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Kathmandu-- Song Tao, Minister of the International Liaison Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China has held a video call with CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda on January 30.

According to the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party, the Chinese leader congratulated Prachanda on his re-election as chairman of the party.

Song Tao said that China and Nepal are friendly neighbors linked by mountains and rivers, and development partners with a shared future, according to a press statement. The two leaders discussed the implementation of the agreement signed by two countries during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Nepal visit in 2019.

The Chinese side is willing to promote major projects under the framework of the "Belt and Road Initiative" and pragmatic implementation in various fields and cooperation to build a trans-Himalayan three-dimensional interconnection network to better benefit the two countries and the two peoples, the statement reads. 

Prachanda thanked the Chinese side for its valuable support for Nepal's economic and social development and the fight against Covid-19. Prachanda wished the Beijing Winter Olympics a complete success and extended Chinese New Year greetings to the Chinese people, the statement says. 

Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Jianghao has held a virtual meeting with Nepalese Foreign Secretary Bharat Raj Paudyal.

On behalf of the Nepalese government, Paudyal extended sincere New Year greetings to China, congratulated Beijing on becoming the world's first city to host both Summer and Winter Games, and wishes the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 a complete success, according to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

Wu Jianghao expressed his thanks and extended holiday greetings to his Nepalese colleagues. He stressed China will work with the international community to vigorously carry forward the Olympic spirit and present a streamlined, safe and splendid Games to the world.

Both sides also exchanged in-depth views on bilateral cooperation against COVID-19, Belt and Road cooperation, and international and regional issues of common concern, according to a press statement.

Police have arrested a man in possession of 1.8 kg gold in Pokhara.

The arrestee has been identified as Ramesh Sunar (25).

Sunar was heading towards Pokhara from Kathmandu in a micro bus when police apprehended him during a security check at Power House Chok in Pokhara-30.

Police said that they have also recovered cheque books of various banks from his possession.

He has been sent to the Department of Revenue Investigation Department, Lalitpur for investigation, the District Police office, Kaski said

Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chairman Rajendra Lingden appointed two vice-chairmen and two general secretaries among 24 office bearers on Sunday.

Hem Raj Gurung of Lamjung and Mukunda Shyam Giri of Surkhet have been appointed as the vice-chairmen. Similarly, Rajendra Gurung of Okhaldhunga and Prahlad Prasad Sah of Morang have been appointed as the general secretaries.

There is a provision in the party statute that the chairman should appoint the two vice-chairmen and two general secretaries.

In addition to that, he appointed Bhakti Prasad Sitaula of Jhapa, Mohan Shrestha of Gorkha, Sagun Sundar Lawati of Panchthar and Gopal Dahal of Morang were appointed as the party spokesperson.

Earlier, two general secretaries, two vice-chairmen among eight office bearers were appointed from the general convention.

KATHMANDU/January 30: Media Action Nepal (MAN), a research based media rights advocacy organization based in Nepal has been selected as a Member of global network the Media Freedom Coalition–Consultative Network (MFC–CN). Created in January 2020, MFC-CN is a group of organizations that provides advice to the Media Freedom Coalition on the work of the MFC and facilitates selection of cases that it believes require State intervention.

Stating that Nepal, South Asia, Southeast Asia and many countries across the world need to address the issue of impunity in cases of media rights violation, Laxman Datt Pant, Chairperson of Media Action Nepal commented, "The global stakeholders should  work together to create an enabling environment for independent and fearless media." Media Action Nepal looks forward to providing support to the MFC through the Consultative Network presenting wider civil society and media rights perspectives to uphold free press, Pant added. 

The MFC-CN presents cases to the MFC for action - both cases of concern in countries where media freedom is at particular risk and cases of individual journalists or media outlets under threat. Also, it offers advice on present and future issues within media freedom and media development.

Comprised of 22 member organizations, MFC-CN is loosely structured into four areas of interest: press freedom organizations, media development organizations, collective representation organizations, and the academia and organizations that are not covered by the other areas of interest.

Along with Media Action Nepal, the other current member organizations include ARTICLE 19, Association of International Broadcasting (AIB), Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR), Comité por la Libre Expresión (C-Libre), Honduras, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), DW Akademie, Free Press Unlimited (FPU), Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa (FLIP), IFEX, International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and International Media Support (IMS),  International Press Institute (IPI), Internews Europe, Maharat Foundation, Lebanon, Media Monitoring Africa, Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), Public Media Alliance (PMA), Reporters sans Frontières (RSF), South East European Network for Professionalization of Media (SEENPM), The Guardian, and WAN-IFRA (World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers).

At least 32 people have died of coronavirus infection in the last four days in Nepal.

During a regular press briefing of the Ministry of Health and Population, spokesperson Dr Sangita Mishra said that 32 people lost their lives to the disease from January 27 to 30.

She said that 12 people lost their lives in Bir Hospital while 20 in various hospitals of the country.

Meanwhile, Nepal recorded 13,145 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours.

The Ministry said that 6,359 infected people recovered from the disease.

There are 83,999 active cases in the country.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 105.55 points to close at 2,885.53 points on Sunday.

Similarly, the sensitive index rose to 19.81 points to close at 538.53 points.

A total of 12,155,432 units of the shares of 231 companies were traded for Rs 6.32 billion.

Meanwhile, Wean Nepal Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited was the top gainer today followed by Liberty Energy Company Limited with their price surging by 10 percent each. Likewise, Manjushree Finance Private Limited Debenture was the top loser with price dropped by 3.23 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 4.07 trillion

The government has directed the concerned authorities to inoculate students across the country from Sunday. But, the programme to administer the Covid-19 vaccine to the children of Parsa district has become uncertain.

The Ministry of Education has directed the authorities to administer Covid-19 vaccine to the students between the age of 12 and 17 in the schools from today till Wednesday.

But, the program to vaccinate the students of the targeted group has become uncertain in the Parsa district due to lack of vaccines.

Nepal Teachers’ Association, Birgunj Chairman Binod Mehata said that community schools in Birgunj Metropolitan City in Parsa will remain closed until the students receive the vaccine.

Thori Rural Municipality health coordinator Ramesh Raj Thieng said that the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines meant for students have not arrived in the rural municipality yet.

He said that the vaccination programme has been affected due to lack of vaccine.

Teachers’ coordinator Bhupal KumarJoshi said that the list of the names of students between the age of 12 and 17 from all the community schools of Thori have already been sent to the rural municipality.

He said that there are around 2,500 students between the age of 12 and 17 who have not taken the vaccine yet.

Nawal Kishor Sah, Acting Chief of the Health Office in Parsa, said that the vaccination program has been affected due to lack of vaccine.

He said that the students will be jabbed soon after they receive the vaccine.