Talks held between the government and Mahabir Pun

April 30, Kathmandu – The government has advanced talks with Mahabir Pun, the founder of the National Innovation Center, who started a sit-in at Maitighar on Friday, saying that the government has neglected research and innovation in the country.

Negotiations between Mahavir Pun and the government have started with 4 points including research, and innovation. In the talks started under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense and Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Purna Bahadur Khadka, both sides agreed to form a formal negotiation team and seek agreement to meet the demands of the movement.

Stating that the parliamentarians were neglecting to enact laws to advance the country in the field of innovation, Earlier Pun announced that he would lie down on the streets and stage a protest until his demands were met.

Government in the process of merger between Nepal Bank Limited and National Commercial Bank

The Ministry of Finance has formed a working group to study the merger between Nepal Bank Limited and National Commercial Bank.

After Nepal Rastra Bank instructed private sector banks to increase their paid-up capital or go for the merger, the government has also advanced the process of merger between the two government banks, Nepal Bank Limited and Rashtriya Commercial Bank.

Bhupal Baral, head of the financial sector management division of the ministry, has been assigned as the coordinator of the merger-related task force.

Currently, Nepal Bank’s paid-up capital is 14.69 billion rupees, while National Commercial Bank’s paid-up capital is 15.63 billion rupees. By the third quarter of the financial year, Nepal Bank has managed to collect deposits of 229 billion rupees and extended loans of 173 billion rupees.

Nepal Bank has made a profit of 1.78 billion 2.3 million rupees by the end of March, while the bank made a profit of 2.19 billion rupees during the same period last year. Bank’s bad loans are 4.16 percent. As the profit has decreased, the distributable profit of the bank has also decreased. In the middle of March, the distributable profit of the bank has been limited to 180 million. During the same period last year, the bank’s distributable profit was Rs 2.70 billion.

On the other hand, the National Commercial Bank has made a profit of 3.57 billion rupees in the third quarter of the current financial year. In the same period last year, the bank made a profit of Rs 2.61 billion. By the end of March, the bank has collected 302 billion deposits and disbursed loans of 225 billion rupees. Bank’s bad loans are 3.88 percent.

Government unable to provide salary allowances and pensions to the employees

Government struggling to afford food for prisoners

The government is now in a situation where it is unable to provide regular salaries, allowances, and pensions to employees.

Salaries, allowances and pensions of thousands of employees have been stopped in the current financial year. Some of the existing employees have not received the salary and allowances since February and the retired employees have not received the amount due to pension. Due to a lack of finances, the state has not been able to provide even the funds for regular food expenses to the prisoners.

At present, according to government statistics, the number of teachers receiving pensions is 51,308. Among them, more than 30,000 teachers have not received their pension for the month of March. Bishnu Prasad Kharel, Head of the Pension Management Office, has informed us that the teachers’ pensions have been stopped as the Ministry of Finance has not disbursed the funds.

Similarly, the spokesperson of Nepal Police, Dipendra GC, has informed that there is insufficient fund to pay salaries to 131 units out of the total 486 units of Nepal Police.

Not only that, the government has not been able to provide expenses even for regular foods to about 27,000 prisoners across the country. According to Chakrapani Pandey, Director General of the Prison Management Department, the government has not provided the required funds for the food expenses to the inmates in the country.

According to the spokesperson of the Financial Comptroller General’s Office, Shambhu Prasad Marasini, a total of 7 trillion 2 billion 120 million revenue has been collected by Wednesday. While during this period 7 trillion 21 billion 20 million rupees have been spent on salary and allowances of employees and other administrative expenses. According to this calculation, nearly 19 billion rupees more than the income of the state has been spent only on salary allowances and pensions of the employees.

It seems that the government, which has set a target of collecting revenue of 14 trillion 58 billion 600 million in the current financial year, has collected only about 50 percent of the total estimated amount even after 9 months of the current financial year. The country has reached a situation where the revenue collected by the government cannot even cover the salaries and administrative expenses of the employees.

Congress leaders objected to the government’s decision about a relief amount of 2 lakhs to an unqualified Maoist fighter

The Nepali Congress leaders have opposed the government’s move saying that the government is going to distribute relief to unqualified fighters after 18 years of the peace process.

They said that the government’s decision to distribute large sums of money to unqualified fighters is wrong at a time when the transitional justice bill is under consideration and the country is having a serious economic crisis.” Instead of all this, the focus should be on the speedy completion of transitional justice by making a victim-friendly law,” they said.

The leader of the Nepali Congress, Shekhar Koirala, has said that it is not acceptable to distribute money in the name of unqualified fighters while the Maoist leaders themselves are not being able to account for the money taken for the fighters of the cantonment earlier. He also said that giving relief to unqualified fighters while the government not even being able to pay the salaries and pensions of the government employees due to the lack of money in the treasury is wrong. Saying that we should oppose, stop, and be aware of such actions of the Maoist-led government, he said that it would be appropriate to employ unqualified fighters instead of relief.

Similarly, Congress General Secretary Gagan Thapa has also said that the government’s decision to distribute large amounts of money from the state fund to unqualified fighters is wrong and should be stopped at a time when there is extensive pressure on the resources of the state fund.

He said that while the bill on transitional justice is under consideration, the government should focus on ending the work of transitional justice quickly by creating a victim-friendly law rather than just distributing funds.

Now the vehicles made in Nepal will be registered and named

The Transport Management Department has amended the Transport Management Procedures Guideline 2060 and has made arrangements for the registration of vehicles made in Nepal and manufactured in Nepal.
The Department of Transportation has issued a notification and informed that the procedural guidelines have been amended and from now on, vehicles made in Nepal and produced in Nepal can be registered.

In the revised traffic management procedure manual, new vehicles made in Nepal, registration, auction registration, naming, etc. are covered.

In the procedure manual it is mentioned that ‘regardless of what is written in this manual, the customs declaration of such vehicles will not be required for purposes such as new registration, transfer registration, modification registration, auction registration, re-registration and name transfer of vehicles assembled in Nepal or manufactured in Nepal.

Similarly, in the second point of the directive it is mentioned that, for the registration, transfer registration, alteration registration, auction registration, re-registration and naming of vehicles assembled or produced in Nepal, the assembly or manufacturing company shall submit the value added tax declaration instead of the customs declaration and the vehicle attracting excise duty provisions according to the prevailing law. It has been mentioned that it has been arranged to submit the excise duty clearance form as well.

After this amendment made by the Department of Transport Management in the Transport Management Procedures Guide 2060, the way for registration, re-registration, auction registration of vehicles made in Nepal has become easier.

Government’s decision to give two lakh rupees to unqualified Maoist fighters

After 18 years of the peace process, the government has decided to give two lakh rupees to the unqualified Maoist fighters.

According to the decision of the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued the ‘Procedures for Providing Relief to Unqualified Fighters of Armed Conflict, 2079’ to distribute relief to unqualified combatants.

4 thousand 8 fighters of the Maoist camp were declared disqualified during the peace process agreement. According to the procedures prepared by the government, the unqualified fighters who have passed the process will get a relief amount of two lakh rupees per fighter.

In the procedure made by the Ministry, it is mentioned that after the detailed peace agreement, those unqualified fighters identified by United Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) and whose names and details are included in the report will be able to receive the relief amount.

Based on the names and details mentioned in the report, the district administration offices will identify the ineligible fighters. It is mentioned in the procedure that the details of the militants identified through the administration in the district will be prepared by the ministry and provided to them through the district administration office at the rate of two lakh rupees. After preparing the list of ineligible fighters, the Ministry of Home Affairs has prepared to send the details to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Finance has prepared to release the budget in the name of Home Ministry.

The ministry has arranged in the procedure that if an ineligible fighter has died, relief will be provided to his next of kin according to the law, and if he is not currently in Nepal, he will get it when he returns to Nepal. Earlier,the government had decided to provide relief at the rate of two lakhs in the budget for the financial year 073/074. However, after a writ petition was filedin the Supreme Court, the amount was not distributed.

The government has allocated one billion 4 million rupees for the rest of the peace process in the budget of the current fiscal year 2079/80.

Dilli Chaudhary appointed as Chief Minister of Lumbini Province

Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party Leader Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary has been appointed as the Chief Minister of Lumbini Province.

With the support of 53 MPs from 8 parties, the governor of Lumbini province, Amik Sherchan has appointed Chaudhary as the Chief Minister according to Article 168 of the Constitution.

Earlier, after the Chief Minister of Lumbini Province, Lila Giri of CPN-UML failed to get the vote of confidence, Chaudhary submitted his claim at the call of the Chief Minister of the Province, Amik Sherchan according to Clause 2 of Article 168 of the Constitution.

In the 87-member Lumbini Provincial Assembly, Chaudhary got the support of 27 MPs from the Nepali Congress, 11 from the Maoists, 4 from the Nagarik unmukti party, 3 from the Janamat Party, 3 from the Janata Samajwadi Party, 3 from the Loktantrik samjbadiParty, 1 from the Rashtriya Janamorcha and 1 from the NEKAPA ekikrit Samajbadi Party.

Surendraraj Pandey appointed as Chief Minister of Gandaki

Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party leader Surendra Pandey has been appointed as the Chief Minister of Gandaki Province.

According to Article 168 of the Constitution, Chief Minister Prithviman Gurung has appointed Pandey as the Chief Minister.

According to the new balance of power created for the presidential election, Khagraj Adhikari-led government was in a minority in Gandaki after the Maoist exit from the government and Adhikari could not get the vote of confidence. After Adhikari could not get the vote of confidence, the provincial chief Gurung gave a deadline and called for the formation of a government according to Article 168, Clause 2 of the Constitution. Accordingly, with the support of 35 MPs, Pandey submitted a claim for the Chief Ministership.

According to clause 2 of Article 168 of the Constitution, Pandey became the Chief Minister in accordance with the provision that the government can be formed with the support of two or more parties.

There are 27 MPs from Congress, 22 from UML, 8 from Maoist, 2 from RPP and 1 independent MP in Gandaki province.

Xi Jinping holds a phone conversation with Zelensky

April 26- President of China, Xi Jinping held a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Zelensky for the first time since Moscow launched its military operation in Ukraine.

It is said that Chinese President Xi Jinping has told his Ukrainian counterpart Zelensky that China will push for an early ceasefire in Ukraine and China is determined to facilitate the peace process and a ceasefire as soon as possible.

“Chinese authorities have no intention to quietly observe the escalation of the Ukrainian crisis, but at the same time will not fuel the flame,” President Xi said during a phone call with Ukrainian President Zelensky.He aslo said that “dialogue and negotiations are the only viable way out.”

President Zelensky also tweeted that the dialogue was “long and meaningful.” He said the call, along with the appointment of an ambassador to China, will “give a powerful impetus to the development of our bilateral relations.”

Stone pelting at the program attended by UML leader Oli in an attempt to disrupt the program

April 26 – Demonstrators pelted stones while showing black flags at the event attended by UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli.

In opposition to the naming of Koshi province, protesters threw stones and displayed black flags to obstruct the program attended by leader Oli in the home district Jhapa. The police have arrested two people who threw stones at the event.

Protesters have been demanding that the name of the koshi province should be canceled and the name of the province should be kept on the basis of identity.

SC orders the government not to increase the tax on electric vehicles

April 26-Kathmandu: The Supreme Court has ordered the government not to increase the tax on electric vehicles (EVs) in the financial bill for the next financial year.

The joint bench of Supreme Court Justice Sapna Pradhan Malla and Sushma Lata Mathema issued the order in the name of the government and directed the government to properly implement the laws and policies designed to promote the use of electric vehicles and control air pollution from the transport sector.

In order, it is mentioned that the people have the right to live in a clean and pollution-free environment, demanding to promote the production and use of clean renewable, and green energy while gradually reducing dependence on fossil fuels such as petrol and diesel. In the order, it is also mentioned that the tax rate should be set only after taking necessary precautions.

37 electric buses of Sajha Yatayata have been stuck for 4 months without any service

April 26- Kathmandu- Due to the lack of charging stations, 37 electric buses of sajha yatayat have been stuck for 4 months without any service.

Even though 3 out of the 40 buses purchased by Sajha Yatayat are operating with chargers in their own premises, 37 buses are still stuck without service.

Kanakmani Dixit, Chairman of Sajha Yatayat Cooperative, has said that charging depots are necessary for running all buses, and despite repeated requests to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, and the Ministry of Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, the land has not been available for bus charging depots.

On the other hand, the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport has been blaming the Sajha Yatayat mismanagement saying that, ‘Why didn’t they make a plan on how to operate those buses before they buy ?’

Trump Responds to Biden’s re-election announcement

Responding to President Joe Biden’s announcement for re-election , former President Donald Trump accused Biden of a litany of failures, from opening the US border with Mexico to leading the world “to the brink of World War III.”

Biden formally entered the 2024 race on Tuesday, saying in a campaign video that he needs four more years to “finish the job” and restore “the soul of America.” Within hours, Trump issued a response.

“You could take the five worst presidents in American history and put them together and they would not have done the damage Joe Biden has done to our nation,” Trump declared.

The former president cited the “worst inflation in half a century,” a 24-month streak of declining real wages, and rising gasoline prices, homelessness and crime as examples of Biden’s “calamitous and failed presidency.”

Trump accused Biden of “weaponizing” law enforcement to punish his supporters, and claimed that the president’s deference to transgender activists has led to children being “indoctrinated and mutilated by left-wing freaks and zealots.”

Trump has hammered Biden on these issues before, and on matters of foreign policy, his latest video contained no surprises either. Declaring that “Russia is teaming up with China, Iran is days away from a nuclear bomb, [and] Ukraine has been devastated by an invasion that would never ever have happened if I was president,” Trump proclaimed that Biden “has led us to the very brink of World War III.”

“It is almost inconceivable that Biden would even think of running for re-election,” Trump said in conclusion. “There has never been a greater contrast between two successive administrations in all of American history; ours being greatness and theirs being failure.”

https://twitter.com/NepalRastriyaD/status/1651244933016178689

15-days ultimatum of Kathmandu metropolis to manage wires hanging on poles

April 24, Kathmandu – The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has given a 15-days deadline to the service providers to remove the unnecessary and useless wires hanging from the poles.

The city head-level decision of the metropolis has set a time to remove unnecessary and unused wires and manage them by tagging the wires that are in use. Metropolis had also sent a letter to the telephone, cable, and internet service provider offices and associations, Nepal Telecom, Ncell, Nepal Electricity Authority, and Cable Broadcasters Association regarding the matter.

Facilitation and coordination have been requested with service providers, regulatory and coordinating offices and associations, Telecommunication Authority, Kathmandu Valley Police Office which operates CCTV cameras and communication system, Department of Information and Broadcasting which allows television operation, Internet Service Provider Association Nepal (ISPAN) in the work of removing wires.

If the wires are not removed within the specified period, the metropolis will form a working group and start the work of removing the unnecessary wire, and if the beneficiary is inconvenienced by this, the service provider should take the responsibility.

The metropolis has said that a team will be formed under the leadership of the City Police Superintendent, consisting of representatives from Nepal Telecommunication Authority, Nepal Police, Ncell, Internet Service Provider Association of Nepal, and the monitoring of the work of wire removal will be coordinated by the deputy chief of the metropolis, and representatives of relevant offices and organizations .

Following the SC order Kathmandu Metropolis picked up the waste from the Singha Durbar

April 24-Kathmandu – After the order of the Supreme Court, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City has started to collect the garbage piled up in Singha Darbar.

While hearing the petition filed by advocate Padam Bahadur Shrestha, the bench of Judge Prakashmansingh Raut directed the Kathmandu Metropolitan City to remove the garbage from the Singha Darbar within three days.

Balendra Shah, the Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City earlier instructed the concerned authority of waste management not to collect the waste from Singha Durbar, saying that the federal government did not support and coordinate with the metropolitan city in the work of development and construction.

Three applications received for new stock exchange and four for commodity exchange

Kathmandu, April 24: The Nepal Securities Board has received three applications for the operation of the new stock exchange market and four applications for opening the commodity exchange market.

According to Sebon, Himalaya Stock Exchange, National Stock Exchange and Annapurna Stock Exchange have applied for the approval of the regulator to start stock exchange business.

Similarly, Nepal Multi Commodity Exchange, Himalayan Commodity and Derivative Exchange, Multi Assets Derivative Exchange and Multi Derivative Exchange are willing to operate the commodity exchange market.

Although the stock exchange will be a parallel institution with the existing Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE), the commodity exchange market will be the first and new institution within the country.

Power cuts in industrial sector is a short-term problem : Authority

Kathmandu, April 24: Nepal Electricity Authority has said that the power cuts in the industrial sector is only a short-term problem.

Kulman Ghising, managing director of the authority, said that the problem in power supply has badly affected the industrial corridors in eastern Nepal. According to him, due to the weak transmission capacity of the cross-border transmission line during the dry season, it has become a problem to import enough electricity.

After the decline in domestic production, the Authority has been importing an average of 500 MW of electricity from India every day. Ghising said that about 400 MW of electricity is being imported from the transmission lines of Dhalkebar and Tanakpur and another 100 MW of electricity is being supplied from the infrastructure in Raxaul, Ramnagar and Kataiya.

After the decline in electricity supply, industrialists of Biratnagar have also protested against the state-owned electricity authority. Morang Traders Association, an umbrella organization of the private sector, has alleged that the irresponsible action of the authority has caused a huge financial loss.

On the other hand, the authority has said that due to a significant decrease in domestic electricity production, the electricity supply had to be stopped. According to Ghisingh, the power generation has reached only 30.35 percent of the actual installed capacity. The local power house has been supplying only 700 megawatts of electricity, while we are importing about 500 megawatts from India.

The authority’s records show that currently the maximum demand for electricity is 1,700 MW, while the average demand is 1,300 MW. Ghising said that the demand for industrial units has increased this year after the authority approved an additional 800 MW this year.

Meanwhile, the authority aims to export up to 1,000 megawatts of electricity to India in the coming year.

Diplomats and foreign nationals evacuated from Sudan

Several countries have evacuated diplomats and citizens from Sudan’s capital as fierce fighting continues to rage in Khartoum.

The US and UK announced on Sunday they had flown diplomats out of the country.

France, Germany, Italy and Spain are among other countries also organising evacuations, starting on Sunday.

A vicious power struggle between the regular army and a powerful paramilitary force has led to violence across the country.

US authorities said they had airlifted fewer than 100 people with three Chinook helicopters on Sunday morning in a “fast and clean” operation.

The US embassy in Khartoum is now closed, and a tweet on its official feed says it is not safe enough for the government to evacuate private US citizens.

The UK government managed to airlift British diplomats and their families out of the country in what was described as a “complex and rapid” operation. Foreign Minister James Cleverly said options to evacuate the remaining British nationals in Sudan were “severely limited”.

Several other countries were conducting evacuation operations on Sunday:

French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that a plane had arrived in Djibouti carrying French citizens and others on Sunday
A handful of Dutch citizens left Khartoum on the French plane, and the Netherlands hoped to airlift more citizens out on Sunday evening
Germany’s army said the first of three planes had left Sudan, bound for Jordan, with 101 people on board
Italy and Spain have evacuated citizens – the Spanish mission included citizens from Argentina, Colombia, Ireland, Portugal, Poland, Mexico, Venezuela and Sudan.


Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government had evacuated its diplomatic staff.Other countries successfully evacuated people on Saturday. More than 150 people, mostly citizens of Gulf countries, as well as Egypt, Pakistan and Canada were evacuated by sea to the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah.

There have been desperate calls for help from many foreign students – from Africa, Asia and the Middle East – who are also stuck in Khartoum, a city of some six million people.

Meanwhile, there are reports that internet connectivity has almost totally collapsed in Sudan, which could seriously hinder the coordination of help for those trapped in Khartoum and other cities.

The power struggle has seen heavy bombardment in the capital city, with hundreds killed and thousands more injured.

Vote counting continues in Tanahun: All-party meeting to be held for vote count in Chitwan and Bara

April 24 – Out of the 3 constituencies, Chitwan 2, Bara 2, and Tanahun 1, where the by-elections have been completed, the counting of votes in Tanahun has been going on since midnight, while an all-party meeting is to be held to finalize the issue of the vote count in Bara and Chitwan.

The all-party meeting of Chitwan 2 is scheduled to be held today, which was postponed last night due to the stand of CPN UML and Nepali Congress candidates who were not agreed to count the votes without investigating the code of conduct violation against Ravi Lamichhane .

Similarly, an all-party meeting is to be held today in Bara 2. The parties had agreed to hold an all-party meeting in the morning as there was no condition to count the votes from the night due to the storm.

Complaint against Rabi Lamichhane for violating the code of conduct

April 23, Chitwan- A complaint has been lodged at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer against Rabi Lamichhane as Rastriya Swatantra Party violated the election code of conduct during the ongoing by-elections in Chitwan constituency 2.

Nepali Congress candidate Jit Narayan Shrestha’s representative Dhurvaraj Pokharel filed a complaint at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, claiming that RSP President Lamichhane influenced the voters by asking for votes through social media and online during the voting period.

The polling was disrupted for about 2 hours after the RSP activists thronged the polling station shouting slogans. Voting started after RSP apologized for violating the code of conduct and reached a four-point agreement.

It is said in the agreement, ‘It was found that a program violating the code of conduct was being conducted by the RSP during the ongoing elections.

It has also been decided to send a written notice to the Chief Election Office regarding violations of the code of conduct.

It is also mentioned in the complaint that after the dispute at Naya Kiran Mavi Bhojad polling station, the all-party meeting held with the representatives of the RSP admitted that the RSP had violated the code of conduct and recommended for the action to be taken accordingly.

PM’s directive to arrange registration of vehicles manufactured in Nepal

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has instructed the relevant agencies to arrange the registration of vehicles produced in Nepal and prepare a draft law for the registration process.

Prime Minister Dahal has instructed Chief Secretary Shankardas Bairagi to prepare a law related to registration and authorize a policy to encourage Nepali production after the issue of non-registration of vehicles made in Nepal including ‘Yatri’ was raised in Parliament.

According to Prime Minister’s press coordinator Surya Kiran Sharma, Chief Secretary Bairagi has instructed Madhu Marasini, secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Supply, to immediately prepare and submit a draft law related to the registration and promotion of vehicles produced in Nepal.

One passenger died and 10 injured in a bus accident in Palpa

April 23- Palpa- A woman was killed and 10 other passengers were injured in a bus accident at Jordhara in Palpa.

According to the police, bus number LU 1 KHA 5956, which was going from Butwal to Burtibang in Baglung, fell down about 50 meters from the road near Tinau Rural Municipality-5 Jordhara under Siddharth highway in Palpa.

The injured in the accident were rescued and taken to the hospital for treatment. They are being treated at Lumbini Medical College.

By-election: Voting continues in all the three constituency

Voting has started since morning in Bara 2, Chitwan 2, and Tanahun 1, where by-elections are held.

A total of 65 candidates are competing in three constituencies. 194 polling stations and 427 polling booths have been managed for voting. A public holiday has been given today in all three areas where elections will be held.

Voting started at 7 am and will continue till 5 pm according to the scheduled time.

By-Elections are being held in these three constituencies, as Ravi Lamichhane MP’s post was revoked in the citizenship case,( he was elected from Chitwan 2), Ramchandra Poudel got elected as President (who was elected from Tanahun 1), and Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav elected as a Vice President( who was elected from Bara 2).

Russia to use national currency in energy trade: Euro and Dollar in energy exports will be abandoned

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak has said that Russia will now switch to national currencies in energy trade.

According to the official, most transactions are already made in these currencies, mostly in Chinese yuan and Russian rubles, and in the future Moscow intends to abandon the euro and dollar in energy exports altogether.

“The trends have changed greatly toward reducing the use of dollars and euros. Considering the current problems with these currencies, in our settlements we are switching almost exclusively to national currencies,” he said, referring to economic restrictions placed on Russia by Western states due to the Ukraine conflict, which have effectively made it impossible for Russia to conduct transactions in euros and dollars.

“Our partners in China are already paying for gas in yuan, as well as partly for oil. They also pay in rubles. We will continue to improve these mutual settlements in national currencies,” Novak pledged.

Earlier many contries from Asia, Middle east and Latin america including Bricks nation has agreed upon De-dollarisation.

Sudan battles rage escalates: Foreign diplomats fleeing the Country

Heavy fighting is continuing in Sudan’s capital Khartoum between warring factions that have plunged the country into chaos with foreign expatriates preparing to flee via military escort.

The Sudanese army said on Saturday it was coordinating efforts to evacuate diplomats from the United States, Britain, China, and France out of the country on military airplanes.

Diplomats and their families from Saudi Arabia had already made it out of Sudan. Jordanian nationals were set to leave later.

Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan spoke to leaders requesting safe evacuations of their citizens and diplomats from Sudan, which has been roiled by bloody fighting for the past week.

Countries have struggled to repatriate their citizens amid deadly clashes that have killed more than 400 people so far. With Sudan’s main international airport closed, foreign countries have ordered their citizens to simply shelter in place until they can figure out evacuation plans.

Al-Burhan said diplomats from Saudi Arabia had already been evacuated from Port Sudan and airlifted back to the kingdom. He said Jordan’s diplomats would soon be evacuated in the same way.

End of UML dominance in Gandaki government: New government to be formed by tomorrow

April 22 – As Chief Minister of Pokhara-Gandaki province Khagraj Adhikari failed to get a vote of confidence, UML’s supremacy in the Gandaki province government has also ended. The effect of the change in the power equation due to the presidential election is clearly seen in the provincial government.

After the Maoist Center withdrew its support and called back its ministers, the UML leaders were in the minority in Gandaki. While the 60-member Gandaki provincial assembly took the vote of confidence today, only 24 MPs (22 from UML and 2 from RPP) supported Adhikari. Earlier, 31 MPs gave him a vote of confidence.

A new government will be formed by tomorrow

As the Chief Minister Khagraj Adhikari was relieved of his post after failing to receive a vote of confidence in the Provincial Assembly, the leader of the Gandaki Provincial Assembly Parliamentary Party of the Nepali Congress, Surendra Pandey, has said that a new government will be formed by tomorrow.


However, it remains to be seen whether the leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party, as the leader of a major party, will be appointed the Chief Minister by the state head or a coalition government will be formed as per Article 168 (2) of the Constitution.

G-7: A tool to maintain American hegemony – North Korea

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui said that the G-7 is only a closed group of a handful of egoistic countries that do not represent the international community but serve as a political tool for ensuring US hegemony.

Responding to the G-7’s condemnation of a recent missile test, she said that the group as a political instrument of US world dominance is viciously slandering North Korea’s legitimate exercise of sovereignty but we vow that Pyongyang won’t give up its nuclear weapons program.

Choe made her comments three days after the Group of Seven wealthy democracies issued a communique condemning North Korea’s latest missile launches and calling for the “complete, verifiable and irreversible abandonment” of its nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

Pyongyang test-launched its newly developed Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) last week, triggering air raid warnings in neighboring Japan. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un claimed that the new missile would greatly enhance the country’s “nuclear counterattack posture” and strike “extreme uneasiness and horror” in the country’s enemies.

Choe insisted that North Korea’s strategic weapons are needed to deter threats and cope with a security environment made unstable by “the reckless and provocative military actions of the United States and its allied forces.

ADB’s investment in Nepal by 2022 is 4 trillion 20 billion NRs

April 22- Kathmandu – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced that by 2022, about 4 trillion 20 billion NRS has been invested in Nepal’s energy, transportation, agriculture, drinking water, urban infrastructure, service sector, rural development, and natural resources, health, and education by ADB.

ADB Director General Kenichi Yokoyama has said that the Asian Development Bank has been investing a large amount in various projects in Nepal, but the problems of the Asian Development Bank’s project implementation should be actively addressed and special attention should be paid to that matter.

In a two-day discussion organized to provide information on the field and performance of projects in Nepal (Country Portfolio), Minister of Finance Prakash Sharan Mahat said that the government is committed to improving the capital expenditure to address the challenges of Asian Development Bank project implementation and delivery and to address the people’s desire for development.Projects such as Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Project, Bagmati River Basin Improvement, Rural Enterprise Finance Project and Power Transmission and Distribution Efficiency Enhancement Project were awarded in the program which were supported by ADB.

Chief Minister of Gandaki Province taking a vote of confidence

April 22- The Chief Minister of Gandaki Province Khagraj Adhikari will take the vote of confidence today.

The State Assembly Secretariat said that the Chief Minister’s Office has sent a letter to put the issue of a vote of confidence on the agenda and the Secretariat has prepared accordingly.

After the Maoist Center withdrew its support on Chaitra 10 2079 BS. and recalled its ministers, the UML leaders fell into the minority. The UML parliamentary party leader was appointed as the Chief Minister on Paush 25 2079 BS. with the support of the Maoist Center and the RPP and received a vote of confidence on Paush 29 2079 BS. At that time, 31 MPs were in his support.

According to the constitutional provisions, the Chief Minister must seek a vote of confidence in the state assembly within 30 days of the withdrawal of support from the ruling party.

The 60-member Gandaki Provincial Assembly has 27 MPs from Congress, 22 from UML, 8 from Maoist Center, 2 from RPP and 1 independent.

Europe is bleeding over the sanctions on Russia: Hungarian PM

Hungarian PM Viktor Orban has repeatedly called for “the failed policy of Brussels” to be changed, noting that the sanctions “didn’t fulfill the hopes that were pinned on them,” while Europe is “slowly bleeding.”

The European Union has exhausted its options for further economic restrictions against Russia. But even after the ten rounds of sanctions in response to the Ukraine conflict and currently working on an eleventh package of punitive measures against Moscow, EU officials have admitted that those parts of the Russian economy that were left unsanctioned are parts that one or more EU member states “can’t live without,” and thus measures targeting them would be vetoed.

One of the EU officials told that“We are done, “If we do more sanctions, there will be more exemptions than measures.” Officials have admitted that the embargo harms the EU and West more than Moscow.

Newly planned restrictions could reportedly target Russia’s nuclear fuel and services exports, but those would be opposed by some member-states, such as France, Hungary, and others.

Bridge under construction collapsed in Bheri River: 2 died and 8 injured

April 20-Surkhet – 2 people were killed and 8 people were injured when the under-construction bridge connecting Tallubagar in Jajarkot and Athabiskot in Rukum West under the Jajarkot-Dolpa road section collapsed.

Surkhet police officials said that after the bridge was broken, two laborers working on the bridge construction died and three people who were walking on the bridge fell into the river and went missing. The police also said that the treatment of 8 other people who were injured in the bridge collapse is ongoing and the search for the three missing people is going on too.

Nepal Rastra Bank selling 20 billion development bonds

April 20- Kathmandu – Nepal Rastra Bank has prepared to sell development bonds worth 20 billion rupees for the purpose of raising internal debt.

According to the Nepal Rastra Bank, the maturity period of the bond named ‘Development Loan 084 ‘T’ will be four years and the interest rate of the bond will be determined from bidding.

As mentioned in the notice of the Nepal Rastra Bank, the bond can be bid on 20th April until 3:00 in the afternoon, then the Bank will issue the bonds on Friday. The bond can be purchased by banks and financial institutions, insurance companies, organized organizations, and Nepali citizens.

The government, which has set a target of raising 2 trillion 56 billion rupees in domestic debt in the current financial year, has already raised 88 billion rupees in the third quarter of the current financial year .

By-elections: Campaigning will be closed from 12 pm on Thursday

April 20 -Kathmandu – The Election Commission has informed that for the by-elections to be held on the 10th of Baisakh 2079 BS, the period of prohibition of campaigning will continue from 12 midnight on Thursday.

In order to conduct the election in a clean, free, fair, reliable, transparent, and fear-free environment, the period of prohibition of the campaign will be applied from 48 hours before the polling day until the polling station is closed on the polling day as stipulated in the Election Code of Conduct, 2079 and the Election Commission has requested everyone to act accordingly.

On the 10th of Baisakh election will be held in Bara Constituency No. 2, Tanahun Constituency No. 1, and Chitwan constituency no. 2 for the House of Representatives by-election, 2080. The Commission has issued the Election Code of Conduct, 2079, using the authority given by Section 22 of the Election Commission Act, 2073, to be maintained from Chait 24th to Baisakh 10th 2079 BS.

Indian climber Anurag Maloo rescued after 3 days

An Indian climber Anurag Maloo has been rescued alive after three days.

34-year-old Maloo who went missing on Monday on Mt Annapurna was rescued from a deep crevasse below Camp III. A team of six Sherpa climbers led by Chhang Dawa conducted a ground search and found him in some 300m deep crevasse this morning. Anurag has been airlifted to Pokhara and he is now undergoing treatment at Manipal Hospital. Hospital sources confirmed that his condition is very critical at the moment.

He was lost after he fell into a deep crevasse from 5,800m while descending from Camp III on Mt Annapurna.

President Poudel been taken to India for further treatment

April 19-Kathmandu – President Ramchandra Puudel has been taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Hospital in New Delhi for further treatment.

President Poudel was taken to India for further treatment at the request of his family. However, according to the doctor involved in the treatment, he was tested by draining the frozen water in his chest and the initial tests showed normal conditions other than infection. His MRI and CT scan reports also said that there were no complications other than infection.

According to President Paudel’s press advisor Kiran Pokharel, Paudel was taken to New Delhi on Wednesday morning by air ambulance of Shree Airlines. Paudel was accompanied by his personal doctor Dr. Niraj Bam, family members, and a team of 7 doctors.

Air services at Tribhuvan International Airport will remain closed for 6 hours on Thursday

April 19 -Kathmandu – Air service at Tribhuvan International Airport will be closed for 6 hours on Thursday.

General Manager of Tribhuvan International Airport, Pratap Babu Tiwari, has informed that all air services will be suspended from 1:00 am to 7:00 am on Thursday as an online UPS has to be connected to strengthen the power supply system with the aim of enhancing the safety of passengers.

In addition, General Manager Tiwari also said that the passengers traveling at the said time should consult with the relevant air service company and make arrangements according to their needs.

National Assembly meeting postponed indefinitely

April 18, Kathmandu – The meeting of the National Assembly scheduled to be held on Tuesday afternoon at 2:31 PM has been postponed indefinitely.

The General Secretary of the Federal Parliament Secretariat, Bharatraj Gautam, has published a notice saying that the meeting has been adjourned until further notice.

Earlier, the meeting called for 30 Chaitra 2079 BS.was also postponed on the instructions of the President of the National Assembly, Timilsina.

Agreement to open export from Tatopani from May 18

An agreement has been reached between China and Nepal to open export through the Tatopani border connecting Nepal and China.

It is said that 6 points have been agreed upon to open the border from May 18th in the discussion held between Nepal and Chinese government officials.

According to Chief District Officer of Sindhupalchok, Ramesh Neupane, after a sufficient discussion between the border security regarding ‘cross border crime’, and other management issues, there has been a discussion and oral agreement on the opening of the border crossing from 1st of May.

On the other hand, despite the agreement to open the export through Tatopani, the locals have expressed disappointment that the physical infrastructure in Tatopani is not fully prepared and the 26 km road section of the Kodari highway connecting the border is still damaged. Locals were also not so happy as exports only being allowed through Tatopani been agreed while Kerung is fully operational .

Writ filed in SC against Mayor Balen Shah for not removing the waste from Singha Durbar

April 17, Kathmandu- A writ has been registered in the Supreme Court against Mayor Balen Shah of Kathmandu Metropolitan City for not removing the garbage of Singha Durbar and Sheetal Niwas.

Advocate Padam Shrestha filed a petition in the Supreme Court on Monday, making Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah (Balen) an opponent.

In the writ filed in the Supreme Court, it has been mentioned that ‘According to Article 30 of the Constitution of Nepal, every citizen has the right to live in a clean and healthy environment. As the matter is of public concern application has been requested according to Article 30, 4 of the Garbage Management Act, 2068, and according to Section 3, 4, Section 15 of the Environment Protection Act 2076.

It is also requested in the petition to maintain a clean environment in accordance with Sections 3 and 4 of the Garbage Management Act, 2068 as the office of Kathmandu Metropolitan City is a local body.

Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Shah ordered not to collect garbage in the area inside Singhdarbar, the President’s office Sheetal Niwas and the Prime Minister’s residence, saying that the Federal Government did not cooperate in the work of Kathmandu Metropolis.

Nepal Airlines Corporation buying 3 aircraft for domestic flights

April 17, Kathmandu – Nepal Airlines Corporation is going to buy three planes for domestic flights.

It is said that the report prepared by the sub-committee to purchase the aircraft under the coordination of senior captain Sudhir Shamser Rai has been submitted to the board of directors of the corporation.

The corporation also said that the process of purchasing directly from the aircraft building company from its internal sources has been advanced. It is also said that the purchased planes will fly to remote areas of Nepal.

The aircraft previously owned by the Nepal Airlines Corporation has been kept in a hangar for three years without any use as the corporation claims that those planes are of no use and only increase the expenses.

Government acquires Smart Telecom assets after non-payment of dues

April 17, Kathmandu – The government has brought the property of Smart Telecom under the control of the government for non-payment of license and service operation arrears.

After Smart Telecom’s license was canceled due to non-payment of arrears, the board meeting of the regulatory body Nepal Telecommunication Authority decided to bring Smart Telecom’s property under the ownership of the government. According to the Telecommunication Authority, Smart Telecom did not pay 4 billion 19 million rupees in arrears until the financial year 2075/76 and did not show any account for the next 3 years.

Earlier, the authority had decided to cancel the license of Smart Telecom on Shrawan 13, 2076 BS for non-payment of dues.

Jack Teixeria charged over leaked classified files of US Intelligence

Jack Teixeira, the US airman suspected of leaking hundreds of classified documents online, appeared for the first time in a Boston court on Friday.

The alleged leaker faced formal charges of unauthorized removal, retention, and transmission of classified national defense information.

Teixeira, an enlisted airman first class and member of the 102nd Intelligence Wing based in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, was arrested at his home by the FBI on Thursday.

The leaked Pentagon documents had been circulating online for weeks already before drawing the attention of the media – and of the US government – last week. The documents, which were color-printed and then photographed, ended up being uploaded to a gaming chat server.

A significant part of the trove of documents are related to the US and NATO war-planning effort in Ukraine, and included data on arms deliveries, training schedules, and estimates of losses sustained by both Moscow and Kiev, among other information.

Poland would not survive a Russia-NATO war: Dmitry Medvedev

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has claimed that Poland would cease to exist if a direct war were to occur between Russia and NATO, regardless of the outcome. He was responding to remarks by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who expressed confidence that the Western alliance would win such a conflict.

Morawiecki, who is currently visiting the US, commented on the Ukrainian conflict in an interview with NBC News on Friday. Host Kristen Welker asked whether he was concerned that Ukrainian strikes outside its territory risked “a wider war, drawing Poland… into the conflict.”

The prime minister replied that he was not concerned, as it would be “a war between Russia and NATO, and Russia would lose this war very quickly.”

“They believe that fighting with Ukraine they are fighting with the West and fighting with NATO, whereas the fact of the matter is that we are only supporting a brutally invaded country”, Morawiecki said.

Medvedev, who serves as deputy chair of Russia’s National Security Council, tweeted in response that he was not so certain about which side would win, “but considering Poland’s role as a NATO outpost in Europe, this country is sure to disappear together with its stupid prime minister.”

The Russian official has previously warned against a possible escalation of the Ukraine conflict, which Moscow perceives as a proxy war against it by the US and its allies. If that were to happen, hostilities could go nuclear, Medvedev believes, and all sides would be catastrophically harmed.RT

Two Bangladeshi nationals arrested with 20 thousand US dollars

Two Bangladeshi nationals have been arrested from Tribhuvan International Airport with 20,000 US dollars.

Mofizul Islam and Devasis Kumar Shah, who were going to Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka from Flight Bangladesh 372, were arrested by the airport police during a security check.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Lalamani Acharya of the Airport Police said that two Bangladeshi citizens were arrested with 20,000 US dollars and during the initial statement, they could not verify the source of the money, so they are preparing to hand it over to the Revenue Investigation Department for further investigation.

Nepal’s banking sector is safe: Small shocks won’t affect it: Governor

Nepal Rastra Bank Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari has said that the condition of Nepal’s banks is safe and a small shock will not affect it.

Announcing the financial data for 8 months of the current fiscal year 2079/80, the governor said that the foreign exchange reserve is in a comfortable state and inflation is in a declining state.

He said that even though the bank’s interest rate is slightly higher, the base rate has been decreasing since February. He said that there is no need to despair as Nepal’s economy is improving, and that capital adequacy is 13 percent instead of 11 percent and non-performing loans are 2.63 percent.

Agreement to make Transitional Justice Bill universally acceptable

Today’s discussion between the top leaders of the three major parties on the transitional justice bill has ended.

The meeting held at the residence of Speaker Devraj Ghimire has reached an agreement to make the transitional justice bill universally acceptable.
The meeting has concluded that the topics to be put in the bill and the process to proceed will be discussed again in the next meeting to be held on April 14 at Singha Durbar.

Leaders also agreed to decide on the leadership and representation of the joint committee and other committees.

Meeting of the top leaders of the three main parties: Discussion on the issue of transitional justice

April 11, Kathmandu. The meeting of the top leaders of the three major parties started at Baluwatar, the residence of the Speaker. Speaker Devraj Ghimire has called the meeting to discuss the issue of transitional justice.

Speaker Ghimire has called a meeting with the leaders of the three main parties to discuss transitional justice, networking of the House, and contemporary issues, according to the Speaker’s Secretariat. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Chairman of the main opposition party CPN-UML KP Sharma Oli, and Chairman of Nepali Congress Sher Bahadur Deuba are participating in the meeting.

UML Chief Whip Padam Giri, Maoist Center Chief Whip Hitraj Pandey, and Congress MP Ishwari Neupane are also present in the meeting.

Attorney General Deenmani Pokharel and former Attorney General Ramesh Badal are also participating in the meeting, discussing other bills including TRC. In the earlier meeting, Prime Minister Prachanda said that he would proceed with the transitional justice bill through the fast track and choose the middle path, but the leader of the main opposition party, KP Sharma Oli, has taken the stand that the bill should be sent to the committee.

Leaked Classified documents warn of major shortfalls in Kyiv’s forces and their ability to reclaim territory

Leaked US intelligence documents paint a bleak picture for a much anticipated Ukrainian counter-offensive, according to the Washington Post, raising doubts about Kiev’s ability to field the manpower and ammunition needed to sustain major combat operations in the coming months.

Part of leaked trove that began circulating online last month, files labeled “top secret” reveal American reservations about the upcoming counter-attack, warning that a lack of troops and ammunition could mean that Ukraine falls “well short” of its ambitious goals to retake lost ground over the spring, the Post reported on Monday.

Enduring Ukrainian deficiencies in training and munitions supplies probably will strain progress and exacerbate casualties during the offensive,” the document says, going on to cite Russia’s sturdy network of defensive installations across the southern Kherson region and Kiev’s ongoing “force generation and sustainment shortfalls.”

The document also suggests Ukrainian forces will aim to capture territory in the south and east, apparently hoping to cut off Russian troops advancing from Crimea. However, the intelligence assessment predicts only “modest” success in those goals.

A separate classified briefing prepared by the National Intelligence Council, seen by only select lawmakers on Capitol Hill, concluded that Kiev’s counter-offensive is “unlikely” to be as successful as operations last fall, which did result in some regained ground, according to sources cited by the Post.

Yet another leaked document cited by the Wall Street Journal on Sunday also warned that Ukraine faces a “looming air defense crisis” which could prevent its military from massing the frontline forces needed for its counteroffensive. The assessment predicts that, at the current rate of consumption, Kiev will have exhausted its supply of Buk air defense missiles sometime this week, and all of its S-300 ammunition by May 3, leaving its skies largely undefended.

During a briefing Pentagon spokesman Chris Meagher has acknowledged that both the Pentagon and Justice Department are probing the matter, and that a criminal investigation was underway to determine the source of the unauthorized disclosures. A previous report in the New York Times indicated “more than 100” pages had been leaked in total.

The document trove contains a wealth of information about US and NATO war planning in Ukraine, including timelines for training and arms deliveries, data on ammunition expenditures, the structure of Ukrainian combat units, estimated Russian and Ukrainian losses, and, apparently, information regarding foreign special forces on the ground. Officials have declined to confirm the accuracy of their contents, however, saying only that they are investigating the leak.

Fire in Rautahat: More than 21 houses burnt down

9 April, Rautahat -More than 21 houses have been destroyed by fire in Rautahat’s Madhavnarayan municipality ward no. 4 Manpur today.

Around 2 o’clock in the afternoon on Sunday, the houses were destroyed by a fire that started from the house of Jiut Mukhiya, a local of Manpur. It is said that the fire started while preparing lunch.

More details about the damage caused by the fire are yet to be released.

Mayor Shah instructs not to collect waste from Singha Durbar

9 April, Kathmandu. Kathmandu’s Mayor Balendra Sah (Balen) wrote on social media that he will not pick up the garbage of Singha Durbar. After his announcement, the Metropolis stopped collecting waste from the Singha Darbar on Sunday.

Mayor Shah had said that he would not pick up the waste of Singha Durbar, saying that Singha Durbar had not cooperated in the work of the Metropolis.

General Secretary of Garbage Management Association Mitra Prasad Ghimire has said that the garbage was not picked up after Mayor Shah called and instructed him not to pick up the garbage from the Singha Durbar. “We were going to pick up the garbage from Singha Durbar and take it to Bancharedanda, but after Mayor Shah called and told us not to take it to Bancharedanda, we stopped it,” he said.

Rastriya Swatantra Party’s MP Shrestha demanded a bribe of 20 million: Audio released

The audio of Rastriya Swatantra Party MP Dhakakumar Shrestha demanding a bribe of Rs 20 million from a businessman Durga Prasai has been released.

Shrestha has been dismissed by Rastriya Swatantra Party after the audio of him asking for a bribe was released.Rastriya Swatantra Party has informed that it is ready to expel Shrestha from the party as the audio of him asking for a bribe from businessman Durga Prasai has been made public.

MP Shrestha said that he was going to become the health minister and that he had to pay money to the party to become the health minister and that he asked for a bribe from Prasai.

In this conversation that took place before the expansion of the cabinet on January 17, it was revealed that Rastriya Swatantra Party MP Dhakakumar Shrestha, who participated in the Prachanda government, asked for a bribe saying that the health ministry was under his control.

In the audio, he said, ‘ party president Rabi Lamichhane will not be seen but there are 2/3 of his outsider friends. They have said that they will give it to the party.

He asked money with Prasai and also said that they will work together. At that time, the Rastriya Swatantra Party participating in Prachanda’s government was claiming the Ministry of Health and Population. But during the expansion of the Cabinet, the Ministry of Health was taken by UML and Dr. Toshima Karki became the Minister of State for Health.

China has been simulating how it would hit key targets on Taiwan

China has simulated precision strikes against key targets on Taiwan and its surrounding waters during a second day of military drills.

The drills – which Beijing has called a “stern warning” to the self-governing island – are a response to Taiwan’s president visiting the US last week.

As the Chinese military simulated an encirclement of the island, the US urged China to show restraint.

Taiwan said at least 71 Chinese jets flew around the island on Saturday.

Taiwan also said 45 warplanes either crossed the Taiwan Strait median line – the unofficial dividing line between Taiwanese and Chinese territory – or flew into the southwestern part of Taiwan’s air defence identification zone.

Nine Chinese ships were also spotted. The operation, dubbed “Joint Sword” by Beijing, will continue until Monday. Taiwanese officials have been enraged by the operation.

On Saturday defence officials in Taipei accused Beijing of using President Tsai’s US visit as an “excuse to conduct military exercises, which has seriously undermined peace, stability and security in the region”.

A state department spokesperson said the US was “monitoring Beijing’s actions closely” and insisted the US had “sufficient resources and capabilities in the region to ensure peace and stability and to meet our national security commitments”.

US President Joe Biden has said on several occasion that the US would intervene if China attacked the island, but US messaging has been murky.

Taiwan’s status has been ambiguous since 1949, when the Chinese Civil War turned in favour of the Chinese Communist Party and the country’s old ruling government retreated to the island.

Taiwan has since considered itself a sovereign state, with its own constitution and leaders. China sees it as a breakaway province that will eventually be brought under Beijing’s control – by force if necessary.

China’s President Xi Jinping has said “reunification” with Taiwan “must be fulfilled”.

Kiran Pokharel appointed as the press advisor to the President

6 Chait, Kathmandu. Kiran Pokharel has been appointed as the press adviser of President Ramchandra Paudel.

Pokharel, the former president of the Nepal Press Union, was appointed as a press adviser by President Paudel on Sunday. Pokharel is also a former commissioner of the Information Commission. Earlier, Khila Karki was appointed as the press coordinator of the President.

The President appointed Sunil Bahadur Thapa as a political advisor, Baburam Kunwar as legal advisor, Dr. Suresh Chandra Chalise as a foreign advisor, Chiranjeevi Paudel as an economic advisor, and Chiranjeevi Adhikari has been appointed as private secretary.

Israel carried out artillery strikes on Syria after rocket fire

The Israeli military says it has launched artillery attacks on Syria after several rockets were fired from Syrian territory toward northern Israel, none of which caused damage or casualties.

The Israeli Defense Forces carried out cross-border attacks early on Sunday as the country escalated its violence on various fronts, including Gaza, Lebanon, and the West Bank. There was no immediate comment from the Syrian government.

The Israeli military said it had launched artillery attacks and a drone against the rocket launchers in Syria.

There were two rounds of rocket launches from Syrian territory in the early hours of Sunday, it said. The first involved three rockets, one of which landed in a field in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.

The second launch, which also involved three rockets, set off sirens in northern Israel. There were no reports of casualties. Jordan’s army said debris from a rocket fell into its territory but caused no casualties or damage.
Lebanon-based Al Mayadeen TV said the rocket launches were claimed by the al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement.

Helicopter crash of Heli Everest Air

Heli Everest Air’s helicopter crashed near Dhaulagiri base camp on Sunday morning.

The spokesperson of Tribhuvan International Airport, Teknath Sitaula, has informed that the helicopter of Heli Everest Air with the call sign 9NANB overturned today at 11 am while taking goods from the Italian base camp to the Dhaulagiri base camp. According to Nepal Civil Aviation Authority, the helicopter crashed into a mound and overturned.

Pilot Priya Adhikari was slightly injured in the accident and another helicopter has been sent for the rescue operation.

US deploys nuclear sub to Middle East

The US Navy has broken with its regular protocol in announcing the deployment to the Middle East of a nuclear submarine capable of launching 154 Tomahawk missiles. The show-of-force move comes amid ongoing tensions with Iran.

“[The submarine] is capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and is deployed to US 5th Fleet to help ensure regional maritime security and stability,” said Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins, a spokesman for the 5th Fleet based in Bahrain, on Saturday.

Hawkins added that that submarine had passed through the Suez Canal on Friday on its route to an undisclosed location in the Middle East. He declined to comment on the specifics of the submarine’s mission or what had led to its deployment.

The US Navy rarely discloses information about the locations or deployments of its submarines. Its 5th Fleet operates in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea and some parts of the Indian Ocean. The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passageway through which around 20% of all oil is transported, is also under the fleet’s remit.

The US and UK, and others, have accused Iran in recent years of attacks on commercial oil tankers, including the 2019 assaults on Norwegian and Japanese vessels, which forced both crews to abandon ship. Tehran has vigorously denied the allegations.

The US has also accused Iran of “dangerous and harassing approaches” towards its navy in recent years in the Persian Gulf. Tensions between the two were renewed last month after the US launched missile attacks on Iran-backed forces in Syria. This was in retaliation for the killing of a US contractor in a rocket attack in the northeast of the country. Seven other Americans were injured in the attack.

The rise in tensions was then fueled after then-President Donald Trump withdrew from a 2015 accord to provide Iran with sanctions relief, and despite the Biden administration’s attempts to seek a diplomatic remedy.

Washington has also expressed concern at Tehran’s support for Russian forces in Ukraine. The US also objects to Iran’s position as it relates to Israel – with whom it has a so-called proxy conflict – and to China, who brokered the restoration of diplomatic ties last month between Iran and Saudi Arabia.RT

Ukraine will disappear: Medvedev

Ukraine is a mistake created by the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said that Ukraine will disappear because its Western backers, the rest of the world, and even its own citizens have no need for the troubled country to keep existing.

“Why would Ukraine disappear? Because nobody needs it,” Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, wrote in a post on the VK social network on Saturday.

The EU doesn’t need Ukraine because supporting the country amid the conflict with Russia “on the order of their American mentor, plunged the Europeans into a real financial and political hell,” he insisted. Detrimental anti-Russia sanctions, spiking inflation, high energy prices, and the “decay” of businesses have already led to protests in various parts of the continent, the official pointed out.

“The prospect of decisively planting Ukrainian blood-sucking parasites on the neck of the shriveling EU” is real and, if it happens, it’s going to signal the demise of the bloc, Medvedev warned.

Kiev’s prime backer, the US, doesn’t need Ukraine either, because most ordinary Americans have no idea where it’s located and consider it “some abstract part of Russia,” the post read. They wonder “why the establishment in the US isn’t trying to deal with inflation and [the lack of] jobs or emergencies in their home states, but is instead occupied with this 404 country,” the former president wrote, referring to the “404 error” protocol in network communications.

Former president urges Russians to pirate Western content
Only “political demagogues” in Washington, “who have long conceded their impotence and dementia, are trying to make PR gains from military and sanctions campaigns,” he added.

Africa and Latin America reject Ukraine because the “billions that the US is wasting on senseless battles somewhere in Ukraine would’ve been enough to fund many social-development programs” in those regions, Medvedev wrote.

Asian countries don’t need Ukraine because, through the example of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev, “they see how the technologies of ‘color revolutions’ are being developed to eliminate the largest competing powers. They understand what scenario the collective West, led by the US, has prepared for them in case of disobedience,” the official explained. Besides, Russia is much closer to such nations as China and India in a geopolitical sense and has historically proven to be their reliable partner, he added.

Medvedev also claimed that Russia doesn’t need Ukraine because the country is “a mistake created by the collapse of the Soviet Union,” .