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Chinese language made mandatory in many Nepal schools: report

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ANI, Kathmandu : Many schools across Nepal have made it mandatory for students to learn Mandarin lured by the Chinese government’s offer to cover salaries of teachers who teach the language, a media report said on Saturday.

Principals and staff of at least 10 renowned private schools told The Himalayan Times that Mandarin was a compulsory subject in their institutions.

Many more private schools in Pokhara, Dhulikhel and other parts of the country have also made Mandarin compulsory for students, according to Shiv Raj Pant, board of trustee, founder and chairman of LRI School.

“Schools are allowed to teach foreign languages, but they cannot make those subjects mandatory for students,” said Ganesh Prasad Bhattarai, information officer at the Curriculum Development Centre, a government body which designs school—level academic curriculum.

“If a subject has to be made compulsory, it is us who take the decisions, not the schools.”

Schools that spoke to The Himalayan Times were aware of this rule, but they have simply overlooked it, as they are getting Mandarin teachers for free.

“We introduced Mandarin as a compulsory subject two years ago after the Chinese Embassy agreed to provide teachers free of cost,” said Kuldip Neupane, principal at United School.

Other schools also confirmed that salaries of Mandarin teachers were being paid by the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu.

“We only need to provide stipend to Chinese teachers to cover their accommodation and food costs,” said Hari Dahal, principal of Apex Life School.

“We know children should be allowed to make choices. So, if there are volunteers who wish to teach Japanese and German, we will always welcome them,” Khyam Nath Timsina, principal of Shuvatara School said.

US concerned about North Korean activities in Nepal

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IANS:  Amidst reports of growing activities of North Koreans in Nepal, Mark Lambert, the special US envoy for Pyongyang, has asked the Himalayan nation’s government and politicians not to entertain North Koreans in the country.

Lambert, who is on a three-day visit to Nepal, made this appeal to lawmakers, senior government officials and ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) co-chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal here on Friday, reports The Himalayan Times.

The envoy expressed concerns about growing business activities of North Koreans in Nepal.

“He also expressed fear that North Koreans might have been using Nepal as a base to commit cyber crimes,” a lawmaker, who met Lambert, said.

Lambert’s message during these meetings was clear – the UN Security Council has placed sanctions on North Korea, and Nepal, as a member country, should respect this decision.

The UN has imposed a number of sanctions on North Korea after the country started developing nuclear weapons, in violation of the UN charter. These sanctions, among others, bar UN member countries from hosting citizens of North Korea.

“Nepal is a member of the UN and it has the obligation to follow resolutions passed by the UN Security Council,” said US Embassy Spokesperson Andie De Arment, who confirmed that Lambert was in Nepal to discuss growing activities of North Koreans in the country.

Earlier, US Secretary of State Mike Pampeo had also raised the North Korean issue during Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali’s visit to the US last December.

Indian girl dies of heat stroke near US-Mexico border as mother goes in search for water

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PTI, Houston — Gurupreet Kaur, the six-year-old Indian girl whose body was found near a remote and deserted US-Mexico border died of heat stroke after her mother left her to go in search of water, US officials said Friday as they blamed people smugglers for the tragedy.

Kaur, who was a month shy of turning 7, was found by the US Border Patrol officials 27 kilometres west of Lukeville, Arizona on Wednesday, when the temperature reached a high of 42 Celsius, the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner said.

Gregory Hess, Pima County Chief Medical Examiner, identified the girl as Gurupreet Kaur and said that her death was accidental and caused by hyperthermia, CNN reported.

However, Border Patrol blamed Kaur’s death on people smugglers.

Kaur was travelling with four other persons and dropped near the border by human smugglers who ordered the group to cross in the dangerous and austere location.

The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents got the information after encountering two women from India, who explained how they came to the US and that three others, a woman and two children, got separated from them hours earlier, the agency said in a statement.

The agents took the two women into custody and began searching the area north of the international border in the remote terrain for the missing persons.

Agents used helicopters to search for the people she had been travelling with, and found footprints indicating they returned to Mexico.

After walking some way, the girl’s mother and another woman went in search of water, leaving her daughter with another woman and her child.

“Once they went to look for water they never saw them again,” said US Border Patrol Agent Jesus Vasavilbaso.

Hours later, they discovered the Kaur’s body, it said.

“Our sympathies are with this little girl and her family,” Tucson Chief Patrol Agent Roy Villareal said.

“This is a senseless death driven by cartels who are profiting from putting lives at risk.”

The CBP said Friday that the Border Patrol agents had also located “two missing Indian nationals” after they had crossed the border back into the US.

“The mother and her 8-year-old daughter were transported to a local hospital for treatment for dehydration,” the CBP said in a statement.

The numbers of Indians crossing US borders from Mexico has steadily risen in recent years, according to immigration officials.

They are among thousands of Africans and Asian migrants making the arduous journey, led by smuggling cartels.

Last year, more than 9,000 people from India were detained at US borders nationwide — a big increase from the prior year, when that number was about 3,100.

A decade ago, in 2009, that number was 204.

US President Donald Trump has been promising for more than two years to build a long, impenetrable wall along the border to stop illegal immigration, though Congress has been reluctant to provide the money he needs.

In the meantime, he has repeatedly threatened to close the border.

Bangladesh is elected as a member to ECOSOC of UN from the Asia-Pacific region

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Bangladesh was elected as a member of the prestigious Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations for the term 2020-2022 from the Asia-Pacific region by securing 181 votes out of 191, the national daily news paper,   The Daily Star reported.

The election was held at the UN General Assembly Hall, according to a press release.

Thailand, South Korea and China are the other countries elected from the same region. ECOSOC, one of the six principal organs of UN, is also the most important platform of the UN system, the press release added.

It is also crucial for multilateral diplomacy especially in the case of development.

The victory was hailed as a global recognition of the development endeavors of Bangladesh by diplomats from several countries present at the election venue.

The election was conducted under the Presidency of María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, the president of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly through a secret ballot.

Referring to Bangladesh’s fulfillment of the LDC graduation criteria last year, the Permanent Representative (PR) of Bangladesh to the UN Ambassador Masud Bin Momen said, “This membership of ECOSOC will help us achieve sustainable graduation and accelerate progress in the implementation of Agenda 2030.”

Through the membership of ECOSOC, Bangladesh will be able to work more intensively in implementing the Agenda 2030 through various forums, commissions, committees, executive boards and regional forums such as UNESCAP under ECOSOC.

This will also enable the country to share its best developmental practices with the rest of the world, mentioned the ambassador, according to the press release.

Bangladesh will commence its ECOSOC membership from January 2020. It is to be noted that in 2018, Bangladesh was elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2019-2021 term.

Thousands of Kathmandu residents protest a controversial bill

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Kathmandu– Thousands of people belonging to the ethnic Newar community staged anti-government protests on Saturday, demanding withdrawal of a controversial bill, which they say has provisions in favour of land mafia and could jeopardise Sanatan Hindu culture and tradition.

Around 10,000 people from Newar community rallied in the major parts of the city Saturday morningraising slogans against the Oli government demanding that the government withdraw the Guthi bill from the Parliament, ANI news agency reported.

The K P Sharma Oli-led Communist Party government has tabled the bill in Parliament to amend the Guthi Act and nationalise both public and private guthis and regulate all religious sites under a powerful Authority.

Guthis are socio-economic institutions (Trusts), both public and private, that fund their obligations from incomes from cultivated or leased land assets. Depending on their obligations, guthis fulfil religious, public service or social roles and could either involve members from a common lineage, or several.

Photo : Setopati

“Don’t destroy heritage,” “scrap Guthi Bill”, “Our culture our identity”, “Stop invasion of Sanatana Dharma”, read the placards the protestors carried during the rally.

“Our Sanatan Dharma and culture could be jeopardised if the Bill, tabled by the Communist Party led government in Parliament, gets endorsed,” said Pavitra Bajracharya a Newar activist and central member of Federal Socialist Party Nepal, which is also part of the ruling coalition.

A mass protest was held against the Guthi Bill registered in the National Assembly at Patan Durbar Square, in Lalitpur, on Thursday, June 13, 2019. Photo: Naresh Krishna Shrestha/THT

“The aim of the bill is to snatch the public and private land allocated for cultural trusts and distribute to others encroaching our age-old cultural heritage,” he said.

Thousands of people organised torch- lit rallies in neighbouring Lalitpur and Bhaktaur districts Friday night to oppose the government’s move to endorse the Bill that would destroy centuries old Sanatan culture. 

Interestingly, pro-Communist activists used to carry out torch-lit protests against the direct rule of the then King. Analysts say it is but ironic that they are now facing similar protests against their decisions.

The organisers of the protest warn of intensified protest on Wednesday in all three cities of Kathmandu valley if the proposed bill is not withdrawn immediately.

Acting Prime Minister Ishwar Pokhrel has said there is room for amendment in the Bill after talking to stakeholders. He, however, warned that it was not appropriate to protest against the bill introduced by a popularly elected government.

Cops using water cannon to disperse demonstrators protesting the Guthi Bill registered in the National Assembly, in Kathmandu, on Sunday, June 9, 2019. Photo: Naresh Krishna Shrestha/THT

Hong Kong chief suspends extradition bill after huge protests

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AP(Hong Kong) — Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Saturday (June 15) that she has suspended indefinitely a proposed extradition bill that sparked the city’s biggest public protests in years.

Lam told reporters she took the move in response to widespread public unhappiness over the measure, which would enable authorities to send some suspects to stand trial in courts in mainland China.

Many in the former British colony worry it will further erode cherished legal protections and freedoms. Lam said the government would study the matter further, for the “greatest interest of Hong Kong.”

“After repeated internal deliberations over the last two days, I now announce that the government has decided to suspend the legislative amendment exercise,” Lam said.

“I want to stress that the government is adopting an open mind,” she said. “We have no intention to set a deadline for this work.”

Lam said she would “adopt a sincere and humble attitude in accepting criticism” over the government’s handling of the issue.

Lam made the announcement as another mass protest was expected on Sunday, after clashes that turned violent on Wednesday, leaving about 80 people injured including 22 police officers.

The standoff between police and protesters in the former British colony is Hong Kong’s most severe political crisis since the Communist Party-ruled mainland took control in 1997 with a promise not to interfere with the city’s civil liberties and courts.

Lam, chosen by Beijing to be the highest-level local official, is caught between her Communist Party bosses and a public anxious to protect the liberties they enjoy as a former British colony.

She had previously refused to withdraw the bill, and many protesters are demanding she quit.

Protests died down late in the week, but around midnight Friday there were still dozens of youths singing and standing vigil near the city’s government headquarters, where demonstrators had tussled with police who deployed tear gas, pepper spray, hoses and steel batons as thousands pushed through barricades.

Police said 11 were arrested. Lam declared that Wednesday’s violence was “rioting,” potentially raising severe legal penalties for those arrested for taking part. In past cases of unrest, authorities have waited months or years before rounding up protest leaders. In April, nine leaders of a 2014 pro-democracy protest movement known as the “Umbrella Revolution” were convicted on public nuisance and other charges.

Prior to Saturday’s announcement by Lam, some members of the Executive Council, Hong Kong’s cabinet, said she should perhaps rethink plans to rush the bills’ passage. A group of former senior government officials issued a public letter urging her not to force a confrontation by pushing ahead with the unpopular bills.

Many in Hong Kong fear the measures would undermine the former British colony’s legal autonomy.

More than 1,000 people joined a peaceful “mother’s protest” Friday evening in a downtown garden.

Adding to tensions, the extradition bill has drawn criticism from US and British lawmakers and human rights groups, prompting Beijing to lash back with warnings against “interference” in its internal affairs.

Anson Chan, a former chief secretary for Hong Kong, said on Friday (June 14) that Lam still could keep her post if she backs down.

“What the people are attempting to tell is that we are very worried about the consequences of passing the extradition bill, because no one will feel safe, even in their own beds, after passage of this bill,” Chan said in an interview.

“It places everybody’s individual freedom and safety at risk,” said Chan, who as chief secretary was the top local civil servant under former British Gov. Chris Patton.

Nepal activists call for end of animal sacrifice

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AFP, Kathmandu — Nepali activists rallied in Kathmandu on Friday calling for an end to religious animal sacrifices, months ahead of a festival that in the past has seen tens of thousands of animals slaughtered.

Some of the more than 100 protestors wore fake buffalo, pig and chicken heads, as they chanted against a practice deeply rooted in the country’s Hindu traditions.

“This is wrong and must stop,” Sneha Shrestha of the Federation of Animal Welfare Nepal told AFP.

“We are all equal in God’s eyes, God will not ask for (the) sacrifice of her own children.”

Animal rights campaigners face an uphill struggle in Nepal, where Hindus make up 80 percent of the population and where ritual sacrifice is a part of everyday life and central to major festivals.

Placards at the protest also called for a halt to sacrifices at Gadhimai, a festival believed to be the world’s biggest ritual slaughter.

Once every five years, the tiny village of Bariyapur near Nepal’s border with India flows with blood, as thousands of Hindu devotees flock to its temple to honour Gadhimai — a Hindu goddess of power.

The temple’s head priest begins the centuries-old festival with the ritual sacrifice of two wild rats, two pigeons, a rooster, a lamb and a pig before tens of thousands of animals are killed.

Although the temple banned the practice under huge pressure in 2015, activists fear sacrifices will still be held at the next festival, due in November.

During the two-day festival, worshippers from Nepal and neighboring India spend days sleeping out in the open and offering prayers to the goddess at the temple.

Cricket World Cup 2019 : India vs Pakistan match to be sensational amid weather and security concern on Sunday

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London — The Cricket World Cup 2019 has already become the most-rain affected World Cup in the history of the sport. And looks like rain will continue to play spoilsport in the up and coming games as well.

Probably the most anticipated match of the tournament, India vs Pakistan is scheduled to start at 10.30 am local time on Sunday, 16th June and will be played at Old Trafford in Manchester.

Armed officers will be part of the huge policing operation in place for the India versus Pakistan cricket world cup match being held in Manchester, local media Manchester Evening reports.

The two countries face-off at Old Trafford on Sunday in one of sport’s biggest games and bitterest rivalries.

But weather forecasts suggest that rain could affect the match, resulting in a possible reduction of overs.

Their last meeting was the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy at the Oval which attracted a worldwide audience of over half a billion people meaning the fixture is regarded as one of the biggest in world sport.

Both sides have large British fan-bases and there were a staggering half a million ticket applications for the match, meaning 25,000 capacity Old Trafford could have been sold out 20 times over.

Left-arm paceman Mohammad Amir has sent out a warning to India saying if Pakistan can be mentally strong, they have all the ingredients to beat the Virat Kohli-led side in the much-awaited 2019 World Cup encounter on Sunday.

Amir, who has been in superb form in this tournament, was not even in Pakistan’s preliminary squad. He was later included in the squad after Pakistan struggled heavily against England last month in the five-match One-Day International series.

India are currently placed at No. 3 in the points table after their match against New Zealand was washed out. Meanwhile, Pakistan are at No. 8 with just one win to their name in four games.

Interview : ‘Love of Nepal and its people is my main motivation’ – Dr Tim Mitchell

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TIM MITCHELL was born and brought up in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, and went to University of Bristol to study medicine. In 1978 he took a short service commission in the Royal Air Force initially as a medical cadet before active service from 1980 to 1986. In the RAF he completed his postgraduate GP qualifications and the highlight of his service was two years in Hong Kong. Whilst there he was seconded to the army, serving as regimental medical officer to the Queen’s Gurkha Engineers. From there he spent time working in Nepal, Brunei and Papua New Guinea. Returning to UK in 1986, his commission finished and he became a partner in Montpelier Health in Bristol and is still working as a GP. He joined Rotary International and became involved with Pahar Trust Nepal in the 1990s and continues to be active in both organisations becoming President of the Rotary Club of Bristol and also Chair of Trustees of PTN in 2019.

Dr Mitchell spoke to SOUTH ASIA TIME on his recent election as Chair of the Pahar Trust Nepal (https://www.pahar-trust.org/)  and his priorities. Excerpts of the Interview:

As the new Chair of the Pahar Trust Nepal, what will be your priorities?

We need to recognise that the Trust has achieved a tremendous amount in the past 25 years with very few resources and celebrate that whilst recognising that the next 25 years will bring different challenges. My priorities will include building on the good start made in establishing our NGO in Nepal. We need to broaden the Board of Directors and look to the specific skills we need to gain recognition in Nepal and develop a culture amongst those who are doing well to give back to their communities. At present the vast majority of the fundraising is carried out outside Nepal and this needs to change. At the same time we need to look to our own board of trustees and the skills we need to progress as a charity in a very competitive world. We have relied on individual and group donors and need to develop expertise in fundraising and grant applications.

 

 So, how would you like to recollect the 25-year-long remarkable journey of the Trust?

 

It all started with individual enthusiasm which is still carried forward into today’s team. It was only relatively recently that costs have escalated beyond the scope of holding a single charity event and funding a school. We tapped into the incredible goodwill towards the Gurkhas long before the excellent campaigns to improve their rights and equality as soldiers and veterans. The majority of our projects were brand new schools built where students of all ages might have been expected to walk for three hours just to get an education and this was a relatively easy sell when motivating potential donors. I became involved about 4 years after the charity was registered and my own early memories focus on taking a primary school group to visit a very isolated school in Lamjung. Singdi was, at that time, a good 3 day walk from the nearest roadbed so we camped or stayed another schools on the way. We immediately felt the warmth of the welcome and hospitality I still experience today.

 

Could you tell us about your first and last visit to Nepal? How much things have changed or not over these years?

 

I first visited Nepal in 1984 to work in the British Military Hospital in Dharan as part of my career in the RAF medical branch. Based in Hong Kong I had the amazing experience of acting as Regimental Medical Officer to the Queens Gurkha Engineers and had already developed an admiration and love for the Nepali people. To see where they came from was a real privilege. I only had two weeks in Nepal but was involved in running the ‘village outpatients’. This was not for the military personnel in Nepal but for anyone who could make the journey to the hospital to seek treatment. It would take too long to cover the breadth of the medical conditions I saw. TB became a common complaint, leprosy as well. The fortitude with which the patients coped with the long trek to the hospital and then the treatment necessary to recover before returning home was humbling. One example stays with me. A 10-year-old boy had fallen out of a tree and walked for three days with his father to seek our help. He had broken both wrists and fractured his skull but made a full recovery. Words still fail me to try and explain how it felt to meet patients like him.

 

I had one day off when I could leave the hospital and trekked up into the first of the foothills from Dharan. This took me higher than anywhere in the UK and the views the next morning were stunning. As the sun came up I saw range after range of mountains towards the horizon and, as the morning mist cleared, thought I could see the moon floating above them. The sun came up turning everywhere pink and I soon realised that I was looking at Everest. If I wasn’t in love with Nepal and its people before that I certainly was after then.

 

My last visit to Nepal was in April this year. These days it is much more about the people for me, especially as I revisited communities I have known since 1999. There is genuine warmth to the welcome I get and far too many garlands! Over the years I have come to realise that they will make the most of any opportunity we offer them. Nepal has itself, of course, changed – better infrastructure and a feeling of potential for the future. The better road network makes it much easier to move goods and people around but it is still wonderful for me to me able to step away from the roads, use the old paths take in the views and acknowledge how much I have gained from our work in Nepal.

 

How difficult it is to implement a project like school building in     Nepal? Could you share your experiences including after the 2015 earthquake?

 

For many years, it was quite simple to implement a school project. We were approached by communities who either needed an old school building replacing or a school where there never was one before. It has always been our approach to make sure the community was committed to supporting a school and making it a real asset for all for years to come. Once we felt this we found willing donors and built the school. As long as we were replacing an existing school or building one where there was agreement over the need (often judged by time to walk to school – over 3 hours was the cut-off!) the government picked up the ongoing salary and other costs. We have always stayed in the state education sector and this became more important after the 2015 earthquakes. Combined with newer regulation around schools we are now much more closely linked to the Social Welfare Council (SWC) to ensure our projects are in areas of need – this is not too difficult given the 2-3000 schools yet to be replaced after the earthquakes, but it has taken us to areas we aren’t so familiar with and that are more difficult to access. Costs have gone up for many reasons so the main difficulty is in finding donors who can raise £50-£60k for a school as opposed to £10-£20k a few years ago. We need to develop our own skills and resources to be able to approach larger funding organisations and to increase in-country fundraising in Nepal itself.

  You may have noted that charities like PTN have been helping to build new schools but it is said that quality of teaching and learning has declined in the government-financed Community Schools in Nepal. Don’t you think time has come to focus on improving the quality of teaching and learning instead of infrastructure only?

 

I think this is an essential part of a future PTN. We are already working on plans to use Education improvement workers to collect data on school performance and look at teacher development. Some of our schools are in the top ten in Nepal’s state sector so we need to share what they are doing with the less well performing schools. I will be looking to form partnerships with education experts and build on our existing links with Global Action Nepal who already run some training programmes for us.

 

 Most of the projects you have completed seem to be located in eastern and western hills? Do you have plans to implement new projects in far-western and southern Nepal also?

 

PTN has traditionally worked in areas from where Gurkha soldiers were recruited but we are already extending ourselves into areas affected by the 2015 earthquakes. We are named after the Pahad or central hill region of Nepal as opposed to the plains area of the Terai or the more mountainous region of Himal. There are no plans to work in the Terai and we would find it a logistical challenge to work in the far western areas although the needs are great in that region. It would be also much more expensive due to its remoteness and I am not sure how much government support there would be to ensure sustainability of any new schools.

 

How would you like to recall the contributions of outgoing Chair Howard Green and other Trustees of the PTN ?

 

The PTN would not be in existence today if it were not for the dedication and devotion of Howard Green and his wife, Sue, who was also a Trustee. Howard was, in effect a CEO, not just Chair of Trustees and I certainly could not have contemplated taking over as Chair is we hadn’t have decided to have a paid executive director to handle more of the day to day administration. I simply do not know how Howard and Sue fitted everything in. We are all so pleased that they are staying involved as Honorary Presidents so we can continue to tap into their educational expertise and knowledge of all things Nepali.

 

Last, not the least, could you kindly share with us what motivates you?

A love of Nepal and its people is my main motivation. I also benefit greatly from the chance to do something different from my day job – I can truly switch off and relax in Nepal. Finally, I take great pleasure in enthusing others to come and experience Nepal, help raise funds and to join us in feeling that they have made a difference.

 

AIIB Approves First Investment of USD90 million for the Upper Trishuli-1 in Nepal

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The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank’s (AIIB) Board of Directors has approved a loan of up to USD90 million for the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project, AIIB’s first project in Nepal.

The project will increase the country’s power generation by almost 20 percent, helping to reduce acute power shortages in the country, a statement by the Bank said.

This project is one of several steps AIIB is taking to support the development of Nepal’s electricity sector. The Bank has also provided Nepal with USD900,000 for the proposed Tamakoshi V Hydroelectric Project and USD1 million for the proposed Power Distribution System Upgrade and Expansion Projectfrom its Project Preparation Special Fund which provides grants to support the preparation of projects in eligible AIIB members. These grants are part of AIIB’s overall efforts in Nepal to increase energy generation capacity, reduce the demand-supply gap, upgrade transmission infrastructure and reduce electricity system losses.

“We recognize that power supply shortages in Nepal have caused significant delays in the restoration of infrastructure and services impacted by the 2015 earthquake,” said AIIB Vice President and Chief Investment Officer D.J. Pandian. “By investing in hydropower and encouraging further private sector investment in the country, we will help drive economic growth and poverty alleviation efforts.”

Cofinanced with the International Finance Corporation, Asian Development Bank and other development institutions, the project involves a USD650-million investment, financed entirely by foreign capital. It aims to serve as an example of how to facilitate investments in the sector.

“AIIB’s investment will provide much-needed, long-term financing for a vital infrastructure project,” said AIIB Director General Dong-ik Lee. “We are confident that our investment will demonstrate the viability of Nepal’s sustainable energy sector to other potential private-sector investors.”

The Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project is a 216-megawatt greenfield run-of-river hydropower plant to be developed on the Trishuli river under a build-own-operate-transfer model. The project will sell power to the Nepal Electricity Authority under a Power Purchase Agreement.

Additional information about the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower project can be found here.

India stands for terrorism-free society : Indian PM Modi

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BISHKEK: India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke on the spirit and ideals of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit (SCO) to further strengthen cooperation in combatting terrorism in Bishkek of Kyrgyzstan.

In his speech, Modi alleged without naming some countries for aiding, sponsoring and even funding terrorism which he argued should be held accountable.

On the occasion, Modi also called for a global conference to fight against terrorism while saying that the countries should come out of what he said ‘their narrow purview’ to unite against terrorism.

Prime Minister Modi arrived in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, on Thursday. (Agencies)

Britain has ‘no right to interfere’ with Hong Kong: Chinese Ambassador to UK

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London — In a recent interview with the BBC’s Mark Urban, China’s ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming says China is upholding the principle of “one country, two systems” and that the British government has “no right to interfere with citizens of Hong Kong.”

He also took questions on Huawei and the treatment of Uighurs in Xinjiang province. Here’s a few takeaways from that interview.

Nepal expects 25 per cent growth in the number of Indian tourists this year

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PTI, Kathmandu— The Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) has said it is expecting a 25 per cent growth in the number of Indian tourists visiting the country by air in 2019.

In 2018, around 2,00,000 tourists from India visited Nepal by air. Nepal does not have a system to count the number of tourists coming by road from India.

NTB launched ‘Visit Nepal Year 2020’ campaign here on Wednesday to achieve two million arrivals from across the world by 2020 and a daily spend of over USD 75.

This year, NTB is looking forward to a growth of 25 per cent in the number of visitors from India coming by air, he added.

The campaign is Nepal’s commitment to improving its competitiveness through investment, innovation, infrastructure development, regulatory reform and new product offerings with an objective of developing tourism industry.

In 2018, Nepal received 1,173,072 international tourists excluding overland travellers. The top arrivals were from India, China, Sri Lanka, the US and the UK. The share of FDI in tourism was 11.47 per cent at USD 23,855.50 million.

Comedian arrested for posting satirical movie review in Nepal

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ANI, Kathmandu —A stand-up comedian has been kept behind the bars for nearly a week in Nepal after he posted a satirical review of a film on a social media platform, raising questions over freedom of expression in the Himalayan nation.

24-year-old Pranesh Gautam was arrested on June 7 under the Electronic Transaction Act on a complaint filed by a filmmaker named Milan Chamling after the comedian had uploaded a “satirical” video of the movie ‘Bir Bikram 2’ on his YouTube channel ‘Meme Nepal’.

The movie was made by Chamling and released last month.

The investigation is underway with compliance to Electronic Transaction Act and he (Pranesh Gautam) is sent to Metropolitan Police Circle,” the police said.

Gautam’s arrest has drawn widespread condemnation amongst the people.

“Question: If a director/ writer/ composer/ blah blah copies… oh wait! …Get “inspired” from “another” movie and can be proven with proper evidence…. will they be put behind bars in the case of plagiarism?? #FreePraneshGautam,” A Twitter user named Swarna Tamrakar said while referring to the satirical review where the stand-up comedian had claimed that the film has been copied from Indian blockbuster movie ‘Sholay’.

In the last four years, more than 120 cases have been filed against people in the Himalayan nation for their social media posts, according to Nepal Police.

The KP Sharma Oli-led government is moving ahead with a new Media Council Bill, which, the journalists claim, will curtail their rights.

Interestingly, Oli who recently gave an address at the Oxford Union in London, had spoken about the importance of freedom of expression in a democracy.

“PM’s great call to treasure freedom of speech at international forum. Highly appreciate and applaud. Nepali citizens want to see the same at home land too. #Freedomofexpression and #HumanRights are protected,” Mohana Ansari, Commissioner of National Human Rights Council, Nepal tweeted.

This is not the first time that an artist in Nepal has faced such consequences.

Last year, Nepali singer Pashupati Sharma had to remove a satirical song on corruption after he allegedly received threats from the cadres of the ruling Nepal Communist Party.

“This is very scary. I am 28-year-old and my parents have asked me not to speak anything against the powerful people. There are very young comedians and content creators in our circle and they are scared to even say anything. We have gotten into the habit of self-censorship not because we think its wrong but we don’t want powerful people to be offended. It has made us realise that we are helpless and powerless. There is nothing called a rule of law as long as you have money,” Ayush Shrestha, a fellow stand-up-comedian of Pranesh Gautam told ANI.

Shrestha said that the satirical contents are sometimes related to colour and race but are intended to be shown in a light-hearted manner.

“The videos we make are on jokes regarding race and colour. But they are satirical in nature. The intention is not to discriminate but to point out what exists in the society,” he added.

FDI inflows to South Asia increased by 3.5% to $54 billion : UNCTAD Report

Posted on by SAT News Desk

UNCTAD : Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows to developing countries in Asia rose by 3.9% to US$512 billion in 2018, according to UNCTAD’s World Investment Report 2019.

Growth occurred mainly in China, Hong Kong (China), Singapore, Indonesia and other countries that belong to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as well as India and Turkey.

The region remained the world’s largest FDI recipient, absorbing 39% of global inflows in 2018, up from 33% in 2017.

“The prospects for FDI flows to the region in 2019 are moderately optimistic, thanks to a favourable economic outlook and ongoing efforts to improve the investment climate in several major economies,” said James Zhan, director of UNCTAD’s division on investment and enterprise.

East Asia

FDI to East Asia rose by 4% to $280 billion in 2018 with inflows to China – the largest developing economy recipient – increasing by 4% to an all-time high of $139 billion, accounting for more than 10% of the world’s total. Foreign investors established more than 60,000 new companies in the country in 2018.

Flows to Hong Kong (China) rose by 4% to $116 billion, mostly in services sector operations.

FDI to the Republic of Korea dropped by 19% to $14 billion due to a significant decrease in intracompany loans.

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South-east Asia

South-east Asia received a record level of investment, up 3% to $149 billion.

Robust investment from Asian economies and strong intra-ASEAN investments supported FDI growth in the subregion.

The growth was driven by strong investment mainly in Singapore, Indonesia, Viet Nam and Thailand.

Manufacturing and services, particularly finance, retail and wholesale trade, including the digital economy, continued to underpin inflows to the subregion.

FDI flows to some countries such as Malaysia and the Philippines declined.

South Asia

FDI inflows to South Asia increased by 3.5% to $54 billion.

Investment in India – the subregion’s largest recipient – rose by 6% to $42 billion with strong inflows in manufacturing, communication, financial services and cross-border merger and acquisition (M&A) activities.

Flows to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka rose to a record level, to $3.6 billion and $1.6 billion, respectively. Pakistan witnessed a 27% decline in investment to $2.4 billion.

West Asia

West Asia, with the largest increases in investment in Turkey and Saudi Arabia, saw a 3% rise in investment to $29 billion, halting an almost continuous 10-year downward trend.

However, inflows were still only one third of the $85 billion peak in 2008 and remained uneven.

Four countries – Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon – absorbed approximately 90% of FDI in this subregion.

Decline in outflows

Outflows from Asia declined by 2.5% to $401 billion.

The region remained a significant source of investment, representing 40% of global FDI outflows in 2018.

The decline was mainly due to reduced investment from China, for the second consecutive year, and from Singapore.

Outflows from East Asia dropped to $271 billion and those from south-east Asia ($70 billion) and South Asia ($11 billion) were flat.

Outward FDI from West Asia peaked at $49 billion in 2018, up from $39 billion in 2017 mainly on increased investment from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey.

Outward investment from some economies such as the Republic of Korea and Thailand increased.

Moderately optimistic prospects for 2019

All subregions in developing Asia are expected to receive higher inflows. Prospects are underpinned by a doubling in value of announced greenfield projects in the region, suggesting continued growth potential for FDI.

However, uncertainties stemming from global trade tensions could weigh on the mood.

On outflows, bilateral cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative is expected to continue to encourage outward FDI along the routes, particularly in infrastructure.

Largest share of world’s special economic zones

Of the 5,400 special economic zones (SEZs) in the world, more than 4,000 are in developing countries in Asia.

China hosts the most, at more than 2,500. South-east Asian countries together host more than 700. South Asia hosts upward of 450 zones and West Asia’s tally surpasses 200.

China’s continued policy experiment in large-area zones, investment facilitation measures and relaxation of foreign ownership in sectors such as finance and health care in pilot free trade zones are expected to draw future investments.

Other countries in the region continue to build more SEZs. South-east Asian countries are planning 200 additional zones.

India, Bangladesh and Pakistan together have more than 200 zones in the pipeline.

As an instrument to support structural transformation, these zones are designed to attract specific industries, such as manufacturing, natural resource processing, or technology-intensive industries and services, to support countries’ structural transformation.

India, the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, and Turkey are focusing on information and technology zones, while West Asia favours services and most of South-east Asia seeks to attract different types of manufacturing.

The development of new SEZs also drives greenfield investment activities, particularly in the construction of industrial establishments and power generation such as the construction of zones in Indonesia, Thailand and Viet Nam.

South Asian monsoon ‘predictable’ one year in advance

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Physicsworld: The South Asian summer monsoon – the region’s primary source of water for agriculture – is predictable more than one year in advance, according to a scientist in the US. Monsoon rainfall is variable, and comparatively dry years can have devastating consequences for farmers.

“South Asian monsoon prediction has been a challenge that has exercised scientists for over a century, and has also led to much frustration, as some of the adopted methods have turned out not to work well,” says hydrologist Nir Krakauer of the City College of New York. “My research confirms that the monsoon is partly predictable, in fact well in advance, so that the effort to refine prediction methods and find ways for them to be usefully applied is probably justified.”

Krakauer compared different statistical methods for forecasting rainfall based on sea-surface temperatures. Predictions that are significantly better than chance can be made a year or more before the monsoon season starts, he found.

Today, monsoon predictions are typically made only up to three months in advance, says Krakauer.

“Better monsoon prediction at longer lead times could help farmers to make decisions about what to plant and what supplies to buy, as well as help governments trying to support them,” he adds. “They could also help, for example, reservoir managers decide how much water to release before the monsoon.”

In recent years, researchers have recognized the upper ocean’s heat content as the leading predictor of monsoon rainfall. But while they’ve constructed various statistical predictive models, says Krakauer, there have been few systematic comparisons to determine how far in advance the models can be applied.

Krakauer found two that could map sea-surface temperature patterns to rainfall anomalies. One of these methods was linear, assuming precipitation to be some multiple of past sea-surface temperature, and the other was non-linear, allowing the relationship with past sea-surface temperature to be more complicated.

Krakauer trained the models on data from 1901–1996, and tested them on data from 1997–2017, comparing them with an average climate baseline. Although the non-linear model was better, both models outperformed the climatology baseline at least one year ahead when considering precipitation in 0.5° grid spacings over South Asia.

Still, farmers don’t only care about levels of monsoon rainfall – they also mind when that rainfall comes. “I’m interested in whether it’s possible to predict the monsoon timing in addition to the total amount of rainfall, which should make this work more helpful for farmers,” Krakauer says.

Krakauer reported his findings in Environmental Research Letters (ERL). Source : Physicsword.com