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The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has issued an emergency appeal for augmenting the relief and response initiatives for the victims of the recent earthquake in Jajarkot.

The IFRC has issued an appeal for emergency assistance of 5 million Swiss Francs for the Jajarkot disaster survivors. IFRC had issued an emergency appeal for assistance to the 2015 April Gorkha earthquake and provided humanitarian support.

The international humanitarian organization has been carrying out works like providing shelter and non-food materials – cash distribution, emergency shelter, tarpaulin, mattresses, blankets, medical treatment, psycho-social counseling, sanitary materials and livelihood and essentials - in an integrated way.

The IFRC Office in Kathmandu has stated that it will provide financial assistance to the hard-hit families for construction of temporary shelters, buying essentials and building toilets.

On November 3, an earthquake measuring 6.4 in magnitude hit Jajarkot and Rukum West with its epicenter at Ramidanda of Jajarkot. More than 150 people lost their lives and around 200 people were injured in the quake. At least 30,000 houses, both public and private, were destroyed while more than 38,000 families have been affected.

"Following the quake, the IFRC and its partners and the related parties including the Nepal Red Cross have been providing immediate humanitarian services. The search, rescue and relief distribution is promptly taking place through skilled volunteers of the Red Cross. Immediate assistance such as first aid, psychosocial support, blood transfusion and ambulance service and non-food items are being provided," according to the statement.

IFRC provided Rs 100 million in immediate assistance to those affected by the Jajarkot quake.

The headquarters of IFRC in Geneva, Switzerland provided the amount to the Nepal Red Cross through the Disaster Response Emergency Fund.

Despite a decrease in leprosy cases compared to previous years, Banke and Bardiya districts in the Lumbini Province continue to report new cases of this chronic infectious disease, posing challenges to its elimination.

During the fiscal year 2079-80 BS (2022-23), Shinning Hospital in Janaki Rural Municipality, Banke, identified 126 cases of leprosy. Hospital Chief Mangal Bahadur Tharu said that, of the cases detected last year, 55 were from Banke, 37 from Bardiya, and the remaining from other districts in Lumbini, Karnali, and Sudur Paschim provinces.

Operated by the NGO INF Nepal, the hospital had identified 157 leprosy cases in the fiscal year 2078-79 BS (2021-22). According to Tharu, regular camps are being conducted in various locations to find out hidden cases of the disease.

Ram Bahadur Chand, the health division chief of Nepalgunj sub-metropolis, acknowledged challenges in leprosy prevention and underlined the need for more actions including leprosy camps to identify hidden cases.

Jeevan Rajaure, the leprosy focal person at the District Health Office in Bardiya, said the social perception towards leprosy patients has not yet completely changed and the people with the issue face stigma in the society. "It has hindered their access to medical care."

Gyanendra Kumar Chaudhary, Chief of the District Coordination Committee in Banke, commended INF's role in promoting public awareness against leprosy, identifying undiagnosed cases, and contributing to prevention efforts in the area. He pledged to facilitate among the three-tier government to allocate the budget to the district for leprosy elimination initiatives in the district.

Laxmi Puja and Kukur Tihar are being observed today by worshiping, garlanding and feeding cows and dogs.

Laxmi, the Goddess of wealth, is being worshiped in every household today to mark the second day of the five-day Tihar festival –also known as the festival of lights – by lighting butter lamps and candles inside and outside of the households to light up the path of Goddess Laxmi in order to welcome her.

Nepali Hindus worship Goddess Laxmi in the evening today wishing for prosperity.

All the nooks and corners of the house are illuminated with colorful and decorative lights this evening in the belief that Goddess Laxmi does not visit places that are not properly illuminated, and so to please Goddess Laxmi, people light lamps and spend the whole night in vigil.

The night of Laxmi Puja is also a start of the cultural programs like ‘Deusi’ and ‘Bhailo’, where people, said to be sent by the king Bali, visit different homes singing and dancing for prosperity. In Kukur Tihar, dogs are worshiped as protectors of the house.

A dog is the most loyal friend to human beings, and according to Hindu myth, dogs are regarded as the guards of Yama, the god of death.

Kathmandu University School of Law (KUSOL) is all set to host the “International Conference on Federalism, Devolution of Power, and Inclusive Democracy in Nepal and Asia.”

The conference, scheduled for November 22-23, 2023, will take place at the Malla Hotel in Lainchaur, Kathmandu.

Since the promulgation of Nepal’s new constitution in 2015, federalism has been a central constitutional political issue in the country. Its practical application began with the first general elections held in 2017.

According to Professor Bipin Adhikari, the convener of the Conference, the decision to organize this conference stems from the pressing need to address the challenges arising from the implementation of federalism over the past seven years.

Distinguished national and international experts and practitioners will actively participate in the conference, focusing on three pivotal themes: intergovernmental coordination and cooperation in federal systems, equitable distribution of fiscal and state resources, and inclusion in decentralized governance.

The School of Law, established in 2013, has been committed to providing high-quality interdisciplinary legal education in Nepal. As the conference convenes, it aims to critically examine Nepal’s federal arrangements outlined in the 2015 Constitution, identify implementation challenges, and propose viable solutions.

Annapurna Cable Car  organized a 'Partners Meet' in Kathmandu. The event brought together the country's leading travel agencies and the company's business partners. 

During the event, the company also extended an invitation to interested parties to join forces in strengthening Nepal's tourism sector. In addition to fostering existing partnerships, the company revealed its plans to install a 48-feet tall idol of Panchamukhi Ganesh at its top station premises.

"The program has strengthened our existing partnership and encouraged us to welcome new partners," Kalu Gurung, chairman of Annapurna Cable Car said. "We believe that this collaboration will contribute significantly to the development of the tourism sector not only in Pokhara but in Nepal as a whole."

Likewise, Sanat Neupane, independent director of Annapurna Cable Car, urged for cooperation to establish Pokhara as well as Nepal as a premium tourist destination. "The Annapurna Cable Car is a safe, comfortable and unprecedented mode of travel," Neupane said. "The breathtaking views of the lake, city, green forest, sunrise and beautiful snow range seen while climbing and reaching Sarangkot through the cable car will be an unforgettable experience for everyone."

Annapurna Cable Car plans to unveil the Panchamukhi Ganesh idol during the Shivaratri festival in mid-February. "Very soon general people can own stakes in the company as we are planning to launch an IPO. Likewise, we are also starting nighttime operations," he added.

The company has been operating a 2.2-kilometer cable car service from Sedibagar on the Fewa Lake shores to Sarangkot hill. The cable car has 17 gondolas and can serve 500 people per hour. The company has also been operating other adventure activities like bungee jump and swing, rock climbing, canyoning etc.

According to the company, it has been strictly adhering to security standards set by Nippon Cable Company of Japan. It currently employs 80 skilled and unskilled workforce.

With the decision to shut down the embassy, North Korean diplomats and employees have started leaving Nepal.

Seven persons including North Korean Ambassador to Nepal Jo Yong Man have left Nepal on Friday.

A few days ago, two other staffers of the embassy had left Nepal.

Those who left Nepal today are Ambassador Jo Yong Man, deputy chief of mission, defense attaché and counselor among others, a source at the Foreign Ministry said.

A team including the ambassador left for Beijing, the capital of China, by Himalaya Airlines on Friday morning.

They left for Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea via Beijing.

With the closure of the North Korean Embassy in Nepal, the Embassy in India will look after the Nepal affairs.

Earlier on Monday, Ambassador Jo Yong Man called on Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and informed that Pyongyang has decided to close its embassy in Nepal.

The government has introduced a Social Media Management Guidelines 2080. The Council of Ministers passed the set of rules on Thursday, citing misleading contents posted on social networks like Facebook, X (previously Twitter), Tik Tok, YouTube and Instagram.

The 19-point directive has made it mandatory for registration of social media networks operating in Nepal and also outlined what social media users should not do.

Social media users should not create an anonymous or pseudonymous identity (fake ID); they should not generate and share content through anonymous or fake ID or share content of others or comment on the materials, the directive states.

The users should not spread hatred targeting any community, caste, gender, religion, age, caste, class, occupation, sect, marital status, family status, physical and mental condition, origin, sexual minority, language and other groups or categories protected by the law. Apart from trolling, the directive has also banned the publication/broadcast and sharing of texts, audiovisuals and images that upset social harmony.

The ban covers the use of offensive words, audiovisuals, images, hateful expressions, swearing and hate speech, including sounds, words, pictures and videos.

Posting, sharing or commenting on a topic that can spread violence at individual, group or community level affecting social harmony goes against the guidelines. 

It also covers activities that promote child labor, human trafficking, polygamy and child marriage, apart from the publication of a person’s distorted image, publication/broadcast of photos and videos of private affairs as well as broadcast/publication of obscene words, pictures, videos and audio animations along with comments on such materials.

Promotion of content harmful to children goes against the ban that covers activities such as child sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, prostitution, publication or transmission of false, misleading information and falsification of information and cyber-bullying. Cyber-bullying should be understood as actions such as discouraging, threatening, harassing, insulting or spreading false information through the use of technology, per the directive. It has also banned drug use and sales, gambling as well as publication or broadcast of contents related to terrorism through social media.

The banned activities also include hacking someone's ID and information, using social media for phishing/faking, posting or sharing obscene photos/videos without context, advertisement and sale of goods prohibited by prevailing laws and copying and sharing of activities deemed illegal.

Henry Edmundson has explored and climbed in the wider Himalaya and Hindu Kush since 1965. Accompanied by his wife, he has traversed the Himalayan range from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh. He is the author of three non-fiction books, including 'Tales from the Himalayas,' which received special mention at the Kekoo Naroroji Book Award for Himalayan literature in 2019. He is a fellow at the Royal Geographical Society, a member of the Alpine Club, and a life member of the Himalayan Club. Kamal Dev Bhattarai talked to Edmundson on a wide range of issues related to the Himalayas. Excerpts:

How has the Himalayan region changed since you first visited there?

I first visited the Himalayas in 1965 in Kashmir for climbing and Nepal in 1969 for a month-long trek in the Dhorpatan area south of the Dhaulagiri range. In those days, there were no reliable maps, no lodges, and the trekking business had only just begun. Conditions were very primitive. Today, in favored areas such as Annapurna, Manaslu, Langtang, a wide range of amenities are offered to trekkers. But it is still possible to find wild areas where no one goes. This year I crossed the Tilman Pass, which is rarely done by trekkers. And in past years, I have trekked to Darchula in the far-west where no one still goes. I trekked Upper Dolpo before it became popular. In contrast, the trekking business in the Indian Himalayas is comparatively underdeveloped—still no lodges. The situation in Bhutan is the same. Trekking in Arunachal Pradesh is still politically constrained.

There has been a lot of geopolitical talk about the region. What do you think are the reasons?

Mountain ranges form a natural barrier between nations, so Nepal is squeezed, as is Bhutan, between two giants, China and India, which now compete in terms of population, GDP, and most sadly, compete in terms of the frontiers directly affecting both countries. This links border disputes in the east and west—the McMahon Line in the east and claims on the whole of Arunachal Pradesh, and the Aksai Chin in the west, northeast of Ladakh. Both countries are spending billions on their armies facing off in these two areas.

Why has the Himalayan region become geopolitically important?

Mainly because China and India are competing with each other for Asian and global influence. In Kashmir, a different story of religious differences between India and Pakistan, exacerbated by serious mistakes made by the British during Partition in 1947.

Is the Himalayan region a boon or bane for Nepal given the level of geopolitical struggle in this belt?

It must be a very difficult balancing act for the Government of Nepal to feel squeezed between China and India. Both countries offer so much, but also probably don’t know when they are applying too much pressure. Nepal needs their help, but how much without compromising its sovereignty?

The way the Himalayan ecosystem is changing, what measures should the government take to protect it?

The Nepali government has done an excellent job by creating national parks and reserves to protect the natural environment in the most visited areas. Elsewhere, as in India, the main challenge is controlling overdevelopment.

If we want to protect the sanctity of the Himalayas, what should be done?

Understand the historical and cultural principles of Nepali society and life in general, and ensure that the modernization of the nation doesn’t compromise these principles too much. Don’t let modern life erode the Hindu, Buddhist, and other tribal belief systems.

How can the Himalayas help Nepal promote sustainable tourism?

I think Nepal has done a great job promoting its tourism. I think Indian tourism to holy sites is well managed, but I think there are challenges for the trekking industry. Many factors conspire to make this less attractive than in the last 30 years. It is getting more expensive (flying to Nepal as well as internal Nepal costs); the network of roads being built in the main trekking areas, while a boon for locals, is a turn-off for foreigners; trekking elsewhere in the world is becoming an increasingly cheaper option.