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Employees working in Annapurna Media Network are to get eight-week free online courses from America.

Data Jupiter, an American company in New York, is to give eight-week free courses to the employees working in Annapurna Media Network on various subjects.

An agreement was signed amidst a program organized at Corporate Tower in Tinkune, Annapurna Media Network’s headquarters, on Friday to give free courses to the employees of Annapurna Media Network and to provide educational certificates from America.

Manoj Basnet, General Manager of Annapurna Media Network, and Prof. Dr Rajan Thapaliya, Director and CEO of Data Jupiter, signed the agreement.

Thapaliya teaches data science, computer science and AI as a professor at National University, University of Arizona and The City University of New York among others.

Annapurna will recommend the name of the employees for the course.

Date Jupiter will provide an eight-week free online course on a subject of their choice along with an educational certificate.

“We are very excited to collaborate with Annapurna Media,” Thapaliya said, adding, “Every course we offer will be taught by professors, experts in their field, working in the US.”

Data Jupiter will provide free courses in Computer Science, Data Science, Cyber ​​Security, AI, Business Studies, Sales and Marketing and AI Journalism among others.

Basnet said that this cooperation will play an instrumental role in increasing the capacity of the employees working in the company and obtaining internationally recognized certificates.

“This agreement is a significant achievement,” he said. “Our employees will be able to get knowledge on various sectors free of cost through this agreement.”

The Nepal Premier League (NPL) kicks off today with a match between Biratnagar Kings and Janakpur Bolts at the TU Cricket Ground in Kirtipur.

Organized by the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), the tournament features eight franchise teams.

On Dec 2, Kathmandu Gurkhas will face Chitwan Rhinos, followed by Karnali Yaks taking on the Bolts later that day.

On Dec 3, Sudurpaschim Royals will play against the Kings, and Pokhara Avengers will compete against the Rhinos.

Lumbini Lions will begin their campaign on Dec 4 with a match against the Kings.

The top four teams from the round-robin league will advance to the playoffs. The top two teams will compete in Qualifier 1, with the winner earning a direct spot in the final.

The third and fourth-ranked teams will play in the Eliminator, with both Qualifier 1 and the Eliminator scheduled for Dec 18.

The loser of Qualifier 1 will have another opportunity to reach the final by facing the winner of the Eliminator in Qualifier 2 on Dec 19.

The winner of Qualifier 2 will secure the remaining spot in the championship match, set for December 21.

The Nepal Securities Board (SEBON) currently has 76 companies awaiting approval to issue Initial Public Offerings (IPOs). During his first day in office at SEBON’s Satdobato headquarters on Wednesday, newly appointed Chairman Santosh Narayan Shrestha pledged to restart the stalled IPO process. “All IPO-related work at SEBON will now proceed regularly,” Shrestha told ApEx. His initial decision approved Everest Bank’s bond issuance, and he emphasized his commitment to collaborating with stakeholders to modernize and advance Nepal’s capital market. Shrestha highlighted the need to address challenges in the short, medium, and long term, prioritizing previously delayed initiatives. He affirmed that SEBON’s goal is to strengthen Nepal’s economy through capital development and mobilization, with investor safety as a top priority. “The stock market relies on investor confidence, and we are committed to maintaining that trust,” he said.

SEBON recently approved the IPO issuance of Guardian Micro Life Insurance on Nov 22, granting permission for 2.25m shares, equivalent to 30 percent of the company’s 7.5m shares at a face value of Rs 100 each. Among the 76 companies awaiting approval, the majority—37—are in the hydropower sector. Other sectors include five companies in hotel and tourism, two in investment, 13 in manufacturing, one in microfinance, three in microinsurance, and 15 in miscellaneous categories. Collectively, the companies aim to issue over 333.43m shares worth Rs 485.84bn. While most shares are priced at Rs 100 each, some, such as Akama Hotel and Nepal Broadcasting Channel, are priced at Rs 50. A few companies propose shares at a premium, with prices ranging from Rs 210 (Pratikita Shivam Holdings) to Rs 400 (Chhayadesi Complex).

Since Chairperson Shrestha’s appointment, the stock market has shown continuous growth. The NEPSE index recorded a double-digit gain of 38.81 points on Wednesday, reaching 2,755.47. This marked the fourth consecutive day of upward momentum. On Wednesday alone, 17.18m shares from 316 companies were traded for Rs 9.31bn, with eight companies, including Vishal Bazar, Karnali Development Bank, and Support Microfinance, hitting the upper circuit with a 10 percent increase. While prices for 199 companies rose, 40 saw declines, and five remained stable. Despite the overall bullish trend, some investors face losses, such as those holding shares in Mithila Microfinance, which dropped by 10 percent. Janaki Finance led trading by value, with shares of NRN Infrastructure, People’s Hydropower, and Nepal Finance also seeing significant transactions worth Rs 240m–240m.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is paying an official visit to the People’s Republic of China from December 2-5 at the cordial invitation of Li Qiang, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China.

The Prime Minister will be accompanied by his spouse Radha Shakya.

The Prime Minister is Scheduled to meet with Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China in Beijing, reads a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Prime Minister Oli will hold bilateral talks with his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang and exchange views on matters of mutual interest.

The Prime Minister will hold a meeting with Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China.

During the visit, the Prime Minister will deliver a keynote address at Peking University.

The Prime Minister will address the Nepal-China Business Forum, which is being jointly hosted by the Embassy of Nepal in Beijing, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, according to the statement.

The entourage of the Prime Minister will comprise Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba, Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister Bishnu Prasad Rimal, Economic and Development Advisor to the Prime Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada, members of the Parliament, high-ranking government officials, representatives of the private sector and media persons.

The Prime Minister and his delegation will return to Kathmandu on December 5.

The Asian Spinal Cord Network (ASCoN), the network of 75 member organizations across 18 countries of the Asian continent, awarded Esha Thapa, Executive Director of Spinal Injury Sangha Nepal (SISN), with this year’s ASCoN Star Award.

The ASCoN Star Award, initiated in 2015, recognizes outstanding contributions to the advancement of spinal cord injury (SCI) services and support. This accolade was first awarded to Valerie A. Taylor, Founder of the Center for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP), Bangladesh, and has since become an annual tradition to honor exemplary dedication in SCI management.

Thapa, a prominent figure in the health and disability sector for over two decades, has been instrumental in fostering transformative rehabilitation services and empowering persons with spinal cord injury in Nepal.

In its statement, ASCoN noted: “We recognize Thapa for her exceptional contribution and unwavering dedication to improving spinal cord injury services in Nepal and across Asia through knowledge-exchange and capacity-building. Her work exemplifies the spirit of innovation, compassion and resilience that ASCoN strives to inspire across its network.”

Under Thapa’s leadership, SISN – established in 2001 – has emerged as a beacon of hope for individuals with SCI in Nepal. SISN’s initiatives, the Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre (SIRC) and the Vocational Opportunity for Inclusion in the Community and Employment (VOICE) Centre, have collectively impacted over 4500 lives of persons with SCI.

ASCoN, founded in 2001, continues to play a critical role in connecting organisations and stakeholders across Asia. It is an affiliated society of the International Spinal Cord Society (ISCoS). The annual ASCoN conference, whose 2024 edition just concluded in Nepal, serves as a platform for government policymakers, medical professionals and advocates to collaborate and promote policies and practices that improve the lives of persons with SCI.

Minister for Health and Population Pradeep Paudel has said that Sushma Koirala Memorial Hospital is going to be developed as a burn treatment center.

Minister Paudel said it in a program organized on Thursday to welcome the new director Albert Benzin of the hospital in Sankhu in Shankharapur Municipality of Kathmandu. He said that he is working by prioritizing the treatment of burn cases.

He said, "Sushma Koirala Memorial Hospital is a specialized hospital for burn treatment. The government has recently announced eight other hospitals across the country as hospitals where burns can be treated. Sushma Koirala Hospital can also be added to it, he said.

Health Minister Paudel said that the hospital, which is run by the Sushma Koirala Memorial Trust with German support, can provide training on burn treatment to doctors and nurses working in other hospitals as well.

Similarly, former Deputy Prime Minister Sujata Koirala said that in the beginning, they had to face a lot of problems to open hospitals in remote areas.  She said that in the beginning, there was no treatment for burn cases in the country when the hospital was established.

Nepali Congress central member and parliamentarian Chandra Bhandari mentioned that there is a need for burns treatment hospitals across the country.

Mayor of Shankharapur Municipality, Ramesh Napit, mentioned that Sushma Koirala Memorial Hospital is the oldest burn hospital.

Hospital director Santosh Bikram Bhandari shared that Sushma Koirala Memorial Hospital was established in 2054 BS as the first hospital in Nepal for the treatment of burns. Since its inception, the hospital has treated 48, 322 people and performed 32, 864 surgeries related to burn cases. The hospital, which is run with the help of Germany, has treated 15,375 people free of cost so far.

The Bala Chaturdashi festival is being observed throughout the country today by commemorating the departed souls.

Devotees have gathered in the Shiva temples including the Pashupatinath Temple since last night to observe the festival.

In the night, they light lamps in commemoration of the departed family members and spend the night observing a vigil. In the wee hours the next day, the devotees sow the Satbeej (seven kinds of grains) along the premises of the shrines this morning. 

The festival formally began on the night of the 13th day of the waning moon in the month of Mangsir and is concluded today by spreading the Satbeej along the premises of shrines of Hindu god Shiva.

A large number of devotees have thronged the Pashupatinath Temple to observe the Bala Chaturdashi festival, according to the source. Those unable to visit reached the temples of Shiva nearby their residences and localities and observed the festival.

The silence period of the by-elections for the local level has started from midnight today.

With the beginning of the by-elections, publicity events for the by-elections have been prohibited from last midnight in accordance with the election code of conduct.

The EC has urged all stakeholders to ensure the by-elections are conducted in a free, fair, and impartial manner.

The by-elections for some local levels is scheduled to take place on December 1.

According to the Election Commission, election-related activities are prohibited until the completion of vote counting, starting from midnight tonight, 48 hours before the voting day.

The EC has already arranged to enforce the election code of conduct at the concerned local levels by monitoring activities to prevent violations during this silent period.

Activities such as interactions, assemblies, conferences, workshops, and seminars in favor of or against candidates, as well as soliciting votes for candidates through digital platforms and social media such as SMS, Facebook, and Viber are restricted during this 48-hour period in accordance with the election code of conduct, Spokesperson at the EC Nita Pokharel said.