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As many as 12 staffers of the Office of Chief Minister and Council of Ministers, Social Development Ministry and Agriculture Ministry of Sudurpaschim Province have tested positive for Covid-19.

Five staffers including Acting Chief Secretary Dundi Prasad Niraula of the Office of Chief Minister and Council of Ministers, six staffers of Social Development Ministry and a staffer of Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives have tested positive for Covid-19.

Saying that his cook and driver have also tested positive, Niraula said that his health condition is normal.

Nepal has imported goods worth over Rs 999 billion in the first six months of the current fiscal year 2021/2022.

The export has also witnessed an increase along with the import in the first six months of the current fiscal year. The country exported goods worth over Rs 118 billion in this period.

The country imported goods from 141 countries, especially from India. Nepal imported goods worth over Rs 603 billion from India.

Trade statistics of the first six months of the current fiscal year 2021/22 released by the Department of Customs shows that the import increased by 59.13 percent while the export went up by 955.48 percent during this period.

The import in the first six months of the last fiscal year, 2020/21, stood at Rs 661 billion 245 million and 300 thousand. Although the export is increasing, the import is growing exponentially thereby leading to a heightening trade deficit.

The trade deficit increased by 46.64 percent in the first six months of the current fiscal year to reach Rs 880 billion 491 million 700 thousand. The trade deficit in the same period last fiscal year was Rs 600 billion 446 million 100 thousand.

Similarly, the country recorded foreign trade worth Rs 1 trillion 118 billion 193 million 600 thousand in the first six months of the current fiscal year while it was Rs 722 billion 450 million during the corresponding period last fiscal year.  The foreign trade in the first six months of the current fiscal year is 54.86 percent more as compared to the foreign trade in the corresponding period of the last fiscal year. RSS

Nepal has imported goods worth over Rs 999 billion in the first six months of the current fiscal year 2021/2022.

The export has also witnessed an increase along with the import in the first six months of the current fiscal year. The country exported goods worth over Rs 118 billion in this period.

The country imported goods from 141 countries, especially from India. Nepal imported goods worth over Rs 603 billion from India.

Trade statistics of the first six months of the current fiscal year 2021/22 released by the Department of Customs shows that the import increased by 59.13 percent while the export went up by 955.48 percent during this period.

The import in the first six months of the last fiscal year, 2020/21, stood at Rs 661 billion 245 million and 300 thousand. Although the export is increasing, the import is growing exponentially thereby leading to a heightening trade deficit.

The trade deficit increased by 46.64 percent in the first six months of the current fiscal year to reach Rs 880 billion 491 million 700 thousand. The trade deficit in the same period last fiscal year was Rs 600 billion 446 million 100 thousand.

Similarly, the country recorded foreign trade worth Rs 1 trillion 118 billion 193 million 600 thousand in the first six months of the current fiscal year while it was Rs 722 billion 450 million during the corresponding period last fiscal year.  The foreign trade in the first six months of the current fiscal year is 54.86 percent more as compared to the foreign trade in the corresponding period of the last fiscal year. RSS

Taliban delegates, led by acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, and Afghan civil society representatives held daylong discussions, focusing on the deepening humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, on Sunday in Oslo, Associated Press reported.

The participants “listened patiently to each other's opinions” and exchanged views on the current situation in the country, said a brief Taliban statement after the meeting in the Norwegian capital. It said “a number of Afghan personalities” attended the meeting with Muttaqi’s delegation but did not elaborate.

“They affirmed that Afghanistan is the shared home of all Afghans and stressed that all Afghans need to work together for the political, economic and security prosperity of the country,” the Taliban statement noted. 

The talks marked the beginning of three days of closed-door meetings the Scandinavian country has arranged among the ruling Islamist group, Western government officials and Afghans from a range of fields within civil society.

The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan last August and have since sent their delegates to China, Iran, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia and Turkmenistan for bilateral as well multinational meetings. 

Sunday marked the first time a Taliban delegation was in Europe. 

On Friday, Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt stressed that the visit was “not a legitimation or recognition of the Taliban. But we must talk to those who, in practice, govern the country today.”

The United States and other Western countries have collectively frozen roughly $10 billion in Afghan central bank’s assets, mostly held in the U.S. Federal Reserve, after the Taliban takeover. 

In his meetings with U.S. and European envoys in Oslo, Muttaqi was expected to renew his government’s demand for the release of the assets as Afghanistan faces an economic collapse and unprecedented increase in humanitarian needs.

Thomas West, the U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan, was in the Norwegian capital for the talks with the Taliban delegation. He was accompanied by Rina Amiri, special envoy for Afghan women, girls and human rights, and officials from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, as well as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). 

On Sunday, in a series of tweets, West welcomed Norway’s initiative to bring Afghan civil society and the Taliban together for dialogue, saying civil society leaders are the backbone of healthy and prosperous economies and societies.

“As we seek to address humanitarian crisis together with allies, partners, and relief orgs, we will continue clear-eyed diplomacy with the Taliban regarding our concerns and our abiding interest in a stable, rights-respecting and inclusive Afghanistan,” the U.S. envoy tweeted. 

The U.S. State Department said West’s delegation would discuss “the formation of a representative political system, responses to the urgent humanitarian and economic crises, security and counterterrorism concerns, and human rights, especially education for girls and women.” 

The freezing of assets and financial sanctions on the new Taliban rulers have plunged the fragile Afghan economy into an unprecedented crisis, worsening a humanitarian crisis. On Monday, the Taliban are to begin discussions with Western nation delegates, where the discussion of frozen assets is likely.

The United Nations says it needs $5 billion this year to bring urgent relief to an estimated 24 million people experiencing acute food insecurity, with 9 million of them threatened with famine and as many as 1 million children suffering from "acute severe malnutrition.” 

The U.N. has managed to provide for some liquidity and allowed the new Taliban administration to pay for imports, including electricity, The Associated Press reported. 

Norway is no stranger to sensitive diplomacy and has in the past been involved in peace efforts in several places, including Afghanistan, Colombia, Israel and the Palestinian territories, Mozambique, Myanmar, the Philippines, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Syria and Venezuela.

“We are extremely concerned about the grave situation in Afghanistan, where millions of people are facing a full-blown humanitarian disaster,” Huitfeldt said. “We cannot allow the political situation to lead to an even worse humanitarian disaster.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi after unveiling the hologram statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at India Gate on Sunday evening, said that the government has a target to build a new India before the 100th year of independence, The Economic Times reported.

"Netaji used to say 'Never lose faith in the dream of independent India. There is no power in the world that can shake India'," PM Modi said while addressing the event today.

The Prime Minister said, "Today we have a goal to fulfil the dreams of an independent India. We have a target to build a new India before the 100th year of independence, 2047."

Paying tribute to security personnel who lost their lives while serving the nation, PM Modi stated, "It was my good fortune that our government got the opportunity to declassify files related to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Today, I pay tribute to all NDRF and SDRF personnel who lost their lives while serving the nation."

The silence period for the National Assembly ekections, scheduled for January 36, has begun. The silence period had started from Sunday midnight.

As per the election code of conduct, the political parties, candidates, leaders, civil society, media and general public have been barred from campaigning or soliciting votes during silence period.

The Election Commission has urged the concerned authorities to abide by the election code of conduct to hold the elections in free, fair, fear and peaceful manner.

Kathmandu- United States has ordered the departure of eligible family members from the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv and authorized the voluntary departure of U.S. direct-hire employees due to the continued threat of Russian military action against Ukraine, Voice of America reports.

The State Department also is asking U.S. citizens in Ukraine to consider departing the country now using commercial or other privately available transportation options.

The State Department reissued its Level 4 Travel Warning for Ukraine, saying “Do not travel to Ukraine due to the increased threats of Russian military action and COVID-19.” Previously, the travel warning had also been at Level 4, due to COVID-19.

The Lalitpur Metropolitan City has decided to halt all the services except for emergency ones from today after some of its staffers tested positive for Covid-19.

Issuing a statement, the Metropolitan City said that it has decided to halt all the services other than the essential ones as some of its infected staffers are undergoing treatment and some are in home isolation.

The services will be halted till next Friday.