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The progress of the under-construction dry port at Timure in Rasuwa has received a good push with the completion of 72 percent of the estimated task.

The dry port being developed with the technical and financial assistance from the government of China along the Nepal-China border has achieved 72 percent of the target, Executive Director of Nepal Intermodel Transport Development Board Ashish Gajurel told after the inspection visit of the project.

An embankment on the bank of Bhotekoshi river, entrance gate, access route, buildings of the warehouse and other facilities have been completed so far.  

According to Gajurel, the project is expected to be completed by the end of the current fiscal year.

With the completion of dry port construction, there will be a joint inspection site, parking lots for 300 heavy trucks and 100 small-sized vehicles among other facilities.

The Koshi Province has recorded almost 3,500 road accidents in the past five months of the current fiscal year, killing 191 persons.

The Highway Security and Traffic Management Office of Nepal Police in Itahari stated that 191 persons died and 327 others were critically injured in the accidents.

The highest number of road mishaps were related to the motorcycle followed by tempo, jeep and car, Information Officer of Highway Security and Traffic Management Office Rameshwor Twati said.

He said the number of motorcycle accidents has increased due to lack of zebra crossings and traffic symbols along the East-West Highway in the province where upgradation of Asian Highway is ongoing.

Carelessness in driving and high-speed have claimed lives in the accidents, Information Officer Twati shared.

Hyundai Motor Company’s acclaimed Hyundai IONIQ 5 has set a new Guinness World Record for the greatest altitude change achieved by an electric vehicle. Organized by Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) and driven by a professional team from Evo India, the record-breaking journey witnessed the IONIQ 5 navigating an altitude change of 5,802 meters. The expedition began at Umling La in Leh Ladakh, India’s highest drivable point at 5,799 meters above sea level, and concluded in Kuttanad, Kerala, located three meters below sea level.

Spanning 14 days and over 4,900 kilometers, the journey pushed the IONIQ 5 through extreme terrains and weather conditions, from the freezing Himalayan mountain passes to Kerala’s humid coastal plains. The car’s advanced engineering and resilient performance underscored its capabilities in navigating such diverse environments. Commenting on the achievement, Unsoo Kim, Managing Director of HMIL, stated, “We are incredibly proud to see the Hyundai IONIQ 5 create history. This achievement is a testament to Hyundai’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and technological excellence. The IONIQ 5’s performance in extreme conditions reflects its engineering prowess and reinforces our vision of ‘Progress for Humanity.’”

Developed on the cutting-edge Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), the Hyundai IONIQ 5 is a futuristic electric vehicle inspired by Hyundai’s iconic PONY. With a high-capacity 72.6 kWh battery, it offers exceptional range, advanced safety features, and state-of-the-art technology, setting a new standard in electric mobility, claims the company.

Hilton Kathmandu marked the start of the holiday season with a grand Tree Lighting Ceremony, drawing dignitaries, guests, and the local community for an evening of festive joy, music, and goodwill.

The event’s highlight was the illumination of a magnificent Christmas tree, led by Shmulik Arie Bass, Ambassador of Israel to Nepal. This act of lighting the tree symbolized the spirit of Christmas—hope, unity, and celebration.

Adding to the festive charm, children from Mendies Haven Children’s Home performed Christmas carols, creating a heartwarming atmosphere with their melodies. His Excellency, the Ambassador of Thailand, further enhanced the occasion by inaugurating Hilton Kathmandu's elaborately decorated Christmas chalet.

In line with Hilton’s commitment to community upliftment, 50 percent of the day's sales from the chalet will be donated to Mendies Haven Children’s Home, which provides care and support to children in need.

General Manager Sridhar Thota emphasized the spirit of giving during his speech, stating, “The festive season is a time of togetherness and giving back. At Hilton Kathmandu, we are proud to bring the community together while supporting noble causes like Mendies Haven Children’s Home. We hope this celebration inspires joy and generosity in everyone.”

The ceremony welcomed a host of distinguished guests, including local dignitaries, business leaders, and media representatives. Guests indulged in Christmas-themed treats such as mulled wine, hot chocolates, and a special holiday hi-tea selection, all set against the backdrop of holiday decorations and warm festive aromas.

A commitment has been made to build a Himalayan city in Tinje, located in the Dolpo Buddha Rural Municipality of Upper Dolpa. In the fiscal year 2022/23 budget, then-Finance Minister Janardan Sharma pledged to construct a Himalayan city in Hilsa, Limi Valley in Humla, and Tinje in Dolpa.

This was not the first time such a promise was made. In 2019, during the silver jubilee celebration of Crystal Mountain Boarding School in Dho, then-Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ishwor Pokharel, attending as the chief guest, also committed to developing Tinje into a well-equipped and beautiful Himalayan city. On multiple observation visits to Upper Dolpa, district and central leaders made similar assurances, according to residents of Dolpo Buddha Rural Municipality.

At the time, Janardan Sharma, who accompanied Minister Pokharel to Upper Dolpa, stated that he would allocate the necessary budget to build a Himalayan city in Tinje near the Nepal-China border. However, the enthusiastic promises made during such events remain unfulfilled. Pema Dharke Gurung, Vice-chairperson of Dolpo Buddha Rural Municipality, noted that numerous leaders had pledged to transform Tinje into a historical and beautiful Himalayan city.

For this vision to materialize, the completion of the Bheri Corridor is essential. “Upper-level leaders often promise to develop settlements in Dhoma and build a Himalayan city in Tinje, but these commitments are not implemented once they are in government,” Gurung said. “The geography here is conducive to such development, offering immense potential. However, the first step is connecting the road from Dunai to Tinje.”

Gurung emphasized that connecting the road from Lasikap to Shisaul would be a significant step towards building the Himalayan city. He urged the government to prioritize opening the road track, constructing bridges, and developing other essential infrastructure. “Once the road is in place, transporting construction materials will become much easier,” he added.

Additionally, Gurung highlighted the need to extend and upgrade the road from Mustang to Chharka in Upper Dolpa to Dolpo Buddha Rural Municipality, ensuring its reliability and building necessary bridges along the way. “If Tinje becomes a Himalayan city, it will be the first border city in Karnali Province. The people of Upper Dolpa will benefit from improved services and facilities. I hope the government will soon act on this vision by prioritizing road construction,” he concluded.

At the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, Nepali cricket made history recently. The credit for this feat—the successful conclusion of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) Twenty20 cricket tournament (Nov 30-Dec 21)—goes to the entire sports fraternity.

It’s a celebration for all, including the government, the winning team, Janakpur Bolts, other participating teams, ace cricketers from Nepal and beyond, the organizers (Cricket Association of Nepal), sponsors, national and international media involved in the coverage of the tourney, ground staff, fans and empires.  

Through the maiden NPL title win, Janakpur Bolts have etched their name in history and this win should be an occasion for celebration for the sports fraternity. It is natural for fans of a squad to get disappointed when a rival team wins but this does not allow them to opt for physical violence and racist remarks against the ‘rivals’. Sadly, that’s what happened during and after the final match between the Bolts and the Sudurpaschim Royals.

The organizers and law enforcement should learn some humbling lessons from the cricket ground, and so should fans. The fans, diehard and misguided ones in particular, should bear in mind that violence is not acceptable at all, whether on or off the sporting arena.

For law enforcement and the management, it is indeed quite difficult to ensure order in a euphoric, roughly 25000-strong crowd but this does not mean these authorities should not prepare for worst-case scenarios. Now that the unwelcome incident has occurred, the onus is on law enforcement to conduct a free, fair and credible probe, take action against the guilty and come up with preventive measures keeping in mind the possibility of vested interests using such events to stoke up hostilities between different communities living in peace and harmony in a country comprising the Himalayas, the Tarai and the Hills.

With some sobering lessons, the NPL has shown that Nepal, endowed with favorable weather conditions and friendly, cheering people well aware of the sporting culture, has the potential to become a great neutral venue for major international sporting tournaments, including cricket. The time has come to channelize our energies toward that end as well.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has stressed the need for collective efforts from the entire institutional and individual level from home and abroad to face climate change challenges.

In his address to a program organized today by the Ministry of Forests and Environment to review the 29th COP, the Prime Minister called for keeping nature clean with its sustainable protection through collaborative efforts.

He vowed that the government will take a lead with the management of climate finance to cope with the climate crisis.

Expressing his concern over increasing land dryness and its negative consequences, he insisted on the need for community awareness and efforts to prevent pollution caused by human activities.

"We have not contributed to global warming, but we are bearing the brunt of its impacts," the Prime Minister said.

The climate change issues in mountains are not just the concerns of mountainous countries. The world temperature system is connected with the ecosystem of mountains, and degradation of the mountain's role in keeping the atmosphere cool is a climate change challenge, according to the Prime Minister. "Our efforts should be for protecting the mountains and seas," he stressed.

Reminding his voice that he put during the 79th United Nations General Assembly demanding climate compensation to Nepal, he said Nepal has protected 24 percent of its land for environment conservation. He also urged the stakeholders concerned to be prepared for COP 30 along with the evaluation of the 29th COP.  

The UN Climate Change Conference (COP 29) was held in Baku, Azerbaijan on November 11-22.  The review focused on Nepal's participation in the event, assessing efforts it is supposed to take ahead in the area of climate change.

Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Devendra Dahal, Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba, Minister for Forests and Environment, Ain Bahadur Shahi, Federal parliaments, UN resident representatives, policy makers and local level people's representatives were present on the occasion.  

The Weather Forecasting Division of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has predicted that most parts of the country would receive rain and snowfall from Friday evening due to the westerly disturbance.    

Issuing a special bulletin on winter rain today, the Department has said that the westerly low-pressure system (westerly disturbance) would cause partly and generally cloudy in most parts of the country from Friday evening.

The Department stated that the most of the high hilly and mountainous parts of Sudurpaschim and Karnali Provinces and some of the high hilly and mountainous parts of Gandaki, Bagmati, Koshi Provinces are likely to receive light to moderate snowfall from Friday afternoon to Saturday.

Similarly, chances of light rain are likely across the country.

The Department has also cautioned that the temperature could dip further with the development of a new pattern of weather.