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Narayani Hospital in Nepal's southern city of Birgunj has its own health care waste treatment center now, bringing much relief to those inside and around the health facility. The health care waste management center was inaugurated on Thursday at the hospital, with a ceremony held to mark the handover of essential healthcare equipment for the operation of the center, Xinhua reported. The center is equipped with a set of autoclave machines, which use steam to kill harmful bacteria, viruses, fungi and spores. Under a project run by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) with financial support from China's Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund (GDF), the hospital has also received medical equipment and parts like segregation chambers, medical trolleys, waste bins, needle cutters and personal protective equipment to ensure proper waste management. In addition, 20 officials and 45 others from the hospital have been trained on standard operating procedures regarding health care waste management. The waste treatment center was built in an area where all types of waste were piled up without segregation in the past, and it came as a huge relief to patients, hospital staff and those living around the hospital. "I had been living with the stench of garbage for the last several years," said Krishnaa Barma, a senior nurse from Narayani Hospital. "This waste management facility has brought me and my other colleagues who live in the building near this facility a huge relief." Sachin Shrestha, a grocery shop owner, had to burn incense to dilute the stench of hospital garbage. "I did not believe that such a quick transformation took place here in the last two weeks or so when the waste management facility was set up," he said. The stench was not the only trouble for locals, birds had also carried medical waste to their homes in the recent past. "The birds even brought waste created during the delivery of a baby," recalled Anupa Gautam, a local resident. For poor children who used to collect garbage, the medical waste rendered them vulnerable to various diseases including HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B because of used needles left in the garbage, according to hospital officials, according to Xinhua. Things are turning for the better after Narayani Hospital became one of the very few hospitals in the city to have its own waste treatment system. In Birgunj, there are only two hospitals running their own waste treatment plant, said Rajeshman Singh, mayor of the border city. "The metropolitan city has its own two small waste treatment plants and we use them to sterilize hazardous garbage collected from various hospitals," he added. At Narayani Hospital, the largest in Madhesh Province with 300 beds, 170.26 kg of waste was generated per day, according to an assessment conducted in 2020. "As much as 15 percent of the total garbage is hazardous, according to a recent assessment," said Sruti Sah, head of the hospital's nursing department. Along with the operation of the waste treatment center, Narayani Hospital has started to collect and segregate all the non-disposable items such as plastic, gloves and metal. "We plan to sell these items and make an income, which we can use to fund the sanitation staff," said Sah. Besides Nepal, the Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos are also covered by the project of Learning from China's Experience to Improve the Ability of Response to COVID-19 in Asia and the Pacific Region, with technical support from the Solid Waste and Chemicals Management Center under the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, China National Health Development Research Center under the National Health Commission, and Tsinghua University/Basel Convention Regional Center for Asia and the Pacific. In addition to Narayani Hospital, six other hospitals in Nepal are covered under the project as well. Addressing the inauguration and handover ceremony at Narayani Hospital, UNDP Nepal's Deputy Representative Bernardo Cocco voiced his hope that the new waste management system would allow the hospital to provide better health care services in Birgunj, Xinhua reported. To mark the occasion, a representative from the Chinese Embassy in Nepal congratulated the handover ceremony. China always put the people first, for nothing in the world is more precious than people's lives, the representative said, expressing hope that the program can "keep on bringing safer health services to the communities and benefiting the local people." "China is ready to provide the most needed medical expertise and critical supplies," the representative added.

Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) senior Vice-Chairman Rabindra Mishra has announced that he will contest the parliamentary election scheduled for November 20 from Kathmandu-1. He announced his candidacy in the presence of former RPP chairman Prakash Chandra Lohani, General Secretary Bhuwan Pathak and party spokesperson Mohan Shrestha among others at Thapagaun in Kathmandu on Friday. Party Chairman Rajendra Lingden, however, was not present in the program. Leader Mishra announced his candidacy less than a week after he was appointed as the senior vice-chairman by joining the RPP. He had contested the previous election to the House of Representatives from the same constituency. But, he was defeated by Nepali Congress leader Prakash Man Singh with a margin of 818 votes. Leader Singh accumulated 10, 936 votes while Mishra garnered 10, 118 votes. Mishra is the former Chairman of the Bibeksheel Sajha Party. He worked as the editor-in-chief of BBC Nepali Service and left the BBC in February 2017 to enter politics.    

Nepal reported 63 new Covid-19 cases on Friday. According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 941 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 30 returned positive. Likewise, 1, 594 people underwent antigen tests, of which 33 were tested positive. The Ministry said that no one died of the virus in the last 24 hours. The Ministry said that 103 infected people recovered from the disease. As of today, there are 1, 004 active cases in the country.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 16. 29 points to close at 1,853.76 points on Friday. Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 3.83 points to close at 363. 42 points. A total of 1,791,480 unit shares of 223 companies were traded for Rs 63 billion. In today’s market, all sub-indices saw green except for Life Insurance. Meanwhile, Aviyan Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited was the top gainer today, with its price surging by 9. 98 percent. Samling Power Company Limited was the top loser as its price fell by 7. 94 percent. At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 2. 66 trillion.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 200 per tola in the domestic market on Friday. According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 93, 000 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 93, 100 on Thursday. Meanwhile, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 92, 500 per tola. Similarly, the price of silver is being traded at Rs 1, 170 per tola today.

Former King Gyanendra has said that there are complaints that Nepal has turned into a playground for foreigners. Extending greetings through video on the occasion of Bada Dashain on Friday, he said that the independent and sovereign country Nepal should be protected with the joint efforts of all. Shah was of the opinion that the unstable politics has promoted corruption in the country, thereby making the daily life of common people difficult. “Leaders’ hunger for power has been pushing the country towards failure. The country should never be defeated by any of our actions,” he said, adding, “The country’s independence and sovereignty have been at risk while trying to protect the existing Constitution and system.” The former monarch said that the country is looking for the right system, organization and the character who is loyal to the country and people.    

Protests continued in several cities across Iran on Thursday against the death of young woman in police custody, state and social media reported, as a human rights group said at least 83 people had been killed in nearly two weeks of demonstrations, Reuters reported.

Mahsa Amini, 22, from the Iranian Kurdish town of Saqez, was arrested this month in Tehran for "unsuitable attire" by the morality police that enforces the Islamic Republic's strict dress code for women.

Her death has sparked the first big show of opposition on Iran's streets since authorities crushed protests against a rise in gasoline prices in 2019.

"At least 83 people including children, are confirmed to have been killed in (the) #IranProtests," Iran Human Rights, a Norway-based group, said on Twitter.

Despite the growing death toll and a fierce crackdown by authorities, videos posted on Twitter showed demonstrators calling for the fall of the clerical establishment in Tehran, Qom, Rasht, Sanandaj, Masjed-i-Suleiman and other cities.

State television said police had arrested a large number of "rioters", without giving figures.

Rights groups said dozens of activists, students and artists have been detained and the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Twitter that it had learned that security forces had arrested at least 28 journalists as of Sept. 29, according to Reuters.

Meanwhile, Germany's foreign minister said on Thursday she wanted the European Union to impose sanctions on Iran following Amini's death.

South Korea, U.S. and Japanese warships launched their first anti-submarine drills in five years on Friday, after North renewed ballistic missile tests this week in an apparent response to bilateral training by South Korean and U.S. forces, Associated Press reported.

The North’s recent five missiles launches, the first such tests in a month, also came before and after U.S. Vice President Kamala Harrisvisited South Korea on Thursday and reaffirmed the “ironclad” U.S. commitment to the security of its Asian allies.

The one-day trilateral training off the Korean Peninsula’s east coast is meant to cope with a North Korean push to advance its ability to fire missile from submarines, according to a South Korean navy statement.

North Korea has been building bigger submarines including a nuclear-powered one and testing sophisticated missiles that can be fired from them in recent years. That’s an alarming development for its rivals because it’s harder to detect underwater-launched missiles in advance. Friday’s drills involve the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan as well as U.S., South Korean and Japanese destroyers, the navy statement said.

During the training, the navy ships from the three nations were to search and track a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine posing as a North Korean submarine while exchanging related information, according to media reports.

“We will respond and neutralize any forms of North Korean provocations in an overwhelming and decisive manner,” Capt. Cho, Chung-ho, commander of South Korean navy troops who took part in the training, was quoted as saying in the statement.

In addition to its submarine-launched missiles, North Korea has also a variety of nuclear-capable missiles that place both the United States and its allies South Korea and Japan within striking distance. This year, North Korea has performed a record number of missile tests as it refuses to resume long-stalled nuclear diplomacy with the United States, according to Associated Press.

Friday’s three-nation training comes as South Korea and Japan are looking to mend ties frayed over history and trade disputes. The two Asian countries together host a total of 80,000 American troops. Earlier this week, the Reagan took part in joint U.S.-South Korean drills near the peninsula, the first such bilateral involving a U.S. aircraft carrier since 2017.

The North’s most recent missile tests happened on Thursday, hours after Harris left South Korea. During her visit to the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, Harris said: “In the South, we see a thriving democracy. In the North, we see a brutal dictatorship.”