Nuzhat Anwar, Acting Country Director (Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal) of the International Finance Corporation, said: “Well-developed domestic capital markets can be key to building more resilient financial systems – systems that better mobilize finance by local currency of domestic and foreign investors and connect them to investments.

Naser Ezaz Bijoy, Chairman and CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Bangladesh, said: “Bangladesh is ripe for M&A activity due to a likely K-shaped post-pandemic economic recovery, consolidation market players and a significant unrealized potential of the country. ‘

Sultana Afroz, Secretary and CEO of Public the Private Partnership Authority of the Prime Minister’s Office, Shibli Rubayat-Ul-Islam, Chairman of the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission, Mahbubur Rahman, CEO of HSBC Bangladesh, Henry Tillman, Chairman of Graubünden Peak Services , and Fiona Stewart, Senior Financial Sector Specialist at the World Bank, also attended the webinar.


Watch Newcastle v Leeds Live TV – Global Channel Lists

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


All over the world here are the channels you can watch Newcastle v Leeds Live TV.

Global TV shows are shown below for local coverage (for you) on Friday (8:00 p.m. (UK) kick off).

Steve Bruce and his Newcastle United side need to bounce back from a depressing start to the season, four losses and a happy draw against Southampton

Announcements courtesy of LiveSoccerTV:

Albania SuperSport 2 Digitalb
Andorra RMC Sport 1
Angola SuperSport MaXimo 1, DStv Now, SuperSport Premier League ROA
Argentina ESPN2 On, Star +
RUSH from Aruba
Australia Optus Sport
Austria Sky Sport Austria 1, Sky Go, Sky Sport 1 / HD
Bahamian rush
Bangladesh Star Sports Select HD1
Barbados RUSH
Belarus Belarus 5
Belgium Play Sports, Play Sports 1, VOOsport World 1
Benin SuperSport MaXimo 1, SuperSport Premier League ROA
Bermuda RUSH
Bhutan Star Sports Select HD1
Bolivia Star +, ESPN2 Sur
Botswana DStv Now, SuperSport Premier League ROA, SuperSport MaXimo 1
Watch Brazil ESPN Brazil, NOW NET and Claro, GUIGO, ESPN Brazil
British Virgin Islands RUSH
Bulgaria Play Diema Xtra, Diema Sport 2
Burkina Faso SuperSport MaXimo 1, DStv Now, SuperSport Premier League ROA
Burundi SuperSport Premier League ROA, SuperSport MaXimo 1, DStv Now
Cameroon DStv Now, SuperSport MaXimo 1, SuperSport Premier League ROA
Canada DAZN
Cape Verde DStv Now, SuperSport Premier League ROA, SuperSport MaXimo 1
Cayman Islands RUSH
Central African Republic SuperSport Premier League ROA, SuperSport MaXimo 1
Chad DStv Now, SuperSport MaXimo 1, SuperSport Premier League ROA
Chili ESPN2 On, Star +
China QQ Sports Live, iQiyi, Migu
Colombia Star +
Comoros SuperSport Premier League ROA, SuperSport MaXimo 1
Congo SuperSport Premier League ROA, DStv Now

Costa Rica Sky HD
Ivory Coast SuperSport MaXimo 1, SuperSport Premier League ROA, DStv Now
Curacao RUSH
Cyprus Cytavision on the Go, Cytavision Sports 3
Czech Republic Premier Sport, DIGI GO
Denmark Viaplay Denmark, Xee
Djibouti SuperSport MaXimo 1, DStv Now
Dominique RUSH
Dominican Republic RUSH, Sky HD
Ecuador Star +, ESPN Andina
El Salvador Sky HD
Equatorial Guinea SuperSport Premier League ROA, SuperSport MaXimo 1, DStv Now
Eritrea SuperSport Premier League ROA, SuperSport MaXimo 1, DStv Now
Estonia TV3 Sport
Ethiopia DStv Now, SuperSport MaXimo 1, SuperSport Premier League ROA
Finland V Sport Jalkapallo, V Sport Premium, Elisa Viihde Viaplay
France RMC Sport 1, RMC Sport en direct, Free, Canal + Sport
French Guiana RUSH
Gabon SuperSport Premier League ROA, SuperSport MaXimo 1, DStv Now
Gambia DStv Now, SuperSport Premier League ROA, SuperSport MaXimo 1
Germany Sky Ticket, Sky Go, Sky Sport 1 / HD
Ghana SuperSport MaXimo 1, DStv Now, SuperSport Premier League ROA
Grenade RUSH
RUSH Guadeloupe
Guatemala Sky HD
Guinea SuperSport MaXimo 1, DStv Now, SuperSport Premier League ROA
Guinea-Bissau DStv Now, SuperSport MaXimo 1, SuperSport Premier League ROA
Guyana RUSH
Haiti RUSH
Honduras Sky HD
Hong Kong 621 now Premier League 1, now player, 620 now Premier League TV
Hungary Spíler1

India JioTV, Star Sports Select HD1, Star Sports Select 1, Hotstar VIP
Indonesia Mola TV App, Mola TV, mola.tv
NUFC international television
Ireland BBC Radio 5 Live, Sky Ultra HD, Sky Sports Premier League, BBC Radio Newcastle, Sky Sports Main Event, SKY GO Extra
Israel Sport 2
Italy SKY Go Italia, NOW TV, Sky Sport Football
Jamaica RUSH
Japan DAZN
Kazakhstan Setanta Sports Kazakhstan
Kenya DStv Now, SuperSport Premier League ROA
Republic of Korea SPOTV ON
Kosovo IPKO TVim
Latvia TV3 Sport
Lesotho SuperSport MaXimo 1, DStv now
Liberia DStv Now, SuperSport MaXimo 1, SuperSport Premier League ROA
Lithuania TV3 Sport
Luxembourg RMC Sport 1
Macau iQiyi
Madagascar SuperSport Premier League ROA, DStv Now, SuperSport MaXimo 1
Malawi DStv Now, SuperSport Premier League ROA, SuperSport MaXimo 1
Maldives Star Sports Select HD1
Mali SuperSport Premier League ROA, DStv Now, SuperSport MaXimo 1
Malta TSN2 Malta, GO TV Anywhere
Martinique RUSH
Mauritania DStv Now
Maurice SuperSport Premier League ROA, RMC Sport 1, DStv Now

Mexico Sky HD, Blue To Go video everywhere
Monaco RMC Sport 1
RUSH of Montserrat
Mozambique DStv Now, SuperSport MaXimo 1, SuperSport Premier League ROA
Namibia DStv Now, SuperSport MaXimo 1, SuperSport Premier League ROA
Nepal Star Sports Select HD1
New Zealand Spark Sport
Sky nicaragua HD
Niger SuperSport Premier League ROA, DStv Now, SuperSport MaXimo 1
Nigeria DStv Now, SuperSport MaXimo 1, SuperSport Premier League Nigeria
Norway TV 2 Play
Pakistan Star Sports Select HD1
Panama Sky HD
Paraguay ESPN2 On, Star +
Peru Star +, ESPN2 Sur
Portugal Sport TV Multi-screens, Sport TV2
Puerto Rico RUSH
Russia Okko Sport
Rwanda SuperSport Premier League ROA, SuperSport MaXimo 1
Saint Lucia RUSH
Sao Tome and Principe SuperSport Premier League ROA, SuperSport MaXimo 1
Senegal SuperSport Premier League ROA, SuperSport MaXimo 1, DStv Now
Seychelles DStv Now, SuperSport Premier League ROA, SuperSport MaXimo 1
Sierra Leone DStv Now, SuperSport Premier League ROA, SuperSport MaXimo 1
Singapore 102 (HD) mio stadium, mio ​​108 stadium
Slovakia DIGI GO, Premier Sport

South Africa DStv App, SuperSport Premier League, SuperSport MaXimo 1
South Sudan SuperSport Premier League ROA, DStv Now
Spain DAZN
Sri Lanka Star Sports Select HD1
Sudan DStv Now, SuperSport MaXimo 1
Suriname RUSH
Swaziland SuperSport Premier League ROA, SuperSport MaXimo 1, DStv Now
Sweden V Sport Premium, Viaplay Sweden
Switzerland Sky Sport 1 / HD, RMC Sport 1, Canal + Sport
Tanzania SuperSport Premier League ROA, DStv Now, SuperSport MaXimo 1
Timor-Leste Mola TV, mola.tv
Togo DStv Now, SuperSport MaXimo 1, SuperSport Premier League ROA
Trinidad and Tobago RUSH
Turkey S Sport +, S Sport
Turks and Caicos Islands RUSH
US Virgin Islands RUSH
Uganda DStv Now, SuperSport MaXimo 1, SuperSport Premier League ROA
Ukraine Setanta Sports +
UK Sky Ultra HD, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Newcastle, Sky Sports Premier League, SKY GO Extra, Sky Sports Main Event
United States NBC Sports App, NBCSN, UNIVERSO, UNIVERSO NOW, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, nbcsports.com
Uruguay ESPN2 On, Star +
Venezuela ESPN Andina, Star +
Zambia SuperSport Premier League ROA, SuperSport MaXimo 1
Zimbabwe DStv Now, SuperSport MaXimo 1, SuperSport Premier League ROA

(* If you don’t see your country in the list – You can send an email [email protected] and ask them if there is a channel showing Newcastle v Leeds Live TV, or if they have wrong country / channel information please let them know via this email)


India sells newly constructed school building in Nepal: La Tribune Inde

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


Kathmandu, September 16

A new two-story school building built with India’s financial assistance of 8.97 million Nepalese rupees after it was damaged by the devastating 2015 earthquake in the country was inaugurated on Thursday in the district of Makwanpur in Nepal.

The Shree Bagmati Lower Secondary School building in Makwanpur district was jointly inaugurated by Nitesh Kumar, Consul General, Consulate General of India in Birgunj, and District Coordination Committee, Management Committee of the school and Makwanpur and local officials, the Indian embassy here said in a statement.

The school was built with financial assistance from India to the tune of 8.97 million Nepalese rupees ($ 76,347), he said.

Currently, a total of 355 students are enrolled in the school located at Liti Khola in Phaparbari in Makwanpur district, about 90 km from here.

The grant from the Indian government, under the “Nepal-Bharat Development Cooperation”, was used for the construction of the two-storey school building, including 10 classrooms, furniture and sanitary facilities. he declares.

The project was taken over as a high impact community development project under a bilateral agreement. The building is constructed to meet the needs of the school and improve the learning environment for students.

“The financial support from the Indian government for the construction of this school reflects the importance given to improving educational infrastructure by the Indian and Nepalese governments,” the statement said.

The inauguration of the school is a milestone in various activities undertaken by the Indian government to celebrate “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” (India @ 75) commemorating 75 years of Indian independence, did -he adds.

The devastating earthquake, which struck the Himalayan nation in April 2015, claimed more than 9,000 lives and damaged more than 800,000 homes and schools. PTI


NEPSE continues to fall, drops 76 points on Thursday – The Himalayan Times – Nepal’s No.1 English Daily Newspaper

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


KATMANDU, SEPTEMBER 16

The Nepal Stock Exchange Index (NEPSE) also continued to decline on Thursday, with the country’s only secondary market falling 76.65 points to 2,812.39 points.

The benchmark, which opened at 2,889.21 points, had, at one point, lost 90 points and tried to recover, but ended in a 2.65% drop at the end of the last. trading day of the week.

Likewise, the Sensitive Index and the Floating Index also recorded a negative trend, with the Sensitive Index closing at 525.78 points, indicating a decrease of 12.73 points or a decrease of 2.36%.

Meanwhile, the floating index closed at 196.66 points with a decline of 5.58 points or 2.76 percent.

A total of 16,468,508 share units from a total of 229 companies were traded at Rs 9.033 billion in the market today, marking a significant increase in daily turnover.

After the transaction, the market capitalization stood at Rs 3.935 trillion.

Meanwhile, all sub-indices also posted a loss today with the life and non-life insurance indices leading the losing pack with 452.59 points and 383.70 points loss.

In today’s market, only two scripts have advanced while the other 183 scripts have declined.

The Nepse index had lost 40.26 points with only Rs 5.358 billion in daily turnover on Wednesday.


Ethics of the accounting profession – myRepublica

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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An auditor has enormous powers which he must use wisely, intelligently and appropriately. It is only through strict observation of conduct that members of the profession could create a situation where they could be viewed as persons of character and integrity.

After political democratization and economic liberalization in Nepal, increased opportunities have prompted international actors to re-examine and reassess their professional orientation, realign their resources and prepare for a new international order. The ethics of the accountancy profession is considered vital when imposing audit criteria in the terms and conditions of the Nepal Compact Grant from the Millennium Challenge Corporation of the United States.

The way the audit is structured and regulated reflects the importance of ethics. Ethics, whether subjective or relative, is a “state of mind” and / or a “set of moral principles”. The scope of ethics changes with the changing circumstances and needs of society.

With the promulgation of the Chartered Accountants Act 1997, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nepal (ICAN) was established and established to regulate the profession of auditor. The Act lists various circumstances in which a member could be found guilty of “professional misconduct”. The circumstances are specified in the parts which deal with member misconduct in practice and consider instances of member misconduct in services and deal with member misconduct in general. It prescribes what an accountant should and should not do and directs members to maintain a standard of behavior that can be considered ethically right.

In 1977, the International Federation of Chartered Accountants (IFAC) was created with the aim of harmonizing the accounting profession on an international scale. He highlighted the fundamental principles that an accountant should be governed by integrity, objectivity, independence, confidentiality, technical standards and ethical behavior.

Since ICAN is a member of IFAC, the premiere code of conduct also states that the practice of professional ethics is largely a matter of the conscience and determination of members to distinguish between good and evil. It reflects enormous responsibilities such as designing and formulating the Code, educating its members, ensuring competence, vigilance towards members, and monitoring breaches and aberrations. Whenever members are faced with two interpretations on a professional conduct issue – one ethical and the other legalistic – they would adopt the more strict rather than the more liberal interpretation, even though the latter may be perfectly legal. .

The Code of Professional Ethics signifies the voluntary assumption of the obligation of self-discipline beyond the requirements of the law. It deals extensively with issues of responsibility and professional attitudes. This is a minimum level of morality that should be practiced by accounting professionals otherwise the profession would be viewed as a social threat. Professional ethics, which learned professionals have imposed on themselves, means rules of all kinds applied in many ways through laws, customs, moral standards, social etiquette, etc.

An accountant becomes an important link between investors, regulators and the general public. The demands for advisory and advisory services in the areas of foreign direct investment, investment banking, venture capital, mergers and acquisitions are increasing. With the increase in cross-border trade, the need for uniform accounting practices around the world has arisen.

Attempts have been made through corporate and tax laws, guidelines, directives and relevant rules to regulate at least the appearance of ethics and to isolate auditors from situations in which threats to conduct ethics can arise. Even if there are professionals who are wrong, the accounting profession as such will only survive on a solid ethical foundation. Since an auditor is a learned professional, they are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that is not pejorative but respects the dignity and prestige of the profession. Otherwise, we will be guilty of professional misconduct and liable to prosecution.

It is necessary to effectively observe self-regulatory measures in the true spirit. A profession can only gain the trust of the public if specific standards of behavior of members of the profession are established and strictly observed, with offending members effectively being disciplined on an ongoing basis.

Whether there is a need to revisit the old rules, especially with respect to new areas of cabinet work where members compete unevenly with non-members who have the opportunity to advertise and whether the need regulating advertising should involve an inflexible approach to all aspects of professional work.

The main problem encountered is the technical skill which is sometimes used as a mask for the presentation of dishonest financial statements. There is a growing belief that auditors are too close to the direction of the company and too easily see their loyalties moving in that direction. Due to the growing expectations of the general public, auditors are required to be ethical by a society which is itself full of corruption.

Some professionals tend to ignore the practical importance of relevant rules of conduct and dismiss them as “preaching” far removed from the realities of life. Mandatory accrual and going concern accounting systems are sometimes not fully followed and no action has been taken against misrepresentation.

It has been reported that if a tax audit needs to be carried out, auditors or ghost workers charge (without) intensely the amount of about 3% of the total turnover of the last two consecutive years of their clients’ financial statements as a bribe to be given to Internal Revenue Department officials instead of 0.3% like what the latter (not) officially used to demand payment of taxes. Such unethical practice occurs for small and medium-sized businesses that have no other options to fully trust their listeners.

As more and more companies are listed on the Nepal Stock Exchange, it is now necessary to ask whether a limit for the number of years of continuous auditing performed by a single audit firm or on behalf of different partners of the same entity should be the same as audits of banks, financial institutions, insurance companies, etc. This would not only help new accountants, but also lead to a qualitative improvement in the services rendered. However, certain embezzlements consisting in negotiating audits during the appointment of auditors have surfaced in certain listed companies and multinationals. The need for an impartial attitude should be stressed.

ICAN must investigate valid complaints and act accordingly. It should invite eminent personalities from various walks of life known for their uncompromising stance on ethics. Pride in service should be ingrained in the minds of current and future members.

Probable computer threats such as fraud, manipulation or hacking can be mitigated by a rigorous audit of the ethical security control system. It can be further strengthened by Nepalese accounting standards and auditing standards.

Although the accounting profession has adopted an amalgamation of written and unwritten rules, it is not immune to modern waves of prevailing international change. It has now become essential to modify the relevant ethical rules and revise the existing guidelines for mandatory compliance so that they are consistent with the needs of the current environment to strengthen the position of the auditor, whistleblower and whistleblower. mutual relationship.

An auditor has enormous powers to use them wisely, intelligently, and appropriately. It is only through strict observation of conduct that members of the profession could create a situation where they could be viewed as persons of character and integrity.

(The author is a member of ICAN)


Shares close lower, stretching losing run – myRepublica

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


KATMANDU, September 15: The Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) index opened slightly higher in the morning but fell sharply during the first hour of trading. The benchmark was down about 25 points by midday, with further selling pressure pushing the index down in the final hours of trading. At the close, Nepse stood at 2,889.03 – down 40.26 points from the previous session.

With the decline in the index, market participation has also declined significantly in recent times. With two consecutive sessions with turnover below Rs. 6 billion, investor enthusiasm seems firmly contained. With the start of the budget holidays, investors are also worried about the possibility of reduced liquidity. In addition, few CIBs are also on the verge of raising their interest rates, preventing investors from taking heavy buy positions.

All sectors ended the day in the red as financials were hit hard. The sub-index finished down 3%. The hotel and tourism, development banking, hydropower and non-life insurance sub-indices also fell by more than 2%. All other sectors experienced notable weakness.

The shares of Arun Valley Hydropower Development Company Ltd were the most traded with over Rs. 221 million scrips changing hands. Sanima Life Insurance Ltd followed suit with a turnover of Rs. 170 million. Other actively traded stocks were ICFC Finance Ltd, Rairang Hydropower Development Company Ltd, and National Hydropower Company Ltd.

On the winning side, Manakamana Smart Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Ltd was the biggest winner of the day. The title of microfinance rose 8.23%. Corporate Development Bank Ltd, Chhyangdi Hydropower Ltd and Mountain Energy Nepal Ltd also ended the day in the green.

Himal Urja Bikas Company Ltd, Gurkhas Finance Ltd and Ru Ru Jalbidhyut Pariyojana Ltd, on the other hand, suffered the most with each script dipping around 5% each. Sindhu Bikash Bank Ltd, Goodwill Finance Co. Ltd, Nepal Hydro Developers Ltd and ICFC Finance Ltd each lost 4%.

On the ARKS technical front, the index formed a strong bearish candlestick reflecting the extension of selling pressure. In addition, the index has also fallen below the 2,900 mark, suggesting that sellers are in control of the stock market. As the market fails to find a foothold above the 2,900 mark, the index will likely test its support at around 2,800. Technical indicators suggest a slowdown in the equity market.

This column is produced by ARKS Capital Advisors Ltd.

(The opinions expressed in the article are those of the producer and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication)


NEPSE reaches 2,947 points with 71.43 points increase on Sunday

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


KATMANDU, SEPTEMBER 12

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE), the country’s only secondary market, climbed to 2,947.42 points, rising 2.48% on Sunday.

The benchmark which opened with 2887.5 points on the first trading day of the week rose 71.43 points at the end of the day.

The market, which was mostly red last week, saw a lot of scrips advance on this first day.

In total, 17,100,333 unit shares of 231 companies were traded for 9.440 billion rupees.

The sensitive index, which measures the performance of class “A” shares, also rose 2.43 percent or 13.03 points to 548.29 points.

Likewise, the floating index which measures the performance of actually traded stocks also rose 2.44 percent or 4.91 points to 206.13 points.

Likewise, all sub-indices were in the green today except for the mutual fund index which fell 0.29% with the Citizens Mutual Fund -1 losing 0.39 points, ie a decrease of 3.58%.

The Non-Life Insurance Index leads the field of today’s market winners with an increase of 424.77 points, followed by the Industry and Processing Index with a rise of 299.69 points and the life insurance index with an increase of 297.71 points.

In the current market, 171 scrips rose, 12 fell while 2 remained unchanged.


With new world-class sports facilities, the main sports center of the capital Najafgarh | Latest Delhi News

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


The evening sun shines on Kunal Kharab’s face as he begins the race to throw the javelin. He runs a short distance, holding the spear slightly above his head and sending it soaring through the air. He landed about 60 meters away. There are around 50 other young people practicing the game in the new javelin arena at the Mundhela Kalan complex in Najafgarh. In addition, more than a hundred of them are playing football on the new synthetic turf, practicing the long jump and running on a new synthetic 400-meter track.

“Najafgarh is no longer just a matter of wrestlers or cricketers, it is the largest sports center in the city with the best sports facilities in the city, where children play all possible sports”, explains Vikas Lakra , athletics trainer at the complex. “Since Neeraj Chopra’s astonishing Olympic victory, the number of people wishing to learn the javelin has doubled here,” he adds.

Today, hundreds of young people and children as young as six can be seen playing sports such as boxing, volleyball, badminton, soccer, hockey, shooting, wrestling in several facilities. private and government sports, which have emerged in recent years. in Najafgarh. Indeed, today the region has more than 50 indoor and outdoor sports academies, which have sprung up in recent years.

The Delhi government has also made a big push for sports infrastructure in the region, investing around ??150 crore in the development of multisport complexes. In addition to the Mundhela Kalan complex, which has a football field with synthetic turf and athletic tracks, the government is also developing an 18-acre residential sports complex in the village of Kair at a cost of ??140 crores.

A FIFA approved football pitch and cricket ground are ready in Kair, and work is underway to develop tennis and basketball courts, a swimming pool and residential quarters for players. In addition, the government has set up wrestling and kabaddi mats at Vyayamshalas (gymnasiums) in many villages such as Dichaon Kalan, Mitraon, Dhansa, Issapur, Mundhela Khurd.

“We are creating world-class sports facilities in Najagfarh, where sport is a way of life. Previously, due to the lack of good sports facilities, local children would go to different parts of Delhi, now sportsmen from other parts of the city and even from neighboring states come to Najafgarh ”, explains Kailash Gahlot, MP local and the deputy of Delhi. Minister of Transport. “These new sports complexes, where athletes will receive specialized training, will greatly help to encourage local talent and allow them to compete at the international level,” adds Gahlot, himself a former footballer.

Najafgarh and the surrounding villages have been a hub for traditional Indian sports such as kabaddi, wrestling and Kho-Kho. He produced famous wrestlers, including Sushil Kumar, and kabaddi and Kho-Kho players.

Villages such as Rawta, Malakpur Zer and Kair are known for their kabaddi teams; Baprola, the village of Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar, was famous for its wrestlers. The village of Mitraon had a Kho-Kho team which won several zonal tournaments from Kho Kho to Delhi.

Almost all the villages in Najafgarh have their akharas, where young wrestlers have honed their skills. From their village akharas, they often passed to Bhagwat Swaroop Akhara, Najafgarh’s most famous akhara, and from there to the Chhatrasal Stadium in Delhi, where the three Indian Olympic medalists Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt and Ravi Dahiya trained. .

“Here, young people practiced traditional rural sports with a view to joining the armed forces. But now the new generation is embracing many other sports like boxing, badminton and those who can afford it are getting into cricket, ”says Anil Solanki, a sports coach who lives in the village of Baprola. “Cricket is an expensive game and it only gained ground in Najafgarh after Virender Sehwag played for India.”

Indeed, until Sehwag, who earned the nickname Nawab from Najafgarh, played for India, cricket was a marginal game in Najafgarh, with no training facilities. In 1990, a cricket coach named Sashi, who ran the Surmount Club, established a summer cricket coaching academy in Najafgarh. Sehwag joined the academy and played for the club. He then trained under AN Sharma at his cricket training center in Vikaspuri.

His rise to fame in the early 2000s inspired many local young people to play cricket and Najafgarh has since produced many players such as Pradeep Sangwan, Kapil Yadav, Nitin Yadav, who played at IPL and represented Delhi in first class cricket. Today it has many cricket academies, many of which were established over the past decade in what were not so long ago agricultural estates.

Nepal Singh, who says he played cricket with Sehwag in Najafgarh during his formative years, now runs a badminton academy that has four indoor green maple wood courts and synthetic Victor flooring. He is currently busy adding another land to his academy. “More and more young people here are entering individual sports in their quest for a deeper sense of personal achievement and glory. The demand for these sports academies in Najafgarh is increasing rapidly as all the parents here want their children to play sports. Most of the academies are run by local athletes, ”he says.

It’s late afternoon and a dozen young boys and girls are training in his indoor academy. One of them is Akshit, who spends six hours in the academy morning and evening. Ask him why he chose badminton and he says, “I hope to play internationally one day. Plus, this game is affordable and I think it will help sharpen my body and mind. Unlike in the past, there are good badminton training facilities here in Najafgarh, ”he says. Nepal Singh says many of his wards have played at the state level and in the Delhi Badminton League (DBL).

Today, Najafgarh has several private badminton and tennis courts. But based on the number of sports academies, boxing appears to be one of the most popular sports in the region. More than a dozen boxing academies have sprung up in the past five years, where hundreds of children and adolescents – girls and boys and some as young as five – can be seen on the train. to practice their punches.

Boxing coaches claim that this growing interest in the combat sport was inspired by the growing number of Indian boxers who feature prominently in international events, the growing number of boxing tournaments and championships in India and the associated glamor. in boxing. “The young people of this predominantly rural area are smart and well-built, and boxing is an ambitious sport for them,” says Brij Mohan, who founded the MB Boxing Academy three years ago.

“Nowhere in the city is the boxing craze as intense as in Najafgarh. In fact, I have a lot of students who have given up on kabaddi and wrestling for boxing. Many of our students are children of former and current wrestlers and kabaddi players, ”says Mohan. About a dozen of its 50 students are girls, including 16-year-old Vishi Balyan, who gave up the kabaddi for boxing. “Women are as good at boxing as men. My only goal is to win an Olympic medal. If Lovlina Borgohain can do it, so can I, ”Balyan says as she waits her turn for a training bout in the ring.


Welcome to IANS Live – INTERNATIONAL

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


Photo credit: IANS

IANSLive

Kathmandu, Aug 22 (IANS) The head of the Bharatiya Janata party’s foreign affairs department, Vijay Chauthaiwale, met with Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Sunday at his official residence in Baluwatar, here Sunday.

Chauthaiwale, who is on an unofficial four-day visit to Kathmandu, is the top Indian leader to arrive here since Deuba took office.

“Today I was honored to visit the Prime Minister of Nepal, HE @SherBDeuba ji in Kathmandu. I congratulated him on his election as Prime Minister and also greeted him on the occasion auspicious of Janai Purinama and Rakshabandhan, “he tweeted.

“We both agreed to strengthen the party-to-party dialogue.”

Chauthaiwale had also met Deuba a few months ago – before Deuba was prime minister – when he arrived here at the invitation of CPN-UML chief Bishnu Poudel. In addition, Chauthaiwale also congratulated Prime Minister Deuba on the phone after he became Prime Minister.

Chauthaiwale also had a discussion with former Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat on Nepal-India relations and expanding ties between the Nepalese Congress and the BJP.

“We had a good meeting with Chauthaiwale (…) we are looking forward to strengthening ties with BJP, India. I am confident this meeting will be a new beginning,” Mahat said.

Chauthaiwale is also expected to meet with UML Chairman and former Prime Minister KP Oli and Maoist Center Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, among other senior leaders.

–IANS
giri / vd

Update: 22-Aug-2021


OAG asks government authorities to track business activities conducted through social media platforms – myRepublica

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


KATMANDU, August 22: The Office of the Auditor General (OAG) has expressed concerns about tax evasion in cases of financial transactions made through various social media platforms.

The OAG in its 58th annual report said government agencies were completely unaware of advertisements and other business activity conducted using social media platforms. The government body deals with auditing the transactions of government entities, local bodies and other agencies that are related to the state mechanism.

According to Nepal Telecom Authority, there is an increasing use of various social media platforms such as Viber, Messenger, Facebook, WhatsApp, WeChat, imo and Skype among others. They are attracting more and more advertisements to promote the businesses of entrepreneurs.

Likewise, a number of meeting platforms such as Zoom, Cisco and Webex are used to host webinars and online courses, mainly after the pandemic hit the country last year. Many users have paid parent companies to subscribe to these platforms.

However, government authorities have neither recorded any such transactions nor taken any initiative so far to monitor these activities, resulting in a significant loss of revenue for the state, the OAG report said.


The UAE decides to offer tourist visas to Indians, but there is a catch. Details here

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


United Arab Emirates (UAE) to offer tourist visas to Indian passport holders who have not visited the country in the past 14 days, the news agency reported PTI, citing local media reports.

In addition to India, the facility will also be extended to citizens of Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Uganda. It comes as the UAE seeks to slowly ease travel restrictions.

Under the new guidelines, all travelers will be required to undergo a polymerase chain reaction test on the day of arrival and nine days after.

Currently, only its citizens and transit passengers are allowed to travel to the UAE.

The coronavirus death toll has reached 2,018 in the United Arab Emirates and the cumulative tally has reached 708,302, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Covid test, quarantine rules in the United Arab Emirates

The new guidelines come a day after the United Arab Emirates said on Saturday that Indian passengers can take a rapid PCR test six hours before their departure instead of four hours now. The United Arab Emirates have made this test mandatory for passengers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and Uganda.

The UAE has also reinstated visa on arrival only for Indian nationals with a visa or residence permit issued by the US, UK or an EU member state.

For passengers arriving at Abu Dhabi (AUH) and Ras al-Khaimah (RKT) airports, a 10-day home quarantine on arrival at RKT and a 12-day home / institutional quarantine at AUH are mandatory .

In addition, passengers would be required to wear a medically approved bracelet, provided by airport authorities after immigration control.

Passengers are required to download and register on the Alhosn app, using UID and phone number.

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Is Afghanistan a handicap or an asset for China, Russia and Pakistan? – Nepal Telegraph

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


NP Upadhyaya, Kathmandu: The international powers have said in a roundabout way that they would like to “work” with the new Afghan device led by the Taliban.

This might be a headache for some, but it is a fact.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, according to international media agencies, said that “we will work with the Afghan-Taliban if it helps restore peace and stability in the country.”

Frankly speaking, world powers like China, Russia, the United States, and South Asian nation Pakistan have shown keen interest in working with the new Afghan organization under the Taliban.

South Asian regional scoundrel India has yet to speak.

Needless to say, the Taliban has somehow already been recognized by world powers, which was witnessed by the Russia-led Troika Plus format that included China, Russia, the United States, and Pakistan.

President Ghani apprehended this recognition of world powers for Talibani with whom he was fighting.

Maybe Ghani feared this recognition and fled the country.

Now, with this advanced recognition, the Talibs have opened their line of communication with countries that have already recognized them as a formidable Afghan force.

Among the many, the Chinese and the Russians seem to be more than interested in forging “excellent links” with the new force, the Talibs.

Experts say the Russians and Chinese have a bigger role to play in making Afghanistan politically stable, which is good for the health of neighboring Pakistan and all of Central Asia.

The Taliban delegation’s unexpected visit to China and their high-level meeting with senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in Tianjin on July 28 last month speaks volumes.

This meeting has taken on great significance now as the war-torn country is already under complete control of the Taliban insurgents.

Was it China’s quiet diplomacy that worked in advance?

Or did Beijing know that the Talibs would soon take Kabul?
China has reason to have close ties to the Taliban, as Beijing fears an angry Taliban could do serious damage, if they so choose, to the mega project called the China-Pakistan-CPEC Economic Corridor.

The Chinese fear the Indians who could enter the Talib establishing and creating problems for both: China and the open rivals of India and Pakistan.

To ensure their safety, the CPEC, the Chinese and even the Pakistanis must keep the Talibs in a pleasant mood.

China must also keep the Uyghur-Muslim issue intact. It has an underlying meaning.

Writing Adam Weinstein for Foreign Policy dated August 20 that for China and Russia, the country (Afghanistan) is a liability and not an asset.

Does the rush seen in countries like Russia, China, the United States and Pakistan and very recently the United Kingdom make sense or not?

Here is the probable answer.

“Afghanistan has rare earth minerals and, perhaps most importantly, what could be one of the largest deposits of lithium in the world, an essential but rare component of rechargeable batteries and other vital technologies. face the climate crisis, ”summarizes the Tweet from CNN dated August 19, 2021.

Is Capturing Rare Earth Resources Attracting Big Powers To Afghanistan? Keep guessing.

With the sudden flight of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to Tajikistan or the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the capture of Kabul was made even easier for the talibés.

Now that the Taliban have taken control of all of the country’s political affairs, international relations experts are worried about how the Taliban will bring peace and stability to the “destabilized” country.

Although high-ranking Taliban authorities at a press conference on August 17 assured compatriots that anyone who wanted to serve the country would not be ignored and that the government of the future would be inclusive.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid made it clear that the Taliban’s immediate priority will be to create law and order.

He said that “after that people will be able to live in peace. No one will hurt you. No one will knock on your door “.

Speaking to the press, Zabihullah said Afghan women will be granted rights and freedoms under Sharia law.
“She will be able to work in the health sector and in schools.”

Most importantly, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah assured the community both inside and without saying that “we will make sure that Afghanistan no longer becomes a battleground, we have forgiven all those who fought against us. Now our enmity is over. We no longer want an enemy outside or inside the country. Now we don’t want to see chaos in Kabul.

However, the international community must still trust the assurances given by the Taliban on August 17, which have just taken control of Afghanistan.

It is at this point that the Talibs need the required assistance of the international community in their new attempt to restore peace and stability in Afghanistan.

China was perhaps the first country to take note of the Talibs after the Kabul takeover and came out with a meaningful statement that hinted that China was ready to help the Talibs in the days to come.

Look at what China says: “China is ready to deepen ‘friendly and cooperative’ relations with Afghanistan.”

That’s what a government spokeswoman said on August 16, 2021, after the Taliban took control of the country.

Beijing has long feared Afghanistan could become a stage for Uyghur minority separatists in the sensitive Xinjiang border region.

Perhaps guided by this threat, China pre-met with the Taliban delegation in the small town of Tianjin on July 28.

As for Russia, writes Petr Kozlov and Anna Rynda for BBC Russian, Moscow dated August 21, 2021, that “unlike most foreign embassies in the capital, Russia says its diplomatic mission remains open and has had warm words for the new leaders ”.

Petr Kozlov and Anna Rynda added that “Ambassador Dmitry Zhirnov in Kabul met with a representative of the Taliban within 48 hours of the takeover and said he saw no evidence of retaliation or violence.”

The Talibs have soothing words from one of the world’s superpowers, the Russian Federation.

To remember, Zamir Kabulov, the Russian special representative of Russia and the Troika Plus mechanism have had to meet with the talibés several times in the past.

In the same vein, Moscow representative to the UN Vassily Nebenzia also spoke of a bright future of national reconciliation, with the return of law and order to the streets and “the end of many years of bloodshed”.

Moscow gives a good blow to the Talibs who have now captured Kabul.

This also has meaning below.

Pakistani position: Pakistan says US decision to remain committed to full troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, despite Afghan-Taliban flash takeover, is “logical conclusion” to Afghan conflict, says Al Jazeera as of August 16. 2021.

Written for TIMESNOWNEWS.Com, Srinjoy Chaudhary, August 10, Pakistan Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa met with key Taliban leaders in Doha in July this year.

Srinjoy further writes that Pak’s army chief was accompanied by ISI chief Lieutenant General Faiz Hamid and Major General Sardar Hassan Hayat, also of the ISI.

The late-night meeting, Srinjoy claims, took place with Mullah Baradar and Mullah Abdul Hakim, the two main Taliban leaders.

Does this mean that Pakistan is comfortable with the arrival of the Taliban in Afghanistan?

The Economic Times of August 21 reports that “Pakistan’s strategic security objectives in Afghanistan almost certainly continue to counter Indian influence and mitigate the spillover of the Afghan civil war into Pakistani territory”

Having said that, is the new Afghan system a handicap or an asset for China and Russia?
And what is the new Afghan configuration for Pakistan?

The events unfolding in South Asia are of great importance for the stability of that region. That’s all.


Reviews | Rabindra Mishra: Trump from Nepal

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


In “Changing Course: Nation over Notion – Abolition of Federalism by Restructuring and Strengthening Local Bodies, Referendum on Secularism”, Rabindra Mishra, journalist, writer, philanthropist and now politician, offers a shameless glimpse into the spirit of privileged Nepalese society. who is pissed off by the changes sweeping the country.

Mishra’s paper gained greater notoriety for its main findings. But these are a distraction from the rest of the document, which nostalgically reflects the glory of yesterday’s authorities.

The monarchy, for example, “has never stooped so low to hurt the country’s self-esteem relative to the current stock of our political leaders.” “Secularism has led to new religious divisions,” he observes wistfully, while in the past “Nepal had not been faced with such a situation despite being a Hindu nation” .

Towards the end of the article, Mishra invokes the analogy with former US President Donald Trump. “White Americans,” he remarks, “felt their feelings were being ignored,” which Trump exploited in a political movement.

Mishra doesn’t realize it (maybe a Freudian slip) but at this point in the diary he is Nepal’s Donald Trump. Like Trump, Mishra seeks to exploit the grievances of Nepal’s privileged class whose traditional sources of authority are challenged by the new republican, federal, decentralized and secular structure.

Much like Trump did, Mishra is trying to show that Nepal is in a state of serious decline. He noted “clear signals of continued irreparable damage to the independence, integrity, sovereignty as well as ethnic, religious and cultural harmony of Nepal in recent years.” Exactly what it can be, he doesn’t explain.

On religious harmony, for example, he points out that churches are popping up in rented apartments and temples are not sufficiently preserved. For him, they are symbols of religious discord. But, perhaps, these symbols are nothing more than a reflection of the poor state of governance in a changing Nepal.

Like Trump, Mishra peddles a tale of decline based on a false sense of lost glory. He writes about religious groups (which, exactly, remains unclear) “proselytizing by seduction or spreading bitterness and hatred in society”.

Growing cases of religious conversion are a common refrain among leaders who claim to represent Hindus. Mishra joins the bandwagon, arguing that “proselytizing” hurts “the feelings of the Hindu majority”. Where and how these “wounded” Hindus expressed themselves, he does not say. He was injured, that’s proof enough.

Mishra makes no effort to understand why those who convert have chosen to do so, or why they are “deceived”. For him, as for the traditional authority of Nepal, restraining the flock was more important than empowering individuals on all matters, including their choice of God.

Like Trump, Mishra weaves an artificial narrative of disinformation and imaginary history of how foreign powers have undermined Nepal’s own progress. The fall of the monarchy and the Maoist movement, he suggests, were organized by the Indians. Western power has pushed the ideas of federalism and secularism, he imagines.

Such interpretations of history resonate with many who have enjoyed generations of privilege and access to authority. It is difficult for them to understand why they are held accountable for the actions of their ancestors, when they are now working as hard and honestly as anyone else.

Mishra taps into their “grievance” with an alternate story. No, he suggests, the Nepalese in the past were poor but in harmony. The Nepalese never wanted federalism or secularism; foreign powers have imposed it on them. Like Trump, Mishra shows us how to exploit grievances in a political movement.

Mishra’s article echoes the voice of Nepal’s traditional central powers: you people, we know what’s best for you, listen to us.

“If we don’t talk about our national interest, who else will?” he asks, echoing that voice.

He says that resolving discrimination “takes a long struggle”. Only those who have never experienced social injustice, ie the privileged, can suggest waiting for “a long struggle” to end discrimination. Those who receive it now want justice.

Mishra’s demands call into question the very foundations of the Nepalese constitution. Nevertheless, Nepalese democracy must offer it space and protection to transform these demands into a political movement. As our republican, federal, decentralized and secular constitution struggles to take root and reap dividends, Nepal enters its final battle between those who benefited and those who were marginalized. In a democracy, we can have the opportunity to fight the battle without bloodshed.

[email protected]


Nepse unchanged as market holds above 3,100 – myRepublica

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


KATMANDU, August 9: The equity index opened Monday’s session in the green and tested 3,120 marks early in the morning, from where the market returned to the opening level. After falling around 8 points at midday, the Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) index remained stable for the remaining trading hours. Nepse ended the day modestly up 1.47 points to 3,109.60.

As energy stocks continued to hit new highs, the correction in most other sectors helped contain Nepse’s gain. Turnover, meanwhile, remained optimistic with over Rs. 14 billion shares changing hands.

The sectors ended up mixed. The hydropower and financials sub-indices saw notable strength, with both sectors closing more than 3%. The life insurance, non-life insurance and “other” sub-indices also ended slightly higher. In contrast, the Trading, Investment, Development Bank and Microfinance sub-indices fell by more than 1%. All other segments ended marginally in red.

The shares of Arun Valley Hydropower Company Ltd were the most traded with a turnover of Rs. 674 million. Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Ltd and Api Power Company Ltd have posted transactions of Rs. 590 million and Rs. 538 million. Synergy Power Development Ltd, United Modi Hydropower Ltd and National Hydropower Company Ltd were also heavily negotiated.

ICFC Finance Ltd, Corporate Development Bank Ltd, Himal Power Partner Ltd, Nepal Hydro Developers Ltd, Union Hydropower Ltd and Jeevan Bikas Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Ltd remained stuck in the upper circuit limit of 10%. Ngadi Group Power Ltd, Union Life Insurance Company Ltd and other energy stocks strengthened and closed more than 9% higher.

Karnali Development Bank Ltd and Sarathi Nepal Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Ltd were the biggest drops of the day with losses of 3.89% and 3.37%. Nerude Laghubitta Bikas Bank Ltd, Chandragiri Hills Ltd and First Microfinance Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Ltd and Suryodaya Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Ltd fell around 3% each.

According to ARKS technical analysis, the index formed a small doji candlestick over the daily period, reflecting the absence of noticeable buying and selling pressure. The steady state suggests the possibility of consolidation with investors reluctant to take aggressive positions. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) and Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) reflect the recent loss of momentum, which also indicates a lack of clarity in the equity market. The 3,100 level is the immediate psychological support level for the market.

This column is produced by ARKS Capital Advisors Ltd.

(The opinions expressed in the article are those of the producer and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication)


Elderly people in Nepal receive second Covid-19 vaccine after months of waiting

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


Published on:

Kathmandu (AFP)

Nepal on Monday rolled out a second vaccine against Covid-19 for nearly 1.4 million elderly people, following a delay of several months after neighboring India halted exports due to a massive increase in infections.

People over the age of 65 became eligible from March to receive their first injections of AstraZeneca-Oxford from India, but were unable to get their second dose after supplies ran out.

The vaccination campaign was then opened in stages to all people over the age of 18 using 1.6 million Sinopharm vaccines donated by China and 1.5 million Johnson & Johnson single-injection vaccines sent by the United States. United through the international Covax program.

The government did not allow the mixing of vaccines.

After an international government appeal for vaccines, Japan donated 1.6 million AstraZeneca vaccines and neighboring Bhutan sent another 230,000.

“Those who were waiting for the second dose of vaccine after receiving the first vaccine (Indian-made AstraZeneca injection) Covishield in March will be administered from today,” said the head of the National Emergency Operations Center government sanitary, Samir Kumar Adhikari. AFP.

Elderly people, some holding canes and others helped by relatives, lined up at the centers as they held government vaccination cards certifying their first dose.

Panna Das Shrestha, 72, said after receiving his second blow that he was relieved.

“We were very worried and wondering what to do. But luckily over time we understood,” Shrestha told AFP.

The nation of 30 million people launched its vaccination program in January with health workers and other frontline workers using one million doses of Covishield donated by India.

He bought another two million Covishield shots, but only half arrived before India suspended exports.

Covax, which had allocated nearly two million doses of Covishield to Nepal, has so far delivered only 348,000.

China has pledged to give more clichés. The government also has an agreement to purchase snapshots of Beijing, but the figures have not been released.

Nepal, emerging from a devastating second wave of infections that overwhelmed hospitals and caused oxygen and medicine shortages, has reported more than 710,000 infections and more than 10,000 deaths to date.

© 2021 AFP


Ambassador Yubaraj Khatiwada strengthens diplomatic ties between Nepal and the United States in Washington DC – The Himalayan Times – Nepal’s No.1 English Daily Newspaper

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


KATMANDU, 09 AUGUST

Ambassador Yubaraj Khatiwada on Monday held an interactive meeting with prominent climbers in Rainier, Washington.

Khatiwada discussed Nepal’s high altitude adventure sports attractions and invited American mountaineering enthusiasts to participate in mountaineering expeditions to various peaks in the Himalayas.

He explained that Nepalese mountaineers, especially renowned Nepalese Sherpa mountaineers, play an important role in deepening Nepalese-US relations at the people level.

Ambassador Khatiwada today held a courtesy meeting with the women of Congress, Pramila Jayapal, representing the Washington electoral district at her office.

The Ambassador thanked the United States government, lawmakers and the friendly people of the United States for recently donating 1.5 million doses of life-saving COVID-19 vaccines.

Ambassador Khatiwada held several promotional meetings and interactions in Seattle on Sunday as part of the embassy’s economic diplomacy-related programs. The Ambassador interacted with representatives of the Nepalese Association of Non-Residents (NRNA), the Washington Chapter, the Nepal Seattle Society (NSS) and other local community organizations of the Nepalese diaspora and entrepreneurs. Nepalese in the Seattle and Oregon areas.

During the interactions, he stressed the importance of people-to-people relationships in strengthening the long-standing bilateral friendship and cooperation between Nepal and the United States.

Likewise, Ambassador Khatiwada on Saturday inaugurated the Embassy’s mobile consular camp in Seattle, Washington.

He held other interactive meetings with Nepalese professionals and entrepreneurs working in Seattle and surrounding areas, including at large tech companies such as Microsoft and Amazon, and highlighted business, tourism and business opportunities. investment in Nepal and urged participants to join in the development efforts of their home countries.

The ambassador was then to organize more such interactions with local professionals, entrepreneurs and representatives of the Nepalese community in Seattle during his stay in Seattle until August 9.

On August 6, 2021, Ambassador Khatiwada engaged in a virtual meeting with the Association of Nepalese of the American Midwest as part of its meetings and programs related to economic diplomacy in Seattle.

Highlighting the recent reform measures undertaken by the Nepalese government to improve the business climate in Nepal, the Ambassador urged the Nepalese community to contribute to the development efforts of their homeland.


Latest coronavirus: JPMorgan to force mask use as it sticks to U.S. offices return plans

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


Half of all Americans have now been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, according to the White House Covid-19 data director.

Cyrus Shahpar revealed on Friday morning that 50% of U.S. residents have now completed their immunization schedule.

After a strong start, the rollout of vaccination in the United States slowed down in late spring and early summer. The seven-day average of new daily reported doses fell to a six-month low of around 432,500 in early July, after peaking at more than 3.4 million per day in mid-April, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This slowdown has allowed places like the UK, EU and Canada to overtake the US, in terms of fully vaccinated population, despite slower or more difficult starts to roll out their vaccines.

© FT

Many leaders at the federal, state and local levels of the U.S. government, as well as public health officials, have said immunization rates have increased more recently, potentially in response to better awareness, education or changes. concerns about the adverse effects of the rapid spread of the delta. variant of Covid-19 on unvaccinated individuals.

An average of around 590,000 doses were administered per day in the week through August 2, according to the CDC, while Shahpar said in his Twitter post on Friday that 821,000 doses had been administered in the past day, including 565,000 people newly vaccinated.

The United States reached the milestone of 70% of American adults earlier this week having received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. President Joe Biden had hoped to achieve that goal by July 4.

Twenty states have fully immunized at least 50% of their population, according to CDC figures which were last updated Thursday. Vermont, with 67.7% complete vaccines, has the highest coverage level of any state, while Alabama ranks last with 34.6%.

CDC figures, due for update later today, show more than 165.6 million Americans have been fully immunized, or 49.9% of the population.



COVID Snippets – The Shillong Times

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


Thousands of people block vaccination sites in the Philippines over fake news
Manila, August 6: Thousands of people have blocked coronavirus vaccination centers in the Philippine capital, defying social distancing restrictions, after false news spread that unvaccinated residents were denied cash assistance or barred from leaving their homes during a two-week lockdown that began on Friday.
Authorities have placed Metro Manila on lockdown until August 20, as a new spike in COVID-19 infections that health officials say could be due to the highly contagious delta variant threatens to overwhelm hospitals .
Three other regions, including the neighboring province of Laguna, were also placed under control until August 15. Only authorized workers for essential businesses and residents in the event of a medical emergency or food shopping may venture out.
An eight-hour curfew was imposed in the capital region from 8 p.m. and police checkpoints were set up within the city limits. A day before the lockdown, false news spread on social media that unvaccinated residents were either banned from leaving their homes to go to work or denied assistance of 1,000 pesos ($ 20). (PA)

Poverty increases in Mexico amid pandemic
Mexico City, August 6: 3.8 million more Mexicans fell into poverty in 2020 compared to 2018, largely due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Mexican Poverty Measurement Agency announced Thursday.
The poor made up 43.9% of the population, or 55.7 of Mexico’s 126 million people, up from 41.9% two years earlier. About 2.1 of the 3.8 million new poor fell into extreme poverty, defined as being unable to meet their basic needs for food, clothing and shelter.
There are 10.8 million Mexicans – about 8.5% of the population – in extreme poverty.
“The COVID-19 health emergency has exacerbated the challenges of social development policy at all levels, mainly in terms of income, health, education and food,” the agency said, adding that more government assistance is needed for the poorest “given declining incomes.” due to the health emergency. (PA)

16 million Australians stranded as Covid spreads to more regions
Canberra, August 6: As the Covid-19 epidemic in Sydney continues to escalate, breaches in neighboring states and regions have forced some 16 million people along Australia’s densely populated east coast to self-quarantine.
The state of Victoria and some regional areas of New South Wales (NSW) are the latest to join the ongoing lockdown that is hitting both Greater Sydney and surrounding areas, as well as parts of Queensland, reports the Xinhua news agency.
With the new restrictions which went into effect Thursday evening, an estimated 60% of all Australians are under lockdown orders. (IANS)

Bhutan gives 300,000 doses of AstraZeneca to Nepal
Kathmandu, August 6: Nepal received 300,000 doses of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines supplied by Bhutan on Friday, which is a relief for the elderly who are waiting for a second vaccine.
“We received the shipment this morning,” said RP Biccha, director general of Nepal’s Department of Health Services.
After completing inoculation of 90% of its population, Bhutan had a surplus of 300,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine.
Before delivering the doses, the Bhutanese government, AstraZeneca and Kathmandu entered into a tripartite agreement where Nepal had committed to return them once it had excess doses. (IANS)


Nepse closes the week slightly up – myRepublica

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


KATMANDU, August 6: The Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) index has seen an upbeat movement since the start of the week. While Sunday and Monday recorded only gains of 1.25 points and 4 points, buying pressure was seen in the middle of the week. The benchmark index rose 26.02 points on Tuesday, followed by a gain of 12.06 points on Wednesday. The last day of the week saw a modest correction as Nepse ended Thursday’s session 12.34 points in the red. Overall, the index added more than 27 points or 0.90% during the review week, settling just above the 3,100 mark at 3,107.45.

With the market stretching its July rally, the positive sentiment continued into the start of the week. As a result, Nepse finished in the green for a fourth straight week. Volume has also remained bullish so far with nearly Rs. 13 billion shares changing hands in each session. With investors still waiting for monetary policy to take notable long positions, moves have been relatively subdued lately, leading to a consolidation around 3,100.

Additionally, with bullish financial reports from microfinance companies throughout the week, the market continued to hold its own despite rallying over 200 points in one month. Meanwhile, flagship banks have yet to report on their financial performance, which will likely play a key role in determining how the index moves in August.

The Sensitive Index outperformed the overall market, slightly reflecting the strength of Class “A” stocks. The gauge increased by 1.42%. The gains come mainly from the hydropower sector with an average group growth of 7.66%. The microfinance and development banking sector followed suit with gains of 4.51% and 2.66%. The investment index rose 2.30%, while the manufacturing and processing, trading, finance and banking sectors edged up. In contrast, the Hotels & Tourism sub-index fell by 4%. The ‘Others’, UCITS and Non-Life Insurance sub-indices each lost more than 2%. Life insurance stocks fell 1.32% on average.

On the listing side, the stock exchange listed the free shares of Nadep Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Ltd, Prudential Insurance Company Ltd, Mithila Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Ltd, Forward Microfinance Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Ltd and Reliance Finance Ltd.

Technically, the index formed a small spinning candlestick over the weekly period with a long top wick. While the spinning top number reflects indecision, the long top wick indicates that sellers are taking control near the end of the review period. The Convergence / Divergence of the Moving Average (MACD) and the Relative Strength Index (RSI) reflect a slight loss of momentum, making a minor correction likely. However, as the market holds above the 3,100 level, the index will likely extend its uptrend further.

This column is produced by ARKS Capital Advisors Ltd.

www.arkscapitaladvisors.com

(The opinions expressed in the article are those of the producer and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication)


The ruling alliance working group in Nepal hands over draft CMP to Prime Minister Deuba; clear bridges for cabinet extension

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


A working group of the ruling alliance in Nepal on Friday handed over a draft including the government’s common minimum program to Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, paving the way for cabinet expansion.

The working group, led by the Secretary General of the Nepalese Congress (NC), Purna Bahadur Khadka, prepared the draft. The Common Minimum Program (CMP) will serve as a guideline for the proper functioning of the five-party alliance government seeking consensus with all coalition partners.

With the completion of the CMP, the way was cleared for the expansion of the government led by Deuba.

The CMP will be officially announced on Saturday and Cabinet enlargement is likely on Sunday or Monday, according to sources close to the CPN-Maoist Center.

It has not yet been decided whether the dissident Madhav Nepal faction of CPN-UML, which had supported Prime Minister Deuba, will join the government or not.

At present, besides Deuba, the Cabinet has four ministers and a minister of state.

The Nepalese constitution only authorizes 25 ministers.

Members of the task force include NC leaders Minendra Rijal and Ramesh Lekhak, Maoist center leaders Dev Gurung and Barshaman Pun, Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) leaders Rajendra Shrestha and Mahendra Ray Yadav.

The draft was also submitted to the head of the Maoist CPN-Center Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, to the president of the JSP Upendra Yadav and to the president of Rastriya Janamorcha Chitra Bahadur KC, according to sources close to the Maoist CPN-Center.

The working group highlighted issues relating to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the safeguard and protection of the national interest, the implementation of federalism, the strengthening of the federal democratic system, the management of natural disaster relief, ensuring good governance, logical conclusion of the peace process, economic policy and program, ecological balance and foreign policy, among others, must be addressed by the government.

According to a senior leader of the Maoist CPN-Center, the task force suggested measures to make the five-party alliance stronger and lasting, as well as the code of conduct for ministers.

The report also developed a 10-point working procedure for the proper functioning of the coalition government.

Deuba, 75, was appointed prime minister for the fifth time on July 12 following intervention by the Supreme Court. The Maoist CPN-Center and lawmakers from the Janata Samajbadi-Nepal Party voted in favor of Deuba during the confidence motion in the House.

Deuba, who obtained 165 votes out of the 275 members of the House, will remain in office for a year and a half, until a new parliamentary election is held.

(This story was not edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


Nepal: indigenous peoples victims of conservation success story – new report

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


Indigenous people forcibly evicted from their ancestral lands

Policies have led to arbitrary arrests, torture, death and forced evictions

Indigenous peoples in Nepal have suffered five decades of human rights violations due to abusive conservation policies, Amnesty International and the Community Self-Reliance Center (CSRC) said in a new report released today (August 9).

The report, Violations in the name of conservation, documents how the creation of national parks and other “protected areas” resulted in the forcible eviction of tens of thousands of indigenous peoples from their ancestral lands and their denial of access to areas on which they depend for their livelihoods.

The report highlights how the application of these policies has led to arbitrary arrests, acts of torture, unlawful killings and forced evictions from informal settlements.

Dinushika Dissanayake, Deputy Director for South Asia at Amnesty International, said:

“Nepal is often touted as an exemplary conservation achievement. Sadly, this success came at a high price for the country’s indigenous peoples, who had lived and depended on these protected areas for generations.

“Beginning in the 1970s, Nepalese governments adopted an approach to conservation that forced indigenous peoples out of their ancestral lands and severely limited their ability to access traditional foods, herbal medicines and other resources.

“The brutal application of these policies subsequently resulted in numerous cases of torture, other ill-treatment and unlawful killings. “

Jagat Basnet, Executive Director of CSRC, said:

“For nearly half a century, the indigenous peoples of Nepal have been shunned by governments that were constitutionally bound to uphold their rights.

“To start repairing this damage, the Nepalese authorities must recognize the rights of indigenous peoples to their ancestral lands and allow them to return.

Arbitrary arrests, detention and torture

National parks and other “protected areas” cover almost a quarter of Nepal, the vast majority being located in the ancestral lands of the indigenous peoples of Nepal.

Indigenous peoples are frequently arrested and detained for entering national parks and reserves. Many have been abused and tortured by military personnel deployed in the parks.

Some have died as a result, including Raj Kumar Chepang, 26, who died after being beaten by army officers in Chitwan in July 2020.

The national legal framework does not clearly define or limit the powers of the Nepalese military to arrest, detain and use force in national parks and other “protected areas”. The role of the Nepalese army in conservation is expanding, with national parks becoming increasingly militarized.

Forced evictions

Decades after the creation of “protected areas”, many indigenous peoples who were evicted remain landless and face further forced evictions from the informal settlements where they now live. They did not have access to alternative livelihoods, nor to compensation for their losses.

Amnesty and the CSRC have documented several recent incidents of forced evictions and attempted forced evictions by national park authorities, including in Chitwan and Bardiya national parks.

On July 18 last year, Chitwan National Park authorities forcibly evicted 10 families from the community of Chepang, who had been displaced by floods and landslides and were living in a “buffer zone”. – an area designated to provide local populations with access to forest resources – outside the boundaries of the park.

The park had given verbal notice to families just a week before the eviction, contrary to international standards and requirements of Nepalese Housing Law. An official investigation into the incident was launched by the Ministry of Forests and Environment later this month – despite repeated requests, Amnesty and CSRC have yet to receive any information about the investigation.

In Bardiya National Park, some indigenous peoples continue to pay a tax on land income, although they have not had access to their lands for decades, after flooding and a change in the course of the river. caused the land to be considered part of the national park. They told Amnesty and CSRC that they continue to pay in the hope of being able to gain access to their land again, and because receipts are needed to claim compensation for damage to crops.

Access to food and resources

Nepalese National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act restricts hunting, grazing, cutting down trees, cultivating land or using forests, and prohibits any construction in a national park or wildlife reserve. – all measures which have seriously affected the way of life of indigenous peoples.

Due to the lack of alternative livelihoods and financial hardship, many indigenous peoples evicted from their lands were forced to become sharecroppers, cultivating other people’s land in exchange for 50% of the harvest.

This system, which is governed by social rather than legal norms, has important human rights implications. Residents interviewed by Amnesty in Banke and Bardiya districts said they were frequently exploited by landlords, including doing housework or collecting fodder and firewood without payment.


Devyani International IPO subscribed 116.68 times

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


The issue received offers for 1,313.44 crore shares for 11.25 crore shares offered.

The initial public offering of the operator of the quick service restaurant chain (QSR) Devyani International received offers for 1,313.44 crore of shares for 11.25 crore of shares offered on Friday August 6, 2021, according to stock data at 5:20 p.m. IST. The program has been subscribed 116.68 times.

The show opened for auction on Wednesday (August 4, 2021) and will close on Friday (August 6, 2021). The IPO price range is set at Rs 86-90 per share. An investor can bid on a minimum of 165 shares and in multiples thereof.

The IPO includes a new issue of equity shares totaling up to Rs 440 crore and an offer to sell (OFS) of 15.53,33,330 crore of equity shares by Dunearn and RJ Corp, the investor shareholders .

The promoters of the company are Ravi Kant Jaipuria, Varun Jaipuria and RJ Corp. The promoters hold a total of 87.43.39.464 shares, totaling 75.79% of the share capital issued and paid up before the offer. After the issuance, the selling shareholders will hold approximately 67.99% of the share capital.

The objectives of the new issue are the repayment / early repayment of Rs 324 crore of loans and the remaining amount to be used for general corporate purposes.

Prior to the IPO, Devyani International finalized on August 3, 2021, the allocation of 9 16 52 499 shares to main investors at Rs 90 per share, for a total of Rs 824.87 crore.

Devyani International is Yum Brands’ largest franchisee in India and is one of the largest Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) chain operators in India on a non-exclusive basis. Yum Brands Inc. operates brands such as KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell and has a worldwide presence with over 50,000 restaurants in over 150 countries as of December 31, 2020.

As of June 31, 2021, Devyani International operated 696 stores in 166 cities in India. The company is a franchisee of the Costa Coffee, Pizza Hut and KFC brands and stores in India. Besides Pizza Hut, KFC and the Costa Coffee Company operate brands such as Vaango, Taco Bell, Costa Coffee chain, Food Street, Masala Twist, Ile Bar, Amreli, and Ckrussh Juice Bar.

The business is broadly categorized into three verticals: the main brands (including KFC, Pizza Hut and Costa Coffee stores operated in India) which contributed 81.95% of total revenue during the year. fiscal year 2021, international activities (stores operated outside India mainly including KFC and Pizza Hut stores operated in Nepal and Nigeria) contributing 12.23% of total revenue and other activities contributing 5 , 81% of total turnover (including certain other operations in the F&B industry, including its own brand stores such as Vaango and Food Street).

The main brands and the international segment together accounted for 94.19% of total revenue in fiscal year 2021. Of that total, 70.20% would be earned through delivery sales, a 19% jump in sales. delivery sales compared to 51.15% in fiscal year 2020.

The company reported a net loss of Rs 55.21 crore and sales of Rs 1,134.84 crore in the twelve months ended March 31, 2021.

Powered by Capital Market – Live News

(This story was not edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Over half a billion doses of covid-19 vaccine administered in WHO Southeast Asia

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


“Countries in the region are making unprecedented efforts to reach more and more people with life-saving covid-19 vaccines, demonstrating their commitment to contain the pandemic at the earliest. We must continue them and also rigorously implement public health and social measures, ”said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia.

Covid-19 vaccines are an important tool in the fight against the pandemic because they are effective, even against “worrisome variants”, in preventing serious illness, hospitalizations and death.

As of August 6, 618.5 million doses had been administered. As many as 146 million people have received two doses of the vaccine and are fully vaccinated, according to the WHO.

The maximum, 489 million doses, was given in India, which vaccinated 8.6 million people on the first day of its new campaign in June. Indonesia, the first in the region to launch a vaccination campaign, administered 71 million doses, followed by 18 million in Thailand.

Sri Lanka has administered 13 million doses and recently reached 500,000 people per day with the vaccination. Bangladesh is stepping up vaccination and also preparing to vaccinate Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar.

Bhutan achieved coverage of 70 per 100 people with the first dose and 62 per 100 people with two doses of the covid-19 vaccine, the highest in the Region to date.

The Maldives have vaccinated half of its population with two doses and nearly 60 percent coverage with one dose of the covid-19 vaccine.

Nepal has vaccinated over 70% of its health and frontline workers and elderly population with at least one dose of the vaccine. Thailand has vaccinated 84% of its health workforce. Timor-Leste has vaccinated nearly a quarter of its 100 people with a single dose, the WHO said.

“Commendable efforts are being made by countries. With more doses available in recent weeks through COVAX, every effort should be made to further expand COVID-19 vaccine coverage, the regional director said, adding that nearly 90% of all vaccine doses available in the country. Region have been used, ”WHO said in a statement.

Countries in the region administer Astra Zeneca, Covaxin, Janssen, Moderna, Sinopharm, Sinovac, Sputnik V and Pfizer following emergency use authorization granted by their national regulatory authorities.

“Countries in the Region are striving to meet the WHO target of having 10% of the population fully immunized by the end of September, 40% by the end of this year and 70% of the population fully immunized by the end of September. ‘by mid-2022,’ said the WHO regional director, adding that it is encouraging to see the vaccination surge at a time when countries are also grappling with an increase in cases.

Now is also the time to take a close look at immunization coverage data to see who is left behind, where, and why. Some people may not yet be aware of the benefits of vaccination against covid-19, some may not be convinced, and some may have concerns. There could also be accessibility issues, she said.

“We need a tailored communications approach, just like we do for childhood immunizations, and work closely with communities for vaccine uptake and successful implementation of public health measures and social, ”Singh said.

Vaccines save lives, but on their own they are not enough. Equally important is the implementation of public health and social measures, she stressed.

“Even after taking the two doses of the covid-19 vaccine, people should continue to wear a mask, wash their hands, maintain distance, avoid crowded areas, etc. We have to ‘do it all’, especially when most people are unvaccinated and covid-19 is prevalent. This is the only way to reduce the transmission of the virus which continues to overwhelm our health systems and impact lives and livelihoods, ”said the regional director.

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Police officers have an important role to play in saving the nation from

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


terrorism, insurgency, etc. : Union Minister Rai

(Eds: Corrects a typo in the second paragraph)

Hyderabad, August 6 (PTI): Declaring that the country remains entangled in serious problems such as terrorism, insurgency, communitarianism, religious fundamentalism and left-wing extremism, among others, Union Minister Nityanand Rai said on Friday that police officials have a bigger role to play in fighting them.

Rai, who was the main guest of the 72nd Indian Police Service Group (IPS) probation parade held at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy, said more than 2,000 police soldiers , frontline warriors, had lost their lives in combat. against COVID-19 during the current pandemic, according to an official statement.

“The country remains entangled in serious problems such as terrorism, insurgency, communitarianism, religious fundamentalism, left-wing extremism, cybercrime, etc., and conspiracies continue to occur,” he said. he declares.

He said the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister and citizens believe the young officers of the Indian Police Service will do the important job of saving this great nation and its citizens from these dangers, the statement said. quoting Rai.

The minister said officers should actively work on community policing initiatives for better engagement with the population and any initiative taken can be strengthened by community strength.

He further said that crimes against women and children remain a matter of concern in society and that it should be the primary responsibility of the police to deal with them.

Rai urged the officers to train the men and women who work under them in the latest technology, for at least one hundred hours a year, because if they do not invest in the development of the police personnel who are subordinate to them, they will not be able to achieve extraordinary results. results.

No less than 144 young IPS probationers, including 33 police officers, a total of 34 foreign probationers – 10 from Nepalese police, Royal Bhutan Police (12), Maldives Police Department (7) and 5 from Mauritian police also participated in the parade, according to the version. PTI GDK SS PTI PTI PTI PTI

Warning :- This story has not been edited by Outlook staff and is auto-generated from news agency feeds. Source: PTI

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The Sensex and Nifty gained nearly 2% each, as improving macroeconomic data and positive global indices boosted investor risk appetite.

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Last name Price Change % variation
Sbi 446.50 11.60 2.67
Ntpc 117.65 -0.10 -0.08
Indiabulls Hsg 285.30 -1.70 -0.59
Nhpc 26.40 -0.10 -0.38

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Snapshot of the IPO

Equity Type Issue price Size of the problem Lot size Open problem Problem Close
View profile Initial Public Offering 86 1775.87 – 1858. 165 04-08 06-08
Exxaro See profile Initial Public Offering 118 158.4 – 161.09 125 04-08 06-08
Krishna View profile Initial Public Offering 933 1195.43 – 1222. 15 04-08 06-08
Windlas See profile Initial Public Offering 448 395.36 – 405.95 30 04-08 06-08
Equity Filing date with Sebi

SJS Enterprises Limited – DRHP (SJSpdf)

28-Jul

ESAF Small Finance Bank Limited – DRHP (ESAF.pdf)

26-Jul

Star Health and Allied Insurance Company Limited – (Starpdf)

23-Jul

Anand Rathi Wealth Limited (Anand.pdf)

20-Jul
Equity Issue price Registration date Open announcement Announcement Close % quotation gains CMP Current earnings%
Tatva Chintan 1083 07-29 2111.80 2310.25 113.32 2265.10 109.15
Zomato 76 07-23 115.00 125.85 65.59 139.40 83.42
AA More 18 07-22 16.65 17.50 -2.78 11.74 -34.78
GR Infra 837 07-19 1700.00 1746.80 108.7 1,732.35 106.97
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No NFO details available.
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Gretex Corporat See profile

SME IPO 170 5.13 0 07-27 07-30

Glenmark See profile

Initial Public Offering 695 1497.85 – 1513. 0 2.78 07-27 07-29

People Network See profile

SME IPO 76 13.01 – 13.7 0 07-28 02-08

Rex Pipes See profile

SME IPO 26 6.24 0 07-28 02-08

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country = India page generated = 2021-08-03 17:31:18


Baburam Bhattarai’s “Hindouphobia”

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


It’s hard to imagine Dr Baburam Bhattarai, PhD, taking inspiration from disgraced former US President Donald Trump. There is little in common there. So it was bizarre that Bhattarai stole a trick from Trump’s social media playbook: Share a meme, the consequences are damned.

In a bizarre attempt to charm his 1.3 million Twitter followers, Bhattarai posted a meme which shows a saffron-clad Yogi Adityanath, current Chief Minister of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, pouring milk into a body of water. Above the image the words read: “Faith is a dangerous thing. It makes you throw out milk and drink urine. The joke didn’t land. Few people laughed. I found that embarrassing.

The meme would be hard to justify if a common Twitter troll had posted it. It is inexcusable for a former prime minister and a public intellectual in addition. It is difficult to explain why Bhattarai decides to insult the chief minister of an Indian state with which Nepal enjoys deep social and economic relations. This at a time when Nepal-India relations are in a possible recovery (the Dharchula incident had not yet taken place). This is a recipe for an unnecessary diplomatic dispute. And what an embarrassment that would be too! Could the current government, so dependent on India for its political, economic and medical support, afford this spectacle?

A liberal reader might be inclined to forgive Dactor Sahab if he had criticized Adityanath for the Indian government’s delay in sending vaccines to Nepal. Or even Yogi’s comments on the role of religion in this country. Or its past rhetoric about other religions. But that’s not what the good doctor chose to do. Instead, he criticized Yogi for performing a simple act of faith, offering milk as an act of worship. Something that millions of Hindus do humbly every day.

The meme was not a critique of Hinduism’s role in politics. It wasn’t Raghuji Panta criticize KP Oli’s attempts to seek Pashupatinath’s favor to improve his political fortunes. It was not women summon Sita to make valid arguments about patriarchy in our society. There was no broader political message. The point of the meme was insulting Hindus, and the problematic reference to drinking urine brings it home. Bhattarai cannot, and to my knowledge has not tried to say, he ignores how this cartoon is constantly being made to dehumanize Hindus—Including in the countries where they are persecuted.

That his position was not moral or universal was obvious. Barely two hours after this tweet against the danger of faith, he politely wish the Muslim community a happy Eid-Ul-Adha. He did not raise any objections. He didn’t give any lectures. He made no insult.

But let’s not let this chance offered by Bhattarai’s gaffe go to waste. This tweet is an opportunity to start a conversation about the term “Hinduphobia”. This relatively new term has not yet found a topicality in Nepalese politics but is increasingly adopted in the tweeter’s verse. In April of this year, the Hindu Students Council (HSC) at Rutgers University in the United States organized a academic conference titled “Understanding Hindouphobia”. Since this was the first conference on the subject, the focus of the meeting was quite broad. And the working definition they gave is just as complete: “Hinduphobia is a set of antagonistic, destructive and contemptuous attitudes and behaviors towards Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) and Hindus which can manifest itself in prejudice. , fear or hate. Hinduphobic rhetoric reduces the entirety of Sanatana Dharma to a rigid, oppressive and regressive tradition. “

It should be noted that academics and not political or cultural groups led the conference. Location is also important. Rutgers University has become a center stage between Hindus who claim Hindu is a pernicious and targeted form of bigotry and critics who claim Hindouphobia is a myth propagated by the Hindu right to suppress valid criticism of Hindutva and intimidate people into silence.

Bhattarai’s tweet does no favors for critics of the term “Hinduphobia”. His meme reduces “the entirety of Sanatana Dharma to a rigid, oppressive and regressive tradition.” It is particularly revealing that this comes from a former ex-communist prime minister who became a socialist.

Bhattarai should know better. As a seasoned politician, he should know the sentiments and style that matter in politics, both nationally and internationally. Regardless of his version of Make Nepal Great Again, it will not be achieved by intentionally insulting 80 percent of the population of that country. Or does he believe that insulting Hindus has no political or electoral consequences? If so, the narrative that Hindus are a political force in Nepal is grossly exaggerated.

Crazy talk like this hinders constructive public discourse and ultimately weakens the foundations on which we must build our republic. An idea for which Bhattarai himself and millions of Nepalese with him sacrificed a lot and lost a lot.

Personally, it was the devious way he framed the meme that hit a nerve. In the text box attached to the meme, Bhattarai wrote: “(circulated by my classmates in India).” What cowardice! A weak attempt to appear brave to share the meme while simultaneously seeking cover behind friends. That too was straight out of Trump’s playbook: Always have an escape route, and when things go wrong, blame your friends.

Slok Gyawali is a writer based in Portland, Oregon



Nepal – COVID-19 Response Situation Report No.10, August 3, 2021 – Nepal

By
Margaret B. Waterman
-
0


National context

• The prohibition orders issued by the authorities in the Kathmandu Valley are valid until August 4 without substantial changes despite the recent increase in COVID-19 cases.

• The number of infected people admitted to hospital is gradually increasing in most parts of the country.
The intensive care units of most hospitals treating COVID-19 patients are operating at full capacity in the valley.

• As the number of COVID-19 cases increases, the COVID-19 Crisis Management Committee Center (CCMC) has focused on ways to effectively execute mechanisms to control the ongoing spread. At the July 30 meeting, the Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP) presented a proposal to apply a “smart lockdown,” whereby districts will be classified based on their COVID-19 status and measures restrictions will be applied accordingly. .

• The MOHP has also ordered to ensure the stock of at least 1000 bottles in each province.

• Nepal has reported a new Kappa mutant of the COVID-19 Delta variant. It is said to be more deadly than mutants detected before and is likely to infect people of all age groups. The MOHP urged all people to take extra precautions and follow health safety standards to avoid possible infection with this virus.

• The government administers the Vero Cell vaccine and Johnson and Johnson. As of August 2, 4,163,251 people had received their first injection and 2,000,211 people had received both injections of the COVID-19 vaccine in Nepal. (Source: MoHP, UN, Media)


Rohingya: The world’s most unwanted people and the monsoon definitely isn’t helping

By
Margaret B. Waterman
-
0


The world’s largest refugee camp is in Bangladesh, and it is in danger of being swept away. The relentless rains of the past two weeks have made the lives of around 1 million Rohingya even more precarious, living in overcrowded camps in Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh. the The Rohingya are often described as the most victimized minority in the world today and the majority of those refugees in Bangladesh fled here in 2017, fearing for their lives and persecution in Rakhine, Myanmar.

MOUSSON PROBLEM FOR ROHINGYA

According to the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM), six Rohingya refugees died on July 30 and more than 13,000 were forced to leave the camps. The fear is that the number of victims will increase further. Landslides and floods make it harder for people to Rohingya refugees to be evacuated to safer areas and for aid workers to reach them.

Meanwhile, with Myanmar sinking into turmoil and the repatriation of the Rohingya nowhere in sight, Bangladesh is finding it increasingly difficult to spare resources for the upkeep of these refugees, whose numbers are steadily declining. ‘to augment. A harsh monsoon only made the problem worse, but more than anything else, a June 2021 World Bank proposal on the Rohingya issue shook authorities in Dhaka.

BANGLADESH ON THE EDGE

The World Bank in its 33-page Refugee Policy Review Framework A document forwarded to Bangladesh’s finance minister suggested, among other things, that arrangements be created so that forcibly displaced people (read Rohingya) can buy and lease land in Bangladesh without restrictions on location or duration.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has made it clear that Bangladesh does not agree with such proposals and that any World Bank ideas that do not match Bangladesh’s would not be accepted. not taken into account by the government.

According to Bangladesh Daily Star Newspaper, on August 2, 2021, Dr Momen said: “The Rohingya are not refugees here. These are persecuted and displaced people … who are sheltering here temporarily.

A STORY OF OSTRACIZATION

The Rohingya are a predominantly Muslim ethnic group and have been part of predominantly Buddhist Burma or Myanmar, as it is now called, for centuries. However, theirs is a story of ostracism even in their own homeland, the Rohingya are not recognized as one of the 135 official ethnic groups that exist in Myanmar and, since 1982, they have even been denied citizenship.

For years now, it has been a pitiful story of torture, persecution, rape and murder, which the international community increasingly calls genocide. In 2017, Zeid Raád Al Hussein, then United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, declared publicly: “The situation remains, or seems, a classic example of ethnic cleansing.

He made the statement as hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fled their burning homes and villages after Burmese security forces launched a massive crackdown on them. Those who reached the refugee camps had horror stories to tell, claiming that the army, assisted by Buddhist monks, had razed villages and killed civilians.

Photo credit: Reuters

Where it started

The crackdown began after an attack by a Rohingya militant group, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army or ARSA, on police stations that left 71 people dead. UNHCR High Commissioner Zeid Raád Al Hussein said: August 25 activists against 30 police stations is clearly disproportionate and without regard to basic principles of international law.

“We have received several reports and satellite images of security forces and local militias burning Rohingya villages and consistent accounts of extrajudicial killings, including shooting at fleeing civilians. I am further dismayed by reports that the Myanmar authorities have now started to lay landmines along the border with Bangladesh. “

READ ALSO | 15 Rohingya detained in Karimganj (Assam) for illegally entering India

FLIGHT FOR DIRECT

The Rohingya fled not only to Bangladesh, but in large numbers to Malaysia as well. There are around 40,000 in India, including 20,000 after the 2017 exodus; a few hundred went to Thailand and Indonesia and some even landed in Nepal. According to UNHCR’s principle of refoulement, the Rohingya in the eyes of humanity have become refugees, whether or not they are recognized as such by the lands where they fled to seek refuge.

The principle of non-refoulement states that “refugee status determination is declaratory in nature: a person does not become a refugee because of recognition, but is recognized because he is a refugee”.

WHEN MALAYSIA CLOSED ITS DOORS

Malaysia, which had always been the preferred destination for Rohingya fleeing the atrocities in Myanmar because it had been the most welcoming country until the influx of 2017 hardened their attitude towards the Rohingya.

Malaysia formed a National Task Force (NTF) to tackle the influx of unauthorized foreigners, and by 2020 the NTF had started intercepting and pushing back refugee boats trying to sneak up.

In its defense, Malaysia asserted that it was fully entitled to do so as it was not a signatory to the UNHCR Refugee Convention of 1951 and therefore its 1967 Protocol according to which applicants for asylum should not be returned to countries where they are likely to face human rights. violations did not bind him.

Covid-19 made the situation worse because, at the 36th ASEAN summit in 2020, Malaysia categorically declared that it could no longer host Rohingya refugees as their resources and capacities were depleted, made worse by the Covid pandemic. -19.

A LITTLE RESPITE IN NEPAL

Nepal’s 350 or so Rohingya (non-signatories to the UNHCR Refugee Convention) face a similar situation where they have no official status, not even recognized refugees, and they have to live in cramped makeshift housing. But unlike other places, Nepal made the decision to vaccinate refugee seekers and immigrants. According to reports, most of the Rohingya in Nepal received their shots.

READ ALSO | Uttar Pradesh Police Arrest 4 Rohingya Involved In Human Trafficking

IN INDIA

In India, the Rohingya are viewed with suspicion as investigative agencies claim that many of them may have been radicalized and influenced by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to engage in anti- Indian.

The government would study the possibility of relocating the Rohingya to third countries that might be willing to take them.

WHAT’S IN STORE?

Wherever the Rohingya are, their conditions are precarious, and this is not only because of security threats or the monsoons, landslides and floods, but because the Rohingya are a people who have no hope to belong anywhere in the world; they have no nationality; they cannot have any nationality.

The Bangladesh Foreign Minister may have said that they will not have a better future until they are repatriated, but the hard truth is that even if they were to be repatriated to Myanmar, they still would not have of citizenship rights because the Rohingyas are not recognized as citizens in their own country.

READ ALSO | Floods leave thousands homeless in Rohingya camps in Bangladesh | In pictures


Payday loan addiction plummeted during pandemic, but Californians ‘not out of the woods’

By
Margaret B. Waterman
-
0


“The demand for small loans fell in 2020 as many consumers stayed at home, paid off debts, handled fewer expenses and received direct payments from the government,” Leonard said in a statement.

On the other hand, Cesar said the decline in the use of payday loans is not necessarily indicative of a better financial situation for Californians.

“It’s just too simplistic of a picture,” she said. “The cash aid efforts may have helped consumers make ends meet, but people have not come out of the woods.”

Marisabel Torres, California Policy Director for the Center for Responsible Lending, said that despite the impact of pandemic relief on Californians, some of these programs already have an end date. California moratorium on evictions, for example, is scheduled to end on September 30. The deployment of rental aid has been slow. Tenants with unpaid rent face potential eviction for those who cannot afford rent.

Once those programs are gone, Torres said, people will continue to need financial help.

“There’s still this large population that will continue to turn to these products,” Torres said.

With the exception of last year, the report showed that payday loan usage has remained stable over the past 10 years. But the use of payday loans doubled in the years following the Great Recession.

The state report does not provide any context on how consumers used payday loan money in 2020, but a to study by the Pew Charitable Trusts in 2012 found that 69% of clients use the funds for recurring expenses, including rent, groceries and bills.

Almost half of all payday loan clients in 2020 had an average annual income of less than $ 30,000 per year, and 30% of clients were making $ 20,000 or less per year. Annual reports also consistently show higher usage among clients earning more than $ 90,000 per year, although the financial monitoring department has not been able to explain why.


“Basic necessities, like groceries, rent… To live you have to pay for these things,” Torres said. “Anything that eases this economic pressure is good for people. “

Lawmakers across California began to establish pilot programs that would ease some of this economic pressure. Stockton was the first town to experience a guaranteed income for its residents. Compton, Long Beach and Oakland have followed suit across the national Mayors for a guaranteed income effort. California has approved its first guaranteed income program earlier this month.

Little regulation, high fees

Payday loans are considered to be some of the most expensive and financially dangerous loans that consumers can use. Experts say last year’s drop in usage is good for Californians, but the industry still lacks the regulations needed to reduce loan risk for low-income consumers.

California lawmakers have a long story to try to regulate predatory loan in the state, but have failed to implement meaningful consumer protection against payday loans. The most notable legislation came in 2017, when California began requiring licenses from lenders. The law also capped payday loans at $ 300, but did not cap annualized interest rates, which were on average 361% in 2020.

In addition to sky-high interest rates, one of the industry’s main sources of income is fees, especially from people who rely on payday loans as a series.

A total of $ 164.7 million in transaction fees – 66% of the industry’s commission income – came from clients who took out seven or more loans in 2020. About 55% of clients opened a new loan on the same day. the end of their previous loan.


After several unsuccessful efforts over the past years To regulate the industry, California lawmakers are not pursuing major reforms this session to combat the industry. Torres called for continued legislative efforts that would cap interest rates to ease what she calls the debt trap.

“It’s crazy to think that a decision maker would see this and say, ‘It’s OK. It’s good for my constituents to live in these circumstances, ”said Torres. “When it is actually in the power of California decision makers to change that.

Alternatives to payday loans

There is evidence that the decrease in payroll activity correlates with COVID-19 relief efforts. While there are a number of factors in the decline, they likely include the distribution of stimulus checks, loan abstentions, and the growth of alternative funding options. More commonly referred to as “early access to pay,” the new industry claims it is a safer alternative.

Businesses lend a portion of a client’s salary through phone apps and don’t charge interest charges. The product is not yet regulated, but the state’s financial monitoring agency has announced that it start surveying five companies currently providing the service.

The problem with this model, according to Torres, is that there is no direct pricing structure. To make a profit, apps require customers to tip for the service.

“Unfortunately, that tip often obscures the ultimate cost of the loan,” Torres said, adding that some companies go so far as to use psychological tactics to encourage customers to leave a big tip.

“Customers have expressed their relief that our industry is always there for them under the most difficult circumstances and we are proud to be there during this time of need,” said Leonard.

Despite the decline in business last year, 1.1 million customers borrowed a total of $ 1.7 billion in payday loans last year, with 75% of them coming back for at least one loan additional in the same year.

Torres said the Center for Responsible Lending continues to work with lawmakers to draft bills that would cap interest rates to make payday loans more affordable. Requiring lenders to assess the client’s ability to repay the loan would also prevent clients from falling into the debt trap, she said.

“They act like they’re offering this lifeline to someone,” Torres said. “It’s not a lifeline. They tie up (the clients) with an anchor.


South Africans begin to rebuild after violent riots

By
Margaret B. Waterman
-
0


Catherine Smith joined other members of her residential community in the southeastern province of KwaZulu-Natal last Thursday to begin four days of cleanup. They pushed back carts abandoned by looters and swept up broken items after a week of violence.

Other teams from City Hope Disaster Relief, a Christian nonprofit organization of which Smith works as chief executive, carried out similar cleanup efforts on Saturday in the eastern port city of Durban, where rioters targeted people. warehouses and factories.

“There is not one person in our region who has not been directly affected,” she said.

The week of protests following the arrest of former President Jacob Zuma quickly spiraled out of control, killing more than 330. Authorities arrested more than 2,500 people, many of them for theft and vandalism. Mass looting and insecurity directly affected many communities like Smith’s. Some calm has returned to the affected provinces, but the economic situation that sparked the protests remains.

Zuma visited this month to begin a 15-month Supreme Court sentence after he failed to appear for an investigation into corruption allegations during his nine-year tenure. Zuma criticized the process as being biased and appealed his sentence. The protests that followed focused mainly in Gauteng province, which encompasses the capital Johannesburg, and Zuma’s home province, KwaZulu-Natal.

Authorities said the majority of the deaths occurred in scuffles when looters targeted shops and took TVs, clothes and food. Others have targeted and barricaded major highways, disrupting the transport of food, fuel and other supplies. According to the South African Property Owners Association, looters attacked around 3,000 stores, damaged at least 113 communication structures and destroyed 1,400 ATMs.

Last Monday, Smith woke up to learn that City Hope’s unit at a storage facility had been set on fire by looters. The ministry lost about 200 food packages, among others. “Everything had been taken, broken or burned in some way or another,” she said.

Violence and looting cut off access to local food suppliers and disrupted the local supply chain. Smith said they have to scramble to keep new suppliers supplied. Police and army troops this week escorted aid convoys and delivery vehicles from supermarkets to affected areas.

“From Monday to Wednesday, the noises were gunshots in the air, dogs barking and people screaming,” she said. “On Thursday, we heard planes flying overhead bringing food, aid and support to the province.”

In the Smith neighborhood, several men compiled a list and carried out two to three hour night patrols last week. The government has deployed more than 25,000 troops to help police restore order, but the community remains vigilant.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called the riots “economic sabotage” and promised to bring the perpetrators to justice. “Worst of all, these instigators sought to manipulate the poor and vulnerable for their own benefit,” he said. “This attempted insurrection failed.

Some communities have banded together to respond to the destruction. Over 58,000 people have joined Rebuild SA, a Facebook group of volunteers set up to support people in need. Smith said the neighbors are making bread and yogurt to share. Others who could enter some of the few stores open bought dozens of eggs and other food items to deliver to community members.

But people are worried about the economic roots of the problem. South Africa has imposed more lockdowns and business closures in the face of a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unemployment hit a record high of 32.6% in the first quarter of this year. More than half of the population lives in poverty in the country with one of the highest levels of inequality.

“It’s been simmering for a long time… and it just needed a trigger,” said Marcus Van Wyk, member of the More Than Peace Coalition, which includes Christian leaders.

The latest unrest has put around 150,000 jobs at risk and is expected to have a significant impact on national GDP, according to the South African Property Owners Association. Van Wyk said Christians need to think about how to respond with peacebuilding and conflict resolution efforts. The coalition hosted a webinar with more than 300 Christian leaders last week on how to work on what it called the “three fault lines”: poverty, inequality and unemployment.

“We frame the narrative that as darkness increases, our light should shine even brighter,” he said. “As the body of Christ, we respond collectively, and all of our little responses add up to one larger response at the end of the day.”

A Red Cross health worker assists a man on hunger strike at Saint-Jean-Baptiste-au-Béguinage church in Brussels in June.
Associated Press / Photo by Francisco Seco (file)

Migrants go on hunger strike in Belgium

Belgium has announced a breakthrough on an agreement with several hundred migrants on hunger strike to obtain residence permits.

In order to put pressure on the government, more than 400 migrants started the strike on May 23 inside a church and two universities in the Brussels capital. Many migrants from South Asia and North Africa have reported living in Belgium for more than a decade. The country hosts around 150,000 undocumented migrants. Some of those on hunger strike have stopped drinking water while at least four have sewn their lips to demand legal access to jobs and social services.

“In this city we live like rats,” Nepalese Kiran Adhikeri, 37, who has lived in Belgium for 16 years, told Reuters. “I beg them (the Belgian authorities), please give us access to work, like the others. I want to pay taxes, I want to raise my child here.

Belgian Asylum and Migration Secretary Sammy Mahdi has repeatedly refused to grant general amnesty to striking migrants, instead encouraging them to file individual residency applications. In the agreement presented on Wednesday, the government would individually examine cases of migrants in a neutral zone, according to Egbert Lachaert, chairman of the Prime Minister’s Liberal Party.

The UN special rapporteurs had expressed concern that some of the migrants were between “life and death” after choosing to refuse water as well as food. Some of the protesters ended their strike on the basis of unspecified assurances from the government. –OO

The Embassy of Canada in Beijing

The Embassy of Canada in Beijing
Associated Press / Photo by Mark Schiefelbein (file)

Canada opens the door for human rights defenders

Canada will resettle up to 250 global human rights defenders and their families each year under the government’s Refugee Assistance Program, Canada’s Immigration Minister announced last week.

Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino said the new route to permanent residence would focus on high-risk people like women, journalists and people who identify as LGBT. The government will partner with groups such as Front Line Defenders and the United Nations Refugee Agency to identify and assist those in need of protection.

This decision makes Canada one of the first countries to chart a course dedicated to human rights defenders. “We not only hope that this initiative will be successful and provide much needed support to human rights defenders who need it, but that it will also be an example that other governments will follow in order to ensure enhanced international protection for human rights defenders. human rights defenders at risk. “said Andrew Anderson, Executive Director of Front Line Defenders. –OO

COVID-19 hits Nepalese churches

At least 130 pastors have died since a second wave of the pandemic hit Nepal from April, leaving many Christian communities without leaders.

Among them is Pastor Amber Thapa, who founded the Stuti Prashansa Church in the capital Kathmandu. “The body of my dear friend Pastor Thapa was bagged, tied with rope and cremated by the military,” said Rev. Brian Winslade, deputy secretary general of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA).

BP Khanal, pastor and leader of the Janajagaran Party of Nepal, said Christianity today that more than 500 pastoralists and their families contracted the virus between February and June. “In May, pastors were dying almost every day,” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Nepal has recorded more than 672,000 infections and more than 9,600 deaths since the start of the pandemic. Winslade said the AEM has partnered with the National Churches Fellowship of Nepal and the Nepal Christian Society to support families affected by the pandemic and provide medical assistance. –OO


Community, creativity and caffeine: what reopening cafes means for New Yorkers

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


One evening in mid-June, Café Buunni in Inwood, New York City, was packed with people for an open day to launch their new Ethiopian menu. Traders Sarina Prasabi and Elias Gurmu, Nepalese and Ethiopian respectively, flooded the crowd with bright smiles and samples of free food.

For many customers, this is the first time they have returned to a cafe since the start of the pandemic.

The pandemic has hit cafes hard. According to a study of the Global Allegra Coffee Portal, “The branded coffee segment in the United States will be valued at $ 36 [billion], a drop of 24% over the past 12 months mainly due to the disruption of Covid-19. “The stores suffered a $ 11.5 billion drop in sales. Jeffrey Young, Founder and CEO of Allegra Group, remarked: Business environment in living memory.”

This is one of the reasons why this gathering in Buunni is particularly meaningful, both for owners and for customers. Cafes are more than just a place for a quick drink. They are a real “third place” where visitors can be creative, relax and build relationships.

According to Prabasi, reopening cafes across New York means bringing communities together and allowing service-centric businesses to regain part of their identity.

“Ethiopian coffee is really about the picking,” Prabasi said. “So when we started the business, it was the feeling. We want to bring that hospitality, that feeling of community. When the pandemic started, and we couldn’t have people here, for us, it was really difficult, because not only are we losing business, but the whole identity of the company. ”

For many people who frequent cafes, being able to access them again after lockdown simply means having a place to be productive and away from distractions. Simek Shropshire, a 25-year-old paralegal, says she and her roommate missed the cafe atmosphere. “We both worked from home so it would be nice to have a change of scenery,” said Shropshire.

For other New Yorkers, reopening cafes has creative benefits. Karen Lowe is an artist who has also worked in the design of retail fashion catalogs.

“I think we’re a social group of people, I think we’re people watchers,” Loew said of New Yorkers.

Having worked in fashion retail catalogs, Loew also can’t help but notice what people are wearing; in cafes, she sometimes imagines the lives of people behind their clothes. Loew’s husband Paul Backalenick, who is a novelist, says looking at people in cafes sometimes helps him portray people realistically.

“I sometimes see someone who could be a character in one of my books or my short stories,” Backalenick said. “I’ll notice how they dress, or talk, or how their hair is, or their build, because I can use that as a character.”

And for some customers, being back in cafes feels like an immediate mental health boost. Arline Cruz, a 37-year-old health program director, says visiting the cafes allowed her to experience the city’s diversity.

“I saw girlfriends sitting together, catching up, I saw couples having dinner,” she said. “Just to see life in the city, especially because I work at home in front of my computer, to see people, to be with people, it feels good.”

Read more about Salon’s Coffee Week


The Weather Network – Eyes on the Sky Friday Night to See Buck’s Full Moon

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


Friday July 23, 2021, 2:40 p.m. – Ready for a treat? A full moon, two bright planets and maybe even streaked meteors put on a show in the sky tonight.

July’s full moon rises as the sun sets on Friday, but it won’t be the only one.

If your time permits tonight, step outside to see the Full Moon, two luminous planets, plus a possible bonus from the Perseid meteor shower.

Read more: Why is the super moon so fascinating to us?

WHAT IS A “BUCK” MOON?

According to Nasa, Maine Farmer’s Almanac attributes the name “Buck Moon” to the Algonquin peoples of the northeastern United States.

“Early summer is normally when new deer antlers come out of their foreheads in velvety fur coverings,” they wrote. “They also called it the Thunder Moon because of the frequent thunderstorms in early summer.”

2021-Full-Moon-Names-blueThis graph collects all relevant data on each Full Moon of 2021, including their popular names, whether it is a “super” or “micro” Moon, a perigee or a peak of the Full. Moon, and if they are remarkable in another way (Blue Moon or Harvest Moon). Credit: NASA Science Visualization Studio / Scott Sutherland

In some parts of Europe, the July full moon is also known as the hay moon or mead moon. In India, Nepal and Bhutan, those of the Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religions call it Guru Purnima (Guru Full Moon), which is a time to honor spiritual and academic gurus.

“For Theravada Buddhists,” says NASA, “this full moon is Asalha Puha, also known as Dharma Day or Esala Poya, an important festival celebrating Buddha’s first sermon. Like Waso’s full moon day. (the fourth month of the traditional Burmese lunisolar calendar), this marks the start of the annual three-month Buddhist retreat called Vassa. “

NOT ALONE IN THE SKY

This Full Buck Moon won’t be alone when it crosses the night sky.

Full Buck Moon 2021The July 23 full moon has two bright companions in the sky. Credit: Stellarium / Scott Sutherland

When you look at the Full Moon tonight, take a look just to its left and you will see two bright “stars”. Depending on how much light pollution you have in your sky, these might be the only two stars you can see (although the one closer to the Moon might be a bit harder to see). These two “stars” are the largest planets in our solar system: Jupiter and Saturn. Each will reach their “opposition” with Earth (being exactly on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun) in August. However, they are still easily visible most nights this summer.

In addition, there is also a special bonus for this view. We have now been in the annual Perseid meteor shower for a week. Although we only see 10-20 meteors per hour from the Perseids right now (so maybe 1 every 5 minutes or so), they can still be quite spectacular. They can even appear as very bright fireballs that cross the night sky. Viewers away from city lights or having a suburban backyard sheltered from streetlights have a better chance of seeing these meteors. For best results, allow yourself about 20 minutes to let your eyes adjust to the dark.

Watch below: Out of This World – Meteors and Moons! Keep an eye on the sky this summer

FOUR FULL MOON?

With each of our four seasons lasting around 3 months and typically one full moon per month, you can expect there to always be three full moons each season. However, our astronomical seasons do not correspond perfectly to our calendar months. For example, summer started on June 20 and ends on September 22. So technically the overlap of about a week at the start means the season spans 4 months. So if their timing is right, you can see four full moons in one season.

As it turns out, 2021 is one of those years when this happens. This first summer full moon takes place on June 24. Then the next three full moons are July 24, August 22, and September 20.

With four full moons this season, that means the third of them – August 22 – is a blue moon. In this case, it is the Blue Sturgeon Moon (or “Blue Corn Moon” if you follow some native lunar traditions).

Four-Full-Lunes-Summer-2021The Four Full Moons of 2021. Credit: NASA Science Visualization Studio / Scott Sutherland

A “seasonal blue moon” occurs every few years. The last was on May 18, 2019, when we saw four full moons in the spring of that year. The next seasonal blue moon, after this year, will be on August 19, 2024, when we will again see a summer with four full moons.

There is also another type of Blue Moon. While not the original definition of Blue Moon, these days we also apply that title to the second of two full moons that occur in the same calendar month. The last time we saw one was in October 2020. Next time it will be in August 2023.

THE ILLUSION OF THE CRAZY MOON

Seeing the full moon at any time of the night is a spectacular sight. However, go out right after moonrise or just before moonset for what is usually an exceptional treat. It’s not something the Moon itself does, however. Instead, it’s due to a little trick in our mind known as The illusion of the moon.

There are times when the Moon actually feels bigger to us, such as during a super moon, when the Moon is physically thousands of miles closer to Earth than usual. There are other times, however, when we thought it looks bigger.

When our eyes observe the world around us, our brain knows from experience that objects close to us tend to appear larger and sharper. In contrast, distant objects tend to be tiny and blurry. From there, he also knows that for a distant object to appear in focus, it has to be very large.

ugc calgary full moonThis close-up of Harvest Moon was taken in Calgary, AB on September 13, 2019. Credit: Siv Heang

So when we see a bright full moon suspended, crisp and clear in the sky above the horizon, it is contrasted by all the objects on the ground, which appear smaller and blurrier the closer they are to. the horizon. This combination confuses the brain. To compensate, the brain interprets the Full Moon as being much larger than it actually is. To be clear, the Moon is certainly much larger than any object on the horizon (it is 3,474 km in diameter), but this “illusion” gives us the impression that the Moon is huge!

Look up into the sky closer to the middle of the night, and the Moon will be way overhead. Usually, this will be the only thing we will see, other than the stars and maybe a few planets. At this point, the brain is focused solely on the Moon, and without the other objects in the field of view to complicate matters, it is free to simply “see” its actual size.

Full-Snow-Moon-2020-Darlene-MacLeod-Smith-UGCThis enlarged image of the full snow moon was captured in Salisbury, New Brunswick on February 9, 2020, and uploaded to the UGC gallery on MétéoMédia. Credit: Darlene MacLeod / Smith

We do, however, have a few tips that can negate the Moon illusion.

For the first, we don’t need technology. Go out just after sunset and find the Moon near the horizon. Extend your arm towards her and cover the Moon with your thumb or even your pinky finger. Note the size of the Moon in relation to the number in question, and keep that in mind. Maybe even take a picture of it, if you like. Later that night, observe the Moon again when it is high in the sky. It may look smaller than when you saw it earlier, but repeat the step to cover it with your thumb or finger. Compare it with what you’ve seen before, and you’ll find that the Moon is in fact exactly the same size at both times.

However, technology can help us. When the Moon is low over the horizon, pull out your cell phone, turn on your camera, and point it at the Moon. Note: It is possible that the Moon illusion is still working on us when we look at a photo or video. This is because the brain will make the same judgments of distance, blur, and size as watching a “live” scene. Yet directly comparing what we are seeing in the sky at that time to what is shown on our tiny cell phone screen can help put things in perspective. Plus, you can also take some photos to upload to MétéoMédia’s UGC gallery while you’re at it!


Hampshire to support Nepal relief efforts in Corona virus crisis

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


NEPAL, the 43rd poorest country in the world according to Global Source 2021, has been hit by a major wave of coronavirus and is in desperate need of personal protective equipment.

Hampshire County Council has agreed to support this urgent request in a mutual aid effort.

Councilor Keith Mans, Head of HCC, accepted the request made by Rushmoor Borough Council on behalf of the leaders of the Nepalese community living in Hampshire.

At the decision day meeting on July 8, HCC said it would issue PPE from the warehouse and distribution center that Hampshire established when the local healthcare and care sectors experienced a shortage of stock.

With supplies now stable and a significant drop in demand for access to the warehouse, there is an excess amount that may not be used until its expiration date in the spring of 2022.

Councilor Mans said: “The municipality of Gorkha in Nepal has been badly affected and its health system is operating at full capacity.

“We have strong ties with the Gurkha community in the north of the county and recognize the long-standing connection that the people of Rushmoor have with this region of Nepal, due to the military ties linked to the fact that Gurkha regiments are based in Aldershot. and its surroundings.

“We’re in a position to help, and it’s the right thing to do, so I’m not shy about giving the green light. I’m sure the people of Hampshire will agree that it’s better to use any surplus wisely than to hold onto stocks and risk them becoming obsolete.

“Providing much-needed masks, gloves and gowns will make a positive contribution to urgent relief efforts on the ground in Nepal, where nearly a third of the population lives in poverty and destitution. ”

HCC will maintain a crucial supply of PPE on behalf of the County Local Resilience Forum, a multi-agency partnership made up of emergency services, the NHS, councils and other agencies responding to civil emergencies.

Nepal has recorded 9,607 deaths from the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic.

The country has 28.6 million inhabitants.


Get low ping with almost no latency

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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PUBG enthusiasts can rejoice as WorldLink is testing CDN server for PUBG in Nepal. Nepal’s largest ISP has partnered with Tencent to install CDN servers in Nepal, which allows maps to be loaded faster, including gaming environments. Prior to that, WorldLink had also configured CDN servers for TikTok in Nepal.

“Ping times” are often discussed among gaming communities to refer to the poor online gaming experience. This follows the rise of CDN gaming. The concept of CDN (Content Delivery Network) gaming is relatively old. For example, one million users requesting the next game patch is enough to wreak havoc on the main server.

Network latency is inevitable in the global gaming community. To understand this, you can imagine a user who is a few miles away and another user who is several thousand miles from the server. The latter will most likely experience latency. Of course, there are other reasons as well, including network congestion and slow Wi-Fi connectivity.

PUBG CDN server in Nepal

With an Internet service provider – WorldLink in our case – adding a CDN with a high-speed infrastructure, data won’t have to travel many miles. Keep in mind that network latency is usually the result of traffic being redirected from its own network to a server.

When a CDN is closer to the user, the hops required to reach a destination are reduced, as is the ping, although a bad ISP or low speed will do the opposite.

WorldLink has just completed testing two of the CDN servers for PUBG so far and more will be added in the future, which is great news for all PUBG players in Nepal. Getting a “chicken dinner” is tastier than ever.


Pizza Hut, KFC and Costa Coffee operator Devyani International to raise around 1,400 crore yen with IPO

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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  • Devyani International, Yum Brands’ largest franchisee in India, has received regulatory approval for the IPO.
  • The company is looking to raise an estimated 1,400 crore.
  • It operates 692 stores in 26 states and 155 cities in India, as well as internationally in Nepal and Nigeria.

Devyani International, Yum Brands’ largest franchisee in India, which operates fast food (QSR) brands such as Pizza Hut and KFC, in addition to its own brands, has received regulatory approval to issue an initial public offering (IPO).

The company is looking to raise ₹ 1,400 crore through the IPO, according to market sources. However, in the draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) filed on May 14, the company said it planned to raise 400 crore.


It operates 692 stores in 26 states and 155 cities in India, as well as internationally in Nepal and Nigeria. The business of the company is broadly classified into three verticals which include the stores of KFC, Pizza Hut and Costa Coffee operated in India.

However, revenues for Pizza Hut and Costa Coffee have declined over the past three years.

Percentage of total revenues from operations
Flagship brands activity FY19 FY20 FY21
KFC 35.41% 40,175 56.77%
Pizza Hut 32.30% 27.53% 25.37%
Costa coffee 6.88% 5.41% 1.88%
Total 74.59% 73.10% 84.02%

In addition, it operates stores of certain other brands including Vaango, Food Street, Masala Twist, Amreli, and Ckrussh Juice Bar. The company derives 5.28% of turnover from these other operations, for fiscal year 21.

Publicity

The company believes that the QSR channel is expected to experience a significant rebound in the future due to the rapid urbanization and proliferation of the internet and the lack of time for meals due to busier lifestyles which have played a role. key role in growing popularity of western fast food in India.

Quick Service Restaurant is a food establishment primarily focused on providing meals or non-alcoholic beverages, with limited or no table services.

In 2020 in particular, home deliveries drove the revenues of these players, amid the pandemic. However, the much lower traffic to their sites caused them to close several of their outlets. Domino’s Pizza closed 100 of its outlets in the third quarter of 2020, the company’s DRHP record showed.

The company plans to repay its loans with 357 crore from the net proceeds of the IPO.

Additionally, the pandemic has accelerated the growth of online food orders through food delivery apps as consumers have turned to online platforms to avoid spreading or becoming infected with the coronavirus in places. public.

Besides the pandemic, the growing internet and mobile penetration in India and the advent of food delivery apps are also key factors pulling consumers away from traditional dining experiences and towards convenience-oriented options, according to the DRHP.

SEE ALSO: Amazon Prime Day 2021: Discounts on Kindle, Echo, Fire TV and more

Big Indian YouTube Extortion Criminals Make Money From YouTubers


As temperatures rise, “aliens” threaten CNP – The Himalayan Times – Nepal’s No.1 English Daily Newspaper

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


• Grasslands now cover 6% of the park, compared to 20% in the 1970s

• The fight against invasive plants and the digging of ponds cost $ 400,000 per year

CHITWAN, JULY 19

When botany professor Bharat Babu Shrestha visited Nepal’s Chitwan National Park in 2013, feverfew – a flowering plant in the daisy family – was rare.

Today, large areas of the park’s grasslands are covered with this invasive plant, said Shrestha, who teaches at Tribhuvan University.

Non-native plants have spread rapidly in Nepal’s oldest national park in recent years – and part of the reason is rising temperatures as the use of fossil fuels warms the planet, the expert said. “invasion ecology”.

“Climate change appears to be conducive to the faster growth of invasive alien plants,” Shrestha said.

The wave of exotic plants in Chitwan, a 950 km² park in the plains of southern Nepal, is now crowding out grasslands and wetlands that provide food and shelter for the park’s iconic wildlife, according to park officials. It is a problem seen in parks and reserves around the world as climate change changes the meaning of “conserving” natural areas.

“Like never before, the park is facing habitat loss at an alarming rate,” said Ananath Baral, conservation officer at Chitwan. “We are concerned about the future of wildlife.

Over the past decade, the park’s grasslands have been heavily invaded by plants such as feverfew, lantana, a climbing plant known as a ‘mile-a-minute’ weed – and wild grass. Siam, considered one of the most problematic invaders in the world, said Baral.

As a result, in parts of the park, the grass favored by the park’s wildlife – including the one-horned rhino, deer and antelope – has partially or totally disappeared, he said.

The most recent grassland mapping of Chitwan, published in 2016, shows that the area of ​​the park and its grass-covered buffer zone has decreased to 6%, from 20% in 1973 when the reserve was created.

Rising temperatures and erratic rainfall have allowed non-native plants to thrive, said Uttam Babu Shrestha, who has looked into invasive species in Chitwan as director of the Kathmandu-based World Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies. .

As global temperatures are expected to continue to climb as the world struggles to reduce the use of fossil fuels, the invasion of plants is likely to increase in the near future, he warned.

Like the grasslands, the park’s wetlands are also under stress: covered in plants that local wildlife do not eat and overwhelmed by unprecedented flooding and unpredictable droughts, biologists say.

Babu Ram Lamichhane, head of the Biodiversity Conservation Center in Sauraha, on the outskirts of Chitwan, said the combination of heavy rains and flash floods during the monsoon and prolonged dry spells in spring was degrading wetlands in Chitwan .

Many ponds and ponds in the park have dried up and turned to wood or bare soil, and others have been filled with sand, silt and pebbles carried by the floodwaters, he said. “Too much and too little water are the two problems today. They threaten the rich biodiversity of the park, altering the habitat of wildlife,” Lamichhane said.

Spring 2019 has been so dry that park authorities had to install a well to pump water to waterers used by wild buffaloes, he said. And the one-horned rhinos have left two areas on the east side of the park because the more intense dry seasons mean the swamps they live in no longer fill with water, he added.

As water sources dry up and grasslands shrink, some animals in the park have started entering human settlements in search of better pastures and water, increasing the risk of human-wildlife conflict, according to the researchers. park authorities.

Residents of villages near the park now frequently report incidents of wildlife attacks and damage to their crops, conservation officer Baral said.

Trying to fix the problems is costly in labor and budget, according to Nepal’s wildlife officials.

“We need to dig new ponds and build meadows every year to keep the wildlife habitat intact,” said Haribhadra Acharya, spokesperson for the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation.

Since last July, park rangers have dug 16 new ponds and repaired 35 others in an attempt to capture and store rainwater and monsoon runoff, ranger Pushpa Deep Shrestha said.

They also worked to create 2,500 hectares of new grassland in the park, he said. Maintenance efforts – which also included removing invasive weeds, uprooting trees and burning weeds – cost around 50 million rupees, or 40% of the park’s total development budget, the ranger said. forest. Five years ago, only 9.5 million Nepalese rupees were spent on maintenance works, according to the annual report of Chitwan National Park.

Hard work to protect the park’s ecosystems and wildlife means that climate change has so far not affected tourism in the park, but Baral, the conservation officer, fears they will one day.

Chitwan National Park brings in more than 295 million Nepalese rupees each year, or nearly 40 percent of the total income generated by Nepal’s 20 protected areas, according to a DNPWC report.

“More than a third of tourists who come to Nepal to visit protected areas want to come here for wildlife tours and adventurous jungle safaris,”

Baral said. But if the park’s animals and the habitat they need are not adequately protected, “they will stop coming,” he warned.

Until a few years ago, the main concern of the park was to stop poachers.

But now, “conservation of habitats is becoming difficult in a time of climate change,” said conservation biologist Lamichhane.

A version of this article appears in the July 20, 2021 print of The Himalayan Times.


Importation of medical equipment almost doubled during pandemic

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


Imports of medical equipment doubled in the first 11 months of the 2020-21 fiscal year which ended Thursday as the country faced a devastating second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to statistics from Nepal Rastra Bank, the country imported medical equipment worth 15.24 billion rupees in the first 11 months, compared to Rs 8.08 billion in the same period of fiscal year 2019-2020.

The Nepalese imported these items mainly from China and countries other than India, as the medical equipment has become one of the main import items in the country. No significant imports of medical equipment were recorded from India, as it faced its own second wave earlier this year.

The country imported medical equipment worth 6.61 billion rupees from China, with imports of 128% compared to the same period of the previous year. Likewise, imports from third countries also increased by 66.4% to 8.62 billion rupees, according to central bank statistics.

In fact, since the pandemic hit the country in early 2020, imports of medical equipment have started to increase.

In particular, imports from China had jumped by around 104.8% to 2.9 billion rupees in the first 11 months of fiscal year 2019-2020 on an annual basis, while imports from third countries had declined 12.2% to 5.18 billion rupees during the same period, according to the central bank.

Suppliers of medical equipment say the pandemic has primarily fueled the importation of these items over the past year and a half. In particular, the crisis the country faced in the second wave of the pandemic from April fueled the import of medical equipment, the suppliers said.

According to medical product suppliers, the supply of oxygen concentrators, oxygen plants, oxygen cylinders, antigen test kits, oximeters, intensive care units and units high reliance on hospitals, among others, was mainly imported during the second wave of the pandemic.

In addition to commercial supplies of medical products, the country received 4126 oxygen concentrators of different capacities, 6,945 oxygen cylinders, 1.48 million oxygen kits, 13,820 body bags, 218 ventilators among others from various foreign governments and national and international agencies during the period from April 14 to July 4, according to the Ministry of Health services.

Such was the demand that importers who did not use medical products changed direction.

“Not only distributors of medical equipment, but also importers of clothing and footwear have also imported medical equipment such as oximeters, oxygen concentrators and infrared thermometers (or heat guns) contributing to the strong growth of the company. ‘supply of these items in the country, “said Suresh Ghimire, president of the Chemical and Medical Suppliers’ Association Nepal, medical equipment pool.

“Now there is a good stock of medical supplies which can be significant if the country is hit by the potential third wave of the pandemic.”

Nepalese health officials suspect that the third wave of the pandemic could strike the country during the coming fall season. As part of the preparation, the ministry has asked hospitals to organize 20 percent of beds for people under the age of 18 who have not been vaccinated.

Meanwhile, several federal, provincial and local government agencies and hospitals began the procurement process to set up or improve medical facilities before the end of the previous fiscal year. Many have struggled to procure the medical products to spend the allocated budget over the past fiscal year.

“With the arrival of more equipment purchased by these agencies, the overall import of medical equipment will be much larger in the future,” Ghimire said.

But of late, according to medical product suppliers, demand for medical products has declined alongside the decline in Covid-19 cases. But, they said available goods or more could be needed if the country is hit by the potential third wave of the pandemic.

“The government itself has announced the construction of several hospitals and the addition of medical facilities in hospitals and the demand for medical equipment will remain good even in the new fiscal year,” said Kumar Dahal, director of Subarna Shristi. Private Limited, a Kathmandu-based medical equipment importer and supplier.

In the current fiscal year budget, the government announced the completion of construction of 5 to 15 bed hospitals in 397 local units over the next two years.

A budget has also been allocated for the construction of a 300-bed infectious disease hospital in the Kathmandu Valley and 50-bed infectious disease hospitals in each province. The federal government has allocated 4 billion rupees to purchase intensive care beds and HDUs, ventilators, test kits, among others, according to the budget provision.

“Even in normal times, the demand for medical equipment has remained stable and the demand will increase alongside the government’s plan to increase medical infrastructure,” Dahal said.

Besides public hospitals, private hospitals are also expected to increase demand for medical equipment. For example, the budget for the current fiscal year made it compulsory for hospitals more than 100 beds to have their own oxygen factories.

Even though the supply of medical equipment has increased over the past fiscal year, suppliers have complained about the high freight costs they have been forced to pay.

“Airline tickets and sea freight charges have become very expensive for the delivery of medical products,” Dahal said.

“Most medical equipment falls under the dangerous goods category due to the presence of batteries inside and it has to be carried by certain carriers that overload. To import goods we have to rely on one airline, Cathay Pacific from Hong Kong, which makes things expensive. “

Ocean freight has also become expensive, he said, with ships charging up to $ 5,600 per container, compared to just $ 1,200 per container normally.

“It is therefore also essential that road transport links with China are good,” he added.

While the Tatopani customs point in Sindhupalchowk district remains closed, importation via Rashuwagadi from Rasuwa district has not been smooth since the start of the pandemic last year.


More than 1,000 people a day expected to be hospitalized amid rising Covid cases

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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PProfessor Sir Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, said the beta variant first identified in South Africa may elude vaccine immunity, but he expects the AstraZeneca vaccine to still deliver a “very high protection” against hospitalization and death.

“The beta variant is also in the UK, and just like the Delta variant, it is able to evade vaccine immunity to some extent,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today program. .

“It is actually quite effective at evading vaccine immunity, so we would expect it to be able to spread in vaccinated populations.

“We know that people who have received RNA vaccines, such as the Pfizer vaccine, as well as the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine, can be infected with the beta variant.”

Asked about the effectiveness of the AstraZeneca vaccine against the beta variant, he said: “There is a really important study, which was conducted in South Africa by Johnson and Johnson, which showed that with just one dose of this vaccine, there was 100% protection. against hospitalization and death.

“The RNA vaccine, Pfizer vaccine, and Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine are given in two doses. The AstraZeneca vaccine is very similar to that of Johnson and Johnson and we would expect the biology to have very high protection against it. hospitalization and death, and I have no doubts that this will be the case, because that is how vaccines work. ”


Rising temperatures destroy Asiatic black bear habitat in Himalayas

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


The Asiatic black bear once extended as far west as Germany and France. Native to the hill forests of Asia, the bear range currently extends from Iran, through the Himalayas to the Hindu Kush, Japan and the Russian Far East. But by 2100, researchers say, climate change will further alter the species’ distribution.

The Asiatic black bear is also known as the “moon bear”, referring to the white crescent-shaped mark on its chest. Classified as a vulnerable species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, this medium-sized bear is threatened by habitat loss and poaching.

Climate effect

As temperatures warm, forests begin to grow at different altitudes. Bears depend on forest vegetation for food, which means that the location of suitable habitat will change. This, along with land use planning, agriculture and deforestation, could lead to habitat fragmentation, forcing bears to form isolated subpopulations and making them vulnerable to population decline.

In a new study published this month, a team of researchers from Australia, China and the United States modeled the impact of climate change on the range of the Asian black bear in the Hindu Kush Himalayas, an area of ​​4.19 million square kilometers across Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan. The researchers used two climate scenarios in the study: a worst-case scenario (RCP 8.5) and a “probable” scenario (RCP 4.5).

The authors modeled the suitability of current and future habitats for Asian black bears using 561 records of bear presence, 19 climate variables (such as annual temperature range and precipitation seasonality), and five variables. non-climatic (such as altitude, index of human influence and land-use change).

There was an expected overall reduction in suitable habitat in the eight countries studied, from 487,036 km² currently to 458,060 km² in the RCP 4.5 scenario – a loss of almost 30,000 km². Even in areas where an increase in suitable habitat is predicted, habitat fragmentation and human-bear conflict could threaten populations.

The model found that the greatest amount of current suitable habitat was in China, followed by India, Nepal and Myanmar.

Forced to higher ground

The study found that suitable habitat for Asian black bears is primarily found at elevations of 1,501 meters to 3,000 meters above sea level. Going forward, in both climate scenarios , this is expected to move both north and at elevations above 3,500 m, with suitable habitat declining in the southern part of the species’ current range.

For example, bear habitat is expected to decrease in the lower elevations of Nepal and in southern Sichuan Province in China, but increase in northwest Sichuan, northern and northeastern Kashmir (in India and Pakistan), Himachal Pradesh and along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

“Our results indicated a range shift to higher elevations,” said Babar Zahoor, an ecologist at Tsinghua University in China and lead author of the study. The third pole. “Thus, in countries or regions with mountains or forests, not above this elevation, the species may be under the greatest threat of extinction.”

“The treeline change is expected to occur in the future due to climate change and there may be a small gain in black bear habitats at higher elevations and a small loss. at lower altitudes, “said S Sathyakumar, senior scientist in the department. of endangered species management at the Wildlife Institute of India, a government-affiliated research institution.

Sathyakumar, who was not involved in the study, added that because the black bear is a forest species and largely feeds on fruits, nuts and vegetation, climate change could impact the ability to the forest to provide suitable food for black bears in the future.

The study predicted that in China and Myanmar, suitable habitats would decrease by about 30% and 50% respectively under the RCP 4.5 climate change scenario. In Bangladesh, the model predicted a reduction in suitable habitat from 35% to 58%. With Asian bear populations already low and fragmented in Bangladesh, the authors say this could increase the risk of the species becoming extinct in the country.

One of the largest reductions (48%) in suitable habitat has been projected in lowland areas of Nepal.

However, Rabin Kadariya, conservation officer at the Bardia Conservation Program, a project of the Nepalese NGO National Trust for Nature Conservation, questioned whether black bear habitat would in fact decline in Nepal. Kadariya, who was not involved in the study, said that “studies have shown that forest cover has increased in the hilly areas of Nepal where black bears are found due to [the] Community forestry program, reducing dependence on forests due to changing livelihoods and migration of people from the hills to neighboring towns ”.

He added that the black bear has been recorded across a wide range of altitudes in Nepal, from 260 m in the Babai Valley of Bardia National Park to the mountains at around 3,600 meters. “[Over] Over the past 20 years, black bear habitat must improve through successful community forest management in the hilly region.

In the central Himalayan area of ​​the Hindu Kush, the Kashmir region (India and Pakistan), Uttarakhand and Bhutan, the model predicted that suitable habitat for the Asian black bear would remain largely unchanged in the future. Meanwhile, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, suitable habitat is expected to increase. However, the authors warn that human activities, such as habitat fragmentation, poaching, and conflict with humans, could affect bear populations.

Melissa Songer, one of the study authors from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in the United States, said: “The decline in suitable habitat in Nepal and Bangladesh and the increase in Pakistan and Afghanistan are linked to changes in vegetation along geographic dimensions.

She explained that this change is due to temperature variability in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region, resulting in habitat loss in the east, but areas of continued suitability in central and western parts of the region. the Hindu Kush Himalayas.

Confluence of threats

Both Sathyakumar and Kadariya have said that retaliatory killings and the illegal trade in bear parts – current threats to the Asian black bear – are likely to have a bigger impact than climate change on the future of Africa. species.

Sathyakumar said, “We need regular monitoring of conflict hotspots by well-trained frontline personnel to prevent and manage conflict, and large-scale intelligence gathering to control poaching and smuggling of parties. bear. “

According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Asian black bears are mainly poached for their gallbladder and paws. Bear paws are eaten as a delicacy in parts of China and Southeast Asia, while bear bile – extracted from the gallbladder – is used in some traditional Asian medicines. Elsewhere in the species’ range, such as Pakistan, live bears are illegally captured to bait bears.

Songer said that as climate change affects the range of Asian black bears, there will be an increase in human-bear conflict and the intensity of poaching. “The model’s overall prediction is a reduction in habitat available to bears,” Songer said. “Ultimately, less habitat will mean less available forage and [an increased] need to plunder the crops.

A study of the human-bear conflict in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan, found that between 2013 and 2015, 40,280 kg of maize and 1,49,300 kg of fodder were damaged, with an estimated loss of $ 22,040 for farmers.

Human-bear conflicts have escalated in Kashmir over the past decade, causing serious injuries and deaths. Studies have shown that 90% of attacks occur during the day, around agricultural areas.

“The increase in poaching could result from loss of livelihoods due to looting of crops and an effort to reduce the bear population in order to reduce conflict,” Songer said.

Sathyakumar recommended working with local communities to reduce crop and livestock losses. The measures include the use of barriers, bear repellents, better shelter for livestock, insurance plans and, most importantly, providing victims of bear attacks with support for treatment and resources. subsistence.

This article first appeared on The Third Pole.


The government regularly renews banning orders but does little to enforce them

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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Last Thursday, the three Kathmandu Valley district chiefs held a meeting to extend the Covid-19 ban orders by 10 days from Friday without any substantial changes in their previous announcements.

This time, too, the administrators of the valley announced the maintenance of the ban on public gatherings and gatherings, and the closure of trading houses that draw crowds. The prohibition notice states that hair salons, beauty salons and gyms will remain closed during the restriction period.

The orders, however, are limited to a simple “announcement” as hardly anyone follows them, according to health experts.

Rallies and mass rallies were ubiquitous on valley roads last week after the Supreme Court overturned KP Sharma Oli’s May 21 decision to dissolve the House of Representatives and ordered President Bidya Devi Bhandari to appoint President of the Nepalese Congress Sher Bahadur Deuba as Prime Minister.

In accordance with the prohibition orders, public vehicles can only transport passengers up to their reception capacity by following the health protocol and restaurants can only offer take-out services until 7 p.m., among other things.

There are, however, complaints that valley authorities are paying little attention to curb enforcement. District leaders seem to only renew orders periodically.

“The problem with Valley administrators is that they meet and make a decision. They don’t care about effectively implementing their announcement, ”said Dr Baburam Marasini, former director of the Division of Epidemiology and Disease Control.

The country reported 1,223 new cases of Covid-19 with 23 deaths on Sunday. Of the total infections, the Kathmandu Valley recorded 334 new cases in the past 24 hours. According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 234 cases have been confirmed in Kathmandu, 64 in Lalitpur and 36 in Bhaktapur.

Marasini says there are three things missing between government authorities: mobilization, capacity building and coordination. “Once these authorities have made their decisions, they should mobilize the necessary manpower to ensure that the decisions are implemented,” said Marasini.

In the past week, almost every restaurant has opened its doors to customers, with some appearing to be quite full of people having meals with family and friends.

“The district chiefs could have coordinated with the Nepal Hotel Association and with their help they could have established certain protocols to serve the customers, but they are too lazy to make effective plans,” said Marasaini.

He expressed fears that the current trend of uncontrolled public and mass movements could lead to devastation. “We are still in the risk zone, and at any time the third wave could strike if the pandemic is not taken seriously,” Marasini said.

He even accused the government authorities of not coordinating with public transport operators for an effective implementation of the health protocol.

Although the notice issued by the Kathmandu District Administrative Office states that public vehicles operating inside the valley will need to ensure that passengers wear masks, and that drivers and assistants wear masks, visors and gloves and place disinfectants on the door of every public vehicle, they are hard to find. Safa tempos and blue microbuses cannot carry more than nine passengers and are required to put a plastic sheet separating the two sides in the aisle but this is difficult to find.

Most tempos and microbuses operate without installing plastic screens, and public vehicles carry passengers beyond their capacity during office hours. Although the government has not yet allowed public transport vehicles to travel on long journeys, private and public bus operators still carry passengers by charging them exorbitant fares by misusing issued passes. by local authorities.

Announced on April 29, the banning orders have remained in Kathmandu for more than two months now even though most restrictions have been relaxed in recent weeks. During the first week of June, the lockdown was gradually relaxed. After the third week of June, when public buses were allowed to run on odd and even number plates and businesses to operate every alternate day, authorities ignored effective curb enforcement. .

Dr Sher Bahadur Pun, head of the clinical research unit at Teku-based Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, said lax government agencies and the public could create a difficult situation. If there is a worrying new variant, it will fuel a potential third wave of coronavirus, Pun said.


SpiceJet promoter Ajay Singh to bid for Air India

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


One of the famous low cost carriers, Spicejet promoter Ajay Singh, is now set to put in a $ 1 billion war chest to bid on the 100% stake in Air India.

The government decided to divest 100% in Air India as they were likely to withdraw from government assets due to the loss of several years amid the COVID 19 pandemic. To collect income and repay its debt of Rs About 37,000 crore, the government has put out a tender for 100 percent of its equity.

Photo: SpiceJet Boeing 737-800

According to the Economic Times, the proposal will be made through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) which will most likely include two US-based funds. This SPV will bid for the entire government share in Air India. As a result of the partnership, Ajay Singh is expected to own at least 26% stake in the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), with US funds contributing around $ 700 million. According to reports, several adjustments are expected in the final agreement of this plan, which is currently in its preliminary stages.

Ajay Singh intends to make a personal contribution of $ 300 million, using a mix of his company’s shares and the shares attributed to him. This could potentially cause it to sell part of its investment in Spicejet once the units are listed. The SpiceJet CEO is expected to reduce his stake once the airline’s cargo unit (OFS) offer to sell is announced. The final arrangement may change, depending on the article, because designs are always changing.

According to recent stock information, Singh owns more than 60% of SpiceJet, with the remaining third being weighed down. SpiceJet’s market capitalization was Rs 4,850 crore at the last closing price of Rs 80 per share, valuing Singh’s stake in the airline at Rs 2,900 crore.

Tata Sons, the holding company of the $ 113 billion software salt conglomerate, recently hired Bain and Company and Seabury Group to conduct a due diligence on the divestiture of Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express. Ajay Singh of SpiceJet, who is also preparing to bid for the state-owned airline, is a new challenger.

In the meantime, the government has set a deadline for the submission of Air India’s financial offers by the third week of August. The transaction also includes the airline’s investment in low cost carrier Air India Express and a 50% stake in the freight and ground handling joint venture with Singapore SATS. Air India, which has been listed for sale, has a debt of Rs 37,000 crore, which would most likely be deposited with a government-owned asset holding company.

Photograph Boeing 737 MAX 10 AK.13
Spice Jet Boeing 737 MAX 10 Photo by AK.13 Photograph

Among all Indian airlines, Air India has an international market share of 50 percent and a domestic market share of 12 percent. Bidders for Air India will need to provide enterprise value for the airline, which means they will need to assess the government’s involvement separately from the amount of debt they are willing to take on.

The government had previously said it had received “several expressions of interest” and that the deadline for submitting financial offers was set for the third week of August.

Tata group on the run

Tata Group and Ajay Singh are the last two bidders for Air India. The Tata Group apparently offered a higher price than Singh in the preliminary tender for Air India, but the latest offer will undoubtedly encourage the Tata Group to do more.

Photo of Vistara A320neo VT-TYB by Eurospot

Even if the Tata group is keen to acquire the assets as quickly as possible. They must outbid Ajay Singh to claim the 100% stake in Air India. The competition is going to be fierce. This will surely benefit Air India or the government itself.


Pulitzer Prize-winning press photographer’s body returns home to India

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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Published on: Amended:

New Delhi (AFP)

Danish Pulitzer Prize-winning press photographer Siddiqui was buried in the Indian capital on Sunday, two days after being killed while covering fighting between Afghan security forces and the Taliban near a border post with Pakistan.

Siddiqui, an Indian national of the Reuters news agency, was part of the Afghan special forces in the former Taliban stronghold of Kandahar when he died, the news agency said on Friday.

The body of the 38-year-old arrived in New Delhi on a flight from Afghanistan on Sunday evening and his coffin was taken to his home where hundreds of friends and media colleagues had gathered at the ‘outside.

An estimated 500 people then participated in the final prayers for Siddiqui at his alma mater, Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi, according to an AFP photographer on campus.

He was then buried in the cemetery of the university campus.

Tributes had poured in for Siddiqui in India after news of his death was announced.

Candlelight vigils were organized by journalists in several Indian cities on Saturday.

Siddiqui was part of a team that shared the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for background photography for documenting the Rohingya refugee crisis.

He had also covered the war in Iraq, protests in Hong Kong and earthquakes in Nepal since he started working for Reuters in 2010, the agency said.

Afghanistan has long been one of the most dangerous countries in the world for the media.

# photo1

Several journalists, including women, have been killed in targeted attacks since the Taliban and Washington signed an agreement in February 2020 that paved the way for the withdrawal of foreign forces.

© 2021 AFP


New Nepalese Prime Minister Wins Confidence Vote Amid Coronavirus Crisis

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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Newly appointed Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, wearing a face mask, walks after officially taking office at the Singha Durbar office complex which houses the Prime Minister’s office and other ministries, in Kathmandu, Nepal on July 13, 2021. REUTERS / Navesh Chitrakar / File Photo

KATMANDU, July 18 (Reuters) – Nepal’s new Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba won a confidence vote in parliament on Sunday, days after the Supreme Court reinstated the dissolved legislature in May.

The 75-year-old, who has held the post four times previously, won 165 votes – exceeding the required 136 – with 83 votes against him, Parliament Speaker Agni Sapkota said.

He faces the immediate task of procuring vaccines and controlling the spread of COVID-19, which the government says has infected 667,109 people and killed 9,550 people. Public health experts say an underreporting of cases in the country means the numbers could be higher.

Less than 4% of the country’s 30 million people have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. More than 1.3 million people, who received a first dose of a vaccine, are waiting for a second as the government scrambles to obtain vaccines.

“The fight against COVID will be the first priority of the new government,” Deuba told parliament.

The new government has pledged to vaccinate a third of its population over the next three months and all Nepalese by next April.

Last Monday, the Supreme Court ordered that Deuba be appointed prime minister in place of KP Sharma Oli. He ruled that Oli, who had been in power for three years, had violated the constitution by dissolving parliament. However, Deuba had yet to win the vote of confidence, under the constitution.

Deuba, leader of the centrist Nepalese Congress party, will lead a coalition with former Maoist rebels and a party representing a dominant minority community in the southern plains of Nepal.

Oli, 69, says he was unfairly removed from his post by the court and vowed to “go to the people” to explain his position.

Pradeep Gyawali, a senior official in Oli’s United Marxist-Leninist Communist Party, said the Oli government “will be remembered by the people for the many good works it did” while in power.

Reporting by Gopal Sharma; Editing by Pravin Char

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


The Hundred Team Guide: Everything You Need to Know About Oval Invincibles | Cricket News

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


Coaches Tom Moody and Jonathan Batty oversee a sparkling array of talent at the Kia Oval with Georgia Adams, Marizanne Kapp and Dane van Niekerk leading a star-studded women’s team and Sandeep Lamichhane, Saqib Mahmood and Sunil Narine at the helm. ‘an impressive male outfit. ..

Last update: 07/18/21 10:14 am

Sam Curran and Georgia Adams: two of the powerful line-ups of Oval Invincibles

No team at The Hundred has a bigger name to live up to than the Oval Invincibles. Take a closer look at what makes the Oval outfit such a force to be reckoned with …

Women’s team (overseas players in bold)

Georgia Adams, Megan Belt, Sarah Bryce, Alice Capsey, Tash Farrant, Jo Gardner, Grace Gibbs, Eva Gray, Danielle Gregory, Shabnim Ismail (South Africa), Marizanne Kapp (South Africa), Rhianna Southby, Dane van Niekerk (South Africa), Mady Villiers, Fran Wilson

Men’s team (foreign players in bold)

Sam Billings, Alex Blake, Rory Burns, Jordan Clark, Jordan Cox, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Laurie Evans, Brandon Glover, Colin Ingram (South Africa), Will Jacks, Sandeep Lamichhane (Nepal), Saqib Mahmood, Sunil Narine (West Indies), Jason Roy, Nathan Sowter, Reece Topley

Invincible vs originals

July 21, 2021, 6:00 p.m.

Live of Sky Sports Cricket HD

Coaches: Oval pillar Jonathan batty was the natural fit to step in as a women’s coach once Lydia Greenway chose to take on a broadcast role with Sky – the former wicket keeper complementing her existing role as head coach of Surrey Women. The male part will be guided by the formidable presence of the Australians Tom moody, whose CV includes World Cup and IPL success.

Stadium: The Oval Kia

Male star players: Sandeep Lamichhane, Saqib Mahmood, Sunil Narine … There’s an embarrassment to beat riches at the Oval, but the bowling options are truly enticing. No one has risen more sharply lately than Saqib Mahmood, who has not only added a meter of pace, but these days he’s got a lot of us as he has shown streak numbers of 9-123 in the three ODI against Pakistan. Expect Nepalese leggie Lamichhane to hit the English scene after making T20 cricket headlines around the world and his partnership with legendary spinner Sunil Narine has every chance to tie up the hitters of the opposition.

Saqib Mahmood's impressive reputation has been bolstered by his recent performances in England

Saqib Mahmood’s impressive reputation has been bolstered by his recent performances in England

Star female players: Georgia Adams, Marizanne Kapp, Dane van Niekerk… to name just three. Adams has scored points for fun the past few seasons, topping the charts at last summer’s Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and leading Southern Vipers to the title. The versatile Kapp is a force to be reckoned with, with bat and ball, having scored over 3,000 international races and taken nearly 200 wickets for his native South Africa. Equally prolific is Kapp’s wife Van Niekerk – her leg rotation has claimed 194 lives and nearly 4,000 international races.

South African Marizanne Kapp remains a formidable opponent in all formats of play

South African Marizanne Kapp remains a formidable opponent in all formats of play

How far can the women’s team go? They’re called the Invincibles for a reason, right? Expect the oval to be a fortress with the rhythm of Shabnim Ismail bolstering Protea’s power in the camp. There’s also an impressive pinch of English talent, led by ever-impressive spinner Mady Villiers, who scored 3-10 earlier this year against New Zealand. Add in the experience of internationals Tash Farrant – back on the scene and eager to leave after a spell – and Fran Wilson, and it’s hard not to support them.

Invincible vs originals

July 22, 2021, 6:00 p.m.

Live of Sky Sports Cricket HD

How far can the men’s team go? Losing Rory Burns’ pledges to test might not hurt as much as dismissing Sam Curran, whose reputation as a short-lived match winner in either discipline makes him one of the most popular properties on the planet. A strong contingent of Brown Caps, including Jason Roy, Laurie Evans and Will Jacks, will be bolstered by natural finishers like Sam Billings and Colin Ingram. The team is undoubtedly littered with ridiculous talent – the question to be answered is, will this ability come together and make an unbreakable team?

The Hundred begins with a women’s match between Oval Invincibles and Manchester Originals at the Kia Oval on Wednesday, July 21, with the men’s competition starting a day later at the same venue.

Sky Sports will broadcast all 68 games live – 34 women and 34 men – while all the women games and a significant number of the men games will be streamed live on the Sky Cricket YouTube Channel.


In memory of Siddiqui, Hasan, Ramrakha, three Indian journalists who died while covering the war

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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There is this poem by Lawrence Binyon called “For the Dead” and commemorating those who were killed in war, of which the fourth stanza reads:

They will not grow old, like us, who stay, grow old:
Age will not tire them, nor the years will condemn.
At sunset and in the morning
We will remember them.

The Danish Siddiqui, Najmul Hasan and Priya Ramrakha were Indian journalists who died young while covering the war. Siddiqui and Hasan were Indian citizens who worked from India for the Reuters news service and their last assignment was to cover a war in a third country. I briefly met one of them (Hasan). The other two were before and after my days of active journalism. Hasan was a correspondent while the other two were photojournalists.

Ramrakha, 33, was a Kenyan of Indian descent and was covering a war in Africa for the international news magazine Time / Life when he was killed in 1968 in crossfire between Nigerian soldiers and rebels from Biafra. A CBS film crew captured Ramrakha’s final moments. Ramrakha was shot, his camera fell to the ground, and he died while CBS correspondent Morley Safer attempted to transport him to safety. Many of Ramrakha’s finest photographs, believed to have been lost for 40 years, were found buried in a Nairobi garage in 2018. They have since been published in a hardcover book titled “Priya Ramrakha: The Recovered Archive”.

As the Priya Ramrakha Foundation says: “This work is a unique collection of street photographs and journalistic work across Africa and the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. Coming from an activist family of journalists, he has recounted through his work the anti-colonial and post-colonial struggles across Africa. One of the first African journalists to be employed by Time / Life, his iconic images defied stereotypes, censorship and editorial demand, and captured key moments ranging from the Mau Mau in the early 1950s to the independence movements of Africa in the 1960s. The Pan-African goal of Ramrakha has witnessed moments of political resistance from ordinary people and leading political figures in Africa and from the civil rights movement in the United States, from Jomo Kenyatta and Tom Mboya in Kennedy, Miriam Makeba, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. His job was cut short when (at the age of 33) he was killed in crossfire covering the front lines of Biafra in 1968.

Najmul Hasan, 37, was killed during the Iran-Iraq war on August 11, 1983. According to The Baron (who describes himself as the essential source of information for people at Reuters, past and present), “August 8, 1983 , in the fourth year of the Iran-Iraq war, Najmul Hasan arrived in Iran from Delhi to replace the Tehran correspondent on leave. Three days later, he joined a group of journalists to visit the war front in western Iran. Journalists were briefed by Iranian officials, then set up a rocky ravine. A land mine exploded, killing Hasan and an Iranian government official. Several other journalists were injured. Hasan’s body was repatriated to India and he was buried in a Shiite ceremony on a shaded hill in a cemetery near the apartment in the Delhi press enclave where he had lived. He left behind a widow, Barbara, and two children.
When unveiling a commemorative plaque in London in 1984, Reuters editor-in-chief Glen Renfrew said: “Competing correspondents in India agreed on their assessment of Najmul Hasan, a truly professional journalist who had no need some smart stuff or writing. ” A Reuters Fellowship at the University of Oxford has been established in memory of Hasan, the sixth such fellowship created by Reuters to help advance journalism in developing countries. During his 67-month tenure at Reuters, Hasan had covered the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan, presidential elections in Sri Lanka, and political upheaval in Nepal, Bangladesh, and northeastern Assam state. from India. Reuters, on the front page around the world. After his death, his wife Barbara was employed by Reuters as an office librarian. “I was a completely unskilled housewife, but I stayed 16 years,” she said.

The most recent death of an Indian journalist in a war zone is that of 38-year-old Reuters photojournalist, Danish Siddiqui, who was killed on Friday, July 16, 2021, while covering a clash between Taliban fighters and the special Afghan. who were trying to take over the main market area of ​​Spin Boldak on the Afghan side of the border with Pakistan. Siddiqui had been injured by shrapnel earlier in the day on July 16. He was treated and was talking with traders when the Taliban attacked again and he was killed, along with a senior Afghan officer. Siddiqui was integrated into the Afghan special forces. His body was handed over to the Afghan Red Crescent by the Taliban who said they were unaware of the circumstances in which Siddiqui was killed and that it was unfortunate that journalists entered the war zone without intimidate them. “Any journalist entering the war zone must let us know. We will take good care of this particular individual, ”said Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Ahmed. Siddiqui is survived by his wife Rike (a German national) and two children.

Siddiqui was part of the Reuters team that won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for reportage photography for documenting the Rohingya refugee crisis. During his 11-year stint with Reuters, Siddiqui had covered the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Rohingya refugee crisis, the earthquake in Nepal, the Easter Sunday explosions (2019) in which 250 people have deaths in Colombo, the Hong Kong protests, and, more recently, the Second Crown Wave mass cremations in Delhi and other parts of the country.

“I shoot for the common man who wants to see and feel a story of a place where he cannot be present himself,” Siddiqui said, confirmed by his award-winning photograph (September 11, 2017) of a Rohingya out of print. woman kneeling and touching the shore at Shah Porir-Dwip after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border by boat across the Bay of Bengal. In the foreground of the Reuters photograph is the kneeling woman as the backdrop is provided by the blue sky and deep sea.

In an eloquent statement for the death of Danish Siddiqui, the Editors Guild of India noted that his work was a living testament to the axiom of photojournalism that “if your photos aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough. While describing his death “as a stark reminder of the great risks journalists take to report from the front lines of the conflict.”

However, it would be simplistic to register Ramrakha, Hasan and Siddiqui as three journalists who did everything they could to be killed. All we have to do is remember Marie Colvin, the fiercely independent journalist who was killed along with photographer Rémi Ochlik by Syrian army artillery fire at a media center in Homs on the evening of February 22, 2012, shortly after appearing live on the BBC, Channel 4, CNN and ITN News via satellite phone and described the “ruthless” bombings and sniper attacks on civilian buildings and people in the streets of Homs by government forces. On April 26, 2001, she lost sight in her left eye due to the explosion of a Sri Lankan army rocket-propelled grenade while reporting on the humanitarian disaster caused by a government blockade of food and medical supplies in the northern region of Tamil. During the last days of the war, in the summer of 2009, she was back in Sri Lanka, reporting war crimes against Tamil civilians.

In 1999 in East Timor, Colvin was credited with saving the lives of 1,500 women and children in a complex besieged by Indonesian-backed forces. Refusing to abandon the women and children, she constantly reported on their plight on television until they were all evacuated four days later. “You’ll never get where you’re going if you recognize the fear,” she told an interviewer. This quote was repeated at the end of the film “A Private War”, based on his life and released in 2018.

Colvin had always stressed the importance of the media “to enlighten humanity to the extreme, pushed to the point of unbearable.” As she said, “My job is to testify.”

This is what Ramrakha, Hasan and Siddiqui did throughout their careers and until the moment they were killed.



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Nine Udemy Courses for Nepalese Business Students

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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Online education has taken the world by storm and opened countless doors for students.

An online learning platform, Udemy is a website with over 155,000 courses on topics ranging from art and graphics to public speaking and financial management. The education market is full of video lessons that you can buy at a reasonable price. As Udemy courses are behind a paywall, direct payment can be a problem for Nepalese students. But Nepal Rastra Bank now allows Class “A” and “B” commercial banks to provide prepaid dollar cards for online transactions. You can also contact various service providers on social media who can help you access the online courses.

This week, ApEx brings you three Udemy course recommendations, each of three business and finance instructors teaching at various colleges in Kathmandu.

Amit Shrestha, Professor of Finance at the University of Pokhara and Professor of Financial Accounting and Reporting at British College

Financial planning and analysis: establishing a company’s budget by 365 careers

With a rating of 4.6, this 3.5 hours Classes starts with the basics and then builds on topics such as forecasting revenue, planning costs, developing working capital, deferring fixed assets and calculating cash flow. The course is self-paced and structured with 25 downloadable resources.

Mergers and Acquisitions – M&A, Business Valuation and Sale by Jon Colley

The lesson aims to improve students’ understanding of business valuation, management buyouts, negotiation and condition sheets, and to gain insight into the selling process. This seven-hour corporate finance course includes 73 downloadable resources.

Technical Analysis 102: Secrets of Trading Revealed by Luca Moschini

These four hours Classes Gives you insight into the global stock market, market direction and market cycles that affect price action. It also informs you about consolidation models and how frequency transactions work.

Prakash Sapkota, Professor of Finance at St. Xavier’s College, of Strategic Management at Shanker Dev Campus, and of Finance and Entrepreneurship at K&K International College

The Complete Digital Marketing Course – 12 lessons in 1 by Rob Percival and Daragh Walsh

This 22.5 hours Online course includes 351 lectures, 21 articles and a downloadable resource and covers the fundamentals of digital marketing with live demonstrations and examples. With tips on increasing traffic to your favorite media and increasing the number of subscribers, you can build an online business from scratch. The course has a grade of 4.5 from over half a million students.

Financial Modeling for Startups and Small Businesses by Evan Kimbrell and Symon He

For entrepreneurs who want to learn more about financial modeling for startups, this course helps you understand model user growth, expenses, revenue, and attrition, and forecast your business cash flow requirements. Aimed at beginners, it has a defined course framework with 80 lectures, two articles, 76 downloadable resources and 11.5 hours of content.

Ecommerce & Marketing course: Agency, Marketer, Affiliate by Rad Group and Pouya Eti

This course covers basic topics such as analyzing online traffic, building an interactive website and social media marketing, designing powerful funnels to drive sales, analyzing customer characteristics, designing of e-commerce structures and the sale of products online. With 51 hours of content, 362 lectures, 19 articles and 15 downloadable resources, the course is easy to follow and understand even for beginners.

Ruchin Singh, former professor of marketing at St. Xavier’s College

A full MBA in 1 course by Chris Haroun

Considered one of the most comprehensive and outstanding courses on the website with over 300,000 students, this course by Haroun consists of 82 lectures totaling approximately eight hours and simplifies the concepts behind business, accounting, and finance. Applauded for his interactive sessions, his market analysis presentation, and for giving students insight into topics such as corporate finance, venture capital, rapid networking and the value of communication skills, he this is one of the most coveted courses on the internet.

Social Media Marketing – Full Certificate Course by SO ME Academy

In the age of small business owners who adorn our social media, this course talks about how you can use social media, not only for marketing, but also for public relations and customer service by understanding the fundamentals of media. Find out how to build a social media strategy, audit organizations, and how content marketing can help you increase your sales with 14 downloadable resources and 75 conferences.

Microsoft Excel – From beginner to expert in 6 hours

Many of us tend to underestimate the features that Microsoft has made available to its users. With that Classes, you can start with the basics of Excel and then move on to the advanced features that only a few know about. With a Microsoft Certified Master Instructor with over 15 years of experience, you can learn how to create Excel project files, Excel templates, create passwords to protect your documents, collect data on the web, and create forms. online to collect data.


Studies show domestic violence can have serious repercussions on children’s nutrition

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “violence against women remains pervasive and devastating” affecting an estimated 736 million women worldwide. Women in low and lower middle income countries are disproportionately affected by violence. About 37 percent of women (15 to 49 years old) in the poorest countries are victims of violence, with a high prevalence of domestic violence in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, almost 33 to 51 percent (Figure 1) . The lowest prevalence (16-23%) was observed in regions of Europe, Central and East Asia.

The pandemic has further exacerbated violence against women, especially domestic violence showing an increase. The reasons include stress with loss of livelihood, disruption of social and protective networks, cramped living conditions and restricted movement. The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on gender equality calls for the elimination of “all forms of violence against all women and girls in public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual exploitation and others “. Yet 49 countries do not have legislation on domestic violence. The implications of COVID-19 have led to a 30% increase in domestic violence in some countries.

Violence has immediate effects on women’s health — physical, sexual and reproductive, as well as mental and behavioral. It increases the risk of maternal mortality and pregnancy-related consequences: low maternal weight and stillbirths. Studies in several countries (Nicaragua, Bangladesh, India and the United States) report a high incidence of low birth weight babies and deaths among pregnant women due to domestic violence.

WHO conducted a multi-country study on women’s health and domestic violence against women which showed strong associations between violence and the physical and mental symptoms of poor health in women. Women exposed to domestic violence are 16% more likely to have a low birth weight baby. In addition to having a direct impact on women, domestic violence also affects children. Studies indicate an association with undernutrition in children in households affected by domestic violence. A review of Demographic and Health Surveys from 29 low- and middle-income countries showed a strong association between stunting and domestic violence among wealthy and poorly educated women. The impact of domestic violence is further camouflaged with the impacts of food insecurity, micronutrient deficiency and limited access to sanitation in poor households.

Evidence from Latin America on domestic violence and child nutrition indicates adverse effects on a child’s long-term nutritional status. The child is less likely to receive antenatal care and the child to be breastfed and vaccinated. A causal estimate of the intangible costs of violence against women in Latin America and the Caribbean suggests a negative link with women’s health, affecting both short-term health outcomes and human capital accumulation children.

However, the education and age of women tend to protect against the negative impact of violence on children’s health. The World Bank indicates that the cost of violence against women could amount to 3.7% of GDP. Studies in Bangladesh and Nepal show an association between violence and women’s nutritional status and a possible link with increased stress, poor self-care and nutrition. A study on Pakistan’s mother-child dyad shows a significant increase in the number of children suffering from underweight, stunted growth and wasting among women victims of domestic violence.

Results from a Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey show compromised child growth with an increased risk of stunting in children born to women subjected to lifelong domestic violence. Community studies from Nicaragua and Bangladesh suggest that improving the status of women is strongly associated with improving the health and nutritional status of children. A regression analysis of data from Bangladesh found that domestic violence, among others, was a risk factor contributing to stunting in children. The impact of violence against women lasts for generations, with severe demographic consequences that hamper educational attainment and income potential.

There is a growing concern about gender-based violence in India with significant economic and social costs. Previous surveys indicate an increasing trend of domestic violence in India, despite being a criminal offense under section 498-A of the Indian Penal Code. A study indicates an increased likelihood of stunting, underweight and wasting in children whose mothers have been victims of domestic violence. The results of the NFHS-5 2019-2020 data indicate a decrease in the rate of domestic violence in many states and EU territories (Figure 2). However, Karnataka, Assam, Maharashtra, Ladakh, Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh show increasing trends.

Atreyee Sinha and Aparajita Chattopadhyay demonstrated the link between domestic violence and children’s nutritional status using a conceptual framework (Figure 3). It shows how the health of children depends on the empowerment and health status of the mother, and domestic violence is an important intermediate factor influencing the health of children.

Evidence points to a direct causal relationship between domestic violence and children’s growth and development with a significant impact on stunting and underweight in children.

The impact of violence is more evident among unemployed women than among employed and self-employed women. Domestic violence is a human rights issue and reducing its incidence contributes to the resulting health benefits. Above all, the pandemic has added to the challenge for adolescent girls (10-19 years) to access essential services. The social and economic impact of COVID-19 has been profound for rural women who are further subjected to domestic violence, abuse and malnutrition. Similar results have been reported in rural and tribal communities in southern India.

Improving gender inequality could contribute to a 10 percentage point drop in the prevalence rate of stunting among children. It is also essential and imperative to combine nutrition-specific interventions with women’s empowerment measures to reduce child undernutrition. A randomized controlled trial in the slums of Mumbai suggests community mobilization to address the public health burden of violence against women and girls. A systemic review of interventions to reduce domestic violence calls for effective communication-based and community-based interventions.

There is an urgent need to scale up interventions and invest in reducing undernutrition, improving nutrition and education for women, promoting gender equality, empowering women and elimination of domestic violence against women in order to reduce the prevalence of malnutrition.

This article first appeared on ORF.

Warning:Dr Shoba Suri is Senior Fellow of ORF’s Health Initiative. She is a nutritionist and has experience in community and clinical research. The opinions expressed are personal.

Read all the latest news, breaking news and coronavirus news here


Workers’ departures for South Korea may resume soon

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


After a wait of more than 16 months, a ray of hope emerged for thousands of Nepalese workers who were waiting to reach South Korea for employment.

South Korean authorities have hinted that they will soon start allowing entry for Nepalese workers who have been stuck at home since last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

During their recent discussions, the Nepalese and South Korean authorities agreed to resume the migration of Nepalese workers to the East Asian country in a few weeks.

According to Krishna Prasad Dawadi, director general of the Ministry of Overseas Employment, the central agency overseeing the overseas employment sector, the Korean side is in favor of welcoming Nepalese migrant workers.

“During our discussions and correspondence, the Korean side has shown a positive intention to welcome Nepalese workers in the near future,” Dawadi told the Post. “As international flights have resumed and there are also direct flights between South Korea and Nepal, they had to consider starting to hire Nepalese workers again. “

Labor migration to South Korea has faced hurdles since the first week of February 2020 after Covid-19 cases began to increase in many countries around the world, including Korea. South.

Later in the same month, the migration of young Nepalese to South Korea was temporarily halted after a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases there.

Since then, Nepalese workers have not been able to travel to Korea although labor migration to several other countries has resumed, after months of suspension due to the pandemic.

Several thousand Nepalese workers, who had passed Korean language and skills tests and qualified for Korean jobs, were forced to return home, risking losing their hard-earned opportunities.

They had also organized protests in Kathmandu to attract the attention of the authorities to take initiatives to resume labor migration to South Korea.

The last hope of reopening South Korea for Nepalese workers, however, comes with some preconditions.

“The Korean side visited us and expressed their intention to allow Nepalese migrants,” Dawadi said. “They also proposed certain conditions to allow Nepalese workers. “

The proposed conditions are that Nepalese workers must travel to South Korea by direct flights, not in transit, pay their medical insurance, which will cover the costs of the Covid-19 treatment, and pay the mandatory hotel quarantine set by the party. Korean.

“After their proposal, we also discussed the matter with Nepalese candidates, who are waiting to travel to South Korea. They also accepted these conditions, ”Dawadi said. “The Korean side has verbally informed us that they will welcome Nepalese workers, but no official decision has yet been taken.”

The latest development is a beacon of hope for nearly 8,000 Nepalese migrants, including newcomers and returnees, who have contracts for their second stay in Korea, according to government data.

The Nepalese migrants, who have been waiting to reach South Korea since last year, not only welcomed the recent developments, but also agreed to abide by the conditions set by the Korean side.

“We are aware of the latest discussions on resuming labor migration to South Korea. We are also aware of the preconditions and we are ready to meet them, ”Ajay Sodari, a Korean job candidate from Ghodaghodi Municipality in Kailali, told the Post. “Most of the people I know are willing to take a direct flight, pay for medical insurance and quarantine facilities in South Korea.”

Sodari was among 6,773 people who passed both the language test and the skills test to get a job in Korea in 2020 under the Work Permit System (PSE). However, before he could fly to Korea, Covid-19 struck and his dream of working in Korea was shattered.

Candidates like Sodari have invaded government agencies like the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security, the Ministry of Overseas Employment and the Korean section of the Work Permit System (EPS) for s ‘to inquire about their prospects of reaching South Korea since last year.

“Even on Monday, we met with the secretary of the Ministry of Labor and the director general of the Department of Overseas Employment,” Sodari said. “After a long wait of 16 months and frequent meetings with government agencies, this time we see some hope. The new conditions will increase the financial burden on us, but we are prepared to bear them. “

Nepalese are waiting to reach South Korea agreeing to bear the extra cost also because the East Asian country remains a favored destination for aspiring Nepalese workers for its better pay, safety and other facilities. compared to the Persian Gulf countries.

According to statistics from the Nepalese government, more than 65,000 Nepalese workers have traveled to South Korea since 2008 as part of the PSE.

As of January of this year, the minimum wage in South Korea was increased 1.5% from 8,590 South Korean won to 8,720 (around Rs892-Rs904) per hour.

But it looks like Nepalese workers desperate to reach South Korea will have to wait a bit longer for the official announcement.

“It is likely that they will take dedicated workers, who have served in South Korea before, in the first batch, although details are unclear on subsequent groups,” Dawadi said. “First batch of Nepalese candidates appear to fly to South Korea next month [Shrawan], but there is no fixed date or number of workers they will take from now on. “


First meeting of Nepal’s House of Representatives restored on Sunday

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


Kathmandu [Nepal]: The first meeting of the reinstated Nepalese House of Representatives (HoR) was called on Sunday by the country’s president, Bidhya Devi Bhandari, on the recommendation of the newly formed cabinet.

With the HoR, the meeting of the National Assembly or the Upper House was convened for the same day, in accordance with the press release from the Presidency.

“The meeting was called for 4 p.m. Sunday,” a statement from the president’s office said.

The meeting call is in line with Monday’s Supreme Court verdict to call the HoR meeting in a week’s time. Earlier in the afternoon, a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba recommended that the president call the meetings for July 18.

The Supreme Court issued an order on behalf of the government to convene a new House session by July 18, when it delivered its verdict on the House dissolution case earlier on Monday. It would be the first meeting of the lower house of parliament, made up of 275 members, after its unconstitutional dissolution on May 22.

President Bhandari on Monday prorogued the current session of the upper house on the recommendation of the outgoing government led by KP Oli. (ANI)

This story was posted from a feed with no text editing.

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Philippines bans entry for travelers from Indonesia to curb Delta variant

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Margaret B. Waterman
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0


MANILA: The Philippine government will ban all travelers from Indonesia from July 16 to 31 to curb the spread of the highly infectious variant of the Delta coronavirus, President Harry Roque spokesman said on July 14.

“President Rodrigo Duterte has approved travel restrictions for all travelers from Indonesia or those who have traveled to Indonesia in the two weeks prior to their arrival in the Philippines,” Roque said in a statement. This action is being taken to prevent the spread and community transmission of COVID-19 variants in the Philippines, ”Roque added.

The inclusion of Indonesia brings the list of countries banned by the Philippines to eight. Travelers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Oman and the United Arab Emirates are also not allowed to enter the country until July 31. The Philippines detected the Delta variant in samples taken from 19 returning Filipinos. No community transmission has been documented to date. According to the Philippine Ministry of Health, the country now has 1,485,457 confirmed cases of Covid-19, including 26,232 deaths.

MANILA: The Philippine government will ban all travelers from Indonesia from July 16 to 31 to curb the spread of the highly infectious variant of the Delta coronavirus, President Harry Roque spokesman said on July 14.

“President Rodrigo Duterte has approved travel restrictions for all travelers from Indonesia or those who have traveled to Indonesia in the two weeks prior to their arrival in the Philippines,” Roque said in a statement. This action is being taken to prevent the spread and community transmission of COVID-19 variants in the Philippines, ”Roque added.

The inclusion of Indonesia brings the list of countries banned by the Philippines to eight. Travelers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Oman and the United Arab Emirates are also not allowed to enter the country until July 31. The Philippines detected the Delta variant in samples taken from 19 returning Filipinos. No community transmission has been documented to date. According to the Philippine Ministry of Health, the country now has 1,485,457 confirmed cases of Covid-19, including 26,232 deaths.


Dhaka Shares Extend Rally As Insurance Costs Rise

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


A file photo shows a man looking at a computer screen displaying stock prices at a brokerage house in Dhaka on Monday. – Photo New Age

Dhaka shares edged up on Wednesday despite a drop in the stock prices of most companies, with some investors opting to buy shares of insurance companies while many others made profits after the recent market gain.

DSEX, the key index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange, rose 0.11%, or 7.31 points, to close at 6,273.33 points on Wednesday after gaining 57.62 points in the previous session.

Wednesday’s index was the highest after January 4, 2018, when it stood at 6,302.84 points.

After rising sharply at the start of Wednesday’s session, the benchmark fell and ended the session flat, with investors active on both sides of the trade barrier, traders said.

They said a portion of investors continued to buy stocks following the market’s record surge.

Some investors rushed to buy shares of insurance companies again, which saved the market from a slump on Wednesday, they said.

Average share prices in the P&C, life insurance and pharmaceuticals sectors rose 2 percent, 0.6 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively.

Investors continued to buy shares following a decision to ease Covid’s restrictions, market operators said.

The Bangladesh government on Tuesday eased Covid restrictions on public travel and business for eight days, from July 14 at midnight to July 23 in the morning, for the celebration of Eid-ul-Azha and the continuation of business activities. and economic before Eid.

However, many investors took profits after the recent market gain before Eid-ul-Azha, one of the biggest religious holidays for Muslims.

Eid-ul-Azha will be celebrated on July 21 across the country.

EBL Securities, in its daily market commentary, said the main stock market index had peaked more than three and a half years despite pre-Eid selling pressure.

Some investors have flocked to the rumored junk stocks, he said.

Equity prices in the non-bank financial institutions, telecommunications, energy and banking sectors fell by 1.1 percent, 0.6 percent, 0.2 percent and 0.1 percent, respectively.

Among large capitalized companies, stock prices of IFIC Bank, Square Pharmaceuticals, Renata, British American Tobacco and Islami Bank rose on Wednesday.

IFIC Bank’s share prices soared the day after the bank’s decision to sell all of its shares held in Nepal Bangladesh Bank Limited.

The stock prices of many underperforming and fundamentally weak companies have continued to advance in recent days.

The stock prices of Familytex, Tung Hai Knitting & Dyeing, GQ Ball Pen Industries and Zeal Bangla Sugar Mills soared that day.

DSE revenue also fell to Tk 1,648.9 crore on Wednesday from Tk 1,668.51 crore in the previous session.

DS30, a composition of 30 large-cap companies, added 0.04%, or 0.94 points, to close at 2,274.7 points on Wednesday.

The DSES Sharia index, however, lost 0.07%, or 0.99 points, to stand at 1,353.09 points.

Of the 374 scripts traded on the DSE on Wednesday, 166 advanced, 174 declined and 33 remained unchanged.

BEXIMCO topped the turnover chart with shares valued at Tk 119.88 crore changing hands that day.

Paramount Textiles, IFIC Bank, Power Grid Bangladesh, Sonali Life Insurance, Beacon Pharmaceuticals, Shinepukur Ceramics, Active Fine Chemicals, Southeast Bank and Silco Pharmaceuticals were the other top revenue leaders for the day.


New Finance Minister Sharma approves Rs 5 billion vaccine purchase – The Himalayan Times – Nepal’s No.1 English Daily Newspaper

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


KATMANDU, JULY 14

The government has authorized the Ministry of Health and Population to spend five billion rupees on the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines.

Newly appointed Finance Minister Janardan Sharma made such a move soon after taking office.

The new government formed under the leadership of Nepalese Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba announced on Tuesday that it will provide COVID-19 vaccines to all eligible citizens as its very first decision in office.

The government aims to deliver coronavirus vaccines to one-third of the population by mid-October and to all eligible people by mid-April of next year.

The COVID-19 vaccination campaign has been repeatedly affected in the absence of sufficient vaccine supplies.

The Cabinet meeting on Tuesday evening agreed to provide a risk allowance to frontline people (health workers, security personnel, cleaners, etc.) during the pandemic within a week.

The new Minister of Finance has taken a decision on securing resources for the management of liability in the control and prevention of COVID-19. Under this, Rs. 564.157 million will be transferred for the federal hospital and Rs. 373.49 million will be transferred for hospitals run by provincial governments and local levels through the provincial Ministry of Social Development.

A decision has been taken to allocate Rs. 961.21 million to federal and private hospitals and Rs. 524.44 million to state and local hospitals through the Department of Social Development for the purchase of health equipment , including HDU, ventilator, intensive care, to improve the COVID-19 response capacity of public and private hospitals, according to ministry spokesman Mahesh Acharya.

After taking office, Minister Sharma said pandemic control and prevention and free COVID-19 vaccines for all were the government’s priorities and urged employees to work for the same with dedication.

He said reviving the economy of the country hard hit by the pandemic is the need of the moment and the government is ready to cooperate with the private sector to that end.

He added that an economic policy capable of solving the problems of the poor, backward and marginalized was the need of the time.

Before taking office, Finance Minister Sharma laid a wreath at the pillar of the martyrs at the headquarters of the CPN (Maoist Center) party, Parisdanda.


Vaccine shipments delayed as India still reviews legal provisions, says US

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Margaret B. Waterman
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0


The United States said on Tuesday it was ready to ship its Covid-19 vaccines quickly when given the green light from the Indian government, which told Americans it needed more time to review legal provisions relating to the acceptance of donated vaccines.

“We are ready to ship these vaccines quickly when we get the go-ahead from the Indian government,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters at his daily press conference.

The Biden administration has announced that it is sharing 80 million doses of its national stockpile with countries around the world, including India. Over the past week, US vaccines have landed in countries around the world, including Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh.

However, the vaccines to India could not be sent as the Indian government has yet to clear the legal hurdles necessary for such an emergency import.

“Before they can ship these doses, however, each country must complete its own set of operational, regulatory and legal processes that are specific to each country. Now India has determined that it needs more time to review the doses. legal provisions related to accepting vaccine donations, ”Price said.

“Once India completes its legal procedures, our vaccine donations to India will be made promptly. We would need to refer you to the Indian government on the status of its discussions with COVAX, which in this case, helps facilitate that delivery, ”he said.

“More broadly in the region, across South Asia, we are donating millions of vaccines to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. So far, around 40 million doses have been distributed worldwide, ”he added. .

Responding to another question, Price said the Covid-19 cooperation between the two countries is built on decades of successful partnership in health and biomedical research.

“We are working in partnership to strengthen the global response to Covid-19 on issues ranging from tackling infectious disease epidemics to strengthening health systems and securing global supply chains,” he said. he declares.

“We recently hosted a collaborative initiative through the International Center for Excellence in Infectious Disease Research, and in this case that includes Covid-19 and other emerging threats. We look forward to a comprehensive memorandum of understanding, a memorandum of understanding, to improve health cooperation beyond that, ”he added.

The two countries are also working on diagnostics, therapies and vaccines to fight the disease and recognize the importance of manufacturing essential drugs during this time and making them accessible worldwide.

“We are able to do this because the Indian pharmaceutical sector is strong, it is well established, it has played a central role in the manufacture of vaccines for global use for quite some time. We are happy that the American pharmaceutical companies in turn are coordinating with their Indian counterparts. since the start of the pandemic, ”Price said.

“As you know, beyond this partnership, as part of the Quad Leaders Summit, there was an agreement to work with India to boost the manufacture of Covid vaccines that would support safe and efficient distribution and ultimately universal vaccine globally, “he said.

This story was posted from a feed with no text editing. Only the title has been changed.

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New Nepalese Prime Minister faces coronavirus vaccine race

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Margaret B. Waterman
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0


KATMANDU, July 13 (Reuters) – The Nepalese president on Tuesday appointed veteran Sher Bahadur Deuba as prime minister, a day after the Supreme Court restored the parliament which was dissolved in May in a months-long political crisis.

Deuba, who has held the post four times previously, faces the immediate task of procuring COVID-19 vaccines and controlling the spread of the coronavirus which has infected more than 658,000 people and killed nearly 10,000 – figures according to experts do not reflect the true record.

“The new leader’s biggest challenge is to free every citizen from the suffering of COVID-19 by vaccinating them,” said Prakash Sharan Mahat, a top leader of Deuba’s party.

More than 1.3 million people have received a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and await a second injection as the government scrambles to protect its people.

Infections started to rise again in April and May, although they have stabilized at around 1,600 per day in recent weeks.

Deuba, 75, leader of the centrist Nepalese Congress party, will lead a coalition with former Maoist rebels and a party representing a minority community dominating the plains of southern Nepal.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari took the oath to Deuba, who was dressed in tight-fitting white pants, a shirt that was loose to the knees and a black boat-shaped cap.

Deuba appointed a small cabinet of four ministers and appointed Janardan Sharma, a former Maoist rebel, as finance minister, the president’s office said.

Party officials said the leader is due to name his full cabinet after the confidence vote he is due to win in parliament next month.

The Supreme Court on Monday ordered Deuba to be appointed in place of KP Sharma Oli, who failed to win a vote of confidence and dissolved parliament twice in recent months, which the court ruled unconstitutional.

Deuba, a staunch Democrat, will aim to end corruption and create the conditions for free and fair elections scheduled for next year after the latest bout of political instability, Mahat said.

But Krishna Khanal, who teaches political science at Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu, said Deuba had struggled when he was running governments before.

“The country has faced major crises every time he was prime minister in the past,” Khanal told Reuters.

Report by Gopal Sharma in Kathmandu; Editing by Alasdair Pal, Robert Birsel and Alison Williams

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


Assam’s decision brought joy to members of the Gorkha community in North Bengal

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


The government has decided to change the nomenclature from “Nepalese farmers and herders” to “Gorkhas” on the list of the protected class living in certain tribal blocks

The decision of the Assam government to change the nomenclature from “Nepalese farmers and herders” to “Gorkhas” on the list of the protected class living in certain tribal blocks and state belts has brought joy to community members. from North Bengal.

The decision of the Assam government is seen as the first step towards establishing a separate identity from the Gorkha Indians, who are commonly referred to as Nepalese because of their language.

The question of identity has been brewing in the hills of North Bengal for decades and several supporters of a state of Gorkhaland have justified the request as a way to separate the identity of Indian Gorkhas from citizens of Nepal, among other reasons.

This is why the decision of the cabinet of the government of Assam, although it is only a change of nomenclature in government language, is greeted by various apolitical outfits of Gorkha in India.

Munish Tamang, incumbent chairman of Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh, an organization that identifies itself as apolitical, said the notification could be seen as a “landmark”.

“The notification is a milestone in the sense that it will mark the progress of the integration (of the Gorkhas) as the indigenous people of Assam, although the protected class status has been in place since British times,” said Tamang on the phone. from Delhi.

Nepalese cultivators and ranchers have been recognized as a protected class by the British government in Assam under the provisions of the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation, 1886.

The same nomenclature was used during the revision of this regulation by the government of Assam on December 5, 1947.

Previously, the term Gorkha had been used by the government when establishing the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council in Bengal and the Gorkha Development Council in Assam.

The Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution also registers Nepali / Gorkha as a recognized language.

However, the notification from the government of Assam recognizes Gorkhas in place of the Nepalese.

Last Friday, Ranoj Pegu, Minister of Education and Welfare of Plains Tribes and Backward Classes of Assam, announced the nomenclature change: class protected in tribal belts and blocks of Kokrajhar, Chirang districts , Baksa and Udalguri who resided there before 2003, that is to say when the districts came under the sixth annex of the Constitution.

The four come under the Territorial Region of Bodoland (RTB).


CMD in Nepal PM Oli, Energy News, ET EnergyWorld

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


New Delhi: SJVN wants to set up more hydropower projects in Nepal, Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, CMD NL Sharma of the PSU informed on Saturday. Sharma, who is on a three-day visit to the neighboring country, called Oli on Saturday, SJVN said in a statement.

During his visit, Sharma met Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel today in Kathmandu and asked the Prime Minister to consider SJVN for the development of additional hydropower projects in the Arun Basin and other places in Nepal, “he added. mentionned.

The foundation of the 900 megawatt Arun III hydropower plant under construction in the Tumlingtar region of eastern Nepal was jointly laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart KP Sharma Oli.

In January 2021, SJVN Ltd announced the bagging of the 679 MW Lower Arun hydroelectric project in Nepal through an international tender.

“The Prime Minister expressed his satisfaction with the progress of on-going activities at the project sites and showed keen interest in visiting the Arun-3 hydropower project sites,” SJVN said.

SJVN, a joint venture of the Government of India and the Government of Himachal Pradesh, is active in various sectors of power generation, including hydropower, wind, solar and thermal.

The company’s installed capacity is currently 2,016.51 MW. Its goal is to be a 5,000 MW company by 2023, a 12,000 MW company by 2030 and a 25,000 MW company by 2040.


A family mourns a shortened life

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


The Darjee family’s small apartment in Concord was packed with relatives on Friday morning, some cooking in the kitchen, others walking back and forth through the open hallway door littered with shoes. Rajesh Darjee was sitting with his father, Bir Bdr Darjee, on a long sofa at one end of the room.

A single air conditioner was humming in the corner, and the sound of video games could be heard in one of the bedrooms, where the younger ones were playing.

Some family members live nearby, others had come from out of state to support the family in times of mourning.

It had been a week since Concord High School alumnus Kiran Darjee and the second oldest in a family of six sons, died suddenly on July 2 when the car he was driving left Interstate 89 at Warner and had crashed. Kiran, 21, and his friend Raj Darjee, 18, were on their way to Vermont to pick up his girlfriend and return to New Hampshire, according to the family. Raj, the only passenger, survived the crash with injuries.

The death of Kiran Darjee shocked the Nepalese Bhutanese community of Concord, where he was well known to many. More than 150 people turned up for the funeral, which took place at Blossom Hill Cemetery on Thursday.

Ambikh Darjee, Kiran’s mother, was overcome with emotion during the services. A day later, she sat quietly on the floor on one side of the room, her back to the wall. According to Rajesh, she observed a 12-day mourning period for her son in accordance with her Hindu religion, when she sits and only sleeps on the floor, wears simple clothes and eats salt-free food which she cooks herself. even. The rest of the family, most of whom are Christians, mourned differently, through funerals and burials, and spent time together.

Kiran Darjee was a friendly and helpful young man, the family said, and as a single older brother he took care of “everything” around the house.

“He’s friendly, he couldn’t keep any bad things inside,” said his older brother Rajesh. “He talks openly with everyone and he loves the sport. “

Kiran enjoyed spending time with friends, playing soccer or volleyball in Keach Park, or fishing in the Merrimack River. He always had a group of friends and Rajesh said he would talk to anyone.

“When he saw people, he always spoke with them, regardless of the country or the language,” Rajesh said. “He always loved them and they loved him.”

Kiran, like his brothers, grew up in Nepal and arrived in Concord in November 2017, at the age of 17. He spoke minimal English when he arrived and Rajesh said he was surprised how quickly his brother improved just three months after starting school.

“I was like”, really? How could you do that? ‘ Rajesh said. “He learned quickly. It might help mom do it all.

Kiran attended Concord High School for three years, where he played football and took math lessons at Ghana Sharma, the math tutor for the school’s English language learners.

“He was quite a good guy. He was so chatty and funny, ”Sharma said. “He was so active, he liked to talk a lot. He had a lot of friends.

Despite his many friendships, Kiran disliked school, according to Rajesh, and dropped out in 2020 against his older brother’s advice.

“I said, ‘Okay whatever you want but take care of mom and work,’” Rajesh said. “He said, ‘Okay.’ I don’t know what he thinks about his future, but he plans to work. He said: ‘I’m going to work, I’m going to do something better for my family.’ “

After leaving school, Kiran worked at Aissa Sweets on Hall Street with her cousin Prakash, a baklava maker. He later worked at Harvey Building Products in Manchester, which manufactures windows and doors. At home, Kiran helped his family by driving his mother around town. His little brother Bibas, 11, a fifth grader at Broken Ground School, said he enjoyed watching Indian movies with Kiran, who also gave him money to buy ice cream at Arnie’s Place.

Kiran’s uncle, Deepak Mothey, said Kiran was always ready to lend a hand when someone moved or needed a ride somewhere.

“He was a friendly, kind and helpful person. He’s helped me a lot, like in so many situations he’s helped me, ”Mothey said. “I still remember him and [he is] so missed by this sudden departure.

In Concord, Kiran was an active member of his religious community, FaithBridge Church in Manchester, which serves the Nepalese Bhutanese community.

“He was educated, plus he worked, but he was good at coming to church and he was very supportive of others,” said Richard Das, a pastor at Concord.

Kiran had a good voice and often sang during church services, according to his family. He loved listening to rap, especially music by Nepalese artist VTEN. He would perform rap songs himself and was working on a freestyle track he hoped to finish by the end of the year, according to Prakash.

Kiran also loved the traditional Nepalese dances he learned in school growing up and performed with his brothers at church and at the multicultural festival in Concord.

Last week was tough for the Darjees. With so many relatives occupying the apartment, Rajesh said police showed up at the door in response to a noise complaint. Since then, they have tried to keep noise to a minimum. In addition, Rajesh said he was upset by a hurtful online comment to his family about his brother’s death, which called people bearing his name “a threat to society.”

“He’s not a bad guy, he’s a nice guy. He’s a strong guy and he takes care of his family, ”Rajesh said of his brother. “Not all Darjee are of the same kind of mind. If somebody’s doing wrong, people with the same last name, they’re not doing the same sort of thing.

Through it all, the large, tight-knit family supported each other with camaraderie and shared memories of Kiran.

“It’s unfortunate that this is not the way he’s supposed to go. You never expect that to happen, ”Das said. “We never expect this to be the end.”


Airlines fight UK government with legal action

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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Ryanair and Manchester Airports Group (MAG), the UK’s largest airport group, have filed a court challenge demanding the government be more transparent in the management of the controversial ‘at traffic light’ travel system.

Many airlines, including British Airways owner IAG (ICAG.L) and Virgin Atlantic, have joined a lawsuit against the UK over travel restrictions, increasing pressure on the government to ease the restrictions that put businesses and jobs at risk. With protests and demonstrations across the country, UK pilots, cabin crew, travel agencies and other workers are also pressuring politicians to reestablish lines overseas.

Decrease in the number of passengers

Manchester Airports Group (MAG) reported a deficit of £ 374million (€ 435million) from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021, July 8, 2021. The UK’s largest airport company reported a drop 89% of the number of passengers, citing current restrictions on international air travel as the main cause. Companies such as British Airways (ICAG.L), EasyJet (EZJ.L), TUI and Jet2 (JET2.L) have also taken on billions of pounds in debt to endure more than 15 months of travel restrictions. All airlines and airports have been hit hard by the travel restrictions, and they argue that a full reopening is needed to help them recover and keep millions of jobs alive.

EasyJet-aviationnepal
Source: .theguardian.com

“We have supported all the measures the government has demanded in response to Covid-19, and we also praised the Global Travel Taskforce’s traffic light system for facilitating the safe, sustainable and robust catering of international travel,” said Charlie Cornish, CEO of MAG. . He also criticized the government’s reluctance to open up international travel by putting low-risk countries on the green list, saying most countries’ traffic lights are locked on amber for no apparent reason, despite having significantly lower incidence rates than in the UK.

Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair Group, said: “The UK traffic light system has been a mess from the start, inflicting untold damage on the aviation industry and irritating and disrupting tens of millions of homes. Britons after seeing their vacation plans and the circle of family visits disrupted by the government’s mismanagement of world travel.

ryan-air-

They demanded that Prime Minister Boris Johnson explain the scientific basis for this system, which the government seems to have invented. The issues are resolved as soon as possible, with the government allowing everyone to understand how the system works and allowing international travel to resume over the summer.

Traffic light: green, amber and red

Passengers returning from less than a dozen countries are exempt from quarantine under existing UK travel restrictions, which were recently tightened to exclude Portugal, the only major tourist destination. The government traffic light system gives countries a green, orange or red rating based on their Covid danger. Nations classified as green do not require travelers to self-isolate on their return, but they must take a Covid test before and after their stay. Only UK or Irish nationals or UK residents are allowed to enter and they must pay for a 10 day stay in a government quarantine hotel if arriving from an Amber country.

Ministers said they were taking a cautious approach, favoring the removal of domestic constraints in the UK. According to them, the decision to remove Portugal from the green list was taken in response to concerns about the spread of variations in Covid-19. The transport ministry said it was seeking to “balance the swift reopening of international travel while maintaining public health and protecting the vaccination rollout,” but declined to comment on the legal process. “Our traffic light system is carefully monitoring the danger of further variations, and we have provided £ 7 billion to help support the industry during the pandemic.”


Slightly lower the week after recovery from the last session – myRepublica

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


KATMANDU, July 9: The stock market started the week with a further downtrend as the Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) index fell 8.48 points on Sunday. On Monday, the benchmark lost 11.78 points followed by a drop of 4.63 points on Tuesday. The losses escalated on Wednesday as Nepse gave up an additional 16.98 points to close just above the 2,800 mark. However, after four straight days of loss, stocks gained ground with Nepse recovering 23.98 points Thursday, keeping the weekly loss below 20 points. The index fell 17.89 points or 0.63% during the review week to end at 2,825.11.

After closing flat the week before, selling pressure at the end of the quarter pushed the index down slightly this week. The market has seen sluggish trading over the past two weeks, in part due to the easing of ban orders. Meanwhile, investors will likely take a cautious stance as listed companies start reporting financial results after the start of the new fiscal year. Weekly turnover continued to weaken, falling by more than 30% to Rs. 23.26 billion.

Class ‘A’ stocks managed to end the week higher as the sensitive index rose 0.16%. The sectors recorded mixed performances. On the winning side, the manufacturing and processing sector strengthened and rose 2.67%. The trading sub-index finished up 1.14%. The microfinance, mutual funds and banking sub-indices edged up. On the other hand, the Hydroelectricity, Finance and Hotel & Tourism segments suffered the most. The respective sub-indices fell by 3.93%, 2.88% and 2.17%. The non-life insurance, life insurance and development banking sectors lost more than 1% each. All other sectors recorded modest losses.

According to ARKS weekly technical analysis, the index formed a small spinning candlestick suggesting slight indecision. With the index recovering from the week’s low of 2,800 to close at 2,825, minor bullish movement was seen towards the end of the week. However, a confirming green candlestick on the weekly horizon will be crucial for the market to resume its bullish movement over the medium term. Technical indicators, meanwhile, suggest the absence of any major momentum on either side of the spectrum. Immediate support is provided by 2,750 Mark.

This column is produced by ARKS Capital Advisors Ltd.

www.arkscapitaladvisors.com

(The opinions expressed in the article are those of the producer and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication)


The new social contract: an opportunity for deliberative participation

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


Civil Society, Democracy, Global, Titles, Human Rights, TerraViva United Nations

Notice

A woman, accompanied by a child, votes in the legislative elections in Mozambique. Credit: UNDP / Rochan Kadariya

KATMANDOU, Nepal, Jul 9, 2021 (IPS) – These days, there has certainly not been a dearth of reports describing the decline of liberal democracy around the world.

With the rise of popularism and conflicting use of social media, we shouldn’t be surprised that a general malaise is taking root in the most advanced liberal democracies.

From the Freedom in the World 2021 report published by Freedom House to the Democracy Index 2020 published by the Economist Intelligence Unit to the IDEA Global State of Democracy Indices, there is growing evidence that liberal and representative democracies are under the constraint.

Could the ongoing debate on a new social contract, a concept launched by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, help revive one of the essential elements of any democratic society, the interest and participation of citizens in the civic life?

If his recent re-election at the head of the United Nations was able to dispel doubts that this new idea was only a fad, what are the chances that this debate around the New Social Contract becomes an opportunity to strengthen the public engagement at the local level without further dividing the divide between classical liberal democracies on the one hand and other nations adopting less democratic and more authoritarian political systems?

Provocatively, could such a debate instead help close such a gap?

To dispel any doubt, inevitably, the New Social Contract does not aim to strengthen democracy in the world.

This would clearly be a utopian proposal for the Secretary-General to adopt, but rather an attempt to rethink and improve, regardless of the political system adopted, the standards between citizens and the state.

Originally invented at the 18th Annual Nelson Mandela Conference in 2020, Guterres advocated for a more just and inclusive society centered on tackling inequality and discrimination because, he said, “people want social and economic systems that work for everyone ”.

Members of the Madheshi community of Biratnagar attend a political rally to demand self-governing federal regions and greater representation in parliament. Credit: UN Photo / Agnieszka Mikulska

“The new social contract, between governments, citizens, civil society, businesses and more, must integrate employment, sustainable development and social protection, on the basis of equal rights and opportunities for all ”.

As vague as it is in terms of borders and ultimate objectives, the New Social Contract can be seen as a framework that can not only revitalize our societies but also build an economy that is fairer, cleaner and able to overcome multiple challenges. created by the pandemic.

The 2030 Agenda and the related Sustainable Development Goals provide the model on which such an idea can be built locally.

Still under construction, the new social contract can not only give impetus to the overhaul of relations between social partners, governments, unions and companies, but it can also be a source to generate more interest among the population for public life.

Making sense, especially from the perspective of young people, can be difficult, but it is essential to do so as we cannot imagine a renewed citizenship without including young people whose vast majority are indifferent and disillusioned with public discourse.

One possible way to generate new passions for civic life among young people would start by helping them to be better informed about what is happening at the local and national levels, something which can evolve into higher forms of deep interests.

The last step in this continuum would be to help them adopt forms of direct engagement.

The commitment is driven by a strong interest in public life and the desire to transform this desire to know more into contributions, into actions on the ground.

Last year, the UNV program proposed a new framework for volunteering that fully captures the different characteristics and characteristics of donating their time, energy and skills for the public good.

Indeed, volunteering with its different forms and dimensions, is one of the best tools to involve people and young people in particular in public life.

That’s why it’s no surprise that UNV’s upcoming State of Volunteering World Report explains how volunteering can be a real catalyst for the new social contract.

More opportunities for public engagement will also generate more trust, an essential feature of any healthy and cohesive society and it is here that continued efforts to localize the SDGs can make a difference in bringing people together for the common good, to achieve core level goals.

Achieving the SDGs at this level is not just about actions, the mobilization of resources of human nature, in kind or financial. It is also a question of deliberation and here, after this long detour, I return to the question of democracy.

Designing a new social contract as a platform for achieving the SDGs locally by involving people on the ground, can be a tool to raise the quality of democratic discourse, generating platforms for a new form. shared decision-making or shared governance.

Interestingly, while political parties, wherever they operate, might become an obstacle to such a change because their role as gatekeepers of public participation would be eroded, this conceptualization of shared governance might become of interest to nations that do not. ‘do not adhere to representative liberal party-dominated systems.

In the field of political science, there is a dynamic movement of social scientists exploring the concept of deliberative democracy which would allow, by different means, including sorting, to have new real, rather than symbolic, forms of involvement. and public participation in decision-making.

It is true that so far most attempts to put deliberative democracy into practice have been carried out in contexts of strong liberal democratic traditions.

Various “experiments” have been carried out, the most successful probably being the Ostbelgian model adapted by the Parliament of the German-speaking Community of Belgium, where there is a permanent Citizen Council which enables an ecosystem of Citizen Assemblies.

In the past, Ireland has successfully used aspects of deliberative democracy to involve the general public in discussions and debates on key constitutional issues, which has also helped to generate consensus on gender equality in same-sex marriage.

This legacy continues with a Citizens’ Assembly that recently submitted a report, after extensive consultation and deliberation, on the issue of gender equality.

Iceland has used a hybrid form of public deliberation, although led by a small number of elected citizens, but with many opportunities for people to take ownership of the country’s constitution.

Other forms, with varying degrees of success and with varying levels of inclusiveness and decision-making power, have been tried in two Canadian provinces, British Columbia and Ontario.

In the growing field of deliberative democracy studies, there is now great interest in the so-called “deliberative micro public” where a limited number of citizens come together to decide on certain issues of common interest.

If you’ve seen The Best of Enemies, a movie depicting a public deliberation exercise on separate learning in Jim Crow’s America in the early ’70s, you’ve got any idea what that might look like.

Many of these lessons learned may also be of interest to policy makers whose political systems have not embraced democracy.

With the discussions still ongoing about how the new social contract should look at the local level and with the localization agenda of the SDGs recognized as essential to achieving the 2030 Agenda, we may have the opportunity to promote more forms. strong public participation in decision-making. locally and everywhere.

This would strengthen the sense of good governance in the world while creating a new space for deliberation in contexts which normally close them.

Perhaps deliberative participation, a term that might be easier to sell globally, if properly applied locally, could become a cornerstone of the new social contract, reinvigorating classical democracy where it exists. already while creating space for other political systems to evolve and be more understood.

The author is the co-founder of ENGAGE, a non-profit organization in Nepal. He writes on volunteering, social inclusion, youth development and regional integration as a driving force to improve people’s lives.


Finally done

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


The 456-megawatt Upper Tamakoshi hydropower project, Nepal’s largest hydropower plant, has finally come into operation with one of its six 76-megawatt units producing electricity. Once the plant starts producing power at full capacity, we will officially become a country with surplus electricity during the rainy season, capable of exporting electricity. The project will also save billions by reducing the import of electricity from India during the dry season. But for a coveted project, the past 10 years have seen massive cost and time overruns. From the initial cost of the project of Rs35 billion (without interest), the cost of the project has now reached Rs53 billion (without interest). The project’s completion deadline in mid-July 2016 was also affected by the 2015 earthquakes, which destroyed the access road to the site, followed by technical setbacks for the contractors. The revised deadline of mid-June last year was disrupted by the pandemic. And last month, there were concerns after landslides near the Nepal-China border blocked Rongsi Creek, a tributary of the Tamakoshi River.

For decades, a parallel story of protracted political instability in Nepal has been one of delays in development projects that have cost the country billions. Development projects are mired in controversy, corruption and conflict, and have subsequently affected project timelines and financial planning. For example, Nepal’s largest water supply project, the elusive Melamchi Water Tunnel Project, has taken nearly two decades since its inception to finally deliver water to the Kathmandu Valley earlier. this year in March. The project was plagued by political interference, mismanagement of the project, corruption and extortion scandals. So much so that Melamchi ko paani has become a public metaphor for something unattainable. Several deadlines were set, pushing the cost of the project to 31 billion rupees. After last month’s catastrophic flooding in Melamchi, the future of the project is again uncertain.

Across the country, sites of infrastructure development, from roads to bridges and hospitals that look deserted, have a similar history. Like broken election promises and inflated targets, construction delays and project extensions have become all too common. At the same time, bidders and contractors enjoy impunity to the detriment of national progress. According to a 2019 report by the Commission of Inquiry into Abuse of Authority, 1,848 development projects worth Rs 118 billion are in limbo, of which 1,032 projects have not been completed or extended. No need for an economist to understand that these delays in the construction sector have undesirable effects on the country’s economic production and keep potential investors away for lack of transparency and the business environment. And given the pandemic, it’s all too likely that there will be more delays in development projects due to shortages of labor and more expensive building materials, among other critical political and financial shortcomings.

For the administration, which repeatedly sells big promises on jobs and prosperity, it has little responsibility for managing and ensuring that projects are on schedule and on budget. It has also failed to take the necessary steps to address the issues causing delays, thus contributing to stagnation. While there is no dearth of policy interventions to assess entrepreneurs, current projects and their progress, it is evident that the government’s reservation stems from its inability to plan and forecast results. At the same time, it is beating the drum of a populist agenda and rushing to lay the foundations for projects without proper planning and budgetary resources. Our progress as a nation depends on the sustainable development of infrastructure. The government needs to better plan and implement to meet the targets instead of proposing ambitious growth rates and plans while systematically failing to spend wisely. If we do not take stock of the situation, project delays will only put additional pressure on the economy and we will have to face losses.


12 Best Places to Eat Momo Dumplings in Hong Kong

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


Here are the best places to buy momo dumplings in Hong Kong (Photo: Courtesy of Momoz)
By Jianne Soriano

By Jianne Soriano

July 06, 2021

Get your fix of momo dumplings at these momo places in Hong Kong, whether you like them fried, steamed, or even in a soup

Dumplings come in many varieties: Japanese gyoza, Korean mandu, Chinese jiaozi, Turkish manti and while they are all equally delicious, we can’t help but feel a certain resemblance to momo dumplings. This comfort food can be served fried or steamed and has various combinations for its garnish, whether it’s chicken, lamb or vegetables.

With Nepalese cuisine being relatively under the radar of the Hong Kong food scene, we wanted to highlight this favorite classic that you might miss. Thanks to Hong Kong’s vibrant Nepalese community, there’s no shortage of momo hotspots to get a taste. From homemade products to innovative offers, we break down the best momo spots in town.

See Also: The 10 Best Restaurants for Filipino Cuisine in Hong Kong

Tell Camellia is a tea-inspired cocktail bar in Central, so it’s no surprise that they want to communicate the history of the tea world by mixing it with cocktails using modern experimental techniques. The name comes from Camellia Sinesis, the tea bush plant. Co-founded by acclaimed Hong Kong native bar specialist Sandeep Hathiramani and award-winning Gagan Gurung and bartender, Tell Camellia has just one dish on the menu: momo.

The rest of the menu is filled with drinks of all kinds. For their solitary dish, Tell Camellia has teamed up with Momo House, a virtual brand launched by the co-founders themselves. Due to the high demand, Momo House not only offers pickup at Tell Camellia, but ordering through Deliveroo is now available. Bison momo is all the rage here.

Tell Camellia, LG, H Code, 35 Pottinger Street, 48 Cochrane Street, Central, Hong Kong, +852 9821 5501, tellcamellia.com

See also: Tell Sandeep Hathiramani from Camellia why tea is a quintessential Hong Kong ingredient

The Manakamana Nepali restaurant takes its name from a Hindu temple in the Himalayas and although the restaurant is popular for curry, the set menu offers a range of Nepalese dishes. One that you can’t miss at this family-run restaurant is definitely the momo stuffed with chicken or vegetables, which you can fry or steam. We promise you will end up craving a second round.

Nepalese Restaurant Manakamana, G / F, 107 Temple Street, Jordan, Hong Kong, +852 2385 2070, facebook.com/manakamanahk

See also: Neighborhood guide: What to eat, drink and do in Jordan

Momoz is the latest addition to momo and roll culture on the Hong Kong food scene. Boasting a chic environment, this relaxed restaurant interprets traditional momos and rolls in a contemporary style incorporating innovative elements inspired by different cuisines. You will be spoiled for choice from the wide selection whether it is classic chicken momo, curry katsu chicken momo, kimchi momo or Hainan chicken momo.

In addition to incorporating global flavors, each momo is homemade with fresh ingredients and delicate craftsmanship. All the spices are forced from Nepal and each sauce is tailor-made to match each type of momo. They are also very Instagrammable, some of which are in different colors although no artificial coloring is added. The bite size also melts momo in your mouth all at once.

Momoz, Shop No.3, G / F, Lee Wai Commercial Building, 1 & 3 Hart Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, +852 3752 2670

6 Lan Kwai Fong, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2898 3129

See Also: 10 Best Restaurants To Eat Korean Fried Chicken In Hong Kong

Momo N Curry is described as a hidden gem in Sai Ying Pun, but don’t let the unassuming location stop you from going. From the name, you can pretty much tell that the hit dishes here are momo and curry. If this is your first time trying Nepalese cuisine, the classic steamed chicken momo will never disappoint. The thick, mushy dumplings but the soft chicken meat inside are a perfect mix in every bite.

Momo N Curry, G / F, Kenbo Commercial Building, 335-339 Queen’s Road West, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong

See also: Neighborhood Guide: Where to Eat, Drink and Shop in Sai Ying Pun

Run by the creators of Draft Land, Quinary, and Room 209, The Envoy offers a tranquil retreat away from the chaos of Central, boasting an outdoor patio and stylish nooks and crannies with stylish interiors. Of course, the food and drink is also not to be missed, from the tea-inspired cocktails to its extensive menu.

While The Envoy has a lot to offer, the steamed momo immediately stands out, especially among the mix of Hong Kong, Indian and Malaysian offerings. There are only two options on the a la carte menu, the vegetarian pork and the Iberian pork, but whichever you choose, both are excellent and served with a spicy tomato sauce.

The Envoy, 3 / F, The Pottinger Hong Kong, 74 Queen’s Road Central, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2169 3311, theenvoy.hk

See also: 13 Best Vietnamese Restaurants in Hong Kong

Nepal Restaurant has been in Hong Kong since 1995 and with 25 years of experience serving Nepalese cuisine, you know you are in good hands. Here, comfort and spices are the star – the feeling of munching on homemade food even if you have rarely eaten Nepalese food, simply because each dish is made with extra TLC. This long-standing restaurant has a lot to offer, starters, soups, salads and even chicken, lamb or vegetable specialties.

Their ultimate starter is the momo, made fresh and you can choose whether you want lamb, chicken, or veggie toppings or whether you want it steamed or fried. Momo is also a great option for vegans, as are other offerings like potato pancake and fried eggplant.

Nepal Restaurant & Bar, G / F, 14 Staunton Street, SoHo, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2869 6212, nepalrestaurant.com.hk

See also: The Best Thai Restaurants in Hong Kong

Himalaya Restaurant offers varied culinary delights of Nepalese and Indian cuisine, with emphasis on the use of vegetables, legumes, rice, grains, spices and herbs. If you haven’t tried Nepalese and Indian cuisine, dining at Himalaya Restaurant is a great start as their dishes give you a glimpse into the inherited culture and tradition through flavor and taste.

With a variety of dishes to offer, we doubt you can easily make up your mind. But as the name suggests on the menu, the Himalaya Special is without a doubt the momo. Those with a big appetite can opt for the weekend buffets to get a mix of everything.

Himalaya Restaurant, 1 / F, 22-30 Tai Wong Street East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, +852 2527 5899, himalayarstaurant.com.hk

See Also: 15 Best Taiwanese Restaurants in Hong Kong

Nothing sounds better than a homemade momo and an Instagram-run boutique, Momo Rush is a crowd favorite. This store started with the mission of allowing Hong Kongers to try homemade momo, but has championed making sure their offering is homemade by making the wraps themselves.

Food is only available for pickup on weekends at select MTR stations to ensure quality and is really fresh when it reaches you. If you want something else to go with your mom, they have other Nepalese snacks on the menu as well.

Momo Rush, instagram.com/momo.rushh

See also: The best Instagram bakeries and pastry shops in Hong Kong

Another Instagram momo store to put on your radar is Eat Momo Box, which serves all-natural, handmade, and truly authentic momos. Those who want to try a variety of different momo should order here, as their 24 or 32 momo platter is a safe and affordable winner too.

For the 24 momo platter, you can get eight pieces of steamed, pan-fried and deep-fried momo as well as a can of momo chutney (sauce). Meanwhile, the 32 momo platter has the same variety in addition to eight more fried momo seasoning pieces. The store only accepts pre-orders with collection available at MTR stations.

Eat Momo Box, instagram.com/eatmomobox

See Also: 7 Instagram Bakeries For Minimalist Korean Cakes

If you are looking to dine in a place with more of a neighborhood vibe, KTM Bar and Kitchen is the place for you. Located in Kennedy Town, you can enjoy a range of Nepalese and Indian dishes. It’s also a great place to relax with a drink close at hand after work hours as it transforms into a lounge at night. The menu is varied, from curries, tandoori bread, rice and biryani to momo, which is the dish people keep coming back for.

And in case you don’t know what to order, the staff are always ready to help if you get lost in the translation.

KTM Bar & Kitchen, 71 Cadogan Street, Kennedy Town, Hong Kong, +852 2817 3889

See also: 9 Hong Kong Cafes That Turn Into Bars At Night

This Jordanian Nepalese restaurant is popular with locals and tourists alike. The Ex-Gorkha Restaurant and Bar has been praised for its friendly staff, good food, service, affordable prices and a great meeting place to chat with friends. The name of the restaurant refers to the Gurkhas (or Gorkhas), soldiers from South Asia of Nepalese nationality who were recruited for the British Army, most of the Nepalese residing in Hong Kong being descendants of Gurkha soldiers.

Momo’s restaurant offering is mostly what you’d expect, three varieties of chicken and pork, available steamed, fried or with chili. Don’t let that stop you, the classic choice sounds like comfort food.

Ex-Gorkha Restaurant and Bar, Shop 5, G / F, Kings Court, 65–75 Wai Ching Street, Jordan, Hong Kong

See Also: Best Places for Matcha and Green Tea Desserts in Hong Kong

It’s not the easiest place to get to, especially when you don’t live that far from the city, but Momo is worth the trip for its affordability, all under HK $ 50 for 10 pieces of momo appetizing house.

You can get them in a variety of cooking styles, whether steamed, pan-fried, deep-fried, and sweet and sour. You can even have it served in a soup with noodles when you don’t want it too dry or if the sauce is too hot for your taste buds. We know you’ll thank us later.

Momo, Boutique D150, 1 / F, Kingswood Richly Plaza, 1 Tin Wu Road, Tin Shui Wai, Hong Kong, +852 6108 1283

See Also: 17 Best Ramen Restaurants In Hong Kong



Stocks drop further as volume declines – myRepublica

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


KATMANDU, July 5: Equities remained under pressure throughout the session despite an open higher on Monday. The Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) index lost more than 10 points in the morning before making its way to the opening level at midday. However, with modest buying interest seen across almost all sectors, stocks remained in negative territory throughout the last few hours of trading. At the close, Nepse recorded a loss of 11.78 points to end at 2,822.74.

The selling momentum has gradually faded over the past few sessions, but the absence of high volume buyers has seen the market show gradual declines. Market participation also fell sharply as the index corrected sharply as the end of the quarter approached. Turnover remained at Rs. 4.5 billion, its lowest since early May.

The sectors ended mixed with the Manufacturing & Processing and Trading sub-indices leading the gains. The respective sub-indices increased by more than 3%. The investment, “other” and mutual fund sectors also edged up. On the other hand, the sub-indices of the Bank of Finance and Development corrected sharply to end the session down by more than 2%. The hydropower, hospitality and tourism sub-industries experienced modest declines.

Himalayan Distillery Ltd tops the list of assets accounting for almost 10% of the day’s volume. More than Rs. 412 million shares of the beverage maker changed hands. Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Ltd and Nepal Bank Ltd followed suit with turnover of Rs. 194 million and Rs. 156 million. Nepal Infrastructure Bank Ltd and Nepal Telecom Ltd recorded transactions of approximately Rs. 13 million each. National Hydropower Company Ltd, Nepal Insurance Company Ltd and Nepal Reinsurance Company Ltd were among other actively traded stocks.

Bishal Bazar Company Ltd outperformed, with scrip recovering 10% after declining steadily last month. Himalayan Distillery Ltd and Chhyangdi Hydropower Ltd also gained around 8% each. CEDB Hydropower Development Company Ltd and Nepal Lube Oil Ltd recorded gains of around 5% each. Hydroelectricity Investment & Development Company Ltd, Narayani Development Bank Ltd were among the other big winners.

Gurkhas Finance Ltd, conversely, suffered the biggest drop with its price ending more than 6% down. Karnali Development Bank Ltd and Guheshwori Merchant Bank & Finance Co. Ltd plunged 5.18% and 4.73% respectively. National Hydropower Company Ltd, Nepal Insurance Company Ltd and Multipurpose Finance Ltd also suffered notable losses.

Technically, the Nepse index formed a small bearish candlestick suggesting modest selling pressure during the session. Technical indicators also point to the extension of the short-term bearish movement. Additionally, with volumes continuing to decline, a consolidation can be expected above the 2,800 mark. Meanwhile, a break from the psychological level towards the downside may see the index’s test support at around 2 740-2750.

This column is produced by ARKS Capital Advisors Ltd.

(The opinions expressed in the article are those of the producer and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication)


Nepalese army provides 300 sets of weapons to Nepalese police – myRepublica

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


KATMANDU, July 5: The Nepalese army today provided 300 units of weapons to the Nepalese police. The weapons were handed over by Army Chief of Staff Purna Chandra Thapa to Inspector General of Police Sailesh Thapa at a special event held at Nepalese Army Headquarters in Kathmandu.

The weapons which include the INSAS, the SLR and their bullets and spare parts were handed over to the police in accordance with the decision taken by the cabinet on May 30. in three phases.

According to the military, the remaining weapons will be handed over to the police by April 2021.

A document of agreement was exchanged between Colonel Rajendra Mani Giri and Chief Police Superintendent Deepak Thapa during the event. The event was also attended by Army Lieutenant General Prabhu Ram Sharma and other senior military officials.

The weapons were requested by the police for training purposes and for the safety of important and very important people, vital government facilities and mega-events. The army will also provide training to police personnel in the maintenance and operation of weapons.

The weapons supplied to the police will be used to maintain peace and security within the country and to increase the capacity of the police force. Army spokesman Santosh Ballabh Poudel informed that the relief weapons have been provided in accordance with the government decision in response to the police request.

Earlier on July 29, 2020, the army had provided 600 units of INSAS weapons to the police.


Refugees call on Japan to remove former Bhutan minister’s decoration

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


KATMANDU – Groups representing Bhutanese forcibly evicted from Bhutan wrote to the Japanese Prime Minister asking him to remove a decoration awarded to Dago Tshering, a former interior minister accused by human rights activists of being one of the main perpetrators of ethnic cleansing in the Himalayan kingdom three decades ago.

In April, the Japanese government announced that Tshering, Minister of the Interior of Bhutan from 1991 to 1998 and Ambassador to Japan from 1999 to 2008, would receive the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star. , which earned him the distinction of being the first Bhutanese to be awarded the honor.

“While we recognize your government’s desire to strengthen the mutual relations between Bhutan and Japan through the awarding of this award, we regret to state that this gesture of kindness has helped to unblock deep wounds and traumas that many of us Bhutanese have personally suffered. during the tenure of the interior minister, ”the groups said in a letter to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga dated June 24.

The groups represent Bhutanese living in the United States and elsewhere in the world, including neighboring Nepal.

The Foreign Ministry and the Cabinet Office, both of which deal with state decorations, have denied knowledge of the letter. Although the Japanese Embassy in New Delhi admitted to being aware of the contents of the letter, it did not say whether Japan had officially received it.

In 1988, the government of Bhutan implemented a national integration policy centered on traditions adopted by the majority of Tibetan Buddhists, sparking anti-government movements among Nepalese-speaking Bhutanese citizens.

On August 17, 1990, the then Deputy Home Minister, Tshering, revoked the citizenship of thousands of Bhutanese citizens. His order, and the subsequent state persecution of Nepalese-speaking Bhutanese citizens, forced 130,000 Bhutanese to flee Bhutan and settle in refugee camps in eastern Nepal. They were prevented by Indian security personnel from settling in India or returning to Bhutan.

The refugees have lived in Nepal for two decades in makeshift camps, during which countless repatriation efforts have failed. Under a resettlement program launched in 2007, most Bhutanese refugees have been resettled in eight countries: the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Denmark, Canada, Great -Brittany and the Netherlands. A few thousand Bhutanese refugees still live in Nepal, hoping to return to their country of origin.

Bhutan human rights activist Tek Nath Rizal, who has refused resettlement and lives in Nepal pending repatriation, says he cannot understand how the Order of the Rising Sun, the Golden Star and Money could be bestowed on Tshering.

“I cannot understand how a country like Japan, which has championed the guarantee of human rights and democracy in Bhutan in various forms for years, has now decided to reward Dago Tshering, a racist, ruthless and corrupt former interior minister, “Rizal said. Cited in a guest article published on The Diplomat, an online news magazine, in May.

In an online signature campaign seeking wider support for the demand, members of what some human rights activists call the world’s most forgotten refugees have mentioned blatant abuses, including arrests, torture and deportations they faced, and expressed their belief that Japan will revoke the award.

“I am signing this petition because my father was arrested and tortured by the Bhutan army for months in Bhutan. This was done under the strict order and supervision of Dago Tshering. Our property was then taken from us and we were driven out of our country. Bhutan and Dago Tshering are responsible for all of this, ”wrote Malty Sharma, one of the signatories.

Announcing the awarding of the honor on April 29, the government said Tshering “contributes to strengthening ties between Japan and Bhutan as well as to friendship” between their peoples.

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Revised rail service agreement with India to facilitate Nepal’s trade, officials say

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


The overhaul of the 17-year rail service agreement on Wednesday removed bottlenecks that Nepal has long faced, especially in importing and exporting goods via Indian rail freight services.

According to the revised text of the letter of exchange, all authorized private container train operators (Indian and Nepalese) will be able to use the Indian rail network to transport freight containers for imports or exports from Nepal, thus ending the monopoly of the Indian government. – owned by Container Corporation of India (CONCOR).

“This liberalization will allow market forces to intervene in the rail container freight segment in Nepal, and is likely to reduce transport costs in the medium term, to the benefit of the Nepalese consumer,” said a Nepalese official involved in the process. negotiation process with India. La Poste on condition of anonymity.

The new deal will come into effect once the cabinets of both countries approve it.

The agreement also allows Indian Railways freight services to move and pick up cargo at border points other than Raxaul / Birgunj.

“The scope of the current limited freight movement and facilities from various Indian ports to the border Nepalese industrial zones has been extended by this agreement,” the officials said.

As Nepal and India plan to expand more cross-border rail networks, experts and officials said the deal has opened up new prospects for cooperation in Nepal-India trade and transit sectors.

After the entry into force of the revised agreement, the railways / wagons owned by the Nepal Railway Company are also allowed to operate freight to Nepal (inbound and outbound) on the Indian rail network in accordance with Indian Railways standards and procedures. Previously, this was only allowed for cars owned by Indian Railways and CONCOR.

“The monopoly that CONCOR has enjoyed since 2014 ended with this revised agreement,” said Chandra Ghimire, outgoing secretary at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Supply. “Since CONCOR was also operating for Indian companies, it paid less attention to our side.

Nepalese traders have long complained about difficulties in trading with third countries in the absence of a timely assessment and review of the rail services agreement with India.

Rajan Sharma, former chairman of the Nepal Freight Forwarders Association, said breaking CONCOR’s monopoly in rail service is good for competitive rail service.

“We have been raising the issue of breaking CONCOR’s monopoly for over a decade and Indian private rail companies have also been asking us to lobby to invite competition in rail services for the delivery of goods to and from Nepal. “Sharma told the Post.

Officials said in the absence of an updated agreement, other agreements that were signed between the two countries could not be implemented effectively.

After the agreement enters into force, Indian private operators will be able to transport goods to Nepal from the ports of Visakhapatnam and Kolkata, as well as other ports, allowing Nepal to use more Indian seaports. close to the main customs points in western and far western Nepal for trade with third countries. in accordance with the transit treaty between Nepal and India. At present, rail freight can only be transported on the Kolkata-Raxaul / Birgunj route.

“The current rail freight or freight facility is limited only to Raxaul-Birgunj. We need to extend its reach to other dry ports and industrial corridors in Nepal like Nepalgunj, Bhairahawa, Biratnagar, Kakarvitta and other already established industrial zones and set up industrial hubs, ”said Ghimire. “If we can get raw materials through rail instead of trucks, we will have abundant raw materials that will help us achieve rapid industrialization. ”

The new amendment also ensured the competitiveness of private actors.

“Several Indian private rail freight companies doing business in India offered a much cheaper service than CONCOR,” the official said. “The end of the monopoly and the guarantee of competitiveness are a major achievement. “

With the increase in trade with other countries, Nepal demanded the extension of rail services to all trade points in the country.

“There is now diversification in our existing facilities,” a Nepalese diplomat based in New Delhi said over the phone. “The majority of our concerns have been resolved, we must now increase our capacity for full use of this revised agreement.”

The new agreement will be more important after the entry into service of the four other rail links planned between the two countries. These four cross links include Jogbani-Biratnagar, Rupaidiya-Kohalpur, New Jalpaiguri-Kakarbhitta, and Nautanwa-Bhairawaha.

A feasibility study for bringing the rail to Kathmandu from Raxaul, India is also under consideration.

“We need to add rail service to our industrial hubs so that we can transport raw materials from Indian ports to these industrial hubs, which will cost less than by truck,” Ghimire said. “We need to resolve these issues in the coming days to increase our industrial inputs. ”

Another important point to remember from the revised rail service agreement is that all kinds of wagons that can carry freight on the Indian rail network in India can also carry freight to and from Nepal. Previously, this installation was limited to certain types of wagons.

Liberalization will especially reduce transportation costs for automobiles that are carried on special wagons that were not included in the 2004 rail service agreement, as they did not exist at the time, the official said.

“Now we can easily operate our cross-border railroad and expand our business. We can also do business through India if we can compete with Indian companies, ”said Balaram Mishra, former director general of the Ministry of Railways. “The only thing we need is to develop more dry ports, industrial zones. Otherwise, these facilities are not used, ”Mishra said.

The private sector, however, has a word of warning.

“Nepalese importers are unlikely to benefit directly from competitive prices, as most Nepalese importers rely on foreign exporters to book rail services and they charge freight charges in the cost of goods. Therefore, they will benefit more because they can get competitive prices, ”said Sharma, the freight forwarder. “Nepalese importers can only benefit if they negotiate with railway companies for competitive prices or negotiate with exporters for reduced transport costs. “

(Prithvi Man Shrestha contributed reporting.)


38 people killed and 51 injured in landslides caused by rain and floods in Nepal

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


Flash floods and landslides triggered by torrential rains across Nepal have left at least 38 dead, including seven children, and more than 50 injured in the past 20 days, the Interior Ministry said on Saturday.

The ministry said 51 people were injured and 24 people, including three children, went missing in flood and landslide incidents in different parts of the country.

Likewise, 1,250 people were evacuated from different parts of the country that were affected by the natural disaster, he said.

Five people were killed in Sindhupalchowk district, four in Doti district, three each in Gorkha and Rolpa, two each in Chitawan, Tanhun, Pyuthan and Rautahat, one each in Lalitpur, Khotang, Saptari, Kavre, Dhading, Sindhuli , Jumla, Arghakhachi, Dang, Palpa, Kaski, Kalikot, Panchthar, Bajhang and Bajur, the ministry said.

A total of 790 houses were flooded, 519 houses, 90 stables and 19 bridges were destroyed due to flooding and landslides, he said.

Nepalese army personnel, Nepalese police and armed police forces were mobilized to carry out rescue operations. More than 5,100 people were displaced as a result of the natural disaster during this period.

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Coronavirus Covid 19: Mount Everest does not escape, discovers Wanaka filmmaker Scott Simper

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


Emmy Award-winning cinematographer Scott Simper. Photo / Kerrie Waterworth

Scott Simper had climbed Mount Everest twice before, but said catching Covid-19 while filming on the mountain this year was his worst experience.

“I was on Everest for the icefall collapse in 2014 when 16 Sherpas died, I was there in 2015 when the earthquake hit and we had a lot of deaths in our camp this one was physically difficult.

“If I had known what I know now, I wouldn’t have left.”

Before the pandemic, Simper spent more than six months of each year traveling and filming in some of the world’s most remote and extreme environments.

When the borders closed, filming plans, some of which had been in development for years, were canceled overnight.

The 52-year-old US-born cinematographer is married to New Zealand mountain guide Anna Keeling, has a 14-year-old son and lives in Wanaka, but has almost always worked overseas. .

After several months of forced leave last year, Simper agreed to work on two shoots in Nepal when the country unexpectedly reopened its borders after a drop in the number of Covid-19 cases.

Simper arrived in Kathmandu in February and, after a week in quarantine and testing negative, was allowed to fly to the Khumbu Valley in northeast Nepal.

Climbers climb Mount Everest in late May. Photo / Getty Images
Climbers climb Mount Everest in late May. Photo / Getty Images

By the end of March, Simper had completed one shoot and was working on the second, a documentary about the Sherpas climbing Mount Everest, for a Canadian production company.

“Usually the base camp is a very social place but this year all the different camps were closed, everyone was wearing a mask and everyone was very careful, but the food has to come from somewhere and it was going up the valley. . “

The border between India and Nepal was porous, no passport or ID was required for anyone from the two countries to cross, and unbeknownst to Simper, the number of cases had skyrocketed in India.

For the next six weeks, Simper alternated between different camps on Mount Everest, acclimating, filming, and waiting for a weather break.

He said it was common to have a bad cough – called “Khumbu’s cough” – from the dry air and dust, but this year he noticed that many more people were coughing.

A sherpa carries bags on a Mount Everest trail. Photo / Getty Images
A sherpa carries bags on a Mount Everest trail. Photo / Getty Images

On May 11, the cyclonic winds calmed down and 60 to 80 people pushed towards the summit. By that time, the number of Covid-19 cases across Nepal had risen to 9,000 and Simper began to wonder if he was one of them.

“I felt bad all day, I had no energy, I had a headache, I had a fever, and then at the southern summit, I lost my right eye vision. .

“Everything became opaque, as if I was looking through a clear plastic bag.

“I knew that having eye problems could be a symptom of Covid but I thought maybe I had frozen my eye or had wind in it.”

Simper spent nearly five hours filming from the summit of the southern summit to the summit himself, and by the time he descended to Camp Four, he and the Sherpa sharing his tent were “hacking and hacking”.

There was another day of filming at Camp Four before the descent to Camp Two.

“I felt worse and worse, headache, cough, nausea, my eyesight was starting to come back but I had a fever and had no energy.”

When he arrived at base camp, Simper had lost his voice and spent the next two days lying in his tent.

He dragged himself to the Himalayan Rescue Association camp where Nepalese doctors examined him and said he had a very bad case of Khumbu cough and severe laryngitis.

The top of the mountain is seen from the sky. Photo / Getty Images
The top of the mountain is seen from the sky. Photo / Getty Images

They did not test him for Covid-19.

Simper believed there was no test for the virus because the Nepalese government denied that Covid-19 was on Mount Everest.

If he was there, the authorities should have interrupted the climbing season.

This year, the Nepalese government has sold over 400 permits to climb Mount Everest, each costing US $ 10,000 (NZD 14,360).

Despite many guides and climbers reporting symptoms of Covid-19 on social media, the government has dismissed them as rumors.

“The Everest season is such an influx of money for Nepal that they wouldn’t want to close it, and if they had closed the season, they would have had to carry over all permits to the next season.

“There was no season in 2020 and there were so many people out of work for so long that the government was probably under some pressure from the community to keep the season open,” Simper said.

“I certainly don’t agree with Nepal’s denial of Covid, but I can understand why they wanted to keep it open.”

On his return to Kathmandu, he took a test and came back positive.

Within half an hour, he was taken to a government Covid-19 medical center.

“It was the real experience to recover in this tiny little hotel room with no heating.

“It was pretty dirty; eventually I got some disinfectant and was able to disinfect the room but everyone there had Covid.”

Simper was tested every three days and couldn’t leave the facility until he produced a negative Covid-19 test result.

“I was lying most of the time or getting up and pacing the room; there was internet but I didn’t feel able to look at a screen.

“Some people would call me and I would talk to them on the phone, but most of the time I was going to be in the shower for a long time to relieve aches or just rest.”

Simper said that although the accommodation and food were “not great”, the nurses and doctors were extremely attentive.

On day 12, Simper tested negative and five days later was on a plane to the United States.

He spent four days in Utah, where he found out he could get the Covid-19 vaccine at his local supermarket before flying to New Zealand.

Even after he was released from managed isolation in Auckland and returned to Wanaka, Simper said he still suffered from Covid-19-related headaches bordering on migraines and that he had no energy.

“Covid does not discriminate,” he said.

“I’m in the dangerous age range, but even 30-year-old triathletes have died from it.”

“We cannot afford to be complacent – New Zealanders need to be vaccinated, and we should have been vaccinated sooner.”


Government generates record secondary market tax revenue of Rs 13.33 billion in first 11 months of current fiscal year – myRepublica

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


KATMANDU, July 3: Government tax collection on the stock market has increased several-fold in the first 11 months of the current fiscal year, along with an increase in the amount of secondary market transactions during the period .

According to the Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse), the government collected tax revenue worth Rs 13.33 billion in mid-July 2020 and mid-June 2021, a record amount of Nepse over the past three decades of its creation. The amount is more than double the amount collected in the past five years on the stock market. In fiscal years 2015/16 and 2019/20, the secondary market contributed Rs 6.59 billion to tax revenue.

The notable increase in government tax collection is due to an increase in the volume of transactions during the reporting period, when the daily amount of transactions reached a record high of around Rs 20 billion and the index Nepse also crossed 3,000 points. The government collects capital gains tax, dividend tax, income tax and withholding tax on the stock market.

Among these, the government derives good revenues from the secondary market capital gains tax. By law, an institutional investor pays 10% capital gains tax. For individual investors, a 7.5% tax is applicable if a company’s stock is sold within one year of purchase, while the capital gains tax rate is 5% if the stock is sold after one year of purchase.


Nepal fails to secure enough oxygen concentrators | India blossoms

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


Last week, the Nepalese government issued guidelines for the establishment and operation of oxygen cylinders in the districts, imposing a sufficient stock of oxygen concentrators for 20 percent of hospital beds in each district. However, the existing supply is not sufficient to maintain the threshold set by the government.

The authorities envisioned the oxygen concentrator bank as a store to manage demand, supply, collection, distribution and management of equipment. The government plans to establish such banks as a buffer stock at the level of the Ministry of Health Services, provinces and districts.

“The threshold has been set at 20% given the demand for oxygen in hospitals in normal times,” said Krishna Prasad Paudel, spokesman for the Nepalese Ministry of Health, quoted by the Kathmandu Post.

“But, the existing supply of oxygen concentrators may not be sufficient to meet this threshold in all hospitals,” he added.

As of mid-June, the government has distributed about 2,950 oxygen concentrators in several districts.

About 650 hospitals and health facilities have been equipped with these concentrators. However, many hospitals across the country are still waiting to receive these supplies.

Earlier, also during Wave 2, the government failed to secure essential supplies on time and relied mainly on donated supplies to manage the crisis.


Nepse ends flat after hectic week – myRepublica

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


KATMANDU, July 2: Local stocks opened the week on a positive note as the Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) index recovered 27.18 points on Sunday, after losing more than 125 points the week before. Monday saw a modest gain of 5.32 points, while Tuesday saw the correction continue. In Tuesday’s session, the benchmark plunged 47.5 points, followed by a drop of 4.12 points on Wednesday. However, ending the week on a slightly bullish note, the benchmark rose 19.12 points to recoup losses from previous sessions of the week. Ultimately, Nepse ended the week unchanged at 2.843.

As the end of the quarter approaches, sales remained modest. Payments of taxes, interest and debt by individuals and institutions, due by the end of the month, have intensified selling pressure in recent sessions. In addition, the resumption of economic activities after the relaxation of the ban orders also saw many new traders leave their offices, thus contributing to a relatively low participation in the market. Weekly turnover fell about 40% to Rs. 34.16 billion.

Class “A” shares slightly outperformed the overall market, with the Sensitive Index increasing 0.60%. In terms of sector, hotel and tourism values ​​strengthened, the group average having closed up 2.32%. The microfinance segment finished up 1.92%, while the banking sub-index advanced 0.95%. The mutual fund, manufacturing and processing, and financials indices also closed slightly in the green.

On the other hand, investment and non-life insurance stocks struggled with respective benchmarks falling by more than 2%. In addition, the Hydroelectricity and Life Insurance sub-indices recorded gains of over 1%. The Trading, ‘Others’ and Development sub-indices declined slightly during the period considered.

According to ARKS technical analysis, the market formed a doji candlestick on the weekly period ending a volatile week at the opening level. Therefore, the general theme of uncertainty was observed on the stock market during the review week. With a sharp decline in turnover, strong movements on either side are unlikely, while a slight consolidation can be expected at the current level. Technical indicators also suggest a slightly bearish sentiment in recent sessions. Additionally, on the weekly calendar, as long as the market remains above the previous weekly low of 2,600, the medium-term trend remains bullish.

This column is produced by ARKS Capital Advisors Ltd.

www.arkscapitaladvisors.com

(The opinions expressed in the article are those of the producer and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication)


Discover our exciting new projects to finance forest conservation around the world

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


At the end of May, Participants from 15 countries came together to exchange knowledge, cultivate collaboration and tackle a big challenge for conservation: how to move away from unsustainable funding cycles towards long-term solutions to protect natural habitats.

The online accelerator conference was a weeklong event with a diverse portfolio. BirdLife Partners came to seek ideas for long-term sustainable income that would support local communities while preserving the forests around which they live. Solutions range from the production of bird-friendly yerba mate tea in Paraguay and Argentina, to obtaining carbon credits, and local entrepreneurship. Therefore, the Accelerator Online conference was also diverse. We have covered a wide range of topics, such as how to form meaningful partnerships with companies or how to manage the risks involved in entering into financing agreements. We explored these complex, perhaps arid, topics through games, conversations, interactive knowledge downloads, and role-playing.

This year, BirdLife’s Forest Landscape Sustainability Accelerator is expanding. We are proud to announce five new BirdLife partners from Nepal, Malaysia, the Philippines, Colombia and Mexico who will join the Accelerator 2021 cohort. Each seeks a more sustainable future for forests by accelerating the mechanisms that restore landscapes, conserve nature and support a thriving green economy. Here’s a look at three of our new Accelerator partners. Welcome to the accelerator effect!

Asociación Calidris, Colombia – protecting forests to fight climate change

Colombia has the greatest diversity of birds in the world, but the Paraguas-Munchique forest corridor in the western Andes is highly threatened. This expanse of verdant mountains is a refuge for 741 incredible bird species. To protect this habitat, the Asociación Calidris is developing a REDD + certified carbon project. This mechanism generates carbon credits, which can be sold to create a consistent income stream for the landscape. A feasibility study has shown the potential to protect 52,000 hectares of forest against deforestation, generating around 2.8 million tonnes of CO2 reductions. By working alongside local people, the next step is to develop an equitable governance structure to ensure that the benefits of carbon sales are distributed fairly among communities, with conservation at the heart of the action.

Bird Conservation Nepal – growing herbs instead of cutting down forests

The Vallée de Mai and the Kangchenjunga contain medicinal plants that cannot be found anywhere else © Ujjwal Sherchan

Across the Mai Valley and Kangchenjunga Mountain in eastern Nepal, you will find wild rhododendrons and orchids, among thousands of species of medicinal and aromatic plants that are completely unique to Nepal (and the world). Bird Conservation Nepal is developing a model that commercializes the riches of this landscape without exploiting it. Faced with poaching, forest fires and illegal harvesting of plants, they pioneered a model of community forest management. Communities now cultivate and harvest herbs and spices in a sustainable way, while running a tourism business. Their ambition is to extend this successful model to three districts, ensuring a better future for people and forests.

Malaysian Nature Society – welcoming tourists to a hornbill hotspot

The local population is trained and employed as hornbill keepers © Yeap Chin Aik / MNS

The Malaysian Nature Society wants the Belum Temengor Forest in western Malaysia to become the “Hornbill Center of the World”. The ten species of Malaysian hornbill live in this forest, one of the most biodiverse regions in the world, which has vast benefits for indigenous and rural communities who depend on the ecosystem services provided by the forest. Sadly, the harvest of rare agarwood and timber plantations has devastated the landscape over the years, and the Malaysian Nature Society is working on an alternative.

Using a forest certification program, they promoted sustainable timber production, ending endemic logging and influencing policies vital to keeping trees standing. Ecotourism is an important way for local people to continue to conserve forests, so once it is safe to do so we encourage you to visit the ‘Hornbill Center of the World’ and see if you can spot. the ten of these mighty birds …

the Forest landscape sustainability accelerator is a Billions of trees initiative led by the BirdLife Forests program, supported by the Hempel Foundation and Google.org


Castism is likely to continue in Nepal, and that’s unfortunate – OnlineKhabar English News

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


The Nepalese caste system historically functioned as the basis of the feudal economic structure. The caste was largely codified by Manusmriti who divided four varnas: the dominant Brahmins (priests and scholars), the Kshatriyas (warriors), the Vaishyas (merchants and traders), the Shudras (laborers) and the Dalit outcasts (untouchables). Although castes are based on various professions, untouchability evolved later. Even after a decade-long civil war, the fall of the monarchy and the caste system may technically no longer exist in a fledgling democracy, but the practice is still alive in Nepal.

A recent video by Rupa Sunar, a Dalit journalist, went viral on the internet, in which she claimed that Saraswati Pradhan (a house owner) refused to rent her an apartment citing her so-called lower caste. Thus, she filed a complaint against Pradhan in accordance with the 2011 Act on Discrimination and Untouchability Based on Castes. Pradhan, however, was released. This event gives us the opportunity to understand that the caste system is still intact today. More strongly, the social media arguments that followed reflect society that it will be a long time before existing casteism changes.

Dignity and denial

Photo: wallpaperflare.com

In fact, there is a commitment to fight castism on paper. Nepal’s constitution prohibits discrimination based on caste. Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. These rights cannot be taken away because all human beings are designated as rights, without any form of discrimination. But, this incident showed how the so-called low caste people still fight for their basic human rights, a life of dignity and equality.

However, there is a big misconception and biased narrative in some media coverage. Some commentators and social media users have been defensive in calling it “left” or “liberal” propaganda and argued that there is no caste discrimination because the owner is simply exercising his right over private property. Online media platforms continued to cause controversy and disseminated information accusing Sunar of receiving 15 million rupees from the European Union.

Another discussion of the reservation system has spread by relating it to the present case, opening the door to some interesting analogies. “Reservation” is an unpopular word in Nepal and is accused of “reverse discrimination”. Vague accounts such as “non-Dalit students fail to prosper economically in Nepal because ‘lower castes’ have monopolized government welfare schemes” circulate around internet users. However, these complexities cannot be used to avoid addressing caste discrimination and pushing the real problem under the rug. This backlash highlights a curious case of selective indignation and denial of casteism.

Reservation for Dalits and bypass

About 260 million people in South Asia are “Dalits”, or members of so-called lower castes, and are therefore treated as “untouchable” by their social superiors. According to the Human Development Index, the Dalits who constitute 20 percent of the total population are the poorest community in Nepal. More than half of Dalits live below the poverty line and also have lower life expectancy and literacy rates than the national average. Thus, the caste reservation policy was adopted in Nepal. The weaker section connotes a section of society that is deprived of basic rights and regimes provided by law.

File: A participant in a protest demanding justice for Dalits

The reservation in the Nepalese context is used as a tool to raise the standard of living of this part of the society by promoting their social, educational and economic interest. But, the notion of caste reserve is currently fabricated with substandard arguments that undermine the identity and dignity of the class to which government schematics are provided as a reserve. According to arguments advanced by relatively dominant sections of society, reserved people proudly use their inferiority and backwardness, but when it comes to being addressed by such labels which are synonymous with their inferiority, the lower section is offended. This is just a deliberate attempt to scandalize the entire reservation system and deviate from the real issue.

Basically, the seriousness of the act of denial is based on its effect on the group of victims. Discrimination based on caste was not discussed until a few years ago. Despite the legal provisions in place, cases of caste discrimination rarely end up in court; much less result in conviction. Discussions about the experiences of minorities are increasingly common. Yet at every step the dominant castes have denied them empathy and there is widespread denial of castism as if it is past. But, just because there is denial, that doesn’t mean the problem doesn’t exist.

The point of hypocrisy is that when Nabaraj BK, Tikaram Sunar and Ganesh Budha were murdered because of their caste, it sparked a nationwide anti-caste movement, but in the case of Saraswoti Pradhan against Rupa Sunar , people easily take the practice of untouchability. Do you have to lose your life to get proper treatment for caste-based violence? Isn’t denial of a victim’s right to humanity and dignity on the basis of last name enough to qualify as caste discrimination?

The ruling class of Nepalese society constitutes a huge political and administrative force in the current context. They are more or less in power and it is a nature of power that he does not tolerate criticism. When this class is asked complex questions about caste discrimination, they try to run away chanting the same old and outdated songs of discriminatory values ​​and customs. This is why Nepal is considered a country imprisoned by its past. With an attitude and beliefs like this, the incident will be interpreted and dissected in many ways in the coming weeks and perhaps forgotten in the long run, but the general denial of caste discrimination in Nepal could continue.


FACTBOX-Latest information on the global spread of the coronavirus

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


The White House has said it will send special teams to hot spots across the United States to tackle the highly contagious variant of the Delta coronavirus amid rising cases in parts of the country where vaccination rates remain low . DEATHS AND INFECTIONS

* Eikon users, see COVID-19: MacroVitals https://apac1.apps.cp.thomsonreuters.com/cms/?navid=1592404098 for case tracking and a summary of EUROPE news

* The Euro 2020 football tournament has been blamed for an increase in the number of cases, as fans flocked to stadiums, bars and spectator areas across Europe to watch the action as the pandemic still raged rage. * The European medicines regulator has said vaccines approved in the European Union offer protection against all variants of the coronavirus, including Delta, but called for active surveillance by vaccine makers to remain vigilant.

* Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he is confident Britons fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be able to travel abroad this year. * A nighttime curfew will be imposed in several Portuguese municipalities, including the capital Lisbon and the city of Porto.

* Czechs will need to be tested for COVID-19 when they return from summer vacation abroad if they are not fully immunized. ASIA PACIFIC

* Indonesia will impose emergency measures until July 20 to contain an exponential spike in cases that have strained the medical system. * Japan is considering an extension from two weeks to one month for coronavirus prevention measures in Tokyo and other regions, Japanese media said.

AMERICAS * The Bolivian government seeks to stabilize the country’s economy, which last year plunged the most in more than half a century, with a mix of tax spending, vaccines and gold.

* Dominican health authorities will begin distributing a third dose of the vaccine on Thursday in a bid to protect against new, more contagious variants. MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

* The United Arab Emirates announced a travel ban for citizens in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Namibia, Zambia, Congo, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Liberia, South Africa and Nigeria, reported the State News Agency (WAM). * The South African Medical Association has threatened to sue the government because many new junior doctors cannot find internships despite staff shortages during the pandemic.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS * Indian drug maker Zydus Cadila has said it has sought approval for emergency use of its three-dose vaccine which showed 66.6% efficacy in an interim study and could become the second local vaccine if regulators agree.

ECONOMIC IMPACT * Global equity markets rose on Thursday on strong European and US stocks, with stocks erasing a rapid re-acceleration of cases and oil and the dollar extending their first-half rallies.

* The number of Americans filing new jobless claims fell more than expected last week, while layoffs plunged to a 21-year low in June, suggesting that the labor market’s recovery from the pandemic was gaining ground. * Rising vaccinations in the United States are boosting employment recovery in the food and accommodation industry, but not in industries where workers can more easily do their work from home, a blog has shown published by the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank.

(Compiled by Devika Syamnath, Federico Maccioni, Amy Caren Daniel and Jagoda Darlak; edited by William Maclean and Sriraj Kalluvila)

(This story was not edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


Domestic flights resume in Nepal after a 2-month hiatus

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


KATMANDU: After a period of more than two months, the domestic terminal at Kathmandu airport in Nepal on Thursday resumed activity as Nepal resumed its domestic flights, with a capacity of 50% in seats .
Regular domestic flights were suspended from May 3, a few days after a ban was imposed in the Kathmandu Valley due to the spread of Covid-19.
In accordance with the decision, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has resumed regular domestic flights from Thursday, July 1, as well as air services to various destinations around the country.
“The resumption of flights brought us more relief. The lockdown had put life to a halt for many people, now the flights are back on schedule, this has made our mode of transportation easier. Like long-distance vehicles. have not yet taken the road, it has solved the question of how to reach the destination, ”Aarti Devi Poudel, a passenger who arrived at the airport for her flights, told ANI.
According to the Nepal Civil Aviation Authority (CAAN), the regulatory body, a total of 64 domestic flights are reportedly operated daily. The authority authorized 15 daily flights to Yeti Airlines, 31 to Buddha Air, seven to Shree Air, three to Saurya Air, two to Nepal Airlines, two to Tara Air, two to Summit Air and two to Sita Air.
The government has paved the way for domestic flights on condition that they do not exceed 50% of the total number of seats. The current theft is targeted on major routes. During normal days, around 300 flights take off and land at TIA daily, but given the Covid-19 pandemic, the authority said only 64 daily flights will be allowed for now and will follow security measures before and After the flight.
“We were advised to use the disinfectant throughout the flight, they (the airlines) also gave us a face shield and a social distancing protocol of at least one meter until we landed here in Kathmandu.” said Januka Shrestha, who returned to Kathmandu from Nepalgunj after two months.
Airline service providers have made it mandatory for all passengers to complete a medical history report form before the airline issues a boarding pass and airlines must notify every passenger as soon as possible via text message in the event flight delay to destination avoid the crowds at the airport.
In addition, airlines have provided masks and face shields to all passengers on each flight to ensure improved aircraft cleaning by emphasizing high contact areas like seats and seat belts and controlling the temperature of the passengers twice before boarding.
Passengers should be at the airport an hour and a half before their flight.
Statistics from Tribhuvan International Airport show that domestic carriers lost 1.73 million passengers last year, which translates into a loss of more than Rs 5 billion in passenger revenue, excluding revenue losses of freight.
In 2020, domestic passenger traffic at Kathmandu airport fell to its lowest level since 2009, but airline officials said domestic carriers recovered nearly 90% of passenger numbers before Covid. According to statistics, domestic airlines carried 1.45 million passengers in 2020, a decrease of 54.28% from the 2019 figure.


Ethnic clothing brand Aurelia appoints Alia Bhatt as new brand ambassador

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


NEW DELHI: TCNS Clothing Co Ltd, ethnic clothing brand Aurelia, announced on Thursday the appointment of actor Alia Bhatt as the new brand ambassador. The actor will promote the brand’s ethnic clothing line in various campaigns on media platforms.

Aurelia is an Indian ethnic clothing brand for women for casual, work and second-hand clothing. The brand claims to redefine traditional clothing with modern influences in terms of design and style.

Anant Kumar Daga, Managing Director of TCNS Clothing, said: “Aurelia has always promoted effortless style and partnering with Alia Bhatt was a strategic move to communicate the same philosophy. The brand’s youthful image appeals to young and modern women who don’t believe in superficial barriers and Alia is someone who represents the same through her on-screen and off-screen presence in a transparent manner. “

Launched in 2009, the Aurelia brand is part of TCNS Clothing Co Ltd, a company owned by two brothers – OS Pasricha and AS Pasricha. The company started in the retail segment with the womenswear brand W before launching a more affordable and wearable brand Aurelia.

The brand is available both online and offline in more than 220 Exclusive Outlets (EBOs) and present in more than 1,000 large format stores in 150 cities in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Mauritius.

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Pay homage by keeping memories alive

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


When Bibhakar Shakya lifted the veil to see one of his father-in-law’s self-portraits at the Museum of Nepalese Art (MONA) a few days ago, he had a warm smile on his face.

As Rajan Sakya, the founder of the museum, ended his speech with emotion with the note “Lain Singh Bangdel now lives here”, during the unveiling of the painting at the Thamel museum, Bibhakar beamed with pride.

Bibhakar Shakya, now 58, has been archiving the works of the greatest Nepalese artist, Lain Singh Bangdel, for several years.

For Bibhakar, finding a permanent home for one of Lain Singh Bangdel’s works at MoNA was a moment of comfort. It was one more step towards his life goal of securing the Bangdel legacy.

“I have to make sure that his legacy is passed on. I owe it to his contribution to Nepalese art. There is this sense of urgency that keeps me going now as time constantly flies. After Dina’s departure, I consider it my sole responsibility and also a privilege to work on art and literature related projects to highlight Bangdel’s landmark contributions to the arts, literature and history of Nepalese art. If I don’t, it might not happen at all and I want the next generation to remember him, ”a solemn Bibhakar said in his Zoom conversation with the Post.

Lain Singh Bangdel was the artist who introduced modern trends in Western art to Nepal. He was also an art historian and in 1989 published the book “Stolen Pictures of Nepal”, which documented over 300 missing religious icons from the Kathmandu Valley.

Bibhakar was a school student when he first heard of Bangdel.

“I’ve always been interested in literature, and it was at school that I got to know him. I have read his iconic novels of Nepalese literature like Muluk Bahira, Maitaghar, and Langadako Saathi, all he wrote in the 1950s when he lived in Calcutta, ”Bibhakar said. “He was a fantastic writer. His lyrics were lyrical and his stories were socially significant. In addition, his characters gave a outlook on life that people don’t easily think of, as in Langadako Sathi. “

He did not know at the time that one day he would be the man’s son-in-law. Bibhakar met Dina Bangdel while he was pursuing his graduate studies at Ohio State University.

“My life changed in many ways after meeting Dina. She and Lain Singh Bangdel have had a great influence on my life, in the way I look at art, culture, art history and literature, ”said Bibhakar, consultant based in Richmond, Virginia, in the USA. “I had been very interested in art and literature since my high school years, however, both inspired and touched my life beyond what I imagined. I have done well professionally as a Doctor of Economics, but these art and literature projects are what I find exciting and give me the real zest for life.

Today, many members of the artistic community love Bibhakar and are interested in the projects he leads to preserve and promote the work of the Bangdels – his wife and stepfather.

“Dina has worked with many people on the art scene. She was more connected with the artistic culture of the country and devoted much of her life to promoting them on the world stage. I have helped and supported his businesses as much as I could, ”Bibhakar said. “And it was she who wanted to preserve and bring together the works of her father to bring his heritage to life. It was important to her. And it is important for me now, more than ever, to work on his business, for my children and for the next generation. “

In the art history of Nepal, the contribution of Lain Singh Bangdel can never be forgotten. His works mark an era itself in the country’s modern art scene. However, in these difficult times, many still do not know him and his works.

Last year, the art community was disheartened when Bangdel’s 1955 watercolor of a woman was purchased for just 100 pounds. Many artists have come forward and said the price is too low for an artist of Bangdel’s caliber and someone who has made a huge contribution to the country’s art scene.

“I think the incident showed us how much we still have to showcase and discuss what Bangdel’s works mean to the world. The younger generation and many people outside the artistic world do not really know him. They haven’t heard from him, ”Bibhakar said. “Which makes my job all the more important. I firmly believe that his works should be recognized and respected both at home and abroad.

Bibhakar remembers his stepfather as a down-to-earth gentleman and someone who enjoyed socializing and genuinely cared about people, regardless of their social status or professional background.

“My father and mother-in-law, Manu Kumari Thapa, used to organize many dinners. And in these gatherings, he engaged in intellectual discussions about politics, science, music and art. His hospitality is one of the things people who knew him still remember, ”Bibhakar said. “Bangdel was a versatile personality – he created various genres of paintings such as landscape, figurative, portrait, and abstract arts. He has also written both fiction and non-fiction and has also led the Nepalese art scene as Chancellor of the Royal Nepal Academy.

Bangdel painted whenever he was inspired and was in the mood to let his mind run free on paper. And Bibhakar remembers admiring his dedication and passion for art when they lived together for a time in Columbus, Ohio, in the early 1990s.

“He enjoyed the process of creating his works. And when he started working on his painting, he was totally focused. He went on for hours and didn’t even take a break to eat, ”Bibhakar explained. “He was also very calm and organized. When we browsed through his works at home, we pleasantly found that he was meticulously organized with his collections. All his letters and photographs were carefully dated and sorted.

Even then, for Bibhakar, organizing the inventory of Bangdel’s work and making the tough decisions about what to do with it, where to place it, and thinking about what Bangdel and his wife would have wanted with that work was an experience. overwhelming. The trip also meant sifting through memories and learning more about the family.

“I love working on these projects, setting my deadlines and discussing the work of Bangdel jee and my wife with people. But yes, there are days when the process exhausts you emotionally. It’s not easy when the memories come back. But it’s just life, right? he said.

Today, Bibhakar is also working on translations of Bangdel’s books as part of his efforts to make the works of the late artist more accessible to people around the world. The translation of Langadako Sathi is slated for release this year, and Bibhakar is also working on turning the book into a movie. He will also begin work on the manuscript of other literary works by Bangdel. Maitighar and Muluk Bahira in 2022.

Bibhakar also simultaneously worked on an art book which includes paintings by Lain Singh Bangdel. The artbook, he says, will showcase Bangdel as a modern artist and his wife Manu Kumari Thapa, who was Prasuti Griha’s matron and was his pillar of support. He also plans to create a permanent gallery dedicated to Bangdel’s work in the years to come.

“I’m also currently planning a Bangdel art retrospective exhibition in New York in 2022 in the hope that it will give him the world stage he so deserved. His retrospective art exhibit will travel to other states in the United States such as California, Florida, Ohio, and North Carolina. There is actually a lot to do and it gets more exciting every day, ”he said.

Bangdel’s works are believed to be spread across Europe, Japan, and the United States. As Bibhakar perseveres to build a healthy archive of his works, he has established networks with people and organizations around the world who own Bangdel’s works.

“One thing I learned from my stepdad is to do the things you want to do right now. He used to say don’t wait until tomorrow, ”Bibhakar said. “And that’s what I’m doing now. I want to do it now and I want to return Bangdel’s works and memories to society.

It is obvious that for Bibhakar, it is more than an obligation and rather his promise to keep. He also thinks it is a privilege for him to be part of such a monumental legacy.

These days when people invite him to talk about Lain Singh Bangdel and his works, Bibhakar feels proud and more than blessed to witness the lives Bangdel touched.

At MoNA, he was delighted with the discussion of Bangdel’s self-portrait from 1989 which portrayed his bliss and contentment with life. “The year 1989 was when Bangdel retired from his professional work and maybe it was when he decided to live for himself,” said Rajan Sakya, addressing a small group. artists.

And throughout the speech, Bibhakar’s eyes shone with joy and appreciation.

“When you see people discussing his works and remembering his contributions, it makes all the more sense that I have to work to keep his legacy alive,” Bibhakar said.


US medical stocks run out as threat of Delta variant looms

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


At the same time, the Biden administration is struggling to keep its commitments to other countries to provide supplies to fight the virus, including oxygen for the sickest patients. The United States has only been able to meet a fraction of the demands it has received for the gas and materials needed to administer it, recently shipping 1,500 oxygen cylinders and other components to India and 1,000 cylinders to Nepal. Nepal initially requested nearly 20,000 bottles, said a senior US official familiar with the matter.

The struggle to secure vital medical supplies underscores how unprepared the United States is for a new wave of Covid-19 infections. It also highlights the difficulties faced by the Biden administration, as well as governments and healthcare providers around the world, in meeting demand for key medical products in the second year of the pandemic – amid the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant.

“Because we didn’t have the type of centralized intelligence to identify, test and execute rapid containment, the United States missed our opportunity to contain the virus. It was very difficult to quantify what health systems needed to do to prepare, ”said Charity Dean, former deputy director of the California Department of Public Health. “Without a technological revolution… the United States will not be prepared for another pandemic. At present, the system cannot evolve as fast as the pathogen does. “

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services said that “the SNS strives to balance its storage needs with the ongoing needs of health facilities.” The Federal Emergency Management Agency is also helping the HHS build up the US stockpile.

Two senior officials working on the federal government’s storage efforts said part of the reason the United States had not reached its stockpile targets for items such as gloves are due to the fact that the number of Covid-19 cases has dropped significantly and hospitals, public health officials and other health care providers are not submitting claims for ‘help. But the stock is designed to help the nation prepare for unpredictable emergencies, and the government, which sets inventory targets, has not lowered them in the face of weakening demand.

The stampede obtain medical supplies in the face of a generalized health situation The emergency sparked conversations on Capitol Hill about how to better fund and organize the federal stock.

U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) And David McKinley (RW.Va.) introduced a bill in February that seeks to address shortages of personal protective equipment and testing kits. Earlier this month, Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Senator Maggie Hassan (DN.H.) and Representative Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) Introduced legislation to reduce dependency with respect to foreign materials and stimulate the domestic market. manufacture of medical supplies.

“The medical supply chain is a very complex global system of which the national strategic stock is only a very small part,” said Tara O’Toole, a former head of homeland security in the Obama administration. “The stock cannot in a real universe keep enough things on hand to meet the country’s needs for all risks.”

The federal government created the stockpile, originally the National Pharmaceutical Stockpile, in 1999 to address potential biological, disease, and chemical threats to civilian populations. It was finally renamed the Strategic National Reserve in 2003, and the Department of Defense was tasked with managing it alongside the HHS. The stockpile was designed as a stopgap that would allow the federal government to increase supplies to specific areas facing disasters or threats, complementing local procurement efforts. It was not meant to be the only source for private and public institutions to obtain medical supplies in emergency situations.

Hospitals, public health departments and other health facilities are expected to maintain their own stocks of masks, gowns, drugs and ventilators. But during the first months of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, they ran out of these basic supplies. The overwhelming number of patients with Covid-19 has forced private and public institutions to search for personal protective equipment and therapeutic products on the open market.

“The supply chain conversations – I had them in January, but we were flying blind,” Dean said. “The preparations that we should have made in January and February were only made in early or mid-March. At this point, the United States was behind in accessing critical supply chains. “

The federal government has activated the stockpile to help fill state gaps in Covid-19 medical supplies and equipment. But the supply was not enough to meet the high demand, and federal officials ran into hurdles in getting more materials on the open market quickly. There weren’t enough masks, gowns, ventilators and medicine for everyone. Companies that made things like N95 gowns and masks lacked the manufacturing capacity to quickly produce the amount of product needed.

A year and a half after the start of the pandemic, the United States still does not have a good way to quickly increase the production of drugs and medical supplies needed to help supplement the strategic national stockpile, in part because manufacturers operate on a just-in-time basis. These standards are supposed to minimize inventory and maximize efficiency, but struggle to accommodate fluctuations in demand.

“Everyone – shippers, hospitals, drugstore chains – no one wants to hold inventory. Who is going to pay for these expensive drugs that sit there month after month? O’Toole said. “This is why hospital stocks have declined.”

The federal government is beginning to work with the private sector to ensure that manufacturers have the capacity to rapidly increase production during large-scale outbreaks.

The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) is job with its parent company, HHS, to find companies willing to change their standard manufacturing practices to increase production of therapeutics and other medical supplies to better prepare for the next pandemic. But increasing US manufacturing capacity isn’t easy, former Trump administration says manager who worked with BARDA told POLITICO. It will take years to build facilities, manufacturing lines and hire staff to oversee production, the former official said.

Given that 57% of U.S. adults are fully vaccinated, and rates of Covid-19 cases have declined significantly in recent months, the federal government estimates that it currently has sufficient supply in the national strategic stockpile to address the small requests from States and to manage a moderate increase in cases due. to the Delta variant. But, officials said, if another nationwide increase occurs, the stock will only be able to supplement state supplies, not completely fill caches.

But the Biden administration is also trying to help countries around the world struggling with acute spikes in Covid-19 cases and deaths, and it is struggling to secure and ship supplies overseas. Beyond calls for vaccines, the administration has received urgent requests for oxygen and oxygen components such as cylinders from countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

The United States committed about $ 18 million in November 2020 to boost the supply of medical oxygen to 11 countries. But the oxygen concentrators – machines that filter oxygen from the air – purchased with this funding have only been delivered to Honduras, Guatemala and Haiti. Starting this month, the US Agency for International Development provided emergency medical supplies with oxygen to Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Dozens of other countries are asking for the same help from the United States

“Under normal circumstances, even before the pandemic, access to oxygen was a challenge… for many countries at the time. There just hasn’t been enough attention and investment on the issue, ”said Robert Matiru, director of Unitaid, a health initiative that works with the World Health Organization. “Many health systems in several countries have been challenged not by lack of core capacity, but by the fact that surge capacity has simply exceeded them. The oxygen demand is almost double, triple, quadruple of what is normally required. “


Why gratitude towards frontline workers is great during crises – onlinekhabar english news

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


The Covid-19 crisis has mercilessly plunged the world to be doomed to the highest level of inconvenience and greatest difficulty in all of human civilization to date. The only tool to defeat the virus is a deep self-discipline of all humans; medical science, as well as other research, advocates accordingly. However, we are obviously obsessed with finding only the government of blameworthy loathing for every action everywhere and every time. Often times, the story is told that everyone else except the government has the privilege of shying away from their responsibilities and feeling no duty to them.

Few analysts even believe the government intentionally dispels the deadliest scourge while some more romantically note that the government has intentionally underworked to curb it. Undoubtedly, the government effort is not as needed and the public can always question it. Nevertheless, one cannot interpret that he was completely lazy on her. Comparing the reckless rent-seeking attitude reflected in the inflated bills of private hospitals, the ultimate trust of citizens rests in public or state-owned hospitals.

The company must express its sincere gratitude and respect to all professionals in such a chaotic time, to the doctors and healthcare professionals who are at the forefront. Besides them, the contribution of security personnel should not be underestimated. Journalists, who tirelessly strive to update the masses, are to be well revered. Many social activists have provided invaluable assistance on different fronts. The government must coordinate well to keep them in good spirits and mobilize them effectively. The whole of society should congratulate and salute the circle showing wonderful dedication and dedication to the welfare of society and the preservation of human lives.

Who deserves gratitude?

Since the advent of this pandemic, humans around the world have surfed with a profound change in both jobs and lifestyles. Most people have confined and caged themselves internally, either by choice or by duress. “Work from home” and “virtual work systems” have turned us into an electronic tribe. Baking and academic pursuits have widely embraced digital enjoyment. Researchers found that working from home has relatively added performance optimization and efficiency. A book by Fareed Zakaria, “Ten Lessons for the Post-Pandemic World,” written no later than the climax of the first wave of Covid-19, predicted that working online, versus offline, could be just as appealing to many people, even in normal times. post-pandemic life too.

But, there are professionals who, neither by choice nor by constraint, have no concession in staying at home. They have to report to the community for work now and even later. Health and medical professionals as well as security guards are working hard to save humans from this brutal bacterial monster. Journalists too are on the front line in a very noble quest. It is never permissible to misbehave, undermine, humiliate and / or illogically indict, attempt to insubordination and non-cooperation or imitate their meaningful motives. They are fulfilling such a pious duty for society and our comfort. Despite unexpected hobbies and family time with many of us, health and safety professionals have double-duty busy schedules. Neither have family time, nor family has any guarantee of safety, nor can they be sure for a future time. In terms of doctors, even the pool of retirees is also invited to join the service. The security people have long since separated from the families. Both contribute to society and human health on a gigantic scale.

How to express gratitude?

Photo: Freepik / pikisuperstar

We are only safe because of their hard work and dedication. In the wake of the horribly weak and visibly helpless world situation, they are doing very well. However, it is shameful and inhuman to see some unethical reactions, namely unnecessary travel, blatantly flouting the official call for public and social health, to behave badly with doctors and professionals. health, etc. Presenting arrogance this way instead of friendship and friendship, which this society urgently needs, reveals the bubbles of ruinous rudeness and brazen stupidity. Such steps will be suicidal enough for his own life. Everyone should assimilate the fact.

According to a research article published in the journal ‘Scientific American Mind’ on November 6, 2012, by Emma Sepal, associate professor at Stanford University, natural disasters or other epidemiological disasters unite commoners. In times of crisis, people thrive in mutual intimacy. Deep love, trust and mutual harmony should flourish this time too.

Health and non-violence are the main goals of Eastern philosophy. Violence doesn’t just cause physical pain or abuse. Mental health attacks and anti-social behavior are the most heinous form of violence. It destroys the culture of ‘Basudhaiba Kutumbakam ‘.

When we read the story, we bow down to the people who gave their lives for the country. The terrain and format of the sacrifice for the country were very different in the past. Author Daniel Yergin’s book ‘The New Map’ says that the future will now face issues such as the environment, climate and global epidemics. So today the process of sacrifice for the betterment of the country and the society is very different. But, the desire and sacred purpose of making society more progress-oriented and more secure, by virtue of their contribution, has not changed. The contribution objective has remained the same. The passengers have changed, the routes have changed, the style of travel has changed but the destination is the same, the motive has not changed.

As a country evolves from a police state (especially a state interested in expanding borders) to a welfare state (caring for the well-being and quality of life of the public), the model of contribution to the country is also undergoing a radical change. Right now, this sacrifice is naturally triggered by health workers and security personnel. They risked their lives for the country and for society. We should bow down and express great love and gratitude to them.

Let us be disciplined and conscientious. Let’s send positive support to health and safety officers. Let us respect them and cooperate with them. Let’s try to keep their morale high. Let us not forget the fact that only their compassion and contribution will keep us safe for the rest of our lives. Let us give gratitude to the great guards who are here to garnish and eliminate this grim and grave danger and save us.


Joost Bakker explains why zero waste life is the future

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


As the son of a fourth generation Dutch tulip grower, Bakker may have always been destined to love nature, which is reflected in his many careers to date, which include building sculptures from waste. , the sale of boxes of worms to biodynamic farms and the opening of a zero waste system. soup kitchen where discarded bones from upscale restaurants were used for the broth.

His vision of a world without litter and with urban farms and cities that sustain themselves may seem radical, but Bakker is adamant that this new future is on the horizon. His current creative project, Future Food System is a productive zero waste home that is open to the public to visit or reserve for dinner or lunch. Located right in the center of Melbourne, it grows all the food its people – two local chefs – cook, eat and serve, as well as generate its own energy. By showing people solutions, he hopes he can convince them that this way of life is not only achievable, but also ambitious.

We recently caught up with Bakker to learn more about sustainable living, how he was influenced by the Netherlands and Australia, and how long he thinks it will take the world to catch up with his vision for the future.

Q: You have been described as “one of the most provocative advocates of sustainable development”. Why is it important to be so forthright about the subject, and why is it particularly important at this time?

My whole life story revolves around waste and zero waste, and I believe that humans need to embrace what the rest of the planet is already using, which is a zero waste approach. We are the only species not to do this.

But I have never been someone who speaks out. I don’t go out to talk and I say, “this is what we should be doing”. Instead, I am a big believer in physical projects. For me, it was always about showing rather than saying. I think a living and breathing example is the best way to educate people, and that’s why Silo, the world’s first zero waste cafe that I opened in Melbourne in 2012, was so successful.


The difference between Communism in China and Nepal

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


Last week, as part of the centenary celebrations of the Chinese Communist Party, a high-speed train was inaugurated from Lhasa to Nyingchi, just 17 kilometers from the border of Arunachal Pradesh state in India. There will be more such projects announced by China as it would like to take the opportunity to share its economic success story with the world.

At the start of the pandemic, as the world wondered how to deal with the pandemic, China simply pushed containment. And now, with the vaccination, he proudly claims he injected a billion doses into his home and exported around 400 million. It is therefore very strange that Nepal, which has experienced different forms of Communist government over the past three decades and is currently the only country ruled by a Communist Party in South Asia, is lagging so far behind.

In Liberate the VajraI’m talking about how the Communist Parties in Nepal were modeled around the Indian Communist Parties, especially with a strong influence from the West Bengal parties. It was about seeking rents out of poverty, talking about land rights, disrupting businesses through unions, seeing wealth as bad and the rich as inherently bad.

It was always hypocrisy, where we talk about the Red Book during the day and drink Red Label at night. Communist leaders and their children got richer by winning the elections by talking about poverty. Unlike China, where the goal was to become a global superpower, the Communists in Nepal and West Bengal ensured that they were exploiting and extracting, labeling the superpowers as imperialists and expansionists. If they were to become a superpower, then they would have fewer possibilities of extracting undeserved wealth; therefore, poverty has become a great weapon.

No institutional strengthening

One of the most admirable systems of the Chinese Communist Party has been the way it trains leaders from the local level and they evolve to manage different portfolios and then are promoted as in an efficiently run business or organization. A leader would have gone through many positions where he would have stood out before reaching the top.

In Nepal, as in India, the organization did not matter. Therefore, the chiefs either became members of the king’s party or transferred the locks and cannon to another party. When so many communist parties in Nepal were working for federalism and the new constitution, not a single party has so far created a structure where the grassroots leaders develop in stages to become national leaders like in China.

In the recent takeover perpetuated by Prime Minister KP Oli, it appears that “horse bargaining” (a very popular word used in the Indian democratic system) has become the means of managing communist factions rather than creating organizations. . Therefore, the Communist leaders in Nepal strongly disagree with the Chinese model of party building. As one Communist leader shared privately, there are too many Xi and no Xi doctrine in this country. The fact that the Nepalese Communist Parties have not demonstrated a leadership development process means that they have very low credibility in the face of some of the main thinkers of the Chinese Communist Party. Therefore, the Nepalese rulers do not have access to the main Chinese rulers.

Lack of global ambition

Apart from sending children abroad to study or settle, there have been no global ambitions of the Nepalese communist leaders, unlike their Chinese counterparts. When was the last time we heard of a Nepalese communist leader presenting documents on a credible international platform? Where do you see them on their trips abroad, other than being with their old executives in a country eating masu-bhaat?

China’s growth has been about setting global ambitions. Today, global companies are examining how Chinese companies operate and use that inspiration, whether in e-commerce or technology. Nepalese communist leaders believe that globalization and capitalism run counter to their political interests and equate everything they cannot achieve with them. For example, if we talk about the filth of Kathmandu or the poor quality of our urban planning, they quickly refer to cleanliness and good city plans as a capitalist concept and throw it away. They don’t want to compete with the world, and competing with those who are known to them is an easier way to stay in power.

The hundred years of the Chinese Communist Party will surely bring more news about the progress of our northern neighbor. At the same time, we will have the opportunity to hear views on what they did wrong. For the Nepalese Communist, it is just time to think and act like him rather than emulate the failed Indian Communist model around which he is continually modeled.


Political volatility – Analysis – Eurasia Review

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


By S. Binodkumar Singh *

In a blow to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on June 22, 2021, the Supreme Court (CS) overturned the appointments of 20 ministers, including 17 cabinet ministers and three ministers of state, citing Article 77 (3) of the Constitution.

The SC ordinance stated: “The appointments of June 4 and 10 by the president on the recommendation of Cabinet are contrary to the intent and spirit of the constitution. An interim order has been issued not to allow ministers to perform their duties until the matter is resolved.

On June 4, Prime Minister Oli appointed 10 ministers and two ministers of state. On June 10, he added seven more cabinet ministers and a minister of state to his cabinet.

On June 7, 2021, six people, including lead lawyer Tripathi and lawyers Raj Kumar Suwal, Shalikram Sapkota, Kanchan Krishna Neupane, Birendra Prasad Sah and Sitadevi Shrestha had filed the writs demanding that the Cabinet extensions by the interim government be rescinded. .

On May 21, 2021, President Bidya Devi Bhandari dissolved the House of Representatives on the recommendation of the Oli cabinet. President Bhandari also announced that midterm elections would be held on November 12-19, 2021, a year ahead of schedule.

According to forecasts, on May 24, 2021, 146 lawmakers filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court, demanding the re-establishment of the House of Representatives. These included 61 members of Parliament from the Nepalese Congress (NC), 49 from the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Center (CPN-Maoist Center), 23 from the Madhav Kumar Nepal faction of the Communist Party of Nepal-Marxist-Leninist United (CPN -UML), 12 from the Upendra Yadav-Baburam Bhattarai of the Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) and one from Rastriya Janamorcha Nepal (RJN).

Opposition parties have filed up to 30 lawsuits against the president’s decision, arguing that the dissolution of the House of Representatives was unconstitutional. Of 30 writs, 19 were filed seeking an interim order on the dissolution of the House of Representatives, while 11 writ requests were filed requiring the writs to be heard by the Constitutional Chamber.

On May 27, 2021, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Cholendra Shumsher Rana, announced that the Constitutional Chamber of the Court would decide the fate of the 30 petitions against the dissolution of the House of Representatives by President Bidya Bhandari. Finally, on June 23, 2021, the Court began hearings on the Motions in Brief.

Significantly, the House of Representatives was first dissolved on December 20, 2020 by President Bhandari, endorsing the recommendation of the Oli government. The President also approved the Cabinet recommendation to hold general elections on April 30 and May 10, 2021. It is expected that on December 21, 2020, 11 motions in brief were filed with the Supreme Court, challenging the dissolution of the House of Representatives, even though the whole opposition took to the streets.

In a landmark verdict on February 23, 2021, the Supreme Court’s constitutional bench restored the House of Representatives. The Supreme Court called Prime Minister Oli’s decision to dissolve the House of Representatives unconstitutional and overturned all decisions relating to the dissolution of the House. The court also ordered the government to convene a session of the House within 13 days.

On March 1, 2021, President Bidya Devi Bhandari called the first meeting of the House of Representatives. The President called for the opening of the House of Representatives on the recommendation of the Nepalese government, in accordance with article 93 (1) of the Constitution.

The Nepalese Communist Party (NCP) which had emerged after the merger CPN-UML and CPN-Center Maoist on May 17, 2018, suffered a vertical division on December 22, 2020, almost 31 months after the merger. On March 7, 2021, the Supreme Court invalidated the merger of the two parties, even as the internal rupture within the CPN-UML worsened.

On May 5, 2021, the CPN-Maoist Center withdrew its support for the government led by Oli. As expected, on May 10, the Oli government failed to gain the confidence of parliament in a vote in the House of Representatives. Oli even lost the support of many CPN-UML lawmakers, who sided with Madhav Kumar Nepal. On the same day, May 10, President Bhandari called on any leader of a political party who could obtain a majority of the votes in Parliament, with the support of two or more parties, to claim the post of Prime Minister in accordance with Article 76 ( 2). of the Constitution. In issuing a notice on the evening of May 10, President Bhandari asked such a deputy to make a claim before 9 p.m. on May 13. The constitutional provisions required such a candidate to submit the signatures of a majority of lawmakers belonging to two or more political parties. to Parliament, to the Presidency within the time limit. As no one could muster the required support, the president re-appointed Oli as prime minister on May 13. Again, on May 20, President Bhandari called on the parties to demand the formation of the government, in accordance with article 76 (5), on May 21. However, as the meeting ended in a deadlock, the Cabinet recommended the dissolution of the House of Representatives.

The intra-party crisis is not only visible in the traditional communist parties, but also in the groups involved in the violence. The Netra Bikram Chand a.k.a Nepalese-Maoist Communist Party led by Biplav (CPN-Maoist-Chand) which reached a three point agreement with the outgoing government on March 4, 2021, has already seen divisions within the group. On May 1, 2021, CPN-Maoist-Chand broke up after politburo member Krishna Prasad Dhamala a.k.a Gambhir revolted to form a new party, the Jana Samajwadi Manch-Nepal (JSM-N). Meanwhile, three months after signing the agreement with the government, in an interview with Himalayan Television Airing on June 2, 2021, Chand said his party was not yet in peaceful politics:

We did not say that we had arrived at a peaceful policy. It was just that we were ready to present our views peacefully. I think we shouldn’t classify politics as peaceful and violent. This understanding is wrong. Also underground, we played peaceful politics

All this political chaos in the country began in April 2020 when the differences between the two co-chairs of the then NCP – Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal – began to escalate. Since then, the environment of unrest, with demonstrations – some of them violent – has failed to defuse itself.

The protracted political problem in Nepal has not only increased political instability in the country, but has also created a growing potential for escalation into violence due to possible action by opportunist formations such as the Chand group.

* S. Binodkumar Singh
Research associate, Institute for Conflict Management


Hong Kong bans passenger flights from UK on delta variant

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


Hong Kong will ban all passenger flights from Britain from Thursday, calling the country “extremely high risk” just as it eases entry requirements for people traveling from most other parts of the world .

“Starting at 12:00 am on July 1 (Hong Kong time), all passenger flights from the UK will be banned from landing,” the government said in a statement on Monday.

The decision was made “in view of the recent rebound in the epidemic situation in the UK and the widespread variant delta virus strain there, coupled with a number of cases with mutant L452R virus strains detected by testing. carried out on people arriving from the UK, ”he mentioned.

Only a handful of other countries are in Hong Kong’s highest risk category: Brazil, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines and South Africa.

The UK was in Hong Kong’s extremely high risk category from December through May, but then moved to very high risk as its outbreak subsided.

As cases are on the rise again in the UK, the move comes amid political tensions between China and the UK over Beijing’s crackdown on dissent and media freedom in the United Kingdom. former British colony. The British government has repeatedly stated that China had violated the Sino-British joint declaration that paved the way for the handover of Hong Kong in 1997.

Hong Kong has put in place some of the toughest border barriers in the world to keep its infection count low. Those will be relaxed for all but the most-at-risk locations this week, when the mandatory hotel quarantine for fully vaccinated people arriving in the city is reduced to seven days from 21.

The strict quarantine regime has been a source of public anger. Qualifying travelers must book their own hotel rooms, which can be expensive for longer stays, and they are booked quickly during the summer period.

Despite wide availability of Covid vaccines, only 19% of Hong Kong’s population has been fully vaccinated, Bloomberg’s vaccine tracker shows.

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Himalayan Reinsurance Company: Rs 1 billion “deal” for business license – myRepublica

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


KATMANDU, June 27: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has declared publicly: “I do not commit corruption, I do not even look at the faces of the corrupt. But during the tenure of the government led by Oli, the irregularities were made public one after another. A recent example is the Himalayan Reinsurance Company.

According to sources, there is a suspicion of irregularities in granting Himalayan Reinsurance Company permission to operate as a reinsurer. An operator from the same company said the Himalayan Reinsurance Company obtained the clearance by influencing senior government officials. “We have already paid a certain amount. It has been agreed to pay the remaining amount after the start of the company’s activities,” said the operator. “We will pay the amount by collecting Rs 100 per unit.”

The Himalayan Reinsurance Company has a paid-up capital of Rs 10 billion. As it is a company of 100 million units, raising an additional amount at the rate of Rs 100 per unit will be Rs 1 billion. The Managing Director (CEO) of the Investment Board of Nepal (IBN) is close to the Prime Minister. Sources say it is a “deal” in collusion with some traders. The license was issued after private sector entrepreneurs paid an advance with a commitment to pay Rs 1 billion. The Beema Samiti has completed the formal licensing process.

As the value of reinsurance companies is high in the capital market, investors are also willing to pay an additional amount per unit. So far, Nepal Reinsurance Company is the only reinsurance company in the country. According to the Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE), the market value of the company’s share price in the reinsurance sector was recently Rs 1,916. Investors are prepared to pay a significant amount as the new reinsurance company will trade at a higher price once it is listed on NEPSE.

Five reinsurance companies were competing for the license according to information published by the Beema Samiti. Along with Himalayan, Prudential Reinsurance, Annapurna Reinsurance, Kathmandu Reinsurance and Genuine Reinsurance had also applied. The operators of other companies were also ready to pay large sums in the dark. The insurance committee, which requested the proposal on April 29, had given until May 19 to register the proposal. The Beema Samiti asked the founders to raise Rs 7 billion in capital in 45 days.

Some of the major business groups have been active in obtaining the license for Himalayan Reinsurance. The company has the investment of reputable businessmen from the private sector. Although some companies had already been registered with Beema Samiti, the latter had canceled the old requests for collusion with certain businessmen and reopened the request for the new company. Beema Samiti is an agency under the Ministry of Finance. So this is a big “deal” and was only possible with the involvement of someone in a senior position, the source said.

Former chairman of Beema Samiti, Devendra Pratap Shah questioned the assessment process of the insurance regulator itself. Shah said the selection process should be transparent. “The company was rushed through the middle of the blackout period,” Shah said. “The evaluation criteria have not been made public. This created suspicion. The competing companies alleged that the company that submitted the closed list had to be sealed when choosing the company from the competition, but this was not done.

The Beema Samiti said the company was selected through a competition in accordance with the published public notice because only one company was suitable after researching the market. The president of Beema Samiti is Surya Prasad Silwal. He was appointed president by the current government.

But President Silwal said permission had been granted to the most suitable company. “The company with the most points in the competition with the best business plan has been selected,” said President Silwal. “They started to blame after their companies weren’t selected.” He also added that the proposal was only requested for one company due to the small size of the market.

Some 70 percent of investments in the Rs 10 billion, or Rs 7 billion, company come from individual and institutional investments. As an IPO worth Rs 3 billion shares will have to be issued to the public, investors who get shares will now have to invest Rs 113 per unit.


Delta variant threat may affect herd immunity target before Christmas, OCTA expert says – Manila Bulletin

By
Margaret B. Waterman
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0


The goal of achieving collective immunity by Christmas, particularly in Metro Manila and eight other high-risk areas, is “reasonable” but it could change if the Delta variant of coronavirus disease (COVID -19) is spreading in communities, a research group OCTA said on Sunday, June 27.

(PIXABAY)

“Given the numbers, our hope of achieving collective immunity at least in the NCR (National Capital Region) Plus 8 by Christmas is reasonable. Again, this does not take into account the Delta variants. So the Delta variant is coming and things will change, ”molecular biologist priest Nicanor Austriaco said in an interview with Teleradyo.

NCR Plus 8 is made up of COVID-19 “high risk areas”, namely Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Pampanga, Batangas, Metro Cebu and Metro Davao.

“What we’ve noticed over the last year and a half, we have a push when there’s a new variant. If there is no variation then things fall apart and that is what you are seeing now. You see a descent after the arrival of the Alpha and Gamma variants, which are the British and South African variants. So now we have to protect ourselves from the Delta variant ”, underlined Austriaco.

“The numbers for NCR Plus are excellent. We have recovered from the push but the question is the threat of the Delta or the Delta Plus. I think this is something the government will be looking at. It’s not just how good we are now, but we have to be prepared in case the Delta or the Delta Plus arrives, ”he said.

He said the Delta variant, which was first detected in India, and the Delta Plus variant, which appeared in Nepal, have been shown to be “more transmissible.

In addition to being more transmissible, Austriaco noted that the Delta Plus variant “shows vaccine breakout”, meaning it is “resistant to some of the vaccines”.

“The Delta variant is now the most common Delta version, but the Delta Plus version which has appeared in Nepal is also developing slowly,” he said.

Although there is no evidence yet that the Delta or Delta Plus variants are in community transmission, Austriaco has urged Filipinos to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to be protected against the emerging variants.

Austriaco also noted the importance of implementing strict international travel protocols to prevent the Delta variant from entering and spreading within communities.

“Protecting our borders is absolutely essential at this time. The 10 day quarantine is 99.7% effective. In many other countries, they even do 14 days, which is 100% effective, ”he said.

“It is important that they [OFWs] go into quarantine especially our kababayans (compatriots) returning from India and other hot regions of the delta. Hopefully we maintain the 10-day if not 14-day quarantine for them, ”he added.



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