Sustainable solution sought for Kathmandu valley's waste

National Assembly members have demanded management of waste in Kathmandu valley soon.

In a session of the Upper House today, CPN (Unified Socialist)'s Gomadevi Timilsina said, "The streets in Kathmandu have turned almost unwalkable due to piles of waste."

The report of the outbreak of cholera is creating panic. When will Kathmandu folks be free from the constant struggle for waste management," she questioned.

She advised that the government could use a machine manufactured in Hetauda to segregate waste.

Janata Samajbadi Party-Nepal's Pramila Kumari said the provision of inclusion guaranteed by the constitution was yet to be brought into practice.

Shekhar Kumar Singh of Loktantrik Samajbadi Party urged the House not to delay endorsement of the Citizenship Amendment Bill.

Dil Kumari Rawal of the CPN- UML accused the government of not being serious about people's issues and urged political leaders to rise above personal and partisan interests.

CPN-Maoist Centre's Suresh Alemagar drew the government's attention to the problems facing Nepalis in the British Gurkha force.

CPN (Unified Socialist)'s Rajendra Laxmi Gaire asked the government to monitor the market to control skyrocketing prices, while CPN-Maoist Centre's Nar Bahadur demanded investigation into the rumour that 'M Adhikari' and Nepal Rastra Bank's governor Maha Prasad Adhikari are the same person.

Anita Devkota demanded a proper space for women in the upcoming election.

Only 0.30 percent of the news stories published in Nepali media have bylines of female journalists

The Media Action Nepal said that only 0.30 percent of the news stories published in Nepali media had bylines of female journalists.

Out of 21,919 news items published in 20 media outlets, only 76 had bylines of female journalists, read a report published by the Media Action Nepal on Monday.

Aimed at measuring the level of gender sensitivity and determining how much and what kind of news content about women and people with different sexual orientations are published in Nepali media, the Media Action Nepal assessed a total of 23,515 media contents published by a total of 20 media outlets.

Out of the total number of media materials published in those media over the period of two months, only 388 or 1.67 percent news stories are about women and people belonging to different sexual orientations.

Of those 388 about women and people with different sexual orientations, 386 are on women’s issues and only two about sexual minorities.

The reported stated that Nepali media give less priority to issues of women and people with different sexual orientations.

'Vehicle scanning machine' being installed at Nagdhunga

A high-tech equipment is to be installed at Nagdhunga – the main entrance to Kathmandu Valley – for scanning and keeping records of the vehicles.

Currently traffic police are daily maintaining hand-written log of the incoming and outgoing vehicles to and from Kathmandu Valley. The traffic police has also been screening suspected vehicles and passengers on ad hoc basis at the main checkpoint.

As informed, Chandragiri municipality has intensified its preparation to place vehicle scanning machine at the main entry point to the federal capital for the first time.

In this connection, the municipality had held dialogue with key stakeholders including high-placed officials of Nepal Police and Department of Roads in the first phase.

'It has become essential to place vehicle scanning machine at Nagdhunga from security perspective of Kathmandu Valley', shared Chandragiri mayor Ghanashyam Giri, adding how long traffic police maintain log in a paper in the present digital age.

The machine can be used to scan person(s) along with vehicles and keep their records as per the need. It is expected to help maintain law and order and also reduce traffic management burden.

The scanning machine costs around Rs 25 million. He informed that the municipality has solicited collaboration with other municipalities of the Valley and concerned stakeholders for machine purchase.

'This is not only necessary for Chandragiri. This will help all municipalities in the Valley and federal government as well. It is expected to ensure smooth traffic management and safety', Mayor Giri further said.

Ghana confirms first cases of deadly Marburg virus

Ghana has confirmed its first two cases of the deadly Marburg virus, a highly infectious disease in the same family as the virus that causes Ebola, BBC reported.

It says both patients died recently in hospital in the southern Ashanti region.

Their samples came back positive earlier this month and have now been verified by a laboratory in Senegal.

Health officials in the West African nation say 98 people are now under quarantine as suspected contact cases.

No treatment yet exists for Marburg – but doctors say drinking plenty of water and treating specific symptoms improves a patient’s chances of survival.

The virus is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads between humans through the transmission of bodily fluids.

It is a severe, often fatal illness with symptoms including headache, fever, muscle pains, vomiting blood and bleeding, according to BBC.

Officials are warning people to keep away from caves and to thoroughly cook all meat products before consuming them.

In Africa, previous outbreaks and sporadic cases have been reported in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda, the WHO says. The first ever Marburg outbreak was in Germany in 1967 where seven people died.

The virus killed more than 200 people in Angola in 2005, the deadliest outbreak on record according to the global health body, BBC reported.