Here are some of the top stories from The Kathmandu Post (September 25, 2019).
A blueprint for consolidating power: China exports Xi Jinping Thought to Nepal
China’s President Xi Jinping may be visiting Nepal next month, but his doctrine, widely known as Xi Jinping Thought, arrived a month earlier in Kathmandu, bundled as a two-day symposium for top leaders of the ruling party.
While the Nepal Communist Party has maintained that it wants to learn from China’s ruling party—particularly on functioning and discipline—the participation of around 200 leaders, including the party’s top brass and scores of Chinese officials, shows that there is more to this symposium than meets the eye.
Foreign policy analysts say that the Nepal ‘training’ is part of an exercise by Beijing to export its ideology, which goes hand-in-hand with the flexing of its financial and technological muscles across the world.
As neighbouring economies slump, tourists number could see a drop
Nepal may miss its target of two million tourist arrivals for Visit Nepal 2020 if the current economic slowdown in India and China persists in the quarters ahead.
The two neighbouring countries together account for almost one-third of total tourist arrivals into Nepal. Last year, Nepal welcomed 1.1 million foreign tourists, around 18 percent of whom were Indian nationals while Chinese tourists accounted for nearly 15 percent.
In Bardiya, even elected Dalit representatives face caste-based bigotry
Hari Prasad Pasi was elected as the chairman of Ward No. 9 in Gulariya Municipality during the local election held in 2017. During the election campaign, Pasi was committed to fighting for equality and publicly vowed to work against deeply rooted caste-based discrimination.
But things have not gone according to plan. Despite being the chairman of a local unit, Pasi, a Dalit himself, has been subjected to caste-based discrimination.
Players fail to rise to the occasion in SAFF U-18 Championship
Nepal defeated India 5-4 on penalties to win the SAFF U-19 football tournament which ended their 22-year title drought in a major international football event in 2015.
Bimal Thapa Magar, Ananta Tamang and Anjan Bista played starring roles and their value was evident by the fact that they have now cemented their place in the senior national team. Fast forward four years and another SAFF U-18 title in 2017 [renamed as U-18 event], Nepal hosted the SAFF U-18 Championship this month. But after an underwhelming performance on the field, Nepal crashed out of the group stage with a draw and a defeat. It was a below-par performance for the two-time champions.
Talks over funding modalities for Nalsing Gad project revive
Talks over development and funding modalities for the Nalsing Gad Storage Project in Jajarkot have revived with energy officials visiting Japan in hopes of securing funds and entering into an agreement with Japanese developers and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
A year ago, the Japanese lender had shown interest in funding the 410 megawatt project identified in 2001 as a scheme with strong economic indices and favourable technical aspects.
9.89°C Kathmandu
.jpg&w=900&height=601)
