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Kathmandu: The 10th day of the Bada Dashain festival is being celebrated all over the country today with great enthusiasm as people receive ‘tika’ and blessings from their elders.

On the day of Bijaya Dashami, the ceremonial immersion (bisarjan) of the festival’s Goddess into rivers and ponds is performed at 10:37 am according to religious rituals.

The auspicious hour for receiving ‘tika’ is 11:02 am, as determined by the Nepal Calendar Determination Committee.

While the auspicious hour for receiving the Prasad of Devi is set at 11:02 am as per the calendar’s requirement, the entire day following the immersion of the Goddess is considered auspicious for this purpose.

The worship of Sri Durga Bhawani at Dasainghars over the nine days concludes formally on the day of Bijaya Dashami after the Abhishekh or the sprinkling of holy water takes place, marking the beginning of ‘tika’ ceremonies.

People continue to receive ‘tika’ and ‘jamara’ until the full moon day. ‘Tika’ and ‘jamara’ are considered auspicious gifts from the Goddess Navadurga, symbolizing prosperity.

It is believed that one need not seek an auspicious time if undertaking a new assignment, campaign, or journey on the auspicious day of Bijaya Dashami.

The Bijaya Dashami festival is celebrated in commemoration of the victory of truth over evil and the triumph of divine forces over demonic forces.

A third fleet of vehicles carrying essential aid made its way into Gaza through the Rafah crossing with Egypt, as reported by CNN.

Gaza, home to over 2m civilians, faces the ongoing threat of severe dehydration and starvation due to Israel's persistent bombardment and complete blockade.

Over the weekend, on Saturday and Sunday, a total of 34 trucks transported much-needed supplies, including food, water, medications, and medical equipment from Egypt to Gaza via the same crossing.

The convoy on Sunday underwent additional security inspections, as confirmed by a security official speaking to CNN.

Despite these efforts, human rights organizations have expressed concerns that insufficient aid has reached the Palestinian enclave.

UN experts declared Israel's actions in Gaza to be tantamount to crimes against humanity on Thursday. With Israel's border crossings closed to Gaza, the Rafah crossing connecting Egypt and Gaza remains the only viable route for delivering aid to the Palestinian enclave, CNN reported.

US President Joe Biden held a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, with both leaders affirming the need to ensure the continued flow of humanitarian aid and relief materials into Gaza.

The White House shared a statement saying that President Biden called up Netanyahu to discuss developments in Gaza and in the surrounding region.

"The leaders affirmed that there will now be a continued flow of this critical assistance into Gaza," the White House statement said.

Meanwhile, President Biden welcomed the first two convoys of humanitarian assistance since Hamas's Oct 7 terrorist attack.

According to the statement, the aid has crossed the border into Gaza and is being distributed to Palestinians in need. Moreover, Biden expressed appreciation for Israel's support in helping to accommodate the release of two American hostages.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed on Saturday the release of two US citizens, who were being held hostage by Hamas. The two Americans released were identified as Judith Tai Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter, Natali Raanan, both from Chicago, according to CNN.

Their family members said they had been visiting relatives in Nahal Oz, a farming community in southern Israel, and were released on "humanitarian grounds" due to the mother's poor health.

Moreover, the two leaders discussed ongoing efforts to further secure the release of all the remaining hostages, including US citizens, taken by Hamas.

They also discussed the way to provide safe passage for US citizens and other civilians in Gaza who wish to depart, according to the statement.

"The President and the Prime Minister agreed to stay in close touch," the White House statement added.

ANI

Dhaka: A passenger train on Monday afternoon rear-ended a goods train in Bhairab upazila, Kishoreganj, resulting in at least 12 fatalities and multiple injuries, Dhaka Tribune reported.

Firefighter Rasel from Bhairab Bazar Fire Station confirmed the incident, which caused damage to two rear coaches of the Egarosindhur Godhuli train.

Witnesses reported individuals trapped under the train, while Bhairab Station Master Yusuf stated that the death toll is likely to rise, according to Dhaka Tribune.

Bhairab Station Master Yusuf said, "The incident took place around 3:30 pm. The death toll is expected to rise further. Rail connectivity from Dhaka to Chittagong, Sylhet and Kishoreganj is suspended."

Rail connectivity from Dhaka to Chittagong, Sylhet, and Kishoreganj has been suspended, and rescue efforts by police and fire service personnel are ongoing at the scene. Twelve deaths have been reported at the time of filing this report.

ANI

Sharjah: Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) held a meeting with Angelica Schempp, Consul-General of Switzerland in Dubai, and discussed fostering collaboration in the clean and renewable energy, energy efficiency, and water sectors.

During the meeting, which took place at DEWA's head office, Al Tayer emphasised the shared commitment to advancing the global transition towards sustainable and clean energy solutions.

He added that this partnership will not only benefit the UAE and Switzerland but also contribute to the global effort to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Al Tayer highlighted DEWA's achievements, initiatives, and renewable and clean energy projects. One of DEWA's key projects is the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park in the world with a planned capacity of 5,000 megawatts (MW) by 2030.

He highlighted the significance of innovation and digital transformation. He discussed the potential for collaboration in harnessing cutting-edge technologies to improve the efficiency and sustainability of energy and water systems.

The two sides discussed the potential for knowledge sharing and collaboration in developing and deploying clean and renewable energy sources. The exchange of expertise and technology will play a crucial role in achieving a cleaner and more sustainable energy landscape.

Schempp commended DEWA's efforts in developing renewable energy projects, thanking Al Tayer for the opportunity to discuss potential cooperation and strengthen bilateral relations. 

ANI

Kathmandu: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, Narayan Kaji Shrestha, has been discharged from the Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Beijing, China, today. He was admitted to the hospital after suffering a mild heart attack on Oct 19 during an official visit to the People's Republic of China. He has been discharged after five days.

According to a statement from the hospital, DPM Shrestha was diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction and was immediately taken to the Cath lab. Emergency coronary angiography revealed an occlusion in the obtuse marginal branch and significant stenosis in the left anterior descending artery.

A stent was promptly placed in the obtuse marginal branch to alleviate his chest pain. This incident occurred on Oct 18 when he was in Beijing to participate in the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

Upon his discharge from the hospital, Deputy Prime Minister Shrestha expressed his gratitude to the medical team involved in his treatment, the hospital staff, and the Nepali Embassy in Beijing. Similarly, he extended his thanks to all those who showed concern for his health and sent him best wishes.

DPM Shrestha is scheduled to return home on the morning of 25 Oct 2023, as informed by the DPM's secretariat.

Washington: US President Joe Biden held a telephonic conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, with both leaders affirming the need to ensure the continued flow of humanitarian aid and relief materials into Gaza.

The White House shared a statement saying that President Biden called up Netanyahu to discuss developments in Gaza and in the surrounding region.

“The leaders affirmed that there will now be a continued flow of this critical assistance into Gaza,” the White House statement said.

Meanwhile, President Biden welcomed the first two convoys of humanitarian assistance since Hamas’s Oct 7 terrorist attack.

According to the statement, the aid has crossed the border into Gaza and is being distributed to Palestinians in need.

Moreover, Biden expressed appreciation for Israel’s support in helping to accommodate the release of two American hostages.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed on Saturday the release of two US citizens, who were being held hostage by Hamas.

The two Americans released were identified as Judith Tai Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter, Natali Raanan, both from Chicago, according to CNN.

Their family members said they had been visiting relatives in Nahal Oz, a farming community in southern Israel, and were released on “humanitarian grounds” due to the mother’s poor health.

Moreover, the two leaders discussed ongoing efforts to further secure the release of all the remaining hostages, including US citizens, taken by Hamas.

They also discussed the way to provide safe passage for US citizens and other civilians in Gaza who wish to depart, according to the statement.

“The President and the Prime Minister agreed to stay in close touch,” the White House statement added.

As Israel continued to pound Hamas in Gaza, at least 14 trucks laden with items for humanitarian relief entered the Strip through the Rafah crossing on Monday, CNN reported.

These aid trucks were sponsored by the Egyptian Red Crescent and the United Nations.

An official with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in Gaza confirmed to CNN that these trucks have been admitted and are currently being offloaded to proceed to the Gaza storage facilities of UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees.

Earlier on Saturday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized on Friday that facilitating the movement of aid into Gaza was among his top priorities over the past week. He noted that they worked diligently with the governments of Israel and Egypt. 

ANI

Buenos Aires: Economy Minister Sergio Massa produced a big surprise by finishing first in the opening round of Argentina’s presidential election, reflecting voters’ wariness about handing the presidency to his chief rival, a right-wing populist who upended national politics and pledged to drastically diminish the state.

Massa’s victory over Javier Milei, a chainsaw-wielding economist and freshman lawmaker, came despite the fact that on his watch inflation has surged into triple digits, eating away at purchasing power of salaries and boosting poverty. Still, he wasn’t punished in Sunday's voting.

With nearly all balots counted early Monday, Massa had 36.7% of the vote and Milei had 30%, meaning the two will go to a Nov. 19 runoff. Most pre-election polls, which have been notoriously unreliable, had given Milei a slight lead over Massa. Former Security Minister Patricia Bullrich, of the main center-right opposition coalition, got 23.8% to finish third in the field of eight candidates.

Massa has been a leading figure in the center-left administration in power since 2019. He successfully focused messaging on the way Milei’s proposals to slash the size of the state — from halving the number of government ministries to deep spending cuts — would affect everyday life for Argentines, said Mariel Fornoni of the political consulting firm Management & Fit.

That “had a significant impact and evidently instilled more fear than anything else,” Fornoni said.

Andrei Roman, CEO of Brazil-based pollster Atlas Intel, whose latest survey had been one of few putting Massa ahead, said one key to the result was lower abstention than in the primary elections held in August. Around 78% of the electorate voted Sunday, some eight points higher than in the primaries that Milei won.

Milei, a self-described anarcho-capitalist who admires former U.S. President Donald Trump, built a groundswell of support while calling for elimination of the Central Bank, replacement of the local currency with the U.S. dollar, and a purge of the corrupt establishment that he called the “political caste.”

His radical proposals and fiery, profanity-laden rhetoric caused some Argentines to vote for Massa, even if less than enthusiastically. Cristian Ariel Jacobsen, a 38-year-old photographer, said he voted for Massa to prevent Milei’s “project that puts democracy at risk.”

A sense of apprehension was evident on the streets of Argentina in the days before the election. People with any disposable income snapped up goods in anticipation of a possible currency devaluation, recalling that the government devalued the peso by nearly 20% the day after the August primaries. Argentines also bought dollars and removed hard currency deposits from banks as the peso accelerated its already steady depreciation.

Massa’s campaign this year follows another eight years ago, when he finished a disappointing third place and was knocked out of the running. This time, he will have his shot in the runoff. That contest will determine whether Argentina will continue with a center-left administration or veer sharply to the right.

Massa, 51, finished first in Sunday’s vote despite inflation surging to 140% on his watch and the currency tanking. He told voters that he inherited an already-bad situation exacerbated by a devastating drought that decimated the country’s exports, and reassured them that the worst was past.

He focused much of his firepower in the campaign’s final days on warning voters against backing Milei, painting him as a dangerous upstart. He argued that Milei’s plans could have devastating effects on social welfare programs, education and health care. The health, education and social development ministries are among those Milei wants to extinguish.

Right-wing support was split between Milei and two other candidates, whereas Massa had already consolidated nearly all support from the left, Atlas Intel’s Roman said.

Massa sent a signal Sunday night that he would seek to appeal to members of other parties for the runoff.

“I’m going to call for a government of national unity — a government of national unity built on the foundation of summoning the best individuals, regardless of their political affiliation,” he said.

He also could find common interest with other longserving public servants, many of whom have bristled at Milei's candidacy and the threats it posed.

Milei, who turned 53 on election day, has characterized Massa and others as part of the entrenched and corrupt establishment that brought South America’s second-largest economy to its knees.

“Today is historic because two-thirds of Argentines voted for change," Milei said in a speech Sunday night at his campaign headquarters. "They voted for an alternative to this government of criminals who want to mortgage our future to stay in power.”

He also has cast himself as a crusader against what he calls the sinister forces of socialism at home and abroad. He opposes sex education, feminist policies and abortion, which is legal in Argentina. He rejects the notion that humans have had a role in causing climate change.

That may have turned off some voters, said Benjamin Gedan director of the Latin America Program at the Washington-based Wilson Center.

Running as an anti-establishment candidate, Milei was the undisputed star of the campaign. So many people surrounded his vehicle as he approached his polling station that he needed a phalanx of bodyguards. Groups of supporters threw flower petals on his car.

“There was this sense of inevitability around Javier Milei in the media, but he scared too many voters and ended up with the exact same level of support he had two months ago,” said Brian Winter, a longtime Argentina expert and vice president of the New York-based Council of the Americas. “And now I think we have a really uncertain race. It’s going to be really tight.”

In his speech Sunday night, Milei appeared to try to appeal to those who may have trembled at his bombastic speeches, and regain his edge.

“We didn’t come here to take away rights; we came to take away privileges,” he said.

Whatever the results, Milei has already inserted himself and his libertarian party into a political structure dominated by a center-left and a center-right coalition for almost two decades. He was celebratory at his campaign headquarters, saying the preliminary results indicated his party gained 40 seats in the lower house of Congress and eight in the Senate.

Still, supporters outside expressed disappointment.

“I won’t lie; I feel a certain bitterness,” said Gaston Yapur, a 35-year-old coffee importer. “But, well, it’s a runoff; we mustn’t give up. He who fights isn’t defeated, and we must keep fighting the battle.”

AP

Myagdi: Changra, the Himalayan goat, valued at over Rs 230m, has been exported from the Mustang district to various districts for the Dashain festival. These Himalayan goats have been dispatched to multiple districts, including Myagdi, Kaski, Parbat, Baglung, and Kathmandu, as confirmed by the Veterinary Hospital and Livestock Service Expert Centre in Mustang.

Rishiram Pokharel, the Chief of the Centre, has stated that approximately 5,755 Changra goats were exported for the festival this year. He said, “A health certificate was issued for the export of 5,755 Changra through the Jomsom border, with the total value of the exported Changra surpassing Rs 230m.”

Of the exported Changra goats, 4,000 were raised by farmers in Mustang, while the remaining animals were sourced from Dolpa and Mugu. The export of Himalayan goats took place from Oct 7 to 18. 

Traders visited the barns to purchase Changra, and on average, each goat fetched around Rs 40,000. According to the Centre’s records, last year witnessed the export of 6,600 Changra from Mustang, 12,000 Changra in the year 2021, and approximately 25,000 in 2020.