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Weathering the Violence of Climate Change With India experiencing its worst drought in 140 years, Indian farmers have taken to the streets. At a protest in Madhya Pradesh this summer, police opened fire on farmers demanding debt relief and better crop prices, killing five. In Tamil Nadu, angry growers have held similar protests, and lit candles in remembrance of those killed. And at one rally in New Delhi, farmers carried human skulls, which they say belonged to farmers who have committed suicide following devastating crop losses over the past six months.  According to a recent study by Tamma A. Carleton of the University of California, Berkeley, suicides among Indian farmers have increased with the temperature, such that an increase of 1º Celsius above the average temperature on a given day is associated with approximately 70 additional suicides, on average.  Beyond exposing failed farming policies, this year’s drought-fueled turmoil also underscores the threat that clima...

Britain's May visits Japan with eye on Brexit fears British Prime Minister Theresa May arrives in Japan on an official visit Wednesday with an eye to soothing Brexit fears and pushing ahead on early free-trade talks with the world's number three economy.  May is scheduled to sit down with Toyota's chairman during her three-day tour which starts in Osaka before moving to Tokyo where she meets with Emperor Akihito and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who visited Britain this year.  Britain formally told the EU in March it will withdraw from the 28-member bloc, stirring fears in Japan about what the move would mean for companies with significant business interests in the country.  "We're going to ask for transparency and predictability so as to minimise the impact on (our) companies," a Japanese foreign ministry official in charge of European affairs said ahead of May's visit.  More than 1,000 Japanese companies do business in Britain, employing some 140,000 lo...

Israeli prime minister says no withdrawal from settlements Israel's prime minister on Tuesday vowed to never uproot any West Bank settlement — just days after a White House envoy was in the region trying to restart peace talks with the Palestinians.  Benjamin Netanyahu's comments enraged the Palestinians and raised new questions about the slow start for U.S. peace efforts led by White House adviser Jared Kushner.  Netanyahu spoke at a ceremony Monday night in Barkan, a settlement in the northern West Bank.  "We have returned here for good," Netanyahu said. "There will be no more uprooting of settlements in the Land of Israel. Settlements will not be uprooted."  The Palestinians seek all of the West Bank, along with east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, for an independent state alongside Israel. Israel captured all three areas in the 1967 Mideast war, though it withdrew from Gaza in 2005.  The Palestinians say that settlements on occupied lands are illegal a...

PM Deuba's State visit to India successful It has been widely perceived that the recent State visit of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to India has been successful in boosting bilateral relations.  The five-day visit PM Deuba had at the cordial invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi focused on strengthening of relations and expansion of development cooperation, thereby enhancing economic and diplomatic ties.  PM Deuba had received special welcome when he landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport. Although there is the tradition in India of receiving foreign dignitaries by State Minister, Indian Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj, herself reached at airport and welcomed PM Deuba, giving a message of special respect and significance.  It was PM Deuba after the then Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala to receive such honour. PM Koirala was welcomed by then Indian PM Dr Manamohan Singh in 2063 BS.  After leader Koirala, numerous Prime Minis...

UN chief calls for implementation of new cease-fire agreement for eastern Ukraine   UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday welcomed the new cease-fire attempt for eastern Ukraine, but urged parties to earnestly match their words with their deeds.  In a statement released through his spokesman, Guterres commended the new attempt to bring peace to eastern Ukraine on the occasion of the start of the new school year. But he stressed the need to ensure the sustainability of the cease-fire and called on all parties to fully abide by its terms, especially to protect civilians.  The secretary-general also reiterated UN support for international efforts to seek a negotiated solution to the conflict that pits the Ukrainian government against pro-Russia separatists in the region. Guterres urged all concerned to work toward that end, said the statement.  A new cease-fire agreement officially entered into force on Friday. But there were immediate reports of breache...

Lakeside View of Tal Khayar in Nepal

TOOLS MADE BY PRISONERS muda in Nepali

CULTURE OF EASTERN NEPAL (DEUDA PARBA )

North Korea fires ballistic missile over Japan Nuclear-armed North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan and into the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday in a major escalation by Pyongyang amid tensions over its weapons ambitions.  Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said it was an "unprecedented, serious and grave threat" and called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting.  The last time a North Korean rocket overflew Japan was in 2009, when Pyongyang said it was satellite launch. Washington, Seoul and Tokyo believed it was a clandestine test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).  Pyongyang last month carried out two overt ICBM tests that appeared to bring much of the US mainland within reach for the first time and heightened strains in the region.  At the time, US President Donald Trump issued an apocalyptic warning of raining "fire and fury" on the North, saying Washington's weapons were "locked and loaded", while Pyongyang threatened t...

Communication Minister Basnet emphasizes ending political problems through elections  Minister for Information and Communications Mohan Bahadur Basnet on Monday stressed the need for giving the country an outlet to current political crisis by concluding all elections.  It does not matter if it happens by putting political issues like constitution amendment on hold at this point of time, he said.  He however said there was no any alternative to moving ahead by addressing dissatisfaction shown on some provisions of the new constitution. "We have waited for a good seven decades for a new constitution written by our self. The constitution was promulgated under the leadership of Nepali Congress. So the NC will lead its implementation," he said while speaking at an interaction organised by NC's constituency 1 regional working committee in the district.  Saying the constitution amendment could not take place due to protest by main opposition CPN-UML, he underscored the ...

Constitution amendment issue irrelevant for time being: Chair Dahal The CPN (Maoist Center) chair and former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has stressed on unity among three major parties to hold three tiers of elections and the implementation of the constitution as well. Talking to media persons here today, chair Dahal shared that this year will be the year of the election as three tiers of elections must be completed within a year.  In another note, he said that the issue of constitution amendment was finalized for the time being. But it might be discussed in the new parliament as the constitution is a progressive document.  Responding to the query of media persons regarding the issues of constitution amendment raised by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba in his recent India trip, chair Dahal said that he was not formally informed in this regard but the issue has become irrelevant now.  Similarly, chair Dahal further said that issue of constructing high dam in K...

Skill-oriented training to youths: State Minister Chaudhary Dang, Aug 28: Minister of State for Labour and Employment Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary has said that the government would impart training to the youths and provide employment to them inside the country.  At a programme organised by Dang chapter of Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh (NNJS) here today, Minister of State Chaudhary stressed on reducing the trend of brain drain among youths for lack of employment in the country. "The government is active in launching different types of skill-development training and expanding industries to create environment in the country where a youth can make at least Rs 25,000 income per month," he said.  Earlier, Minister Chaudhary had inspected the Rapti Eye Hospital run by the NNJS. On the occasion, Senior Administrative Officer of the Hospital, Shumsher Thapa, briefed the Minister about the physical condition and service of the hospital.  Stadium to be constructed in Dang  A stadium ...

Gaura Parba successful in maintaining its uniqueness: President President Bidya Devi Bhandari has wished for happiness, peace and prosperity to all Nepalis living at home and abroad on the occasion of the Gaura Parba which is marked with cultural and religious importance in the far-west and mid-west regions of Nepal.  In a message delivered today, President Bhandari said that the festival being marked for centuries bears historical and mythological importance and has also become successful in maintaining its uniqueness.  "Our folk traditions and cultural festivals have promoted unity in diversity among all Nepalis, social and cultural solidarity, tolerance, and mutual goodwill which have strengthened national unity through the cultivation of mutual understanding and fraternity," reads the President's message.

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Plantation in Nepal

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India says military stand-off with China ends India said Monday it had agreed with China to end a months-long military stand-off at a strategically important disputed area in the Himalayas and troops were disengaging.  The foreign ministry said it had reached an "understanding" after talks with Beijing about the tense confrontation in an area near the Indian border that is claimed by both China and Bhutan.   China's foreign ministry said only that Indian troops were withdrawing. But New Delhi later made clear that both countries were pulling back their border forces. "We had earlier in the day announced that following diplomatic communications, expeditious disengagement of border personnel of China and India at the face-off site was ongoing," the Indian statement said. "This process has since been almost completed under verification." The stand-off at the Doklam plateau began on June 16 and sparked what some analysts said was the worst crisis in d...

Pakistan's strong response to Trump's criticism continues All walks of life in Pakistan, including political and military leadership, civil society, analysts and public gave a strong response to the U.S. President Donald Trump's new policy about South Asia and Afghanistan, in which he blamed Pakistan for harboring terrorist groups.  In his first formal address as commander-in-chief outlining a new U.S. security strategy in South Asia, Trump said "We can no longer be silent about Pakistan's safe havens for terrorist organizations. Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with our effort in Afghanistan. It has much to lose by continuing to harbor criminals and terrorists."  Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain has summoned a session of National Assembly (the lower house) which is to be held on Tuesday in order to give a unanimous befitting response to the allegations from Trump.  Ayaz Sadiq, speaker and custodian of the house, has asked all parliamentarians ...

In new leap for AI: computer chips that can smell Nigerian neuroscientist Oshiorenoya Agabi may have found a way to solve one of life's puzzling dilemmas: how to make air travel pleasant again.  What if you could skip tedious airport security lines, while a special device able to sniff out explosives works silently in the background? This is only one of the possible uses of what Agabi says is the world's first neurotechnology device developed by his Silicon Valley-based start-up Koniku and unveiled at the TEDGlobal conference in Tanzania Sunday.  While those in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) are working furiously to create machines that can mimic the brain, or -- like tech entrepreneur Elon Musk -- implant computers in our brains, Agabi has found a way to merge lab-grown neurons with electronic circuitry.  As many grapple with the finite processing power of silicon, the 38-year-old said he had looked to the brain which is "the most powerful processor the un...

Israel to press UN chief on 'blindness' on Hezbollah JERUSALEM, Aug 27, 2017 (AFP) - Israel will press UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on what it says is Hezbollah's arms buildup in Lebanon during his first visit to the Jewish state since taking office, the deputy foreign minister said Sunday. Guterres was due to arrive in the evening for meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders and officials, with the visit scheduled to continue through Wednesday. The trip comes as the UN Security Council debates renewing for a year the mandate of its peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, with a vote expected on August 30. The US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, has blasted the commander of the UNIFIL peacekeepers, accusing him of turning a blind eye to Hezbollah weapons smuggling. United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric has however said: "We have full confidence in (the commander's) work." Israeli deputy foreign ...