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Over 500 climbers from 62 nations to scale Nepali mountains

Posted on by SAT News Desk

Kathmandu — A total of 500 climbers from 62 nations shall be scaling Nepal’s mountains this autumn.  The climbers, 123 females and 377 males, from six continents except Antarctica have received permission to climb 12 mountains till Wednesday.

Of them, the largest number, 51, is from the United States of America.  Similarly, the second-highest number, 34, is from France and the third-highest, 33, is from the United Kingdom, the Rising Nepal Reported.

Likewise, 17 people from Nepal’s northern neighbour China are going to make attempts on Nepal’s peaks too. There are climbers from Russia and Ukraine too. There are 19 climbers from Russia and four from Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine are currently at war with each other and the former has been heavily sanctioned by the western countries.

Nepal government to declare dengue an epidemic

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By Mahima Devkota,  Kathmandu —   The government is preparing to declare dengue an epidemic in Nepal.

Dr Chuman Lal Das, director of the Epidemiology and Control Division (EDCD), of the Department of Health Services (DoHS), said that the experts, the Epidemiology department, and the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), have been holding discussions since last few days to declare dengue as an epidemic.

He said that Dengue has spread to 75 districts of the country and has been persistent for over three months. Daily cases of dengue and dengue-induced mortality are surging as well. Therefore, citing the risk of further spread and with an aim to contain the infection, a discussion is being under to declare it as an epidemic.”

Director Das, said, “Experts from all parts such as public health, epidemiology, and scientists are taking part in the discussion and after through discussion we will decide if dengue will be declared an epidemic.”

Dr Sher Bahadur Pun, chief of the Clinical Research Unit at Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital in Teku, said that that was always a probability of dengue turning into an epidemic as Nepal was at high risk of dengue infection. Dengue was first observed in the year 2004 and since then it is persistent in Nepal. The most number of dengue cases was reported in 2019.

Even though there was a high probability of the risk of the spread of dengue this year, there was negligence on the part of the government gave the chance for dengue to spread.

Dr Pun said that an endemic is a disease or infection that belongs to a particular country or people and is established, while an epidemic is a disease or infection that affects a large number of people within a community, population, or region.

25 deaths so far 

As per the data of EDCD, death from dengue this year was reported on September 1, however, since the second half of September cases are consistent. And, since the last four days, the cases are being reported each day. 20 deaths on September 18, 21 deaths on September 19, 24 deaths on September 20, and 25 deaths on September 21 have been reported.

Dr Samir Manxi Dixit, a public health expert, said that if the mortality and spread from infection or disease are persistent, then it is known to be at high risk and at a high peak. A spiking of dengue cases and rising mortality is signalling a high risk.”

Director Lal said that the government has been intensifying the “search and destroy campaign” throughout the nation and the best preventive measures are the same.

For the response to dengue, EDCD has allocated a budget for 139 rural municipalities, 60 districts, and all 7 provinces for ‘search and destroy’ to control the dengue. Moreover, EDCD has allocated a budget to conduct stakeholders’ meetings for advocacy on dengue prevention during the peak month in the same rural municipalities, districts, and provinces.
( From : The Rising Nepal )

‘Mount Everest International Taekwondo’ to kick off today

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Kaski  — The third edition of ‘Mount Everest International Open Taekwondo Championship G-2 Ranking’ and ‘First GCS Mount Everest International Open Pumse Championship’ are taking place in Pokhara from today.

The championships, organized by Nepal Taekwondo Association, are being held in multipurpose covered hall in Pokhara Stadium up to September 25.

As many as 1,425 taekwondo players from 13 countries have arrived in Pokhara to participate in the championships, shared host organization’s secretary Jagan Gurung.

This is first-of-its-kind in the sports history of Nepal that such a big numbers of players are participating in a single game, he said.

Competitions would be held on different age groups of senior and junior, it is shared.

Chairperson of the Association, Prakash Shumsher JB Rana informed that the competitions would be held in different eight weight groups, including men and women from 14 to 60 years. Likewise, single, double and group competitions would be held on men’s category in the age group from 14 to 60 above.

Dr Choue Chung-won, Chairperson of the World Taekwondo, the umbrella organization of the Federation of Taekwondo, and Chairperson of Asian Taekwondo Federation Lee Kyu-seok are scheduled to arrive in Pokhara.

More than 2,000 players, referees, and officials, including foreign players are expected to participate in the championship, Rana said.

The Championship was suspended due to the COVID-19 last year and it is being held this time after the International Taekwondo Association gave its approval, the host informed. (RSS)

Sri Lanka inflation rate jumps above 70%

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Sept. 22: Sri Lanka’s annual inflation rate surged to more than 70% in August as it struggled with its worst economic crisis in over seven decades.

Official data also showed food prices rose by 84.6% compared to a year ago.

The South Asian nation of 22m people was plunged into financial and political chaos this year as it faced a shortage of foreign currencies.

The country has been unable to afford key imports – including fuel, fertiliser and medicine.

Last month, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka said it expected inflation to ease, as the country’s economy slowed, after peaking at about 70%.

Official figures released last week showed that the economy had contracted by 8.4% in the three months to the end of August.

Before the pandemic, Sri Lanka was heavily reliant on tourism for foreign currencies, including the US dollar.

However, border closures aimed to slow the spread of Covid-19 kept tourists away and took a major toll on the country’s economy.

That, along with years of financial mismanagement, led to Sri Lanka defaulting on its debts earlier this year.

Sri Lanka has faced political upheaval in recent months, with the country’s president Gotabaya Rajapaksa fleeing abroad before resigning in July.

That came as hundreds of thousands of people took the streets, in protests that often turned violent, over a sharp increase in food and fuel prices.

Many Sri Lankans blamed Rajapaksa’s administration for mishandling the crisis.

Financial help

Earlier this month, Sri Lanka reached a preliminary deal with the International Monetary Fund for a $2.9bn (£2.6bn) loan. However, the agreement hinges on the country also receiving funds from private creditors.

On Tuesday, India said it had started talks with Sri Lanka on restructuring its debt and said it would also offer long-term investments. India previously provided almost $4bn in financial aid to its smaller neighbour.

India also deferred payment on Sri Lankan imports of about $1.2bn and offered a credit line of $55m for fertiliser imports.

Sri Lankan government officials are due to meet creditors on Friday, to discuss the extent of the country’s economic problems and a proposal to restructure its debts. ( BBC )

China’s high-paced growth seems to have ended amid cooling economy: Survey

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BEIJING: The high-paced growth era seems to have come to an end in China amid the constant crunch of Bejing’s economy, as almost 60 percent of European businesses stated that they were cutting revenue projections for 2022, which does not bode well for Bejing’s attractiveness to overseas firms, according to a survey.

China’s economy is cooling partly due to new constraints and partly change in development strategy.

The coronavirus pandemic, the war between Ukraine and Russia and trade disputes with developed nations, including the United States, have imposed severe limitations to Bejing’s growth journey, according to the Financial Post.

According to a survey by Oxford Economics, which was cited by the Financial Post, China’s gross domestic product (GDP) will grow an average 4.5 percent over this decade.

The COVID-19-led lockdown in China’s economic hub Shanghai has reportedly paralyzed the world’s second-largest economy and hit global supply chains and it will force the Chinese economy to take longer time than other Asian economies such as South Korea and Taiwan to catch up with living standards in the developed world, the Financial Post reported citing the survey.

The two-month lockdown in China’s financial hubs triggered a sharp drop in China’s economic growth over the April-June quarter, as per reports. Despite an expected recovery in the second half of the year, economists believe the official target of around 5.5 percent will not be achievable in 2022.

Furthermore, the demography of China has undergone structural change and it is also creating a demand-supply gap in a labor market.

Due to increasing decoupling with the US and allies, the annual growth is likely to further slowdown to around 3 percent on an average between 2030-40, according to the Oxford Economics forecast, as cited by Financial Times.

Moreover, China’s real estate slump could have a big negative impact on growth for several years. It is to be noted that it is now apparent that Chinese President Xi Jinping, does not prioritize economic growth above social and political factors.

China’s productivity growth has slowed but will remain high relative to other emerging economies.

It would make efforts to enhance productivity by focusing on R&D and human capital formation.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang had said that China had reached its most difficult stage of economic stabilization and called on leaders of key provinces to coordinate efforts on economic recovery.

“The economy continued to recover in July, but small fluctuations are still present. We are now at the most tense stage of economic stabilization, so we need to build a solid foundation for economic recovery without wasting time,” Keqiang said at a meeting with leaders of the provinces of Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Henan, Shandong and Sichuan, as quoted by Xinhua news agency. (ANI)

The Queen is dead. Long live the King

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By Bhagirath Yogi in London

On Monday, 19th September, hundreds of global leaders including US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and Japanese Emperor Naruhito attendedthe state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Foreign Minister Dr Narayan Khadka was also present representing Nepal.

Queen Elizabeth’s coffin was buried near the coffins of her late husband and other members of the royal family at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle  amidst a private ceremony on Monday evening. She passed away peacefully on September 8th at the Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Prince Charles was promptly proclaimed as new King of the United Kingdom. Tens of thousands of people paid their respects as the body of late Queen was lying in state at the Westminster Hall in central London.

An era comes to an end

The death of the longest reigning monarch in the British history was bound to create a big void in the national psyche. Though the British got a new monarch without much hassle, the void left behind by the death of the 96-year-old monarch, who reigned for 70 years, will be difficult to fill in, if not impossible.

“To all the people of England, all the people of the United Kingdom, our hearts go out to you and you were fortunate to have had her for 70 years. We all were,” said US President Joe Biden after arriving in London during the weekend.

Like the rest of the world, Britain has changed a lot over the last 70 years. When Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne in 1952, Britain was the third largest economy in the world. But, lately its former colony, India, has superseded it by pushing the UK to the sixth position. According to The Economist,  in 1953, of 50.6 million people in Britain, only 8 million were 60 or older- a ratio of 2.7 to one. The population since has grown to 67 million, and aged. The ratio of young to old is 1.4 and falling.

“Britain is living through times of great change. After a succession of crises – Brexit, Covid-19, partygate, four prime ministers in six years – now one of the last symbols of stability is gone with the passing of Queen Elizabeth II,” commented The Guardian newspaper.

For King Charles III, keeping the country with much more racial and cultural diversity unified would be one of the major challenges. But, Ravi Jung Lamichhane, a London-based businessman and philanthropist who queued for up to 13 hours on Sunday to pay his respect to the late Queen, said he saw people of all ages, colours, from all corners of the UK and abroad queuing up to pay their respect to the late monarch. “Even those who could not stand in the line for so long came to show their solidarity towards us. It was quite heartening,’’ he added.

Queen Elizabeth’s legacy

Analysts say Queen Elizabeth’s main legacy has been her devotion to the nation and people and her sense of duty. She resumed her public duties days after her husband, Prince Philip, died last year. “Queen Elizabeth was a constitutional monarch, not a political leader with real powers, and one who was required to serve an ever-changing set of realms, peoples, institutions, and ideas that were no longer as obviously compatible as they had been when she ascended to the throne. The Queen’s great achievement was to honor the commitment she made to an imperial nation and its empire as a princess even as it became a multiethnic state and a Commonwealth ,” wrote Tom McTague in The Atlantic magazine.

Even in the late nineties, she would enjoy cutting ribbons, meeting people from all walks of life and chatting with them. “Not only people from the UK and Commonwealth, I have the feeling that people from across the world loved and respected her,” said Lachhya Gurung, a former Gurkha and former Deputy Mayor of London Borough of Barnet.

Two Queen’s Gurkha (QG) Captains always stood behind the Queen and her ADC during the investiture ceremonies. “She was so sympathetic and spoke with her subjects and visitors with love, warmth and empathy,’ said a former QG, who has been promoted as a Gurkha Major and did not want to give his name. Tens of Thousands of Gurkhas fought for the Crown in theaters of war around the world, many of them winning VCs and other bravery awards. Thousands of them died.

Nepal-UK relations span for more than 200 years. The UK is one of the largest development partners of Nepal. From infrastructure to policing, energy and girls education, British aid has helped Nepal’s development endeavours.

The secret of royal popularity

So, what is the secret of the popularity of a monarch who doesn’t have any political powers? ‘He who loses support of the people is king no longer,’ wrote Aristotle more than two millennia ago. Making the institution relevant will be the greatest test of the British monarchy, which has been changing to a great extent along with the changing times.

‘I have seen Queen Elizabeth II as the monarch since I arrived in the UK more than four decades ago,” said Dr Raghav Dhital, OBE. “But, I have noted that the monarchy has always tried to feel the people’s pulse and behave accordingly.”

King Charles, the longest waiting monarch-to-be, knows where exactly the shoe pinches. Divorce with his first wife, Princes Diana, in 1996 and her death in a car crash in Paris a year later were one of the greatest challenges for the British monarchy in modern times. Wounds may not have healed completely as seen by the awkward relationship between Prince Harry, his wife Meghan and other royals. But besides keeping his family together, King Charles III would also need to keep the fabric of the nation together. As British politicians continue to spar among themselves to locate Britain’s place in the world after Brexit, his job would be to keep nudging them from behind the curtain.  A tall order, indeed but not impossible. The Queen is dead, long live the King.

VIRENDRA SHARMA MP WARNS ABOUT RISK OF LOAN, PENSION AND INVESTMENT SCAMS

Posted on by SAT News Desk

London — As the cost-of-living increases, Virendra Sharma MP and the Financial Conduct Authority (the FCA) has warned people in Ealing Southall to be on guard against the risk of investment scams. On average, victims of pensions scams lose £75,000.

To help warn people about investment and pension fraud and how to spot a potential scam the FCA launched a national campaign called ScamSmart.

ScamSmart provides information on the most common investment and pension scams and loan fee fraud and tips on how people can protect themselves. In addition to the free guidance on ScamSmart, the FCA publishes warnings for consumers about unauthorised firms and has a helpful Warning List tool available so people can check if they suspect a scam.

Virendra Sharma MP is asking people to take the FCA’s advice to protect themselves against possible fraud, including taking the following steps:

  1. Reject unsolicited investment offers whether made online, on social media or over the phone. Be wary even if you initiated contact.
  2. Always check the FCA Register to make sure you’re dealing with an authorised firm and check the FCA Warning List of firms to avoid.
  3. Only use the telephone number and email address on the FCA Register, not the contact details the firm gives you and look out for subtle differences.
  4. Consider seeking impartial advice before investing.

“Scams ruin lives, stealing people’s confidence as well as their hard-earned savings. As inflation bites, there is always the temptation to look for higher returns. But it is important as you look at investments that can help provide security for you and your family that you take steps to protect yourselves.” MP  Sharma said.

Nepal exports power worth Rs. 7.20 billion in four months

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Kathmandu— In the second month of the current fiscal year 2022/23, electricity worth Rs. 2.42 billion has been exported to India.

Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) exported 246.5 million units of surplus electricity in the Nepali month of Bhadra and earned Rs. 2.42 billion.

The Authority started selling the surplus electricity during the rainy season through competition in the day-ahead market of the Indian Energy Exchange Limited (IEX) from June 2, 2022, The Rising Nepal reports.

In the beginning, 39 megawatts of electricity produced by two power plants was considered as a source and was sold to IEX on a daily basis. Since then, from June 10, 2022, 364 megawatts of electricity produced by six hydropower plants has been sold daily in the Indian market at a competitive rate.

The Authority has earned Rs. 7.19 billion by selling 787.8 million units of electricity in the Indian market in four months (Jestha, Asar, Shrawa and Bhadra).

Since the electricity trade with India is done in Indian rupees, during the period of four months, around IRs 4. 49 billion has entered into Nepal from the sale of electricity.

In the month of Bhadra alone, IRs 1.51 billion has been earned from the sale of electricity.

NES estimates to export power worth Rs. 16 billion this fiscal year

Kul Man Ghising, managing director of NEA, said that the amount received from the increase in electricity export every month is contributing to the foreign exchange reserves of Nepal and reducing the trade deficit between the two countries.

He said, “In the current fiscal year, we have set a target of earning about Rs. 16 billion from the export of electricity. We estimate that electricity can be exported until the first week of Mangsir and when the export starts again after Jestha, the target will be met,” he said.

“Now that the festivals are about to start, the domestic consumption of electricity will decrease a bit when the factories are closed, but since our production will be at full capacity, we have sent a proposal for approval for the export of about 200 megawatts of electricity. We are confident that the Indian side will give approval for the export of more electricity soon.”

In IEX, 24 hours are divided into 96 blocks of 15 minutes each and electricity is traded at a competitive rate set by the market.

Therefore, the price of each block is different. The average rate of electricity exported by the Authority in Bhadra is Rs. 9.80 per unit. The average rate for four months is Rs. 9.23 per unit. ( TRN)

France, US hail Modi’s advice to Putin over Ukraine

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New York — Prime Minister Narendra Modi was hailed at the United Nations General Assembly for his message to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the Ukraine war, by the US and France at the UNGA meeting in New York.
On the sidelines of the SCO summit in Samarkand on September 16, PM Modi had said “today’s era isn’t of war” while emphasising the need to find ways to address the problems of food, fuel security and fertilizers.
France President Emmanuel Macron and US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Tuesday (local time) welcomed PM Modi’s statement to Putin on Ukraine.
“Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India was right when he said the time is not for war. It is not for revenge against the West, or for opposing the West against the east. It is the time for a collective time for our sovereign equal states. To cope together with challenges we face,” Macron said.
Sullivan in a White House statement said: “I think what Prime Minister Modi said — a statement of principle on behalf of what he believes is right and just — was very much welcomed by the United States and for the Indian leadership, which has longstanding relationships in Moscow, from the very top all the way through the Russian government, to continue to reinforce that message that now is the time for the war to end”.
Apart from the UNGA, PM Modi’s statement became popular and was praised by international media.
American network CNN praised PM Modi’s hold on world politics and reported, “Indian leader Narendra Modi tells Putin: Now is not the time for war.”
While another US publication The Washington Post’s headline was “Modi rebukes Putin over the war in Ukraine”. “India’s Leader Tells Putin That Now Is Not an Era for War,” The New York Times said in its headline. It was the lead story on the webpage of both The Washington Post and The New York Times.
Meanwhile, Russian President Putin had said that he knows about India’s position on the Ukraine conflict.
“I know about your position on the Ukraine conflict. I know about your concerns. We want all of this to end as soon as possible,” Putin said.
“But the other party, the leadership of Ukraine has claimed… that they refuse to engage in the negotiation process. They said they want to achieve their objectives, as they say, on the battlefield militarily. We will keep you abreast of everything that is happening over there,” he added.
“The rare reproach showed the 69-year-old Russian strongman coming under extraordinary pressure from all sides,” the Post said.
Putin said that relations between Russia and India are in the nature of a privileged strategic partnership and continue to develop very rapidly. (ANI)

Girls lagging behind boys in math

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Around the world, girls are falling behind boys in mathematics, with sexism and gender stereotypes among the root causes, according to a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report published on Wednesday.

The report finds that boys have up to 1.3 times the odds of obtaining mathematics skills than girls. Negative gender norms and stereotypes often held by teachers, parents, and peers regarding girls’ innate inability to understand mathematics are contributing to the disparity.

This also undermines girls’ self-confidence, setting them up for failure, says the report, “Solving the equation: Helping girls and boys learn mathematics,” which features new data analyses covering more than 100 countries and territories.

“Girls have an equal ability to learn mathematics as boys. What they lack is an equal opportunity to acquire these critical skills,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell in a press release concerning the report. “We need to dispel the gender stereotypes and norms that hold girls back, and do more to help every child learn the foundational skills they need to succeed in school and in life.”

An analysis of data from 34 low- and middle-income countries featured in the report shows that while girls lag behind boys, three quarters of schoolchildren in Grade 4 are not obtaining foundational numeracy skills. Data from 79 middle- and high-income countries show more than a third of 15-year-old schoolchildren have yet to achieve minimum proficiency in mathematics.

Household wealth is also a determining factor. The report notes that schoolchildren from the richest households have 1.8 times the odds of acquiring numeracy skills by the time they reach fourth grade than children from the poorest households. Children who attend early childhood education and care programs have up to 2.8 times the odds of achieving minimum proficiency in mathematics by the age of 15 than those who do not.

The report also notes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has likely further exacerbated children’s mathematics abilities. Moreover, these analyses focus on girls and boys who are currently in school. In countries where girls are more likely to be out of school than boys, the overall disparities in mathematics proficiency are most likely even wider.

UNICEF calls on governments to commit to reaching all children with quality education. It calls for new effort and investment to re-enroll and retain all children in school, to increase access to remedial and catchup learning, to support teachers and give them the tools they need, and to make sure that schools provide a safe and supportive environment so all children are ready to learn.

“With the learning of an entire generation of children at risk, this is not the time for empty promises. To transform education for every child, we need action and we need it now,” said Russell.
– Xinhua

 

Nepal PM Deuba wishes Indian PM Modi on his 72nd birthday

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KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba of Nepal has extended his greetings to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 72nd birthday on Saturday.

“On the occasion of your birthday, best wishes for good health and long life, Prime Minister @narendramodi. May Shri Pashupatinath always protect you,” tweeted Deuba.

Recently in May, PM Modi made an official visit to Nepal where the two leaders held bilateral talks in Lumbini.

Both the leaders participated in the foundation stone laying ceremony for the construction of a Centre of Buddhist Culture and Heritage in Lumbini.

Prior to this, PM Modi visited the Maya Devi Temple. He was accompanied by PM Deuba and his spouse Arzu Rana Deuba.

The PMs paid their respects at the Marker Stone inside the temple premises, which pinpoints the exact birth spot of Lord Buddha. They attended the pooja conducted as per Buddhist rituals.

The two Prime Ministers also lit lamps near the Ashoka Pillar located adjacent to the temple.

Thereafter, the two Prime Ministers watered the Bodhi tree sapling from Bodh Gaya which was gifted by PM Modi to Lumbini in 2014 and also signed the temple’s visitor’s book.

As Prime Minister, this was his fifth visit to Nepal and first to Lumbini.

Prior to this, in April PM Modi and his Nepalese counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba met in New Delhi to launch multiple initiatives as well as signing four crucial agreements in multiple domains.

The two countries signed agreements on Nepal becoming the 105th member of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), technical cooperation in railways, supply of petroleum products and sharing of technical expertise in the petroleum sector between Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL) and Nepal Oil Corporation Ltd. (NOC).

The two Prime Ministers also witnessed the launch of the first passenger train service between India’s Jayanagar and Nepal’s Kurtha, the hand-over of the Solu corridor transmission project by India to Nepal and the progress of the construction of 132 health facilities across 10 districts in Nepal under a Government of India (GoI) grant.

The two countries announced the launch of the Indian RuPay card in Nepal, with the domestic variant of the RuPay card (roughly 83 per cent of all RuPay cards issued) to be functional on about 1400 Point of Sale (POS) machines in Nepal.

The move makes Nepal the fourth country outside India where RuPay is functional after Bhutan, Singapore and UAE.

The inaugurated Jaynagar-Kurtha railway section is part of the Jaynagar-Bijalpura-Bardibas rail link being constructed with grant assistance of INR 548 crore from the Government of India. It is a 35 km rail section, 3 km of which lies in the Indian state of Bihar and the rest in Nepal.

The project is the first broad-gauge passenger rail link between the two countries, opening an entirely new dimension for cross-border connectivity. Till 2014, this was an existing rail service on a metre-gauge rail link between Jaynagar and Janakpur.The Solu Corridor 132 kV power transmission line and substation project is one of the major projects in Nepal undertaken under the Government of India’s Line of Credit (LoC). The 90 km 132 kV Double Circuit line connects the remote Solukhumbu, Khotang and Okhaldhunga districts of North Eastern Nepal with Nepal’s national electricity grid.

After its operationalization, the transmission line will bring electricity from existing and upcoming hydro projects in the area into the national grid, and also supply power into the rural electrification networks of nearby districts. The project is expected to be crucial for the socio-economic development in the rural part of Nepal, in addition to contributing to Nepal’s overall economic and industrial development.

Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba also held wide-ranging deliberations with PM Modi on various topics including cooperation in the power sector, railway projects, flood control programs, as well as the border dispute between the two countries.(ANI)

22 killed in Nepal landslides

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Kathmandu —  At least 22 people were killed and five others missing in landslides overnight in Nepal’s Achham district, a local official said on Sunday.

Incessant rainfalls from Friday morning triggered landslides during the night, which swept away houses in three different parts of the district in far-western Nepal.

“The rescue teams have recovered the dead bodies of 17 people and rescued 11 injured people from the scenes,” Min Raj Acharya, an official from the district, told Xinhua.

“The search for five missing people is ongoing,” he added, noting that the army and the police have been mobilized for the rescue operations.

Of the injured, three were in serious condition and they have been airlifted for treatment in the neighboring province, Acharya said.

As a mountainous country, Nepal is prone to natural disasters like landslides and flash floods during the monsoon season.
UNI/XINHUA PRT

Nepal Foreign Minister Dr. Khadka arrived London to attend the State Funeral of the Queen

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London — Minister for Foreign Affairs from Nepal Dr. Narayan Khadka has arrived in London on Saturday to attend the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.

He was welcomed by Special Representative of the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Ambassador of Nepal to the United Kingdom Gyan Chandra Acharya and Embassy officials welcomed him at VIP Suite of Heathrow Airport.

Foreign Minister Dr Khadka is scheduled to attend the Lying-in-State of Her Majesty the Queen at Westminster Hall, sign the Official Condolence Book at Lancaster House andattend His Majesty the King’s Reception at Buckingham Palace today.

One of the longest standing friendship between Nepal and Britain was established since in 1816. The British Gurkhas is an important feature of the friendship between the two countries.
The Gurkhas’ service in the British army officially started on 24 April 1815. The Royal Family, including the Queen, were present to celebrate 200 years of the Gurkhas’ service to the UK in London in 2015.

Government of Nepal has already declared three days of National mourning for the Queen.

The Queen’s funeral will take place on Monday at Westminster Abbey, with around 400 leaders from all over the world set to arrive in London to pay their respects.

As well as leaders and dignitaries, hundreds of key workers and volunteers have been invited to the proceedings, which will mark one of the most historic events to ever happen in many peoples’ lifetimes.

US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron are among the most high-profile guests from overseas who have confirmed they will be attending.

Xi Jinping, Putin congratulates India on SCO presidency next year, extend full support

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SAMARKAND — During the meeting of the expanded circle of the Heads of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated India for the SCO Presidency next year in 2023.

“I congratulate India for hosting the SCO next year,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a statement during the summit. He further extended his support towards India and it’s presidency of SCO next year.

“We will support India for its presidency next year” the Chinese president said in SCO.

Uzbekistan is the current chair of SCO 2022 whereas India will be the next chair of the SCO for the year 2023.

Meanwhile, Russian President, Vladimir Putin, also congratulated India for assuming the presidency for the following year.

Earlier, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev welcomed PM Modi to the Congress Centre in Samarkand for the 22nd SCO Summit. T

his is the first in-person SCO Summit after the Covid pandemic hit the world.

The last in-person SCO Heads of State Summit was held in Bishkek in June 2019.

The SCO currently comprises eight Member States (China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan), four Observer States interested in acceding to full membership (Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia) and six “Dialogue Partners” (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey).

The Shanghai Five, formed in 1996, became the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in 2001 with the inclusion of Uzbekistan.

With India and Pakistan entering the grouping in 2017 and the decision to admit Tehran as a full member in 2021, SCO became one of the largest multilateral organizations, accounting for nearly 30 percent of the global GDP and 40 percent of the world’s population.

SCO has potential in various new sectors, wherein all the member-states could find converging interests.

India has already pushed hard for cooperation in Startups and Innovation, Science and Technology and Traditional Medicine.

From the time of its full membership, India made sincere efforts to encourage peace, prosperity, and stability of the whole Eurasian region in general and SCO member countries in particular. (ANI)

Nepal records 13K dengue cases so far

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KATHMANDU: The number of people suffering from dengue has reached more than 13,000 in the country.

The bulletin of the Epidemiology and Diseases Control Division has said 13,700 persons had contracted dengue.

The country has recorded the death of 13 persons caused by dengue so far.

Dengue is caused by the bite of aedes aegypti and aedes albopictus species of mosquito which is active, especially at dawn and dusk.

Gautam Adani becomes second richest man in the world: Report

Posted on by SAT News Desk

New Delhi — Billionaire tycoon Gautam Adani has now become the world’s second richest man, replacing Bernard Arnault by a whisker on the Forbes list. The Adani Group chairman’s net worth now stands at $155.5 billion ( ₹12.37 lakh crore).

According to the Forbes Real Time Billionaires List, Adani’s net worth rose by $5.2 billion, a hike of 3.49 per cent. He is narrowly ahead of French tycoon Bernard Arnault and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Tesla founder Elon Musk continues to occupy the top position in the rich list.

In the top 10 list, Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani is the second Indian with a net worth of $92.2 billion. The other billionaires in the top ten list include Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, Warren Buffett, Larry Page and Sergey Brin.

On 30 August, Adani had surpassed Louis Vitton boss Arnault to become the world’s third richest man. It was the first instance when an Asian was ranked among the top three billionaires.

The Adani Group’s kitchen essentials firm Adani Wilmar Ltd is now scouting for local and overseas acquisition targets to boost its food operations business, Bloomberg reported. The company’s chief executive officer and managing director Angshu Mallick told Bloomberg that the company is looking to acquire brands in staple foods and distribution companies to boost its consumer goods offering and reach.

Adani Wilmar has earmarked ₹500 crore from its initial public offering for the purchases. The additional funding will be sourced from internal accruals and the 30 billion rupees of planned capital expenditure for next year starting April, he said. The food company’s shares have more than tripled since its $486 million debut in February.

The announcement comes after Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries announced its foray into FMCG business through its subsidiary Reliance Retail in August. ( From : The Hindustan Times )