Govt making efforts for safe and speedy release of Bipin: PM

Kathmandu, Aug 18: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that the government was making all the best possible efforts for the safe and speedy release of Bipin Joshi, a Nepali student in Israel who was taken hostage by the extremist Hamas group.

In a Faceebook post today, the PM stated the government was taking all best possible efforts for Bipin’s release adding that it was the responsibility of the government.   

According to the PM, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through Nepal’s diplomatic missions in the Gulf countries is holding continuous talks to ensure a safe and speedy release of Bipin.

Likewise, the PM has also mentioned that the government was with the family of Bipin.

 “With the coordination of our embassy in Israel, Bipin’s mother Padma and sister Pushpa met with President of Israel Isaac Herzog and Chairman of the Israeli Parliament Amir Ohana for the initiatives to release Bipin,” the PM has mentioned in his post. 

Likewise, PM Oli has recalled his telephone conversations happened couple of months ago with the presidents of Türkiye and Egypt for the release of Bipin.

Similarly, PM Oli has thanked all Nepalis, locals, journalists, security forces and social activists for their efforts for the safe and speedy release of Bipin Joshi.

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01-       ‘Chagunarayan a unique touristic area’

Bhaktapur, Aug 18: The Chief Minister of Bagmati Province, Indra Bahadur Baniya, has said that the Chagunarayan Municipality area is a unique religious tourist site.

Attending the Aarati Pooja at Pancha Mahalaxmi Mandir at Telkot in Chagunarayan Municipality on Sunday evening, the chief minister called for massive publicity of the religious sites of the municipality. 

Saying that Chagunarayan in itself is an enchanting tourist site, Baniya viewed that more tourists could be received in the municipality areas by promoting the religious, historical and archeological heritages here.

Chief Minister Baniya was accompanied by the Bagmati Province’s Minister for Culture and Tourism Suresh Shrestha.

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02-       Limited pastureland mars sheep husbandry in Bhojpur 

Bhojpur, Aug 18: The sheep farmers in Bhojpur district have been affected for lack of sufficient grazing land.

Many of the farmers have shared that their business was in crisis due to limited grazing land and the massive stray dogs there.

Farmer Govinda Khathet, 72, who is doing sheep farming for long, shared that their business has witnessed a serious threat from stray dogs and limited pastureland. He shared that almost 20 farmers quit sheep farming in the past two years.

“We have to pay to graze our sheep in community forests. Many of the farmers have switched to other professions from sheep farming, as we don’t have enough grazing areas. We have lost huge as the stray dogs kill our sheep,” Khathet shared his worries.

There are only 18 to 20 commercial sheep farmers from Bhojpur and Khotang districts in the Maiyung area.

The farmers have shared that sheep farming could remain nonexistent if there were no protections from the state’s side.

Seven community forests in the Maiyung area have charged each farmer from Rs 500 to Rs 5,000 for providing the grazing land.  

It is stated that the farmers should pay for the entire year even if the sheep graze there for three months too. “The rates vary in each community forest since they have their own set of rules,” farmers say.

Another farmer Sher Bahadur Kathet mentioned that stray dogs remain a serious threat to the farmers. He added that around 100 sheep were killed by stray dogs here in the last six months. “Local government should pay attention to the control of the stray dogs to promote sheep farming,” he added.

Sheep farming is a better livelihood option for some of the community members in the high hills of Bhojpur and Khotang, as they have benefited from the wool, ghee and other sheep products.

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03-       HKH Parliamentarians’ Meet beginning today

Kathmandu, Aug 18: The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) Parliamentarians’ Meet-2025 is starting here from today. 

The event aims to explore common understandings, dialogues and coordination among the parliamentarians of the nations in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region, it is said.

The two-day event to be technically assisted by the ICIMOD will be participated by parliamentary representatives from Nepal, India, China, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and Pakistan.

The meet will have the participation of around 30 people who include parliamentarians, chairs and representatives of parliamentary committees from the Hindu Kush Himalayan region, as well as experts on climate change, air pollution, and environmental issues.

In addition, representatives from partner organizations, experts from Nepal’s Federal Parliament, and relevant government officials will also turn up in the event.

The meet is being organized in coordination with the Ministry of Forests and Environment and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The issues of climate change in the Hindu Kush region, its impacts on environment and bio-diversities, disasters risk and challenges will be discussed in-depth in the meeting.

“The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region is increasingly facing severe impacts of climate change, disaster risks, biodiversity loss, and pollution alongside accelerated socio-economic shifts with serious implications to ecosystems, natural resources, livelihoods and human life. Given the significant role of parliamentarians in policymaking, legislation, and shaping public opinion, parliamentarians from the HKH countries can be crucial in advancing the region’s climate action and resilience agenda,” the ICIMOD cites on its official website.

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04-       Tamghas-Ridi road section blocked

Gulmi, Aug 18: The Tamghas-Ridi road section along the Madan Bhandari Highway in Gulmi district has remained obstructed from early morning today due to a landslide triggered by rainfall in Gulmi district. The landslide, which brought down large rocks, has blocked the road in Resunga Municipality-13, according to the District Police Office, Gulmi.

Vehicular movement on both sides has come to a standstill, leaving passengers and vehicles stranded. Efforts to clear the landslide depositions have started, said Ganga Bahadur Saru, the Information Officer at the District Police Office.

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05-       Top End T20 Series: Nepal gets target of 176 runs from Melbourne

Stars’ Academy

Kathmandu, Aug 18: In the third match of the ongoing Top End T20 Series Cricket Tournament being held in the Northern Territory of Australia, Nepal got the target of 176 runs to defeat Melbourne Stars’ Academy.

Batting first after winning the toss, Australia’s Melbourne Stars’ Academy gathered 175 runs in the given 20 overs with the loss of seven wickets. The game is being played at TIO Stadium in Darwin, Australia.

Melbourne Stars’ Blake Macdonald contributed the highest 74 runs for the team. For Nepal, Sandeep Lamichhane took three wickets and Sompal Kami and Sahab Alam took one each. The team Nepal is batting now.

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