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Posts published in “Nepal”

Nepal stares at recession amid depressing market conditions

by Krishana Prasain in The Kathmandu Post, Mar 6, 2023At most of Kathmandu’s apparel stores, one poster is common nowadays: SALE. But that’s not helping rev up sales. The apparel stores have witnessed a slowdown in discretionary spending by consumers over the past few months, primarily because of inflationary pressures, reflecting how a slowing economy has dampened the market’s mood. A credit crunch, real estate slowdown, tumbling stock market and rising unemployment have rattled the…

Nine parties speak up as court opens way for Dahal’s criminal trial

by Binod Ghimire in The Kathmandu Post, Mar 6, 2023Nine political parties said on Sunday that they were deeply concerned about the issues that have recently been raised over the transitional justice process. Their concerns come two days after the Supreme Court’s order to allow writ petitions seeking criminal investigation against Prime Minister and CPN (Maoist Centre) chair Pushpa Kamal for his statement that he would take responsibility for killings of 5,000 of the 17,000…

Maoist Centre directs Sudurpaschim assembly members to vote in favour of trust motion

Report in The Kathmandu Post, Mar 5, 2023Prime Minister and CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has directed the Sudurpaschim parliamentary party to vote in a favour of a trust motion of Chief Minister Kamal Bahadur Shah (of Nepal Congress). An earlier meeting of the parliamentary party had decided not to give the vote of confidence, citing it has not received a clear direction from the central leadership. Maan Bahadur Dhami, a provincial assembly…

Oli lambasts PM over planned Buddhist college in Mustang

by Anil Giri in The Kathmandu Post, Mar 5, 2023Former prime minister and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli criticised Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and India while he came to the defence of another neighbour, China, on Saturday. “In order to turn the country into a playground for foreigners, the government is allowing India to open a Buddhist college in Mustang,” Oli said. “This plan is an attack on the country’s sovereignty.” Oli accused Dahal…

Supreme Court orders its administration to take petitions against Prime Minister Dahal

Report in The Kathmandu Post, March 4,The Supreme Court on Friday ordered its administration to register two writ petitions against CPN (Maoist Centre) chair and prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal for claiming responsibility of 5,000 insurgency-era deaths three years ago. Hearing a case filed by two advocates against the decision of the Supreme Court administration to reject their petitions, a division bench of justices Ishwor Prasad Khatiwada and Hari Prasad Phuyal ordered the court administration…

Covid drugs of Indian origin destined for China seized at Kathmandu airport

by Arjun Poudel in The Kathmandu Post, Mar 3, 2023Customs officials at the Tribhuvan International Airport confiscated drugs worth Rs1.8 million last week. The drugs, which are used in the treatment of severe Covid infection, were brought from India to smuggle to China, officials said. “We have been investigating the rising trend of smuggling drugs worth hundreds of thousands of rupees,” said Santosh KC, spokesperson for the Department of Drug Administration (DDA). “We will destroy…

House meet deferred as Congress and UML both claim main opposition status

Report in The Kathmandu Post, March 2, 2023With both the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML claiming the role of main opposition in Parliament, the meeting of the House of Representatives has been postponed for nearly three weeks. The House meeting scheduled for Wednesday will now be held on March 19. Bharat Raj Gautam, general secretary at the Parliament Secretariat announced the postponement through a notice on Wednesday morning a few hours before the House meeting,…

CPN (Unified Socialist) decides to vote for NC’s Poudel in presidential election

Report in The Kathmandu Post, March 2, 2023The CPN (Unified Socialist) has decided to give the party’s support to Nepali Congress’ presidential candidate Ram Chandra Paudel in the upcoming presidential election. The decision was taken during the party’s central committee meeting on Wednesday. “The party has decided to give its vote to Nepali Congress’ senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel in the upcoming presidential elections,” said Jagannath Khatiwada, head of the party’s publicity department. “The same…

China’s Sinohydro likely to be awarded $165 million Tamakoshi V hydro project

by Kedar Shiwakoti in The Kathmandu Post, Mar 1, 2023China’s Sinohydro Corporation is expected to be awarded the estimated $165 million contract for the construction of 99.8 megawatts Tamakoshi V hydropower project, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), in Dolakha. The developer of the 456 MW Upper Tamakoshi hydropower project, Sinohydro Corporation, appeared to be the lowest bidder to construct the civil and hydro-mechanical components of the project, according to a senior…

Befriend and betray: It’s all too easy for Nepali politicians

by Purushottam Poudel in The Kathmandu Post, Feb 27, 2023Unexpected developments within months of government formation and overnight dramatic turn of events have become a norm in Nepali politics. The prevailing crisis in the incumbent coalition government formed on December 25 is a case in point. The seven-party ruling coalition government comprising CPN-UML, CPN (Maoist Centre), Rastriya Swatantra Party, Rastriya Prajantra Party, Janata Samajbadi Party, Janamat Party and Nagarik Unmukti Party that supported Maoist Centre…

Prime minister stops foreign minister from flying to Geneva

report in The Kathmandu Post, Feb 27, 2023On Sunday, just hours before Foreign Minister Bimala Rai Paudyal was scheduled to fly to Geneva to attend a high-level session of the UN Human Rights Council, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal asked her to cancel the visit. The development comes as a new ruling coalition minus the CPN-UML is in the making in Kathmandu just ahead of the presidential election next month. Foreign Minister Paudyal, who is…