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Nepal has a really difficult line to tread in terms of geo-politics: Ambassador Pollitt

Posted on by SAT News Desk

By Bhagirath Yogi

London –  British ambassador to Nepal, Ms Nicola KathrynPollitt, has said that in terms of geo-politics,  Nepal has a really difficult line to tread.

Addressing the first-ever interaction with the Nepali diaspora based in the UK on Wednesday, Ms Pollitt said  that keeping both of the neighbours happy, on your side, is a tricky balance to strike.

Referring to Nepal’s vote against the Russian invasion of Ukraine early this year, Ms Pollitt said what type of company you are keeping in international arena makes a difference. “Whether in (UN Offices in) Geneva or in New York, Nepal is playing a responsible and leadership role in the region.”

While two of its powerful neighbours, India and China, abstained in the voting, Nepal was one of the 141 UN members that supported the UN resolution that ‘deplored in the strongest terms the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine in violation of Article 2 (4) of the Charter.”

The resolution, that was put to vote in March this year, also demanded that the “Russian Federation immediately cease its use of force against Ukraine and to refrain from any further unlawful threat or use of force against any Member State”.

Ms Politt said that the British government’s priorities in Nepal included supporting the federal system of governance, especially the provincial governments in Madhesh Pradesh, Lumbini and Karnali.

“We are also supporting to build the capacity of Nepal Police to deal with gender-based violence,  support the government at macro level to achieve growth and prosperity and to support Nepal’s efforts to combat climate change and educate women and girls, especially from the marginalised communities,” said Ms Pollitt.

Addressing the Gurkha Grievances

In September 2016, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rejected claims by a group of former British Gurkha soldiers that they had been discriminated against by the British government in their pensions. In its verdict, the Strasbourg-based Court held that there had been no violation of Article 14 and Article 1 of the European Convention of Human Rights as claimed by the petitioners.

The applicants, two retired Gurkha soldiers and an NGO acting on behalf of Gurkha veterans, complained that their pension entitlements had been less favourable than those of non-Gurkha soldiers in the British Army, and those of younger Gurkha soldiers who had more years of service after 1 July, 1997.  The petitioners went to the European Court of Human Rights  in 2011 after they lost similar cases at a British high court and the British Supreme Court refused to entertain their appeal.

Despite losing their legal battle, Gurkha veterans continue to press the governments of Nepal and the UK for what they call compensation, reparation and equal pension and benefits. In August 2021, former Gurkha veterans Gyan Raj Rai, Dhan Gurung and a Gurkha family member Mrs Pushpa Rana Ghale staged a hunger strike for 13 days near the Ministry of Defense in central London. They agreed to end their strike only after the British government agreed to form a high level committee to listen to their demands.

Responding to a query regarding the long-running grievances of Gurkha veterans, Ms Politt refuted allegations that Gurkha veterans were being discriminated against their comrades in terms of pensions and benefits. During the formal talks at the Ministry of Defence in London early this month, British officials insisted that they would like to discuss about the welfare of Gurkha veterans who are living in the UK and in Nepal. Representatives of Gurkha veterans, who were taking part as observers, however, registered their strong exception towards suggestion by the British side that their demand for ‘equal pension’ should not be discussed in the talks.

Talking to a small group of Nepali diaspora at the historic Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in central London on Wednesday, Ms Pollitt, however, hinted that the British government was not in favour of revisiting the pension issue again.

“It’s very good that both the sides have come round the table (to discuss Gurkha demands). We must not forget that both the highest court in the UK as well as the European  Court of Human Rights (ECHR) have always decided in the British govt’s favour. So, it will be very difficult to negotiate on the pension issue again. But the veterans’ welfare is always on top of the British government’s agenda,” she added.

Thousands of former Gurkha soldiers and their families are now residing in the UK following the British government’s decision in 2009 to allow ex-Gurkha soldiers, who have served at least four years in the British Army, to settle in the UK.

Photo : Nepali Link

Historic relationship

Nepal and the UK enjoy more than two centuries longrelationship thanks to Gurkhas. UK is one of the largest development partners of Nepal. Nepal is also seeking to expand its trade ties with Britain and attract more British investment into the country.

“There is a need to expand and strengthen our historic relationship with the UK. Engaging the Nepali diaspora in the UK is a right step in that direction,” said Councillor Lachhya Gurung, a former Gurkha and former Deputy Mayor of the London Borough of Barnet.

Dr Tejendra Pherali, Professor at the Institute of Education, University College London, said that both the countries should now explore new avenues such as reaching out to the second generation of Nepalese now studying and working in the UK.  “This will also help develop people-to-people relationship at the grassroots level,” he opined.

One of the recent developments in the bilateral relations has been Britain’s negotiations with the government of Nepal to bring in Nepali nurses to work with the state-owned National Health Service (NHS).

“The recruitment of (Nepali) nurses has to be ethical andformal with no involvement of middlemen,” said Ambassador Politt adding, “The NHS Trusts in the UK are working in partnership with the British government. We are piloting next year by bringing in 200 (Nepali) nurses on a five-year work visa.”

As Nepal will graduate from the Least Developed Country (LDC) status, hopefully  in 2026, the UK has offered Nepal to join its Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS). “From 2026, we might think about a trade agreement. We are working on signing in the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement  (DTDA) between the two countries. The ball is now in Nepal’s court,” said Ms Politt, a career diplomat, who will complete her four-year assignment to Kathmandu in the coming summer.

As Nepal and the UK are hosting a series of events to mark the centenary of the 1923 UK-Nepal Treaty, Ambassador Politt said that she would try her best to organise Prime Minister Rishi Sunak – the first British Asian Prime Minister- to visit Kathmandu.

If that happens, Mr Sunak will be the first British Prime Minister to travel to Kathmandu in more than two centuries.

Nepali-origin businessman Deependra Gurung became the new owner of Miss World

Posted on by SAT News Desk

Kathmandu — Nepal-born British businessman Deependra Gurung has become the co-owner of the Miss World pageant.
This has been confirmed by Gurung himself and the reputed beauty pageant website PageantImpress.

Gurung will officially take over as Miss World from the 71st edition of this year’s Miss World. Since its inception, Miss World has been the monopoly of British businesswoman Julia Morley and her family.

Pageantimpress has written the news of taking over the reins of the Gurung family from this year’s Miss World and has also been shared by Deependra. Businessman Gurung is also the owner of European airline company Himalaya Jet and world-renowned film multiplex chain Privé Luxury Cinemas, the online khabar reported.

This year’s Miss World pageant is planned to be held in Singapore, Japan and Poland. For this, Dipendra reached Singapore on Wednesday with the current beauty queen. Gurung also met Singapore’s Minister of Culture Edwin Tong.

Nepali-origin candidates elected in US midterm elections

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KATHMANDU : Two candidates of Nepali origin have been elected in the US midterm elections.

Dr Harry Bhandari has been elected again as Maryland State Legislator for the Maryland General Assembly on behalf of the Democrat Party. He has become the first elected MLA with a total of 13,949 votes. Bhandari, who became the first Nepali-origin US citizen to be elected a people’s representative in 2018, won for the second regular term.

Likewise, Sarahana Shrestha, who became a candidate for the first time from District 103 New York of the New York State Assembly, has also been elected. With this victory, Sarahana has made history by becoming the first Nepali-origin US citizen to win a seat in the New York State Assembly.

(RSS)

9 Indians Killed In Maldives Fire

Posted on by SAT News Desk

Male — At least 10 people were killed and several others injured Thursday when a fire swept through cramped lodgings of foreign workers in the Maldives capital Male, the fire service said.

The capital of the archipelago best known as an upmarket holiday destination is one of the world’s most densely populated cities.

Officials said 10 bodies were recovered from the upper floor of a building destroyed in the fire, which originated from a ground-floor vehicle repair garage.

“We have found 10 bodies,” a fire service official said, adding that it took them about four hours to put out the fire.

A security official said the dead included nine Indians and a Bangladesh national.

The High Commission of India in Maldives condoled the loss of lives in the tragic fire. “We are deeply saddened by the tragic fire incident in Malé which has caused loss of lives, including reportedly of Indian nationals. We are in close contact with the Maldivian authorities,” a tweet by the high commission read. ( Agencies)

China to grant zero-tariff treatment to 10 least-developed countries

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BEIJING : China will grant zero-tariff treatment to 98 per cent of taxable items from 10 least-developed countries in a bid to promote an open global economy.

Starting from Dec. 1, China will waive all tariffs on 98 per cent of the related imports from Afghanistan, Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Malawi, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, according to the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council.

The step is conducive to opening up with win-win outcomes, building an open global economy, and helping least-developed countries to accelerate their development, the commission said.

This policy measure will gradually expand to all the least-developed countries that have established diplomatic ties with China, it added.  (Xinhuwa)

EU announces further sanctions on Myanmar’s junta

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BRUSSELS: In view of the continuing escalation of violence and grave human rights following the military takeover two years ago, the European Council has adopted the fifth round of restrictive measures.

The new listings target 19 persons and one entity, including the Minister of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations Kan Zaw, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Htun Htun Oo, and high-ranking members of the Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw) and Air Force.

The EU has also listed members of the Union Election Commission and business representatives of private companies closely connected and supporting the Tatmadaw.

“The State Administration Council is also included as it plays a central role in undermining democracy and the rule of law in Myanmar/Burma as well as in actions that threaten the peace, security and stability of the country,” the European Council said in a statement on Tuesday.

Restrictive measures currently apply to a total of 84 individuals and 11 entities. Those designated are subject to an asset freeze and a travel ban, which prevents them from entering or transiting through EU territory. In addition, EU persons and entities are prohibited to make funds available to those listed.

“Other EU restrictive measures will remain in place: the embargo on arms and equipment and export restrictions on equipment for monitoring communications which might be used for internal repression, the export ban on dual-use goods for use by the military and border guard police, and the prohibition of military training and cooperation with the Tatmadaw,” the statement added.

These measures complement the withholding of EU financial assistance to the government of Myanmar and the freezing of all EU assistance, a tool that might be perceived as a means to legitimize the junta.

Two years ago, on November 8, the National League for Democracy obtained overwhelming and incontestable popular support in the general elections in Myanmar/Burma.

The civilian government was overthrown by the Myanmar military on 1 February 2021.

The EU said it is deeply concerned by the continuing escalation of violence and the evolution towards a protracted conflict which has spread across the country and has regional implications.

The 27-member bloc also condemned the continuing grave human rights violations including torture and sexual and gender-based violence, the continued persecution of civil society, human rights defenders and journalists, attacks on the civilian population, including ethnic and religious minorities, and the destruction of private property by the Myanmar armed forces.

The EU said it would continue to strive to bring to justice all those responsible for the human rights violations, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the wake of the 1 February 2021 coup in Myanmar.

The EU said it reiterates the calls for an immediate cessation of all hostilities, respect of international humanitarian law, and an end to the disproportionate use of force. (ANI)

Pakistan reached the Men’s T20 World Cup final

Posted on by SAT News Desk

London— Pakistan reached the Men’s T20 World Cup final after a thunderous seven-wicket win over New Zealand in Sydney.

Chasing 153 to win, Pakistan openers Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan hit half-centuries in an opening stand of 105 to tee up a stunning victory.

Pakistan will now play England or India – who meet on Thursday – in Sunday’s final in Melbourne.

It continues a stunning comeback for Pakistan, who were on the brink of elimination after losing to rivals India and then Zimbabwe in their first two matches of the tournament.

India unveils logo, theme, website of next year’s G20 summit

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NEW DELHI  — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday unveiled the logo, theme and website of India’s Group of 20 (G20) presidency next year.

During its G20 presidency, India will hold about 200 meetings in 32 different sectors and in multiple locations across India next year.

“It would be one of the highest-profile international gatherings to be hosted by the country,” said the Ministry of External Affairs.

The G20 logo shows the Earth sitting atop a lotus flower having seven petals representing the seven continents and seven universal musical notes.

“When the seven musical notes come together, they create perfect harmony. The G20 aims to bring the world together in harmony while respecting diversity,” Modi said.

The theme of the summit is “One Earth, One Family, One Future”. The website has been developed by India’s leading IT firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).

“India will preside over the G20 summit from Dec. 1, 2022. It is a historic opportunity for the country. It is the premier forum for international economic cooperation representing around 85 percent of the global gross domestic product (GDP), over 75 percent of the worldwide trade, and about two-thirds of the world population,” Modi said at the virtual inauguration ceremony.

The Indian leader also noted that India’s G20 presidency was coming at a time of “crisis and chaos”.

“The world is dealing with the after-effects of a disruptive once-in-a-century global pandemic, conflicts and lots of economic uncertainty. Even if the world is in a deep crisis, we can still progress to make it a better place,” he added.

This year’s G20 summit is scheduled to be held on Nov. 15-16 in Indonesia’s resort island of Bali. (Xinhua)

Nepal earthquake: At least six dead as powerful 6.6-magnitude tremor felt as far away as Delhi

Posted on by SAT News Desk

Kathmandu: A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck in the north western district at about 2am on Wednesday. The quake delivered a severe blow, killing at least six people, injuring several others.

The National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Center stated that the epicenter of the tremor was in the Khaptad National Park area in Doti district.

All the victims were crushed dead by the debris of the house destroyed during the earthquake, according to the local authority.

The identity of six persons, who were killed in a quake, has been ascertained, police sources confirmed. The deceased are Bhagawati Bohara, Sita Bohara, Harka Bohara, Prem Bohara, Tulasi Bohara and Dhanasari Bohara of Thadagaun, Purbi Chauki rural municipality-3.

Rural municipality chairperson Ram Prasad Upadhyay said six people including three from the same family died in the disaster. He said five people have sustained injuries and they have been taken to hospital.

Nepal Police, the Armed Police Force and Nepali Army’s rescue squads have reached the site for rescue operation. Min Raj Ojha, a local teacher, said most of the homes in the area have been damaged. Landslides have occurred at many places of Sayal rural municipality due to the tremor, said Dal Bahadur Deuba of Sayal.

Before this, an earthquake of 5.7 magnitude with its epicenter at Dipayal had occurred at 9.7 pm on Tuesday, the Center stated.

Aftershocks had also occurred frequently following the big tremor. The earthquake was felt even in Kailali and Kanchanpur districts.

In Bajhang, people scurried out of their homes after the earthquake and spent the night outside. Laxmi Devi Joshi of Khaptad Chhanna-5 said panicked locals lit bonfires and spent the rest of the night in vigil outside in the open. She said that old homes have collapsed in the village. ( From : Nepal Live Today)

COP27: three reasons rich countries can no longer ignore calls to pay developing world for climate havoc

Posted on by SAT News Desk

By – Lisa Vanhala, UCL
Payments from high-emitting countries to mitigate the harm that climate change has caused in the most vulnerable parts of the world is finally on the agendafor discussion at a global climate change summit, more than 30 years after the idea was first articulatedby delegates from small island developing states.

Loss and damage is the term used by the UN to describe these impacts of climate change that cannot be prevented and to which people cannot adapt. These include lives that have been and will be lost, communities displaced by rising seas, extreme weather and famine, livelihoods and cultural heritage destroyed and ecosystems damaged beyond repair because of a failure to arrest greenhouse gas emissions, and so, global temperature rise.

The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reported that approximately 3.3 to 3.6 billion people are highly vulnerable to climate change. Many of them live in west, central and east Africa, south Asia, central and South America, as well as in small island developing states, such as Vanuatu in the Pacific, and in the Arctic.

As countries in these regions divert more of their wealth towards preparing for and recovering from storms, spreading deserts and melting glaciers, they are left with less money to cut their emissions and contribute to meeting the 1.5°C goal agreed at the negotiations in Paris in 2015. Rich countries, who are responsible for most emissions, promised US$100 billion (£87.2 billion) a year in aid in 2015.

But a recent UN report found that international finance to help the most vulnerable countries adapt to climate change (with bigger sea walls, for instance) has amounted to less than one-tenth of what is needed, and the gap between the two is widening. The US, UK, Canada and Australia are among the biggest laggards when their historical responsibility for climate change is taken into account. There has been no separate funding to address the damage already caused by warming.

At COP26 in 2021, developing countries proposed a loss and damage finance facility to help communities recovering from disasters and compensate them for what they have lost already. The EU and US resistedthis in the final days of talks.

Instead, the Glasgow Dialogue was established: a series of discussions about how to arrange funding to help countries bearing the brunt of climate change. Delegates from developing country were sorely disappointed. Instead of material support, they got another talking shop.

But many of these same negotiators are heading into COP27 with new resolve. Here are three reasons why loss and damage is becoming harder for rich countries to ignore.

1. The latest science

Attribution science, which clarifies the links between extreme weather events and emissions, has taken great leaps forward in recent years. Across more than 400 studies, scientists have examined wildfires in the US, heatwaves in India and Pakistan, typhoons in Asia and record-breaking rainfall in the UK.

Broadly, this research shows the poorest and most vulnerable are bearing the heaviest burden despite having contributed the least to the problem. This growing evidence base bolsters the case for reparations.

2. Climate impacts are escalating

The deadly floods in Pakistan in August are the latest in a series of disasters to push loss and damage up the global agenda. According to a recent study, as much as 50% of the rainfall would not have happened without climate change.

Pakistan’s leaders have said that wealthy countries must help pay the bill. After all, it is the latter’s actions that precipitated the disaster. Pakistan’s historically low emissions mean its own contribution to climate change is negligible.

From droughts in Somalia to floods in Nigeria, extreme weather during 2022 has also heaped suffering on African countries with little culpability for climate change. Given that COP27 will be held in Egypt and has been dubbed “the African COP”, these arguments will be brought to the fore.

3. Growing momentum outside of the UN process

The increasing number and importance of lawsuits brought against countries and companies failing to reduce their emissions highlights growing frustration with negotiations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). As long as rich countries continue to evade the loss and damage issue, vulnerable countries and communities – and their lawyers – will search for alternative solutions.

That is not to say they haven’t had some notable recent successes. The UN Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) decided in September that the Australian government is failing to protect the Torres Strait Islanders from the effects of climate change. This sets a precedent in international human rights law which could one day extend to governments and institutions which have affected people further afield.

But, outside the UN, poorer countries are organising to explore ever more sophisticated diplomatic and legal ways of applying pressure on rich countries. At COP26, the prime ministers of Antigua and Barbuda and Tuvalu launched a commission to explore the kinds of compensation small island states might seek under international law. A group of countries led by Vanuatu is heading for the International Court of Justice.

Since high levels of debt hinder their ability to recover from the ravages of climate change, African and small island leaders are demanding debtors (including development banks and rich countries) write off, suspend or reschedule payments so that vulnerable nations can spend more on cutting emissions and adapting to climate change. These proposals have been called “debt for climate swaps”.

The International Monetary Fund recently announced a resilience and sustainability trust to help shield the finances of vulnerable countries from climate disasters, suggesting development policy is slowly shifting. This followed campaigning by Mia Mottley, the prime minister of Barbados.

Strings attached

Some rich countries are now taking action, suggesting a growing acknowledgement that this funding cannot be delayed forever. In September, Denmark was the first UN party to pledge finance – about US$13 million – to address loss and damage. The G7, under the leadership of the German presidency, has launched an initiative to expand access to financial aid in the immediate aftermath of climate disasters through improvements to existing insurance and social security schemes.

Because these initiatives have come outside of the UNFCCC negotiations, donor countries are free to dictate the terms of their support, sidestepping a process that should be about meeting the needs of vulnerable communities. Much of their funding will go into insurance schemes. Many of the insurance firms that would benefit are based in Europe and the US.

Insurance payouts may be a lifeline for drought-scarred small farmers and flooded homeowners. But some risks are uninsurable, especially those with a slow onset, such as those resulting from sea-level rise. Then there are less tangible harms, such as lost livelihoods, illness and biodiversity loss. Insurance against cyclones won’t compensate fishers in Tuvaluwho stand to lose their coastal fisheries as coral reefs succumb to warming.

The next front in the loss and damage debate will involve exploring whether providing finance as a form of solidarity (rather than compensation) is more palatable for rich countries. If that money is wrapped up in insurance schemes, designed to enrich consultants, it won’t really help poor countries. Progress at COP27 will be determined by whether these nations feel the UNFCCC is even capable of helping them. ( Form : The Conversation)

Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami inaugurates India pavilion at World Travel Market in London

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London : India’s High Commissioner to UK, Vikram Doraiswami on Tuesday (local time), inaugurated the India pavilion and several state tourism pavilions at the World Travel Market (WTM) London.
He made the inaugurations along with Arvind Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and state leaders from Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
High Commission of India in London tweeted, “HC @VDoraiswami inaugurated @incredibleindia pavilion, and several State tourism pavilions, at the @WTM_London, with Arvind Singh, Secretary @tourismgoi and State leaders from Odisha, MP, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka et al. @MEAIndia.”
Notably, World Travel Market London 2022 is taking place at ExCel London from November 7-9. The theme of this year`s exhibition is ‘The Future of Travel Starts Now.’
It is pertinent to mention here that the Ministry of Tourism has launched the “Incredible India 2.0” campaign which covers important source markets for Indian tourism and takes into account emerging markets with significant potential. Notably, India is a tourist destination for travellers to explore architectural heritage sites, ghats and tiger reserves.
Earlier on November 7, the Ministry of Tourism in a tweet stated that dandiya performances and yoga sessions took place at World Travel Market London.
Sharing videos and images of the performances on Twitter, the Ministry of Tourism said, “A glimpse of the Indian culture and hospitality at the Indian Cultural Evening along with Dandiya performances and yoga sessions.”

Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a press release issued on November 5 said that the Ministry of Tourism is participating in World Travel Market (WTM) 2022. It stated that 16 stakeholders, including officials from state governments, other Central ministries, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) as the industry partner, DMCs, tour operators, hoteliers, travel agents, online travel agents, facilitators of medical value travel are participating as co-exhibitors in the India Pavilion.
The MEA in the press release called World Travel Market “one of the largest international travel exhibitions.” It further said, “With the reopening of the country to foreign tourists, after a gap of almost 2 years, this year`s participation of India is particularly significant. After the world’s largest vaccination drive, the country is ready for international tourists. India is participating in WTM 2022 to showcase itself as a preferred destination for tourism.”
The Ministry stressed that the objective of India’s participation in WTM is to showcase the diverse tourism products and services including Medical Value travel, luxury trains and the gamut of tourism products to the international business community.
It further stated, “The Indian Government is cognizant of the country’s potential in the tourism industry and has taken several steps to make India a global tourism hub.”
According to the release, the Indian delegation led by Arvind Singh, Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism will showcase the varied tourism offerings of India to global tourism industry stakeholders including tour operators, travel agents and media.
The MEA said that the visit will allow the Indian government delegation to showcase investment opportunities and potential that India offers to global investors.
The MEA noted that the contribution of travel and tourism to India’s GDP was 5.19 per cent of the total economy in 2019. Furthermore, the Indian tourism sector accounted for 79.86 million jobs (direct and indirect employment) in 2018.
The Ministry further said, “The consistent efforts of the Central and the State Governments have helped the tourism industry to gradually recover from the Covid-19 pandemic shock to the pre-pandemic levels.”
Notably, India is also gearing up for the G20 presidency which is due to begin on December 1. (ANI)

UN urges Musk to ensure Twitter respects human rights

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GENEVA : U.N. rights chief Volker Turk on Saturday urged Twitter’s new owner, Elon Musk, to make respect for human rights central to the social network after he sacked around half the company’s employees.

Reports of Musk laying off the platform’s entire human rights team were “not, from my perspective, an encouraging start,” Turk said in an open letter.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said he was writing with “concern and apprehension about our digital public square and Twitter’s role in it.”

He warned against propagating hate speech and misinformation and highlighted the need to protect user privacy.

Musk, the richest person in the world, took control of the platform a week ago in a contentious deal.

After completing his mammoth $44 billion acquisition, Musk quickly set about dissolving Twitter’s board and sacking its chief executive and top managers.

Twitter on Friday fired roughly half of its 7,500-strong workforce.

“Like all companies, Twitter needs to understand the harms associated with its platform and take steps to address them,” wrote Turk.

“Respect for our shared human rights should set the guardrails for the platform’s use and evolution. In short, I urge you to ensure human rights are central to the management of Twitter under your leadership.”

Turk posted the open letter on Twitter, where he has more than 25,000 followers.

Turk, an Austrian longtime U.N. official who took up his post as the U.N. rights chief on Oct. 17, spelt out some fundamental human rights principles, urging Musk to put them at the heart of Twitter’s management going forward.

‘Horrific’ consequences

Turk urged Twitter to stand up for the rights to privacy and free expression to the fullest extent possible, under relevant laws, and to transparently report on government pressures that would infringe those rights.

But he said free speech “is not a free pass,” saying that the viral spread of harmful disinformation, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulted in real-world harm.

“Twitter has a responsibility to avoid amplifying content that results in harms to people’s rights,” Turk said.

“There is no place for hatred that incites discrimination, hostility or violence on Twitter.

“Hate speech has spread like wildfire on social media… with horrific, life-threatening consequences.”

Twitter should therefore continue to bar such hatred on the platform, while every effort should be made to remove such content promptly, said Turk.

He also said free speech depended on the effective protection of privacy.

“It is vital that Twitter refrain from invasive user tracking and amassing related data and that it resist, to the fullest extent possible under applicable laws, unjustified requests from governments for user data,” Turk said.

He said research was essential to understand the impact of social media on societies, and therefore urged Musk to maintain access to Twitter’s data through its open application programming interfaces.

Finally, he stressed that Twitter should have content moderation capacity in all languages and contexts, not just in the United States or in English-language content.

VOA

Sri Lankan president calls for liberalization of service sector to attract FDI

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COLOMBO — Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasized the need to gradually liberalize the country’s service sector to attract foreign direct investment (FDI), the President’s Media Division (PMD) said in a statement on Sunday.

The president also said steps should be taken to gain membership in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the world’s largest free trade agreement to date.

Wickremesinghe made these remarks during a meeting with the officials of the National Trade Negotiations Committee at the Presidential Secretariat.

The president talked to them about free trade negotiations, the future outlook of international trade, and the importance of aligning policy priorities.

He further said that in parallel with the expansion of international trade activities, the government will implement a trade adjustment program to support local industries to adjust to the competition.

Access to regional and global supply chains and re-engagement with the global economy to enhance export and export-oriented foreign direct investment is an element of the government’s economic reform program to revitalize the domestic economy, he said.

  • Xinhua

49 killed, 25 missing due to monsoon-induced disasters in Karnali Provience of Nepal

Posted on by SAT News Desk

Kathmandu — Forty-nine people have died and 25 are still missing due to the monsoon-induced disasters and road accidents in Karnali province in the second and third week of October. Seventy-four persons were injured in various disaster-related incidents in the province.

The highest casualties were reported in Jumla and Mugu due to the disasters triggered by incessant rains in the second and half of the third week of October, said Krishna Bahadur Rokaya, Disaster Contact Person at the Karnali Province Government’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law.

He gave this information in the Disaster Response Review and Earthquake Scenario discussion programme organised here on Sunday.

“Ten persons each died in Jumla and Mugu, nine in Kalikot, eight in Humla, two in Dolpa and one in Dailekh,” he said, adding that the number of persons missing in disasters has reached 18 in Kalikot, three in Dailekh and one each in Jumla, Humla, Dolpa and Rukum Paschim.

No human casualties due to disasters have been reported in Surkhet district in the month of Saun, Bhadau and Ashoj (July 17 to October 17) in the current fiscal year 2022/23.

As per the data shared by the Ministry, 20794 families have been displaced due to the disasters in the province. Among them, 7418 are from Kalikot and 5,282 are from Mugu.

Similarly, 33 persons lost their life to road accidents, one person died due to lightning and two persons due to frost bite in the province. The preparedness and response plan greatly assisted in the search and rescue works during the disasters, said Dinesh Sagar Bhusal, Secretary at the Ministry. (RSS)   

 

Bhutan unveils new national branding

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Bhutan has developed a new national brand identity as it reopens to visitors after more than two years. With help from London-based branding agency MMBP & Associates, the new graphic identity draws on vibrant yellow and orange colours from the Bhutanese flag along with traditional Bhutanese iconography such as hand-painted architectural decoration, mythical animals, folklore and symbolism.

The rest of the colour palette is said to be inspired from nature, including the green of cypress forests that cover 70% of the country, the blue of Bhutan’s national flower, the Himalayan blue poppy, and a soft black inspired by natural soot from the home fires from hearths throughout the kingdom.

Centred around the word “believe”, the new brand uses a colourful, kaleidoscopic style featuring traditional symbols in bold, bright tones.

A new website was also launched as part of the rebrand. This provides information for travellers about planning a trip.

What is ‘Nation branding’?

As a practice, branding isn’t new but is typically used in corporate settings to promote businesses.

Nation branding (also called place branding), uses the same techniques to promote a country, not just to attract tourists but capital and talent or build its reputation. Countries have done this since the 1990s but the technique has become more popular in recent years.

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Today, nation brands can even be judged by official intuitions like the Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index, which found Germany to have the strongest brand in 2021.

Some brands become exponentially famous, like Amsterdam’s “I amsterdam“, which was so popular the “I amsterdam” sign was removed from Museum Square after it caused constant crowds. Others, like the “Best Small Country in the World” campaign by Scotland, lasted just a few years.

Whether it’s an extensive tourism strategy or a simple slogan, for a small suburb or an entire country, the goal is always the same; to shape people’s perceptions of a place.

This isn’t Bhutan’s first brand. For years the nation promoted tourism under a campaign called “Happiness is a Place,” playing off its reputation for having a Gross National Happiness index. In 2018, “Made in Bhutan” was launched as a way to advertise the country’s export industry.

The challenge with nation brand is that, in order to be successful, it must streamline the complex, multi-faceted identity of a country into a single, clear idea. One you can easily communicate by a single icon, slogan or visual. As a result, nuance is removed and places are often portrayed according to their strongest attribute; tourism.

Over four months, MMBP & Associates attempted to create a brand identity that resisted this silo.

MMBP founder Julien Beaupré Ste-Marie told Fast Company the re-brand attempted to communicate two messages to two different audiences. First, that Bhutan was back open and ready for international tourists. And secondly, for young Bhutanese to resist the temptation to move overseas.
( Input from Campaignasia/nzherald)

EU in Nepal collaborating for increasing women participation in football

Posted on by SAT News Desk

Surkhet : The European Union in Nepal is to collaborate in increasing participation of women in football in Karnali province.

This issue came up in a meeting between EU in Nepal’s Charge d’affaires, Joëlle Hivonnet, and Mayor of Birendranagar Municipality, Mohan Maya Dhakal on Sunday.

On the occasion, Hivonnet said that collaboration has been started through non-governmental organisation for EU’s investment to increase women’s participation in football and in promoting women’s football in Karnali province.

“Investment would be scaled up for training women football players and their career development. This will boost self-confidence in women. We are confident this would increase women’s attraction towards football,” the EU Delegation’s top official said.

Hivonnet is in Surkhet in connection with the inauguration of the 11th edition of the Nepal European Union Film Festival here.

During the meeting, Hivonnet talked on the projects the EU has implemented in Nepal, especially in Karnali province, the future plans, women empowerment and inclusion, among other topics. She said an agreement has been reached recently with the Government of Nepal for running a project on gender empowerment.

During the meeting, Mayor Dhakal informed about the activities carried out by the Municipality regarding women empowerment and women health and protection.

She mentioned about the skill development training provided to women, free distribution of sanitary pads from health posts, free medical examination to pregnant women and gynaecological services. She said these programmes have helped in increasing income generation of women and in protecting women’s health.

She thanked EU for focusing on women participation and empowerment.   (RSS)