Former PM Khanal departs for China to participate in World Civilization Dialogue
Former Prime Minister Jhalnath Khanal departed for China today to participate in the 'World Civilization Dialogue' organized in Beijing at the invitation of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
Before attending the main programme in Beijing, Khanal is scheduled to visit Henan Province for three days, said his personal secretary Krishna Bhattarai.
Former Prime Minister Khanal, also a respected leader of CPN (Unified Socialist), will observe the modern agricultural research centres, 'digital' technology companies, new energy technology factories, and model projects for rural revitalization there.
According to aide Bhattarai, he will address a special interaction organized by the CPC Henan Provincial Committee as the chief speaker.
After concluding the event in Henan, Leader Khanal will arrive in Beijing, the capital of China, on July 9.
In Beijing, he will address two important sessions on July 10.
He will speak as the chief speaker at the third part of the full session of the 'Ministerial World Civilizational Dialogue,' on 'Joint Promotion of Shared Values of Humanity.'
On the same day, he will also deliver remarks as the chief speaker at the inauguration ceremony of the sixth sub-forum titled 'Exchanges between Civilizations, Mutual Learning, and Intellectual Dialogue.'
During his stay in Beijing, Leader Khanal is scheduled to have courtesy meetings with prominent leaders, including Liu Jianchao, head of the Foreign Affairs Department of the CPC, and also meet with former Prime Ministers, ministers, experts, and representatives from various countries attending the conference.
Leader Khanal is scheduled to return home on July 11 after completing a five-day visit.
Minister Pandey leaves for France
Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Badri Prasad Pandey on Monday left for France to attend the 47th session of UNESCO World Heritage Committee.
Minister Pandey will present a proposal to include Tilaurakot, the historical place of Kapilvastu, in the list of World Heritage Sites in the session scheduled in Paris, according to the Tourism Ministry.
Secretary of the Tourism Ministry, Hari Prasad Mainali, and other high-ranking officials bade farewell to Minister Pandey at Tribhuvan International Airport. The visit would be a milestone to give international recognition to Tilaurakot.
The World Heritage Committee has 21-member countries including India, Qatar, Japan and Korea, among others from Asia.
A majority vote is required to approve any new inscription.
Trump calls Musk's formation of new party "ridiculous" and criticizes his own NASA pick
President Donald Trump on Sunday called Elon Musk's plans to form a new political party "ridiculous," launching new barbs at the tech billionaire and saying the Musk ally he once named to lead NASA would have presented a conflict of interest given Musk's business interests in space, Reuters reported.
A day after Musk escalated his feud with Trump and announced the formation of a new U.S. political party, the Republican president was asked about it before boarding Air Force One in Morristown, New Jersey, as he returned to Washington upon visiting his nearby golf club.
"I think it's ridiculous to start a third party. We have a tremendous success with the Republican Party. The Democrats have lost their way, but it's always been a two-party system, and I think starting a third party just adds to confusion," Trump told reporters.
"It really seems to have been developed for two parties. Third parties have never worked, so he can have fun with it, but I think it's ridiculous."
Trump threatens extra 10% tariffs on BRICS as leaders meet in Brazil
President Donald Trump said the U.S. will impose an additional 10% tariff on any countries aligning themselves with the "Anti-American policies" of the BRICS group of developing nations, whose leaders kicked off a summit in Brazil on Sunday, Reuters reported.
With forums such as the G7 and G20 groups of major economies hamstrung by divisions and the disruptive"America First" approach of the U.S. president, BRICS is presenting itself as a haven for multilateral diplomacy amid violent conflicts and trade wars.
In opening remarks to the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva drew a parallel with the Cold War's Non-Aligned Movement, a group of developing nations that resisted joining either side of a polarized global order.
"BRICS is the heir to the Non-Aligned Movement," Lula told leaders. "With multilateralism under attack, our autonomy is in check once again."
In a joint statement released on Sunday afternoon, the group warned the rise in tariffs threatened global trade, continuing its veiled criticism of Trump's tariffpolicies, according to Reuters.
