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Pokhara International Airport has its first international flight with the A319 aircraft of Sichuan Airlines landing at the airport on Wednesday morning. After it was formally inaugurated on 1 Jan 2023, by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, it is the first time that the airport received an international flight. The plane carrying some Nepali and Chinese officials and Chinese players to take part in the Nepal-China Friendship Dragon Boat Race Festival to be organized in Pokhara landed at 9:06 am on Wednesday morning, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN). The plane was welcomed with a water cannon salute. Sichuan Airlines conducted a chartered flight from Chengdu of Sichuan Province to Pokhara. The delay in conducting international flights and the report about its infeasibility to land narrow-body planes such as Airbus A320 and A319 in their full load capacity raised questions about the massive investment to build this airport. The project was built by taking $215.96m in loans from the China Exim Bank. The landing of A319 aircraft with 70 passengers and cargo loads at Pokhara International Airport showed that the airport is suitable for landing the type of aircraft the airport was supposed to accommodate,” said a senior official of CAAN. “The landing of the chartered flight also confirmed that equipment installed in the airport is in good condition and the geography of Pokhara can accommodate the jets that we envisioned.” Earlier media reports suggested that the airport has a payload issue as planes like Airbus A320 and A319 could not land there at their full capacity. Airports have load restrictions determined by obstacles, runway length, temperature, quality, and other factors. Load restrictions contribute to the rise in the operating cost of airlines. The first successful landing of the aircraft of Sichuan Airlines has not yet erased the doubt about the commercial viability to operate flights from and to this airport which is surrounded by high hills. Other international airlines are yet to come up with their plan to operate international flights from and to this airport. Even the state-owned Nepal Airlines is yet to announce a plan to operate its international flights from Pokhara. After the landing of a plane run by Sichuan Airlines, Ganesh Prasad Timilsina, Chairperson of National Assembly said that he, during his recent China visit, had insisted that the Chinese side start the first international flight in this airport as it is the Chinese-aided project. Timilsina stressed the need for regular flights to and from this airport while pointing out that operating flights should also be commercially viable. “All the stakeholders should work together to ensure regular international flights,” he said, adding that the federal government, Pokhara Metropolitan City, and tourism entrepreneurs should also make common efforts for the purpose. CAAN has not yet confirmed when the regular international flights will be conducted to and from this airport. In a statement posted on social media, the CAAN said, “Discussions with the relevant parties are underway to establish regular flights in the future.” A senior official of CAAN said that regular fights could start within a few months. “We hope to see increased regular flights from and to the Pokhara International Airport in September and October when foreign tourists visit Nepal in large numbers,” the official said. “ Nepal Airlines and Himalaya Airlines are also showing interest in conducting international flights.”

The Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) has drawn the attention of the finance minister towards the air tickets becoming expensive due to the imposition of VAT on airfare by the government. A NATTA delegation led by its president Ramesh Thapa met Finance Minister Prakash Saaran Mahat on Wednesday and called on the government to withdraw its decision to levy value added tax (VAT) on air tickets, citing that imposition of VAT on airfare through the budget for fiscal year 2023-24 has made the air tickets costlier. "As both the domestic and international airfare in Nepal are already expensive at present, the airfare would become exorbitantly expensive with the addition of VAT in the present situation, and there is possibility of tourist arrivals falling down and the prospective foreign tourists opting for traveling to airports in Bagdogara, Gorakhpur among other airports in India due to their proximity to the Nepal border and the high airfare in Nepal," Thapa said. He argued that the decision of imposing VAT on airfare would have a serious impact on the government's goal of bringing more than a million tourists to Nepal in the upcoming fiscal year. NATTA said imposition of VAT only in Nepal would make the air tickets issued by Nepali travel agencies more expensive while it would be cheaper booking tickets online and in foreign countries. This will impel foreign tourists to book air tickets from foreign countries, resulting in loss of foreign currency earning and an increased risk of the government losing the tax it has been getting from the travel agencies and the loss of employment provided by the latter. NATTA has also called for a change in the provision of the Nepali citizen having to purchase a package tour from the foreign currency facility that one gets while going on a foreign tour. In the meeting, Finance Minister Mahat expressed the commitment that the government would take measures so that the tourism entrepreneurs would not face problems for the development of the tourism sector in Nepal.

Today's ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier match between Nepal and West Indies at 12:45 pm is crucial for Nepal to keep their chances alive in the tournament.  Nepal lost their first game against Zimbabwe but managed to win their second game against the USA. They currently hold the third position in Group A with two points, while Zimbabwe is leading the group with two wins (four points). West Indies, with one win, is in the second position, ahead of Nepal in terms of net run rate. The Windies have played only one game so far. To stay in contention, Nepal must win this match against the West Indies. A victory would push them to the second position in the group, while a loss would keep them in third place but help West Indies advance. After this match, Nepal will have only one game left to play. In their previous match against the USA, Nepal’s medium pacer Karan KC performed exceptionally well, taking four wickets for just 11 runs in a seven-over spell. This outstanding bowling display limited the USA to a total of 207 runs. Nepal comfortably chased down the target with Bhim Sharki’s unbeaten 77, securing a six-wicket victory. Top two teams from Zimbabwe qualifiers will play the ICC World Cup that is set to take place in India, in October 2023.

At least 31 people are dead and seven injured in the Chinese city of Yinchuan, in northwest Ningxia region, after a gas explosion at a barbecue restaurant Wednesday night, according to state media, CNN reported.

The explosion was caused by a leak of a liquified gas tank inside the restaurant, and took place around 8:40 p.m., according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Among the seven injured, one person is still in critical condition. The other six are being treated in the hospital for minor injuries, burns and glass cuts.

Local fire authorities sent 20 vehicles and more than 100 personnel to the scene, with search and rescue operations lasting until 4 a.m. Thursday morning, according to state media.

Photos posted by state media show the damaged building, with blackened exteriors, debris on the ground and smoke in the air. Firefighters are seen entering the second floor on a ladder and lifting people out on stretchers, according to CNN.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping called the explosion “heartbreaking,” and said it was a “profound lesson.” He has issued instructions to authorities on the scene, requiring “all efforts” to treat the injured, strengthen safety supervision and protect residents’ safety, according to CCTV.

Interviews by police and firefighters on the scene established that two restaurant staffers had smelled gas about an hour before the explosion, said the Yinchuan government in a statement posted online on Thursday.

The two staffers found the valve of the gas tank had broken, and sent another staff member to buy a new one. The explosion took place as the valve was being replaced.

Police have detained nine people and frozen their assets, including the restaurant’s manager, employees and shareholders, according to state media China Youth Daily, CNN reported.

The restaurant is located on a busy street, state media reported. The incident came just before China began its three-day national public holiday, from Thursday to Saturday, marking the Dragon Boat Festival.

The country has been rocked by a number of safety incidents this year. A coal mine collapse in Inner Mongolia in February left 53 dead; then in April, the deadliest fire to hit Beijing in two decades killed 29 people in a hospital.

Non-life insurance companies have resumed issuing agri-insurance policies after the government promised to release the remaining portion of agricultural and livestock insurance subsidies. The companies had suspended the agri-insurance from the second week of May after the government failed to release the subsidy amount. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development and the Nepal Insurers' Association (NIA), the umbrella organization of non-life insurance companies in the country, reached an agreement on Tuesday with the former agreeing to release the subsidy amount immediately. During a meeting with Agriculture Minister Beduram Bhusal on Tuesday, the ministry urged the association to resume the agri-insurance business. Chunky Chhetry, President of NIA said that insurance companies have resumed the agri-insurance business from Wednesday. “We have started issuing new policies after the government's commitment to release the subsidy amount,” said Chhetry. The government has an outstanding amount of Rs 2.94bn to be paid in subsidies. Of which, the Agriculture Ministry released Rs 740m in the first week of June. However, the insurance companies were adamant that they would not restart agri-insurance until the dues are not released. Now, the government has promised to release Rs 400m in the next few days. “The government has promised to pay Rs 400m in the next few days and the remaining dues by mid-July,” said Chhetry. The government has been providing an 80 percent subsidy on agricultural insurance premiums. In a bid to cover the damages and losses to agriculture, the government introduced the Agriculture and Livestock Insurance Program in the fiscal year 2013/2014. In the initial phase, the government provided a 50 percent subsidy on the premium of the insurance. The premium was later increased to 75 percent, and currently, it is 80 percent. Now, the farmers have to pay Rs 20 out of Rs 100 premium while insuring their crops and livestock. The insurance companies will get the rest Rs 80 from the government. The statistics of NIA show the business of agriculture insurance has increased by 417.55 percent in the first half of FY 2022/23. The non-life insurance companies have collected Rs 1.09 billion in insurance premiums from agriculture insurance in the first six months of the current fiscal compared to Rs 211.13m during the same period of the last fiscal year. The insurers have sold 82,746 agricultural insurance policies in the current fiscal year.

The monsoon weather system has its influence in the eastern and central parts of the country at present, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology said. Similarly, local wind and Westerly wind have their partial impact. The low-pressure system that has developed over Uttar Pradesh in India also has its influence in the western Nepal, the Department stated. The weather is generally cloudy in Koshi and Bagmati Provinces as well as the Madhesh, Lumbini and Sudurpaschim Provinces at present. It is partly to generally cloudy in the rest of the regions of the country with moderate rain accompanied by lightning at a few places, said meteorologist Sanjeev Adhikari. He said there is a possibility of rainfall in some places of Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces today. The Meteorological Forecasting Division said there are chances of heavy rainfall tonight compared to the daytime. The weather bulletin issued by the Division stated that light rainfall is forecast in the western parts of the country as well today. It said the monsoon system has its impact in the eastern and central parts of the country at present while the local and Westerly winds have their impact in the rest of the parts.

Media experts and advocates for freedom of expression have argued that there is no direct law to protect the journalists in most of the countries in South Asia. They were speaking in a day-long training workshop on safety of journalists with a feminist approach organized jointly by Media Action Nepal and ARTICLE19 today in Kathmandu. The workshop was supported by Global Affairs Canada. Despite progressive legislation across South Asia, there are no concrete laws to protect journalists in South Asia other than Pakistan. Media trainers have complained that the South Asian countries do not have direct laws regarding the welfare of the journalists. Most of the South Asian countries have signed and ratified the international treaties such as CEDAW and ICCPR, however, practical execution of it is dismal, they lamented. A group of 20 female journalists participating from all the provinces of Nepal complained, “We have all experienced some sort of threats, sexual assault, and gender discrimination at least once during our professional journey.” I was called by the security force of the country which threatened and behaved derogatorily for writing news on them, a participant shared. Chairperson of the Media Action Nepal Laxman Datt Pant said, “Laws are being framed to restrict and refrain the freedom of expression. We need to protect the journalists in and outside the newsroom to ensure their safety.” Adding that journalists face risks and abuse depending on their race and sexual orientation, religion, and other characteristics, Pant called for institutionalizing  a strong system to support journalists in danger. Women journalists face multiple safety threats such as stereotyping, harassment, and gender discrimination, he added. “Not only the countries, even media houses do not have any policies regarding the safety of the journalists”, said Rumky Farhana, FEMSOJ project Lead in South Asia for ARTICLE 19. Equal inclusive and non-discriminative policy must be implemented on the basis of gender diversity, she added. Likewise, Faruq Faisel, Regional Director, ARTICLE 19 South Asia thanked the participants for their attentive and engaged role for the successful completion of the training. The training workshop was facilitated by Laxman Datt Pant and Namrata Sharma.

With a strong product portfolio and market presence, Xiaomi has been one of the leading smartphone brands in Nepal. The Chinese handset major recently launched the Redmi Note 12 series as well as Redmi 12C in the Nepali market. Besides, the company has recently launched the new Xiaomi Exchange Offer. ApEx talked to Amit Kumar Panda, Country General Manager of Xiaomi Nepal to know about the market expansion of Xiaomi, newly launched products, and the current state of the company’s business in Nepal. Excerpts: Xiaomi has achieved big success in Nepal since its official market inception in 2018. What factors are behind this success? Xiaomi’s success can be attributed to its dedication to providing affordable yet high-quality products, its innovative business approach, strategic global expansion, investment in research and development, and effective leadership. These factors have allowed Xiaomi to attract a wide customer base, foster brand loyalty, stay ahead of industry trends, and establish itself as one of the fastest-growing brands in its field. The brand has become popular among consumers due to its competitive pricing, feature-rich devices, and reputation for offering value-for-money products. We prioritize delivering the best specifications, superior quality, and fair pricing. Xiaomi’s focus on affordable smartphones with impressive features has resonated well with price-conscious Nepali consumers who desire high-quality devices at affordable prices. Our expansion in the Nepali market has been facilitated by effective marketing strategies, extensive distribution networks, and reliable after-sales service. The company has made an effort to understand the needs and preferences of Nepali consumers and tailor its product offerings accordingly. This customer-centric approach has played a crucial role in building a loyal customer base for Xiaomi in Nepal. We express our gratitude to our Xiaomi Fans for their appreciation and support which has helped us to become the number one smartphone brand in Nepal for the past three years. The company has recently launched the Redmi Note 12 series. What are the key features of the phones of this series? With the Snapdragon 685 Mobile Platform, the Redmi Note 12 offers a smooth and efficient multitasking experience across various activities such as photography, gaming, audio, and streaming. On the other hand, the Redmi Note 12 5G is equipped with the Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 5G processor, which provides reliable performance for content creation, gaming, and 5G connectivity. Meanwhile, the Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G utilizes the MediaTek Dimensity 1080 processor, delivering impressive performance for gaming, daily tasks, content creation, camera processing, and 5G connectivity. Our competitive pricing strategy further solidifies its position in the market. By offering affordable options without compromising on quality or features, Redmi attracts a larger customer base and gains market share. This approach enables Redmi to effectively compete with other smartphone brands by providing a compelling value proposition that resonates with consumers in Nepal. The positive perception of Redmi’s affordability fosters long-term customer relationships and opens doors for further market expansion. Could you elaborate on the significance of Redmi 12C’s pricing strategy? The Redmi 12C is designed as an entry-level smartphone to meet the demands of budget-conscious Xiaomi users in Nepal. However, we have not compromised on the technology and specifications of the device. We understand that affordability plays a crucial role as it enables a broader range of consumers to access and benefit from advanced technologies. There is a significant market demand for budget smartphones, and by offering a device with robust specifications at a lower price point, Redmi allows more individuals to enjoy the advantages of modern smartphones. We recognize that many consumers prioritize affordability, and our aim is to provide them with a device that offers excellent value for their money without compromising on quality or features. With the introduction of 5G capabilities at a price equivalent to a 4G device, the Redmi Note 12 5G stands out as the best affordable 5G phone in Nepal. Can you shed light on how Redmi managed to incorporate flagship features without compromising on specs and quality at such a competitive price? Redmi has successfully managed to incorporate flagship features and maintain high-quality specifications in the Redmi Note 12 5G while keeping it affordable in the Nepali market. This achievement is made possible through Xiaomi's strong supply chain, efficient manufacturing processes, emphasis on research and development, direct-to-consumer business model, and strategic pricing approach. These factors collectively enable Redmi to offer a budget-friendly 5G smartphone without compromising on specifications or quality. They prioritize delivering value-for-money products to cater to a wide range of consumers, including those who seek affordable options without compromising on specifications or quality. Xiaomi Nepal has recently launched Xiaomi Exchange Offer. Can you please explain how this exchange offer works and what benefits it provides to customers? The Xiaomi Exchange Offer allows customers to trade in their old smartphones, regardless of the brand, for a discount on the purchase of a new Xiaomi, Redmi, or POCO device. The valuation of the old phones is conducted at www.nayapurano.shop, and the customer can choose to exchange for our phones. This initiative is designed to provide customers with added value and convenience while encouraging them to upgrade to the latest Xiaomi products. Additionally, as a token of appreciation for choosing Xiaomi, we are offering an extra Rs 1,000 off on the purchase of the recently launched Redmi Note 12 5G via Xiaomi Exchange Offer. This demonstrates our commitment to delivering exceptional value to our Xiaomi fans. Moreover, through the exchange process, customers can also upgrade their existing 4G phones to 5G models. Could you shed light on the significance of setting a new benchmark for Nepali smartphone consumers and how it reflects Xiaomi’s commitment to meeting their needs? When Xiaomi sets a new benchmark, it signifies our commitment to pushing the limits of technology, design, and affordability. By introducing advanced features, powerful performance, and competitive pricing, Xiaomi raises the standard for other smartphone manufacturers, fostering healthy competition and driving innovation within the industry. Through the boundary-pushing approach, Xiaomi aims to deliver products that provide excellent value for money while incorporating valuable consumer feedback. This constant drive for improvement allows Xiaomi to enhance the smartphone experience for Nepali consumers and maintain its position as a preferred choice for those who appreciate cutting-edge technology. Nepali economy is currently in a downturn which has affected business activities in the country. How has it impacted Xiaomi’s business? In the current global economic situation, where the economy is experiencing significant strain, we at Xiaomi carefully plan our product offerings. Our focus is on providing pocket-friendly products to our Xiaomi Fans, ensuring that they don’t have to spend unnecessary money. With this in mind, we have introduced the Redmi 12C in various variants and priced them accordingly. As smartphone usage has increased recently, people tend to opt for higher-end and latest models. In response to this trend, we have adjusted our plans and pricing, taking into account the prevailing recessionary conditions. Our aim is to launch products in price ranges that are easily affordable for our Xiaomi fans. We are delighted with our market growth and the fact that we have been leading the market. Compared to the previous year, our growth has reached a significant 35 percent. Despite the challenging economic circumstances, it has been a blessing for us that our Xiaomi fans have shown immense love and support for both us and our new product offerings.