- Friday, 5 September 2025
TRN Online
Scrutiny In Diplomatic Appointments
Mukti RijalThe government has named the ambassadors to 20 different countries at one go, the other day, beating all the past records. A big tally of 12 ambassadors has been subscribed from the political quota whereas eight come from the career bureaucracy representing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.The big contingent of the ambassadorial nominees who will be fanned out to different friendly nations in the near future have a seminal role to explain to the outside world Nepal's position, promote national interests and thus fully represent the country. The competence and experience of some of them as commented in the media may not support them to shoulder the sensitive and critical job that demands qualification, skills and expertise. Not only the corps of ambassadors named by the incumbent coalition government but the ambassadorial appointments executed by the previous governments have been always debated and subjected to harsh scrutiny.DebateSelection of ambassadors has not been free from controversies in the mature democracies like the UK, the USA and India, too. A Washington Post report published not very long back writes about the ambassador appointment process in the US: "Over the past few decades, about 30 per cent of all ambassadors have been “political” nominees. The other 70 per cent were career diplomats who worked their way up through the Foreign Service.Although many political appointees may be chosen because of their suitability for the job, there is also a questionable but longstanding tradition of awarding ambassadorships to campaign donors or bundlers, Former President Richard M. Nixon, says the same Washington post report, can be heard telling his White House chief of staff, in a 1971 recording released decades later as part of the Nixon Tapes, that “anybody who wants to be an ambassador must at least give $250,000.The incumbent US President Joe Biden had promised to appoint best people possible, not the campaign financiers, for the post of ambassadors. But he is alleged not to have been keeping his word. According to a news report, despite that campaign pledge, 25 of Biden’s ambassador picks are former “bundlers” (campaign financiers) constituting a third of the total, as per a Washington Post analysis.He named Jane Hartley, a businesswoman and Democratic Party fundraiser as the US ambassador to Britain, continuing a practice in recent decades of appointing wealthy donors to the prestigious job. Hartley, who served as ambassador to Paris in the Obama administration, is a business executive, and is married to an investment banker, with a record of large-scale fundraising for Democratic candidates in the UK, potential ambassadors, the vast majority of them career diplomats, are recommended by the Foreign Office and have to be approved by the Buckingham Palace, as they have a dual role of representing the government and the Crown. In India too, ambassadorial appointments are not free from disputes and controversies.Almost two decades now, there is an unwritten rule worked out between the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) that the number of political appointees as ambassadors should be around six, the rest would be taken from the MEA bureaucracy. But now the rule has been reportedly breached and the PMO has the upper hand in selection and appointment of the ambassadors.Coming to the context of Nepal, it is interesting to mention the fact that ambassadorial appointments began in 1934 with the appointment of Nepal's first envoy, Bahadur Shumsher Rana, to the UK. Rana was the younger brother of the then ruling Rana Prime Minister Judhha Shumsher and he had helped in the management of the country's affairs of the governance before he was appointed as an envoy to the UK. Ambassadorial candidates in Nepal are seconded from two sources, namely career Foreign Service cadres and political appointees.Required qualitiesWhether an envoy comes from the foreign ministry bureaucracy or outside may not be a major issue. The thing is that the nominee must be in possession of required qualities expected from a diplomat like having adequate knowledge of foreign affairs and diplomacy, effective communication and negotiation skills and capability to interact with bilateral and multilateral counterparts on the agenda with diplomatic dexterity and finesse.The ambassadorial appointees should also be an able manager to lead the diplomatic mission abroad. They should possess a clear understanding of the political, social, cultural way of life of the people of the host country. Most importantly, they should be capable of enhancing national interest through interaction with the peoples of various walks of life especially civil societies, media, academicians and business communities. If the ambassadors are named and deployed to serve the vested political interests, their poor performance in the host country will not only ruin the image of the country but fail the nation on every diplomatic front. (The author is presently associated with Policy Research Institute as a senior research fellow. rijalmukti@gmail.com)
Security plans for local elections
Kathmandu, Apr. 14: The government is all set to deploy 165,000 security forces except the temporary policemen for the upcoming local body elections slated for May 13.With the addition of 100,000 temporary policemen, the number will be more than 265,000, which will be deployed accordingly in all 753 local bodies.Besides the above numbers, the exact number of security personnel to be deployed from the National Investigation Department and other personal intelligence offices from the Nepali Army, Nepal Police and APF has been kept confidential due to security reason, the officials said on Wednesday.A meeting of the Central Security Committee held on March 24 passed the 'Local Level Election Integrated Security Plan-2078' to deploy the army, police, armed police, National Investigation Department and temporary police to conduct the election in a free, fair and fearless environment.According to the plan, the National Security Council had recommended the Council of Ministers to mobilise the army on March 31. A week later, Prime Minister Deuba approved the council's recommendation and sent it to the President for approval.With the approval to mobilise the army by the President on April 12, a way has been opened for the army to deploy troops at all 753 local levels.According to the Security Plan-2078 BS, manpower will be deployed in the election to carry out the responsibilities assigned by all the four security agencies with a temporary police numbering 100,000.Army Spokesperson and Brigadier General Narayan Silwal said that more than 71,000 manpower of Nepali Army alone would be deployed for election security soon. He said that the army would be deployed in the designated areas in coordination and cooperation with the District Security Committee and the office of the District Chief Election Officer."In the local level election security plan, we have been asked to assign more than a dozen roles including security of ballot paper printing, transportation, prisons, airports and other important structures," Silwal told The Rising Nepal.He said that the army was preparing to take responsibility as soon as possible by coordinating with other security agencies for the security of prisons, airports and other important structures.The army will also be deployed to transport ballot papers in the remote areas by air, along with ballot boxes and other election materials.The Armed Police Force has been given the responsibility of providing security outside the polling stations considered to be very sensitive. The Armed Force will also be deployed for the protection of the Chief Election Returning Officer and his office, the office of the District Election Officer, government, public structures, and foreign diplomatic missions in Nepal.In the past, the manpower of Nepal Police was deployed for the security of the Chief Election Returning Officer and the District Election Office. But this time, this responsibility is given to the APF as election is going to happen in single phase, Silwal said. The Election Commission Nepal (ECN) has fixed a total of 10,756 polling booths and 21,955 polling centres for the election.Out of which, 20,945 polling centres have been placed on highly sensitive, 4,420 on sensitive and 3,391 on general from security risk and sensitivity perspective. According to Joint Secretary and Spokesperson for the Ministry of Home Affairs Phadindra Mani Pokhrel, the areas of more than three dozen districts bordering China and India have been included in the highly sensitive list.Similarly, SSP and acting APF spokesperson Kamal Prasad Tiusina said that 32,000 forces of APF will be on the election regions across the country. APF has been mandated to provide security of election booths, carrying ballot boxes after election up to the vote counting centres, mobile and striking security, which is about giving security to the public by making environment for its candidates to cast votes, security of the chief election returning officers and election returning officers and district election offices, according to SSP Tiusina.Bishnu Kumar KC, SSP and spokesperson for Nepal Police Headquarters, said that 62,000 manpower will be deployed in the election this time. All security preparations have been made in coordination with the central security committee of the election, SSP KC said.
Nepal wants to advance SAARC process
By A Staff ReporterKathmandu, Apr. 14: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has said that Nepal is putting its efforts to further the process of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). "As the current chair of the regional association, Nepal wants to continue the SAARC process," Spokesperson for the MoFA Sewa Lamsal said at a press meet organised by the ministry on Wednesday. Nepal has been the chair of the SAARC since November 2014. Prolonged tensions between India and Pakistan have disturbed the SAARC process and the organisation has failed to organise regional summit since 2014. The last summit was held in Kathmandu.Likewise, Lamsal said that Nepal and Bangladesh are planning for the secretary-level meeting which would be held soon. The two countries are doing homework to finalise agenda for the meeting. "Agenda are yet to be set. However, trade, energy, investment, high-level exchange as well as exploiting trade and business opportunities will be priority agenda," said Lamsal. Similarly, Bangladesh and Nepal are strengthening climate change cooperation.We are also studying Bangladeshi model for LDC graduation, she said. Bangladesh is graduating from the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in 2026. Since Bangladesh is faring better than Nepal in terms of business development, investment attraction and economic progress, the latter can learn from it. Meanwhile, Nepal and Bangladesh are celebrating golden jubilee of their diplomatic ties. Presidents and prime ministers of both countries have recently exchanged congratulatory notes.
Prachanda's anthology of speeches 'Naya Yugko Padachap' meaningful and truthful to its name
Kathmandu, Apr. 13: Writers and critics have commented that the 'Naya Yugko Padachap ' (footprint of a new era) gan anthology of speeches by 'Prachanda', was meaningful and true to its name. The 61 speeches delivered by CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairperson and former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' during his two stints as the Prime Minister are included in the anthology published by Pragya Smriti Pratisthan. Loosely translated as 'Footsteps of New Era' in English, the anthology encompasses contents that were true to its title, voiced by the writers and critics univocally at a discussion organized here on Wednesday by Nahasanskritik Federation Nepal and Pragya Memorial Foundation. Federation chairperson Matrika Pokharel said that the articles and contents included in the book had made it clear that many realities, issues and matters during Prachanda's leadership could not reach the public domain realistically at the time when false and misleading matters were cooked up and spread out. Commenting on the book, critic Tej Bilash Adhikari asserted that the articles and contents of the book had clearly established Prachanda as the person who would take forward the achievements. The collection of Prachanda's speeches shed light on the inter-conflict and achievements of the 10-year-long insurgency, federalism, secularism, republicanism and inclusiveness, the agendas strongly advocated and pushed forward by the Maoist party, shared Adhikari.According to him, the book has 15 speeches that Prachanda had delivered during this first tenure as the PM and 46 as the second.The speeches also highlight the efforts of erstwhile Maoist- led two governments to abolish Haliya system, the establishment of Madhyapaschim University, the establishment of agriculture support centers in all seven provinces and the development of agriculture and increase in revenue among others. Some of the achievements during Maoist leadership were presented in the bullet points in the book, informed Adhikari. Another critic Prof Dr Dhana Prasad Subedi added that the book illustrates matters of public concerns such as people's war, the peace process, and complexities seen during of constitution among others.He viewed that Prachanda's speeches in the initial phase as the Prime Minister were laden with aggression. Some speeches later tend to impart the message that foreign and domestic forces had tried to push for stagnation while taking strides in favour of the country. The book also presents Maoist's views on education, health, women, ingenious communities, and backward classes among others through Prachanda. "The book has come out as a blend of history, socialism and literature," he opined, adding the book was a reflection of political movements since the people's war.Going through the book, Subedi said that it came to fore that the Maoist party had raised at least 40 per cent of women in all State organs and within the party, while today there is 33 per cent women participation.Press Centre Nepal's president Bishnu Prasad Sapkota 'Jugal' recalled that he was working in Prachanda's secretariat while publishing the book. According to him, the book was a humble effort to document the speeches of Prachanda that would chronicle the big changes and achievements. He also shared the ordeals faced in parliament and governmental agencies while collecting the speeches and revealed that many of the speeches delivered by Prachanda were neither well documented nor protected. According to him, Prachanda himself had assisted the book publishing team in collecting many of his speeches
UML forges electoral alliance with RPP, Nepal
By TRN Online, Kathmandu, Apr. 13: CPN (UML) has forged an electoral alliance with the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Nepal (RPP).The RPP candidates will use the election symbol of the UML, the sun, while contending for the local level election which is slated for May 13.Chief of the UML's local development department, Devendra Dahal and chief of the RPP's local level mobilization department Sushil Kumar Shrestha signed a five-point agreement to this effect at the UML's headquarters on Wednesday.The two parties will field their common candidate at local levels in mutual understanding.
15 new cases, 49 recoveries in 24 hours
Kathmandu, April 13: With 15 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed on Wednesday, the nation's novel coronavirus tally has reached 978,631.In 3,349 Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) tests done in the past 24 hours, a total of 15 persons were found infected with SARS-CoV-2, informed the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) in its regular update.Likewise, the virus infection was detected in four-person in 1366 antigen tests performed in the last 24 hours.Currently, there are 520 active cases of COVID-19 across the nation of which, 24 are admitted to various institutional isolation while 496 patients are placed in home isolation.Of the active patients, 12 are admitted to the ICU and one is under treatment with the ventilator facility.Meanwhile, 49 COVID-19 patients receiving treatment in institutional isolation or staying in home isolation recovered from the infection in the last 24 hours. Nepal has now recorded 966,160 cases of recovery, and the recovery rate is at 98.7 per cent. The MoHP on Wednesday added zero COVID-19 related fatalities to the nation's COVID-19 death toll, which has now reached 11,951.
Shiels apologises for 'emotional women' remark
April 13: Northern Ireland boss Kenny Shiels has apologised for saying "women are more emotional than men" when discussing his side's 5-0 defeat by England.Shiels' remarks drew criticism from former England players Siobhan Chamberlain and Ian Wright.He said on Wednesday that he was "sorry for the offence" caused."I am an advocate for the women's game and passionate about developing opportunities for women and girls to flourish," he said.Shiels' side conceded four second-half goals in a 5-0 defeat by England that left them unable to qualify for next year's Women's World Cup.He told a post-match news conference: "I felt [England] were struggling a wee bit at times to open us up until the psychology of going 2-0 up in the women's game."I'm sure you will have noticed if you go through the patterns - when a team concedes a goal, they concede the second one in a very, very short space of time."[It happens] right through the whole spectrum of the women's game, because girls and women are more emotional than men. So, they take a goal going in not very well."The match was attended by a crowd of 15,348 at Windsor Park in Belfast - a record for a women's match in the country."I wish to apologise for my comments made in the post-match press conference last night," Shiels said.'Last night was a special occasion for the women's game in Northern Ireland and I am proud to manage a group of players who are role models for so many girls, and boys, across the country."Former goalkeeper Chamberlain, who played 50 times for England, said Shiels had to take responsibility for "knowing the value that words can hold"."I think we all know that the five minutes after you concede a goal - not just in women's football, [also] in men's football - you're more likely to concede a goal," Chamberlain, speaking before Shiels' apology, told BBC Radio 5 Live."To just generalise that to women is a slightly bizarre comment."When you give post-match news conferences when you're feeling emotional after a big game, it's important to make sure that you are speaking sensibly and are aware of the message that your words can carry."Wright tweeted that Shiels was "talking foolishness".Yvonne Harrison, chief executive of Women in Football, said Shiels' remarks were "very unhelpful"."Hearing a man talking about women being too emotional in this day and age, I just felt like I'd gone back 30 years, to be perfectly honest with you," Harrison told PA news agency."It's something women have had to face for years and years right across society, not just sport."But I caveat that with his team had just been beaten 5-0 by a very strong Lionesses team and that's not easy to take, and you've got all the media on you."Shiels, 65, was appointed manager of the senior women's team in May 2019, having previously led Kilmarnock and Derry City's men's teams.He oversaw Northern Ireland's successful Euro 2022 play-off campaign, which saw them secure the country's first-ever qualification for a major women's tournament.Shiels described his side's qualification as the "UK's greatest sporting achievement".England went 1-0 up in the 26th minute but had to wait until the 52nd minute to add a second."When we went 1-0 down we tried to slow it down to give them time to get that emotional imbalance out of their heads. That's an issue we have," Shiels continued in his Tuesday news conference."Not just in Northern Ireland but all of the countries in the world."
Edwards, Russell carry Wolves past Clippers in play-in game
By DAVE CAMPBELL, MINNEAPOLIS, April 13 (AP) — Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell came through with a steady stream of the clutch makes. Patrick Beverley supplied the intensity in an emotional triumph over his former team.The Minnesota Timberwolves proved they belong in the playoffs, and that rare air for this franchise is just where they’re headed.Edwards and Russell combined for 59 points to help the Timberwolves overcome a rough night for Karl-Anthony Towns and beat the Los Angeles Clippers 109-104 in a play-in game on Tuesday night.“The game had to go in a different direction,” coach Chris Finch said. “That’s why you have a team because a lot of other people step up.”Edwards scored 30 points with five 3-pointers and Russell had 29 points and six assists to send the Wolves to the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference and a first-round matchup with Memphis.“Just utilizing what we have,” Russell said. “We’ve got a lot of pieces that complement each other.”Paul George finished with 34 points after shooting 2 for 10 in the first half for the Clippers, who have a second chance to make the playoffs with a home game on Friday for the No. 8 seed against either New Orleans or San Antonio.Reggie Jackson (17 points) and Norman Powell (16 points) did their part in stretches, but the Clippers failed to create enough separation when the Timberwolves were sputtering through most of the first half.Towns had only 11 points on 3-for-11 shooting and fouled out midway through the fourth quarter, but his sidekicks were more than up to the challenge.“I took what the game gave me. That’s what they gave me. They were scared to guard me, and I took advantage of that,” Edwards said.Jackson’s 3-pointer gave the Clippers their largest lead of the game at 93-83 with 8:54 remaining, but about 4 minutes later Russell knocked down the go-ahead 3-pointer for a 97-95 advantage the Wolves never relinquished. He saluted the crowd for the punctuation.Edwards followed with a tomahawk dunk after blowing by Powell at the top of the key.“I’m one of the best defensive guys on earth, and no one can guard him,” said Beverley, who was in tears during the spirited celebration afterwards as Edwards hopped up on the scorer’s table.The fans were fired up for this fast-paced, fast-improving team that’s headed to the playoffs for the second time in 17 years, but the buzz wore off a bit in the third quarter while George found his groove with a smooth 15 points.Then Towns fouled out with 7:34 to go, less than 2 minutes after he had just checked back in.“They played a lot better without KAT on the floor,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “They got into us defensively. They switched on a lot more stuff. I just didn’t think we made the right plays.”The Clippers had success disrupting Towns during the regular season when they won three of the four matchups, losing only in January when George was out, and they spared no energy attacking the two-time All-Star centre from every which way. Nicolas Batum was his primary tormentor, but most of the Clippers had a hand in it.Towns failed to make a basket in the first half for the first time in more than three years, an 0-for-7 clunker. His only points came on a pair of free throws, and he flashed a sarcastic smile and pumped his first after getting that call.STICKING WITH ITThe Wolves trailed 45-38 when Towns exited with his fourth foul with 3:48 left before halftime, but there was a delay less than a minute later after a woman from the crowd sneaked onto the court during a dead ball on the other end. Staging an animal rights protest, she glued her hand to the hardwood along the baseline and sprawled out before security was able to pry her away.The Timberwolves took advantage of the extended pause. Russell hit two mid-range floaters and a 3-pointer over the balance of the half to help stake them to a 53-51 lead at the break.BEVERLEY ILLSThe most central figure in this matchup might have been Beverley, the relentless defender and ace agitator who spent the last four seasons with the Clippers.The NBA announced a $25,000 fine for Beverley shortly before tipoff for his “improper conduct” in Minnesota’s last game toward referee David Guthrie, at whom he yelled, “You’re trash!” on his way off the court following his ejection for a second technical foul.Beverley got a technical in the third quarter of this game, too, after tussling with Marcus Morris Sr. Far, more importantly, he had seven points and a game-high 11 rebounds.“When he’s in that mode, it ignites the team,” George said. “It ignites the arena.”TIP-INSClippers: Backup guard Luke Kennard, their fifth-leading scorer, stayed home because of a hamstring injury.Timberwolves: Backup forward Taurean Prince was out with a swollen knee.UP NEXTClippers: Host the San Antonio-New Orleans winner on Friday night. The Spurs play at the Pelicans on Wednesday night in an elimination game.Timberwolves: Game 1 in Memphis is on Saturday afternoon.
Women's Tour to feature biggest-ever field in 2022
April 13: This year's Women's Tour will feature the biggest field in the British race's eight-year history with 108 riders from 18 teams set to compete.All 14 of the UCI WorldTeams are included, including the top-ranked Team SD Worx and their defending champion Demi Vollering.Two British teams, CAMS-Basso and Le Col-Wahoo, are also part of the field.The race runs from 6-11 June, with the first stage starting in Colchester and finishing in Bury St Edmunds."We are once again thrilled by the line-up of the world's best teams competing, alongside two British squads to excite the home crowd, in this year's Women's Tour," said race director Mick Bennett.The Women's Tour returns to its traditional June spot for the first time since 2019 because of the pandemic with Dutch rider Vollering winning last year's race in October after the 2020 edition was cancelled.Race scheduleStage one: Colchester to Bury St Edmunds, Monday 6 JuneStage two: To be announced, Tuesday 7 JuneStage three: Tewkesbury to Gloucester, Wednesday 8 JuneStage four: To be announced, Thursday 9 JuneStage five: Pembrey Country Park to Black Mountain, Friday 10 JuneStage six: Chipping Norton to Oxford, Saturday 11 JuneTeamsCAMS-Basso (Great Britain)Canyon//SRAM Racing (Germany)Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling (Germany)EF Education- TIBCO-SVB (USA)FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope (France)Human Powered Health (USA)Le Col-Wahoo (Great Britain)Liv Racing Xstra (Netherlands)Movistar Team (Spain)Roland Cogeas Edelweiss (Switzerland)Team BikeExchange-Jayco (Australia)Team Coop-Hitec Products (Norway)Team DSM (Germany)Team Jumbo-Visma (Netherlands)Team SD Worx (Netherlands)Trek-Segafredo (USA)UAE Team ADQ (UAE)Uno-X Pro Cycling Team (Norway)
Minister Shrestha vows to make land management services more convenient, transparent
Kathmandu, April 13: The Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation is to mark the centenary of the first registration of land records in the country for three days from today by organizing various programmes. A special programme is to be organized at the Rashtriya Sabha Griha (City Hall) tomorrow. The Prime minister will also be present at this event. All the land reform and land revenue offices under the Land Management and Archives Department and the Land Survey Department will provide information regarding the latest reforms carried out so far in the land administration sector. Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, Shashi Shrestha shared at a press conference here today that the land-related services were being provided from 126 offices across the country. She said efforts were on to make these services convenient, simplified and transparent. The Land Management Minister said that the necessary plan and programmes have been formulated for implementing the land use policy and Act for checking the fragmentation and plotting of cultivable land and to make land management works more effective. She said 106 landless families from the Dalit community at the Mushahar settlement in Dudhauli of Sindhuli district have been provided with land plots. The Ministry is also planning to set up additional land management offices in Rukum, Banke, Mahottari and Dadeldhura. The first land deed registration was passed on Baisakh 1, 1979 BS in the country, the Ministry has said.
CEC Thapaliya calls for making election fair and frugal
Morang, April 13: Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya has directed the chief election officers and election officers to conduct the local level election responsibly and with due sensitivity. Addressing a province-level training of trainers on operation and management of the Local level Elections-2079 BS organized by the election Commission, Nepal here today, he stressed the need of making the local level election free, fair and frugal. Chief Election Commissioner Thapaliya said the Election Commission has forwarded all the processes required by the laws and the constitution for the local level election and the Election Guidelines and self-declaration provisions will make the candidates more accountable. He added that the Commission will set up a mechanism to monitor and follow up on the compliance of the election code of conduct. The Chief Election Commissioner said telephone and internet facilities were accessible at 10,200 polling booths. Chief Secretary of Province no 1, Dr Ram Prasad Ghimire said the election should be taken as a festival and all should become responsible for conducting it in a free, fair and fear-free environment. One hundred and twenty officials, including the chief election officers and election officers from 11 districts in the province except Khotang and Okhaldhunga are taking part in the training of trainers.
Heavy rains and flooding in South Africa kill 59 people and sweep away roads
By David Mckenzie, Larry Madowo, Mia Alberti and Angela Dewan, April 13 (CNN): Heavy rains and floods have battered the eastern coast of South Africa, killing at least 59 people, damaging roads and destroying houses, prompting authorities to urge residents to stay at home.The floods hit the province of KwaZulu-Natal, which includes the coastal city of Durban, where roads cracked and gave way to deep fissures, and a huge stack of shipping containers collapsed into muddy waters, news agency images show. A bridge near Durban has swept away, leaving people stranded on either side.KwaZulu-Natal has experienced extreme rainfall since Monday, in what the provincial government called "one of the worst weather storms in the history of our country" in a statement posted to Facebook, where it also gave the death toll."The heavy rainfall that has descended on our land over the past few days has wreaked untold havoc and unleashed massive damage to lives and infrastructure," it said.Teams have been evacuating people in areas that had experienced "mudslides, flooding and structural collapses of buildings and roads," Sipho Hlomuka, a member of the Executive Council for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs in KwaZulu-Natal, said on Twitter Tuesday."The heavy rains have affected power lines in many municipalities with technical teams working around the clock to restore power," Hlomuka added.Power stations have been flooded and are inaccessible in the hard-hit eThekwini municipality, Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda told reporters, while water mains were also damaged.The local government has asked private and religious institutions to assist with emergency relief operations, and has requested help from the South African National Defense Force to provide aerial support, he said.The extreme weather comes just months after heavy rainfall and floods hit other parts of southern Africa, with three tropical cyclones and two tropical storms over just six weeks from late January. There were 230 reported deaths and 1 million people affected.Scientists from the World Weather Attribution (WWA) project -- which analyzes how much the climate crisis may have contributed to an extreme weather event -- found that climate change made those events more likely."Again we are seeing how the people with the least responsibility for climate change are bearing the brunt of the impacts," WWA's Friederike Otto, from the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment at Imperial College London, said Tuesday, referring to the earlier storms in southern Africa."Rich countries should honour their commitments and increase much-needed funding for adaptation, and for compensating the victims of extreme events driven by climate change with loss and damage payments," she added.The extreme weather events in southern Africa come as tensions mount between some developed and developing nations over who should pay for the damage and impacts of the climate crisis. This is expected to be a major sticking point at the next international climate negotiations, the COP27 conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt in November.Scientists have warned that the world must try to cap global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above temperatures before industrialization, around 200 years ago, to stave off some irreversible impacts of climate change. The Earth is already around 1.2 degrees warmer.In southeastern Africa, a warming of 2˚C is projected to bring an increase in the frequency and intensity of heavy rain and flooding, and an increase in the intensity of strong tropical cyclones, which are associated with heavier rainfall.
Australian man charged with more than 400 sexual offenses against children
By Hannah Ritchie, Sydney, April 13 (CNN): A man in Western Australia has been charged with more than 400 sexual offences against children in what police are calling one of the most significant child abuse investigations in the state's history.The 47-year-old from Perth faces 240 counts of indecent dealing with a child under 13, 98 counts of indecently recording a child under 13, and 44 counts of sexual penetration of a child under 13, Western Australia police said in a statement Wednesday.He also faces 26 counts of possessing -- and five counts of producing -- child exploitation material.The charges follow a months-long investigation sparked by a tip-off in July last year.Searches were carried out at the man's home and workplace, during which multiple electronic storage devices were seized, police said.After a digital forensic examination, authorities identified approximately 3.8 million images and videos considered child exploitation material.The police said detectives identified 24 boys and girls who had been sexually abused. The abuse allegedly took place between 2015 and 2021."This investigation is one of the most significant child abuse investigations ever conducted in Western Australia in so far as how many images were located and how many victims we will allege have been abused," Detective Inspector Hamish McKenzie said, according to CNN affiliate 9 News.The 9 News report said the children were aged between ages 3 and 13 -- and police believe the victims were known to the man through family and friends.The man is due to appear later this month in the Perth Magistrates Court.
Zika virus may be one step away from explosive outbreak
By Michelle Roberts, April 13: A new outbreak of Zika virus is quite possible, warn researchers, with a single mutation potentially enough to trigger an explosive spread.The disease caused a global medical emergency in 2016, with thousands of babies born brain-damaged after their mums became infected while pregnant.US scientists say the world should be on the lookout for new mutations.Lab work, described in the journal Cell Reports, suggests the virus could easily shift, creating new variants.Recent infection studies suggest those variants may prove effective at transmitting the virus, even in countries that have built up immunity from previous outbreaks of Zika, say the team from the La Jolla Institute for Immunology.Experts said the findings, although theoretical, were interesting - and a reminder that viruses other than Covid could pose a threat.Shapeshifting virusZika is spread by bites from infected Aedes mosquitoes. The insects are found throughout the Americas - except for Canada and Chile, where it is too cold for them to survive - and across Asia.While for most people Zika is a mild illness, with no lasting effects, it can have catastrophic consequences for babies in the womb.If a mother contracts the virus during pregnancy, it can harm the developing baby, causing microcephaly (unusually small head) and damaged brain tissue.The researchers recreated what happens when Zika passes back and forth between mosquitoes and humans, using cells and living mice in their experiments.When Zika passed between mosquito cells and mice in the laboratory, small genetic changes occurred.This meant it was relatively easy for Zika to mutate in a way that allowed the virus to thrive and spread, even in animals that had some previous immunity from a similar mosquito-borne infection called dengue.More investigationLead investigator Prof Sujan Shresta said: "The Zika variant that we identified had evolved to the point where the cross-protective immunity afforded by prior dengue infection was no longer effective in mice."Unfortunately for us, if this variant becomes prevalent, we may have the same issues in real life."Prof Jonathan Ball, an expert in viruses at the University of Nottingham, told the BBC: "We've heard so much lately about the rapid evolution and emergence of coronavirus variants, but this is a timely reminder that shapeshifting is a common feature shared by so many viruses."This work shows just how rapidly a single letter change in the genome sequence of a virus can arise, and the stark impact it can have on the disease capability of a virus. But viruses that share these changes haven't often been seen in outbreaks and, as the authors point out, these intriguing insights require more thorough investigation."Dr Clare Taylor, from the Society for Applied Microbiology, said: "Although these findings were seen in laboratory experiments and therefore have limitations, it does show that there is potential for variants of concern to arise during the normal Zika transmission cycle and reminds us that monitoring is important to follow viruses as they evolve."She said it might be possible to predict which variants could cause significant issues in the future and intervene early.Prof Paul Hunter, Professor in Medicine at the University of East Anglia, said past infection with Zika might still offer some protection against new variants - as has been seen with Covid.The Zika virus- Although the virus is mostly spread by mosquitoes, it can also be sexually transmitted- Few people die from Zika and only one in five people infected is thought to develop symptoms- These can include fever, a rash and joint pain- Since there is no treatment, the only option is to reduce the risk of being bitten- Scientists have begun work on a Zika vaccine to help protect the pregnant woman
Two killed, seven injured in Okhaldhunga jeep accident
Kathmandu, Apr.13: Two police head constables have lost their lives and seven others have sustained injuries when a jeep (Ba 1 7 Cha 1094) heading towards Biratnagar from Solukhumbhu met with an accident in Manebhanjyang Rural Municipality-6, Bhadare Khola, Okhaldunga. Both head constables were employed at the Okhaldunga police station. Uddhav Pokhrel, Police Inspector, also, spokesperson at the District Police Office, Okhaldhunga, said that of the seven injured, three identified as police Inspector, Rishi Raj Dhakal, police head constable, Bhupendra Khanal and Police Constable, Manik Rajbanshi, have been airlifted to Kathmandu for further treatment.The other four injured are receiving treatment at the Janasewa Health Care and Astha Health Care, Ghurmi, Udayapur. It has been informed that all the travellers were heading towards Biratanagr, the capital of Province 1.
