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The Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and the Wakayama Prefecture of Japan have signed an agreement on tourism cooperation aimed at strengthening tourism diplomacy between Nepal and Japan.

Deepak Raj Joshi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NTB and Izumi Miyazaki, Governor of the Wakayama Prefecture, signed the MoU amid a programme at NTB office at Bhrikutimandap today.

Under the MoU, both sides have agreed to collaborate on joint promotion, knowledge exchange and sustainable tourism development.

The MoU prioritizes joint tourism promotion and marketing, exchange of tourism-related information and best practices, exchange of visits by experts and officials. 

It also seeks to enhance cooperation in communications and public relations while promoting culturally respectful and sustainable tourism.

During the MoU signing ceremony, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Anil Kumar Sinha acknowledged the visit of the governor-led Japanese delegation as a welcome step. 

Minister Sinha further noted that this collaboration, taking place in the context of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Nepal–Japan diplomatic relations, would play an important role in advancing sustainable and responsible tourism. 

The Minister remarked, "Both countries attach high importance to cultural values. This partnership, marking 70 years of diplomatic ties between Nepal and Japan, will provide a strong foundation for sustainable tourism." 

Likewise, Mukunda Prasad Niraula, Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, recalled the long-standing relation between Nepal and Japan and termed the agreement a historic step for tourism promotion.

He added that the MoU comes at an opportune time to expand and diversify Nepal’s tourism market, highlighting the country’s identity as the land of the Himalayas and the birthplace of Lord Buddha

Similarly, Izumi Miyazaki, Governor of Wakayama Prefecture, expressed his happiness over the collaboration agreement with Nepal.

He said, "We are happy to have signed an agreement with Nepal, which is rich in history and culture. I am confident that this agreement will further strengthen tourism promotion between Nepal and Wakayama."

Also speaking at the programme, CEO Joshi mentioned that Japan is one of Nepal's important tourism source markets and cited that Japanese tourist arrivals have recently increased by around 8 per cent in the recent time.

The MoU will come into effect from the date of signing. As per the agreement, both parties will designate contact point for coordinating cooperation activities.

Furthermore, the MoU states that both parties will bear their respective expenses.

Although the MoU is not legally binding, this agreement based on mutual goodwill and trust is expected to further enhance the seven-decade long Nepal-Japan relations through tourism cooperation. 

Police have arrested seven inmates, who had absconded from different jails of Kathmandu Valley during Gen Z movement.   

A team from District Police Range, Kathmandu made them public today. 

They are Tenjing Bahadur Tamang (41) of Rasuwa; Pritam Gurung (20) of Lamjung; Babita Tamang (23) of Kanchanpur; Bikram Nepali of Kavrepalanchowk; Bhuwan Tamang of Dolakha; Bhuwan Tamang of Sindhuli; and an Indian national Roshan Sah, said Spokesperson at the Range, Superintendent of Police, Pawan Kumar Bhattarai. 

All of them have been sent to respective jails where they had been serving terms on various charges before Gen Z uprising, added the police.

Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma is leaving for Dhaka, Bangladesh today to attend the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected government in Bangladesh.

The Foreign Minister's visit reflects Nepal's commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations and deepening the bonds of cooperation between Nepal and Bangladesh, reads a press statement issued by the Foreign Ministry. 

Foreign Minister Sharma would be accompanied by senior officials of the Ministry. 

Minister Sharma is scheduled to return home on February 19.

Citizens of the United Kingdom and Canada can now enter China without a visa starting Tuesday, according to AP. The move brings the total number of eligible countries to 79. The policy aims to boost tourism and business ties.

AP reported that visitors can stay for up to 30 days. The visa-free entry covers travel for business, tourism, exchange programs and family visits. Most European nations already qualify under the scheme.

Citizens of countries such as the United States and Indonesia can enter China for up to 10 days if they are in transit. They must hold onward tickets to a third country. The broader policy has expanded significantly over the past two years.

The addition of the UK and Canada follows recent visits by Prime Ministers Keir Starmer and Mark Carney. Both leaders are seeking to improve relations with Beijing after several years of strained ties.

For most countries, the visa-free arrangement is set to expire at the end of this year. However, Chinese authorities have extended similar policies in the past.

ByteDance has pledged to curb its AI video tool Seedance after legal threats from Disney. The move follows complaints from several Hollywood studios over alleged copyright infringement. Seedance’s latest version has gone viral for its realistic clips.

According to Reuters, Disney sent a cease-and-desist letter accusing ByteDance of using a “pirated library” of copyrighted characters. These include figures from Marvel and Star Wars. Disney’s lawyers described the alleged action as a “virtual smash-and-grab” of intellectual property.

ByteDance said it respects intellectual property rights and is strengthening safeguards. The company did not give details on what measures it plans to introduce. It had earlier paused the option allowing users to upload images of real people.

Reuters reported, the Motion Picture Association demanded the tool immediately stop infringing activities. SAG-AFTRA accused Seedance of blatant infringement, while Paramount Skydance reportedly sent its own legal notice.

The controversy adds to wider tensions between AI firms and the entertainment industry. Last year, Disney and NBCUniversal sued Midjourney over copyright claims. Meanwhile, Disney has a $1 billion deal with OpenAI to use selected characters on its AI platforms.

Flights were delayed on Monday at Kenya’s main airport after workers began a planned strike. AP reported, the action follows a labor dispute with authorities over pay and working conditions. Departures and arrivals were affected.

Kenya Airways issued a travel advisory to passengers. According to AP, the airline said air traffic control delays were disrupting schedules. It urged travelers to confirm their flight status before going to the airport.

The Kenya Airports Authority said contingency measures were in place. It added that it was engaging stakeholders to resolve the strike. Officials stressed they were open to dialogue. Workers gave a seven-day strike notice last week. They cited problems in implementing a collective bargaining agreement. They are demanding better pay, improved benefits and safer working conditions.

The strike has disrupted operations at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The airport is a key hub for regional and international travel, trade and tourism.

The Election Commission (EC) has reported that its Central Election Code of Conduct Monitoring Committee received 66 complaints related to violations of the election code of conduct so far. It has sought clarifications from the concerned political parties, organizations, media outlets and individuals. Of these, 32 responses have already been received.

According to EC Legal Officer Mohan Raj Joshi, clarifications were demanded from political parties, election candidates, government and non-government organizations, as well as media houses and journalists. In the case of registered media outlets and journalists, the EC sought responses through the Press Council Nepal.

The complaints of code of conduct violations have also been registered at the district level. These cases are currently under investigation and are being processed for necessary action.

To ensure effective monitoring and enforcement of the code of conduct, assistant chief district officers in all 77 districts have been assigned to oversee non-financial matters. Financial aspects are being monitored by the chief district treasury controllers and treasury controllers, in accordance with Clause 32 of the Election Code of Conduct.

Joshi added that stakeholders at the district level have expressed their commitment to ensuring the effective implementation of the election code of conduct.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 8. 16 points to close at 2, 662. 91 points on Monday. 

The sensitive index, however, increased by 1. 06 points to close at 455. 66 points.

A total of 19,616,395-unit shares of 335 companies were traded for Rs 1. 52 billion.

Meanwhile, Buddha Bhumi Nepal Hydropower Company Limited (BNHC), Reliance Spinning Mills Limited (RSML) and Salapa Bikas Bank Limited (SABBL) were the top gainers today with their price surging by 10. 00 percent.

Likewise,  Khanikhola Hydropower Co. Ltd. (KKHC) was the top loser as their price fell by 9. 38 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 4. 47 trillion.