Lumbini’s controversial Minister of State for Health Biamal Oli has resigned from her post.
She submitted her resignation to Chief Minister Kul Prasad KC and her resignation has been accepted.
The government had formed a committee to investigate the incident after Oli was accused of visiting the house of Dang YCL leader Ekraj Basnet and abusing his wife and daughter.
The incessant rains since Monday night have affected people’s lives across the country and displaced hundreds of families.
After incessant rains, floods in various rivers in the eastern part of the country have inundated more than 2,000 houses and displaced hundreds of families.More than a thousand houses have been inundated in Jhapa.In Itahari municipality alone, 200 houses have been inundated due to continuous rains. 175 families have been displaced in Biratnagar and Katahari districts due to incessant rains and floods. Due to lack of proper drainage in various cities of the country including the capital Kathmandu, the main areas of the city have been inundated. Floods and landslides along with incessant rains have blocked the country’s main highways and roads, while regular air services have also been affected by bad weather.
Though those displaced by the floods have been shifted to safer places, police have urged the riverside settlements to be on high alert as the river level has risen due to incessant rains.
Bulgaria is set to expell 70 Russian diplomats. This will be the first time that so many diplomats have been expelled from the Balkans at once.
Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said,”They are being expelled because our services have identified them as the people working against our interests.”
Meanwhile,Russia has also banned US President Biden’s wife Jill and daughter Yashley from entering Russia.Russia has previously banned hundreds of US diplomats from entering Russia, including US President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced plans for a second referendum on Scottish independence in October next year.
Sturgeon also warned of legal action to ensure voting if the British government tried to stop it.
Sturgeon said the Scottish government, led by the pro-independent Scottish National Party, would outline plans for a second referendum in October 19 2023 and write a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Addressing parliamentarians in the Scottish Parliament, she said she would not accept Scottish democracy as a prisoner of Prime Minister Boris Johnson or any British prime minister and would never allow that to happen.
About 5.5 million Scottish voters rejected independence in a 2014 referendum. But Scotland’s semi-autonomous government has called for a second referendum saying that, British government supported the decision to leave the EU, despite the opposition from a majority of Scots.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Johnson and his ruling Conservative party have opposed a second referendum, saying the 2014 referendum had concluded everything.
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace and senior military official Patrick Sanders have warned that the military should be mobilized against the threat posed by Russia.
Defense Secretary Wallace also suggested that the government should increase defense budget in the face of the growing threat. He told the military think-tank at the Royal United Service Institute that “long-range missiles alone cannot guarantee security if Russia lash out against wider Europe. “
He also called for the military to be ready before it is too late to address the lessons learned from Ukraine.
The G7 leaders have ended their meeting in Germany with an agreement to assist Ukraine as much as possible and isolate Russia.
The G7 summit is pushing for a long-term strategy with a plan to limit Russia’s oil revenue, which is helping to finance a war against Ukraine.
During the three-day meeting, the G7 leaders agreed to ban Russian gold imports and increase aid to food-strapped countries through a blockade on Ukraine’s grain shipments via the Black Sea.
As the road from Sisdol to Bancharedanda has to be repaired, waste management work in Kathmandu Valley will be affected today and tomorrow (Tuesday and Wednesday).
Garbage collection will be stopped today and tomorrow due to the problems on the way to Bancharedanda as the garbage has been piled up on the way to Sisdol of Nuwakot. To reach Bancharedanda, two kilometers from Sisdol, vehicles have to cross a pile of garbage and that has been difficult due to the regular rainfall.
The Department of Environment of Kathmandu metropolis has stated that it is going to clean the place by stopping the work as there is a danger of an accident while transporting the garbage from the valley.
After the split of the Nepal communist party, Bamdev Gautam, who has been playing a neutral role , has announced the Nepal Communist Party Ekta Rastriya Abhiyan at the Reporters Club on Tuesday afternoon.
Nepal communist Party Rastriya Ekata Abhiyan established with the objective of reorganizing the disbanded NCP / Nepal Communist Party and creating an environment to move forward by working together in the upcoming federal and state elections will have 75 member central committee.
There will be a standing committee with 15 members for day-to-day operations. The party, which has adopted the concept of multi-post system, will have one chairman and seven vice-chairmen, one general secretary, one deputy secretary general, one secretary and one treasurer . Including Bamdev Gautam himself there are 8 members in the central secretariat.
The Nepali stock market, which has been declining for a long time, suddenly rose by 94.92 points on Sunday, but the gradual decline of Nepse has not stopped.
Tuesday Nepse stopped at 1921.31 falling by 11.82 points. Today’s toatal share turnover shrunk to Rs.1,058,263,522 declining by 0.61 percent . With the trading of 3,037,680 shares of 230 companies, all indicators except bank and life insurance declined.
The bodies of 46 dead immigrants have been found inside a truck trailer in San Antonio, Texas, on the US-Mexico border while entering the United States illegally.
Their bodies were found inside the trailer of a truck parked next to a railway track in a remote area on the southern outskirts of the city, a San Antonio Fire Department official said. According to the preliminary investigation of the police, it is estimated that they died due to high temperature and lack of water inside the trailer of the truck.
Police said that three suspects have been detained during the preliminary investigation of the incident. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that it is investigating the “alleged human trafficking” in coordination with local police.
Republicans have criticized Biden’s border strategy ahead of the midterm congressional elections in November, who vowed to reverse Donald Trump’s tough immigration policies.
The newly appointed ministers of the Unified Socialist Party have taken oath of office and secrecy today. President Bidhya Devi Bhandari administered the oath of office to the newly appointed ministers at Shital Niwas.
Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Jeevan Ram Shrestha, Minister for Urban Development Metmani Chaudhary, Minister for Health and Population Bhawani Prasad Khapung, Minister for Labor, Employment and Social Security Sher Bahadur Kunwar and Minister of State for Health and Population Hirachandra KC were appointed from unified socialist party.
TheCPN-Unified Socialist party has included new faces in the cabinet after a long period of internal disputes within the party over the issue of ministerial reshuffle. Recalling the old ministers, the Unified Socialists have appointed Jeevan Ram Shrestha as Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Metmani Chaudhary as Minister for Urban Development, Sher Bahadur Kunwar as Minister for Labor, Employment and Social Security, Bhavani Khapung as Minister for Health and Population and Hirachandra KC as Minister of State for Health and Population.
Non-MP Sher Bahadur Kunwar has also been appointed as the Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Security in the reorganized Council of Ministers. According to Nepal’s constitution, a person must be an MP to become a minister. But this is not the first time a non-MP has been made a minister in Prime Minister Deuba’s cabinet. Law Minister Gobind Bandi, who was appointed earlier, is also a non-MP. However, if non-MPs are appointed as ministers, they must seek a vote of confidence from parliament within six months. But with less than six months remaining to go to the election, the government has been sharply criticized for recalling former ministers and appointing non-MPs just to settle the internal issues of politiacal party.
The swearing in of the newly appointed ministers will take place on Monday at 11 am, according to the Office of the President.
The Office of the President has stated that the new ministers have been appointed on the recommendation of the Prime Minister in accordance with Article 76, Clause 9 and Article 78, Clause 1 of the Constitution.
Implementing the decision of the CPN-Unified Socialist Party to recall the old ministers from the party and appoint new ones, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has reconstituted the cabinet.The CPN-Unified Socialist has included new faces in the cabinet after a long-running internal dispute within the party over the issue of ministerial reshuffle.
Urban Development Minister Ram Kumari Jhankri, Health and Population Minister Birodh Khatiwada, Labor Minister Kishan Shrestha and Tourism Minister Prem Ale have been recalled and the new faces of the Unified Socialists Jeevan Ram Shrestha, Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Metmani Chaudhary, Minister of Urban Development, Sher Bahadur Kunwar, Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Security, Bhavani Khapung, Minister of Health and Population, and Hira KC, Minister of State for Health and Population has been appointed as the new ministers.
The stock market, which has been declining continuously for a long time, rose by 94.92 points on Sunday.
The stock market rose 5.10 percent on Sunday and stopped at 1956.98 points. Along with this, the sensitive indicator alsoincreased by 4.91 percent.
The total turnover reached Rs 2,196,141,849 with 6,363,590 shares traded on Sunday. While shares of 230 companies were traded, 21 companies broke the circuit level and all the sub-indies grew green.
The government has reduced the fare of public transport after the Oil Corporation reduced the price of petroleum products with effect from Saturday midnight.
Under the provision of automatic adjustment of fares in case of changes in fuel price by 5 percent or more, the fare of passenger vehicles has been reduced by 5.41 percent, freight vehicles on hilly roads by 6.97 percent and freight vehicles on Terai roads by 7.68 percent.
Nepal Oil Corporation is going to announce the new price of petroleum products with effect from midnight today.
Under the new price to be announced by the corporation, the price of petrol will be reduced by Rs 20 and diesel by Rs 29. The new price of petrol will be Rs 179 and the new price of diesel and kerosene will be Rs 163.
The cabinet meeting convened after a meeting of the ruling coalition at the PM’s residence in Baluwatar agreed to reduce the price of petroleum products by reducing the tax on petroleum products.
Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Thapaliya has informed that the Election Commission is preparing for the state and federal parliamentary elections by November 25.
Addressing a meeting of the Women and Social Affairs Committee, Thapaliya said that the participation of women in the local level elections was low and urged the parliamentarians to play a role in registering at least 33 percent women candidates in the state and federal parliamentary elections.
He also said that some legal and practical issues need to be settled in accordance with the spirit of the constitution.
The European Parliament has adopted a resolution with 529 votes in favour to 45 against and 14 abstentions that calls on heads of state – who hold their summit on Thursday and Friday – to grant EU candidate status to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova “without delay”.
They should do the same with Georgia “once its government has delivered” on the priorities indicated by the European Commission, the parliament said in a statement.
“Ukrainians, Moldovans and Georgians deserve to live in free, democratic and prosperous countries that are proud and committed members of the European family,” it added.
Aljazeera
The Insurance Committee has taken action against 22 insurance companies for not submitting their annual audit reports on time.
According to the Insurance Act 2049 and Insurance Rules, 2049, companies are required to submit audit report within 10 months from the end of each financial year. The Insurance Committee has decided to fine the insurance company at the rate of Rs 10,000 to Rs 10,500 for not submitting the audit report.
List of the Companies that has been taken action :
Nepal Reinsurance Company
Life Insurance Corporation (Nepal)
Asian Life Insurance
Surya Life Insurance
Prime Life Insurance
Jyoti Life Insurance
Reliance Life Insurance
Citizen Life Insurance
Prabhu Life Insurance
Mahalakshmi Life Insurance
Rastriya Bima Sansthan
National Life Insurance
Nepal Life Insurance
Gurans Life Insurance
IME Life Insurance
Union Life Insurance
Sun Nepal Life Insurance
Reliable Nepal Life Insurance
Sanima Life Insurance
The Oriental Insurance
National Insurance
National Insurance Company Limited
Nepal has slipped eight position below to 176th position in the latest rankings released by FIFA on Thursday. Earlier, Nepal was ranked 168th in the ranking released in March.
Nepal had lost all three matches of the group stage in the final round of the AFC Asian Cup in Kuwait last May. In the selection, Nepal lost 2-0 to Jordan, 4-1 to Kuwait and 7-0 to Indonesia. Losing in three games has also affected the rankings.
This is the first time since 2014 that Nepal has lost such a huge position in the ranking at once. In September of that year, Nepal dropped 17 places at once.
Among the South Asian nations, Nepal is after India and Maldives. India is ranked 104th and Maldives 156th. After Nepal, Bhutan is ranked 186th, Bangladesh 192nd, Pakistan 196th and Sri Lanka 207th.
In the world rankings, Brazil remains at the top and Belgium remains at the second position, while Argentina has risen to the third position. France dropped to fourth place while England remained in fifth place.
Spain is sixth, Italy is seventh, the Netherlands is eighth, Portugal is ninth, and Denmark is tenth. Leading Asian nations are Iran at 23rd and Japan at 24th.
Industrialists and workers of Morang have staged a protest demanding the resignation of Finance Minister Janardan Sharma.
Industry organizations and workers including Morang Trade Union, Industry Association, Confederation of Nepalese Industries, Nepal Trade Union Congress, All Nepal Trade Union Federation have protested against Finance Minister Sharma accusing him for making the policy in favor of those who gave him the commission during the budget allocation.
Stating that due to the incompitence of the Finance Minister, many industries have come to a shutdown position and millions of workers will become unemployed, they have demanded to correct the tax range created by the new budget system.
According to the protesters, the agitation will continue until the Finance Minister resigns and the Inland Revenue Office and Customs Office will be cordoned off on Friday.
The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has decided to take action against the people of Kathmandu for mixing decomposable and non-decomposable garbage in the same place without classifying them.
The Kathmandu Metropolitan City had earlier agreed with the affected locals of Sisdol and Bancherdanda landfill sites to sort the garbage at the source and allow the dumping of garbage only in the status quo till the end of Ashad. However, the residents of the landfill site have warned to stop dumping garbage if any unclassified garbage comes to the source from first of Shrawan.
The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has stated that action can be taken against those who do not classify waste at source as per the provisions of Section 51 (th) of the Environment and Natural Resources Protection Act 2077 BS and Section 38 (th) of the Waste Management Act 2068 BS.
Taliban, which came to power after the fall of a Western-backed government, has appealed for international assistance following the devastating earthquake in Afghanistan.
Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a senior Taliban official, said in a statement that Afghanistan needs an international assistance as they are in the midst of a humanitarian and economic crisis and that the government is unable to provide financial assistance to its people.
The quake has so far killed more than 1,000 people and injured more than 1,500. Houses and physical structures have been destroyed. Heavy rains and a lack of resources have hampered rescue efforts. Rescuers say the death toll could rise further.
The Nepal Army has stated that it has not entered into any agreement with the United States regarding the State Partnership Program (SPP).
The Directorate of Public Relations and Information of the Nepal Army has issued a press release today stating that it has drawn its attention to the media reports about the SPP. The statement said that the Nepal Army had not entered into any agreement or understanding with the US military or the US government regarding the SPP and that there is no process to reach such an agreement in the coming days.
The statement also said that the military has always been clear and vigilant that no military agreement should be reached with anyone in the future that would adversely affect Nepal’s non-aligned foreign policy, Nepal’s unique geopolitical position and strategic sensitivities.
Meanwhile,the US embassy said that in 2015 and 2017, the then Chief of Army Staff Rajendra Chhetri had applied to join the SPP twice and the offer was accepted in 2019.
The US Embassy in Nepal has said that the US has accepted Nepal’s offer to participate in the State Partnership Program (SPP).
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Manuel P. Micaller, charge D’Affaires of Mission of the US Embassy in Nepal, said that Nepal had written to the SPP twice in 2015 and 2017 to participate in the SPP and that the US had approved it in 2019.
The US embassy also said that no agreement is required to join the SPP. According to the embassy, the then Chief of Army Staff Rajendra Chhetri signed the petition twice in 2015 and 2017. Stating that the request has been submitted to the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the United States approved the proposal in 2019 and included in the report of Indo-Pacific Strategy.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that he will not enter into any agreement against the national interest after reports emerged that the government is positive about the US military agreement on the State Partnership Program (SPP).
In a meeting with top leaders of the ruling coalition, Prime Minister Deuba assured that no agreement would be reached against the national interest after the government was sharply criticized at the civilian level for being positive about the US military agreement on the State Partnership Program (SPP).
The Election Commission (EC) is starting the work of compiling the voter list across the country from today targeting the upcoming election of the House of Representatives and the State Assembly.
The Election Commission has stated that voter list compilation will be done from all 77 Election Offices, District Administration Offices and Area Administration Offices.
The commission also said that if there is any error in the voter list it can be corrected during this period and the voter list can be transferred to a suitable place. The commission has stated that those who have temporarily resided outside their permanent address for work or any other reason can register their names in the voter’s list from the place of residence.
According to the Meteorological Department, Department of Water and Meteorology, there is a general effect of monsoon winds in Province No. 1, Madhesh Province, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province and effect of local winds and east-west low pressure of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar of India in other parts of the country .
At present, there is a complete change in Province 1, Madhesh Province and Bagmati Province and there is partial change in the rest of the land. Light to moderate rain with thunder / lightning is falling in a few places of State 1, Madhesh and Bagmati.
June 15 2022 (Wednesday)
The weather will be generally clear with partial to moderate cloud cover in the hilly areas of other provinces including Province 1, Madhesh , Bagmati and Gandaki . There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder / lightning in one or two places in the hilly terrain of Province 1, Madhesh , Bagmati and some parts of Gandaki Province. There is a possibility of heavy rain in one or two places of Province 1, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province.
June 16 2022 (Thursday)
Afternoon: There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder / lightning in some places in the hilly terrain of Province 1, Madhesh Province, Bagmati Province and some of the Gandaki Province.
Night: The weather will be generally clear in the hilly areas of other provinces including Province 1, Madhesh Province, Bagmati Province, Gandaki and Lumbini Province. There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder / lightning in one or two places in the hilly terrain of Lumbini province, Province 1, Madhesh Province, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province. There is a possibility of heavy rain in one or two places of Province 1, Madhesh Province and Gandaki Province.
June 17 2022 (Friday)
Afternoon: Province 1, Madhesh Province, Bagmati Province and some area of Lumbini and Gandaki Province will have partly to moderate cloud cover. There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder / lightning in some places in the hilly terrain of Province 1, Madhesh Province, Bagmati Province, Gandaki Province and some area of Lumbini province.
Night: The weather will be generally clear in the hilly areas of other provinces including Province 1, Madhesh, Bagmati , Gandaki and Lumbini . There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder / lightning in one or two places in the hilly terrain of Lumbini province , Province 1, Madhesh , Bagmati and Gandaki Province.
Warning and counseling for the next 24 hours.
There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning at one or two places in the hilly terrain of Province 1, Madhesh Province, Bagmati Province and some of area of Gandaki Province. There is a risk of erosion, landslides and debris flow in the area as well as rising water level in rivers and streams may affect daily life .
In areas without rainfall, it is requested to take necessary precautions to avoid the effects of rising temperatures.
Stating that the explanation of Finance Minister Janardan Sharma regarding the involvement of unauthorized persons in the Ministry of Finance during the preparation of the budget was not satisfactory, the main opposition party UML has obstructed today’s meeting of the House of Representatives demanding formation of a parliamentary inquiry committee.
Finance Minister Sharma said that the allegation are false and fictitious. He also clarified that the budget was formulated by a committee headed by the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and the Secretary of Revenue and he also acted in accordance with the responsibilities given to him.
Meanwhile, UML chief whip Bishal Bhattarai said that CPN UML would not allow the parliament to function until a parliamentary committee is formed to investigate the issue.
The meeting of the National Assembly convened for Wednesday has been postponed .
The Parliament Secretariat has stated that the meeting of the National Assembly has been postponed to June 16 2022. Earlier the meeting was scheduled for June 15.
This has been mentioned in the statement issued by the Secretary General of the Federal Parliament Dr. Bharatraj Gautam.
UML’s Narayan Prasad Adhikari has been elected as the chairman of the District Coordination Committee Chitwan.
In the election between the ruling coalition and the UML, 7/7 number of vote for the each candidate made the result equal. After the equal number of vote a lottery system was held for the final result. From a lottery between Purna Bahadur Ranabhat of the alliance and Narayan Prasad Adhikari of the CPN-UML,Adhikari emerged victorious .
Kalpana Kafle Sapkota, a candidate of the unified socialist from the coalition, was elected unopposed as the deputy chief.
Minister of State for Health of Lumbini Bimala Oli has been arrested by the police.
Police have arrested Oli on the charge of assaulting Ekraj Basnet’s wife and daughter, a resident of Tulsipur Sub-Metropolis-5.District Police Chief SP Suresh Kafle said that Oli has been taken under control after the locals reported the incident.
Minister of State Oli has been involved in various controversies in the past as well. Earlier, after a picture of YCL activist Ekraj Basnet and Oli became public on social media, Oli objected to the attempt of her character assassination by associating a photo with a man.
College students have staged a protest demanding the reconstruction of Trichandra College in Kathmandu, which was damaged by the earthquake. Students gathered in front of the college on Tuesday to protest against the failure to rebuild and upgrade the long-dilapidated college buildings.
Students protested by reading a book for half an hour on the street in front of the college. During the protest they displayed the banners with slogans such as ‘Save Trichandra, Save Ghantaghar’ , ‘History is collapsing, government is silent’.
The visit of General Charles A. Flynn, Commanding General of the US Army Pacific Command, to Nepal has made the politics of Nepal even more turbulent. However, since the MCC’s approval, there has been a strong presence of US diplomats in Nepal. Opposition party leaders had said that, the visit of General Flynn to Uzra Zeya (the coordinator for Tibetan affairs), shows that Nepal has forgotten its independent foreign policy and is moving towards military policy.
Oppositio party leaders have been accusing the government saying that, the PM is secretly preparing to sign the SPP agreement during his visit to US. Some of the MP’s has asked to cancel the visit of PM and army chief to US. Although the United States has repeatedly written to Nepal to participate in the State Partnership Program since 2015, no agreement has been reached to date.
What’s in a State Partnership Agreement?
The main opposition UML MP Dr. Bhim Rawal has accused the government of secretly preparing to sign a state partnership program under the US Department of Defense.
At a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on International Relations, Rawal said the government had violated Nepal’s non-aligned foreign policy. He also demanded that the Parliament be informed about the visit of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to the United States.
MP Rawal has also claimed that Prime Minister’s wife Arju Rana had gone to India for advice before Prime Minister Deuba’s visit to the US.
CPN-UML secretariat meeting has started.
The meeting, which started at the party’s central office in chyasal a while ago, will discuss the review of local elections, the completeness of departments and contemporary politics. The meeting will also discuss the action plan for the upcoming state and House of Representatives elections.
Similarly, the issue of providing training to the elected people’s representatives in the local electionswill also be discussed.
Regarding the recall of Finance Minister Jarnadan Sharma Internal discussions have started within the CPN-Maoist center.
Representatives of the Maoist center are now engaged in internal discussions on the issue of recalling Finance Minister Sharma, who has been repeatedly dragged into controversy. It has been learned that the issue has been discussed for more than two hours after Chairman Prachanda called Finance Minister Sharma to his private residence Khumaltar after the UCPN (Maoist) was dragged into a controversy over the issue of action of the Finance Minister.
Removal of sharma was demanded earlier too, who has been repeatedly criticized for his role in the governor’s suspension and for his controversial remarks. However, after the government being criticized for the budget,now internal discussions have started for sharma’s removal.
Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) has stopped trading of shares of Nepal Investment Bank and Mega Bank.
With the agreement of merger between Investment Bank and Mega Bank, the trading of shares of both the banks has been stopped. Earlier, the two banks had written to Nepse to suspend their share trading for the purpose of merger.
After the merger, the name of the bank will be Nepal Investment Mega Bank Limited. As per the preliminary agreement reached between Investment Bank and Mega Bank, the bank will become the largest commercial bank in Nepal after the merger. The merger work has been moved forward so that the business will start in an integrated manner by the end of September.
The main opposition party CPN-UML has registered a motion to adjourn the parliament.
Chief Whip of the CPN-UML Vishal Bhattarai and 15 other UML lawmakers have filed a motion to adjourn the parliament.
The proposal submitted by the UML to the Parliament Secretariat has demanded the discussion about the solutions on providing the chemical fertilizers on time to the farmers.UML has accused the government being not serious about the issues of the farmers problems.
Proposal to adjourn Parliament registered by CPN-UML
has also been included in the agenda of the parliament
Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal has urged the Nepal Army to rescue Mila BK of Belkotgadhi Municipality-12, Nuwakot, who climbed on the wire of Trishuli Matatirtha transmission line under Kakani Gaonpalika-7 on Saturday afternoon.
NEA had stopped the flow of electricity in the transmission line and shutdown production from Trishuli 3A and other nearby power plants after BK climed on the wire of the transmission line.
Nepal Army has been instructed to rescue the man using the helicopter after he refused to get down despite the efforts of the police and locals.
In the meeting of the House of Representatives, UML MP Surya Prasad Pathak has demanded to inform the House about the visit of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to the United States.
Pathak also said that the visit of the Prime Minister and the Chief of Army Staff to the United States has raised suspicions that Nepal may be participating in the Indo-Pacific Strategy.
Stating that the remarks made by the Chief Whip of the ruling party regarding national security sensitivities have raised concerns about national independence, sovereignty and geographical integrity, Pathak demanded that the Speaker should rule on the issue to the Prime Minister.
Chief Whip of the UCPN (M) Dev Gurung had also demanded in the House of Representatives to postpone the visit of the Prime Minister and the Chief of Army Staff to the United States regarding the national security sensitivities. Gurung also remarked that the current foreign policy is shifting to military policy.
About one week after the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) started selling the surplus electricity consumed in the country at competitive rates in the Indian Energy Exchange Market, 364 MW of electricity has been exported to India from today.
NEA, which has been allowed to export only 364 MW of electricity, had earlier been exporting 23 MW of electricity from Trishuli Hydropower Project, 14.39 MW from Devighat Hydropower Project, 140 MW from Kaligandaki Hydropower Project, 67 MW from Marsyangdi Hydropower Project and 68 MW from Madhyamrsyangdi Hydropower Project. With the addition of 51 MW of electricity generated from Likhu-4 of Green Ventures under the private sector from Friday, Nepal has exported electricity at full capacity as per the agreement.
The excess electricity during the rainy season is being exported to the Indian market on a daily basis through the Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur 400 KV interstate transmission line.
In the energy exchange market of India, electricity is being auctioned in 96 blocks every 15 minutes. The Government of India allows to buy and sell in those blocks up to a maximum of Rs.12IC. The price will be decided differently according to the rate of supply and demand in each block.
The Teachers Service Commission has made public the results of the internal competitive written examination for the post of secondary level, first class teacher conducted on 4th April 2022..
According to the information issued by the commission, the interviews of those who have passed the written test will have interview on 5th July 2022.
Nepal lost to Oman by 13 runs in the ICC Cricket World Cup League Two match.
Oman, who won the toss and elected to bat, added 211 runs for the loss of eight wickets in 50 overs at the Mosa Cricket Stadium in Pearland, USA. Chasing the target of 212 runs, Nepal was all out for 198 runs.
In the second match of the triangular series involving Nepal, Oman and USA, Nepal will compete with the home team USA on Saturday.
The Kathmandu Metropolitan City and the locals of Sisdol and Banchare Danda reached an 18-point agreement on waste management at midnight on Friday.
As soon as the agreement reached last night, the the passage for the waste management in Banchare Dada has been cleared.
As per the agreement between the people’s representatives of the landfill site affected area and the metropolis, garbage will be transported only at night from now onwards. For the locals, the metropolis has agreed to compensate the affected locals, allocate regular budget and build infrastructure.
As per the agreement reached between the metropolis and the locals, the road section to reach the landfill site will be constructed within three months and the necessary lights and other infrastructures will be constructed.
Nepal oil corporation has increased the price of fuel with effect from midnight on Thursday.
Petrol price has gone up by Rs 8 per liter and kerosene and diesel by Rs 12 per liter, according to the Nepal Oil Corporation.
The board of directors of the corporation has decided to increase the price saying that the price of fuel has increased in the international market and the arrears due to the Indian Oil Corporation have piled up.
Now, a liter of petrol will cost Rs 178 while kerosene and diesel will cost Rs 165. Even after price adjustment, the corporation claims a loss of Rs 24.70 on petrol and Rs 18.01 on diesel.
Thailand has became the first country in Asia to decriminalize cannabis.
Thai Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he expected legal cannabis production to boost the economy but cautioned that recreational use of the drug remains illegal.Tough penalties will still apply to those who use the drug to get high.”We still have regulations under the law that control the consumption, smoking or use of cannabis products in non-productive ways,”said Anutin.
Under decriminalization, it is no longer a crime to grow and trade marijuana and hemp products, or use parts of the plant to treat illnesses. Cafes and restaurants can also serve cannabis-infused food and drinks , but only if the products contain less than 0.2% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the plant’s main psychoactive compound.
Anutin also said he hopes the Thai cannabis industry will generate billions of dollars in income by boosting agriculture.”We expect the value of [the cannabis] industry to easily exceed $2 billion dollars,” he said, highlighting recent incentives such as collaborating with the Agriculture Ministry to distribute 1 million free cannabis plants to households across the country.
At least one person was killed when a Chinese military plane crashed in a residential area of central China on Thursday, China’s state-run national broadcaster CCTV reported.
During the training, a People’s Liberation Army Air Force J-7 crashed in Hubei province, damaging several homes, CCTV reported.
One person was killed and two others were injured in the accident.
The pilot, who sustained minor injuries, successfully parachuted out of the plane before the crash, according to Xinhua.
The pilot and injured civilians have been sent to hospital for treatment.
Videos posted on social media show some homes on fire due to an accident near Laohekau Airport in Xiangyang, Hubei Province. The cause of the accident and related damage are being investigated.
Charles A. Flynn, Commanding General of the US Army’s Indo-Pacific Command, has arrived in Nepal.
Flynn, who arrived in Nepal after a four-day visit to India, was welcomed at the Tribhuvan International Airport by a high-ranking Nepal Army official.
Flynn is scheduled to meet with Chief of Army Staff Prabhuram Sharma at the Army Headquarters on Friday. He will also hold other high-level political talks in coordination with the US Embassy in Nepal and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On Saturday, Flynn will go to a mountain flight and after returning from there, he will participate in the program arranged by the embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On Sunday, Flynn will go to the Birendra Shanti Sainik Training Center in Panchkhal, Kavre and after that he will address the students at the Command and Staff College of the Nepal Army in Shivapuri.
After visiting Shivapuri, he will return home on the evening same day.
The Kathmandu-Muglin road section, which was blocked due to landslide caused by incessant rains, has been restored.
Landslide removal was started on the road section as soon as the rainfall subsided. As the stones and soil piled up by the landslide have been removed, the two-way traffic has been restored.
Even though the landslide has been removed, it would take some time for the traffic to move smoothly due to the pressure of hundreds of vehicles parked on the road since last night.
The road was blocked due to landslide caused by incessant rains since last night.
Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has started exporting electricity worth Rs 75 million to India daily.
According to the NEA, the amount of electricity exports has increased as soon as the electricity generated from Marsyangdi and Madhyamrsyangdi enters the Indian energy exchange market.
NEA, which has been granted permission to export up to 364 MW of electricity, is now exporting 284 MW of electricity to India. NEA is currently exporting 23 MW of Trishuli Hydropower Project, 14.39 MW of Devighat Hydropower Project, 138.91 MW of Kaligandaki Hydropower Project, 66.14 MW of Marsyangdi Hydropower Project and 41.81 MW of Madhyamrsyangdi Hydropower Project. From this, Nepal will be earning about 75 million rupees in a day.
In the energy exchange market of India, electricity is being auctioned in 96 blocks every 15 minutes. The Government of India has allowed to buy and sell in those blocks up to a maximum of IC 12rs. The price will be decided differently according to the rate of supply and demand in each block.
Nepal lost to Jordan with 2-0 in the first match of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers at the Javer Al-Ahmed International Stadium in Kuwait.
Experienced players including captain and goalkeeper Kiran Chemjong, vice-captain Rohit Chand, Anjan Bista, Vimal Ghartimagar and Sujal Shrestha were left out of the team.After a dispute between the coach and the players Nepal played the game without 11 senior players of the team in the captainship of Navyug Shrestha.
Nepal will face Kuwait in the next match on Saturday.
Nepal has defeated Malaysia by 25 runs in the final match of ICC U-19 Women’s World Cup Asia Qualifiers.
Batting first after winning the toss at the UKM YSD Cricket Oval in Bangi, Malaysia, Nepal managed to add 86 runs for the loss of 7 wickets. Chasing the target of 87 runs, Malaysia lost 4 wickets in 20 overs and managed to add only 61 runs.
Nepal has won three out of five matches of the tournament and secured the third position with 7 points.
Out of the six nations competing in the ICC U-19 Women’s World Cup Asia qualifiers, only the winning nation will participate in next year’s U-19 Women’s World Cup in South Africa.
Due to the continuous rain, the road has been blocked by a landslide at Ghopte Bhir on the road section about two kilometers from Muglin under Prithvi Highway towards Kathmandu at around 11 last night.
According to the District Police Office, Chitwan, the landslide could not be removed due to incessant rains. Even if the rain stops, it will take time to remove the landslide as the landslide with large stones has piled up on the road.
Similarly, Muglin Narayangadh road section has also been blocked due to landslide at Namsi Bridge in Topekhola under Ichchakamana Village Municipality-6 of Chitwan.
Similarly, floods and landslides caused by incessant rains since last night have blocked the road at more than a dozen places on the Baglung-Galkot section of the Mid-Hills Highway. From Ghodabandhe of Kathkhola village municipality-5 to Galkot municipality-1 Dudilabhati . The road has been blocked due to floods and landslides in more than a dozen places on the highway section in Narethanti area.
Two planess from New Delhi, the capital of India, had been diverted due to bad weather at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu.
Vistara Air flight from New Delhi had been diverted to Lucknow, and the Indigo Air flight from Delhi has diverted back to Delhi.
The flight of Nepal Airlines from Tokyo, Japan and the flight of Korean Air from Korea are in the process of landing after being held for a while due to the bad weather condition.
The weather in Kathmandu had deteriorated on Wednesday evening after a sudden downpour.
The terrorist group threatens to carry out suicide attacks in response to a remarks about the Prophet Muhammad by Nupur Sharma, the spokeswoman of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Al-Qaeda had released a letter saying the states of Delhi, Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat would be targeted.The group vowed to use suicide bombers, and attack Hindu politicians living in fortified compounds.
On May 26, Sharma took part in a TV debate and expressed her views on the Prophet Muhammad . The video later went viral, and was condemned by many Muslims country.
Sharma later apologized on Twitter, claiming that she never intended to insult anyone’s religious beliefs.
However,her apology failed to quell Muslim anger, which has spread far beyond India. As of Today, Indonesia, UAE, Maldives, Jordan, Bahrain, Libya, Qatar, Kuwait, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Afghanistan have all lodged official complaints over the comments made by Sharma.RT
The Ministry of Finance has formed a committee to study the problems of the share market as the share market is declining regularly.
The Ministry has requested the Executive Director of the Securities and Exchange Board to submit a report with solutions. For the study, a committee has been formed with one representative each from the Ministry of Finance and Nepal Rastra Bank, with the representative of the Securities and Exchange Board as the member secretary.
Finance Minister Sharma has been criticized for ignoring the share market and not being serious about the issues of market.
Speaking at a meeting of the House of Representatives, ruling Nepali Congress MP Amaresh Kumar Singh has demanded the removal of the post of Deputy Speaker.
Even when the post of Deputy Speaker has been vacant for a long time, the political parties have remained silent on the issue of selection of Deputy Speaker. He said that it is better to dismiss the post which has been vacant since 2076 BS.
Pursuant to Article 91 (2) 1 of the Constitution, there is a constitutional provision that the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker should be of different parties and of different genders.
Speaker Agni Sapkota has directed the government to investigate the death of Kishore Binod Shahi of Panchadewal Municipality of Achham and take action against the culprit.
In the meeting of the House of Representatives, Speaker Sapkota said that he had taken serious note of the fact that the police had refused to take any action in the incident of Binod Shahi’s death and had not even conducted a postmortem of the body.
According to a complaint lodged by a Nepali Congress (NC) cadre on the issue of dispute between the NC and UML cadres in the local level election, a clash ensued when the police tried to arrest the UML cadres involved in the incident. Shahi, a member of a CPN-UML supporter’s family, was later found dead. As the situation became tense after Shahi was found dead, a CIB team was also mobilized to investigate the incident.
The Department of Roads has banned digging and demolition of roads from1st of Ashad till the end of Bhadra.
The Federal Road Monitoring and Supervision Office, Kathmandu has issued a notice stating that digging and demolition of roads will not be allowed from the 1st of Ashad till the end of Bhadra.
The department has also stated that strict action will be taken as per the Public Roads Act 2031 BS for forcibly digging roads and disobeying the directives of the department.
A single woman has been killed by setting a fire in Shailyashikhar Municipality-1 of Darchula district.
According to police, the body of 40-year-old Aniva Khadayat was found burnt near her house. Preliminary police investigations have confirmed that she was killed by setting fire to a haystack near her house.
Khadayat, who lost her husband about eight years ago, has two daughters and a son. Police have arrested Birendra Khadayat and Tula Khadayat of the same village for investigation.
US Army Pacific Commanding General Charles A. Flynn will pay a four-day visit to Nepal from tomorrow.
Spokesperson of the Nepal Army Narayan Silwal said that General Flynn is scheduled to meet with the Chief of Army Staff Prabhuram Sharma. General Charles A. Flynn is scheduled to arrive in Nepal on Thursday tomorrow by a special US Army aircraft.
It is said that such a visit will further enhance the friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries, including the Nepalese and US forces. However, General Flynn’s visit to Nepal after the PM Deuba and Chief of Army Staff Sharma’s visit been scheduled to the US has been analyzed as a geopolitical link of the US Indo-Pacific Strategy against China.
The Yampaphant and Ghansikuwa sections of Tanahu will be closed for five hours daily from today under the Mugling-Pokhara road expansion work.
The road will be closed for five hours daily from today as excavation work has to be done in the section under the Mugling-Pokhara road expansion plan.
Vehicles have been banned from operating at Yampaphant in Bandipur Gaonpalika-5 and Ghansikuwa section of Byas Municipality-12 from 11 pm to 4 am till further notice.
Roads will be closed at night because of the inconvenience of regular traffic. Road widening is underway on the eastern side of the project. The contract for the eastern section has been awarded to China Communication Construction. Trees along the highway have been cut down for road expansion. So far, 3,014 trees have been cut down in the eastern part.
Work has also started from the western section under the Mugling-Pokhara road expansion work. The contract for the west (Jamune-Pokhara) section has been awarded to Yanhui Kaiyuan Highway and Bridge Construction Company. The four-lane road is being constructed with the loan assistance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as the traffic congestion is increasing on the road which was demarcated in 2026 BS. Eighty kilometers of road has been divided into two sections and contracted.
31 new motorable bridges will be constructed along the four-lane road at a distance of 80 km from Aabukhaireni to Pokhara.
The Far West and Madhesh State Governments are going to make public the policy and program for the Fiscal Year 2079/80.
Both the states have convened a meeting of the state assembly today at 4 pm to make public the policy and program for the fiscal year 2079/80. The provincial heads of both the provinces will present the policies and programs of their respective provinces.
Regarding the budget for the Fiscal Year 2079/80, it has been stated that both the states will present policies and programs by giving priority to agriculture, education, health and employment. There is a provision that the state government will present the budget on June 15 every year.
A CIB team has been mobilized to investigate the death of 15-year-old Binod Shahi of Panchadewal Binayak Municipality-4 of Achham.
Binod Shahi who has been missing since May 31, was found dead near his house on Saturday.
After the dispute between the NC and UML cadres in the local level election, NC lodged a complaint against UML cadres.Shahi gone missing after a clash ensued when the police tried to arrest the UML cadres involved in the incident. Shahi, a member of a CPN-UML supporter’s family, was later found dead. A CIB team has been mobilized to investigate the incident as the situation became tense after Shahi was found dead.
Nine people have been killed and about three dozen others injured when a passenger bus (Lu 2 Kha 3841) heading to Bhairahawa from Janakpur had an accident on Bhairahawa-Parasi road .
The bus fell into the river below the Rohini river bridge at around 5:45 am on Sunday. The injured passengers have been rescued by security personnel and locals and rushed to the hospital for treatment. Nine injured passengers died in the hospital during treatment.
According to the Meteorological Department, Department of Water and Meteorology, Nepal is currently affected by local winds and a low pressure line extending east-west from Uttar Pradesh in India to East Bangladesh.
Currently, light rain is falling in one or two places of State 1, Madhesh State and Bagmati State with partial to normal cloud cover. In the rest of the country, the weather is generally clear with partial cloud cover.
According to the Meteorological Department, Department of Water and Meteorology, three-day weather forecast for the entire country:
June3, 2022 (Friday)
Afternoon: Part 1, Madhesh Pradesh, Bagmati Pradesh and Gandaki Pradesh will have partly to moderate cloud cover and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy weather. There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning in a few places in Province 1, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province and one or two places in Madhesh Province.
Night: Partly to moderate cloud cover in the hilly areas of the country including Province 1 and the weather will be generally clear in the rest of the country due to partial cloud cover. There is a possibility of light rain with thunder / lightning in a few places of Province 1 and in one or two places of hilly areas of Bagmati and Gandaki.
June 4,2022 (Saturday)
Afternoon: There will be partial to normal cloud cover in the hilly areas of the country including Province 1 and there will be partial cloud cover in the rest of the country. There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder / lightning in a few places in Province 1, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province.
Night: Partly to moderate cloud cover in the hilly areas of the country including Province 1 and the weather will be generally clear in the rest of the country due to partial cloud cover. There is a possibility of light rain with thunder / lightning in a few places in hilly areas of Province 1 and in one or two places in hilly areas of Bagmati and Gandaki.
June 5,2022 (Sunday)
Afternoon: Partly to moderate cloud cover in the hilly areas of the country and partial cloud cover in the rest of the country. There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder / lightning in some places of State 1, Bagmati State and Gandaki State and in one or two places of Madhesh State.
Night: There will be partly to moderate cloud cover in the hilly areas of Province 1, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province and other provinces. The weather will be generally clear with partial cloud cover in the rest of the region. There is a possibility of light rain with thunder / lightning in a few places of State 1 and in one or two places of hilly terrain of Bagmati State and Gandaki State.
Warning and counseling for the next 24 hours.
There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunderstorms / thunderstorms and windstorms in a few places in State 1, Bagmati State and Gandaki State and in one or two places in Madhesh State.
The Rastriya Prajatantra Party has demanded reforms in the form of government and electoral system to end corruption and instability.
In the meeting of the Central Working Committee held in Dhulikhel, the issue of changing the form of government to have a directly elected Prime Minister and a King was discussed.
RPP Chairman Rajendra Lingden has demanded that the current form of government and electoral system be reformed to have a fully proportional parliament, a directly elected executive prime minister and king as a guardian institution.
Nepal Students Union, a sister organization of Nepali Congress, has locked the central office of Tribhuvan University in Kirtipur.
In a statement issued today, the Nepal Students’ Union (NSU) said that the central office of the TRI has been locked. The statement said that the NSU had locked the office saying that its demands had not been addressed and warned that if their demands are not addressed, they would retaliate.
The statement said that the Nepal Students’ Union had earlier locked the central office of the TRI and it was regrettable that the lock was broken by pasting a fake statement with the signature of in-charge Safal on the letter pad of the Central Command of the Communist Party of Nepal (Revolutionary).
A clash has broken out between police and locals at Dhamboji Chowk (Birendra Chowk) in Nepalgunj of Banke district after the police administration intervened while placing the statue of late King Birendra.
During the People’s movement of 2062/63 BS, the statue of the late King Birendra was vandalized. In the memory of the Durbar massacre some independent activists, nationalist youth groups and RPP leaders and activists had restored Birendra’s statue in the place where only the national flag had been kept for a long time.
Clashes broke out between the police and the locals after the police intervened and removed the statue. Police fired tear gas and aerial fire to control the situation after the clash. Some youths were also injured in the clash, said RPP Assistant General Secretary Rishi Raj Devkota.
Earlier, the same group had placed a statue of former King Tribhuvan at Tribhuvan Chowk in Nepalgunj. Although the police and the administration tried to remove the statue, the administration backed down after the public protested.
Chairman of the Unified Socialists Madhav Kumar Nepal has said that immediate unity between leftist is not possible.
Addressing a press meet in Surkhet, he said that the rumors of electoral unity with the UML were baseless and untrue. During his address, Nepal said, “Such rumors have been spread by arrogant and conspirators trying to break the alliance and there is no possibility of any unity or electoral coordination with the CPN-UML.”
Nepal has said that the current Left-Democratic Alliance will be continued till the upcoming state and House of Representatives elections.
Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has started exporting electricity from Trishuli and Devighat hydropower plants to India. In India’s competitive energy exchange market , Nepal has its electricity for sale in a ‘block’ every 15 minutes.
Although electricity for each block is sold at different prices, India has set a limit of Rs 12 per unit. Although the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) will get a maximum price of up to Rs 12, electricity will be sold at an average price of 6.28 Indian rupees (10 rupees 4 paise Nepali rupees) per unit. NEA is also preparing electricity for sale of Kaligandaki A Hydropower Project.
Nepal had sought approval from Indian companies for the sale of 200 MW of electricity after receiving approval for the sale of up to 364 MW of electricity in the Indian market. NEA has also called for tenders to sell the electricity stored in Nepal during the rainy season in India. NEA has prepared to export the surplus electricity through Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur 400 KV inter-country transmission line.
A meeting between the top leaders of the five ruling parties to review the local elections has discussed when the parliamentary elections will be held.
At a meeting of top leaders held in Baluwatar for the first time since the local elections, the top leaders of the coalition have confirmed that there was an informal discussion on the issue of parliamentary elections.
According to the top leaders of the coalition, the meeting also discussed about holding the parliamentary election on 13 November or 20 November. Meeting also decided to consult the Election Commission about the date.
The Nepali stock market has declined for the third day in a row after the budget of the Fiscal Year 2079/80. The Nepali stock market has been declining day by day even though it has declined by only a few points as compared to yesterday. The market, which had declined by 35.53 points yesterday, has declined by 7.21 points today and stopped at 2130.71.
Compared to yesterday, the number of shares traded and the total transaction amount has also decreased.While 3,020,067 shares of 227 companies were traded, the share amount has shrunk to 1,078,484,182.
President Biden has announced to send more advanced rocket system in Ukraine to help defend itself.Mr Biden said the lethal aid would strengthen Kyiv’s negotiating position against Russia and make a diplomatic solution more likely.
The weapons will help to strike enemy forces more precisely from a longer distance.New weaponry will include the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).The systems can launch multiple precision-guided missiles at targets as far as 70km (45 miles) away – far further than the artillery that Ukraine currently has.
Helicopters, anti-tank weapons, tactical vehicles and spare parts are to be included in what will be the 11th package of military aid approved by the US for Ukraine since the invasion began in February.
Previously Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused the West of “pumping up the Ukrainian nationalists with weapons” and said that any cargo of arms bound for Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Moscow.The ministry has said that Nato countries are “playing with fire” by sending weapons to Ukraine.
Denmark has become the fifth country to be cut off from Russian natural gas following the refusal of its biggest power wholesaler Orsted to pay for deliveries in rubles. Supplies to Shell Energy Europe Limited in Germany have also been halted for the same reason.
Russia’s new payment mechanism requires gas buyers from “unfriendly” countries that have placed sanctions on Moscow to open accounts in Russia’s Gazprombank. They can then deposit funds in their currency of choice, which the bank converts to rubles and transfers to Gazprom.
The Russian energy giant recently suspended gas exports to Bulgaria, Poland, Finland and the Netherlands after they refused to comply. According to the Russian Energy Ministry, about two dozen European companies have so far opened ruble accounts. RT
After a two-months restriction, China eased covid sanctions on the World Trade and Economic Center Shanghai. China has eased sanctions, allowing about 25 million people to move freely around the city.
Despite China’s easing of sanctions, China’s overall policy of “zero covid” remains. Those suspected of covid will still have to stay in quarantine or hospital. Residents will have to show a green health code on their smartphone to leave their residential compounds and enter other outdoor areas. Those wishing to use public transport or enter banks or malls must show a negative PCR test certificate for the last 72 hours. However, they will not be able to leave Shanghai, and anyone traveling to another city will have to stay in a quarantine for 7 to 14 days .Cinema halls, museums and gyms and schools will remain closed.
Tennis superstar Rafael Nadal beat longtime rival and world No. 1 Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros early Wednesday to advance to the semifinals at the French Open.
The 59th installment of the storied rivalry between the two all-time tennis greats was another thriller, with Nadal winning 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(4).
The quarterfinal match, which ended after 1 a.m. local time in Paris, lasted more than four hours and was one of the most anticipated of the tournament.
The 35-year-old Spaniard is seeking a record-extending 14th French Open title and also a record-extending 22nd major title.
Nadal will face Alex Zverev of Germany in the semifinals. Zverev, the world No. 3, advanced after besting 19-year-old Spaniard and world No. 6 Carlos Alcaraz in four sets on Tuesday.
In their head-to-head matches, more than any other two men in the sport’s professional era, Nadal has beaten Djokovic 29 times, while Djokovic has won 30.cnn
England confirms Matthew Potts will make Test debut against New Zealand.
Durham seamer Matthew Potts will make his England debut in the first Test against New Zealand on Thursday.
The 23-year-old has been picked ahead of Somerset’s Craig Overton and will join an attack led by the two most prolific wicket-takers in English history, James Anderson and Stuart Broad, at Lord’s.
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