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Over 124,000 foreign tourists visited Nepal in Oct 2024.

According to the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), a total of 124,393 tourists arrived in Nepal in October, marking a 6.04 percent increase compared to the same month in 2023, when 117,306 tourists visited. However, this figure is still 92.76 percent of the arrivals in October 2019, when 134,096 tourists visited.

In the first 10 months of 2024, around 941,000 tourists arrived in Nepal. The highest monthly arrival was recorded in March with 128,167 tourists.

Monthly tourist arrivals this year were: 79,100 in January, 97,426 in February, 111,376 in April, 90,211 in May, 76,736 in June, 64,600 in July, 72,719 in August, and 96,305 in September.

Top 10 Tourist Markets

India led the tourist arrivals in October with 16,313 visitors, followed by the United States with 16,023, and the United Kingdom with 8,019. Other key markets included China (7,750), Australia (6,929), Germany (6,018), France (5,485), Bangladesh (4,476), Sri Lanka (3,125), and Italy (2,635).

In October, India accounted for 13.11 percent of total arrivals, followed by the USA at 12.88 percent, the UK at 6.45 percent, China at 6.23 percent, and Australia at 5.57 percent. Germany contributed 4.84 percent, France 4.41 percent, Bangladesh 3.60 percent, Sri Lanka 2.51 percent, and Italy 2.12 percent.

The social media platform TikTok has been officially registered in Nepal for the first time. TikTok received its registration certificate on Wednesday.

According to the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, TikTok has obtained VAT and PAN numbers.

The government had previously decided to ban TikTok in Nepal on November 13 last year, citing its lack of registration in the country.

By-elections are scheduled for vacant posts at the local level, resulting from various circumstances.

Elections will be held on Dec 1 for 44 vacant positions, including two district coordination committee chiefs, two rural municipality chairpersons, four vice-chairpersons, one mayor, one deputy mayor, and 34 ward chairs.

According to the Election Commission, by-elections will be conducted for the posts of district coordination committee chiefs in Okhaldhunga and Kailali, the mayor of Kirtipur Municipality in Kathmandu, the deputy mayor of Nalgad Municipality in Jajarkot, and chairpersons in Gramthan Rural Municipality of Morang, Mahabu Rural Municipality of Dailekh, Gaurishankar Rural Municipality of Dolakha, Sarkegad Rural Municipality of Humla, and Swamikartik Khapar Rural Municipality of Bajura.

Ward chairperson positions up for election include Siriganga Rural Municipality-3 in Taplejung, Kankai Municipality-6 in Jhapa, Laligurans Municipality-8 in Tehrathum, Gadhi Rural Municipality-6 in Sunsari, Molung Rural Municipality-5 in Okhaldhunga, Triyuga Municipality in Udayapur, Belka Municipality-9, Dakneshwari Municipality-1 and -4 in Saptari, and Dhanushadham Municipality-1 in Dhanusha.

Additionally, elections will be held for the ward chairs of Ramgopalpur Municipality-2 in Mahottari, Ishnath Municipality-7 in Rautahat, Rajpur Municipality-6, and Gadhimai Municipality-8.

Election Commission Information Officer Suman Ghimire informed RSS that by-elections will be held for the post of ward nos 1 and 4 of Kirtipur Municipality in Kathmandu, ward no 16 of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, ward no. 2 of Kakani Rural Municipality in Nuwakot, ward no 12 of Hetauda Municipality in Makawanpur, ward no 5 of Gorkha Municipality in Gorkha, ward no 1 of Musikot Municipality in Gulmi, ward no 4 of Runtigadhi Rural Municipality in Rolpa, Thakurbaba Municipality-4 in Bardiya, Putha Uttarganga Rural Municipality-2 in Rukum (East), and Shuddhodhan Rural Municipality-1 in Kapilvastu.

President Ramchandra Paudel has appointed Dhana Prasad Pandit as Nepal's ambassador to Israel.

The President appointed Pandit as the resident ambassador of Nepal to Israel on the recommendation of the government and in accordance with the Constitution of Nepal, the Office of the President said in a press note today.

North Korean troops have clashed for the first time with Ukrainian forces in Russia's war against Ukraine, as per the New York Times with the report also stating that the troops are occupying a portion of Kursk region in Russia.

The New York Times reported this on Tuesday citing a senior Ukrainian and a senior US official.

This follows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirming the first combat engagement between North Korean troops and Ukrainian forces and he said that some 11,000 North Korean soldiers were already in Russia's Kursk region.

South Korea's Defence Ministry also on Tuesday said that some 10,000 North Korean troops have been deployed in Russia, with a "considerable" number of them having been dispatched to front-line areas, Yonhap reported.

However, as per the presidential office on Wednesday the North Korean troops in Russia's western front have not yet engaged in full-fledged combat with Ukrainian forces, the South Korean news agency reported.

It cited a senior presidential official shaing the assessment.

In an interview aired by South Korean public broadcaster KBS on Tuesday, Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said that his country's military had engaged for the first time with North Korean troops.

In the NYT report while the Ukrainian official offered no details about casualties, a US official said a significant number of North Korean troops were killed.

The American newspaper reported that according to the Ukrainian official, the North Koreans fought together with a Russian naval infantry brigade.

Zelenskyy in a statement said on Tuesday, "The first battles with North Korean soldiers open a new page of instability in the world."

He called for support for his country's defence, saying the world needs to make the "Russian step to expand the war" a "failure."

A US State Department spokesperson had on Monday said as many as 10,000 North Korean troops were in the Kursk region and could engage in combat in the "coming days."

US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin has called the North's presence in the war a "very serious" escalation that would have ramifications in Europe and Asia.

Russia and North Korea have stepped up military cooperation since the beginning of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev in February 2022.

In June, during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Pyongyang, Moscow and Pyongyang signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty, which includes a provision for mutual assistance if either of them comes under attack.

Meanwhile, Japanese state media Kyodo cited a former senior diplomat who defected from Pyongyang last year as saying that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has taken a "gamble" in sending troops to Russia.

Ri Il Gyu, a former counselor at North Korea's embassy in Cuba, also told Kyodo News that Kim will never abandon his nuclear weapons programme, even though it has caused severe financial hardships in his country, as per the report in the Japanese state media.

The NYT reports that North Korea has one of the world's largest militaries, with 1.2 million soldiers, but it has not fought in a major conflict since the 1950-53 Korean War.

Russia, it said, has relied on North Korea to help replenish dwindling weapons stockpiles.

Further it said The South also released satellite photos showing what it called Russian Navy ship movements near a North Korean port and hundreds of suspected North Korean soldiers assembling in Ussuriysk and Khabarovsk.

ANI

President Ramchandra Paudel has extended his congratulations to Donald Trump following his election as the President of the United States. On Wednesday, President Paudel took to social media platform X to share his well wishes.

"Warm congratulations, President-elect @realDonaldTrump on your historic win! Wishing you all success for your second term as the President of the USA! I am confident that Nepal-US relations will be further strengthened during your tenure," Poudel wrote in his post.

The Nepal Children's Literary Society has announced ‘Naya Banpale’ (picture story) as the best work for children under eight in 2022. Following the recommendations of the Best Works Evaluation Committee, the working committee meeting, held on Nov 5 under the chairmanship of society president Pramod Pradhan, declared Indra Chaudhary's ‘Naya Banpale’ as the best work.

‘Naya Banpale’ is published by Room to Read. Other children's stories by writer Chaudhary include ‘Dhola Pharkiyo Ta?’ and ‘Kapas ko Ghoda’. Folktales and myths popular among the Ranatharu caste, known as Ranatharu Folklore, have also been published.

The society has declared ‘Sanken ko Khulduli’ (picture story) by Shrijana Rai as the best work for children aged eight and above. The 2021 Nebasas Award for Best Children's Book Writing was awarded to poet Mitralal Pangyani's ‘Nani ra Chari’ (Children's Poetry) for children under eight, and novelist Hari Khanal's ‘Aama’ (Children's Novel) for children aged eight and above.

Similarly, the Nebasas Best Children's Book Illustration Award for 2021 will be given to artist Kalagraj for ‘Baagsanga Jamka Bhet’ (picture book), and for 2022, to Krisha Tamrakar for ‘Yamari’ (picture book).

World leaders raced to congratulate Donald Trump as he claimed a stunning US election victory over Kamala Harris, while financial markets also rose.

Here are the first reactions:

China: ‘Mutual respect’

Without directly mentioning Trump, foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular briefing that China hopes for ‘peaceful coexistence’ with the United States. “We will continue to approach and handle China-US relations based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation,” she said. “We respect the choice of the American people.”

Russia: Will judge ‘concrete steps’

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists he was unaware of any plans by Vladimir Putin to congratulate Trump since the US is an ‘unfriendly country’. “We will draw conclusions based on concrete steps and concrete words,” Peskov said.

Israel: ‘Powerful recommitment’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Trump’s likely win signaled a new beginning in US-Israel relations. “Congratulations on history’s greatest comeback! Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America. This is a huge victory!” said Netanyahu in a statement issued by his office.

Hamas: ‘Blind support’ must end

Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, told AFP that under Trump the United State’s “blind support for the Zionist entity must end because it comes at the expense of the future of our people and the security and stability of the region.”

Ukraine: Hopes ‘just peace’ closer

President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated Donald Trump on his ‘impressive victory’ and said he hoped his presidency would bring a ‘just peace in Ukraine closer’. “I appreciate President Trump’s commitment to the ‘peace through strength’ approach in global affairs. This is exactly the principle that can practically bring just peace in Ukraine closer,” Zelensky said in a statement on social media.

NATO: ‘Peace through strength’

NATO chief Mark Rutte congratulated Trump and said his return to power would help keep the alliance ‘strong’. “His leadership will again be key to keeping our Alliance strong. I look forward to working with him again to advance peace through strength through NATO,” Rutte said in a statement.

EU: ‘Strong transatlantic agenda’

“I warmly congratulate Donald J Trump,” European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X. “The EU and the US are more than just allies. We are bound by a true partnership between our people, uniting 800m citizens. So let’s work together on a strong transatlantic agenda that keeps delivering for them.”

France: ‘Respect and ambition’

French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated ‘President Donald Trump’, saying he was ready to work with him “with respect and ambition” like “we managed to do for four years”. In a post on X, Macron said that the relationship with Trump, who is leading the US presidential vote, would “take account of your convictions, and mine,” adding: “For more peace and prosperity.”

Germany: Will remain ‘reliable ally’

Chancellor Olaf Scholz congratulated Trump and vowed Berlin would work with him for “prosperity and freedom.” “Germany and the USA have long been working together successfully to promote prosperity and freedom on both sides of the Atlantic. We will continue to do so for the benefit of our citizens.”

Qatar: ‘Security and stability’

Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, whose Gulf monarchy is a key mediator in the Gaza conflict and hosts the largest US military base in the Middle East, said he looked forward to “working together again in promoting security and stability both in the region and globally.”

Turkey: ‘My friend’ Trump

Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated “my friend Donald Trump” and wrote on X that “I hope Turkey-US relations will strengthen, that regional and global crises and wars, especially the Palestinian issue and the Russia-Ukraine war, will come to an end.”

Egypt: ‘Reaching peace’

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi congratulated Trump and said he hoped his return to the White House could help bring peace to the Middle East. “I wish him all the success... and I look forward to reaching peace together, upholding regional stability and strengthening the strategic partnership between Egypt and the United States and their friendly peoples,” Sisi said on X.

India: ‘Heartiest congratulations’

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Trump’s “election victory.” “Heartiest congratulations my friend @realDonaldTrump on your historic election victory,” Modi wrote on social media platform X. “As you build on the successes of your previous term, I look forward to renewing our collaboration.”

South Korea: ‘Alliance to shine brighter’

President Yoon Suk Yeol congratulated Donald Trump and posted on X that “under your strong leadership, the future of the ROK-US alliance and America will shine brighter. Look forward to working closely with you.”

Italy: ‘Sincere congratulations’

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni offered her ‘sincere congratulations’ in a post on X. “Italy and the United States are ‘sister’ nations, linked by an unshakeable alliance,” she said. “It is a strategic bond which I am sure we will now strengthen even more.”

AFP