Probe panel formed to look into activities of children’s homes

Kathmandu, December 31

The government has formed a five-member investigation commission led by former high court chief judge Hari Babu Bhattarai to probe the activities of Bal Mandir (Nepal Children’s Organisation) and children’s homes.

A notice published by the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens in the Nepal Gazette yesterday said the panel was formed in accordance with Section 3 (2) of the Commissions of Inquiry Act-1969.

“If the Government of Nepal is of the opinion that it is necessary to appoint a commission for the purpose of making an inquiry into any matter of public importance, it may appoint such a commission,” reads the act.

Members of the commission include two child rights experts and two joint secretaries from the Ministry of Home Affairs and MoWCSC. The notice stated that the commission was given three months time to complete the investigation and submit report, along with recommendations to reform Bal Mandir and action against its officials, if any, found to have involved in embezzlement of the state fund and other unauthorised activities.

The MoWCSC has determined the scope of the commission to ensure that it doesn’t deviate from its track. “The commission shall study the organisational propriety of Bal Mandir and children’s home, their policy provisions, structural arrangements and need for necessary reforms,” read the notice.

It also requires the commission to investigate into various decisions taken by the Kathmandu-based central office of Bal Mandir and its district offices in the past, to ascertain whether they were consistent with the prevailing laws and policy provisions or not.

“If the officials of Bal Mandir and district-based children’s homes are found to have made any decision contrary to the laws in force, the commission shall recommend the MoWCSC to initiate legal or departmental action against them,” read the notice.

In addition, the commission has been told to conduct inquiry into the use and management of land, buildings and other physical assets of Bal Mandir and children’s homes. The commission will also investigate into the activities carried out by Bal Mandir and children’s homes in the past to evaluate how effective they were for the protection and management of needy children entitled to the government facilities.

Office of the commission is situated in the MoWCSC, which will be provided with necessary budget through the Ministry of Finance. Director of Bal Mandir Balkrishna Dangol was arrested on August 14 for his alleged involvement in child trafficking. He had assisted a British woman Dina Smith in ‘buying’ a Nepali baby girl at Rs 450,000 and for obtaining fake documents to claim the baby as her own. Kathmandu District Court had remanded him to judicial custody. This was revealed after Smith was held by immigration office at Tribhuvan International Airport while trying to leave Nepal with the infant in the first week of August.

Naxal-based Bal Mandir was established in 1964 for the protection of orphans, helpless, abandoned and unclaimed children.

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EDITORIAL: Start admission

It is frustrating to see a large number of students returning from abroad unable to pass the Nepal Medical Council exams

The wrangling between the government and promoters of private medical colleges over the excessive fees charged by the latter has cost both of them very dear, what with Nepali students joining foreign medical colleges by the drove. This has happened largely because of the delay in admission to the bachelor level courses in medicine and dentistry this year, which should have been completed by October. Had the admissions taken place as in the previous years, students would have been weeks into the course. This year more than 700 students have gone abroad for the MBBS and BDS courses, and many more could be joining them in countries like China, Bangladesh, Pakistan and the Philippines, among others. Given the expenses involved in studying medicine, it is a colossal drain on the country’s foreign exchange earnings. According to the Nepal Medical Council, 478 students had gone abroad to study medicine in 2016 and a similar number in the following years. There are about 20 medical colleges, affiliated mostly to Tribhuvan University and Kathmandu University. Most of them are run by the private sector.

While the growth of medical colleges should have been a cause for celebration, as Nepal is no longer dependent on foreign countries to train its doctors and nurses, the growing commercialisation of medical education has been unnerving for both the parents and the government. In their wild pursuit of making a quick buck by targeting solely those who can pay, quality in education has been largely compromised. So the government last year capped the fees for the MBBS undergraduate course at Rs 3.85 million in the Kathmandu Valley and Rs 4.24 million outside. For this fiscal, the fee for the MBBS course has been revised to Rs 4.02 million for Nepali students in Kathmandu’s medical colleges and to Rs 4.44 million for colleges outside the capital. The medical colleges have, however, been objecting to this provision and demanding they be allowed to charge more and also admit more students in both medicine and dental faculties. The private colleges have refused to reimburse the extra fees already charged from students, despite their pledge to do so.

It is an irony that students should have to opt for foreign medical colleges when there are institutes galore in the country. Their education is going to cost a fortune, but there is no guarantee that they will return home with the knowledge and skills required to treat the sick. It is frustrating to see a large number of students returning from abroad unable to pass the Nepal Medical Council exams required to practise medicine in the country. The medical colleges must abide by the Medical Education Act and the decision of the Cabinet last year regarding the fees and scholarships. By delaying the admissions for this year, maybe the colleges are thinking they are piling pressure on the government, with the belief that it will blink first. The government must, however, not yield to undue pressure. Hopefully, the colleges will see reason and start admission at the earliest. Any delay in admission will only hinder the timely completion of the undergraduate courses, which take five-and-a-half years to finish.

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VNY 2020 begins

The much touted Visit Nepal Year (VNY) 2020 has begun from today, and various events related to it will be held throughout the year. The VNY secretariat said all preparations for the gala have been completed. President Bidhya Devi Bhandari is all set to inaugurate the VNY2020 today at the newly-renovated Dashrath Stadium to be attended by the who’s who. VNY 2020 will also be officially launched in all the seven provinces simultaneously.

The main objective of the event is to make the world known that Nepal is one of the most popular tourist destinations and also to inform that Nepal is a suitable country for foreign direct investment. The government has set a target of attracting two million foreign tourists in the year 2020, which will also help achieve the goal of building a “Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali”. It has also set a target of declaring the coming decade as tourism decade within six months to give a boost to the economy. However, merely making slogans is not enough. We also need to upgrade our infrastructure and complete our tourism-related projects such as the Gautam Buddha Airport on time so that more and more tourists can arrive via air without much hassle. Our goal should be to make our guests happy with the best of services.

 

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Time for a currency symbol: Matter of national identity

An interesting fact: Seventeen out of the 20 most traded currencies in the world have a strike in their symbol, the remaining three do not have a proper symbol. Even Bitcoin has two partial strikes

When it is a question of money, everyone is of the same religion – these beautiful nuggets of wisdom by Voltaire unveil the strength of money above everything. Most of the monies are represented through recognisable signs throughout the world, which are called currency symbols. A currency symbol is a graphic symbol used as shorthand for a currency’s name, especially in reference to amounts of money. We all know what they mean, and have some idea of the value of what they represent. But how did these famous currency symbols get their shapes, and why is it important to symbolise them?

Illustration: Ratna Sagar Shrestha/THT

Older currency symbols have evolved slowly, often from previous currencies. The dollar and peso symbols originated from the mark employed to denote the Spanish real de a ocho, whereas the pound and lira symbols evolved from an L standing for libra, a Roman pound of silver. Newly invented currencies and currencies adopting new symbols have symbolism closer to their adopter. The added centre bar in the real sign is meant to symbolise stability. The new Indian rupee sign is a stylised combination of Latin and Devanagari letters.

Perhaps the most recognisable money symbol in the world, the dollar, has a pretty great story. The dollar can be traced back to Spain in the late 18th century. ‘Ps’ was the abbreviation used to represent the Spanish peso. A popular theory is that the S came to be written over the top of the P, creating what we now recognise as the dollar sign $. The pound symbol £, which most often signifies the British pound sterling, comes directly from a capital L for Libra. Libra in Latin means scales or balances, and was a basic unit of weight in the Roman Empire.

The Euro, €, is a baby, as far as historical currencies and their symbols are concerned. The Euro was launched on January 1, 1999, and the full currency takeover took place in 2002, with 14 billion banknotes and 52 billion coins produced and distributed all over the world. The Euro symbol was inspired by the Greek letter epsilon (ϵ), a reference to the cradle of European civilisation. It also stands for the first letter of the word ‘Europe’ in the Latin alphabet, while the two parallel lines running through the symbol signify stability.

In 2009, the Indian government aimed to raise the status of its currency, the rupee, by assigning it a currency symbol. The symbol represents the historical and cultural ethos of the country. The design is based on the Indian tricolor.

When writing currency amounts, the location of the symbol varies by currency. Many currencies in the English-speaking world and Latin America place it before the amount. In many European countries such as France, Germany, Greece, and the Scandinavian countries, the symbol is usually placed after the amount. However, placing the currency symbol before the amount is widely practiced.

Needless to say, money is power and power is important. Important things need an easy and universal way of communication to reach us all, especially to those whose lives depend on the €, the ¥ and the $. Every nation has a symbol of its own. A fine example is a country’s flag. Almost every religion, culture, deity, language or group of people has a symbol or two or even more. We just are not familiar with all of them because they either don’t come into play in our lives.

There is a reason why some countries in Europe and nations like USA, Canada and China have currency symbols, and some other countries don’t. The countries mentioned above are powerful and are key players in the world’s economic forum. These countries are the major players in international trade and have an important say in regional/global economic systems.

An interesting fact: Seventeen out of the 20 most traded currencies in the world have a strike in their symbol, the remaining three do not have a proper symbol. Even Bitcoin has two partial strikes in their symbol.

The Nepali currency is a matter of our pride and national identity. The rupee has a currency code, NPR, but it does not have a currency symbol. Since Nepal now has political stability, it’s gradually marching towards economic development. As the Nepali economy grows, the Nepali rupee is expected to be more stable and stronger. The time is ripe to assign a separate identity to its symbol as a step ahead towards an economic revolution.

Nepal is ranked 109th out of 140 countries, according to the 2018 edition of the Global Competitiveness Report published by the World Economic Forum. Competitiveness rank of Nepal averaged 115.42 from 2007 until 2018, reaching an all-time high of 130 in 2011 and a record low of 100 in 2016.

Introducing a new symbol into computers is a challenging task. This is because there has to be a world-wide agreement about how to display that new symbol.  Adding new symbols to computerised character systems is a long, labourious process. The new symbol has to go through an approval process at several technical conferences and has to be decided if there is room on a given language code set to add the new symbol. The new standard has to be approved by the technical working groups, and then the fonts updated to display the symbol correctly.

Despite all the inevitable hassles, it’s the right time to think about introducing our own currency symbol for the Nepali rupee.

Kandel is a Senior Chartered Accountant

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Nepal Police to keep record of landlords, tenants

Kathmandu, December 31

In a bid to control criminal activities, the Ministry of Home Affairs today directed police to collect information from households about people, organisations or businesses that own or have rented houses, apartments or rooms, across major city areas in Kathmandu valley.

Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa during a security meeting with the ministry’s secretariat and head of security agencies, directed them to keep record of people living in rented properties.

As most of the illegal activities either by a single person or a group are found to be conducted by the persons living in rented rooms, it is important to maintain their records.

“Illegal activities like theft, robbery, swindling, banking fraud, cyber crime, sexual offense, are on the rise threatening peace and good governance,” states a press release issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

As per the direction, landlords and tenants, both are required to submit valid documents to reveal tenant’s identity, type of business or organisations they are running or they are associated with. Police are also directed to collect required information from the tenants.

The ministr y’s move comes in the wake of recent arrest of 122 Chinese nationals, who were found involved in illegal cyber activities, by renting homes across the capital city.

Police had arrested the Chinese nationals from nine rented houses in Manmaiju, Bansbari and Budhanilkantha.

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Visit Nepal 2020 kicks off today

Kathmandu, December 31

The much-awaited Visit Nepal 2020 campaign will kick off tomorrow with the aim of creating a buzz about the country’s tourism sector across the world.

During a special function to be held at Dasharath Stadium tomorrow, President Bidya Devi Bhandari is scheduled to officially announce the commencement of the mega tourism campaign. The third of its type tourism campaign, being held after 2011, primarily intends to glorify Nepal as a tourism hub, especially among visiting international tourists.

Hundreds of foreign delegates, including tourism ministers from India, China, Myanmar and Jamaica arrived today to participate in the inaugural ceremony. Around 40 media houses from across the world have also sent mediapersons to cover the inaugural ceremony of the national campaign.

To make the VN 2020 campaign successful, the government has introduced new destinations, organised national and international sales missions and appointed brand ambassadors for the event while the private sector has offered discount packages for the year-long campaign.

The event is being supervised by the VN 2020 campaign secretariat under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation in association with Nepal Tourism Board. Targeting to go beyond the regular products, MoCTCA has introduced 100 new tourist destinations. The ministry had conducted meetings with more than 100 governmental and non-governmental organisations requesting their support to promote this campaign in their respective areas.

Although the VN 2020 promotion has created quite a buzz within the country, the government is yet to put in the required effort to promote the campaign in the international market, said Vinayak Shah, first vice-president of Hotel Association Nepal. “We have enough potential to bring in high-end tourists, but we are still lagging behind in attracting such tourists due to lack of proper tourism infrastructure,” he said. “Moreover, we also have very limited areas where tourists can spend.”

Tourism Minister Yogesh Bhattarai said VN 2020 would be the base year for the next one decade. The government is preparing to announce tourism decade from 2021. “The year 2020 alone is not enough for the development we want in tourism sector,” he said. “Tourism decade will be celebrated to bring about a massive change in the tourism industry.”

He added that the VN 2020 was a public campaign where every single Nepali had to chip in to make it successful.

Amidst this, the government has signed an agreement with the Non-Resident Nepali Association to promote the campaign in foreign countries. In cooperation with NRNA, the government is holding ‘Send one foreign friend to visit Nepal’ campaign. The government has also appointed international celebrities as brand ambassadors of the campaign.

The VN 2020 secretariat announced it would organise several grand events in 2020, including Nepal India China Expo, Mustang Trail Race, Everest Marathon, Otaku Jatra, Sustainable Summits Conference, World Trails Conference, the Great Karnali Quest and Kathmandu Triennale.

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Protesters burn security post at US Embassy in Iraq; Pentagon sending additional troops to region

BAGHDAD/WASHINGTON: Protesters angry about US air strikes on Iraq hurled stones and torched a security post at the US Embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday, setting off a confrontation with guards and prompting the United States to send additional troops to the Middle East.

The protests, led by Iranian-backed militias, posed a new foreign policy challenge for US President Donald Trump, who faces re-election in 2020. He threatened to retaliate against Iran.

The State Department said diplomatic personnel inside were safe and there were no plans to evacuate them.

Embassy guards used stun grenades and tear gas to repel protesters, who stormed and burned the security post at the entrance but did not breach the main compound.

The Pentagon said that in addition to Marines sent to protect embassy personnel, about 750 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division were being sent to the Middle East and that additional troops were prepared to deploy over the next several days.

“This deployment is an appropriate and precautionary action taken in response to increased threat levels against US personnel and facilities, such as we witnessed in Baghdad today,” US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in a statement.

US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the 750 troops would initially be based out of Kuwait. The officials said that as many as 4,000 troops could be sent to the region in the coming days if needed.

More than 5,000 US troops are stationed in Iraq supporting local forces.

The unprecedented attack on an American diplomatic mission in Iraq marked a sharp escalation of the proxy conflict between the United States and Iran – both influential players in the country – and plunged US relations with Iraq to their worst level in years.

The United States and its allies invaded Iraq in 2003 and ousted Saddam Hussein. But political stability has been elusive.

Trump, on a two-week working vacation in Palm Beach, Florida, spoke by phone to Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi of Iraq. “President Trump emphasized the need to protect United States personnel and facilities in Iraq,” the White House said.

Trump accused Iran of orchestrating the violence.

“Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat,” Trump said in a tweet.

Iran, under severe economic duress from punishing US sanctions put in place by Trump, denied responsibility.

“America has the surprising audacity of attributing to Iran the protests of the Iraqi people against (Washington’s) savage killing of at least 25 Iraqis,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said.

The embassy incident came seven years after the 2012 attack by armed militants on the US diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, that resulted in the death of the US ambassador and three other Americans and led to multiple congressional investigations.

TENSIONS OVER AIR STRIKES

The protests followed US air strikes on Sunday on bases operated by the Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah inside Iraq, which killed at least 25 fighters and wounded 55. The strikes were retaliation for the killing of a US civilian contractor in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base, which Washington blamed on Kataib Hezbollah.

“Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will,” Trump said in a tweet. “Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the US Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible.”

Democrats upset that Trump ditched the Iran nuclear deal negotiated by Democratic President Barack Obama in 2015 were quick to pounce on the incident as a failure of Trump’s Iran policy.

“The predictable result of the Trump administration’s reckless bluster, escalation and miscalculation in the Middle East is that we are now hurtling closer to an unauthorized war with Iran that the American people do not support,” said US Senator Tom Udall, a Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The protesters, joined briefly by Iranian-backed Shi’ite Muslim militia leaders, threw stones at the embassy gate, while others chanted: “No, no, America! No, no, Trump!”

Iraqi special forces prevented protesters entering, later reinforced by US-trained Iraqi Counter Terrorism forces.

The embassy has been hit by sporadic but non-lethal rocket fire in recent months, and was regularly shelled following the US-led invasion of 2003, but had not been physically attacked by demonstrators in that way before.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told CBS News that US officials never contemplated evacuating the embassy and had kept the heat on Iraqi officials to ensure the compound was safe.

“We reminded them throughout the day of their continued responsibility,” he said.

The Popular Mobilisation Forces, an umbrella grouping of the militias that have been officially integrated into Iraq’s armed forces, said 62 militiamen and civilians were wounded by the tear gas and stun grenades fired to disperse the crowd.

A Reuters witness saw blood on the face of one wounded militiaman and on the stomach of the other as their colleagues carried them away.

Iraqis have been taking to the streets in the thousands almost daily to condemn, among other things, militias such as Kataib Hezbollah and their Iranian patrons that support Abdul Mahdi’s government.

Kataib Hezbollah is one of the smallest but most potent of the Iranian-backed militias. Its flags were hung on the fence surrounding the embassy.

 

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Arrest absconding mill operator: Govt

Kathmandu, December 31

The Ministry of Home Affairs has ordered Nepal Police to arrest a sugar mill operator who is allegedly absconding without clearing a large amount of dues to sugarcane farmers.

The MoHA said it directed Nepal Police Headquarters in writing to find the whereabouts of Rakesh Kumar Agrawal, operator of Annapurna Sugar and General Industries Pvt Ltd, and Indira Sugar and Agro Industries Pvt Ltd and produce him before the Industrial and Investment Promotion Division of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies at the earliest. The directive was issued last evening. The MoHA has termed Agrawal an absconder.

Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Development Ghanashyam Bhusal said Annapurna Sugar Mill owes sugarcane farmers around Rs 500 million, which he had not paid for the past three years.

Sugarcane farmers staging a protest demanding payments sugar mill owners owe them, at Maitighar Mandala, in Kathmandu, on Tuesday, December 31, 2019. Photo: THT

The order of the MoHA comes in the wake of continuous protest from sugarcane farmers, who have come to the capital from across the country to pressure the government for the recovery of their hard-earned money.

Sugarcane farmers have been staging protest in Maitighar Mandala for the past few days, alleging that sugar mills, such as Annapurna and others, had not cleared around Rs 1.5 billion they owed farmers.

Earlier yesterday, Industry, Commerce, Labour and Consumer Interest Committee of the House of Representatives had also directed the government to address demands of sugarcane farmers without delay, while asking the MoHA to initiate action against sugar mill operators who had not cleared victims’ dues.

Deputy Inspector General Shailesh Thapa Kshetri, who is also a spokesperson for Nepal Police, said the security agency alerted the concerned police units to act as per the line ministry’s order. “We are not sure about the whereabouts of Agrawal, but we’ll arrest him within a few days if he has not left the country.”

READ ALSO:

• NC for early clearance of dues

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NC for early clearance of dues

KATHMANDU: The main opposition Nepali Congress on Tuesday highlighted injustice meted out to sugarcane farmers.

“The denial of payment to sugarcane farmers by sugar mill operators for long adds to their suffering. It is unfortunate that poor farmers don’t get what is due to them despite agreements inked with sugar mill operators in the presence of government authorities,” read a press release issued by the NC.

The party added that it was shameful on the part of the government to remain a mute spectator to the suffering and undignified treatment of farmers.

It demanded that the government address the concerns of farmers.

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House held hostage to NCP indecision

• Today’s meeting won’t be held
• Parliament deferred till Jan 12
• Critics say delay in electing speaker ‘betrayal of constitution’Roshan S Nepal

Kathmandu, December 31

Indecision on the part of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) today forced deferral of the meeting of the House of Representatives for the second time, with constitution experts terming the situation a ‘betrayal of the constitution’.

The HoR meeting, slated for tomorrow, was postponed till January 12 after a meeting between NCP Co-chairs KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamala Dahal this morning failed to agree on the election of a new speaker. The post has remained vacant since the arrest of Krishna Bahadur Mahara on the charge of attempt to rape.

Earlier, the meeting was postponed on December 27 until January 1. The Bill Session kicked off on December 20.

With the HoR held hostage to NCP indecision, constitution expert Bhimarjun Acharya blamed the deferral on political parties treating the Parliament and the constitution as their ‘puppets’.

Acharya said the constitution had clearly put in place due procedure on vacating and appointment of speaker and deputy speaker. Once the post falls vacant, it is the House’s fundamental responsibility to make appointment at the earliest possible.

“This is the House’s mandate and power. However, the House has not been allowed to discharge its responsibility because political command has prevailed over the constitution and the Parliament,” Acharya told THT. “This is a betrayal of the constitution.”

Acharya also said the trend would ultimately put the constitution and the system in jeopardy. “The constitution not only has legal authority, but also moral authority,” he said. “The moral authority depends on the conduct of political parties. Here, the parties are treating the constitution and the Parliament as their puppets.”

Moreover, failure to elect a new speaker has affected regular House proceedings. There are more than 40 bills awaiting House approval.

There are also around five crucial bills, including the Police Personnel Adjustment Bill, that have already been approved by the House, but are awaiting the speaker’s certification to be forwarded to the president for authentication.

The House has not been able to conduct regular proceedings on the ground that the constitution does not allow the deputy speaker to discharge speaker’s duties except presiding over the House meetings.

However, constitution expert Bipin Adhikari termed it as ‘conservative interpretation of the constitution’ and said the House should not have been halted just because the speaker’s election is pending.

According to Adhikari, since the constitution allows the deputy speaker to preside over HoR proceedings in the absence of speaker, the incumbent becomes the presiding officer of the House. And as per the House norms and global trend, it is the presiding officer that takes the decision, he added.

Stating that it was not necessary for the constitution or law to mention everything explicitly, Adhikari said the charter allowing the deputy speaker to preside over the HoR proceedings was enough to empower the deputy speaker to discharge the speaker’s duties as the presiding officer of the House.

“The deputy speaker not being allowed to do so means not accepting the incumbent. If so, why do we need a deputy speaker?” questioned Adhikari. “On the one hand, we offer the deputy speaker all the facilities, remuneration and security, and on the other we say the incumbent cannot take decisions. This is not coherent.”

Adhikari argued that since the speaker’s post was not an executive post as the prime minister’s, the incumbent had to agree to what the House decided, there was nothing wrong in the deputy speaker discharging the speaker’s role in the latter’s absence.

Adhikari blamed the conservative interpretation of the constitution on parties’ narrow-minded attitude not to empower the deputy speaker, who, as per the constitutional provision, came from a party other than the ruling party.

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NHRC demands justice for farmers

Kathmandu, December 31

The National Human Rights Commission has written to the Government of Nepal, asking it to provide the rights body with information about the action taken by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development and Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies for disbursement of subsidy to sugarcane farmers. A press released issued by the NHRC today said it was concerned about the inaction of the government against sugar mill operators who had not cleared dues of the farmers.

Hundreds of sugarcane farmers from Sarlahi, Rautahat and Nawalparasi, have been staging protest in Kathmandu to exert pressure to the government for recovery of their outstanding dues from the sugar mill operators.

NHRC said its team had been holding discussion with the officials of concerned ministries of Province 2, sugarcane farmers and sugar mill owners for justice to the victims.

“The farmers, who are dependent on sugarcane farming, have been denied their fundamental rights to earn and enjoy benefit through investment,” the NHRC said. It reminded the government about the provisions stipulated in the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights-2011, which requires the state to protect farmers from business-related human rights abuse through judicial, administrative, legislative or other appropriate measures and provide the victims access to effective remedy.

According to the guiding principles, unless the state takes appropriate steps to investigate, punish and redress business-related human rights abuses, the state’s duty to protect its citizens can be rendered weak or even meaningless.

The NHRC has urged the government, sugar mills and all concerned parties to resolve the problem facing the sugarcane farmers and protect their fundamental and human rights.

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World welcomes 2020, but celebrations shadowed by wildfires, protests, Korea tensions

SYDNEY/HONG KONG/LONDON: The world celebrated the New Year on Wednesday with fireworks displays from Sydney to London, although celebrations were clouded by deadly wildfires in Australia, protests in Hong Kong and India and new nuclear tensions with North Korea.

Large crowds gathered in European capitals for spectacular fireworks displays that lit up the skies over landmarks like Big Ben in London, the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, the Parthenon in Athens and the Kremlin in Moscow.

In Australia, a million revellers thronged Sydney harbour and nearby districts to watch more than 100,000 fireworks explode above the city, even as thousands of people along the country’s eastern seaboard sought refuge from the bushfires on beaches.

Thousands in Hong Kong welcomed 2020 on neon-lit promenades in the picturesque Victoria Harbour, breaking into pro-democracy chants shortly after the countdown to midnight.

Hong Kong authorities cancelled the main midnight fireworks display for the first time in a decade, citing security concerns. A “Symphony of Lights” took place instead, involving projections on the city’s tallest skyscrapers, while smaller-scale pyrotechnics were launched from waterfront rooftops.

In Japan, people took turns striking Buddhist temple bells, in accordance with tradition

Sydney decided to press ahead with its fireworks despite calls by some members of the public for the display to be cancelled in solidarity with fire-hit areas in New South Wales, of which the city is the capital.

Sydney Mayor Clover Moore said planning had begun 15 months ago and that the event also gave a boost to the economy.

Some towns in eastern Australia cancelled their New Year’s celebrations as naval vessels and military helicopters helped firefighters rescue people fleeing the fires, which have turned swathes of New South Wales into a raging furnace.

The fires have killed at least 11 people since October, two of them overnight into Tuesday, destroyed more than 4 million hectares (10 million acres) and left many towns and rural areas without electricity or mobile coverage.

Elsewhere, revellers from Auckland, New Zealand, to Pyongyang, the capital of isolated North Korea, welcomed the new year with fireworks displays.

But amid the celebrations of a new year and decade, old tensions threatened to flare up. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Wednesday his country would keep developing nuclear programmes and introduce a “new strategic weapon” in the near future, after the United States missed a year-end deadline to restart denuclearisation talks.

PROTESTS, BREXIT

In Hong Kong, rocked by months of sometimes violent pro-democracy demonstrations, protesters were urged to wear masks at a New Year rally called “Don’t forget 2019 – Persist in 2020,” according to social media posts.

Some 6,000 police were deployed and Hong Kong’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, appealed for calm and reconciliation in her New Year’s Eve video message.

The protests began in June in response to a now-withdrawn bill that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China, where courts are controlled by the Communist Party, and have evolved into a broader pro-democracy movement.

Thousands of Indians ushered in the year by demonstrating against a citizenship law they say will discriminate against Muslims and chip away at India’s secular constitution.

The demonstrations came despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attempts to dampen protests that have run for nearly three weeks.

Irshad Alam, a 25-year-old resident of the Shaheen Bagh area of New Delhi, stood with his 1-year-old child in his arms and his wife by his side. He said he had been participating in the protest every day.

“It’s freezing here,” he said. “But we are still here because we care about this movement.”

More than three years after the UK voted to leave the European Union, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, fresh from winning a parliamentary majority in last month’s election, promised in his New Year’s message to “get Brexit done before the end of this month.”

“As we say goodbye to 2019, we can also turn the page on the division, rancour and uncertainty which has dominated public life and held us back for far too long,” Johnson added.

In New York, large crowds were gathering ahead of the annual New Year’s Eve ball drop over Times Square.

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LIBRA – January 1

Pace yourself. You have a lot to do and might not be in the mood for a lot of people. Understanding evolves through time spent with a close friend.

Tonight: Know when to call it a night.

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TAURUS – January 1

You prove to be unstoppable. Your sense of direction could toss your plans into chaos, when a special invitation teases your imagination. Follow through on your heartfelt desires. Be willing to choose a new adventure.

Tonight: The world is your oyster.

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SCORPIO – January 1

Indulge your imagination more often. A loved one or child will relish the fun. You come up with some doozies that will not be forgotten, and they will be a delight to play out. Go with the flow.

Tonight: Be yourself.

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VIRGO – January 1

You cannot help but respond to loved ones who seem more open than they have for a long time. A suggestion might be excellent, but it needs some fine-tuning. You can do just that.

Tonight: Make the most of the moment.

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SAGITTARIUS – January 1

Listen to feedback. You might want to express your thoughts to a family member who is very responsive to your ideas. Together you come up with solutions — great solutions.

Tonight: Make it simple.

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CANCER– January 1

Let others express their organizational talents. You are too much into daydreaming and thinking about an upcoming adventure. Do not forget to call an older relative. He or she will be delighted to hear from you. This person has news for you!

Tonight: Kick back.

 

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AQUARIUS – January 1

Try to separate financial costs from what is happening. You could find that another party is making a mistake, especially if counting your change. Think positive.

Tonight: Slow down and get some much-needed rest.

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CAPRICORN – January 1

You are personality-plus, with the added touch of an imagination that can get out of control. You certainly come up with unusual ideas. How you handle them, and whether you act on them, depends on you.

Tonight: Start with your thank-you’s.

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GEMINI – January 1

You seem more willing than usual to have a serious conversation. As you face a change within an important relationship, you see a new pathway. Do not be fearful. Your sense of direction and ability to ground yourself will carry you through any hassles.

Tonight: Let the games go on.

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PISCES – January 1

Use this day well. You might not be sure of the best way to handle a provocative situation. Ignoring it might be the easiest, but in the long run, not the best.

Tonight: Note how easy handling a problem can be!

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ARIES – January 1

You spring into action on the first day of the year. It appears that you are about to accomplish a resolution or two almost immediately. Get past confusion if possible. A loved one admires your energy and commitment.

Tonight: A must appearance.

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LEO – January 1

Do not test others. Rather, give them the space to float and daydream. If you have a need to be efficient, so be it. You can accomplish a lion’s share of the work. A loved one would prefer your attention. He or she will let you know.

Tonight: Go with the flow.

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‘MCC insespensible for Nepal’s physical infrastructure development’

 Kathmandu, 31 December : Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali has said that the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) compact agreement signed by the government of Nepal with the US government should not be described in a critical framework.

Talking to media men,  Minister Gyawali said that MCC was supportive to translate our national aspirations of ‘Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali’ adding that some light comments to be made without the objective analysis of the MCC projects and their contributions to Nepal’s infrastructure development and prosperity would affect the nation’s broader interests. He expressed confident that the Winter Session of the Parliament would endorse the MCC as it has been already registered there.

He said that Nepal government was committed to troubleshoot the border dispute with India through diplomatic channel. He added preparations were ongoing to hold talks with India over the same issue, as response of Nepal’s diplomatic note has been received from India. He declined to share the contents . “Its contents cannot be made public. We will have formal dialogue at the earliest,” he shared.

People’s News Monitoring Service

NKorea pulls out of women’s 2020 soccer qualifiers in South

North Korea has withdrawn its women’s soccer team from the final round of 2020 Tokyo Olympics qualifiers being staged in South Korea in February, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has said.

The AFC said on Tuesday the North had sent a letter informing it of its withdrawal from the tournament and that global governing body FIFA was also aware of the decision.

The two Koreas remain technically at war after the Korean War ended in a truce and not a peace treaty, and while there was a flurry of sports diplomacy between the neighbours last year ties have again cooled over stalled negotiations over the North’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

“The AFC can confirm that DPR Korea Football Association sent an official letter to withdraw from the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament 2020 Asian Qualifiers Final Round,” the AFC said in an emailed statement.

The third round of group stage matches for the qualifying tournament will be held from Feb. 3-9 in South Korea and China.

North Korea were drawn in Group A alongside hosts South Korea, Vietnam and Myanmar. Australia are in Group B with hosts China, Taiwan and Thailand.

The top two teams from each group advance to a two-legged playoff in March. The two playoff winners will join Japan, who have already qualified by virtue of being hosts, at next year’s Olympics in Tokyo.

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EDITORIAL: Draconian bill

The parliamentary panel should have held wider consultations with the stakeholders before endorsing it with majority vote

Democracy will die in the absence of freedom of expression or opinion. This notion holds true in an emerging democracy like Nepal, where the people had to sacrifice their lives for decades for democracy and freedom of speech. Considering the importance of freedom of speech, the 1990 Constitution had also guaranteed the freedom of speech by clearly saying no press shall be seized simply for publishing any material or nobody shall be prosecuted for raising voices against the government or authorities. The same provision has also been incorporated in the new constitution, guaranteeing the right to speech, either through print or electronic media, which has gained momentum, thanks to rapid growth of information technology. Numerous online outlets are operating across the country, enjoying the freedom of speech fully guaranteed by the constitution. Although some of the contents in some media outlets are not up to the minimum standard and do not follow media ethics while criticising the powers that be, their right to expression cannot be curtailed in the guise of disciplining them. Let the public decide whether the contents carried by various media outlets are worth believing. The public will disown them outright if they are not trustworthy.

However, instead of putting trust in the public, the government is hell bent on controlling the free flow of information the people rightly deserve. The parliamentary Development and Technology Committee on Sunday endorsed the Information Technology Bill with majority vote despite strong reservation by the main opposition, the Nepali Congress. If the bill is passed as it is by the full House of the Federal Parliament, it will work like the Sword of Damocles hanging over everybody’s head opposed to the people in power. The bill has proposed severe penalty for offence against the state, computer hacking and cyber bullying. The bill has a provision of a fine not exceeding Rs 1.5 million or a jail term not exceeding five years, or both, for posting content on social networking sites that pose a threat to the country’s sovereignty, security, unity or harmony. The panel has also proposed imposing a fine of up to Rs 50,000 or six-month jail term, or both, on those found guilty of cyber bullying.

The panel has brought about some changes in the original bill on cyber bullying though it is also very harsh. The original bill, tabled by the government, had proposed punishing a person found guilty of cyber bullying with a fine not exceeding Rs 1 million or a jail term not exceeding five years, or both. But it increased the jail term from one year to three years for those found guilty of deleting or interfering with information stored in somebody’s computer. But the bill has failed to define what constitutes ‘cyber bullying’ and ‘offence against the state’. These vague terms can be grossly misused or misinterpreted by the authorities concerned. The lawmakers from the ruling parties should have held wider consultations with the stakeholders and the public before endorsing it, whose sole objective seems to be to control the social networking sites that are highly critical of the establishment. No bill should be passed in haste that may call for regret in leisure.

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Pay the farmers

Will the government give a hearing to the plight of the cane farmers who have not been paid by the sugar mills? Since their protests in the provinces for months have fallen on deaf ears, they are now in the capital, hoping the government will listen to them and swing into action. The crushing season is about to start, but the farmers have not been paid for last year’s produce, some not even for the past few years. The different sugar mills owe the farmers a whopping Rs 1.5 billion in unsettled payments. The farmers have taken to cane farming by taking loans from the banks, and inability to get payments in time pushes them into a cycle of debt.

How can industry flourish in the country when producers of raw materials, namely farm produce, are given short shrift by the entrepreneurs and the government alike? Unlike the entrepreneurs, the farmers are not in a position to hobnob with those who enjoy power. Should the cane farmers decide to opt for a more lucrative crop, it could prove costly for the government as Nepal already imports billions of rupees worth of sugar annually. Perhaps, it is time the government rapped the mill owners before things get out of hand.

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Clearing trees at Nijgadh: Govt-community bonhomie needed

Either the government should have the teeth strong enough to calm down the opposition as in the case of Narita Airport in Japan or take the local population into confidence and complete the construction

The proposed international airport at Nijgadh is again in the news, perhaps for the umpteenth time now, and this time because of the Supreme Court’s order to stop the felling of trees. A few months back, the court in India had issued a similar order to halt the massacre of trees in Mumbai around Arey housing colony, which was being cleared for the parking of Mumbai Metro. This incident also reminds one of the Chipko Movement, launched by Sundar Lal Bahuguna in the Seventies in India by clinging to the trees.

The objective was to prevent the clearing of forests on the pretext of development hatched by money-mongering developers.

Illustration: Ratna Sagar Shrestha/THT

The reckless cutting of trees leads to massive deforestation, finally resulting in environmental degradation. Environmental degradation with population explosion and technological diffusion form a trinity, which will pose a grave problem in the new millennium, according to Paul Kennedy in his book entitled ‘Preparing for the Twenty-First Century’ that sold like hot cakes in the market when it hit the stands towards the end of the twentieth century.

The history of aircraft and airports goes back a long time. It is said that Kubera, the business tycoon, had a plane called Puspak, which was a kind of a pilotless aircraft, and it used to take direction as per the imagination of the passenger.

Rama is said to have come back to Ayodhya after victory over Ravana in glittery Lanka on this plane after Bibhishan, the newly-crowned king, presented it to Rama. Ravana, nasty as he was, is said to have snatched this plane from Kubera.

The east may have exotic stories of a mythical past, but modern aviation activity started from the west in Carolina, the United States, when the Wright brothers invented the aeroplane in the year 1903.

Interestingly, Rana prince and scientist Gehendra Shumsher had also made a model of a plane, machine gun, steam-run motor and cannon with the help of Tirtha Prasad and Muse Thapa during this time in Nepal.

But then Prime Minister Chandra Shumsher hatched a sinister conspiracy by serving slow poison to Gehendra Shumsher, banishing Tirtha Prasad from the country and putting Muse Thapa behind bars for seven years.

It was a huge setback for science, technology and innovation in the country, from which it has yet not been able to rise.

The planes and airports have changed beyond imagination to such an extent that it is difficult to believe they could take their present form, marked by grandioseness and gigantism. What started as a simple two-person carrier passenger plane, invented in 1914, has now transformed into a dizzy Boeing 777X Jet that can carry 384 passengers at a time.

Similarly, airports have been through six generations, beginning with a landing strip with passenger facilities provided in huts. Some of them can still be seen in Nepal, like the one in Jumla.

The sixth one is the big hangar terminal building type, such as the breathtaking international airport in Beijing, which was opened last September-end. It has been constructed to handle 72 million passengers per year by 2025, which will be almost three times the population of Nepal. Designed by the legendary lady architect, the late Zaha Hadid, it cost an astronomical $12 billion, which is about 40 per cent of Nepal’s GDP.

In Nepal, the national flag carrier, Royal Nepal Airlines, was established in 1957. The earliest airport was what is now known as Sanu Gaucharan, which is located near Gyaneswore in Kathmandu, before it moved to the present Tribhuvan International Airport. The Indian ambassador first landed in a Beechcraft Bonanza at this airport. Nepal has now about 50 airports, small and medium, dotted across the country. Nijgadh International Airport was mooted a long time back, but it is seeking to go the Melamchi way in view of the long time that it has taken for its take off.

Airports have been facing opposition during their construction in the past as well as in the present. A similar protest was launched back in the Seventies in Japan against the construction of Narita airport. The demonstrations turned violent, claiming the lives of three riot police. One young protester hanged himself. But the government accomplished the construction of the airport despite heavy demonstrations going side by side. More recently, a protest erupted in South Korea in connection with the construction of the airport on Jeju island.

The government had declared that the project was feasible, but the local community pointed at certain flaws in the project, which the Government had to ultimately accept. The government is now working with the community hand in glove and making all the activities transparent during its construction.

Experience thus shows that there are two ways to go ahead in the face of opposition in connection with the implementation of projects.

Either the government should have the teeth strong enough to calm down the opposition as in the case of Narita or take the local population into confidence and complete the construction. The first one does not seem to be possible in the present context of Nepal.

The government should win the hearts and minds of the community people by working in a spirit of bonhomie as well as brotherhood and move together to make it a reality.

 

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Colombo Plan: For education and class

During our student days, the Colombo Plan was the financial passport to higher studies. The Colombo Plan provided an escape from poverty for many. Those days there was no viable alternative to a good education for a career.

So many poor students pinned their hope on it, but few succeeded as you required excellent results in SLC as well as Intermediate. In hindsight, the plan was discriminatory as it gave preference to comparatively prosperous but less meritorious students from outside the Kathmandu Valley.

So, it was no surprise that an affluent college mate, a Sherpa, from Khumbu received a scholarship under the Colombo Plan to study MBBS. He was also smart as he hummed Cliff Richard’s ‘Lemon Tree’ all the time. To our surprise, he spoke English a lot. He had studied and completed his A-Level from a school run by Sir Edmund Hillary for the Sherpa children.

Years later, he recounted the downside of the Colombo Plan that had turned him into a gynaecologist against his will. He was too embarrassed to introduce himself as a doctor as, he added with great humour, the ladies in labour would faint at the sight of him. So he opted to man the emergency of a national hospital in Kathmandu. His line of speciality had no use in the ‘backward’ society then.

Earlier, another classmate, in SLC, pinned his hope on the Colombo plan to become a doctor. After the result, he despaired as he barely squeezed through the iron gate.

Many years later, I ran into him under the pipal tree at New Road. He looked prosperous and spoke with a crassness, almost crude, that people acquired after stumbling upon riches accidentally. In less than 15 minutes he recounted his success story, thanking providence for giving him third division in SLC.

He went to Pulchowk campus to train as an overseer on a monthly stipend. After completion, the government hired
him to work in a section of the East-West Highway project. It turned his life around as he received a windfall.

When we met years later, he told me he could no longer keep count of his staff and vehicles. At that time, he looked more like a dalal bereft of a class than a classy businessman. I remembered the days when he would evade his landlady for days, unable to pay the Rs 5 rent in arrears. I remember my parents telling me money cannot buy class. That is why proper education is so important. The Colombo Plan offered both.

 

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Nishikori out of Australian Open and ATP Cup with elbow injury

World number 13 Kei Nishikori has pulled out of next month’s Australian Open as he is yet to fully recover from right elbow surgery, tournament organisers announced on Monday.

The 30-year-old Japanese, who has not played since losing to Alex de Minaur in the third round of the US Open and underwent minor elbow surgery in October, will also miss the inaugural ATP Cup team event in Australia.

“Today, together with my team, we have made this decision as I’m still not 100% ready (or) healthy to compete at the highest level,” Nishikori said in a statement.

“This decision was not taken lightly as Australia is one of my favourite places to compete. Together with my team I will keep working hard to be back on court as soon as possible. Thanks for all the support.”

Nishikori is the latest high-profile men’s player to pull out of the season’s first Grand Slam following the withdrawal of Briton Andy Murray on Saturday.

Yoshihito Nishioka replaces Nishikori as Japan’s top-ranked player for the ATP Cup which begins on Friday. They face Spain, Georgia and Uruguay in Group B in Perth.

The Australian Open begins on Jan. 20.

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Pogba to return for Arsenal trip, agent rules out move

MANCHESTER: Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is set to return for their Premier League visit to Arsenal on New Year’s Day after sitting out Saturday’s 2-0 win over Burnley as a precaution, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said.

The France international returned from a long injury layoff as a substitute in a 2-0 defeat at Watford on Dec. 22 and played 45 minutes in the 4-1 win over Newcastle United on Boxing Day.

Pogba felt pain in his ankle after the Newcastle game but Solskjaer said the 26-year-old would be ready for Arsenal.

“He’s been out for a long while and he didn’t feel right,” Solskjaer told reporters. “When you’ve been out for such a while it’s always going to take time until you’re 100%.

“He wasn’t ready (to face Burnley) because he’s not really done too many games and he’s had two in a few days and he just needed another day’s recovery.”

Pogba has been repeatedly linked in the media with a move away from United but his agent Mino Raiola told Sky Sports on Monday that the midfielder would be staying at Old Trafford.

“Paul has always respected Manchester United just as Manchester United has also always respected Paul. And the only one that talks for Manchester United and for Paul is Ole…

“I go by what he (Solskjaer) says. He (Pogba) will not move, and that’s OK. We are good with them.

“As long as Paul is at Manchester United he wants to win trophies… he wants to give it 100 percent.

“Paul is struggling a little bit with his injury that we tried to resolve and I think that’s our main interest now.”

United midfielder Scott McTominay damaged knee ligaments in the win over Newcastle and Solskjaer said the 23-year-old could be out of action for about a month.

“I wouldn’t expect him to be back within a few weeks,” the Norwegian added. “I don’t know if it’s three or four weeks … We’ve just got to find a way through it.”

United’s win over Burnley lifted them to fifth in the table, while Arsenal dropped to 12th after losing to Chelsea on Sunday.

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Nepali migrant dies at workplace in Malaysia

Kathmandu, December 30

A Nepali migrant worker named Indra Prasad Bhattarai, 47, from Taplejung district was killed in Malaysia today after he fell into a meat-mincing machine in Malacca state, an official confirmed.

Bhishma Kumar Bhusal, director general of the Department of Foreign Employment, has confirmed that Bhattarai was killed while working in Malaysia. “We are coordinating with our Embassy in Malaysia to bring the body back.”

According to AFP, Bhattarai was working in a meat-processing factory, FB Food Industry, near Masjid Tanah in Malaysia when the incident occurred. “The victim was doing maintenance work with three other workers when suddenly the machine was turned on,” the AFP quoted a local authority as saying.

“The machine caught him at his waist. Because of his injuries, he died on the spot,” the local authority was quoted by AFP.

Moti Bahadur Shrees, deputy chief of mission at the Embassy of Nepal in Kuala Lumpur, said they were waiting for the post-mortem report from the local hospital. “After we receive the post-mortem report, we will begin the process of sending his body to Nepal as soon as possible.”

“We are in continuous contact with the Malaysian authorities concerned,” said Shrees, adding that as per the document presented by the deceased earlier at the embassy, he had reached Malaysia in 2016 on his own.

The Malaysian authority has said it took about 30 minutes to extricate Bhattarai’s body from the machine and that officials were still investigating the matter.

As per the data maintained by the Malaysian government, there are around 360,000 Nepali workers in Malaysia, with most of them doing security, construction and hospitality jobs.

According to the Foreign Employment Board under the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, 821 Nepali migrant workers lost their lives in various labour destinations in the last fiscal year. Among them, 289 migrant workers were killed in Malaysia.

According to the board, 251 Nepali migrant workers have been killed in the first four months of the ongoing fiscal.

Malaysia hosts nearly two million registered foreign workers, who flock to the Southeast Asian nation in search of better work prospects and higher pay than in their native countries.

 

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Admission delays force Nepalis to study abroad

Kathmandu, December 30

Delay in admission for MBBS and BDS courses in Nepal is forcing students to go abroad to study. This year over 700 students have gone abroad to study MBBS and BDS as Nepali medical institutions, which were supposed to finish enrolment process by October, did not do so.

Educationists and students say the number of Nepali students going abroad to study MBBS and BDS is likely to increase this year. According to a report of Nepal Medical Council, only 478 students had gone abroad in 2016 and the number didn’t exceed 500 in 2017 and 2018.

“More students are going abroad for medical education this year, as there has been a delay in admissions for medical studies,” an NMC member told THT on the condition of anonymity.

The authorities, however, said the admissions were likely to start soon. “Open house counselling for students will start next week. Admissions will be done immediately after completion of counselling,” said Dr Shree Krishna Giri, vice-chair of Medical Education Commission.

A student is normally given 35 days for admission after the open house counselling. “It took some time to decide on scholarships as provision of 75 per cent scholarships for medical students was included this year,” said Dr Giri.

The students who have passed their medical entrance tests have gone to Bangladesh, China, Pakistan, Philippines and many other countries for their medical studies, according to Nepal Medical Council.

Aagya Shree Aryal, a student who has passed her entrance tests opted to go to Bangladesh for her medical studies after admissions didn’t begin in Nepal.

“Instead of sitting here and waiting, I am going to Bangladesh. Even if I wait here, enrolment in a good college is not guaranteed. Deadline for admissions abroad will be over if I wait more,” Aryal said.

Many Nepali students who drop out after Plus Two to prepare for medical entrance tests do not want to wait more for fear of losing another academic year.

Since the admissions have not started yet, many students fear that they could lose another academic year.

A student who is going to Bangladesh this week told THT, “I have already spent a year for MBBS entrance examination. I don’t want to wait for another year.”

Another student said, “It is risky to stay here as you are unsure of getting admission quickly. I am already behind by one year, I don’t want to miss another year. Everything is so uncertain here. Even if I wait I can’t say what will happen tomorrow,” she said.

Even foreigners who have applied for admission in Nepali medical colleges share the same fate.

“It is stressful to live in such a condition when one can’t be sure of his/her studies. Being an Indian national I can apply in Indian medical colleges. Since I cleared the test here I am waiting for the admission here. I am in a dilemma whether I should go to India or keep waiting here,” said Tejal Kore, an Indian student.

For students who have decided to stay here they too feel that a lot of time has been wasted.

“A delay in admission will affect the completion of our courses on time. It adversely impacts our career later,” said another student.

 

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Government to send another letter to India to talk on border dispute

Kathmandu, 31 December: The government has decided to send another letter to India on the issue of Indian encroachment of Nepali territory in Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiuadhara.

The Foreign Ministry has proposed for a foreign secretary level bilateral meeting within January, 2020.

The secretary level meeting was proposed for July 2014, however, the meeting is yet to take place, reports Annapurna Post daily.

People’s News Monitoring Service

122 Chinese nationals will be deported

Kathmandu, 31 December: The Nepal government has decided to deport 122 Chinese nationals arrested in Nepal on the charge of violation of visa rule of the country.

The Home Ministry has decided to deport them to their concerned country on the charge of violation of visa rule.

Chinese nationals were arrested by the Nepal Police on the suspect of their possible involvement in financial crime in different part of China by staying in Nepal.

People’s News Monitoring Service

TAURUS – December 31

You prove to be unstoppable. You have a unique ability to manifest more of what you want at present. You might not always know when or how a desire becomes real, but it does. Be inspired when making your New Year’s resolution.

Tonight: Go for the moment.

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GEMINI – December 31

An older person might have some trouble letting you know what he or she is thinking. As a result, there is a nebulous quality that exists between you. Use your imagination — think of what it must be like to be this person.

Tonight: So many choices.

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ARIES – December 31

Even if you felt out of sync yesterday, you seem to be able to pull out of the discomfort. Nevertheless, you might opt for a more private 24 hours than you initially anticipated. Make the change OK.

Tonight: Surround yourself with inspiring people and music.

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SCORPIO – December 31

Zero in on a loved one who has all the items to greet 2020. Joining the celebration might be more meaningful than you imagine. You could be painting the town red before you know it.

Tonight: Play 2019 away.

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PISCES – December 31

This New Year’s Eve is yours to make the most of. Loosen up and get into the moment — even visit with that street person you always say “hi” to. Listen to what they share. Make it a point to share cheer and good wishes.

Tonight: The moment is now.

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LIBRA – December 31

You may want a less lively New Year’s celebration than in the recent past. Perhaps a sense of fatigue has worn you down this holiday season, and a little downtime might be in order. How you celebrate 2020 has little to do with how the year will be.

Tonight: Pace yourself.

 

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AQUARIUS – December 31

Use caution with last-minute details. In your excitement and enthusiasm, you could miscount your change. Slow down and you will be a lot happier. Listen to news, or perhaps some gossip, with a grain a salt.

Tonight: Start with a glass of bubblies.

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SAGITTARIUS – December 31

You could be too tired for your own good. If you notice that fatigue in you, slow down and take a nap. Be honest with yourself: Would you be more content hanging close to home?

Tonight: Where you feel most comfortable.

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CAPRICORN – December 31

Push hard to accomplish tasks. Your intuition will carry you through a problem with ease. You might want to join friends in the early afternoon before celebrations begin.

Tonight: Check in with a sibling or relative.

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VIRGO – December 31

Let others take the lead this New Year’s, whether the discussion is about plans or just a simple matter. Kick back and enjoy another person’s ideas. You might not always be as clear or agreeable as you could be.

Tonight: Defer to another person.

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CANCER – December 31

Emphasize what needs to happen. Honor a fast change involving plans and someone you deeply care about. How you see this person might be somewhat distorted. A discussion could enlighten you.

Tonight: A must appearance.

 

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LEO – December 31

You could be in a situation where you need to indulge a loved one. He or she might not be viewing a matter as you are, adding an element of distortion. Your sense of humor comes out to play in a conversation. Go along with a loved one’s thinking for now.

Tonight: Pull out all the stops.

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Mini Parliament passes controversial IT Bill

Kathmandu, 30 December : The Development and Technology Committee of the House of Representatives has passed the controversial Information Technology Bill ignoring the concerns of the main opposition and media organizations. The House Panel passed the bill without major changes curtailing freedom of speech online and increase surveillance of personal data.

The Bill proposes severe penalty for offence against state and computer hacking and provisions a fine of Rs. 1.5 million or jail term of five years or both, for posting content on social networking sites that may pose a threat to the country’s soverignty, security, unity or harmony.

People’s News Monitoring Service

India unilaterally constructing infra in Nepali territory

Kathmandu, 30 December: As residents of Byas Rural Municipality of Darchula have left their dwelling places owing to severe cold, Indian side has begun constructing physical infrastructure in the international border encroaching  Nepali territory. Having included Kalapani, Limpiyadhura and Lipulake area into its political map in November, India has unilaterally  started construction of  bridges and roads. India has built a wooden bridge in  Pelsiti of Byas Rural Municipality without taking consent from Nepal government. Affecting the natural flow of the Mahakali river, India has sped up road construction, reports Kantipur daily.

People’s News Monitoring Service

 

Man City see off Sheffield Utd but VAR questioned again

MANCHESTER: Manchester City got back to winning ways on Sunday with Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne on target in the second half as Pep Guardiola’s side beat Sheffield United 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium in a Premier League game which saw yet more VAR controversy.

It was another impressive performance from Chris Wilder’s promoted side, who were unbeaten away in the league, but in the end third-placed City’s sharpness in front of goal was decisive as Guardiola picked up his milestone 100th Premier League win.

His century was achieved in 134 games, a Premier League record that bettered Jose Mourinho’s 100 in 142 games.

United began strongly and looked to have grabbed the lead through Lys Mousett in the 28th minute but the goal was ruled out after a VAR review found the slimmest offside margin.

Moments later both sets of supporters expressed their opposition to the VAR system in a loud, united chant.

“Yet again we had another goal disallowed by VAR, that’s about eight or nine over the weekend, this is not a situation helping the game with the small margins,” said Wilder.

“But I will leave that for everyone else to talk about because I have said too much about it.”

Third-placed City, beaten 3-2 by Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday and now still 14 points behind runaway leaders Liverpool, finally went ahead in the 52nd minute through Aguero, who blasted the ball home after being slipped in by De Bruyne.

The United players argued furiously that the ball had struck referee Chris Kavanagh during the build-up and a drop ball should have been called but after a brief review the goal stood.

The images suggested Kavanagh merely obstructed a United player rather than made contact with the ball but Wilder said commonsense should have been used.

“We talk about the new rule where if the referee touches the ball then he has to blow up, so surely if he is in the way and hinders us then he makes a sensible decision,” said Wilder, whose side are eighth on 29 points after 20 games.

“If he made the sensible decision then I don’t think anyone in the ground would have said anything about it.”

City wrapped up the win, which leaves them a point behind second-placed Leicester City who have 42, in the 82nd, when De Bruyne drove home after a swift counter-attack by Riyad Mahrez.

“Today I realised, why Sheffield are in the position they are in the table and didn’t lose one game away,” said Guardiola.

“We had problems (but) in the second half we were much better and in these type of games if the first ‘goal’ was not offside it would have been very difficult. Fortunately we could score two goals and win.”

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