All newspapers published from Kathmandu on Thursday, both Nepali and English alike, have given the top priority to the meeting between Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday. Other key issues that have been featured on the front pages of broadsheets today include the district presidents’ gathering of Nepali Congress in Hetaunda, and arrest of trader Bimal Poddar in connection with a gold smuggling case.
Few newspapers have published stories about contemporary economic and sociocultural issues too on their front pages.
Important
Xi Jinping ‘assures’ arrival of Chinese rail in Kathmandu
Newspaper reports claim that Chinese President Xi Jinping has assured Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli that his government would help Nepal develop a railway connecting the two countries.
A long report in Gorkhapatra informs that Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali confirmed Xi’s statement, during a press conference organised after the meeting.
During the one-on-one meeting between the two leaders, Xi hoped that the train will reach Kathmandu within next few years, according to Annapurna Post lead story. Kantipur lead story claims that during the meeting Xi told Oli that the Chinese rail is no more a subject of dream for Nepal now. Naya Patrika, however, says all issues about the railway will be decided only today. It says China has agreed to develop the railway, but issues about investment and investors are yet to be settled.
Meanwhile, The Kathmandu Post lead story comments that the visit can be a turning point in existing ties between the two countries, “developing it beyond the platitudes and promises of shared mountains and common rivers.”
Ignored
Donors accused of exerting pressure to change Nepali curricula
Nagarik and Republica inform that donors have exerted pressure to the Nepal government to change the structure of Nepali curricula through the School Sector Development Programme, which the government implemented under their pressure after the failure of School Sector Reform Programme.
The chief donor for the project, World Bank, however, has rejected accusations of involvement in exerting pressure to modify the curricula, according to the reports.
25 per cent cooperatives don’t pay tax
Anchor story in Abhiyan says around 25 cooperatives across the country do not pay applicable taxes regularly. The number of registered cooperatives in Nepal is above 34,500, but only around 26,400 have received permanent account numbers (PAN), according to the report.
18 Nepalis detained in US
As many as 18 Nepali nationals who were trying to enter the United States illegally have been detained by the security personnel there recently, according to Rajdhani.
Around 80 persons from various countries of South Asia have been arrested by police there and they have been kept at a same prison, according to the report. However, the detainees have been barred from contacting each other. They are also deprived of other legal rights.
Republica has also carried the issue on the front page. It, however, says only 13 of them are Nepalis.
Natural disasters kill 500 people every year
Around 500 people lose their lives to various natural disasters in the country every year, Naya Patrika reports quoting the data maintained by the Ministry of Home Affairs. In Bikram Samvat 2074 (Mid-May 2017 to Mid-May 2018), total 597 people died in the disasters whereas the number was 483 last year, according to the report.
Most of the deaths are attributed to floods, landslides and fires.
New law will allow govt staff to join business
Annapurna Post reports that the government is preparing to enact a new law that allows civil servants to join business activities and non-government organisations. This preparation is in contrast with what Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration Lalbabu Pandit has been claiming in the public.
But, the draft of Federal Civil Service Act has included soft provisions for the staff, according to the report. Meanwhile, Pandit has told the Post that he will go through the draft and correct mistakes before tabling it to Parliament.
Interesting
Each peacekeeping mission should have 20 per cent women
Nepal’s two police organisations—Nepal Police and Armed Police Force—have expressed their commitment to significantly increase the number of women soldiers in the United Nations peacekeeping missions they will send, according to Rajdhani anchor story.
Now, from 2020 onwards, both the organisations should reserve at least 20 per cent seats of each peacekeeping troop to women, according to the report.
Nepal welcoming almost 100,000 tourists every year
Following the establishment of a ‘stable government’ in the country, the country is witnessing an exciting increase in the number of foreign tourists here, according to Karobar. Since the beginning of this year (2018), around 100,000 foreigners are coming to Nepal on tourist visa every year, according to the report.
