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President Bidya Devi Bhandari received WPL Trailblazer Award 2022 at the Reykjavik Global Forum – Women Leaders today. Silvana-Koch Mehrin, President and Founder of Women Political Leaders and former Vice-President of the European Parliament, presented the award to the President. Katrίn Jacobsdόttir, Prime Minister of Iceland and Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, Former President of Iceland were also present at the award ceremony. The President dedicated the award to the Nepali women whose struggle for gender empowerment and inclusion contributed for the achievements that Nepal has made in those agendas this far. While accepting the award, the President emphasized on Nepal’s progress and commitment on gender empowerment and Nepal’s commitment to make further progress in this area, the Embassy of Nepal in Copenhagen, Denmark said. Earlier, the President delivered a keynote speech to the Forum and highlighted Nepal’s journey to institutionalize an inclusive democracy that has well embodied principles of human rights, equality, non-discrimination, inclusion and social transformation. During the keynote speech, the President also underlined the challenges Nepal is facing due to climate change and called upon the international community for a transparent mechanism and fast-track provisions for resources, transfer of technology, and capacity-building support to deal with these challenges. Later in the afternoon on the sidelines of the Forum, Prime Minister of Iceland Katrίn Jacobsdόttir called on the President. Matters of further strengthening bilateral relations and exchanging potential cooperation in areas such as geothermal energy technology, climate change, tourism and sharing of experience in the areas of women and gender empowerment were discussed during the meeting. Also on the sidelines, Sima Bahous, Executive Director of the UN Women, called on the President and appreciated the progress made by Nepal in women’s political empowerment and SDG indicators. Separately, Silvana-Koch Mehrin, President and Founder of Women Political Leaders and Laura Liswood, Secretary General of Council of Women World Leaders also called on the President and discussed various experiences and issues related to gender, development and climate change. Two famous Icelandic mountaineers who summited Sagarmatha and Lhotse also met with the President and shared their experience. The President also interacted with Icelandic and international media. In the evening, the President attended an event hosted by Nepali diaspora in Iceland and briefly addressed the community.  

Russia will retreat from the city of Kherson, Vladimir Putin’s top commanders have said, Independent.co.uk reported. Sergei Shoigu, the Kremlin’s defence minister, on Wednesday ordered his troops to withdraw from the west bank of the Dnipro River in the face of Ukrainian attacks near the occupied city. The announcement marked one of Russia’s most significant retreats and a potential turning point in the war, now nearing the end of its ninth month. In televised comments, General Sergei Surovikin, in overall command of the war, said it was no longer possible to supply Kherson city. He said he proposed to take up defensive lines on the eastern bank of the river, according to Independent.co.uk reported. Gen Surovikin, appointed by Mr Putin recently to get a grip on Russia’s ailing military campaign, said 115,000 people had been evacuated from the city since Russia started moving out civilians in anticipation of a Ukrainian assault.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari has been in Iceland to attend the Reykjavik Global Forum-Women Leaders being held in Reykjavik on November 8-10. The President reached Iceland on Tuesday. She was welcomed by Ambassador Ms Estrid Brekkan, Chief of the Protocol at the Iceland Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tirtha Raj Aryal, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Nepal in Denmark, the Embassy of Nepal in Copenhagen, Denmark said. Earlier in her transit at Doha, the Head-of-the-State was received by Naresh Bikram Dhakal and other officials of the Embassy of Nepal in Qatar as well as protocol officials of Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the airport. Likewise, in Frankfurt, the President was welcomed by Ramkaji Khadka, Nepal’s Ambassador to Germany and protocol officials of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The President is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech at the Reykjavik Global Forum co-hosted by Women Political Leaders (WPL) and receive WPL Trailblazer Award 2022 today.  

President Bidya Devi Bhandari is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech in the Reykjavík Global Forum taking place in Reykjavík, Iceland, on 8-10 November 2022. President Bhandari is leaving for Iceland tomorrow to attend the Reykjavík Global Forum – Women Leaders, co-hosted by Women Political Leaders (WPL), the Government of Iceland, and the Parliament of Iceland, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Women Political Leaders (WPL) has decided to confer this year the prestigious WPL Trailblazer Award on President Bhandari. The Award is presented to incumbent and former women Presidents and Prime Ministers in recognition of the achievements of the leading women politicians. During the visit, the President is scheduled to receive the Award and deliver an acceptance speech. Nepali delegation accompanying the President will include senior officials from the Office of the President and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. President Bhandari will return to Nepal on 12 November, 2022.