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Another major source of melting that could be accelerating sea level rise – Study

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Washingtong — A major glacier in northwest Greenland is causing alarm amongst scientists due to previously unaccounted-for melting, which could lead to faster sea level rise, according to a new study by glaciologists from the University of California, Irvine and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The study, which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that the Petermann Glacier’s grounding line – the area where the ice sheet begins to extend out on top of the ocean – can shift significantly as tides come in and out each day, resulting in further melting. The study found that the glacier’s grounding line can migrate between 2 and 6 kilometres as tides come in and out, which is a phenomenon that was not previously accounted for. Between 2016 and 2022, warmer tidal cycles melted a 670-foot-tall hole in the underside of the glacier along the grounding line, which is large enough for two Statues of Liberty to be stacked on top of one another inside it.

The phenomenon could worsen in the coming years and decades as ocean temperatures rise, leading to further melting. Greenland’s melting ice is the largest contributor to sea level rise, according to NASA. The study’s co-author, Eric Rignot, said, “if we were to include them, it would increase projections of sea level rise by up to 200 per cent – not just for Petermann but for all glaciers ending in the ocean, which is most of northern Greenland and all of Antarctica.”

Childbirth pain relief study reveals inequalities for BAME mothers

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London — A new study published in the journal Anaesthesia by experts including Dr James Bamber, an anaesthesia consultant with Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, has found that there are differences in obstetric anaesthetic care between ethnic groups in the UK. The study analysed data from more than 2.7 million births in the UK between 2011 and 2021 and focused on ethnicity, adjusting for health and age, location, and previous deliveries. The study found that Bangladeshi-British, Pakistani-British, and black Caribbean-British women were less likely to receive an epidural than white women, with black women approximately 40% less likely to have an assisted vaginal birth compared to white women. Additionally, black Caribbean-British women were 58% more likely to be given general anaesthesia for elective caesarean births and 10% more likely than white women to be given general anaesthesia for emergency Caesarean births. The study authors say that reasons for the differences are unknown, but there is a need for further research to reduce any inequalities in pain relief and anaesthesia received. The authors also suggest that barriers to information and knowledge, as well as empathy biases from healthcare professionals, may contribute to differences in maternity care given to women from different ethnic groups. They urge health professionals to ensure that any differences in anaesthesia rates are not due to inequities in the access, delivery, or quality of care before they are attributed to personal or cultural preferences.

Pakistan needs fundamental change in approach to economic development: SAARC

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Islamabad — SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry President, Iftikhar Ali Malik, has called for a paradigm shift in Pakistan’s approach to governance and economic development. Speaking to a delegation of traders in Lahore, Malik noted that Pakistan faces several challenges, including political instability, corruption, poverty, and terrorism, which have contributed to the dilapidated state of the country’s economy.

To address these issues, Malik suggested that Pakistan needs to move away from its traditional mindset and adopt a more progressive and pragmatic approach. This could include strengthening democracy, promoting merit-based appointments, investing in education and healthcare, promoting economic growth and job creation, and improving relations with neighbouring countries such as China, India, Afghanistan, and Iran.

Malik also noted that globalisation is turning into regional blocks, as 18 countries, including China, Russia, Turkiya, Malaysia, and India, have jointly planned future trade in local currency by neglecting the US dollar monopoly. He emphasised the need for Pakistan to strengthen its relations with neighbouring countries and engage with regional organisations like SAARC and the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) to stabilise its economy sustainably and offset the hovering threat of default.

Malik expressed concern over Pakistan’s economic condition and urged the country to revisit its priorities to steer it out of the current economic crunch. He highlighted the projected economic growth of Pakistan’s border-sharing rival country, whose overall exports crossed an all-time high mark of $750 billion since gaining independence in 1947, and is now eyeing a $2 trillion goal in the near future.

Malik drew on his rich and diversified life experience and pointed out that two factors may be considered the prime contributors to overall national growth and stability. He cited the rival country’s foreign policy as an example, which has been redesigned to have a parallel influence on both superpowers, America and China. In contrast, Pakistan faces many difficult and challenging economic, political, constitutional, and terror-related issues.

In conclusion, Malik emphasised that the scenario has changed altogether, with the emergence of new fronts to excel in the digital and space technology, artificial intelligence, economic aspects, and foreign policy domains. Pakistan must take these into account and embark on a paradigm shift to address the country’s challenges and secure its economic future.

South Asia Open Archives on JSTOR now offers more than one million pages

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South Asia Open Archives (SAOA), a digital archive launched by the Center for Research Libraries (CRL) in 2019, now contains over one million pages of digitized open-access primary source material. The archive comprises multidisciplinary materials covering topics ranging from political history to fine arts and sciences, in twenty-seven different languages, including Hindi, Bengali, Kannada, Telegu, Gujurati, and Nepali.

Over two dozen institutions have contributed to the SAOA archive, including newspapers from the Bangla-language Yugāntara and the English-Bangla Amrita Bazar Patrika, which have nearly 19,000 pages of digitized content available for viewing and downloading. The archive also includes digitized colonial reports on “native” newspapers published in different provinces across South Asia, including Bengal, Madras Presidency, and Punjab, among others. Medical journals, archaeological reports, and census records can also be found in the archive.

The SAOA archive can be accessed free-of-charge via JSTOR, and individuals can visit the SAOA website to learn more about the project. Some of the noteworthy items available in the archive include The Indian Ladies’ Magazine, an issue from 1916 that features a dramatization of an attempt to kill the Mughal emperor, Akbar; A New Gujarati Grammar, written by Haragovinda Dvarakadasa Kantavala and Lalshankar Umiashankar Travadi in 1891; Gāna, a book on song notation by Pramathanātha Rāẏa Caudhurī, published in Kolkata in 1902; and a Malayalam translation of Samuel Johnson’s The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia, translated by Pilo Paul and published in Quilon in 1913.

The Amrita Bazar Patrika, which began publishing in 1867 as a Bengali language newspaper and later became a fully-fledged English language newspaper, is one of the weekly editions of the newspaper preserved in the SAOA archive. The English version continued to be printed until 1993. The archive is constantly growing, and individuals can expect to find more unique and diverse materials as new items are added to the collection.

60 dead, 231 injured from ethnic clashes in India’s Manipur: official

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NEW DELHI — Ethnic clashes in India’s northeastern state of Manipur have claimed about 60 lives, according to a senior official.

Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh told media that a high-level inquiry will be conducted into the violence to identify people responsible for the violence. He put the death toll at 60.

“Around 60 people have lost their lives so far, while 231 have suffered injuries in the violence. Also, about 1,700 houses were burned down in the unfortunate incidents (rioting) on May 3,” Singh said, while appealing to restore peace and calm in the northeastern state.

Singh also informed that people stranded at different locations were being provided with all possible care and support.

“Till now, 20,000 such persons have been evacuated and about 10,000 remain stranded,” he said.

Large-scale violence broke out in the state last week during a tribal protest demonstration over the inclusion of the non-tribal Meiteis community for a scheduled tribe status.

Scheduled tribes in India are officially designated as disadvantaged socio-economic groups. They are given reservations in education and jobs with the aim to improve their lives.

Thousands of people took part in the rally during which violence broke out between tribals and non-tribals.

Reports said schools, houses, churches, vehicles and public properties were set ablaze by protesting mobs in the state.

Photographs and video footage captured during violence showed buildings set on fire, thick black smoke emanating from the streets.

The authorities deployed over 100 columns of the army and paramilitary forces in a bid to put the violence under control.

On Sunday, the army increased its surveillance in violence-affected areas through aerial means such as drones and the deployment of military helicopters.

In addition, a shoot-at-sight order was issued in “extreme cases”.

India’s federal home minister Amit Shah Monday told a local television channel that the situation in Manipur was under control.

Internet services remained suspended in the state and curfew continued to remain in place at various places.

On Monday, the authorities relaxed the curfew at a few places to allow people to purchase daily essentials. Some shops reopened in Imphal and cars were seen plying on roads.

Although life appears to be back to normalcy, locals said the tension remains palpable.

Officials said efforts to recover looted arms and ammunition from police armories were underway. (Xinhua)

Karki recommended for the Chief Justice of Supreme Court of Nepal

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Kathmandu, May 8: The Constitutional Council meeting of Nepal held today has recommended Acting Chief Justice Hari Krisha Karki for the position of Chief Justice. The meeting was held in Singha Durbar and chaired by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, along with other prominent members of the council including Speaker of the House of Representatives Devraj Ghimire, National Assembly Chairperson Ganesh Prasad Timilsina, Deputy Speaker Indira Rana, Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Dhanraj Gurung and leader of the main opposition party in the House of Representatives KP Sharma Oli.

After much deliberation, the council members came to the decision to recommend Hari Krisha Karki for the position of Chief Justice. Kari had been serving as the Acting Chief Justice prior to this decision. If appointed, he will replace outgoing Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana, who is set to retire soon.

Hari Krisha Karki has a long and distinguished career in the judiciary, having served in various capacities over the years. He was appointed as a Supreme Court justice in 2014 and has been serving as the Acting Chief Justice since March of this year.

The recommendation of Hari Krisha Karki for the position of Chief Justice will now be forwarded to the constitutional hearing for further action. It remains to be seen whether the recommendation will be accepted and Karki will be appointed as the new Chief Justice.

The decision to recommend Karki for the position of Chief Justice is seen as a positive move by many in the legal community, as he is widely respected and has a reputation for being fair and impartial in his judgments. If appointed, he will have a crucial role to play in upholding the rule of law and ensuring justice for all in Nepal.

First EU-Nepal business forum begins from Monday

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Kathmandu, Nepal Live Today:  The European Union Delegation to Nepal is supporting the first EU-Nepal Business Forum, a platform to promote increased contacts between Nepali and EU businesses in Kathmandu on May 8-9.

Nepal’s Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies is a partner in this effort undertaken in collaboration with European Economic Chamber-Nepal (EEC-Nepal).

“This is the first event of its kind to promote business to business contacts between EU and Nepal, and we’re confident it will provide new momentum towards expanding our trade and investment relations,” said Nona Deprez, EU Ambassador to Nepal.

“Such contacts are extremely important in the context of Nepal’s graduation from a least developed country, when it will need to use all opportunities to expand trade for investment-led growth.”

The Forum will bring together over 250 participants from Nepal and over 30 foreign participants, including government officials, EU member states representatives, and trade representatives working in the South Asia region.

It will also have participation of academic institutions and businesses and access to deliberations can be made both in-person and virtually. The forum will have eight sessions, including trade and investment opportunities in Nepal; the policy, law and infrastructure support needed for investment-led growth, and Nepal’s preparation for LDC graduation.

Other sessions will include focused deliberations on specific investment opportunities in agriculture and agriculture-processing, non-timber forest products and handicrafts; and those in manufacturing and recycling, tourism, information technology and business process outsourcing and energy.

258 million people faced acute food insecurity in 2022 – UN

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Rome — According to a report published on May 3 by the Global Report on Food Crises, over 258 million people in 58 countries faced acute food insecurity last year due to conflicts, climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and Russia’s war in Ukraine. The report further revealed that people were facing starvation and death in seven of these countries – Somalia, Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Haiti, Nigeria, South Sudan, and Yemen.

This marks the fourth consecutive year where the number of people facing acute food insecurity has increased, indicating a “stinging indictment of humanity’s failure” to implement UN goals to end world hunger, according to UN Secretary-General António Guterres. While the increase last year was partially due to more populations being analyzed, the severity of the problem increased as well.

The report found that a mix of causes was driving hunger, including conflicts, climate shocks, the impact of the pandemic, and consequences of Russia’s war in Ukraine that have affected global trade in fertilizers, wheat, maize, and sunflower oil. The poorest countries that rely on food imports are the most affected, with prices increasing and adversely affecting these countries.

Rein Paulsen, director of emergencies and resilience for the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, called for a “paradigm shift” in funding, where more money is spent on investing in agricultural interventions that anticipate food crises and aim to prevent them. The UN World Food Program’s new chief, Cindy McCain, warned that the agency’s resources to provide food aid amid the surging needs are “running dangerously low,” and the agency could be forced to make “heart-breaking decisions to slash” assistance if substantial new funding does not materialize quickly.

Famous Bollywood Actor Aamir Khan in Nepal for Meditation

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KATHMANDU, Nepal – Aamir Khan, one of Bollywood’s most popular actors, has arrived in Kathmandu for meditation at a Vipassana center on the outskirts of the city. According to an official who received him at the airport, Khan has reportedly gone to a meditation spot in the outskirts of Kathmandu.

Khan will spend at least 11 days at the Nepal Vipassana Centre in Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu. The centre offers 10-day long meditation courses and is one of the popular meditation centres in Kathmandu. A source close to the actor revealed that Khan was looking forward to the peace and tranquility that the meditation center offers.

Aamir Khan is well known for his versatile acting skills and commitment to quality cinema. Some of his popular movies are Lagaan, 3 Idiots, PK, Dil Chahta Hai, Rang De Basanti, among others. His visit to Nepal has created quite a buzz among his fans in the country.

Khan has always been vocal about his love for meditation and its benefits. In an interview, he once said that he meditates regularly to keep his mind calm and focused. His visit to Nepal for meditation has once again brought the benefits of meditation to the limelight.

Nepal, with its rich Buddhist heritage, has always been a popular destination for spiritual seekers from all over the world. The Nepal Vipassana Centre in Budhanilkantha has been attracting visitors from all over the world who seek to deepen their meditation practice.

Khan’s visit to the meditation center is expected to inspire many of his fans to take up meditation and explore the benefits it offers. The actor is expected to return to Mumbai after completing his meditation retreat in Nepal.

54 dead in India’s Manipur violence

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Imphal (PTI): The death toll in the Manipur carnage increased to 54, officials said even as unofficial sources put the figure at several scores. Life returned to wary normalcy in Imphal Valley on Saturday as shops and markets reopened and cars started plying on the roads.

Security presence which has been bolstered by flying in more army troops and rapid action force and central police forces was clearly visible in all major areas and roads.

Most shops and markets in Imphal town and other places opened in the morning with people buying vegetables and other essential commodities even as security forces were deployed in large numbers.

Of the 54 dead, 16 bodies were kept in the morgue of the Churachandpur district hospital while 15 bodies were in Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal East district, officials said.

The Regional Institute of Medical Sciences at Lamphel in Imphal West district reported 23 dead, the official said.

Meanwhile, five hill-based militants were killed and two India Reserve Battalion jawans were injured in two separate encounters in Churachandpur district on Friday night, police said.

An encounter took place at Saiton in Churachandpur district between the security forces and the militants in which four militants were gunned down, the police said.

Militants opened fire at security forces at Torbung forcing them to return the fire. In the exchange of fire, one militant was killed and two IRB jawans were injured, the police said.

A Defence spokesperson said a total of 13,000 people were rescued and shifted to safe shelters, some in army camps as the army brought Churachandpur, Moreh, Kakching and Kangpokpi districts under its “firm control”.

“In the past 12 hours, Imphal East and West districts witnessed sporadic incidents of arson and attempts by inimical elements to establish blockades. However, the situation was controlled by a firm and synergised response,” the Defence official said on Friday night.

Details of the incidents, however, were not available.

Multiple sources said the fighting between communities had left several scores of people dead and nearly a hundred injured. However, the police were unwilling to confirm this.

The bodies were brought from districts such as Imphal East and West, Churachandpur and Bishenpur.

Many people with bullet injuries are also being treated at RIMS and Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences.

“Prompt response by Security Forces led to rescuing of civilians of all communities from various minority pockets of areas affected by violence. As a result, Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Moreh and Kakching are now under firm control with no major violence reported since yesterday night,” the PRO said.

Nearly 10,000 soldiers from the Army and the Assam Rifles have been deployed in the state which was rocked by clashes since Wednesday between the Meitei community, which mainly live in Imphal Valley and Naga and Kuki tribals who are inhabitants of the hill districts.

“Total of approximately 13,000 civilians have been rescued and are currently staying in various ad-hoc boarding facilities specifically created for the purpose within Company Operating Bases & Military Garrisons,” the defence official said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the situation in Manipur with Chief Minister N Biren Singh and top officials on Friday, even as the Centre dispatched additional security forces and anti-riot vehicles to maintain peace there.

Around 1,000 more central paramilitary personnel with anti-riot vehicles reached Manipur on Friday, sources said.

Trains to Manipur have been cancelled with immediate effect on Friday due to the prevailing in the state, a Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) spokesperson said.

Violence first erupted in the Torbung area in Churachandpur district during the ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ organised by the All Tribal Student Union Manipur (ATSUM) on Wednesday to protest the demand of Meiteis for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

The march was organised by tribals — including Nagas and Kukis — after the Manipur High Court asked the state government last month to send a recommendation to the Centre within four weeks on the demand for ST status by the Metei community.

During the march in Torbung, an armed mob allegedly attacked people of the Meitei community, leading to retaliatory attacks in the valley districts, which escalated the violence throughout the state, police said.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of the population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals, who include Nagas and Kukis, account for another 40 per cent of the population and live mostly in the hill districts which surround the Valley.

Afghanistan facing high levels of “acute” food insecurity, says FAO senior economist

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KABUL: As Afghanistan humanitarian crisis continues to remain a concern for the global community, Maximo Torero, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)’s senior economist said that the population of the war-torn country is currently “facing high levels of acute food insecurity, not only in magnitude but also in prevalence,” reported TOLOnews.

According to him, the DRC is the country with the largest food problem, followed by Ethiopia, and Afghanistan.

Nigeria, Yemen, Myanmar, Syria Arab Republic, Sudan, Ukraine, and Pakistan were also on the list of nations facing a food crisis, TOLOnews quoted Torero as saying.

According to WFP Afghanistan spokesman, Wahidullah Amani, the country’s ability to provide relief has been hampered by the absence of female personnel from the NGOs.

“WFP believes that aid delivery is better with women, and bringing back the women workers is the priority of the WFP. We will continue our efforts in this regard at all levels,” he said, according to TOLOnews.

In all of Afghanistan, poverty and hunger have significantly increased since the Taliban retook control of the country in August 2021.Approximately 28.3 million Afghans, or roughly two-thirds of the country’s population, will require urgent humanitarian and protective assistance in 2023, according to the organization’s (OCHA) findings, reported Khaama Press.

The biggest and worst humanitarian disaster in the world at the beginning of the year was in Afghanistan. Both in terms of quantity and intensity, this signifies a drastic decline.

Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly urged the international world to continue to stand in solidarity with the Afghan people and provide assistance to them during these trying times(ANI).

King Charles III crowned by Archbishop of Canterbury in historic coronation at Westminster Abbey

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London —- In a historic ceremony that was watched by millions of people across the world, the Archbishop of Canterbury has crowned the King at Westminster Abbey. The coronation ceremony saw the King being anointed with holy oil before donning the 360-year-old St Edward’s Crown, which was placed on his head by the archbishop.

As the King was crowned, a congregation that included 100 heads of state, kings, and queens from across the globe, celebrities, everyday heroes, and family and friends of the monarch replied with the traditional proclamation, “God save the King!”

The monarch then proceeded to the theatre of coronation, where he was enthroned. The ceremony, which marked the first time most people have seen the coronation of a British monarch, was a spectacle of pomp and pageantry. Senior members of the Royal Family were in attendance, with the Prince and Princess of Wales seated in the front row with their children, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Prince George, as the future king, was part of the ceremony as one of the pages of honour, but he was not seated with his parents. Prince Harry and Prince Andrew were also in attendance, with the Duke of Sussex chatting with his cousin Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi as they walked into the abbey.

Celebrities in attendance included Ant and Dec, Katy Perry, and Emma Thompson. Before being crowned, the King wore a deep scarlet robe, previously worn by his grandfather, King George VI. The ceremony ended with the King and Queen Consort leaving Buckingham Palace in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, greeted by thousands of well-wishers along The Mall.

COVID-19 no longer a ‘global health emergency’: WHO

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London – The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared that COVID-19 no longer qualifies as a ‘global health emergency.’

WHO had declared Covid 19 a ‘global health emergency’ in 2020.

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the pandemic had been on a downward trend for more than a year. 

Tedros also noted that there were likely at least 20 million COVID-19 deaths, far more than the officially reported 7 million.

“COVID has changed our world, and it has changed us,” he said.

Dr Mike Ryan, from the WHO’s health emergencies programme, however, said the emergency may have ended, but the threat is still there.

“We fully expect that this virus will continue to transmit and this is the history of pandemics,” he told the BBC.

“It took decades for the final throes of the pandemic virus of 1918 to disappear.

“In most cases, pandemics truly end when the next pandemic begins.”

Intl rights groups urge the Bhutan King to release political prisoners

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London – Two leading international human rights organisations have called upon the Bhutanese monarch to release political prisoners languishing in various Bhutanese prisons.

In a joint statement issued on Friday, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck should use his authority to release political prisoners held in poor conditions for decades following unfair trials in Bhutan. King Jigme will visit London to attend the coronation of King Charles III on May 6, 2023.

 Bhutanese law defines those imprisoned for “offenses against the Tsa-Wa-Sum (king, country and people)” as “political prisoners.” Of the 37 known cases, the longest-serving have been in prison since 1990 and many were sentenced to life without parole. Most are accused of opposing discriminatory policies and rights violations targeting Bhutan’s Nepali speaking community, which faced persecution in the 199os.

“Bhutan has cultivated an image around the world as an enlightened kingdom committed to promoting Gross National Happiness,’ but the continuing imprisonment of these political prisoners tells a different story,” said Dinushika Dissanayake, deputy director for South Asia at Amnesty International. “Under Bhutan’s Constitution, only King Jigme has the power to grant early release and he should do so without further delay, to end the suffering of these prisoners and their families.”

Based on the accounts of former political prisoners and families, the political prisoners were subjected to torture and had no access to defense lawyers at the time of their arrest and trial. Currently, the prisoners are reportedly given inadequate food, heating, and bedding in a generally cold climate, and are denied regular communications or visits from their families, the joint statement says.

“They [Bhutanese soldiers] arrested us … and for 20 days they treated us mercilessly,” one prisoners said to Human Rights Watch. “After that, they prepared a statement as per their own wish and thought, not based on what we said. They brought us to the district court. The judge asked us, ‘Do you have anything to say?’ So we gave them our statement in writing. But there was no use of that submission. They used their own statements instead.”

The sister of another prisoner who was arrested in 2008 and remains in prison said, “He was tortured by the army.…They [the prisoners] were beaten and burned. When I met him, he was very sad, his eyes were full of tears.”

In 2019, United Nations experts noted that some of these prisoners had been convicted of “terrorism” but that they were accused of “actions that appeared … to be unrelated to terrorism.” The UN experts found that those “serving life sentences have no prospect of release, with the exception of amnesty,” and recommended that the cases be reviewed “to determine whether there were any due process violations that may have led to their conviction.”

Of the 37 known “political prisoners,” 32 belong to Bhutan’s Nepali-speaking community, known as Lhotshampas, while five belong to another community known as Sharchops. The Sharchop prisoners are accused of ties to a banned political party, the Druk National Congress, which campaigned for democratic reform in the 1990s.

The King of Bhutan may grant kidu (relief) as well as “amnesty, pardon and reduction of sentences.” The Sentencing Guideline of the Judiciary of Bhutan states that an offender “sentenced to life in prison shall remain in prison until he or she dies or until pardoned or otherwise commuted to a fixed period, or receives Royal pardon, amnesty or clemency.”

In 1999, the king at that time, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, granted amnesty to 40 political prisoners, including some serving life sentences. In 2022, the present monarch, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, granted amnesty to a political prisoner serving a life term.

“Bhutan has undergone democratic reforms and made efforts to modernize its legal system since 2008, but these political prisoners received unfair trials that condemned them to spend their lives in prison,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The king should close this chapter, show compassion, and free these prisoners now.”

US Senators push to guard kids from social media

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Washington DC — Senators from both sides of the aisle have come together to introduce legislation that would prohibit children under the age of 13 from using social media and require permission from a guardian for users under 18 to create an account. Republican Sen. Katie Britt and Democrat Sen. Chris Murphy, along with Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), introduced the bipartisan legislation to address concerns about social media’s impact on children’s mental health. The bill would also prohibit social media companies from using algorithms to recommend content to users under 18 and would require companies to verify the ages of their users.

The senators said they believe there is growing momentum around the issue as parents grapple with a post-pandemic mental health crisis among young people. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that 60% of teen girls reported feelings of persistent sadness or hopelessness, and 30% said they seriously considered attempting suicide. However, regulating technology and social media companies has faced major challenges, as companies have deep pockets and there is no agreement on a way to regulate the industry. The senators hope their bipartisan approach will bring attention to the issue and lead to meaningful action to protect children online.

Nepal has the third highest rate of child marriage in Asia after Bangladesh- Report

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Kathmandu— Child marriage remains a pressing issue in Nepal, despite the country’s constitution and penal code prohibiting it. According to reports by the Human Rights Watch and World Vision International Nepal, 37% of Nepali girls marry before the age of 18, and 10% are married by the age of 15. This is in spite of the legal age of marriage being 20 years old for both men and women in Nepal.

Factors contributing to child marriage in Nepal include poverty, religious and cultural norms, illiteracy, lack of awareness, child labor, social pressures, harmful practices, and weak implementation of laws and policies. Sunil Hakaju Shrestha, Technical Head for Protection at World Vision International Nepal, explained that entrenched gender inequality and damaging social norms that devalue girls in Nepali society are the root causes of many of these marriages.

The rise in incidents of love marriages has also contributed to the problem of child marriage. While many couples choose to marry for love, legal lacuna often prevents them from registering their marriages, leading to complications in separation and divorce. This, in turn, can lead to domestic violence, as girls who marry as children are more likely to become victims of domestic violence compared to women who marry later in life.

In 2016, the government of Nepal endorsed a national strategy to end child marriage, committing to end the practice by 2030 in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. Despite this, child marriage remains prevalent in various regions of Nepal. Nathu Prasad Chaudhary, Vice-president of Policy and Planning Commission Madhes Province, stressed the need to raise awareness to abolish the malpractice. The Madhes Province government has introduced various programs, such as the “Beti Padhau Beti Bachau,” to eradicate child marriage.