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China Aid has joined hands with United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to support schools and communities in Madhesh Province of Nepal.

As part of the assistance, a special project to “Support for schools and communities in remote areas for Pandemic Prevention and Green Recovery” was unveiled in Barahathawa Municipality in Sarlahi district on Thursday.

The project will support 25 government schools in Sarlahi and Rautahat districts, benefiting 15,000 students, and 7500 families.

Addressing the function, Provincial Minister for Physical Infrastructures and Development Saroj Kumar Yadav expressed gratitude for selecting Madhesh Province and establishing new model projects in the region.

Stating that mega development projects are being developed in China, Yadav said that it could have a huge significance for Nepal’s development and prosperity.

On the occasion, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song remarked that the project would create safe and healthy learning environment for students and communities against extreme weather events, disasters and extreme shocks.

“In 2022, the Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative released the first batch of 50 projects of GDI projects pool, in which this project was included,” Song said, adding that the projects of GDI have been creating huge contributions to Nepal and the world.

He also announced two major projects including ‘clean drinking water’ and ‘lightening the villages’ starting from Madhesh Province.

In response, Mayor of Barahathawa Municipality Kalpana Kumari Katuwal remarked that the support would be highly beneficial for the local communities.

"I believe this is a new beginning, and together with the partners, we can bring bright changes in the lives of general public, mostly to poor and backward communities.”

Jullien Chevillard, UNDP Nepal’s Deputy Resident Representative, stated that investment in education and green recovery is crucial to address the impacts of climate change, and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

The latest project is implemented by China Foundation for Rural Development(CFRD), while was researched by World Education.

Wu Peng, Director of International Development Department of CFRD, informed that the organization has supported more than 60 districts across 7 Provinces, directly benefitting over a half million population.

“With joint partnerships, we want to help communities to be restored from pandemic and disasters, and help Nepali public have a better life,” Peng remarked.

Under the latest project, the schools will be provided with necessary equipments and goods like desks, tables and book racks to enhance learning environment, students with stationaries package, and communities with essential items like mats and improved stoves.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 800 per tola in the domestic market on Tuesday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 136, 400 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 135, 600 per tola on Monday.

Similarly, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 135, 750 per tola. It was traded at Rs 134, 950 per tola.

Meanwhile, the silver is being traded at Rs 1,675 per tola today.

Wildfires have destroyed around 5, 000 hectares of forest in Banke.  

According to the District Forest Office, Banke, a total of 76 community forests and one Chakla Forest have been affected by the fires. There are around 100 community forests in Banke.

Birendra Rokka, Assistant Forest Officer and Information Officer of the District Forest Office, said that the forest fires have been brought under control in most of the forests with the help of eight fire engines.

To control the fires, 30 km of fire lines have been constructed in Chakla forest and 20 km in various community forests. The fires are reported to have started due to the long dry season without rainfall and also by the carelessness of people.

Due to the fires, rabbits, snakes, and different species of birds have died.

Meanwhile, 105 incidents of fire have occurred in various local levels of Banke.

A person has died and six others were injured in the incidents, said Assistant Chief District Officer Jorasingh Majhi. A total of 104 cattle heads have perished in the fire incidents.

Property worth around Rs 17.7 million was destroyed in the incidents that have occurred in Narainapur, Raptisonari, Janaki and Nepalgunj.

The gold is being traded at Rs 135, 400 per tola in the domestic market on Sunday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 134, 750 per tola.

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 1, 640 per tola today.   

Media under Threat: Trends and Cases of Press Freedom in Nepal report was published by Media Action Nepal on  Friday on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day. The report has discovered 34 cases of press violation incidents between May 4, 2023 and May 3, 2024.

Media Action Nepal's report has examined the current status of constitutionally guaranteed rights such as press freedom and freedom of expression. The cases documented and data categorised based on Media Action Nepal's seven indicators, including threats, killings, illegal arrest, Misuse of Law, Seizure of Equipment, Newsroom Harassment and Information blockage, clearly show that the year was unsatisfactory in terms of press freedom, with nearly three dozen cases of press freedom violations reported. Over 79 per cent journalists were threatened while reporting, writing or gathering information.

Furthermore, journalists were forced to change careers due to the Working Journalists Act (WJA)’s poor implementation, or they were subjected to censorship or content compromise. Nepal's WJA stipulates a minimum salary that media houses must pay their editorial staff. 

However, in reality, this salary table is rarely followed when paying journalists. Because of this, the profession is not financially rewarding, which puts pressure on journalists' independence and ethical standards, according to report.  Several women journalists left the profession, although we got data on only 29 women journalists leaving journalism. 

Similarly, it has also underscored that journalists reporting on the environment often face threats. A photojournalist, R.K. Adipta Giri, was illegally arrested in Parbat district on charge of cybercrime, while the reason for the arrest was something else related to the Save Kaligandaki movement.

 This year's World Press Freedom Day theme is Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of the Environmental Crisis. It is crucial that the significance of journalists working in the environmental sector be enhanced and secured.

 Likewise, the report has also examined the state of impunity. It found that so far, only five journalists, 39 from conflict era times, have gotten justice.

Additionally, the ban was imposed on TikTok in November, saying it was disrupting "social harmony" and goodwill and blaming it for a "flow of indecent materials." Authorities ordered the telecom company to block access to the app. Similarly, the Social Media Bill (SMB) of the Government of Nepal (GoN) tabled in the Upper House threatens the fundamental rights to freedom of expression (FoE) and online civic space guaranteed under the Constitution of Nepal. The bill, if implemented in its current form, could jeopardise these constitutional guarantees and is deemed incompatible with international human rights instruments that Nepal has ratified. 

The report has claimed that, although it seems that there were fewer incidents of press violations compared to last year, the violations kept occurring, especially from authorities curbing press freedom.

This report is important to understand the trend of press freedom violations and the major incidents. Furthermore, it focuses on impunity, environmental issues and labour rights violations.

Media Action Nepal vice chair Priyanka Jha said, “This report could be useful to every individual who wants to understand the media freedom landscape in Nepal. The trends analysed and cases recorded cover the period of May 4, 2023, to April, 2024

The government has decided to change map on 100 rupee notes.

A Cabinet meeting held on Friday decided to use a new map of  Nepal on 100 rupee notes, government spokesperson and Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma said.

A Cabinet meeting held today granted the approval on the proposal of Finance Ministry.

A student was shot at in Damak, Jhapa on Friday.

Anika Gajmer (Nisha) of Udayapur and currently residing at a rented room in Damak was shot at this morning at around 11.

She was shot at near Jastha Nagarik Pratisthan at Damak-5 while she was returning home after attending the Grade 12 exam at Damak-based Himali Higher Secondary School.

She received a bullet in her stomach.

Gajmer is being treated at ICU.

SP Milan KC of the District Police Office, Jhapa said that a police team has already reached the site to investigate the incident.

Firefighters and local residents battled a massive wildfire on the outskirts of Nepal's capital Thursday.

The country sees a spate of wildfires annually, usually beginning in March, but their number and intensity has worsened in recent years, with climate change leading to drier winters. Emergency crews worked through the night to fight the blaze which engulfed a forested area in Lalitpur, on the southern periphery of the Kathmandu valley.

More than 4,500 wildfires have been reported this year across the country, nearly double compared to last year according to government data but less than the worst fire season on record in 2021. "Wildfires have increased in an unimaginable ratio, and the season is expected to last for a month more," Sundar Prasad Sharma of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority told AFP.

"It is challenging to put out fires because of our difficult terrain," he added. Environment ministry spokesman Badri Raj Dhungana said the increase in the number of wildfires this year was because of a lengthy drought and heatwave conditions in southern plains.

"Generally, wildfires peak late April but this year they are still increasing because of rising temperatures," he said. Extensive scientific research has found climate change is causing heat waves to become longer, more frequent and more intense. Large swathes of South and Southeast Asia have sweltered through a heatwave since last month, with the El Nino phenomenon also driving this year's exceptionally warm weather.

Temperatures have risen above 40 degrees Celsius in the Buddhist pilgrimage city of Lumbini and other parts of the south, with more hot weather forecast in the days ahead. More than a hundred schools in the southern city of Butwal were closed on Thursday for two days out of fears the heatwave would impact the health of students. 

AFP