Submit your Article

Former rebel Gustavo Petro narrowly won a runoff election over a political outsider millionaire Sunday, ushering in a new era of politics for Colombia by becoming the country’s first leftist president, Associated Press.

Petro, a senator in his third attempt to win the presidency, got 50.48% of the votes, while real estate magnate Rodolfo Hernández had 47.26%, with almost all ballots counted, according to results released by election authorities. 

Petro’s victory underlined a drastic change in presidential politics for a country that has long marginalized the left for its perceived association with the armed conflict. Petro himself was once a rebel with the now-defunct M-19 movement and was granted amnesty after being jailed for his involvement with the group.

“Today is a day of celebration for the people. Let them celebrate the first popular victory,” Petro tweeted. “May so many sufferings be cushioned in the joy that today floods the heart of the Homeland.”

Petro issued a call for unity during his victory speech and extended an olive branch to some of his harshest critics, saying all members of the opposition will be welcomed at the presidential palace “to discuss the problems of Colombia.”

“From this government that is beginning there will never be political persecution or legal persecution, there will only be respect and dialogue,” he said, adding that he will listen to not only those who have raised arms but also to “that silent majority of peasants, Indigenous people, women, youth.”

Outgoing conservative President Iván Duque congratulated Petro shortly after results were announced, and Hernández quickly conceded his defeat, according to Associated Press.

“I accept the result, as it should be, if we want our institutions to be firm,” Hernández said in a video on social media. “I sincerely hope that this decision is beneficial for everyone.”

Colombia also elected its first Black woman to be vice president. Petro’s running mate, Francia Márquez, is a lawyer and environmental leader whose opposition to illegal mining has resulted in threats and a grenade attack in 2019.

The vote came amid widespread discontent over rising inequality, inflation and violence — factors that led voters in the election’s first round last month to turn their backs on long-governing centrist and right-leaning politicians and choose two outsiders in Latin America’s third-most populous nation.

Petro’s showing was the latest leftist political victory in Latin America fueled by voters’ desire for change. Chile, Peru and Honduras elected leftist presidents in 2021, and in Brazil, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is leading the polls for this year’s presidential election. 

“What I do think it shows is that the strategy of fear, hate and stigmatization towards the left no longer works as a policy to win voters,” said Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst for Colombia at the firm International Crisis Group. 

But the results were an immediate reason to fret for some voters whose closest reference to a leftist government is the troubled neighboring Venezuela, Associated Press reported.

“We hope that Mr. Gustavo Petro complies with what was said in his government plan, that he leads this country to greatness, which we need so much, and that (he) ends corruption,” said Karin Ardila García, a Hernández supporter in the north-central city of Bucaramanga. “That he does not lead to communism, to socialism, to a war where they continue to kill us in Colombia. ... (H)e does not lead us to another Venezuela, Cuba, Argentina, Chile.”

Nepal reported 23 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 1, 254 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 18 returned positive. Likewise, 773 people underwent antigen tests, of which five were tested positive.

The Ministry said that no one died of virus in the last 24 hours. The Ministry said that 12 infected people recovered from the disease.

As of today, there are 108 active cases in the country.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that he will inform the Parliament about his visit to the United States only after it is formally confirmed.

During a meeting with Nepali Congress whip Pushpa Bhusal, the Prime Minister said that he will inform the Parliament and the Parliamentary Committee after his visit is confirmed.

Earlier this morning, the Prime Minister snubbed the meeting of the International Relations Committee under the Federal Parliament called to discuss the State Partnership Program (SPP) and his planned visit to Washington.  He skipped the meeting citing his busy schedule.

In the meeting of the Committee held earlier, Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka said that the preliminary discussion has been held about the Prime Minister’s US visit but the final decision has not been made yet.

The government has ordered the authorities to ensure that shopping malls, stores, kitchen markets and other places of trading remain closed after 8pm everyday in an effort to save power and fuel amid rising energy prices worldwide, bdnews24.com reported.

The Prime Minister’s Office announced the order on Sheikh Hasina’s instructions in a letter dated Thursday to several ministries, departments and local authorities, stating that the Bangladesh Labour Act already stipulates the closure of shops at 8pm.

To keep up with the global energy prices, the government earlier this month increased gas prices across the board. Power plants will now get gas at Tk 5.02 per cubic metre, up from Tk 4.45. Gas prices for captive power plants have been raised to Tk 16 from Tk 13.85.

Fuel prices began soaring after the Russia-Ukraine war began. Unrefined oil was sold at $65 per barrel in December last year, but the price leapt to $124 by March. It is now being sold at around $120 each barrel.

Data showed the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation or BPC made a lot of profit over the past seven years, but the war between Russia and Ukraine is biting into its revenues.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) index plunged by 37. 27 points to close at 1,934.11 points on Sunday. 

Similarly, the sensitive index fell 7. 29 points to reach 373. 85 points.

A total of 3,666,891 units of shares of 223 companies were traded for Rs 1.13 billion.

Likewise, all sub-indices saw red in today’s market with Development Bank on the top of the table. 

Meanwhile, Adhikhola Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited was the top gainer today with its price surging by 9 99 percent. Likewise, River Falls Power Limited was the top loser with its price dropped by 9. 56 percent. 

At the end of the day, total market civilization stands at Rs 2. 75 trillion.

A group of 185 passengers travelling from Patna to Delhi by a SpiceJet flight (SG 725) had a providential escape when one of its engines caught fire soon after takeoff from Patna airport at about 12 noon on Sunday, officials said, Hindustan Times reported.

“The aircraft landed safely at the Patna airport after smoke was noticed from one of the left engines of the airplane, possibly after a bird hit or a technical fault. The matter is being investigated. All 185 passengers are safe,” said Chandrashekhar Singh, district magistrate, Patna.

The fire in the plane was noticed when the aircraft was between Khagaul and Phulwarisharif, which is 2 nautical miles from the Patna airport.

Bird hits are common as there is an open abattoir near the Patna airport, which attracts birds. The issue has been raised during several environment committee meetings with the Bihar government for the past several years, but nothing much has been done, said airlines officials.

The Boeing 737 aircraft with full load had taken off from Patna at about 12 noon and was scheduled to reach Delhi at 1:30 pm. The airline was making alternate arrangements to ferry the passengers to their respective destinations, said Singh, according to Hindustan Times.

Local residents, living near the airport in Pulwarisharif, said they heard a loud sound after which they noticed smoke billowing from one of the engines of the aircraft. Airport officials suspect it to be a bird hit.

The aircraft had to make an emergency landing at the Patna airport and it was immediately taken to the parking bay.

“I saw sparks flying from one of the engines below the left wing of the aircraft soon after the aircraft took off,” said Gaurav, a passenger, as he was huddled back inside the airport terminal building by airport and security forces.

SpiceJet station manager Syed Hassan and Patna airport director Anchal Prakash did not respond to calls.

The Patna airport caters to 84 aircraft movement in a day and all flights, especially to metros, including Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai are full due to the recent cancellation of trains due to protests over the Centre’s Agnipath scheme for defence recruitment, Hindustan Times reported.

With cancellation of trains, an economy class air ticket to Delhi had soared to ₹22,000 against its normal price between ₹6,000 and ₹7,000 during the summer holidays. Air tickets to Kolkata, which was otherwise sold between ₹4,000 and ₹5,000 had shot up to ₹17,000 on Saturday, said Kumud Ranjan of Mamata Travels.

A complaint has been filed against Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Prem Ale.

The complaint was registered against Minister Ale after his audio of using obscene words became public one after another.

Saying that the minister violated the code of conduct of the House of Representatives, law practitioners Kishor Paudel, Anupam Bhattarai and law student Regine Paudel lodged the complaint against him.

The Annapurna Post, the sister publication of the Annapurna Express, made public the audio of Minister Ale yelling and assaulting the chairman of Nepal Airlines.

Saying that the minister, who has got the responsibility of making a civilized and cultured society, is going against the law, they have demanded action against him.

Speaker and Chairman is the Conduct Monitoring Committee Agni Prasad Sapkota, opposition party leader KP Sharma Oli and committee secretary and general secretary of the House of Representatives have been given the copy of the complaint.

The United States government is donating 2.2 million doses of pediatric vaccines to Nepal to fight Covid-19.

Issuing a statement on Sunday, the US embassy in Kathmandu said that these highly effective, life-saving vaccines for children ages 5-11 are provided through the generosity of the American people and add to the 2.26 million doses of Pfizer vaccines, and the 1.5 million single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccines that the United States has donated to Nepal so far.

This donation also celebrates 75 years of diplomatic relations between the United States and Nepal.

The United States' historic support for Nepal's health sector reflects the powerful results of our partnership.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the government of United States has worked directly with the Government of Nepal to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, ensure the continuity of critical health services, and support the country in mitigating the pandemic's secondary social and economic impact – particularly on education and livelihoods, the embassy further said.

"In preparation for the launch of the pediatric Pfizer vaccine campaign, USAID supported Nepal's Ministry of Health and Population to train frontline health workers in 56 districts on administration of the pediatric Pfizer vaccine," the statement further said.

Worldwide, the United States has pledged to donate more than 1.1 billion vaccines to 115 developing countries and has already delivered over half of a billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines. With its contribution of $4 billion, the United States is the largest bilateral donor to the global vaccine initiative, COVAX, US embassy said.

"The United States is committed to leading the global COVID-19 response because it is the right thing to do and will make us all-Americans and Nepalis alike-safer. We are proud to work with Nepal to end this pandemic."