Here are some of the top stories from The Kathmandu Post (October 23, 2019).
The crimes Alam has been accused of are grave, but his party has little to say
Despite the arrest of party lawmaker Mohammad Aftab Alam for murder, the Nepali Congress has largely maintained a stony silence, except for incidental remarks saying that the guilty should be punished.
Instead, senior leaders have made irresponsible remarks regarding the arrest of Alam for a grisly mass murder that took place in Rautahat 12 years ago. Party President Sher Bahadur Deuba, earlier this week, described the arrest as a “conspiracy”, only retracting the statement after massive criticism. He has since said that the Congress will support an independent investigation into the case.
Valley locals are turning to gods to combat littering and urination
Just five years ago, Thapathali’s Panchayan Marg was a foul garbage dump—the entire road lined with stinking trash. Frustrated and disgusted, locals put up a sign that forbade throwing trash on the street, but to no avail. Then, they came up with an innovative idea. Carved marble images of various deities like Ganesh, Shiva, Laxmi, Saraswati, Bishnu and Bhagawati were placed on a wall along the entire road section. Now, the Panchayan Marg is free of trash, as no one dares disrespect the gods by throwing garbage in front of their images.
The use of images of gods and goddesses to dissuade people from urinating on walls or throwing garbage has been adopted by communities across the Valley. And it’s worked. Places that were once notorious for their ammonia stench of urine and garbage have turned pristine after the placement of gods staring sternly at any misbehaviour.
Nepal has been measuring Everest for two years, but China will join in announcing its new height
For the first time since Mount Everest was recognised as the highest peak in the world, Nepal has been working diligently for two years to measure the height of the mountain. But now that the process is almost complete, China will join in announcing the height of Everest, much to the surprise of officials at the Ministry of Land Reform and Management and the Survey Department.
During the recent state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Nepal and China agreed to recognise that “Mount Sagarmatha/Zhumulangma is an eternal symbol of the friendship between Nepal and China” and that they would “jointly announce the height of Mount Sagarmatha/Zhumulangma and conduct scientific researches”, according to the joint statement between the two countries.
Event organisers misuse names and photos of prominent people to promote Nepali shows in foreign countries
Nepali communities abroad have been organising various events using names of distinguished individuals and celebrities as chief guests without even seeking consent.
One such event has been reported in South Korea where organisers are promoting an award show with Anuradha Koirala, governor of Province 3, as the chief guest and Kul Man Ghising, managing director of Nepal Electricity Authority, as the special guest.
The aides to both Koirala and Ghising confirmed to the Post that they had no idea about the event.
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