MORANG: Prime Minister K P Oli has said after the successful conclusion of the Investment Summit, Nepal would organize a conference on international research within the current fiscal year 2018/19 targeting youths.
PM Oli said so while inaugurating the silver jubilee ceremony of the Madan Bhandari Memorial Academy in Urlabari-3, Morang today.
On the occasion, he remembered late leader Madan Bhandari to be a real hero of the Nepali society.
He said that late Bhandari’s ideology is still relevant even after 25 years of his passing away, and that the country is moving ahead with his vision and ideologies.
KATHMANDU: The Human Rights and Peace Society (HURPES) today drew the attention of Minister of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Pradeep Gyawali to ratify the International Criminal Court’s Rome Statute.
In the meeting held at MoFA, HURPES President Uttam Pudasaini-led team demanded Nepal’s endorsement of the Rome Statute at the earliest.
Minister Gyawali, in response, said that positive environment was being created lately for the same. He said Nepal would not uphold the values of the Statute.
Nepal had adopted the Rome Statute on July 17, 1998.
KATHMANDU: Charles Shobraj, a notorious French serial killer, also labeled as Bikini Killer for the attire of his victims, is serving life imprisonment in Nepal for the murder of two foreigners in Nepal. The septuagenarian is accused of murdering 12 foreigners.
Likewise, Peter John Dalglish, a Canadian humanitarian worker, and former United Nations staff is in judicial custody for pedophilia. Not only Dalglish, British national Iain Robert Cole was nabbed on the charge of sexually exploiting under-age male children. He is currently serving a jail term.
Indians have topped the number of inmates and detainees in Nepali prisons while the second spot has been occupied by Chinese nationals. Most of the foreigners arrested in Nepal have been accused of drugs smuggling and a few sexual assaults.
These are only representative examples of foreigners spending days at different prisons in Nepal for crimes. Some 1,125 foreign prisoners and detainees are in Nepali prisons.
Department of Prison Management informed that they have been kept at 74 prisons and three child reform homes. According to Director General of the Department of Prison Management Hari Prasad Mainali, the highest number of 209 foreigners are kept at the Sundhara-based Jagganath Dewal Prison and remaining others are kept at 34 different prisons in Parsa, Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Lalitpur and Kailali among other districts.
Indians have topped the number of inmates and detainees in Nepali prisons while the second spot has been occupied by Chinese nationals. Most of the foreigners arrested in Nepal have been accused of drugs smuggling and a few sexual assaults.
According to Nepal Police Spokesperson Uttamraj Subedi, Indian and Pakistani inmates and detainees are accused of involvement in cases of counterfeit currency, forgery, and drugs smuggling. Likewise, inmates and detainees of African and European descents are facing cases of drugs smuggling and forged passports.
Govt spending over Rs 70 million on foreign inmates
The government has been doling out 700 grams of rice and Rs 60 to prisoners on a daily basis. Besides this, they are entitled to Dashain, maternity, clothes and medical treatment among other allowances.
According to the Department of Prison, the government is spending Rs 500 per prisoner on a monthly basis. According to the Department, Rs 5.6 million is spent monthly as ration and allowances for foreign inmates. The amount stands at Rs 67.5 million yearly and adding miscellaneous costs takes the figure to over Rs 70 million.
Foreigners at Nepali prisons
Jagganath Dewal Prison, Kathmandu: 209
Parsa District Prison: 108
Jhapa District Prison: 93
Regional Prison Sunsari, Jhumka: 81
Nakkhu Prison, Lalitpur: 81
Makwanpur District Prison: 53
Banke District Prison: 52
Morang District Prison: 44
Kailali District Prison: 32
Dillibazaar Prison: 27
Mahottari District Prison: 26
Kaski District Prison: 26
Rautahat District Prison: 23
Rupandehi District Prison: 20
Chitwan District Prison: 19
Saptari District Prison: 14
Kapilvastu District Prison: 13
Nawalparasi District Prison: 13
Palpa District Prison: 12
Others: 53
Total: 1,125
Source: Department of Prison Management
KATHMANDU: UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix has appreciated Nepal’s contribution in peacekeeping operations.
Lacroix thanked Nepal for contributing its peacekeepers, without caveats, for more than six decades.
Referring to Nepal for encouraging female recruitment in Nepali security forces, Lacroix praised Nepal for meeting the UN target of female representation in its security forces during a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Ishwor Pokhrel.
During the meeting held in New York, they discussed issues related to the UN peacekeeping, including its role in the prevention and resolution of conflicts in the areas of its deployment.
Likewise, Minister Pokhrel expressed his hope that a renewed collective commitment of the UN member states would help peacekeeping missions deliver effectively on their mandates.
KATHMANDU: The Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) will remain closed for 10 hours every day from Monday night to upgrade runway.
The TIA, which now operates for 22 hours a day, will be shut down for 10 hours for three months beginning tomorrow. From tomorrow, the TIA will operate from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm every day.
This is the first time in history that the TIA runway is being upgraded after its establishment, according to Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN).
CAAN said it will take at least three months to wipe out the old blacktopping and put the new one.
According to Raj Kumar Chhetri, General Manager at the TIA, the repair continues from 10:00pm to 8:00am every day.
Chhetri informed that it would, however, not affect the regular flights.
The TIA has given the contract to a Chinese company for the upgrading at the cost of Rs 3.75 billion, excluding tax.
BIRATNAGAR: Prime Minister KP Oli today said the government was excited after the successful completion of the Nepal Investment Summit 2019.
Speaking to journalists at Biratnagar Airport, Prime Minister Oli said the government is satisfied with the considerable participation of representatives from different countries as well as Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank (WB). “The government is confident of bringing in foreign investment,” PM Oli said.
Stating that the government’s first year term was the year of foundation, PM Oli said assured of accelerating development activities in the second year.
On the occasion, he termed the achievement of an eight per cent economic growth rate in the foundation year was a huge success.
OKHALDHUNGA: Identity of four out of six persons killed in a jeep accident at Manebhanjyang of the district has been established.
The deceased have been identified as Mingma Sherpa, 55, and Samgyal Sherpa, 45, of Taplegunj and Dawang Sherpa, 40, and Norbu Sherpa, 35, of Kathmandu. Identification of two others killed in the mishap is yet to be ascertained.
A jeep, Ba 16 Cha 2207, heading to Kathmandu from Halesi Mahadev Temple of Khotang district skidded off the road and fell some 200 meters down at Manebhanjyag Rural Municipality -6, Dhaduwakhola on Sunday killing at least six persons.
Police Inspector Rajiv Shrestha at District Police Office, Okhaldhunga said three others were injured in the mishap.
The injured are being treated at the Ghurmi-based Aastha Medical Shop.
KATHMANDU: Chairman of Nepal Communist Party Pushpa Kamal Dahal recalled his recent US-visit when some people were hell-bent on trying to cast him as a criminal.
“I would have undergone unfortunate circumstances had the US government not issued the ‘no investigation’ notice,” Dahal said at the 21st anniversary of Reporters’ Club here today.
The NCP supremo termed the appeal made by Tilak Shrestha, a US citizen of Nepali-origin, when he was headed towards the US for his spouse’s treatment there, as “unfortunate”.
In a tone of sarcasm, he revealed that a Nepali Congress-aligned organization in the US had even decided to prove him a criminal on alleged violation of human rights. “If this is the case, the NC should be clear that it was one of the parties to sign the Comprehensive Peace Accord with me,” he said.
OKHALDHUNGA: Six persons died when a jeep met with an accident at Manebhanjyag Rural Municipality -6, Dhaduwakhola on Sunday.
According to police, the jeep bearing registration number Ba 16 Cha 2207, was heading to Kathmandu from Halesi Mahadev Temple of Khotang district.
Similarly, three persons have been injured in the accident. Further details are yet to come.
KATHMANDU: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Sunday said that the country was heading on a path of prosperity with self-confidence.
Speaking at the 21st anniversary of Reporters Club, the Prime Minister maintained that the journey of institutionalizing political changes has ended and the country has commenced on a new voyage of prosperity.
‘Despite hindrances, we became successful to institutionalize political changes earned through different movements. Now, we have entered the path of prosperity,’ he said.
The Prime Minister said the government has defeated all attempts to invite instability.
‘We will make Nepal a prosperous country in a real sense,’ he added.
On a separate note, PM Oli said that the recently-concluded Nepal Investment Summit was successful.