Submit your Article

Jajarkot: Domestic and foreign tourists have been advocating for the development of essential infrastructure to make it easier to reach Shey Phoksundo Lake. They believe that constructing the necessary facilities from Suligad, located near the Dolpa headquarters, to the lake could significantly enhance the region’s appeal to tourists.

Currently, visitors to the lake follow a route through the Jajarkot district and the Mid-Hill Highway, including an overnight stay in the Dolpa district headquarters before finally reaching the lake. To access the lake, one must traverse a dozen deteriorating wooden bridges over the Suligad River, a risky endeavor, according to Ram Prasad Khatri from Nalgad Municipality-8. 

To reach Dolpa’s Dunai, visitors must rely on some form of transportation, and from there, it takes two days of trekking to reach the lake. Stakeholders have expressed that it would be more convenient for both domestic and foreign tourists if a concrete bridge were constructed over the Suligad River, along with a reliable trekking route.

Located at an elevation of 3,600 meters above sea level, the lake covers an area of 4.94 square kilometers and is situated near Rigmo village in Shey Phoksundo Rural Municipality-8. 

While the lake is said to have a depth of 145 meters, local residents claim it reaches depths of up to 650 meters. The lake’s unique feature is its changing colors, which vary with the weather. It is shaped like the English letter Y and is often said to resemble a human lung.

Visitors should use the footpath for Shey Phoksundo Lake, Shey Phoksundo National Park, Phoksundo Waterfall, and Upper Dolpa Suligad. Various names have been given to specific areas by the local people, including Kathepul, Thoso, Lapku, and Sankul.

Although suspension bridges have been constructed over many rivers in Dolpa, there are still wooden bridges from Suligad to Phoksundo that provide access to the lake. Nima Lama, the ward chair of Shey Phoksundo Rural Municipality, suggests that while suspension bridges have been built along the trekking route from Suligad to the lake to facilitate local mobility and tourism, it is important to preserve the traditional wooden bridges. “Since the area is a popular trekking route, stakeholders should emphasize the importance of preserving these wooden bridges to attract tourists.”

Gandaki: The United Nations Secretary-General is scheduled to make an official visit to Nepal, starting tomorrow, Sunday. This visit marks his first trip to Nepal since assuming office in 2017. During the visit, the UN Secretary-General is planning to visit the Annapurna Base Camp (ABC), creating excitement among local tourism entrepreneurs.

Dilip Gurung, the secretary of the Chhomrong Tourism Committee, expressed his pride in the visit, saying, “It is undoubtedly a matter of great pride for all of us that a highly distinguished personality like the UN Secretary-General will be visiting the ABC. We anticipate that his visit will further enhance the global recognition and reputation of Nepal’s mountain tourism, including the Annapurna Base Camp and the entire region.”

The Annapurna Base Camp is currently witnessing a significant influx of domestic tourists during the Dashain holidays, with hotels fully occupied by local visitors.

According to Gurung, tourism in the ABC has faced challenges in recent years due to the 2015 earthquake, a severe storm a few years ago, and the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite these setbacks, the area is now experiencing a resurgence in tourism, with approximately 400 internal tourists visiting the Base Camp on a single day, as reported on Friday.

This region is a renowned tourist destination and can be reached via a three-day trek from Ghandruk in Kaski. Those seeking a more extended trek can choose the route from Naya Pul (New Bridge) along the Pokhara-Baglung Highway.

The Annapurna trekking route, which includes the majestic Annapurna Peak, the tenth highest mountain in the world, is considered one of the most spectacular trekking routes globally, according to Dharmaraj Panthi, the President of the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) Gandaki.

Traditionally, this area welcomes tourists from various parts of the world, including Europe, the United States of America, Malaysia, China, and Korea. The successful ascent of Annapurna I by French mountaineer Maurice Herzog in 1950 significantly contributed to the global fascination with mountain tourism.

Situated at an elevation of 4,130 meters above sea level, the ABC gained further popularity for trekking tourism after Eric Shipton’s historic trek here in 1966.

Washington: Social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, introduced two new subscription plans on Friday (local time), including a Premium+ tier for users willing to pay for an ad-free experience, according to a page detailing the features of the subscription.

Premium+ tier that costs $16 per month and offers the ‘largest reply boost’ and removes ads from the For You and Following feeds.

The second tier launching is called ‘Basic’ and costs $3 per month. The tier doesn’t come with a blue checkmark, but includes basic features like the ability to edit posts and post longer text and videos. It also offers a ‘small reply boost’.

“We’re also launching a new Basic tier for $3/month (when signing up via Web) that gives you access to the most essential Premium features,” posted X.

Since taking over last year, owner Elon Musk has begun searching for ways to monetize the platform and even started making users in New Zealand and the Philippines pay $1 per year to access X.

The latest move by Musk intends to bring in additional revenue. Premium+ tier comes with revenue-sharing, along with access to other creator tools.

Premium Plus builds on the perks that come with X's standard Premium plan (formerly Twitter Blue), which includes a blue checkmark, the ability to edit tweets, longer posts, longer video uploads, encrypted direct messages, and more, reported The Verge.

Meanwhile, ‘Basic’ option plan doesn’t let you pay your way to verification—it doesn’t include a checkmark—and subscribers will only receive a ‘small boost’ to their replies. It also doesn’t include reduced ads or access to X’s media studio.

X is also planning to bundle video and audio calling for some users, in a push to turn the platform into an everything app, reported New York Post.

Musk has been exploring several options to extensively monetize the social media platform, which he acquired for $44bn in Oct 2022.

He added a series of new features to X, including live streaming, video and audio calls, and even plans to incorporate banking. 

ANI

Islamabad: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is on the verge of a shutdown as it canceled over 500 flights in the past 11 days due to the unavailability of fuel, ARY News reported.

PIA is facing its worst crisis in history as Pakistan State Oil (PSO) has cut its fuel supply over unpaid dues. The move forced the airline to cancel 537 flights since Oct 13.

On Thursday, as many as 49 domestic and international flights were canceled from Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Quetta, Multan, Peshawar and other cities after the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) slashed its fuel supply to the PIA, sources said.

The flights include Karachi to Islamabad and Karachi to Turbat, all of which have to be called off.

Meanwhile, PIA’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Amir Hayat has written a ‘motivation letter’ to the employees amid the financial crisis, closure of the flight operations and the ongoing privatization process, as per ARY News.

Hayat asked all employees to maintain a concerted focus on ensuring organizational compliance through closely-knit teamwork ahead of the airline’s privatization.

PIA recently paid PKR 220m (approximately $789,000) to Pakistan State Oil (PSO) for a two-day fuel supply, ARY News reported on Saturday.

The PIA spokesperson said that the airline has paid PKR 500m so far to the PSO for the provision of fuel, adding that the national flag carrier is making payments to PSO daily.

PIA is currently acquiring fuel for profitable routes including Saudi Arabia, Canada, China, Kuala Lumpur and others. 

ANI