Past, Present, Feature

Category: ENGLISH

  • Laxmi Puja being observed throughout the country today

    Laxmi Puja being observed throughout the country today

    Laxmi Puja is being celebrated across the country today, to mark the third day of Yamapanchak of the Tihar festival. Tihar is the second biggest festival of the Nepali Hindus.

    According to the Nepal Calendar Fixation Committee, Kukur Tihar, the festival of dogs and Gai Tihar (Laxmi Puja) fall on the third day of Yamapanchak this year.

    Kukur Tihar is observed in the morning and Laxmi, goddess of wealth, being worshipped in the evening today for prosperity in personal life as well as business.

    Hindu people clean their houses, rooms, windows and premises early in the morning with cow dung and red clay and light lamps to welcome Goddess Laxmi in the evening today. People celebrate with much enthusiasm by lighting their houses, singing, dancing and merry-making.

    Dog, which is an animal well known for being trustworthy sentry as well as faithful companion of humans since ancient times, is being worshipped by offering delicious food today.

    The tihar festival this year is being observed with caution in the wake of the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Sudurpaschim government overwhelmed with unemployment benefit applications

    Sudurpaschim government overwhelmed with unemployment benefit applications

    DHANGADI: The Agriculture and Livestock Special Program being implemented in the Sudurpaschim province has received more than the expected number of applications.

    The province government has brought this program targeting the COVID-19 affected people. The Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives, which is implementing the program, is in dilemma how to address the sheer number of applicants.

    It is said nearly 82 thousand people presented letters of intent in response to a notice calling for applications from people affected by COVID-19 and those returning from abroad. The program is aimed at making foreign-returnees who have lost their job due to COVID-19 self-employed.

    The Ministry had issued a notice two months back calling for submitting letter of intent from those interested in the program.

    Ministry’s senior agriculture extension officer Gokul Prasad Bohara said that it would be difficult to address all the applicants considering the size of the budget allocated for the program and the overwhelming number of those who have presented their letter of intent for the program.

    The selected applicants would be provided with financial incentives in various installments.

    “We are going to select the applicants through on-site study and evaluation by taking into account all the aspects including the technical feasibility of the proposed enterprise. The number of applications might decrease after the proposals are selected strictly on the set standard,” Bohara said.

    According to him, the Agriculture Knowledge Center and Livestock expert Center in all the districts in the province have been given the authorization of the budget allocated for the program.

    Six million rupees has been earmarked towards agriculture and Rs 18 million towards livestock in Kailali district alone. Nearly 14 thousand applications have been received for the program in Kailali district. However, only 200 applications and proposals can be included in the program given the size of the allocated budget and the standards set for the program.

    Under the Agriculture program are included enterprises as vegetable, mushroom and fruit farming, and apiculture while under the Livestock Program are included enterprises as goat and sheep rearing, pig and cattle farming, fishery and poultry keeping.

    The Program aims to make nearly 9,000 families self-employed throughout the province. The province government has allotted Rs 150 for the Program in the current fiscal year. -Khabarhub

  • Free testing, treatment govt. priority: Minister Dhakal

    Free testing, treatment govt. priority: Minister Dhakal

    Kathmandu – The government has decided to conduct free test and treatment for coronavirus considering its responsibility. The free test and treatment would be provided at government hospital and laboratory. The meeting of the Council of Ministers held on Monday took this decision.

    Talking to the National News Agency (RSS), Minister for Health and Population, Bhanubhakta Dhakal made it clear that government never shirk from its duty to provide service to the people. He further said government, though decided to charge the well to do people for it earlier, reconsidered its decision in the wake of the Supreme Court order and citizen’s suggestions.

    According to him, more than 1.5 million people had so far undergone PCR test in Nepal and out of them, almost 200 thousand had tested positive for coronavirus. Currently, a total of 73 laboratories including private run ones are providing coronavirus testing from across the country. From these laboratories, as many as 15,000 tests are conducted. For anyone willing to conduct test on his/her own, he/she is charged Rs 2000. The Ministry has set up some 26,000 ICU and 900 ventilators for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.

  • Biden takes Michigan; says “clear we will win”

    Biden takes Michigan; says “clear we will win”

    WASHINGTON: US Democratic challenger Joe Biden has said it is clear he is winning most of the states to take the US Presidency, despite outstanding some key results.

    “When the count is finished we believe we will be the winners,” he said in a speech minutes before projections showed him winning Michigan.

    So far, Biden has got 264 electoral colleges votes while his Republican contender Donald Trump has 214, according to Fox News.

    However, the final result will come down to key in the undeclared battleground states such as Georgia, Arizona, and Pennsylvania, BBC reported.

    So far, Republican Donald Trump is projected to win 23 states, including Ohio, Texas, and Florida.

    Trump has alleged fraud saying he will launch a Supreme Court challenge.

    Likewise, Biden’s campaign calls Trump’s statement “outrageous” saying that the counting will not stop.

    In a brief statement Wednesday afternoon, Biden said his campaign was on track to win 270 electoral votes but that he was not declaring victory until the count was completed in key states.

    “Here, the people rule. Power can’t be taken or asserted,” Biden said, in a speech in which he tried to create the aura of a winner, pledging to bring the country together and to work for national healing as president.

    Over 100 million people cast their ballots in early voting before the Election Day, setting the country on course for the highest turnout in a century.

    To be elected, a presidential candidate must win at least 270 votes in what is called the Electoral College.

    (With inputs from Agencies)

  • ‘Improved’ badge ready for parliament Members

    ‘Improved’ badge ready for parliament Members

    Kathmandu: The Federal Parliament Secretariat says it has improved the badge for federal lawmakers after it drew criticisms from stakeholders including the lawmakers themselves and the public.

    Earlier in August, the secretariat had unveiled the new badge for the lawmakers so as to reflect the change made in the national emblem as per the country’s new political map. However, it was heavily criticised for being more kitschy than artistic. Following that, the secretariat had returned the badges to its producer, urging it to replace them by the improved ones at no cost.

    The secretariat’s spokesperson Roj Nath Pandey says the new badges have been ready to use. House of Representatives Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota and National Assembly Chairman Ganesh Prasad Timilsina have already begun using it, he says, adding other lawmakers can also visit the secretariat to collect their pieces.

  • 17 people died of the COVID-19 in the last 24 hours in Nepal

    17 people died of the COVID-19 in the last 24 hours in Nepal

    KATHMANDU: A total of 17 people died of the coronavirus in the last 24 hours in Nepal.

    According to the Ministry of Health and Population, the coronavirus death toll has reached 904 as of Thursday afternoon with the new deaths.

    Meanwhile, Nepal’s COVID-19 tally has reached 164,718 as of Thursday afternoon after 2,634 persons tested positive for coronavirus in the last 24 hours. According to the Ministry of Health and Population, altogether 9,769 sample tests were conducted across the country in the past 24 hours.

    A total of 3,038 individuals got discharged from the hospitals in the past 24 hours while the number of people winning the battle against the virus reached 124,862 in the country. Nepal currently has 38,952 active cases. Likewise, 2,689 people are in quarantine facilities across the country at present.

  • Bijaya Dashami today, auspicious time for tika at 10:19 AM

    Bijaya Dashami today, auspicious time for tika at 10:19 AM

    DHANGADHI: The auspicious hour for receiving tika as a prasad of Nawadurga on the occasion of the Bijaya Dashami festival is at 10:19 am on Monday.

    However, since Bijaya Dashami or the tenth day of the Bada Dashain festival is itself auspicious, tika can be received and put at any time in the day, says the Nepal Calendar Determination Committee.

    Likewise, the auspicious hour for Devi Bisarjan is 10:11 am. Tika, as a prasad of Durga, is received from elders and seniors in the family starting from today until Poornima, the last day of the Dashain festival.

    Dashain is the 15-day festival celebrated by Hindus of Nepal, and they receive Tika, as a symbol of blessings from the seniors, on the 10th day of the festival.

    The worship of Sri Durga Bhawani at Dasainghars over nine days concludes formally on the day of Bijaya Dashami after the Abhishekh or sprinkling of holy water takes place, marking the beginning of tika.

    People receive tika and jamara till the full moon day. Tika and jamara are considered the auspicious gifts of the goddess Nawa Durga and they signify prosperity.

    Most Hindus of Nepal continue receiving Tika and blessings from the seniors for the next five days after the main day, called Bijaya Dashami.

    It is believed that one need not seek an auspicious hour if one undertakes any new assignment, campaign, or journey on the auspicious day of Bijaya Dashami.

    The Bijaya Dashami festival is celebrated in commemoration of the victory of truth over evil and divine forces’ victory over demonic forces.