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Kathmandu: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has shown willingness to visit Russia and host Russian President Vladimir Putin in Kathmandu, arguing that this is the right time for high-level visits. 

In an interview with Russian News Agency TASS, PM Dahal said the time was ripe for high-level visits between the two countries. "We hope that (there will be) a high-level visit, which is quite necessary," he noted. Putin can come to Nepal and I can also go to Russia," Dahal said.

If there is a high-level visit, the prime minister added, “things will move in a very positive direction."

Dahal noted that he had had an opportunity to meet with Putin at the 2016 summits of the BRICS group and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) in Goa. "Unfortunately, we could not have separate discussions with President Putin,” Dahal added. 

Meanwhile, Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said Putin’s potential visit to Nepal or Dahal’s arrival in Russia has not been agreed upon as yet.

“No, there are no specific agreements, this will be discussed through diplomatic channels," he said in response to a TASS question. 

According to TASS, Nepal expects Russian cooperation in the implementation of major infrastructure projects, including in the hydropower sector.

“Our priority is mega hydro projects," he said, citing the Karnali Chisapani hydropower project as an example.

NewYork-  The United States has returned four antiquities worth $1 million to Nepal, including a pair of gilt copper masks representing a Hindu deity, following anti-trafficking operations, New York authorities said on Monday.

One of the items was seized as part of a probe into Subhash Kapoor, whom Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg described as an "allegedly prolific looter who helped traffic items" from several Asian countries.

Between 2011 and 2023, officials claim to have recovered more than 2,500 items trafficked by Kapoor and his network, Bragg's office said in a statement.

"The total value of the pieces recovered exceeds $143 million," it added.

"We will continue to target antiquities trafficking networks no matter how complex. I thank our outstanding team of analysts and attorneys... for recovering and returning these beautiful pieces," Bragg said.

The four items given back to Nepalese authorities were handed over at a ceremony in New York.

"The return of these illegally exported four masterpieces is a significant step in reclaiming Nepal’s cultural heritage and preserving its historical treasures," said Nepal’s acting consul general in New York Bishnu Prasad Gautam.

The masks, from the 16th century and collectively valued at $900,000, depict Shiva, part of the Hindu trinity.

"Both masks were stolen in the mid-1990s as part of a series of break-in robberies from the home of the family" whose relatives made them, Bragg's office said.

In recent years, the New York's Met and other prestigious museums have agreed to return trafficked works, in particular pieces from countries riddled by conflict from 1970 to 1990.

Under Bragg, who has been in office since 2022, more than 1,000 pieces worth $190 million have been returned to 19 countries, including Cambodia, China, India and Pakistan. AFP 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed the death of six Nepali nationals who were serving in the Russian army.

Issuing a press statement on Monday, the ministry identified the deceased as Sandeep Thapaliya (Gorkha), Rupak Karki (Kapilvastu), Dewan Rai (Kaski), Prateem Karki (Syangja), Raj Kumar Rokka (Dolakha) and Ganga Raj Moktan (Ilam). 

The ministry also stated that one Bibek Karki was currently being held hostage by the Ukraine army, and efforts were underway to rescue him. Except in the case of some countries, Nepal does not have a policy of allowing Nepali nationals to join a foreign army. The ministry also requested all concerned countries not to recruit Nepali nationals in their armies, and to send them back if they already have. 

Nepal is all set to get its first woman foreign secretary in its diplomatic history. A source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says Sewa Lamsal, the senior-most joint secretary at the ministry, is set to replace the incumbent foreign secretary Bharat Raj Paudyal.

Lamsal has also been working as the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 2020. Earlier, she served as Nepal’s ambassador to Pakistan. She also has the experience of working as a diplomatic officer in several countries. Barring last-minute political intervention, Lamsal’s appointment is certain. Paudyal, the 24th foreign secretary, is retiring this week and has been proposed as an ambassador candidate to Canada.

 The Public Service Commission will recommend the names of three joint secretaries for the post of foreign secretary on the basis of seniority and merits. Other senior-most joint secretaries are Amrit Rai, Krishna Prasad Dhakal and Dubasu Chhetri. Lamsal is senior-most among them. 

Unlike other ministries, the Foreign Ministry has so far honored the order of seniority when appointing a new foreign secretary. Since 1948, Nepal has had 23 foreign secretaries; none of them were women. The country’s first foreign secretary is Prof Sardar Narendra Mani Acharya Dixit. 

“Time is the music and death is the applause in the dance of life. The beauty of our existence is defined by the way we move to the pulse.”

In this stage of life as mysterious as it seems, the perspective of time itself is bizarre. What is time? What we know about it is it started somewhere in the past (probably when you were born: at least for you this definition is true). But we can no longer describe anything on this day in such a generalized and isolated way. So, what actually is it? Even if it has no tangible effect, you can still feel its impact and it somehow propels you on, whether you like it or not. You were born 18 years ago and not probably 16 million kilometers in the past. We plan our whole life with respect to time which is like an object that is fixed with space and we are moving along it like a passenger taking a ride in a bus. Join me as we embark on three different perspectives on time, unraveling the complexities of time and savoring the moments it unfolds.

The typical frame of reference: What do you think time is? Objectively, time is the space between two events. You woke up, had a cup of tea. The very space between these two events is time. It could be five minutes or 30 minutes or an hour. But what may be an objective event for you may not hold the same significance for me. I could still be sleeping. We can see that time is a subjective experience and is not the same for everybody. Our calendar lies to us by showing only one Saturday, but there are as many Saturdays as there are humans on this planet. You could be scrolling TikTok on a Friday night, but I might be in a business meeting. So where are these observations leading us to? 

Time is relative and doesn’t progress linearly for everybody. On one hand, when you are in a state of flow—a state of focus and enjoyment— time flies. On the other hand, when we are very bored, either it is the event of going to school or daily reading, time moves very slowly for us. The pause in your watch does not halt the progression of time. This simplicity may not endure in the exploration of the remaining two perspectives.

The religious frame of reference: What mask could religion and monks possibly take off from the face of time that occupies a whole new section in this article, what is time? It is the space between two thoughts. Some Eastern philosophies, such as Hinduism and Buddhism, view time as cyclical rather than linear. The cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth (reincarnation) is seen as an eternal recurrence until spiritual enlightenment is achieved. It is common for monotheistic religions like Judaism, Islam, and Christianity to view time as a component of a divine design. It is believed that everything happens in accordance with God's plan, and that time passes linearly and leads to a preset destination that is frequently connected to ideas like salvation, judgment, or the afterlife. Religiously, time is viewed as an eternal illusion, a concept that accompanies us from birth to the tranquil embrace of death. 

The scientific frame of reference (Thanks for giving your precious time and question again): “What is time?” To answer this let’s imagine from the beginning with another question: “Did the universe have a beginning or it existed forever?” If it didn’t have one, then there would be an infinite period of time before any event and titling it like that would be absurd, right? Should there be any beginning? But why should time itself begin at one particular time?

We can relate time with the beginning of the universe or before the beginning of the universe as there may arise two sides where one could account on the theory that universe had existed forever or on the theory that it was set in motion at some finite time in such a manner as to look as though it had existed forever. Here we enter into the realm of scientific understanding of time apart from different theories of the beginning of the universe from this one discovery. But before we know about that discovery why on earth do we need to know about the universe in this very article about time. Here comes Einstein to defend my article by his theory of relativity where he relates time with space considering time to be the fourth dimension.

Being a three-dimensional creature, while it may be hard to imagine the fourth direction apart from the three-dimensional space which we can easily perceive, there is some evidence however which supports the idea of the existence of the fourth dimension and we are moving along it right now. Einstein proposed that space and time are interconnected, connecting the fourth dimension much like the three spatial axes. Without time our three-dimensional space wouldn’t move; it would rather be in one state at its time which allows us to move in it. This proves the importance of time even if we cannot see it (being out of our realm). But why can’t we see it?

Many objects are obscure to us, not because our perception is poor, but simply because these objects are outside of the realm of our conception. Let us consider that we three-dimensional beings are packed in a two-dimensional plane and the third plane being time. Now move that two-dimensional person upward in the plane of time considering that direction to be future and leftover direction to be past so the higher up our two-dimensional person gets, the older he becomes. This feels like our daily life. There is like a magical constant force that is pushing us towards that dimension at some constant rate and we sadly can’t control it. It may be misleading to say we cannot control the rate of time flow in our life because Einstein allowed us in his special relativity postulate equations to move slower with time as we move faster in space. Well, that’s the gossip for another article.

All of these ideas that we are drawing about time and space are by assuming we are rational beings who are free to observe the universe as we want and draw logical deductions from what we see. Time is the most unknown of all unknown things. Time is like an arrow which moves forward piercing the space and heart of a physicist, trailing away a fundamental question: “Try to understand me, if you can!”

Kiran Paudyal

Grade XII

Trinity International College, Dillibazar

Himalaya Airlines, a joint venture between Nepal and China, inaugurated the Kathmandu-Shanghai-Kathmandu flight on December 2. The first outbound flight, H9 780, departed from Tribhuvan International Airport at 09:50 hours (local time) and reached Shanghai Pudong International Airport, at 16:31 hours (local time), with a flight duration of 4 hours and 7 minutes. A total of 137 passengers along with an infant boarded the first flight.

The inaugural flight event was graced by the Xie Yu, Economic and Commercial Counsellor of the People’s Republic of China to Nepal as the chief guest along with Pratap Babu Tiwari, General Manager, Tribhuvan International Airport and with other dignitaries.Initially operating weekly flights on every Saturday effective December 02, 2023, the service will be increased to twice a week, on every Saturdays and Wednesdays, starting from December 20, 2023.

This historic event marked a significant milestone in Himalaya Airlines’ commitment to enhancing connectivity and promoting bilateral ties between Nepal and China, states the press release issued by the airline company. The new Kathmandu-Shanghai-Kathmandu route will offer passengers seamless travel options between the capital city of Nepal and the central coastal city of China, known for the country’s biggest city and a global financial hub. This direct link between the cities reflects Himalaya Airlines’ dedication in providing convenient, safe, and efficient travel, states the press release.

Vijay Shrestha, Vice-President of Himalaya Airlines said, “The longstanding aviation history shared by Nepal and China, spanning two decades since China initiated its inaugural passenger flights to Nepal. Over this extensive period, China has emerged as the leading contributor of airlines serving Nepal, with a total of six airlines from China operating alongside Himalaya Airlines.”

Tiwari congratulated Himalaya Airlines for the inaugural flight to Shanghai. “It is truly an exciting milestone for the airline and the airline’s commitment in providing outstanding service connecting passengers with new and diverse experience.” Tiwari wished the airlines all the success to spread their wings to new horizons and create more opportunities for travel and attract more Chinese Tourist to Nepal, connecting ties and relationship between the two nations. 

USAID in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Population has launched the Global Health Security Program, a strategic partnership to strengthen Nepal’s capacity to prevent, detect, and rapidly respond to emerging infectious diseases. The program will be implemented through one health, a collaborative trans-disciplinary approach that recognizes the interdependence among the health ecosystem, wildlife and domestic animals, and humans.   

This partnership will advance US efforts to strengthen technical capacities in 50 countries by 2025 as part of the Biden Administration’s goal to strengthen health security and pandemic preparedness globally, USAID said in a press statement. The Covid-19 pandemic was a strong reminder of the harm that an emerging zoonotic pathogen can have on human health and global economies, the statement says, the pandemic also showed us where and how our global health systems need to improve to better identify and contain health threats and fully realize global health security.

Speaking at the launch event in Kathmandu, USAID’s Assistant Administrator for Bureau of Asia, Michael Schiffer said, “This program marks a significant step forward in ensuring the health and security of the Nepali population and reflects USAID’s ongoing commitment to global health and pandemic preparedness.” 

Similarly, USAID and the Government of Nepal jointly launched a new activity—Feed the Future Nepal USAID Agricultural Inputs. With up to $24.5m in funding, this activity will work to streamline access to agricultural inputs and contribute to the overall agricultural development of the country.  The five-year activity will focus on four critical agricultural inputs—seed, fertilizer, irrigation, and agricultural mechanization—in 16 districts from the Sudurpaschim, Karnali, Lumbini, Bagmati, and Madhes provinces.

Mukam Ranamaidan

Mohan Mainali

History

Journalist and writer Mohan Mainali, who travels around the country and writes about the people he meets, has this time written about the fierce battle between Nepal and the British 209 years ago. For this, he has relied on the statements of people who fought, experienced, and witnessed that battle. He relies only on the wisdom of the people who hear and know things. He has not written accounts narrated by those who spoil the facts by getting carried away by emotions.

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop

Satoshi Yagisawa

Contemporary

When 25-year-old Takako’s boyfriend reveals he’s marrying someone else, she reluctantly accepts her eccentric uncle Satoru’s offer to live rent-free in the tiny room above his shop.

Hidden in Jimbocho, Tokyo, the Morisaki Bookshop is a booklover’s paradise. On a quiet corner in an old wooden building, the shop is filled with hundreds of second-hand books. It’s Satoru’s pride and joy, and he has devoted his life to the bookshop since his wife left him five years earlier. Hoping to nurse her broken heart in peace, Takako is surprised to encounter new worlds within the stacks of books lining the shop. As summer fades to autumn, Satoru and Takako discover they have more in common than they first thought. The Morisaki bookshop has something to teach them both about life, love, and the healing power of books.

The Compound Effect

Darren Hardy

Business/Self-help

This book reveals the core principles that drive success and presents the fundamental principles that have guided the most phenomenal successes in business, relationships, and beyond. This is an easy-to-use, step-by-step, no gimmicks, no hyperbole, no magic bullet operating system that allows you to multiply your success, chart your progress, and achieve anything you desire. It’s based on the principle that decisions shape your destiny and how little, everyday decisions will, by default, either take you to the life you desire or to disaster. If you’re serious about living an extraordinary life, use the power of The Compound Effect to create the success you want. This book will teach you how to win every time, eradicate your bad habits, and how to get yourself to do things you don’t feel like doing. 

All these titles and more are available at Bookverse, Civil Mall, 4th floor, Sundhara, Kathmandu.

You will get 10% off when you buy four or more books and 15% off on Nepali books.