KATHMANDU: China is all set to roll out the red carpet in Beijing for President Bidya Devi Bhandari during her upcoming visit to the northern neighbor. Preparations are underway in both the countries for President Bhandari’s China visit, a report in Annapurna daily said.
According to sources, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s is likely to visit Nepal following his counterpart President Bhandari’s China visit.
President Xi might visit Nepal in 2019 itself, said a Chinese official. Even though Xi’s Nepal visit does not fall in the schedule of Chinese President Xi, it might happen towards the end of the year.
China has not welcomed Nepal’s head of state with the red carpet following the end of the monarchy. Even though former President Ram Baran Yadav visited China during Boao Forum for Asia and Sanghai Expo, it did not give him the red carpet treeatment.
KATHMANDU: The estimated cost of the under-construction fast-track that connects the Kathmandu Valley and Tarai-Madhes has climbed to Rs 2 trillion. It will take around two years to complete the project, a report in Kantipur daily said.
According to the Detailed Project Report (DPR) recently submitted by Korean construction company Susurung, the total cost for fast-tract construction would reach Rs 2 trillion and take two more years to complete the project, a high level Nepali Army source said.
Earlier, Indian company IL and FS had projected Rs 112 billion as the estimated cost for the remaining construction of the fast-tract, which is less by 88 billion than the estimated cost projected by the Korean company.
Yam Prasad Dhakal, spokesperson of Nepal Army, said that the DPR has been sent to the Council of Ministers through the Ministry of Defense for approval.
Nepal Army has been constructing the fast-track which is 72.8 kilometers.
KATHMANDU: Police were found to have been involved in the leakage of questions of Science and Social Studies of Secondary Education Examination held on March 28 and 29 in Province 2.
An investigation carried out by Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police fond involvement of two police officials Bramhadev Sunrait and Dipendra Kumar Mandal of Area Police Office, Kalyanpur.
The National Examination Board and Province 2 government had carried out investigation separately on the issue. The arrest of the two police personnel came at a time while the investigation was still underway.
Police said they are investing the case after taking Sunrait and Mandal under control.
KATHMANDU: Locals of remote Palata Rural Municipality of Kalikot district have to still go to district headquarters Manma to purchase daily commodities including salt.
According to Aja Sarki, a local, they have to spend around Rs 2,000 including transport expenses to bring their home 11 kilos of last, even though it costs only Rs 9 per kilogram.
“It takes two days to reach the district headquarters Manma and other two days for returning home. We have to spend one day to line up for salt in the depot,” said Sarki, adding, “It takes five days for us to bring 11 kilos of salt.
Locals of 11 VDCs including Palata Dhaulagoha, Nanikot of Pachal Jharana, Gotri, Mumra and Rupsa of of Bajura, located in the northern part of the district have to spend four to five days to bring a packet of iodized salt.
KATHMANDU: A 14-member squad for the ICC U-19 World Cup Qualifiers has been announced on Tuesday.
Youth cricketer Rohit Kumar Poudel will lead the team for qualifiers to be held from April 10-18 in Malaysia. Along with Rohit, Bhim Sharki, Pawan Sharaff and Sandeep Jora have made it to the team.
Other members include Abhishek Basnet, Hari Bahadur Chauhan, Kamalsingh Airee, Kushal Malla, Arif Seikh, Pratish Joshi, Rashid Khan, Reet Gautam, Sagar Dhakal and Surya Tamang.
Likewise, Aakash Chand, Lokesh Bahadur Bam, Ravi Kumar Shah and Sher Malla have been picked as reserved players.
Nepali team will leave for Malaysia on Saturday for the qualifiers.
KATHMANDU: Sunil Kumar Pokharel President’s candidate from Democratic Group is leading the vote count in Nepal Bar Association (NBA) election.
As per the latest vote count, Pokharel has received 983 votes and his closest rival Chandeshwor Shrestha from Progressive, professional and Inclusive Group has got 924 votes.
The vote counting has been taking place from 5:00 pm on Monday. Out of 10,313 voters from across the nation, 8329 had cast votes.
KATHMANDU: The Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee (PHSC) on Tuesday started hearings of Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya and Bishnumaya Ojha recommended as Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and member of National Inclusive Commission respectively.
A meeting of the committee held at Singha Durbar called for complaints against Thapaliya and Ojha.
The Constitutional Council (CC) on March 25 had picked Thapaliya, Secretary at Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, as the CEC of the Election Commission Nepal and Ojha as the member of National Inclusive Commission.
KATHMANDU: The State 3 government today decided to provide a relief assistance worth Rs 10 million to the victims of Sunday’s violent storm in Bara and Parsa.
An emergency meeting of the State Council of Ministers chaired by Chief Minister Dormani Poudel took a decision to this effect.
TANSEN: Property worth Rs 1.5 million was damaged by fire at Tansen of Palpa today.
The property was damaged after a cotton factory caught fire due to short circuit, police said.
The fire destroyed two machines, quilts and mattresses, among other stuff, said Ajay Chaudhary, proprietor of the cotton factory.
The fire was doused with the help of locals, and security personnel, police said.
KATHMANDU: Prime Minister KP Oli, as usual, amused the audience at a program here on Tuesday suggesting them to eat healthy Nepali food such as daal-bhaat, and veggies.
“Eat healthy food, and you will no longer have to run behind drugs,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion of 62nd National Cooperatives Day, PM Oli said, “Do not run behind medicines in the name of modernization. Go for healthy food.”
Expressing sarcasm over what he said ‘unbridled use of pesticides’ on vegetables and fruits, PM Oli said, “Those (pesticides and chemicals) are meant to make the fruits and veggies mad and fat. Let’s stop making fruits mad.”
Referring to the use of chemicals, PM Oli suggested farmers saying: “Let’s not make an orange as big as a pumpkin.”
Prime Minister Oli went on to praise the medicinal values in garlic and turmeric. “Consume garlic, turmeric, fresh vegetable instead of tablets,” he suggested amid laughter.
He suggested farmers to think of an alternative way if their products failed to get market. “Produce cream, whey or even curd if milk did not go well,” he quipped.