Author: space4knews

Rastriya Swatantra Party MP Ganesh Karki stated that a government with nearly a two-thirds majority enacting ordinances is not an act of courage. He emphasized that issuing ordinances based solely on the letter of the constitution, without upholding its spirit, is wrong. Karki pointed out that questions previously raised by opposition parties regarding ordinances are now being questioned within his own government. Kathmandu, 16 Baisakh.

Criticizing the government’s ordinance, Karki also condemned his own party’s government for bypassing parliament to introduce ordinances. He said, “For a party holding nearly a two-thirds majority, whether postponing sessions to pass ordinances is a ‘necessity’ or something else will become clear later, but this is not an act of courage.”

He further explained that ordinances should be introduced by exercising the rights and procedures granted by the constitution. He highlighted problems arising from disregarding the constitution’s spirit. He said, “This time too, the ordinance is based on the literal wording of the constitution, not its spirit. The constitution is not a document to live by letters alone; it remains alive by upholding its spirit. The literal interpretation should not limit the constitution’s essence.”

Karki recalled that opposition parties had previously raised questions when ordinances were enacted before, and now those same questions are being raised about his own government’s ordinance.

James Comey, former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States, has been accused of issuing a ‘death threat’ against President Donald Trump. The allegations stem from a photograph Comey posted on Instagram last year that contained numbers forming the initials CP. Government agencies claim the image incited calls to assassinate Trump. Comey, asserting his innocence, stated in a press release that he is not afraid.

Prosecutors have filed this indictment against Comey for the second time. Last year, he was also charged with lying under oath before Congress and obstructing a congressional process related to his September 2020 testimony. That case was brought shortly after Trump ordered intensified investigations into his political adversaries. Comey appeared in court denying all charges. Ultimately, the court dismissed the case due to procedural errors by prosecutors, but the possibility of new charges remained.

The latest accusation is based on a photograph Comey posted and later deleted on Instagram. The image displayed the numbers ’86 47′ arranged in a pattern. In American slang, ’86’ means to remove or get rid of something, often referred to as ‘ATsix.’ Comey claims he did not understand the message’s meaning; however, Trump and other officials in his administration interpret it as a threat to assassinate the 47th President of the United States.

During the announcement of the charges, FBI Director Kashyap Patel said Comey, as a former director, is fully aware of the attention and possible consequences generated by such a post. “James Comey posted on Instagram a message that shamefully and reprehensibly endangered President Trump’s life by making it publicly visible worldwide,” Patel stated. Comey was dismissed during Trump’s first term after investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Since then, Trump has repeatedly demanded legal action against Comey. The charges filed on Tuesday mark the second legal effort against him.

Tourist arrivals at Namaste Waterfall in Dhankuta have dwindled due to infrastructure damage caused by last year’s floods. The local government and Koshi Province have allocated NPR 1 million and NPR 1.5 million respectively for the waterfall’s reconstruction. Sangurigadhi Rural Municipality has built a temporary bridge and staircase to improve access, but a permanent truss bridge is still needed. (April 29, Dhankuta)

Namaste Waterfall, located in Dhankuta district of the Eastern Hills, was once a prime destination popular among domestic and Indian tourists. Each summer, visitors would flock here to swim in the cold waters and enjoy the natural pools formed beneath the waterfall, making the area vibrant with families and friends. However, despite its natural beauty, the site now appears deserted.

The primary reason for this decline is the damage to essential infrastructure caused by last year’s floods, which has created safety concerns. Although the natural allure remains intact, the risky access route has discouraged tourists from visiting. The local authorities and community have constructed temporary structures using bamboo and wood, but these are not sustainable solutions. Jeevan Subba, secretary of the Namaste Waterfall Management Committee, confirmed that tourist activity has notably decreased.

“The hustle and bustle of tourists is nowhere near what it used to be. People are still afraid,” he said. “When floods come from above making it impossible to reach the waterfall, why would visitors come if they cannot actually get there?” Limbu noted that this situation has made the area uncomfortable for visitors to the waterfall and nearby attractions. Nevertheless, efforts for the waterfall’s revival have begun, with Sangurigadhi Rural Municipality allocating NPR 1 million and Koshi Province providing NPR 1.5 million towards its management and reconstruction.

April 29, Siraha – A ‘National Nutrition Assessment Campaign’ has been launched in Siraha to identify the nutritional status of children. This campaign is being conducted across all 17 municipalities in Siraha district as part of a nationwide initiative, aiming primarily to improve child nutrition.

The campaign has been initiated by the Dalit Development Forum Golbazar with financial support from Helen Keller International and in collaboration with local municipalities under the ‘Nutrition for Life Program’.

The campaign focuses on assessing the nutrition of mothers in the crucial ‘golden thousand days’ as well as their children. According to the executive director of the forum, the assessment involves measuring children’s height, weight, and mid-upper arm circumference to determine their nutritional status. The target is to screen the nutrition of approximately 60,000 children aged between around 6 months to 59 months, along with about 14,000 mothers.

Scheduled to run from April 28 to May 13, the campaign aims to promptly identify malnutrition and facilitate timely treatment. During this period, female community health volunteers, in coordination with nearby health institutions, will visit homes to measure children’s arm circumference. Additionally, severely malnourished children will be provided with free ready-to-use therapeutic food through outpatient services.

As per the Government of Nepal’s plan, the campaign will also be implemented at health facilities, immunization centers, community clinics, ward offices, community buildings, and early childhood development centers.

Paris Saint-Germain secured an exhilarating 5-4 victory over Bayern Munich in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final. Bayern took an early lead in the 17th minute with a penalty converted by Harry Kane. However, PSG responded strongly by scoring five consecutive goals to regain control of the match. The second leg will take place at Bayern’s home ground, where the finalist will be decided.

On April 29, in Kathmandu, during the Champions League semi-final first leg, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) overcame German club Bayern Munich 5-4 in a spectacular encounter. The home side established a 3-2 lead by halftime in a highly competitive match that featured a total of nine goals as both teams played aggressive football.

Bayern’s Harry Kane opened the scoring with a penalty in the 17th minute, giving Bayern an early advantage. PSG quickly fought back with two goals, taking control of the game. Vicha Bhartskhelia equalized in the 24th minute, followed by João Neves scoring in the 33rd minute to put PSG ahead. Bayern restored parity at 3-3 with a stunning goal from Michael Olise in the 41st minute. In added time of the first half, PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé converted a penalty to restore their 3-2 lead.

PSG increased their attacking intensity in the second half. Bhartskhelia scored his second personal goal in the 56th minute, and Dembélé added another goal in the 58th minute, extending PSG’s lead to 5-2. Bayern attempted a comeback with goals from Dayot Upamecano in the 65th minute and Luis Díaz in the 68th minute, narrowing the margin to 5-4. However, no further goals were scored. This result gives PSG a slight advantage heading into the second leg, which will be played at Bayern’s stadium, where the finalist will be determined.

April 29, Triveni (Nawalparasi) – As part of the Narayangadh–Butwal road expansion project, road safety measures have begun in areas where road construction has been completed. According to Shiv Khanal, Information Officer for the Eastern Section of the project, road safety-related work is currently underway at locations with finished construction in the Eastern Section.

The safety work includes painting white and yellow lane markings, coloring the central divider, installing cement barriers between the main and service roads, and placing speed limit signs. Additionally, railing installation, W-beam guardrails, and delineator poles are being set up along the road edges.

Khanal noted that since the road construction is in its final phase, road safety efforts are being prioritized. “Many construction tasks have reached their final stages, so we are giving precedence to road safety work,” he said. Of the 65 kilometers of road in the Nawalparasi Eastern Section, only about seven kilometers remain unpaved, while the rest have been blacktopped and formal roads are operational. The current physical progress of the Eastern Section stands at 81 percent.

Travel conditions are smooth across the Eastern Section except in the Daunne area. The contract for the Narayangadh–Butwal road expansion project was signed on January 7, 2019, with a target completion date of August 7, 2022. The China State Construction Corporation Pvt. Ltd. commenced this work, which is divided into two sections spanning a total of 113 kilometers. Due to delays, the deadline has been extended four times, with the latest extension carrying the deadline to August 2024.

Funded through a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the total cost of both sections is NPR 1.699 billion. Of the 113 kilometers, 70 kilometers will feature four lanes, 29 kilometers will have four lanes plus dual three-to-six-meter-wide service lanes, and the 14-kilometer Daunne segment will be constructed with three lanes.

After bulldozing ‘squatter settlements’ built on public land in the Kathmandu Valley, the government has initiated a process to distinguish between genuine and fake squatters. Officials have stated that the identification work is based on existing records once displaced individuals register as landless and move into temporary shelters provided by the government. Ganesh Prasad Bhatt, spokesperson for the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, confirmed that an initial process to manage squatters within the Kathmandu Valley is underway.

An agency under the Ministry of Urban Development, citing a previous study, reported that approximately 3,500 families are landless squatters and reside in unplanned settlements. “We are conducting verification. Since not all details can be retrieved from citizenship numbers, we are attempting verification based on three generations of documentation,” Deputy Secretary Bhatt explained. For this purpose, the government has assigned responsibility to the Department of Land Management and Records. According to the department, by Tuesday, around 500 out of 3,500 families have been identified as not being genuine landless squatters.

Girish Kumar Jha, Director of the Geoinformatics Division at the Land Department, stated, “Based on registered land under individuals’ names or those who have sold land after 2019, approximately 490 fake squatters have been identified.” This number is expected to rise. Officials note that the data used for verification is outdated, so not all displaced persons may be eligible or currently registered. Information from the Land Problem Solving Commission corroborates this. According to Sant Kumar Karki, Vice-Chairman and spokesperson of the Commission, 5,856 people have applied for land across the three districts of the capital.

The federal government has initiated procedures to remove encroachments on government and public lands in Dang as per its directives. The Nepal Sanskrit University’s 1,326 bighas and Swargadwari Ashram’s 958 bighas of land have long been under encroachment. Chief District Officer Bishwaprakash Aryal informed that digital records will be prepared and a special campaign launched to control these encroachments. Kathmandu, 16 Baisakh.

Preparations are underway in Dang to clear encroachments on government and public lands. Similar to other parts of the country, the process to remove illegal occupations on government land in Dang has been accelerated. For many years, landless people, squatters, and informal settlements have occupied various government and public lands in Dang. Chief District Officer Bishwaprakash Aryal confirmed that the work to clear all such encroachments has now begun.

On Tuesday, discussions were held at the District Administration Office with stakeholders to immediately remove illegal occupations on public land. According to Aryal, this initiative is being advanced following instructions from the federal government. Land assessments have been completed in many encroached areas. “We have completed assessments in some locations to determine where encroachments exist, the extent of the land involved, and the number of residents,” he explained, “Assessments in some areas are still pending. Encroachments in the assessed areas will soon be removed.”

In Dang, thousands of bighas of land belonging to institutions such as Nepal Sanskrit University, Rapti Health Science Institute Ghorahi, District Administration Office, Nepal Police School, Area Police Office Tulsipur, and Rapti Provincial Hospital Tulsipur, as well as various campuses and schools, are currently under encroachment. Landless individuals, squatters, and informal settlers have constructed homes and established communities on these lands. Chief District Officer Aryal also noted that the process of creating digital records for the protection and control of public land encroachments is progressing.

April 29, Kathmandu – Nepal Rastra Bank has set the foreign currency exchange rates for Wednesday. According to the established rates, the buying rate for one US dollar is NPR 150.97, and the selling rate is NPR 151.57. Similarly, the buying rate for one Euro is NPR 176.57, with a selling rate of NPR 177.27; the British Pound Sterling’s buying rate is NPR 203.55, and the selling rate NPR 204.36; and the Swiss Franc’s buying rate is NPR 191.16, with a selling rate of NPR 191.92.

The Australian dollar’s buying rate is NPR 108.13, and selling rate NPR 108.56; Canadian dollar buying rate is NPR 110.46, selling rate NPR 110.90; Singapore dollar buying rate NPR 118.18 and selling rate NPR 118.65. The Japanese yen for 10 units has a buying rate of NPR 9.45 and selling rate of NPR 9.49; Chinese yuan one unit’s buying rate is NPR 22.08, selling rate NPR 22.17; Saudi Arabian riyal one unit’s buying rate is NPR 40.25, selling rate NPR 40.41; and Qatari riyal one unit is bought at NPR 41.41 and sold at NPR 41.58.

According to the central bank, the Thai baht’s buying rate is NPR 4.64 and selling rate NPR 4.66; UAE dirham one unit’s buying rate is NPR 41.10 and selling NPR 41.26; Malaysian ringgit’s buying rate NPR 38.20 and selling NPR 38.35; South Korean won (per 100 units) has a buying rate of NPR 10.23, selling rate NPR 10.27; Swedish krona’s buying rate is NPR 16.28, selling rate NPR 16.34; and Danish krone’s buying rate is NPR 23.63 with a selling rate of NPR 23.72.

Nepal Rastra Bank has also set the buying rate for one Hong Kong dollar at NPR 19.26 and selling rate at NPR 19.34; Kuwaiti dinar buying rate at NPR 492.72, selling rate NPR 494.68; Bahraini dinar buying rate NPR 400.19 and selling NPR 401.78; Omani riyal buying rate NPR 392.12, selling NPR 393.68. Likewise, the buying rate for 100 Indian rupees is NPR 160, and the selling rate NPR 160.15.

The central bank has stated that these exchange rates may be adjusted at any time as necessary. Exchange rates offered by commercial banks may differ, and the updated rates will be available on the central bank’s official website.

Based on thorough analysis, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has forecasted strong winds from 5:45 PM on 16th Baishakh until 7:45 AM on 17th Baishakh in the Sudurpashchim, Lumbini, Madhesh, and Koshi provinces. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority has urged people to avoid going outside, to keep windows and doors securely closed, and to stay away from weak structures as a precaution.

The Department has also warned of thunderstorms, lightning, hail, and rainfall across the country and has called for heightened vigilance nationwide. The warning issued on 16th Baishakh in Kathmandu specifies that strong winds are expected in several districts including Dadeldhura and Doti in Sudurpashchim Province; Bardiya, Banke, Dang, and Arghakhanchi in Lumbini Province; Dhanusha and Bara in Madhesh Province; and Morang in Koshi Province.

The Department has provided a precise timeline for the strong winds to commence at 5:45 PM on 16th Baishakh and conclude by 7:45 AM on 17th Baishakh, advising residents to take necessary safety measures during this period.

In response, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority issued an alert Tuesday evening, emphasizing the importance of staying indoors, securing windows and doors properly, reinforcing the roofs, particularly those made with corrugated sheets, and avoiding open fires outside the home.

Furthermore, the authority has recommended avoiding proximity to unstable structures, tall trees, electric poles, and overhead power lines. It specifically advised not to touch any fallen or hanging electric wires to prevent accidents.

Given the ongoing possibility of thunderstorm events accompanied by lightning, hail, and rainfall today, which could affect many parts of the country, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology appeals to everyone to remain cautious and prepared.