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The international peacekeeping exercise started on Tuesday with the initiation of ‘Exercise Shanti Prayas-IV.’ The exercise is taking place at the Birendra Peace Operation Training Center (BPOTC) in Panchkhal, Kavre district, and will continue until March 4. The inaugural session was held at the Nepal Army headquarters on Tuesday.

This exercise is a collaborative undertaking between the Nepali Army and the United States government’s Global Peace Operation Initiative (GPOI). The GPOI focuses on promoting excellence in the proficiency of peacekeeping forces, improving mutual coordination capabilities, and ensuring interoperability among Troops Contributing Countries (TCCs) to the United Nations.

The ongoing event marks the fourth iteration of the Nepal-hosted Exercise Shanti Prayas, with the inaugural exercise conducted in 2000. Subsequent editions occurred in 2013 and 2017. This year’s exercise features the participation of military personnel from 19 nations, including Nepal.

The primary objective of this exercise is to enhance the skills and interoperability among troops from countries contributing to United Nations peacekeeping missions, according to the Nepali Army.

A total of 1,125 participants will engage in various events, including 689 individuals in Field Training Events (FTE), 110 in Staff Training Events (STE) and 326 in Critical Enabler and Capability Enhancement (2CE) activities. “The exercise aims not only to address challenges encountered in peacekeeping efforts but also to increase awareness among participating nations about the challenges,” the Army said.

During the opening ceremony of the exercise, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal highlighted that Nepal’s engagement in UN peace operations has consistently been a crucial component of its foreign policy, aimed at achieving and strengthening global peace and stability, garnering commendation from the global community.

Expressing immense pride, he emphasized Nepal’s current status as the leading contributor of troops and police personnel to United Nations Peacekeeping missions. “Nepal has further pledged to deploy up to ten thousand well-trained and equipped personnel for UN Peace operations on request of the United Nations,” he said.

Affirming Nepal’s unwavering advocacy for peace and equality in international forums, the Prime Minister stated that these commitments are deeply rooted in the country's pursuit of global peace and harmony. “This is further manifested through our participation in the UN peace operations, where our peacekeepers have distinctly demonstrated bravery, compassion, and selflessness in their noble mission to protect and restore hope in regions torn apart by conflict.”

In the current global landscape, peacekeepers confront heightened and diverse threats arising from the complex and multi-layered nature of conflicts, driven by factors such as ethnic tensions and terrorism. Dahal stressed the imperative to adapt to this evolving scenario, as peacekeeping operations have transformed into complex politico-military-humanitarian efforts. This transformation necessitates a greater understanding and preparedness on the part of peacekeepers. He emphasized the crucial need to reassess how peace is delivered in the face of new and complex challenges to maintain the trust and legitimacy of UN Peacekeeping.

He also said that the multinational exercise emphasizes and reminds us of the necessity to continually train, refine strategies, and build strong partnerships among nations for the successful conduct of peacekeeping operations.

The Chief of Army Staff Prabhuram Sharma, while speaking at the program said that the exercise will be fruitful in promoting mutual relations and professionalism among the peacekeepers when working to establish peace in various conflict areas of the world in accordance with the mandate of the UN.

DAS Rachel Schiller, deputy assistant secretary for Programs and Operations, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs said, “The United States remains deeply committed to the success of UN peacekeeping, which is why we are not only the largest financial contributor to UN peacekeeping, but we are also the largest bilateral capacity building partner globally through the Global Peace Operations Initiative through which we have committed over $1.5bn since 2005, to enhance the capacity of partner countries to prepare, deploy and sustain peacekeepers in UN and regional peacekeeping missions.”

Flag Display, Fly Past, Band Display and cultural programs of the participating countries were presented in the event. Soldiers from Bangladesh, Fiji, Ghana, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uruguay, United States of America, Australia, Canada, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Vietnam are participating in the exercise.

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Narayankaji Shrestha, Chief Secretary Baikunth Aryal, former Commanders-in-Chief, secretaries of various ministries, Ambassadors, Commissioners, Chiefs of Nepal Police and Armed Police Force and military aides among others were present in the inaugural event.

Nepal became a member of the United Nations in 1955 and since 1958, Nepal has been actively engaged in the broader spectrum of UN Peace Operations. Over the course of over sic and half decade, Nepal has participated in 44 UN peacekeeping missions and during this period, 167,000 Nepali peacekeepers have contributed to these missions and among them, the NA personnel number 149,890.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued an order directing the government to not block the roads in the name of VIP vehicles.

Responding to a writ petition filed by advocate Gyaneshwor Koirala six years ago, a joint bench of Justices Manoj Kumar Sharma and Mahesh Sharma issued such a verdict today.

Advocate Koirala on February 2, 2018 had filed a writ petition stating that blocking the roads in the name of VIP vehicles would cause inconvenience to the general public.

He had filed the writ petition claiming that the closure of roads in the name of VIP would violate the freedom of citizens.

The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers was made defendant in the writ.

On February 6, 2018, Justice Tej Bahadur KC had issued a show cause notice on the writ.

Sending a letter to the apex court, the Home Ministry had demanded the dismissal of the writ saying that stopping the vehicles for some time while going to and returning after attending official ceremonies cannot be said to be the violation of freedom of the general public.

In the reply, the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers had also demanded annulment of the writ.

Tokha Municipality has started removing structures illegally constructed along the Bishnumati river banks.

Temporary structures built illegally along the Bishnumati corridor and its adjoining areas were evicted this morning to make the corridor beautiful and well-managed.

Chief Administrative Officer of the Municipality, Sher Bahadur BC, shared that the illegal structures constructed at Bishnumati river banks encroaching upon public land were removed using dozers.

Tokha Municipality took out illegally constructed structures by forming a 'Public Land Preservation Committee' under the coordination of chairperson of Tokha municipality-4, Dharmendra Shrestha.

The Committee on Tuesday dismantled the structures constructed in front of Fluorescent School located at Tokha Municipality-8, said Deputy Mayor Murari Tamang. Structures unlawfully constructed along the Bishnumati corridor from Manorath Tirtha to Tokha police post would be cleared in the first phase, according to the municipality.

Saying that over 1,000 ropanis of land in Tokha has been encroached, Mayor Prakash Adhikari mentioned that the municipality has a plan to preserve the public land.

Locals residing along the banks of Bishnumati river around Fluorescent School had obstructed the municipality's bid to clear the illegal structures and also pelted stones at the police.

Issuing a notice a few days ago, the municipality had urged the locals to remove illegal structures constructed on public land.

Kitchens need to be clean. But it can also be beautiful. The right décor can elevate a basic, functional space into one that’s so stunning that you will want to live there. Most often, people tend to neglect the kitchen area, thinking there’s not much you can do with it. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. You don’t have to redo your entire space to change its look and feel. There are simple ways in which you can add some much-needed oomph into your kitchen which, until now, has just been a space to cook meals.

Add cute trays on the counter

Don’t clutter your kitchen countertops with salt and pepper shakers, cups, oil canisters, spoon holders, etc. Use metal or wooden trays to clump items together and decorate them artfully. You can use a small wooden tray next to the cooking range to hold all the oil bottles. Use another to hold salt and pepper shakers, tea bags, and teapot. The idea is to group things together and artfully decorate your kitchen with daily-use items.

Designate a bar area

Do you stow away liquor in cabinets in the kitchen? Why not create a cute little bar area instead? You can remove the cabinets and install glass panels or leave them open, depending on your choice and mood. You can display all your glass wares and other bar items here as well. A bar area in the kitchen can immediately take the space from drab to dashing. If you aren’t much of a drinker, a tea or coffee bar can work equally well.

Squeeze in a seating area

Add a round table and a couple of chairs and create a breakfast nook in the kitchen if you have the space for it. Place a vase with a single rose bud in it. This space can also double as a kitchen island where you can chop your veggies and meal prep if you are low on counter space. Having a seating area in the kitchen will give it a very café-ish vibe. If you have a window space in the kitchen, you can put a bench beneath it and place a table in front of it too. This will free up space at the center.

Put a mirror over the sink

If your sink isn’t in front of the window, try placing a mirror on the wall in front of it. This will give your kitchen an illusion of space, amplify the lighting, and give it some character. Go for a round one as everything in kitchens tends to be square and rectangular. Find a gilded mirror in black, white, or gold to go with the gloss of the tiles in the kitchen. You can also place mirrors as the backdrop on open shelves or in the bar area.

Think kitchen decorations

You might think we are nuts but put decorative items in the kitchen and see for yourself. It’s a simple trick to make your kitchen beautiful. Lean small pieces of artwork on easels if there is no space to hang them up. If you have open shelves, add decorative pieces like vases, bowls, sculptures, etc. that you have collected over the years or those that are meaningful to you. Kitchen accessories like the coffee maker, teapots, and caddies can be functional and decorative at the same time. Consider this while deciding to display or stow them away. Ever thought about adding a table lamp on the kitchen counter?

Get in some minor alterations

While it’s also tempting to redo your kitchen, especially after it’s been in use for a few years, there are little things you can do to freshen it up. Change the backsplash on the kitchen counter. Don’t opt for plain tiles this time. Go for patterned ones instead. Color your kitchen cabinets. Opt for royal blue or dark forest green to make a stunning style statement. But if you prefer a neutral tone, go for peach, brown, or beige. Change the light fixture. Get a brass faucet. Change the knobs on your cabinets. Little things like these can give your kitchen the makeover it needs.