Page 18 - Nepal

Nepal appoints new Foreign Minister, PM Prachanda to visit India soon

According to some media reports, Prachanda is now planning to visit India by mid May, instead of April as planned earlier

Nepal Prez urges people to rise above petty issues for political stability

Nepal President Ramchandra Poudel on Friday urged the people to rise above petty interests and maintain communal harmony to ensure political stability in the Himalayan nation. In a message issued on the occasion of the 1st day of Baishakh, the President said that "there is a need to develop a culture where labour is honoured by ending pessimistic feelings and maintain good governance and political stability in the country." His message comes amidst differences among the ruling coalition on several fronts. Poudel urged the people to be committed to building a strong and prosperous Nepal as the country celebrated the New Year according to the Bikram Era on Friday. Nepal on Friday observed New Year 2080 as per the Bikram era which is an ancient calendar being celebrated in the name of Indian King Bikramaditya. We should rise above partisan petty interests and keep national integrity and communal harmony and promote brotherhood, the president said. The first day of the New Year, also

4.1-magnitude earthquake jolts Western Nepal, no casualty reported

A 4.1-magnitude earthquake jolted Western Nepal on Tuesday, officials said. The earthquake, with epicentre at Baluwa area of Gorkha district, 140 km west of Kathmandu, hit the region at 6:50 pm local time, according to the National Seismological Centre, Kathmandu. The quake measuring 4.1-magnitude was also felt in neighbouring Lamjung and Tanhu districts as well, according to the officials . However, there were no immediate reports of any damage or casualty in the incident. A great earthquake hit the Gorkha district of Nepal in 2015. The devastating earthquake of 7.8 magnitudes rocked Nepal, killing nearly 9,000 people and wounding nearly 22,000 others. It also damaged over 800,000 houses and school buildings.

Nepal reports first Covid-related death in three months, logs 106 new cases

Nepal on Tuesday reported the first COVID-19-related death in the last three months and detected 106 new cases of the virus in the past 24 hours, a week after the Himalayan nation confirmed the detection of the new Omicron variant "XBB1.16". The country-wide death toll reached 12,021 with the addition of the lone death, The Ministry of Health and Population said during its regular briefing on Tuesday. The country confirmed 74 positive cases from the 476 Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) tests done in the past 24 hours. The ministry also said that out of the 1,960 Antigen tests conducted, 32 people were infected with SARS-CoV-2. A total of 48 recoveries were also recorded during the same period. Currently, there are 469 active COVID-19 cases across the country. Nepal on April 3 confirmed the detection of a new Omicron variant of COVID-19 identified as "XBB1.16". The Ministry said it cautioned its citizens after the XBB1.6 variant's detection, which has been identified a

Nepal, India to sign cross-border digital payments deal to boost trade

The accord will allow Indian tourists in Nepal to make digital payments using Indian e-wallets like BharatPe, PhonePe, Google Pay and Paytm

Nepal, China meeting silent over BRI, GSI; other projects discussed

Nepal and China had signed the BRI agreement some six years ago but it has failed to make any tangible progress

Chinese labourers comprises highest number of work permit holders in Nepal

Nepal has issued a total of 10,000 work permits to foreign labourers, with China comprising the highest number of such workers at 7,500, a media report said on Monday. A large number of Chinese nationals are working in Nepal because the country has the highest number of Chinese projects that are in operation, Gorkhapatra, a state-run daily, reported. "Currently there are 10,000 foreign labourers on work permit in Nepal and out of it those from China are the highest at 7,500," the report said, citing sources from the country's Department of Labour. Due to the lack of skilled labourers in big projects being operated in Nepal foreign labourers are fulfilling the demand. The United Kingdom ranks second in sending a large number of foreign labourers to work in Nepal with 488 labourers. "This is followed by USA with 332 labourers, 240 from South Korea, 230 from India, 190 from Japan, 116 from Australia, 113 from Sri Lanka, 98 from Germany, 82 from Italy, 79 each from France and Philippi

Nepal-India railway line from Jaynagar to Kurtha completes 1 year

The first broad-gauge passenger railway service connecting Bihar's Jaynagar with Kurtha in Nepal's Janakpur city completed a year of operation and is running profitably, a media report said on Tuesday. The 35-kilometre railway line started its commercial operation on April 3, 2022, and has been making two round trips between its destinations daily, The Rising Nepal newspaper said. It was virtually inaugurated last year by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his then-Nepalese counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba. The Jaynagar-Kurtha section is 35 km long and 3 km of which lies in Bihar and the rest in Nepal. It is part of the Jaynagar-Bijalpura-Bardibas rail link, executed with grant assistance of Rs 548 crore from India. According to the report, the rail service started operations last year after remaining closed for more than a decade. We were worried about whether we would get passengers or be able to make a profit, General Manager of Nepal Railway Company Limited (NRCL), Niranjan Kumar

Around 1 mn children above 5 years deprived of Covid vaccines in Nepal

Around one million children, above five years of age, have not received even a single dose of the vaccine in Nepal, The Kathmandu Post reported citing the country's Ministry of Health and Population

New variant of Covid-19's Omicron detected in Nepal: Health Ministry

Nepal on Monday confirmed the detection of a new Omicron variant of COVID-19 identified as "XBB1.16" and said that at least 10 out of 24 latest samples of patients across the country have tested positive for the new strain. Nepal's Ministry of Health and Population said it has cautioned its citizens after the detection of XBB1.6 variant, which has been identified and spreading in neighbouring India. "A new variant of Omicron XBB1.16', spreading in the neighbouring country India, has also been detected in Nepal. So far 10 of the 24 samples tested by the Health Ministry have been confirmed," Dr Sameer Kumar Adhikari, deputy spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population, said. According to the ministry, to identify the molecular genetic changes in COVID-19, 24 PCR, and antigen-positive samples were collected in March at the National Public Health Laboratory through random sampling. Of the 24 samples collected, two tested positive for BA.1.1, two for BA. 2, and one for BA. 2.7

Nepal seeks to sign electricity deal with India during Prachanda's visit

Nepal is keen to sign a 25-year agreement with India on selling its surplus power to the neighbouring country during Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda's expected visit to New Delhi. Though the official date of Prachanda's visit to India is yet to be announced, the Kathmandu Post newspaper, quoting Nepali officials, reported on Sunday that the prime minister is likely to travel to New Delhi after the second week of April. However, the two sides have yet to announce the dates, it said. We are preparing a proposal for the Indian side on the 25-year agreement. But a lot also depends on whether the Indian side agrees to include our proposal in the agenda, the report quoted a senior official at the energy ministry as saying. Dinesh Ghimire, secretary at the ministry, said the issue of the long-term inter-governmental agreement was under discussion at the ministry but was yet to be forwarded to Nepal's foreign ministry to make it an agenda item ahead of the prime minister's ...

Earthquake of 5.2 magnitude on Richter scale jolts Nepal, epicentre at Suri

A moderate intensity earthquake was recorded with its epicentre at Suri in the Dolakha district of Nepal on Saturday morning. The earthquake of 5.2 magnitude was recorded at 11.27 am in Dolakha, 180 km east of Kathmandu, according to the National Seismological Centre here. The tremor was also experienced in neighbouring Okhaldhunga, Ramechhap, Sindhupal Chowk, and Nuwakot districts as well as the Kathmandu Valley. However, there were no immediate reports of any damage or human casualty from the earthquake. Earlier, an earthquake measuring 4.2 magnitude was recorded at 3.19 am on Saturday with the epicentre at Gorkha district, 130 km west of Kathmandu. In April 2015, a devastating earthquake of 7.8 magnitudes rocked Nepal, killing nearly 9,000 people and wounding nearly 22,000 others. It also damaged over 800,000 houses and school buildings.

Nepal, China to resume two-way trade via key border points from today

'We have agreed to have full operation of Rasuwagadhi/Kerung exit and entry point for two-way trade and people to people movement from April 1,' Secretary Marasini told

Nepal's PM to expand cabinet, Congress to get key ministerial portfolios

The cabinet will acquire full shape as per the understanding reached among the partners in Nepal's ten-party ruling alliance

Dept of Immigration, Nepal govt issues alert for fugitive Amritpal Singh

DG Adhikari said that all passengers who wanted to go abroad using Nepal's airport would be screened at the airport so that Amritpal cannot flee

Amritpal likely in Nepal, India asks not to let him to flee to 3rd country

Nepal on Monday put fugitive radical preacher Amritpal Singh, who is believed to be hiding in the country, on its surveillance list after India requested it not to allow him to flee to a third country and arrest him if he attempts to escape using an Indian passport or any other fake passport. The Department of Immigration has put Singh on its surveillance list following a request from the Indian Embassy here, officials said. "We have received a written note along with a copy of his passport from the (Indian) embassy suspecting that Amritpal Singh might have entered Nepal," said Kamal Prasad Pandey, the Information Officer at the Department. "The Indian Embassy has sent the note asking the Department to put Singh, a member of a separatist group, on the surveillance list," Pandey said. It was suspected that he had entered Nepal and was hiding somewhere around. There was no immediate confirmation about the letter from the Indian mission here. Earlier, the Kathmandu Post newspaper ..

DGCA seeks details from Nepal authorities on AI, Nepal Airlines incident

Aviation regulator DGCA has sought details from the Nepal authorities regarding the incident of an Air India and a Nepal Airlines aircraft coming close to a mid-air collision, according to a senior official. On Friday morning, a Nepal Airlines plane coming to Kathmandu from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and an Air India plane coming to Kathmandu from New Delhi almost collided. Authorities on Sunday said warning systems alerted the pilots whose timely action prevented the disaster. A senior DGCA official on Sunday said details are being obtained from the Nepal authorities on the airprox incident. Air India has submitted a report about the incident to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Nepal authorities do not have jurisdiction over Indian pilots. Pending further details, the crew of Air India involved in the incident was being off-rostered, the official added. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has written a letter to DGCA to conduct an investigation into the ma

Air India, Nepal Airlines aircraft almost collided; 2 controllers suspended

A major tragedy was averted on Friday when an Air India and a Nepal Airlines aircraft came close to collision mid-air but the warning systems alerted the pilots whose timely action prevented the disaster, authorities said here on Sunday. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has suspended two employees of the air traffic controller department for "carelessness", according to CAAN spokesperson Jagannath Niroula. On Friday morning, a Nepal Airlines plane coming to Kathmandu from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and an Air India plane coming to Kathmandu from New Delhi almost collided. The Air India aircraft was descending from 19,000 ft while the Nepal Airlines aircraft was flying at an altitude of 15,000 ft at the same location, Niroula said. After it was shown on the radar that the two aircraft were in proximity, the Nepal Airlines aircraft descended to 7,000 ft, the spokesperson said. The Civil Aviation Authority has formed a three-member probe committee to investigate the matter.

Nepal's population reaches 29.1 mn, PM Prachanda hails census data

Nepal's total population has reached more than 29.1 million, according to the latest census published on Friday, registering a growth of 0.92 per cent in a decade. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', launching the National Report of the National Census 2022 here, said that the census data have emerged as tools for promoting good governance and measuring the nation's progress towards the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs). According to the data published by the Central Bureau of Statistics, out of the 29,164,578 people in Nepal, 14,911,027 are females, while the number of males 14,253,551. At the time of the previous census, the country's total population stood at 26,494,504. According to the report, the population has increased at the rate of 0.92 percent in the last 10 years. The Census would provide a guideline to monitor and evaluate Nepal's commitments on the international forum about demography and its development, and the goals of national developm

President Droupadi Murmu speaks to Nepal counterpart Ram Chandra Paudel

President Droupadi Murmu on Friday spoke to her Nepalese counterpart Ram Chandra Paudel and congratulated him on assuming the top office. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said both presidents noted the unique and multifaceted bilateral relations and discussed ways to further strengthen the strong bonds of friendship between the two countries. President Murmu, who is presently on tour in Kerala, called up Paudel and congratulated him on assuming the office of the President of Nepal, the MEA said. "Both Presidents noted the unique and multifaceted relations between India and Nepal. They also discussed ways to further advance bilateral cooperation and strengthen the strong bonds of friendship between the peoples of our two countries," the MEA said. "The President expressed confidence that under the guidance of President Paudel, India-Nepal bilateral relations would reach even greater heights," it said. Paudel took the oath of office and secrecy as Nepal's third president on Mar