Fri, Apr 19, 2024
18.12°C KathmanduNational
ICYMI: Here are our top stories from Saturday, January 11
Here are some of the stories from The Kathmandu Post (January 11, 2020)-(1).jpg&w=900&height=601)
bookmark
Post Report
Published at : January 11, 2020
Updated at : January 11, 2020 18:14
Kathmandu
Here are some of the stories from The Kathmandu Post (January 11, 2020)
Kathmandu’s rivers are becoming violent—and are gradually vanishing
As Hira Devi Shrestha took her usual route to the Janapath Secondary School in Kalanki, she could see the Balkhu Khola swelling from the rains that had continued since early morning. The rush of the river looked more violent than on most days, but since the river always looked angry during the monsoon, she carried on.
Shrestha parked her scooter by the riverside, like she always did, and went into the school, not thinking twice about the river. But a little past 10am, when Shrestha looked out, her scooter had disappeared—the waters from the river had swallowed it.
Even as tensions flare in Iraq, Nepali workers say they feel relatively safe
Kunchang Ghale had no immediate plans of returning to Nepal. After working in Iraq for nearly six years, Ghale only planned to return home during Dashain to celebrate the festival with his family in Gorkha.
But the sudden and dramatic escalation of tensions in the Middle East has turned Iraq into a battlefield between the United States and Iran. In retaliation for killing Qasem Soleimani, commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force, in an airstrike in Baghdad last week, Iran had fired more than a dozen missiles at two US airbases. The Ayn al Asad, one of the two airbases attacked by Iran, housed nine Nepali workers, all of whom are safe.
Conflict among ministries stymies Foreign Ministry’s expansion plans
The Foreign Ministry had big plans to expand its missions abroad and hire more diplomatic staff, but discord among the Foreign Ministry, Finance Ministry and Ministry of General Administration has meant that those plans might not materialise anytime soon.
Two years ago, Finance Minister Yubaraj Khatiwada had announced plans to cut down on the number of Nepali embassies to lessen the financial burden on the state. The Foreign Ministry had proposed an alternate plan—cut down on some missions but hire more staff and open up a few new offices.
Organisations gear up for protest against IT bill saying it will curb freedom of expression
While the House of Representatives has been held hostage to the indecision of the ruling Nepal Communist Party on selecting the Speaker candidate, stakeholders have started consultations to protest against the controversial bills under consideration in the federal parliament, including the IT bill.
The Federation of Nepali Journalists—an umbrella organisation of the country’s journalists—has started consultations with stakeholders including the Nepal Bar Association of legal practitioners and the NGO Federation of Nepal besides other journalists’ organisations. Stakeholders have started discussing the bill fearing that it could curtail freedom of speech online and increase surveillance of personal data.
India says its businesses can still buy processed palm oil from Nepal
A day after India imposed restrictions on imports of refined palm oil in what was seen as a retaliatory move against Malaysia, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said the options for Indian businesses to purchase the product from any other country remain open.
This effectively means that Nepali traders cannot export refined palm oil to India, but the Indian traders who have a special permit can buy the processed edible oil from Nepal.
Most Read from National
Editor's Picks
E-PAPER | April 19, 2024
×