Page 29 - Nepal

Nepal's President Paudel discharged from AIIMS, to return home tonight

Nepal's President Ramchandra Paudel has been discharged from a hospital in New Delhi after undergoing treatment for a chest-related ailment and he will return to Kathmandu on Sunday night, the President's Office said. Paudel, 78, was airlifted to India on April 19 for treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, (AIIMS), New Delhi, after he complained of shortness of breath. "President Paudel is flying back to Kathmandu on Sunday through the regular flight of Nepal Airlines after he was discharged from the hospital following his successful treatment," the President's Office said in a statement here. He has gone through various health check-ups and treatment at the AIIMS, the statement said. Doctors involved in Paudel's treatment have advised him to rest for a few more weeks. "His health conditions have now improved significantly, said the statement issued by the President's Office Spokesperson Sagar Acharya. President Paudel has thanked Nepalese and Indian health ...

Nepal's PM visit to India delayed till June due to internal reasons

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda's proposed visit to India has been delayed further due to internal reasons, including the jolt in the recent by-polls, and it is unlikely that his first foreign visit will take place before June, according to his top aide. This is the second time that Prachanda's visit to India has been postponed due to internal reasons. The visit to India would have been his first foreign trip after he assumed charge as Prime Minister for the third time in December last year. Nepal government is preparing to present its annual budget for the coming fiscal year towards May-end and the Prime Minister's visit to India will take place only after that, the top aide close to Prime Minister Prachanda told PTI on Saturday. The proposed visit by the Prime Minister has been further delayed due to internal reasons and it is unlikely that the first foreign visit will take place before June, the aide, who did not want to be quoted, said. Earlier, the government

FMCG brand Dabur to make additional investment of Rs 9.68 bn in Nepal

After signing the MoU, Bedi expressed his happiness for investing a part of the company's accumulated capital in Nepal for capacity enhancement and diversification of products

Nepal to give priority to enhancing relations with both India, China

Nepal's new government, led by a communist prime minister, will give priority to enhancing relations with both of its giant neighbours, India and China, but won't use them against each other for its own benefit, the newly appointed foreign minister said Wednesday. Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud told The Associated Press in an interview that Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is set to make his first official trip abroad to India since taking power earlier this year. Nepal is bordered on three sides by India and shares an open border, while the highest Himalayan peaks are divided between Nepal and China. Saud, however, said the government will continue to maintain good relationships with both countries and would not do anything to hamper ties with either of the neighbors. "We will never use the two nations against each other for our own benefit. We will not interfere with the internal matters of their countries, and we would also want that no other country should interfere wit

Dubai-bound aircraft catches fire in engine after taking off from Nepal

A Fly Dubai aircraft with nearly 150 people on board on Monday reported fire in one of its engines soon after taking off from the Tribhuvan International Airport here, according to airport sources. The aircraft heading towards Dubai returned back and was trying to force land at the airport, they said. Fire engines are kept on alert at the airport, according to sources. There are more than 150 people on board including 50 Nepali passengers. Eye-witnesses said they have seen aircraft catching fire in the Kathmandu sky.

Need to do home work before visiting India, says Nepal PM Prachanda

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda' is making elaborate preparations ahead of his much-publicised trip to India next month, saying he needs to do home-work before embarking on the visit. The official date of his visit to India is yet to be announced. Prachanda could be travelling to New Delhi during the first or the second week of May, a Prime Minister's aide said. This will be his first foreign trip since he became Nepal's Prime Minister in December last year. Boosting bilateral ties and talks on trade, energy, agriculture, culture, and air service will prominently feature in his talks with Indian leaders. I am preparing for my upcoming visit to India, which is taking place soon Prachanda said at an event here. We need to do proper home-work before the visit, the 68-year-old Maoist leader said. Foreign ministry officials have begun the groundwork for his visit. Earlier this year, Prachanda announced that he would visit India on his first foreign trip after assum

Nepal's border points with India sealed for 72hrs ahead of by-polls

Nepal's border points with India in the country's southern Bara district have been sealed for 72 hours in view of the by-election in Bara-2 constituency on Sunday. Nepal's Election Commission is conducting by-elections for the House of Representatives in the three constituencies of Tanhun-1, Chitawan-2 and Bara-2. The District Administration Office in Bara said in a statement on Thursday that the border points shall remain closed from midnight of Thursday to Sunday midnight. The sale and supply of liquor have been restricted in the district until the vote counting is completed. Also, vehicular movement along the Postal Highway in the district has been closed except for emergency ones from Saturday midnight to Sunday 7 pm. As the by-polls draw close, political parties displayed their strength by organising rallies for the last time on Thursday. The ruling coalition held election rallies in Chitwan and Bara on Thursday. Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, Prime Minister

Nepal Prez Paudel airlifted from Kathmandu, to be admitted to AIIMS

Nepal President Ramchandra Paudel on Wednesday was airlifted to India for treatment after he was admitted to a hospital here for the second time within a month after he complained of shortness of breath, his press aide said. Paudel, 78, was admitted to TU Teaching Hospital here on Tuesday. A preliminary investigation has revealed that he had a chest infection. President Paudel will undergo treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, (AIIMS), New Delhi, the aide said. Kiran Pokharel, the press adviser to the President, said that the President was medevacked to India in an air ambulance around 10.30 am on Wednesday. He was accompanied by his son Chintan Paudel and others. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Purna Bahadur Khadka, among other leaders, visited him to inquire about his health condition. Last week, the President complained of pain in his stomach. On April 1, President Paudel was admitted to a ..

Nepal can attain economic prosperity by exploiting hydropower potential: PM

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" said on Tuesday that the government recognises the importance of the hydropower sector and its potential to become a strong base for the Himalayan nation's economic prosperity and export clean and green energy. Prachanda was the chief guest at the inaugural session of the Power Summit 2023, which kicked off on Tuesday here with the slogan "Broaden green energy market. Over 250 delegates from around two dozen countries, including India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka, are participating in the summit, organised by the Independent Power Producers' Association of Nepal (IPPAN). The Prime Minister underlined Nepal's need to export surplus electricity to attain economic prosperity. He identified four areas where hydropower can be utilised in the country:- agriculture, cooking, industry and transportation, and asserted that domestic use of hydropower not only helps to reduce pollution but also aids in minimising the Himalayan country's

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 ...