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Ten people have died due to attacks by wild animals in Chitwan National Park and its neighbourhood in the first six month of the current fiscal year.

The 10 people fell victim to attacks by rhino, elephant and tigers in the Park and surrounding areas since mid-July.

According to the park's information officer, Abinash Thapa Magar, eight people have died in rhino attacks, one person each due to attack by elephant and tiger.

Another 14 people have been injured due to wild animal's attack.

Of them, 12 were injured in rhino attacks and two in elephant attacks.

Going by the regulation, the national park authorities have compensated the bereaved family, including Rs 1 million each for the deceased's family and the treatment cost up to Rs 200,000 for the injured.

So far, Rs 9,461,931 has been provided as relief support to the people who have suffered damages in wildlife attacks. The park authority has been working to minimize the conflict between humans and wild animals including through grassland management and water (lakes, ponds and ponds) management in the park premises.

Installation of mesh wires, electric fences, concrete walls and rescuing and managing settlements are also being carried out, Magar said.

Some fatal incidents have also occurred when people have made unauthorized entry into the park and the buffer zone

Five ordinances are being tabled in the House of Representatives (HoR) meeting for discussion and approval today.

The HoR meeting has been summoned for 1 pm this afternoon.

As per agenda of the day, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is to table a proposal seeking endorsement of the lower house to the Ordinance designed to Amend Some Nepal Acts Related to Good Governance Promotion and Public Service Delivery, 2081.

Likewise, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel is likely to table the proposal seeking endorsement of the Economic Procedures and Financial Responsibility (First Amendment) Ordinance, 2081 and the Privatisation (First Amendment) Ordinance, 208 and the Ordinance designed to Amend Some Nepal Acts Related to Economic and Business Environment Improvement and Investment Promotion, 2081 Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Balaram Adhikari will present a proposal seeking approval of the house to the Ordinance designed to Amend Some Nepal Acts Related to Cooperatives.

Prior to this, the 'Nepal Legal Practitioners' Council (second amendment) Bill, 2081' originated from the Upper House will be tabled, along with the message from the House.

Though the government introduced six ordinances a month ago, the government is tabling five ordinances only after the Janata Samajwadi Party and Loktantrik Samajwadi Party stood against the Ordinance to Amend Some Nepal Acts relating to Land, 2081.

Meanwhile, the major ruling parties Nepali Congress and CPN-UML have asked their HoR members to compulsorily attend the HoR meeting on Wednesday directing them to second the ordinances.

The weather at present remains partly cloudy in the hilly areas of Koshi, Gandaki, Karnali and Sudurpaschim Provinces, while the rest of the region will be mainly clear.

This is due to the partial influence of a westerly low-pressure system, according to the Meteorological Forecast Division.

Later in the afternoon, the weather will be partly cloudy in the hilly areas of Koshi and Gandaki Provinces, while the rest of the region will be mainly clear.

Tonight, the weather will be partly cloudy in the hilly areas of Koshi Province and mainly clear in the rest of the region.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are likely to hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC summit, which is taking place in Thailand on April 3-4.

This will be the second meeting between Oli and Modi; the first meeting was held in September last year on the sidelines of the 76th General Assembly of the United Nations. Despite multiple requests, India is refusing to extend formal invitation to Oli for the official visit to New Delhi. According to government officials, the Oli-Modi meeting is expected to create a conducive environment for Oli’s India visit and Modi’s visit to Nepal. 

Minister for Foreign Affairs Arzu Rana Deuba has said more than once that Oil would soon receive the invitation from New Delhi for the bilateral visit. Presumably, the relationship between the two countries is not as it used to be after Nepal signed a framework agreement on Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The BRI and growing Chinese influence in Kathmandu is a cause of concern for us, says an Indian official requesting anonymity.

The summit was due to take place last year but was postponed in August, when Thailand was under a caretaker administration. The group’s meetings and summit will take place from April 2-4.  The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, or BIMSTEC, includes Thailand, India, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan and its leaders meet every two years for a summit. According to media reports, India has informed Thailand that Modi will travel to the country for the summit. As SAARC is completely dysfunctional, India is boosting BIMSTEC for regional cooperation, connectivity and security. 

Cathay celebrated its top five travel and cargo partner agents from Nepal today at the annual Wings of Excellence awards presentation, acknowledging their outstanding achievements and recognizing them for their valuable contributions and support to Cathay over the past year.

The event took place at Kathmandu Marriott Hotel on Tuesday.

Cathay’s Regional General Manager, South Asia, Middle East, and Africa Rakesh Raicar, Country Lead Nepal Junu Maleku and ChairmanGSA-Amravati Travels Pvt Ltd Siddhartha SJB Rana were present on the occasion.

Cathay’s Rakesh Raicar said: “It is our privilege to recognize and express our gratitude to our valued travel and cargo partners from Nepal. Their unwavering support has strengthened our collaboration, and we are excited about the new opportunities that lie ahead in 2025 and beyond. As we continue to grow together, we remain committed to delivering enhanced passenger and cargo services to our home hub, Hong Kong, and beyond.”

Junu Maleku said: “Our travel and cargo partners are the backbone of our success. Their support is indeed invaluable, and we remain committed to strengthening our partnership and delivering exceptional service. 

“The ‘Wings of Excellence’ awards underscore their trust in us, and we strive to help them serve their customers better, as we continue to leverage our global network and the strategic advantages of our home hub, Hong Kong.”

Oslo World Travel Nepal, Bon Travel & Tours Pvt. Ltd., Seven Star International Travel and Tours Pvt Ltd, Sea Links Travels and Tours Pvt Ltd., and Prabas Travel and Tours Pvt. Ltd. were recognised as the five top-performing travel agents for 2024. 

Meanwhile, the top five cargo agents for 2024 included Pioneer Cargo, Shangrila International Freight Pvt Ltd., GMK international Freight Pvt. Ltd., Himalayan Travel & Tours Pvt. Ltd., and Rising Star Cargo P. Ltd.

Each award-winning agent has played a significant role in Cathay’s success in Nepal and the wider region, reads a statement issued by Cathay.

Cathay Pacific will increase its flight frequencies between Hong Kong and Nepal’s Tribhuvan International Airport from five return flights per week to daily return flights from March 31, 2025.

These additional flights will provide customers from Nepal with more choice and connectivity to Hong Kong and beyond. 

Through the airline’s home hub in Hong Kong, customers from Nepal can connect to the Cathay Group’s extensive network of destinations in the Chinese Mainland, South Korea, Japan, Australia, the United States and Canada.

So far, the Cathay Group has announced eight new destinations that will be joining its global passenger network in 2025, with more still to come. Customers will be able to take advantage of direct flights from Hong Kong to Dallas in the United States starting 24 April 2025, according to the statement.

Increased capacity also means additional belly space for Cathay Cargo’s services from Kathmandu. This will allow Cathay Cargo to offer more time-bound solutions for the Nepal market, meeting the growing demand for efficient and reliable cargo services.

It also benefits time-sensitive products such as perishables, mail and courier services, ensuring regular and consistent deliveries.

The International Education group at Cambridge University Press & Assessment (Cambridge) and the British Council has announced the winners of the Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards in Nepal amidst a function on Tuesday.

The awards celebrate the outstanding academic achievements of secondary school learners in Nepal in the November 2023 and June 2024 Cambridge examination series.

Over 48 students in Nepal received awards for exceptional performance in Cambridge International AS & A Level examinations, including two students who achieved the highest marks in the world, 39 students who attained the highest marks in Nepal in a single subject, and 18 students who topped the country in the November 2023 exam series along with 21 students who topped the country in the June 2024 series.

The Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards program celebrates the success of students taking examinations awarded by Cambridge International Education in over 40 countries around the world.

Cambridge qualifications prepare and equip learners with the skills they need to thrive at university and beyond.

The world’s best higher education institutions acknowledge Cambridge qualifications and value the critical thinking skills, independent research abilities and deep subject knowledge that Cambridge learners bring to university.

On the occasion, Vinay Sharma Sr. VP, (South Asia) for International Education at Cambridge at the award ceremony said: ‘Cambridge learners are at the heart of everything we do. Every element of a Cambridge education – the curriculum, teaching and learning, resources and assessment is carefully designed to help learners reach their potential and thrive in life. We are delighted to congratulate learners from Nepal on their academic achievements in the November 2023 and June 2024 Cambridge examination series."

The Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards recognise the exceptional performance
of learners from around the world in Cambridge examinations. The awards reflect the talent and hard work of learners andacknowledge the dedication and commitment of their teachers and parents.

"We are delighted to see that the popularity of Cambridge examinations in Nepal continues to grow and this year we have a total of 48 students achieving an award. The award winners represent 20 schools in Nepal and cover a range of 35 subject areas at Cambridge International AS & A Level. All these awards demonstrate the high standard of education in our schools, " reads a statement issued by the British Council.

"We extend our best wishes to the learners of Nepal for their future endeavours." 

The awards also celebrate the achievements of those learners who have been recognized for ‘High Achievement’, based on outstanding performance in subjects which are not yet so widely taken in Nepal, and learners who have achieved the total highest cumulative marks across a number of subjects. The winning students out-performed thousands of candidates worldwide who sat Cambridge examinations.

Pratistha Thapa Rayamajhi, Exams Director and General Manager, British Council, Nepal said "I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all our award winners. Their achievements is a proof of their hard work, determination, and the unwavering support of their parents, teachers, and school leaders."

"The British Council takes pride in facilitating opportunities for students in Nepal through Cambridge A Levels, equipping them with essential skills for higher education and beyond. As they step into new opportunities, I encourage them to embrace challenges, pursue their passions, and strive for excellence. This is just the beginning of an exciting future filled with even greater accomplishments, " he added.

The Outstanding Cambridge Learner Award winners are as follows:

Top in Nepal

‘Top in Nepal’ is awarded to learners who haveachieved the highest standard mark in their countryfor a single subject.

Best Across awards

‘Best Across’ is awarded to learners who have achieved the highest cumulative total standard marks over a set ofsubjects.

High Achievement

‘High Achievement’ is awarded to learners who haveachieved outstanding results in subjects which are not so widely taken and which, under the current criteria,would not qualify for ‘Top in Nepal’.

Top in the World

‘Top in the World’ is awarded to learners who have achievedthe highest standard mark in the world for a single subject.

Foundation stone for the construction of Operation Theatre Building of Rapti Eye Hospital at Tulsipur Sub-Metropolitan City, Dang was laid jointly by Tikaram Khadka, Mayor, Tulsipur Sub-Metropolitan City, Dang and Basist Nandan, First Secretary, Embassy of India, Kathmandu, on Tuesday.

Political representatives, government officials and social workers were also present on this occasion. 
    
Operation theatre building of Rapti Eye Hospital is being built with Government of India’s financial assistance at the project cost of Rs 43.31 million under ‘Nepal-India Development Cooperation’. 

The Government of India’s grant under ‘Nepal-India Development Cooperation’  is being utilized for the construction of an operation theatre building and other allied facilities.

The project is being taken up as a High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP) and is being implemented through Tulsipur             Sub-Metropolitan City, Dang. 

Mayor, Tulsipur Sub-Metropolitan City, Dang and Chairperson, Rapti Eye Hospital Management Committee and other stakeholders appreciated the developmental support being provided by the Government of India to the people of Nepal, reads a statement issued by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.

They expressed confidence that the infrastructure being created would help provide better healthcare facilities to the people of Nepal and will also contribute to the overall development of the health sector in Lumbini province of Nepal.

Since 2003, the Government of India has taken up over 563 HICDPs in Nepal in various sectors and has completed 495 projects.

Amongst these, 62 projects are in Lumbini Province.

In addition to these, the Government of India has gifted 1009 ambulances and 300 school buses to various hospitals, health posts and educational institutions in Nepal, according to the statement.

Amongst these, 164 ambulances and 43 school buses have been gifted in Lumbini Province. Out of these, 19 ambulances and 4 school buses  were gifted in Dang. This includes one ambulance that has been provided to Rapti Eye Hospital, Dang.   

As close neighbours, India and Nepal are engaged in wide-ranging and multi-sectoral cooperation.

The implementation of HICDPs reflects the continued support of the Government of India in bolstering the efforts of the Government of Nepal in growth and development of its people by augmenting infrastructure in priority sectors.  
 

The UK's data protection watchdog on Monday announced investigations into three social media networks, including TikTok and Reddit, over their use of children's personal data.

Growing concerns that young people could be sent inappropriate or harmful content from social media apps prompted the probes, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) said in a statement.

"The responsibility to keep children safe online lies firmly at the door of the companies offering these services and my office is steadfast in its commitment to hold them to account," said Information Commissioner John Edwards.

The ICO will look into how Chinese-owned TikTok uses the personal information of 13-to-17-year-olds to make recommendations and deliver content to their social media feeds.

Online forum site Reddit and image-sharing site Imgur are under investigation over their age assurance measures as well as personal information use.

"We're deeply committed to ensuring a positive experience for young people on TikTok," a company spokesperson said in a statement to AFP.

TikTok has "comprehensive measures that protect the privacy and safety of teens, including industry-leading safety features and robust restrictions on the content allowed in teens' feeds", the firm added.

The other two platforms had yet to respond.

In 2023, the ICO fined popular video-sharing app TikTok several million pounds for failing to obtain consent of parents or guardians to use children's data, after they had set up accounts despite being too young. AFP