May 27 , DAMASCUS : At least 28 rebels were killed on Sunday by the Syrian army on the outskirts of the town of Kafr Nabudah in the northwestern countryside of Hama province in central Syria, a war monitor reported.
The rebels were killed as the Syrian army captured Kafr Nabudah for the second time within a week on Sunday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The Syrian army captured that key town after battles with the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the umbrella group of the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front. Meanwhile, the Observatory said that the army captured Kafr Nabudah after targeting it with over 675 airstrikes and ground shelling.
The Britain-based watchdog group said the battles are taking place on the eastern and northern outskirts of the town, adding that huge losses were reported on both sides during the last hours of fighting.
It is worth noting that the Syrian army captured the town on May 8 and lost it again to the al-Qaida-linked groups on May 22 amid ongoing showdown in areas in the countryside of Hama, the nearby countryside areas of Idlib and Latakia provinces.
Kafr Nabudah has strategic importance as it links several towns in northern Hama countryside with rebel-held areas in the southern countryside of Idlib. Areas in the countryside of Hama, Idlib and the western countryside of Aleppo are included in the de-escalation zones deal which was reached between Russia and Turkey in September 2018.
The deal failed to materialize as the HTS expanded in Idlib and started attacks on Syrian military positions instead of withdrawing from the designated zone which combines Idlib with Hama and Aleppo countryside as well as mountain areas in the eastern countryside of Latakia province.Enditem
— Xinhua
May 27 ,Kathmandu: Minister for Home Affairs Ram Bahadur Thapa has said that the security was tightened in Kathmandu valley as it was one of the targeted places by the protesting Biplav group.
While addressing a meeting of the House of the Representatives (HoR) today, Minister Thapa informed the house that four persons who were involved in preparing bombs and explosive devices were killed in separate incidents in the capital Sunday evening.
He also shared that the injured were receiving treatment in different hospitals in the capital and police were mobilized to carry out deep investigation into the incidents. After the Home Minister’s address, lawmakers Pushpa Bhusal and Khagraj Adhikari urged the government to hold talks with Biplav group.
Lawmaker Prem Suwal also urged government to manage peace and security in the country. Similarly, lawmakers Devendra Raj Kandel, Mahesh Basnet, Rajendra Bahadur KC and Laxmi Pariyar urged the Home Minister to manage security in the country as the incidents of insecurity were on rise in the capital lately.
Speaking in the meeting, lawmakers Amresh Kumar Singh, Parbadi DC Chaudharay also drew the attention of the government to maintain peace and security. Lawmaker Dr Minendra Rijal argued that the peace could be prevailed if the government and Biplav led party sit for talks.
Some lawmakers also raise their voices to book the culprits of Nirmala Panta murder case, Panchthar murder case and blasts case in the capital.
Similarly, lawmaker Laxman Lal Karna asked the government to release the report of former Supreme Court Justice Girish Chandra Lal commission’s report.
Speaking in the meeting lawmakers, Uma Regmi, Dev Prasad Timilsina and Sujata Pariyar urged the government to hold talks with Biplav-led party.
Lawmaker Ganesh Thagunna urged the government to carry out the truth about Darchula incident.
—— RSS
May 27 , Kathmandu :Nepal Communist Party ( NCP) chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has said the right to freedom guaranteed by the constitution is not of an anarchic nature.
In his address to a programme organised today by Press Organisation Nepal in commemoration of the 17th memorial day of journalist, litterateur and martyr Krishnasen ‘Ichhuk’, the former Prime Minister said freedom and discipline were interrelated and freedom should not be anarchic.
The chair of the major ruling party and lawmaker pledged that no laws and acts would come hurting the spirit of constitution which stands in favour of freedom of the press. He was of the view that state should further promote the fields of journalism and literature and no ideology and assumption was expected to weaken the dedication and efforts towards the strengthening of national unity and independence, adding that journalism capable of weakening national unity could not be supported.
He cited that contribution of Krishnasen ‘ Ichhuk’ to the elevation of Nepali literature, culture and journalism was incomparable, remembering him as the ‘ versatile personality’. He was a political fighter, a dedicated journalist and an honest person, Dahal added.
He further said that two parties were united to form the present NCP to find a clear political road map ahead and with the hope of getting a right leadership capable of creating new history.
On the occasion, Minister for Communications and Information Technology Gokul Prasad Baskota said the government was committed towards regulating the media rather than controlling them.
Minister Baskota refuted that press freedom in Nepal was not at stake instead it was being prosper. “We introduced proportionate advertising system to propel and prosper the Nepali media. It is a symbol of prosperity for the press in Nepal.”
According to him, media was not a cottage industry but a strong medium and a mirror to the society.
He called for a commitment from one and all to turn the dream of Krishnasen ‘Ichhuk’ into reality. Lauding Ichhuk’s audacity, the Minister said, “Ichhuk did not write for an ordinary change. He wrote for a massive change.”
Minister Baskota asserted that it was a baseless rumour that the Media Council Bill had curtailed press freedom as the government had not taken any initiatives that would violate constitutional values and essence as well as international practice.
Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) chair Govinda Acharya demanded action against the murderer of Ichhuk. He also pressed for an amendment in the Media Council Bill, arguing that there should not any provisions that imposed fine on erring journalists.
— RSS
May 27 ,TOKYO :
Donald Trump on Monday became the first foreign leader to meet Japan’s newly enthroned Emperor Naruhito — an honour Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hopes will help charm the US president when it comes to thorny trade talks.
After Trump and Naruhito greeted each other in the Tokyo palace, they stood outside on a red carpet for the two countries’ national anthems, the flags of the close allies fluttering in the breeze under clear skies.
While a military band played, Trump, in a dark suit and red tie, reviewed the Japanese honour guard and greeted dozens of Japanese and visiting US officials, including top White House trade negotiator Robert Lighthizer and hawkish national security advisor John Bolton.
Naruhito, wearing a light blue tie, and his wife Empress Masako, who was in a white hat and jacket, accompanied Trump and his wife Melania, who wore a summery white dress and tall red high heels.
Walking together through the palace, notable for its elegant, restrained decor, the two couples then sat down for a further chat where official translators found themselves with little to do — Naruhito having gone to Oxford and Masako graduating from Harvard.
About 50 minutes later, Trump and the first lady returned to the “Beast” limousine and the US president departed for his next meeting: a summit and lunch with his avowed friend Abe. In the evening, Trump and Melania will be back at the palace for a banquet.
That will mark the lavish high point in a Japan visit laden with feel-good moments aimed at celebrating US-Japanese ties at a time of growing regional uncertainty due to US trade policies, a rising China and nuclear-armed North Korea.
Dining with Abe and their wives at a typical Tokyo grill restaurant on Sunday, Trump said he was having “a great time” and looking forward to meeting Naruhito, who took the Chrysanthemum Throne only three weeks ago, after his father stepped down in the first abdication in two centuries.
Trump called the occasion “a great honour”.Earlier, the two leaders had played golf, stopping for a grinning selfie. Trump also took a star turn at a prestigious sumo tournament when he presented a gigantic trophy, brought from the United States, to the champion.
Abe is hoping these good vibes will spread into serious talks on US-Japanese trade and military ties. And he may be getting results.Within an hour of touching down in Tokyo on Saturday, Trump railed against what he sees as a trade imbalance between the world’s top and third-largest economies and vowed to make the relationship “a little bit more fair”.
On Sunday, however, Trump already struck a softer note, saying that “much” of that deal would wait until Abe faces upper house elections likely in July — as rumours swirl that the popular prime minister will combine that vote with a snap general election.
With his trade war against China getting bogged down, Trump won’t want another dispute to rock the boat for his closest Asian ally. Top Japanese and American trade negotiators spent more than two hours locked in talks on Saturday night but failed to achieve a breakthrough, although the Japanese side said there was more “understanding” between the two sides.
– ‘Small weapons’ –
On North Korea, Trump appeared to undercut his own national security advisor, Bolton, by downplaying two recent short-range missile tests by the totalitarian country’s all-powerful leader Kim Jong Un which raised tensions in the region.
“North Korea fired off some small weapons, which disturbed some of my people, and others, but not me,” Trump tweeted. “I have confidence that Chairman Kim will keep his promise to me.”Before Trump landed in Tokyo, Bolton had told reporters there was “no doubt” that the launches contravened UN Security Council resolutions, the first time a senior US administration official has said this.
The issue is bound to come up as the leaders meet families of people abducted by North Korea during the Cold War era to train Pyongyang’s spies, an emotive issue in Japan that Abe has pressed Trump to raise in talks with Kim.
The nationalist Abe himself has frequently offered to meet Kim to solve the “abductee problem”, as it is known in Japan.
On Tuesday, Trump is expected to address troops at a US base in Japan, highlighting the military alliance between the two. His visit there will underline another big US priority — arms sales to Japan, which is considering revamping its air force with advanced US F-35 warplanes.
— AFP
May 27 ,Kathmandu. News of the Netra Bikram Chand ‘Biplav’- led Group’s cadres torching transport vehicles in course of their country-wide general shutdown have been received from several places of the country.
Surkhet – The group’s cadres have set a passenger bus on fire at Gochekhola in east Surkhet this morning. The bus (Na 2 Kha 7444) was going towards Chhinchu from Gumi of Gurbhakot municipality-14.
The cadres carrying arms stopped the bus and ordered the driver, his assistant and the bus owner to disembark before setting it on fire, the District Police Office said. The bus has been gutted by fire. A suspicious object was also found nearby, police said.
Makawanpur – Life in Makawanpur has been affected by the country-wide general shutdown organized by the Netra Bikram Chand ‘Biplav’ Group this morning.
The Group’s cadres have torched trucks at two places in the course of the shutdown in Makawanpur. Police said a bomb was found at Buddhachowk in Hetauda and it has been defused by the Nepal Army. A parked mini-truck (Na 7 Kha 9496) was torched by some unidentified persons at around 1 am today.
Similarly, a group of three people sprayed petrol in a truck and set it on fire. The truck (Na 6 Kha 8007) had stopped at Naukhandey and it was set on fire soon after it set out towards Hetauda at 4.15 am.
Nawalparasi – Netra Bikram Chand ‘Biplav’-led Group’s cadres have made arson attack on a truck at 3 am today. They threw a petrol bomb on a truck (Lu 2 Kha 108) on the road at Madhyabindu municipality-11. The truck driver lost control of the vehicle and the truck fell five metres down from the road during the attack, it is learnt. The truck driver, 33-year-old Amar BK of Byas municipality-4, Tanahu district has sustained injuries due to this. He has burn injuries in his face and back and is undergoing treatment at a local medical store. Similarly, a jeep came under petrol bomb attack by the Group’s cadres at 3.30 am at Kawasoti municipality-16, police stated.
Meanwhile, police took under control and defused a gas cylinder that was readied for explosion at a field in Bulingtar rural municipality of Nawalparasi district. The cylinder bomb was found planted 300 metres from the house of the municipality chair, Sashi Kiran Bastakoti.
— RSS
26 may, darchula-An elderly woman died after being attacked by an unknown group last night. Draupadi Mahara,70, used to run a shop at Katai Ramladi in ward no. 3 of Mahakali municipality.
Her husband 75-year-old Birbhan Mahara was seriously injured in the incident while her grand-son 12-year-old Lokendra Mahara managed to flee and save himself from the attack. The Mahara couple had been running the shop at the roadside since many years. The incident seems to have been an attempt to kill everyone in the family, ward chair Padam Singh Mahara said.
They were attacked by an unknown group in their shop located at a distance from the nearby village. Hence, the incident came to light only 8:00 in the morning today.
A team led by police inspector Rabindra Kathayat is currently carrying out an investigation. Injured Birbhan and Lokendra are undergoing treatment at the district hospital. (RSS)
26 may, dolpa-The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has sent an expert team to (re)measure the depth of Phoksundo Lake based in Dolpa.
The source of alpine fresh water situating in the country’s largest district is known as the deepest lake in the country. The Department decided to take its measurement in the wake of disputes regarding its depth. The team comprising 10 people has arrived Dolpa for this purpose.
The National Hydrological and Metrological Research Centre and Consultancy has been given permission to undertake the project, according to expert Dhruba Adhikari. Two survey engineers, one boatman, experts Suwas Tuladhar, Binita Kayastha, Dinesh Parajuli and Mausam Bhandari from the Department are among those included in the team which is expected to spend four days here for the project.
A Japanese national in 2036 BS had come up with the research findings that the lake changes is colour at multiple times a day, has no presence of (marine) life and is 650 meters deep. The Department under the Ministry of Science and Technology has no official records about its depth and other features.
In 2004, the Department had received a report, challenging the previous assumption. The report states the lake is 145 meters deep and the measurement was taken according to bathymetric survey method and since then the disputes prevails. The report identifies the Rara Lake as the deepest lake and the people of Dolpa folks have rejected these findings as they believe the data was fake as the study was conducted with the help of repaired and outdated equipment.
Shey-Phoksundo rural municipality vice chair Dhawa Samduk Gurung the new study would come up with real facts surroundings the lake situating at an altitude of around 3635 meters above the sea level. It is part of the Shey-Phoksundo National Park. Its length is 5.93 kilometers while the width is 1.80 kilometers. (RSS)
26 may, Taulihawa-One youth was killed in a road accident that took place this morning in Barkul village of Ward no. 8 of Mayadevi municipality. The deceased has been identified as Binod Chamar,30, of Barkul.
Chamar was the assistant to the driver of a jeep (Lu1Ja 4175) that met with an accident. The jeep driver however remained unhurt and escaped following the incident, according to Superintendent of Police Achyutam Pudasaini. (RSS)
26 may, jajarkot- Learning from the past, the Department of Health Services has directed all the health workers in Jajarkot district to not stay on leave or seek deputation considering the seasonal outbreak of communicable diseases.
Anyone who is in dire need of a leave will be allowed to do so only after making an alternative arrangement, said Chief District Officer Lalit Kumar Basnet. This is part of the timely alertness being observed to avoid the incidents where many have lost their lives due to lack of timely treatment of various epidemics in the past.
It may be noted that 12 people died of cough and cold that spread in Junichande of the district in Magh, 2074. Likewise, seasonal flu took the lives of 27 people in Chait 2071 and Baisakh 2072. Prior to this, 50 thousand people were affected by diarrhea and vomiting in 2066 in some remote villages of the district, where 153 died.
Though official data says 87 per cent of the people in the district have access to safe drinking water, contaminated water is attributed to the reason behind the spread of many communicable diseases.
The district has one hospital, three primary health centres and 31 health posts. Of the 77 wards, 42 still lack a health post despite the government’s policy of ensuring one health post in one ward. Furthermore, the existing health centres too lack human resources.
Meanwhile, resource persons at the District Health Office Krishna Bahadur Khatri said the Office is fully prepared to address any sudden outbreak of an epidemic. (RSS)
26 may, dhading-The government has begun a feasibility study of the Chepang-Mahabharat trekking route. The proposed route will link Dhading, Makwanpur and Chitwan districts.
Nepal Tourism Board and Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) have jointly begun the feasibility study after the route was included in the policy and programmes of the government. The route will allow trekkers to visit Chandragiri and reach up to Shaktikhor of Chitwan.
The route passed through Dhunibesi municipality of Dhading, Thahanagar municipality of Makwanpur, Thakre rural municipality of Dhading and Rapti municipality of Chitwan. It also provides trekkers the opportunity to observe 12 different mountains including Mt Ganesh, Annapurna, Macchapuchre, Manaslu and Gaurishanker, according to the study team member Rameswar Karki. Chepang settlements in between in another attraction of the trekking route.
Likewise, the Rani water falls in Ranibari of Thakre rural municipality is appropriate for canoeing as well as rafting in Trishuli river. The study so far has shown the possibility of developing this route as a tourist destination said member of TAAN Purna Kumar Sherpa. (RSS)