Kathmandu-Manthali road obstructed

Vehicular movement along the Kathmandu-Manthali road section has been obstructed after the road collapsed at Halede in Likhu Tamakoshi Rural Municipality-7, Ramechhap on Wednesday.

Local Sanjiv Chauhan informed that the passengers heading to Charikot, Dolakha from Kathmandu have been stranded midway.

Meanwhile, Chief District Officer Shyam Krishna Thapa said that efforts were on to reopen the roadway after repairing the collapsed section.

 

Biker dies after being hit by truck

A biker died after a truck hit a motorbike he was riding on near Keraghari, Panchkhal Municipality-5 along the Araniko Highway on Wednesday.

The deceased has been identified as Rupesh Kharel (35) of Chaurideurali Rural Municipality.

The truck hit Kharel while he was trying to overtake it, according to the Area Police Office, Panchkhal.

Kharel was rushed to the Dhulikhel Hospital, but the doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

Police have impounded the truck and arrested its driver Madhav Kumar Badal for further investigation.

Federal government honoring six best performing local levels

The federal government has decided to award six best performing local levels.

The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration is honoring six local levels which performed best in the local level institutional self-assessment (LISA) system for the fiscal year, 2023/24. 

The award is expected to foster healthy competition among local governments. The reforms in governance and development management are identified through LISA.

The local levels being awarded are Khairahani Municipality of Chitwan, Tilottama Municipality of Rupandehi, Nilakanth Municipality of Dhading, Arjunchaupari Rural Municipality of Syangja, Benighat Rorang Rural Municipality of Dhading and Ruruchhetra Rural Municipality of Gulmi district.

They would be awarded amidst a function attended by Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration, Bhagawati Neupane on August 22.

 

China to stage massive military parade marking WW2 surrender of Japan

China will stage a massive military parade in Beijing on September 3 to mark 80 years since Japan’s surrender in World War Two. Tens of thousands of troops, hundreds of aircraft, and new military equipment including advanced missiles and hypersonic weapons will be on display, according to Reuters.

President Xi Jinping will review the 70-minute “Victory Day” parade at Tiananmen Square, joined by foreign leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin. Authorities have tightened security across the city, reflecting the scale of the event and global attention on China’s growing military strength.

 

American Academy of Pediatrics urges COVID shots for young children

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommended Tuesday that all children aged 6-23 months receive COVID-19 vaccines, regardless of prior doses or infection, differing from federal guidance that leaves vaccination up to parents and doctors, Reuters reported.

The group cited high hospitalization rates among the youngest children, comparable to adults aged 50-64, and stressed the importance of protecting those at highest risk.

Earlier this year, the AAP and other medical groups sued the government over the removal of routine vaccination recommendations, while federal officials recently revived a task force on safer childhood vaccines.

 

US allows emergency authorization of animal drugs to fight screwworms

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has given the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to quickly allow veterinarians and farmers to use animal drugs to prevent or treat infestations of the flesh-eating New World screwworm. While no cases have been reported in the US for decades, recent detections in Mexico have raised concerns over potential impacts on cattle herds and beef prices, according to Reuters.

Screwworm, a parasitic fly that can attack any warm-blooded animal, is usually controlled by releasing sterile flies—a process currently limited by production capacity. With no FDA-approved drugs for screwworm in the US, the emergency authorization will allow the use of unapproved drugs or off-label applications to protect livestock more rapidly.

Officials emphasized that the risk to human health remains very low, but proactive measures are needed to safeguard animals and the food supply, Reuters reported.

 

US accepts Brazil's WTO consultation request over tariffs

The United States has agreed to hold World Trade Organization consultations with Brazil over tariffs it recently imposed on Brazilian goods, while maintaining that the levies are a national security matter, Reuters reported.

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump implemented a 50 percent tariff on most Brazilian imports, citing concerns that recent policies in Brazil threaten US national security, foreign policy, and the economy. In a WTO submission, the US argued that some of Brazil’s requests involve political issues that fall outside the organization’s dispute resolution process.

 

White House launches TikTok account with Trump saying  “I am your voice”

The White House launched an official TikTok account, @whitehouse, on Tuesday to share President Donald Trump’s messages with the app’s 170m US users. The debut video showed Trump declaring, “I am your voice”, Reuters reported.

Trump, who credits TikTok with boosting his support among young voters in 2024, also posts on Truth Social and X.

Lawmakers worry US user data could be accessed by China. Trump is negotiating a US buyout of TikTok’s parent, ByteDance. A 2024 law required TikTok to divest or halt US operations, but Trump has repeatedly extended the deadline, sparking criticism over national security risks, according to Reuters.