NT Strengthens Mobile Data System

Mar 08, 2020 0 58 seconds to read

March 8: Nepal Telecom (NT) has further strengthened its mobile data service by updating the GSM mobile service…

Govt Urges Public not to Hasten in Reserving Essential Goods

Mar 08, 2020 0 1 minutes 31 seconds to read

March 8: The federal government has urged one and all not to hasten in depositing edible food stuffs being over sensitive of possible outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19). …

Minister Bhatta Warns of Action Against Anyone Creating Artificial Shortage of Daily Essentials

Mar 08, 2020 0 2 minutes 44 seconds to read

March 8: Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supply Lekhraj Bhatta has warned of stern action against those trying to create artificial shortage of essential goods and petroleum…

Payments Through LCs Decline

Mar 08, 2020 0 1 minutes 23 seconds to read

March 8: The halt in import of goods from China following the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has resulted in a decline in number of customers opening Letter of Credit (LC) at commercial…

Weather to Improve Today

Mar 08, 2020 0 1 minutes 13 seconds to read

March 8: The Meteorological Forecasting Division has forecast a fair weather on Sunday with exception of eastern Nepal, following rainfall across the country on…

Pre-Order for Samsung Galaxy S20 and S20+ now Open in Nepal

Mar 06, 2020 0 4 minutes 23 seconds to read

March 5: Samsung Mobile Business Nepal has announced pre-order for Samsung Galaxy S20 and S20+ in Nepal.…

Government Studying Impacts of Coronavirus on Nepal’s Economy

Mar 06, 2020 0 2 minutes 3 seconds to read

…

Government to Request India not to Halt Supplies of Medicines

Mar 06, 2020 0 1 minutes 31 seconds to read

March 6: The Government of Nepal has decided to request the Indian government not to halt the supplies of medicines and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to…

Hotels in Nepal Start Giving Paid Leave to Employees

Mar 06, 2020 0 2 minutes 38 seconds to read

March 6: Hotels across the country have started giving paid leave to their staff due to the slump in business caused by the coronavirus outbreak across the…

Huawei Launches its Own App Gallery

Mar 06, 2020 0 4 minutes 5 seconds to read

March 5: Huawei has launched its own App Gallery as the Chinese technology giant fight backs against the ban imposed by the USA last…

Tourism Ministry Instructs Forming “Action Teams” to Prevent Coronavirus Outbreak

Mar 05, 2020 0 1 minutes 28 seconds to read

March 5: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai has instructed the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) and the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) to form “action teams” to study the possible effects of coronavirus on the tourism sector of Nepal and to suggest preventive measures to the…

COVID-19 Fallout: Sauraha Hotels Start Cutting Down Staff

Mar 05, 2020 0 3 minutes 28 seconds to read

March 5: Hotels in Sauraha, a major tourist area in Chitwan, have started sending their staff on leave after the fall in the number of visitors due to the fear of coronavirus…

Finance Minister Faces Mounting Challenges in his Second Innings

Mar 05, 2020 0 2 minutes 48 seconds to read

March 5: Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada, who had resigned from his post after his two-year term as National Assembly member expired the same day, was reappointed again to the post a day later upon the recommendation of Prime Minister KP Sharma…

World Bank Announces $12 Billion Support to Cope with the Effects of COVID-19

Mar 05, 2020 0 3 minutes 6 seconds to read

March 5: The World Bank has announced an initial package of of up to $12 billion in immediate support to assist countries coping with the health and economic impacts of the global outbreak of COVID-19.…

PM Oli's Health Stable After Successful Kidney Transplant Surgery

Mar 05, 2020 0 2 minutes 29 seconds to read

March 5: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s kidney transplant was done successfully after a grueling four-hour surgery on Wednesday (March…

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No Laughing Matter

The Sweet Rewards of Power

By Madan Lamsal

. . .
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NEPSE

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			'id' => '11728',
			'article_category_id' => '266',
			'title' => 'NT Strengthens Mobile Data System   ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 8: Nepal Telecom (NT) has further strengthened its mobile data service by updating the GSM mobile service system. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">March 8: Nepal Telecom (NT) has further strengthened its mobile data service by updating the GSM mobile service system.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">As the company said, it has installed a new PCF system and its old customers have been migrated to an upgraded mechanism.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">According to NC spokesperson Rajesh Joshi, capacity of GSM technology under the PCRF system was not sufficient to operate wireless data service effectively so the service was strengthened by installing the new PCRF system. &#39;&#39;Now users have access to high speed data service,&#39;&#39; he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Users will receive an alert message if the 80 percent of data package amount gets finished amidst the use of data service, it is said. - RSS&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><br />
&nbsp;</p>
',
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			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Govt Urges Public not to Hasten in Reserving Essential Goods',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 8: The federal government has urged one and all not to hasten in depositing edible food stuffs being over sensitive of possible outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19).     ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">March 8: The federal government has urged one and all not to hasten in depositing edible food stuffs being over sensitive of possible outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19).&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">There would be no likelihood of food shortage in the present and in future as well, Ministry of Home Affairs said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Issuing a press statement on Saturday (March 7), the Ministry of Home Affairs has clarified that there was no food shortage in the market. The home ministry also warned that black marketing could arise if edible goods were disproportionally stored.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">The ministry has urged all to report to the government if any wrongdoings were found taking place in the market. The home ministry has said though there might be possible outbreak of coronavirus (Covid-19) in Nepal, the government has adopted tough safety measures to get people saved from the pandemic.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">The government has further urged all not to go in crowded places until and unless there was urgency.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Meanwhile, Salt Trading Corporation has clarified that there was no shortage of salt in the country. It has stated that salt reserve is already adequate to meet the needs of people in the country for upcoming 10 months. - RSS</span></span></span></p>
',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11726',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Minister Bhatta Warns of Action Against Anyone Creating Artificial Shortage of Daily Essentials   ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 8: Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supply Lekhraj Bhatta has warned of stern action against those trying to create artificial shortage of essential goods and petroleum products.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">March 8: Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supply Lekhraj Bhatta has warned of stern action against those trying to create artificial shortage of essential goods and petroleum products. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">The ministry reassured the public that there is no shortage of food stuffs, cooking gas and medicines at present but the situation can go out of hand if the people start hoarding.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Therefore, the ministry has urged one and all not to go after rumors and start keeping excessive stock of food and other daily essentials. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Organising a press conference at the ministry on Friday, Minister Bhatta said that the government has adequate stock of food stuffs and other essential goods which can last up to months. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">&ldquo;The government has adequate amount of food and medicines. Therefore, we urge everyone not to get carried away by false news and rumors,&rdquo; said the minister, adding, &quot;The government is closely monitoring the market so as to ensure smooth supply of essentials amidst fears of coronavirus.&quot; </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">According to the minister, the public is gripped by psychological fear and the actual problem seems to have been blown out of proportion. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">The ministry claimed that there is no shortage of petroleum products, salt, sugar, rice among other daily essentials. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Minister Bhatta said that the government-owned Food Management and Trade Company has a stock of 25,669 quintals of rice. According to him, the country has a stock of 68,354 kiloliters of petroleum products which can last for at least nine days.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">The government said that the concerned authorities have been instructed to increase the production of cooking gas in Kathmandu Valley from 30,000 cylinders per day to 44,000 in order to ensure smooth supply of cooking gas. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Minister Bhatta added that the government has formed various plans to curb coronavirus in case of a possible outbreak.</span></span></span></p>
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11731',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Payments Through LCs Decline',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 8: The halt in import of goods from China following the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has resulted in a decline in number of customers opening Letter of Credit (LC) at commercial banks.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 8: The halt in import of goods from China following the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has resulted in a decline in number of customers opening Letter of Credit (LC) at commercial banks.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to Nepal Rastra Bank, registration of LCs reduced by 20 percent as of mid-February. This has also affected revenue collection from the customs points.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Data show that goods worth Rs 6 billion were imported in Nepal through LCs opened at 27 commercial banks within the last three months. The import of goods through LCs during the corresponding period of last year was worth Rs 12 billion.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Analysts say the effects of reduction in the number of LCs will be seen six months later when there will be a decline in import of goods. &nbsp;</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">However, LCs are not the only medium through which businessmen make payment for goods imported from China.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The halt in import of goods from China has affected the income of banks, informed Himlal Poudel, spokesperson of Agriculture Development Bank.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&ldquo;Payment through LCs has stopped due to a halt in import. Coronavirus has affected economic activities, which finally affects the banking sector,&rdquo; said Poudel.</span></span></p>
',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11729',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Weather to Improve Today',
			'sub_title' => 'Westerly Wind Brings Rainfall Across the Country   ',
			'summary' => 'March 8: The Meteorological Forecasting Division has forecast a fair weather on Sunday with exception of eastern Nepal, following rainfall across the country on Saturday.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 8: The Meteorological Forecasting Division has forecast a fair weather on Sunday with exception of eastern Nepal, following rainfall across the country on Saturday.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to the division, the weather will be partly to generally cloudy in the eastern part of the country and generally fair in the rest of the country on Sunday.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">On Monday, it will be partly to generally cloudy throughout the country with chances of brief rain in one or two places.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The country witnessed rainfall since Saturday morning today due to the influence of the westerly wind. Meteorologist Shanti Kandel said the Westerly wind entered Nepal since Friday, triggering rainfall throughout the country.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&quot;There is also the influence of the local wind along with the Westerly wind as it is the pre-monsoon time,&quot; RSS quoted her as saying. According to Kandel, rainfall will occur intermittently and not continuously.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Meanwhile, the high mountains and hills witnessed light to moderate snowfall on Saturday.</span></span></p>
',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11723',
			'article_category_id' => '237',
			'title' => 'Pre-Order for Samsung Galaxy S20 and S20+ now Open in Nepal',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 5: Samsung Mobile Business Nepal has announced pre-order for Samsung Galaxy S20 and S20+ in Nepal. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">March 5: Samsung Mobile Business Nepal has announced pre-order for Samsung Galaxy S20 and S20+ in Nepal. The authorized distributor of Samsung smartphones for Nepal announced the pre-order on February 26 which aims help customers to order the most awaited Galaxy S20, Samsung&rsquo;s latest series of flagship smartphones. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">The company believes that this new series of smartphone is designed to fundamentally change the way of capturing and experiencing the world.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">In a statement the company stated that the consumer launch of S20, S20+ will be held on March 13. &ldquo;There is exciting news for the pre-ordering customers as they will receive it even prior to the product launch,&rdquo; the statement added.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&nbsp;<span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">As mentioned by the company, the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20+ will be available for Rs 107,499 and Rs 119,499 respectively. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Galaxy S20 series comes with the world&rsquo;s first camera innovations allowing stunning image and video quality, the company claimed. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">&ldquo;They are designed to change the way we capture our lives and tell our stories.&rdquo;</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Pranaya Ratna Sthapit, head of Samsung mobile business Nepal informed that Samsung Galaxy S20 and S20+ re-imagines videography and photography and the technologies along with the sensors featured in this series of flagship devices allow the users to capture videos and photos with relatively ease.&nbsp;</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:SamsungIFRg">&ldquo;At Samsung, it&rsquo;s our endeavor to deliver new experiences to our consumers,&rdquo; he assured.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Galaxy S20 introduces an entirely new camera system&mdash;powered by AI and with Samsung&rsquo;s biggest image sensor to bring out the best in every image and every moment.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&nbsp;<span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Both Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20+ are equipped with 64MP camera and come with larger sensors for great photography.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">The company claims that Galaxy S20 is the only smartphone in the world to offer stunning 8K video recording. The video shot can be streamed on Samsung QLED 8K which allows the user to enjoy best-in-class viewing experience or to grab a still photo from an 8K video and turn it into a high-resolution photo.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Galaxy S20 and S20+ can be pre-ordered by depositing Rs 5,000 in any Samsung store around Nepal during the pre-order period starting February 26. S20 comes in Cosmic Gray and Cloud Blue colours. S20+ comes in three colors - </span><span style="font-family:&quot;SamsungOne400&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Cosmic Black, Cosmic Gray and Cloud Blue.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Customers upon pre-order can enjoy single time breakage insurance on their set for 12 months. The smartphones are also available in easy EMI service scheme of various banks.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Customers pre-ordering S20+ can receive either Galaxy Buds+ for free or Samsung 32&quot; TV for Rs 5,999. Similarly, pre-borderers of S20 will receive any of&nbsp; Galaxy Buds+ for Rs 2,999 or Samsung 32&quot; TV for Rs 2,999.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Besides this, pre-orderers will also be eligible for lucky draw where lucky winners will get one Business Class round trip ticket from Turkish Airlines, Galaxy Watch Active2, two nights stay at Himalayan Front Hotel or Waterfront Resort by KGH Group on BB basis, or coupon worth Rs 5,000 from Let Me In.</span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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	(int) 6 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11722',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Government Studying Impacts of Coronavirus on Nepal’s Economy',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => '',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 6: The government has started studying the impacts of coronavrius on the country&rsquo;s economy. Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada, who is also the government spokesperson, informed that the government has already formed a task force which has been studying the impacts.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Speaking at a regular press meet at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology on Thursday, Minister Khatiwada said that Nepal Rastra Bank has also been studying the impacts of the deadly disease on Nepal&rsquo;s economy separately.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to the minister, Nepal&rsquo;s economy has witnessed slight glitches while the global epidemic is yet to cause any adverse effects here so far.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">He further said that the government is currently studying the impacts and has not yet decided to announce relief packages.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Secretary at the ministry Uttar Kumar Khatri also said that the government is not yet ready to announce relief packages but has adopted high alertness about the possible effects of the disease on the national economy.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Officials at the Ministry of Finance opine that the government might include relief packages in the upcoming budget as they have already started making preparations for the annual budget.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Meanwhile, unveiling the mid-term review of the monetary policy, the central bank said on Monday that the government might not meet its target of economic growth as a result of coronavirus outbreak this year. Officials at the central bank said that they have decided to identify the sectors affected by coronavirus and extend additional loans to those sectors to help them cope with the effects of the deadly disease.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The effects of coronavirus have started taking toll on Nepal&rsquo;s economy with the disease fast spreading across the globe. The tourism sector of Nepal has been affected the most while the trade between Nepal and China has come to a grinding halt.</span></span></p>
',
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			'created' => '2020-03-06',
			'modified' => '2020-03-06',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11473',
			'image' => '20200306122644_0180724052602_IMG_0298.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-03-06 12:26:19',
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	(int) 7 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11721',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Government to Request India not to Halt Supplies of Medicines',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 6: The Government of Nepal has decided to request the Indian government not to halt the supplies of medicines and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to Nepal.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 6: The Government of Nepal has decided to request the Indian government not to halt the supplies of medicines and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to Nepal.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A high-level coordination committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister Ishwar Pokharel has decided to write to Indian authorities not to halt supplies of life saving drugs in the wake of coronavirus outbreak across the globe.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada informed during a regular press meet on Thursday that the government has decided to write letter to the Indian government in this regard.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">He further said that there is no need to panic as there is adequate stock of medicines for the time being. However, the minister said that the government decided to solicit support from India to ensure that there is no shortage of medicines in the future as the global supplier plans to restrict export of medicines.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Minister Khatiwada also said that the government is collaborating with the private sector to increase the production of face masks to ward off coronavirus.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Nepal is chiefly dependent on India and China for medicines and APIs. &nbsp;</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The global supply of medicines has been threatened due to the coronavirus outbreak as China, the chief supplier of APIs has stopped exporting the raw materials to India and other countries.</span></span></p>
',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2020-03-06',
			'modified' => '2020-03-06',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11472',
			'image' => '20200306114347_aaaa.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-03-06 11:43:19',
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	(int) 8 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11720',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Hotels in Nepal Start Giving Paid Leave to Employees',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 6: Hotels across the country have started giving paid leave to their staff due to the slump in business caused by the coronavirus outbreak across the globe.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 6: Hotels across the country have started giving paid leave to their staff due to the slump in business caused by the coronavirus outbreak across the globe.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Especially, star-rated hotels of the capital have laid off their staff temporarily on paid leave to adjust to the current situation. Some hotels have started capacity development training for their employees during the slowdown of business.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Many star hotels and tourist areas have started wearing deserted looks in lack of visitors, most of whom have stopped travelling due to fears of contracting the deadly disease which has already killed over 3200 people mostly in China where the virus originated.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Hotel occupancy during this period of year used to be around 80 percent in the previous years. This had dropped to 35 percent at present. Hotel entrepreneurs have informed that cancellation of bookings is also increasing every day.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">As a result, hotel employees have had to stay idle in otherwise busy season. Therefore, the hotel entrepreneurs started giving them paid leave.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Normally, hotels employees can enjoy 45 days of paid leave throughout a year during normal circumstances. But this time, the hotels have started giving them such leave at once. Hotel entrepreneurs are yet to decide whether to extend their leave or not once the leave period comes to an end.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Mostly, star hotels of Nepal are chiefly dependent on foreign tourists. It is not possible to sustain the hotels with income generated from domestic tourists. However, tourist arrival has been witnessed a nosedive due to the widespread fear of coronavirus, which has now spread across the globe. Many countries have issued travel advisories to their citizens not to travel abroad during such a risky period.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Nepal has also decided not to issue on-arrival visas to passengers arriving from five countries which have been severely affected by coronavirus.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Coronavirus outbreak has not only affected Nepal&rsquo;s hotel business but has caused cancellation of hotel bookings worldwide.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) President Shreejana Rana said that the association has urged its members to approve &lsquo;pending leave&rsquo; to their staffers.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&ldquo;Coronavirus has not only affected the hotel business in Nepal but across the world,&rdquo; she said.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&ldquo;We are helpless at the moment,&rdquo; she added.</span></span></p>
',
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			'modified' => '2020-03-06',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11471',
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	(int) 9 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11724',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Huawei Launches its Own App Gallery',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 5: Huawei has launched its own App Gallery as the Chinese technology giant fight backs against the ban imposed by the USA last year.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 5: Huawei has launched its own App Gallery as the Chinese technology giant fights back&nbsp;against the ban imposed by the USA last year.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The company, which faces accusation of security risk from the US, said in a statement that it launched the new app with the motive to build a secure and reliable mobile apps ecosystem.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&ldquo;Our vision is to make Huawei App Gallery an open, innovative app distribution platform easily accessible to all our customers. Besides, we aim to strictly protect users&rsquo; privacy and security while providing them with a unique and smart experience,&rdquo; Huawei said in a statement.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Huawei said its AppGallery is now available in over 170 countries/regions with 400 million monthly active users, covering mainstream apps and services worldwide. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&nbsp;&ldquo;Privacy, under your control has always been at the heart of our philosophy,&rdquo; Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei Consumer Business Group commented during the launching ceremony. He additionally affirmed that privacy protection and cyber security is the top-most priorities of Huwawei&rsquo;s business operations. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&ldquo;We will strictly implement them in all phases of our products. We also have the strictest privacy and cyber security solutions in Huawei AppGallery,&rdquo; he said.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Huawei has hundreds of millions of users worldwide, laying a solid foundation for the development of the ecosystem. Together with HMS Core, which opens a variety of Huawei software and hardware capabilities, Huawei is en-route to providing the best and innovative application experience for its users. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In a statement the company informed that its AppGallery deploys the highest level of verification to isolate and protect users&rsquo; sensitive data and privacy. Personally-sensitive information &ndash; such as biometric data &ndash; will never be processed outside the Huawei device, giving the user complete control over their personal data, the statement added. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The US had passed a bill at the end of 2018 preventing the federal government and its agencies from doing business with the Chinese technology giant, Huawei. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Newstatesman reported that the company, along with several dozen subsidiaries and affiliates, was added to the US&rsquo;s &ldquo;entity list&rdquo; in 2019, severely restricting US companies&rsquo; ability to do business with one of the world&rsquo;s largest telecommunications equipment firms. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to the BBC, US telecommunications regulators declared Huawei and ZTE national security threats in November.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Reuters reported that US President Donald Trump did not want to do business with Huawei &ldquo;at all&rdquo; due to &ldquo;national security concerns.&rdquo;</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">However, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson granted Huawei a limited role in Britain&rsquo;s 5G mobile network in late January, frustrating a global attempt by the United States to exclude the Chinese telecoms giant from the West&rsquo;s next-generation communications.</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A British official, according to Reuters, said excluding Huawei would have delayed 5G and cost consumers more, echoing warnings from the telecoms industry.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Britain&rsquo;s move vindicated the fact that 5G&rsquo;s much faster data speeds and increased capacity will make it the foundation stone of many industries and a driver of economic growth.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&ldquo;In what some have compared to the Cold War antagonism with the Soviet Union, the United States is worried that 5G dominance is a milestone towards Chinese technological supremacy that could define the geopolitics of the 21st century,&rdquo; Reuters reported.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Huawei, the world&rsquo;s biggest producer of telecoms equipment, has said the United States wants to frustrate its growth because no US company could offer the same range of technology at a competitive price.</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
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			'created' => '2020-03-06',
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			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11470',
			'image' => '20200306011233_Huawei.JPG',
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	(int) 10 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11718',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Tourism Ministry Instructs Forming “Action Teams” to Prevent Coronavirus Outbreak',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 5: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai has instructed the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) and the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) to form “action teams” to study the possible effects of coronavirus on the tourism sector of Nepal and to suggest preventive measures to the government.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 5: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai has instructed the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) and the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) to form &ldquo;action teams&rdquo; to study the possible effects of coronavirus on the tourism sector of Nepal and to suggest preventive measures to the government.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Minister Bhattarai issued such directive on Wednesday during a discussion with the concerned departments over the possible impacts of coronavirus and ways to deal with them.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The minister also urged the departments to write to the ministry if there is any need for policy-level decisions. He said that the ministry will form a team headed by the secretary to deal with the issue.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">He also urged the concerned departments to give their suggestions within three days regarding the possible impact of coronavirus on the tourism sector and the steps government should take as counter measures.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Minister Bhattarai also informed that the government has initiated the process to set up health desks at other domestic airports where the inflow of tourists is high.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Meanwhile, Secretary at the Ministry for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Kedar Bahadur Adhikari said that the ministry will take appropriate steps to prevent the outbreak of coronavirus in Nepal in coordination with other line ministries.</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
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			'created' => '2020-03-05',
			'modified' => '2020-03-05',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11469',
			'image' => '20200305121728_20190418024748_visit-nepal.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-03-05 12:16:59',
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	(int) 11 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11716',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'COVID-19 Fallout: Sauraha Hotels Start Cutting Down Staff   ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 5: Hotels in Sauraha, a major tourist area in Chitwan, have started sending their staff on leave after the fall in the number of visitors due to the fear of coronavirus (COVID-19).    ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 5: Hotels in Sauraha, a major tourist area in Chitwan, have started sending their staff on leave after the fall in the number of visitors due to the fear of coronavirus (COVID-19).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The current rate of occupancy of hotels here is only 15 to 20 per cent.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Regional Hotel Association Sauraha president Deepak Bhattarai said there was almost 90 per cent hotel booking around this period last year. He added that although hotel occupancy is now 20 per cent as domestic events and programmes are taking place, this would drastically go down after a few days.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">There are only some European, Indian and Nepali tourists in Sauraha at present. All the advance bookings have been cancelled.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to Bhattarai, around half the hotels in Sauraha have sent 50 per cent of their staff on leave with the dwindling number of visitors and hotel bookings. The hotels here employ employees ranging from 10 to 70. Some more hotels are said to be preparing to send half of their staff on leave. Staff staying on leave are paid half their salary.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Before this, the hotels here used to send their employees on leave like this until 10 years back during the lean period in the rainy season.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Bhattarai said that although the hotels did not come across this problem in the recent years, now they are facing the problem due to the fear of COVID-19.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The association&#39;s immediate past president Suman Ghimire said the hotel operators were not in a position to pay the bank loans and the interest.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Ghimire believes that more than Rs 8 billion has been invested in the hotel industry in Sauraha. This investment does not include the land property. It is said the hotels have equal amount in bank loans.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Hotel entrepreneurs are facing hard time to pay loans and interests and are worried about being blacklisted by banks as trade suffers due to the fear of the virus, he said. Businesspersons should be given additional deadline to pay loans and interests, according to Ghimire.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Chinese travel agents are yet to make payments, said tourism entrepreneurs. Earlier, Sauraha suffered trade after being hit by many factors like the Maoist insurgency, the earthquake of 2015 and a border blockade.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This time, the infection may affect trade here the most, said tourism entrepreneurs. Even domestic tourists fear visiting Sauraha due to the risk of infection, said Ghimire. The government has also requested people not to organise gatherings and programmes in view of the virus that has hit China hard.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">As a result of this, Sauraha which mostly receives Chinese tourists has been affected the most.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Tourism sector ranging from big hotels, restaurants, shops and jungle safari etc in Sauraha have been severely affected, resulting in decline in revenue collection.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; - RSS</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
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	(int) 12 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11714',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Finance Minister Faces Mounting Challenges in his Second Innings ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 5: Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada, who had resigned from his post after his two-year term as National Assembly member expired the same day, was reappointed again to the post a day later upon the recommendation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">March 5: Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada, who had resigned from his post after his two-year term as National Assembly member expired the same day, was reappointed again to the post a day later upon the recommendation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">It seems that the finance minister will face an uphill battle in his second stint to meet the targets set by himself in his first term in office.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Khatiwada was re-appointed to the post due to a strong backing from PM Oli despite strong opposition within the ruling Nepal Communist Party. In such context, Khatiwada&rsquo;s second stint at office seems to be quite challenging on top of poor capital expenditure and revenue collection as well as hosts of other financial problems including the a downcast private sector. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">He also has an added responsibility of protecting the country&rsquo;s economy from the widespread effects of coronavirus epidemic. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Although he pledged to fight against poverty, illiteracy and injustice soon after assuming his office on Wednesday (March 4), the road ahead is not smooth. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Khatiwada downsized the annual budget and the target of revenue collection in the mid-term review of the budget. However, he did not revise the economic growth target of 8.5 percent. Instead, he claimed that the government will meet its target of economic growth at any cost. Coronavirus outbreak is certain to play the spoilsport.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Likewise, the finance minister&rsquo;s claim that 80 percent of development budget will be spent during this fiscal year seems to be an unattainable target. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Speculations are rife that the country&rsquo;s economy is in a slowdown process as a ripple effect of decline in financing by BFIs to the private sector, which in turn has affected big infrastructure projects and also reduced the demand for iron and cement.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Meanwhile, the coronavirus epidemic is most likely to decrease the inflow of remittance. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">In such circumstances, the finance minister faces an improbable task of achieving the targets set earlier this year. </span></span></span></p>
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	(int) 13 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11713',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'World Bank Announces $12 Billion Support to Cope with the Effects of COVID-19',
			'sub_title' => 'The amount will be provided on fast-track basis with poor countries on priority list',
			'summary' => 'March 5: The World Bank has announced an initial package of of up to $12 billion in immediate support to assist countries coping with the health and economic impacts of the global outbreak of COVID-19. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">March 5: The World Bank has announced an initial package of of up to $12 billion in immediate support to assist countries coping with the health and economic impacts of the global outbreak of COVID-19. The World Bank made such announcement on Tuesday (March 3) as the epidemic reached more than 60 countries with over 3200 casualties, mostly in China where the disease is believed to have originated. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">According to the World Bank, this financing is designed to help member countries take effective action to respond to and, where possible, lessen the tragic impacts posed by the COVID-19 (coronavirus).&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">Through this new fast track package, the World Bank Group will help developing countries strengthen health systems, including better access to health services to safeguard people from the epidemic, strengthen disease surveillance, bolster public health interventions, and work with the private sector to reduce the impact on economies, it said in a statement. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">The financial package, with financing drawn from across IDA, IBRD and IFC, will be globally coordinated to support country-based responses.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">&ldquo;The COVID-19 support package will make available initial crisis resources of up to $12 billion in financing &mdash; $8 billion of which is new &mdash; on a fast track basis. This comprises up to $2.7 billion new financing from IBRD; $1.3 billion from IDA, complemented by reprioritization of $2 billion of the Bank&rsquo;s existing portfolio; and $6 billion from IFC,including $2 billion from existing trade facilities. It will also include policy advice and technical assistance drawing on global expertise and country-level knowledge,&rdquo; the statement said.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">&ldquo;We are working to provide a fast, flexible response based on developing country needs in dealing with the spread of COVID-19,&rdquo; said World Bank Group President David Malpass. &ldquo;This includes emergency financing, policy advice, and technical assistance, building on the World Bank Group&#39;s existing instruments and expertise to help countries respond to the crisis.&quot;</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">The financial package will provide grants and low-interest loans from IDA for low income countries and loans from IBRD for middle income countries, using all of the bank&rsquo;s operational instruments with processing accelerated on a fast track basis.&nbsp; International Finance Corporation, the World Bank Group&rsquo;s private sector arm, will provide its clients with the necessary support to continue operating and to sustain jobs.&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">The World Bank support will cover a range of interventions to strengthen health services and primary health care, bolster disease monitoring and reporting, train front line health workers, encourage community engagement to maintain public trust, and improve access to treatment for the poorest patients. The bank said it will also provide policy and technical advice to ensure countries can access global expertise.&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">The World Bank Group support will prioritize the poorest countries and those at high risk with low capacity, the statement further said. </span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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			'id' => '11715',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'PM Oli's Health Stable After Successful Kidney Transplant Surgery   ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 5: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s kidney transplant was done successfully after a grueling four-hour surgery on Wednesday (March 4).',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">March 5: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli&rsquo;s kidney transplant was done successfully after a grueling four-hour surgery on Wednesday (March 4).</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Doctors involved in PM Oli&#39;s treatment said his key health indicators are normal following the &ldquo;successful kidney transplant&rdquo;.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Issuing a press statement after the completion of the kidney transplant surgery, the Tribhuvavn University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) informed that Prime Minister&#39;s health was stable and the new kidney had started functioning. Doctors said that the prime minister has already regained consciousness. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">The statement issued by TUTH executive director Prof Dr Prem Krishna Khadka further said that the prime minister is receiving treatment after being shifted to the post-operative transplant ward from the operation theater.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">This is the second time that the prime minister had a kidney transplant, following the first one 12 years ago. Oli&rsquo;s first kidney transplant was performed in India in 2007.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Prime Minister Oli was undergoing regular dialysis since the last four months after his transplanted kidney stopped functioning. He opted for kidney transplant for the second time as per the suggestions from doctors.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">PM Oli&rsquo;s niece Samikshya Sangroula donated her kidney to PM Oli. Her health condition is also said to be normal.</span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">A team of doctors consisting of Prof Dr Uttam Kumar Sharma, Prof Dr Prem Gyawali and Prof Dr Ananda Kumar had extracted a kidney from Sangraula.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">The prime minister&rsquo;s well-wishers had gathered on the hospital premises to express happiness after the successful completion of the kidney transplantation.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Prime Minister Oli was admitted to the hospital for kidney transplantation on March 2. </span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11728',
			'article_category_id' => '266',
			'title' => 'NT Strengthens Mobile Data System   ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 8: Nepal Telecom (NT) has further strengthened its mobile data service by updating the GSM mobile service system. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">March 8: Nepal Telecom (NT) has further strengthened its mobile data service by updating the GSM mobile service system.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">As the company said, it has installed a new PCF system and its old customers have been migrated to an upgraded mechanism.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">According to NC spokesperson Rajesh Joshi, capacity of GSM technology under the PCRF system was not sufficient to operate wireless data service effectively so the service was strengthened by installing the new PCRF system. &#39;&#39;Now users have access to high speed data service,&#39;&#39; he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Users will receive an alert message if the 80 percent of data package amount gets finished amidst the use of data service, it is said. - RSS&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><br />
&nbsp;</p>
',
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			'sortorder' => '11479',
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			'id' => '11725',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Govt Urges Public not to Hasten in Reserving Essential Goods',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 8: The federal government has urged one and all not to hasten in depositing edible food stuffs being over sensitive of possible outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19).     ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">March 8: The federal government has urged one and all not to hasten in depositing edible food stuffs being over sensitive of possible outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19).&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">There would be no likelihood of food shortage in the present and in future as well, Ministry of Home Affairs said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Issuing a press statement on Saturday (March 7), the Ministry of Home Affairs has clarified that there was no food shortage in the market. The home ministry also warned that black marketing could arise if edible goods were disproportionally stored.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">The ministry has urged all to report to the government if any wrongdoings were found taking place in the market. The home ministry has said though there might be possible outbreak of coronavirus (Covid-19) in Nepal, the government has adopted tough safety measures to get people saved from the pandemic.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">The government has further urged all not to go in crowded places until and unless there was urgency.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Meanwhile, Salt Trading Corporation has clarified that there was no shortage of salt in the country. It has stated that salt reserve is already adequate to meet the needs of people in the country for upcoming 10 months. - RSS</span></span></span></p>
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11726',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Minister Bhatta Warns of Action Against Anyone Creating Artificial Shortage of Daily Essentials   ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 8: Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supply Lekhraj Bhatta has warned of stern action against those trying to create artificial shortage of essential goods and petroleum products.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">March 8: Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supply Lekhraj Bhatta has warned of stern action against those trying to create artificial shortage of essential goods and petroleum products. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">The ministry reassured the public that there is no shortage of food stuffs, cooking gas and medicines at present but the situation can go out of hand if the people start hoarding.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Therefore, the ministry has urged one and all not to go after rumors and start keeping excessive stock of food and other daily essentials. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Organising a press conference at the ministry on Friday, Minister Bhatta said that the government has adequate stock of food stuffs and other essential goods which can last up to months. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">&ldquo;The government has adequate amount of food and medicines. Therefore, we urge everyone not to get carried away by false news and rumors,&rdquo; said the minister, adding, &quot;The government is closely monitoring the market so as to ensure smooth supply of essentials amidst fears of coronavirus.&quot; </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">According to the minister, the public is gripped by psychological fear and the actual problem seems to have been blown out of proportion. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">The ministry claimed that there is no shortage of petroleum products, salt, sugar, rice among other daily essentials. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Minister Bhatta said that the government-owned Food Management and Trade Company has a stock of 25,669 quintals of rice. According to him, the country has a stock of 68,354 kiloliters of petroleum products which can last for at least nine days.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">The government said that the concerned authorities have been instructed to increase the production of cooking gas in Kathmandu Valley from 30,000 cylinders per day to 44,000 in order to ensure smooth supply of cooking gas. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Minister Bhatta added that the government has formed various plans to curb coronavirus in case of a possible outbreak.</span></span></span></p>
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			'id' => '11731',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Payments Through LCs Decline',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 8: The halt in import of goods from China following the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has resulted in a decline in number of customers opening Letter of Credit (LC) at commercial banks.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 8: The halt in import of goods from China following the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has resulted in a decline in number of customers opening Letter of Credit (LC) at commercial banks.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to Nepal Rastra Bank, registration of LCs reduced by 20 percent as of mid-February. This has also affected revenue collection from the customs points.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Data show that goods worth Rs 6 billion were imported in Nepal through LCs opened at 27 commercial banks within the last three months. The import of goods through LCs during the corresponding period of last year was worth Rs 12 billion.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Analysts say the effects of reduction in the number of LCs will be seen six months later when there will be a decline in import of goods. &nbsp;</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">However, LCs are not the only medium through which businessmen make payment for goods imported from China.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The halt in import of goods from China has affected the income of banks, informed Himlal Poudel, spokesperson of Agriculture Development Bank.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&ldquo;Payment through LCs has stopped due to a halt in import. Coronavirus has affected economic activities, which finally affects the banking sector,&rdquo; said Poudel.</span></span></p>
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			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Weather to Improve Today',
			'sub_title' => 'Westerly Wind Brings Rainfall Across the Country   ',
			'summary' => 'March 8: The Meteorological Forecasting Division has forecast a fair weather on Sunday with exception of eastern Nepal, following rainfall across the country on Saturday.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 8: The Meteorological Forecasting Division has forecast a fair weather on Sunday with exception of eastern Nepal, following rainfall across the country on Saturday.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to the division, the weather will be partly to generally cloudy in the eastern part of the country and generally fair in the rest of the country on Sunday.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">On Monday, it will be partly to generally cloudy throughout the country with chances of brief rain in one or two places.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The country witnessed rainfall since Saturday morning today due to the influence of the westerly wind. Meteorologist Shanti Kandel said the Westerly wind entered Nepal since Friday, triggering rainfall throughout the country.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&quot;There is also the influence of the local wind along with the Westerly wind as it is the pre-monsoon time,&quot; RSS quoted her as saying. According to Kandel, rainfall will occur intermittently and not continuously.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Meanwhile, the high mountains and hills witnessed light to moderate snowfall on Saturday.</span></span></p>
',
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			'created' => '2020-03-08',
			'modified' => '2020-03-08',
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			'description' => '',
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			'article_date' => '2020-03-08 10:32:54',
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	(int) 5 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11723',
			'article_category_id' => '237',
			'title' => 'Pre-Order for Samsung Galaxy S20 and S20+ now Open in Nepal',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 5: Samsung Mobile Business Nepal has announced pre-order for Samsung Galaxy S20 and S20+ in Nepal. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">March 5: Samsung Mobile Business Nepal has announced pre-order for Samsung Galaxy S20 and S20+ in Nepal. The authorized distributor of Samsung smartphones for Nepal announced the pre-order on February 26 which aims help customers to order the most awaited Galaxy S20, Samsung&rsquo;s latest series of flagship smartphones. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">The company believes that this new series of smartphone is designed to fundamentally change the way of capturing and experiencing the world.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">In a statement the company stated that the consumer launch of S20, S20+ will be held on March 13. &ldquo;There is exciting news for the pre-ordering customers as they will receive it even prior to the product launch,&rdquo; the statement added.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&nbsp;<span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">As mentioned by the company, the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20+ will be available for Rs 107,499 and Rs 119,499 respectively. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Galaxy S20 series comes with the world&rsquo;s first camera innovations allowing stunning image and video quality, the company claimed. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">&ldquo;They are designed to change the way we capture our lives and tell our stories.&rdquo;</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Pranaya Ratna Sthapit, head of Samsung mobile business Nepal informed that Samsung Galaxy S20 and S20+ re-imagines videography and photography and the technologies along with the sensors featured in this series of flagship devices allow the users to capture videos and photos with relatively ease.&nbsp;</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:SamsungIFRg">&ldquo;At Samsung, it&rsquo;s our endeavor to deliver new experiences to our consumers,&rdquo; he assured.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Galaxy S20 introduces an entirely new camera system&mdash;powered by AI and with Samsung&rsquo;s biggest image sensor to bring out the best in every image and every moment.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&nbsp;<span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Both Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20+ are equipped with 64MP camera and come with larger sensors for great photography.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">The company claims that Galaxy S20 is the only smartphone in the world to offer stunning 8K video recording. The video shot can be streamed on Samsung QLED 8K which allows the user to enjoy best-in-class viewing experience or to grab a still photo from an 8K video and turn it into a high-resolution photo.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Galaxy S20 and S20+ can be pre-ordered by depositing Rs 5,000 in any Samsung store around Nepal during the pre-order period starting February 26. S20 comes in Cosmic Gray and Cloud Blue colours. S20+ comes in three colors - </span><span style="font-family:&quot;SamsungOne400&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Cosmic Black, Cosmic Gray and Cloud Blue.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Customers upon pre-order can enjoy single time breakage insurance on their set for 12 months. The smartphones are also available in easy EMI service scheme of various banks.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Customers pre-ordering S20+ can receive either Galaxy Buds+ for free or Samsung 32&quot; TV for Rs 5,999. Similarly, pre-borderers of S20 will receive any of&nbsp; Galaxy Buds+ for Rs 2,999 or Samsung 32&quot; TV for Rs 2,999.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Besides this, pre-orderers will also be eligible for lucky draw where lucky winners will get one Business Class round trip ticket from Turkish Airlines, Galaxy Watch Active2, two nights stay at Himalayan Front Hotel or Waterfront Resort by KGH Group on BB basis, or coupon worth Rs 5,000 from Let Me In.</span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
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			'description' => '',
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			'article_date' => '2020-03-06 12:37:15',
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	(int) 6 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11722',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Government Studying Impacts of Coronavirus on Nepal’s Economy',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => '',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 6: The government has started studying the impacts of coronavrius on the country&rsquo;s economy. Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada, who is also the government spokesperson, informed that the government has already formed a task force which has been studying the impacts.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Speaking at a regular press meet at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology on Thursday, Minister Khatiwada said that Nepal Rastra Bank has also been studying the impacts of the deadly disease on Nepal&rsquo;s economy separately.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to the minister, Nepal&rsquo;s economy has witnessed slight glitches while the global epidemic is yet to cause any adverse effects here so far.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">He further said that the government is currently studying the impacts and has not yet decided to announce relief packages.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Secretary at the ministry Uttar Kumar Khatri also said that the government is not yet ready to announce relief packages but has adopted high alertness about the possible effects of the disease on the national economy.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Officials at the Ministry of Finance opine that the government might include relief packages in the upcoming budget as they have already started making preparations for the annual budget.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Meanwhile, unveiling the mid-term review of the monetary policy, the central bank said on Monday that the government might not meet its target of economic growth as a result of coronavirus outbreak this year. Officials at the central bank said that they have decided to identify the sectors affected by coronavirus and extend additional loans to those sectors to help them cope with the effects of the deadly disease.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The effects of coronavirus have started taking toll on Nepal&rsquo;s economy with the disease fast spreading across the globe. The tourism sector of Nepal has been affected the most while the trade between Nepal and China has come to a grinding halt.</span></span></p>
',
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			'created' => '2020-03-06',
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			'article_date' => '2020-03-06 12:26:19',
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	(int) 7 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11721',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Government to Request India not to Halt Supplies of Medicines',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 6: The Government of Nepal has decided to request the Indian government not to halt the supplies of medicines and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to Nepal.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 6: The Government of Nepal has decided to request the Indian government not to halt the supplies of medicines and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to Nepal.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A high-level coordination committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister Ishwar Pokharel has decided to write to Indian authorities not to halt supplies of life saving drugs in the wake of coronavirus outbreak across the globe.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada informed during a regular press meet on Thursday that the government has decided to write letter to the Indian government in this regard.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">He further said that there is no need to panic as there is adequate stock of medicines for the time being. However, the minister said that the government decided to solicit support from India to ensure that there is no shortage of medicines in the future as the global supplier plans to restrict export of medicines.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Minister Khatiwada also said that the government is collaborating with the private sector to increase the production of face masks to ward off coronavirus.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Nepal is chiefly dependent on India and China for medicines and APIs. &nbsp;</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The global supply of medicines has been threatened due to the coronavirus outbreak as China, the chief supplier of APIs has stopped exporting the raw materials to India and other countries.</span></span></p>
',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2020-03-06',
			'modified' => '2020-03-06',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11472',
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			'article_date' => '2020-03-06 11:43:19',
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	(int) 8 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11720',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Hotels in Nepal Start Giving Paid Leave to Employees',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 6: Hotels across the country have started giving paid leave to their staff due to the slump in business caused by the coronavirus outbreak across the globe.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 6: Hotels across the country have started giving paid leave to their staff due to the slump in business caused by the coronavirus outbreak across the globe.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Especially, star-rated hotels of the capital have laid off their staff temporarily on paid leave to adjust to the current situation. Some hotels have started capacity development training for their employees during the slowdown of business.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Many star hotels and tourist areas have started wearing deserted looks in lack of visitors, most of whom have stopped travelling due to fears of contracting the deadly disease which has already killed over 3200 people mostly in China where the virus originated.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Hotel occupancy during this period of year used to be around 80 percent in the previous years. This had dropped to 35 percent at present. Hotel entrepreneurs have informed that cancellation of bookings is also increasing every day.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">As a result, hotel employees have had to stay idle in otherwise busy season. Therefore, the hotel entrepreneurs started giving them paid leave.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Normally, hotels employees can enjoy 45 days of paid leave throughout a year during normal circumstances. But this time, the hotels have started giving them such leave at once. Hotel entrepreneurs are yet to decide whether to extend their leave or not once the leave period comes to an end.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Mostly, star hotels of Nepal are chiefly dependent on foreign tourists. It is not possible to sustain the hotels with income generated from domestic tourists. However, tourist arrival has been witnessed a nosedive due to the widespread fear of coronavirus, which has now spread across the globe. Many countries have issued travel advisories to their citizens not to travel abroad during such a risky period.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Nepal has also decided not to issue on-arrival visas to passengers arriving from five countries which have been severely affected by coronavirus.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Coronavirus outbreak has not only affected Nepal&rsquo;s hotel business but has caused cancellation of hotel bookings worldwide.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) President Shreejana Rana said that the association has urged its members to approve &lsquo;pending leave&rsquo; to their staffers.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&ldquo;Coronavirus has not only affected the hotel business in Nepal but across the world,&rdquo; she said.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&ldquo;We are helpless at the moment,&rdquo; she added.</span></span></p>
',
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	(int) 9 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11724',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Huawei Launches its Own App Gallery',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 5: Huawei has launched its own App Gallery as the Chinese technology giant fight backs against the ban imposed by the USA last year.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 5: Huawei has launched its own App Gallery as the Chinese technology giant fights back&nbsp;against the ban imposed by the USA last year.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The company, which faces accusation of security risk from the US, said in a statement that it launched the new app with the motive to build a secure and reliable mobile apps ecosystem.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&ldquo;Our vision is to make Huawei App Gallery an open, innovative app distribution platform easily accessible to all our customers. Besides, we aim to strictly protect users&rsquo; privacy and security while providing them with a unique and smart experience,&rdquo; Huawei said in a statement.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Huawei said its AppGallery is now available in over 170 countries/regions with 400 million monthly active users, covering mainstream apps and services worldwide. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&nbsp;&ldquo;Privacy, under your control has always been at the heart of our philosophy,&rdquo; Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei Consumer Business Group commented during the launching ceremony. He additionally affirmed that privacy protection and cyber security is the top-most priorities of Huwawei&rsquo;s business operations. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&ldquo;We will strictly implement them in all phases of our products. We also have the strictest privacy and cyber security solutions in Huawei AppGallery,&rdquo; he said.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Huawei has hundreds of millions of users worldwide, laying a solid foundation for the development of the ecosystem. Together with HMS Core, which opens a variety of Huawei software and hardware capabilities, Huawei is en-route to providing the best and innovative application experience for its users. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In a statement the company informed that its AppGallery deploys the highest level of verification to isolate and protect users&rsquo; sensitive data and privacy. Personally-sensitive information &ndash; such as biometric data &ndash; will never be processed outside the Huawei device, giving the user complete control over their personal data, the statement added. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The US had passed a bill at the end of 2018 preventing the federal government and its agencies from doing business with the Chinese technology giant, Huawei. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Newstatesman reported that the company, along with several dozen subsidiaries and affiliates, was added to the US&rsquo;s &ldquo;entity list&rdquo; in 2019, severely restricting US companies&rsquo; ability to do business with one of the world&rsquo;s largest telecommunications equipment firms. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to the BBC, US telecommunications regulators declared Huawei and ZTE national security threats in November.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Reuters reported that US President Donald Trump did not want to do business with Huawei &ldquo;at all&rdquo; due to &ldquo;national security concerns.&rdquo;</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">However, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson granted Huawei a limited role in Britain&rsquo;s 5G mobile network in late January, frustrating a global attempt by the United States to exclude the Chinese telecoms giant from the West&rsquo;s next-generation communications.</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A British official, according to Reuters, said excluding Huawei would have delayed 5G and cost consumers more, echoing warnings from the telecoms industry.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Britain&rsquo;s move vindicated the fact that 5G&rsquo;s much faster data speeds and increased capacity will make it the foundation stone of many industries and a driver of economic growth.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&ldquo;In what some have compared to the Cold War antagonism with the Soviet Union, the United States is worried that 5G dominance is a milestone towards Chinese technological supremacy that could define the geopolitics of the 21st century,&rdquo; Reuters reported.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Huawei, the world&rsquo;s biggest producer of telecoms equipment, has said the United States wants to frustrate its growth because no US company could offer the same range of technology at a competitive price.</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
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			'created' => '2020-03-06',
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			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11470',
			'image' => '20200306011233_Huawei.JPG',
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	(int) 10 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11718',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Tourism Ministry Instructs Forming “Action Teams” to Prevent Coronavirus Outbreak',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 5: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai has instructed the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) and the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) to form “action teams” to study the possible effects of coronavirus on the tourism sector of Nepal and to suggest preventive measures to the government.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 5: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai has instructed the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) and the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) to form &ldquo;action teams&rdquo; to study the possible effects of coronavirus on the tourism sector of Nepal and to suggest preventive measures to the government.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Minister Bhattarai issued such directive on Wednesday during a discussion with the concerned departments over the possible impacts of coronavirus and ways to deal with them.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The minister also urged the departments to write to the ministry if there is any need for policy-level decisions. He said that the ministry will form a team headed by the secretary to deal with the issue.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">He also urged the concerned departments to give their suggestions within three days regarding the possible impact of coronavirus on the tourism sector and the steps government should take as counter measures.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Minister Bhattarai also informed that the government has initiated the process to set up health desks at other domestic airports where the inflow of tourists is high.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Meanwhile, Secretary at the Ministry for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Kedar Bahadur Adhikari said that the ministry will take appropriate steps to prevent the outbreak of coronavirus in Nepal in coordination with other line ministries.</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
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			'created' => '2020-03-05',
			'modified' => '2020-03-05',
			'keywords' => '',
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			'sortorder' => '11469',
			'image' => '20200305121728_20190418024748_visit-nepal.jpg',
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			'id' => '11716',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'COVID-19 Fallout: Sauraha Hotels Start Cutting Down Staff   ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 5: Hotels in Sauraha, a major tourist area in Chitwan, have started sending their staff on leave after the fall in the number of visitors due to the fear of coronavirus (COVID-19).    ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 5: Hotels in Sauraha, a major tourist area in Chitwan, have started sending their staff on leave after the fall in the number of visitors due to the fear of coronavirus (COVID-19).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The current rate of occupancy of hotels here is only 15 to 20 per cent.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Regional Hotel Association Sauraha president Deepak Bhattarai said there was almost 90 per cent hotel booking around this period last year. He added that although hotel occupancy is now 20 per cent as domestic events and programmes are taking place, this would drastically go down after a few days.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">There are only some European, Indian and Nepali tourists in Sauraha at present. All the advance bookings have been cancelled.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to Bhattarai, around half the hotels in Sauraha have sent 50 per cent of their staff on leave with the dwindling number of visitors and hotel bookings. The hotels here employ employees ranging from 10 to 70. Some more hotels are said to be preparing to send half of their staff on leave. Staff staying on leave are paid half their salary.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Before this, the hotels here used to send their employees on leave like this until 10 years back during the lean period in the rainy season.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Bhattarai said that although the hotels did not come across this problem in the recent years, now they are facing the problem due to the fear of COVID-19.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The association&#39;s immediate past president Suman Ghimire said the hotel operators were not in a position to pay the bank loans and the interest.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Ghimire believes that more than Rs 8 billion has been invested in the hotel industry in Sauraha. This investment does not include the land property. It is said the hotels have equal amount in bank loans.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Hotel entrepreneurs are facing hard time to pay loans and interests and are worried about being blacklisted by banks as trade suffers due to the fear of the virus, he said. Businesspersons should be given additional deadline to pay loans and interests, according to Ghimire.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Chinese travel agents are yet to make payments, said tourism entrepreneurs. Earlier, Sauraha suffered trade after being hit by many factors like the Maoist insurgency, the earthquake of 2015 and a border blockade.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This time, the infection may affect trade here the most, said tourism entrepreneurs. Even domestic tourists fear visiting Sauraha due to the risk of infection, said Ghimire. The government has also requested people not to organise gatherings and programmes in view of the virus that has hit China hard.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">As a result of this, Sauraha which mostly receives Chinese tourists has been affected the most.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Tourism sector ranging from big hotels, restaurants, shops and jungle safari etc in Sauraha have been severely affected, resulting in decline in revenue collection.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; - RSS</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11714',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Finance Minister Faces Mounting Challenges in his Second Innings ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 5: Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada, who had resigned from his post after his two-year term as National Assembly member expired the same day, was reappointed again to the post a day later upon the recommendation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">March 5: Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada, who had resigned from his post after his two-year term as National Assembly member expired the same day, was reappointed again to the post a day later upon the recommendation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">It seems that the finance minister will face an uphill battle in his second stint to meet the targets set by himself in his first term in office.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Khatiwada was re-appointed to the post due to a strong backing from PM Oli despite strong opposition within the ruling Nepal Communist Party. In such context, Khatiwada&rsquo;s second stint at office seems to be quite challenging on top of poor capital expenditure and revenue collection as well as hosts of other financial problems including the a downcast private sector. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">He also has an added responsibility of protecting the country&rsquo;s economy from the widespread effects of coronavirus epidemic. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Although he pledged to fight against poverty, illiteracy and injustice soon after assuming his office on Wednesday (March 4), the road ahead is not smooth. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Khatiwada downsized the annual budget and the target of revenue collection in the mid-term review of the budget. However, he did not revise the economic growth target of 8.5 percent. Instead, he claimed that the government will meet its target of economic growth at any cost. Coronavirus outbreak is certain to play the spoilsport.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Likewise, the finance minister&rsquo;s claim that 80 percent of development budget will be spent during this fiscal year seems to be an unattainable target. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Speculations are rife that the country&rsquo;s economy is in a slowdown process as a ripple effect of decline in financing by BFIs to the private sector, which in turn has affected big infrastructure projects and also reduced the demand for iron and cement.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Meanwhile, the coronavirus epidemic is most likely to decrease the inflow of remittance. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">In such circumstances, the finance minister faces an improbable task of achieving the targets set earlier this year. </span></span></span></p>
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11713',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'World Bank Announces $12 Billion Support to Cope with the Effects of COVID-19',
			'sub_title' => 'The amount will be provided on fast-track basis with poor countries on priority list',
			'summary' => 'March 5: The World Bank has announced an initial package of of up to $12 billion in immediate support to assist countries coping with the health and economic impacts of the global outbreak of COVID-19. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">March 5: The World Bank has announced an initial package of of up to $12 billion in immediate support to assist countries coping with the health and economic impacts of the global outbreak of COVID-19. The World Bank made such announcement on Tuesday (March 3) as the epidemic reached more than 60 countries with over 3200 casualties, mostly in China where the disease is believed to have originated. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">According to the World Bank, this financing is designed to help member countries take effective action to respond to and, where possible, lessen the tragic impacts posed by the COVID-19 (coronavirus).&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">Through this new fast track package, the World Bank Group will help developing countries strengthen health systems, including better access to health services to safeguard people from the epidemic, strengthen disease surveillance, bolster public health interventions, and work with the private sector to reduce the impact on economies, it said in a statement. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">The financial package, with financing drawn from across IDA, IBRD and IFC, will be globally coordinated to support country-based responses.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">&ldquo;The COVID-19 support package will make available initial crisis resources of up to $12 billion in financing &mdash; $8 billion of which is new &mdash; on a fast track basis. This comprises up to $2.7 billion new financing from IBRD; $1.3 billion from IDA, complemented by reprioritization of $2 billion of the Bank&rsquo;s existing portfolio; and $6 billion from IFC,including $2 billion from existing trade facilities. It will also include policy advice and technical assistance drawing on global expertise and country-level knowledge,&rdquo; the statement said.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">&ldquo;We are working to provide a fast, flexible response based on developing country needs in dealing with the spread of COVID-19,&rdquo; said World Bank Group President David Malpass. &ldquo;This includes emergency financing, policy advice, and technical assistance, building on the World Bank Group&#39;s existing instruments and expertise to help countries respond to the crisis.&quot;</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">The financial package will provide grants and low-interest loans from IDA for low income countries and loans from IBRD for middle income countries, using all of the bank&rsquo;s operational instruments with processing accelerated on a fast track basis.&nbsp; International Finance Corporation, the World Bank Group&rsquo;s private sector arm, will provide its clients with the necessary support to continue operating and to sustain jobs.&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">The World Bank support will cover a range of interventions to strengthen health services and primary health care, bolster disease monitoring and reporting, train front line health workers, encourage community engagement to maintain public trust, and improve access to treatment for the poorest patients. The bank said it will also provide policy and technical advice to ensure countries can access global expertise.&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">The World Bank Group support will prioritize the poorest countries and those at high risk with low capacity, the statement further said. </span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11715',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'PM Oli's Health Stable After Successful Kidney Transplant Surgery   ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 5: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s kidney transplant was done successfully after a grueling four-hour surgery on Wednesday (March 4).',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">March 5: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli&rsquo;s kidney transplant was done successfully after a grueling four-hour surgery on Wednesday (March 4).</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Doctors involved in PM Oli&#39;s treatment said his key health indicators are normal following the &ldquo;successful kidney transplant&rdquo;.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Issuing a press statement after the completion of the kidney transplant surgery, the Tribhuvavn University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) informed that Prime Minister&#39;s health was stable and the new kidney had started functioning. Doctors said that the prime minister has already regained consciousness. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">The statement issued by TUTH executive director Prof Dr Prem Krishna Khadka further said that the prime minister is receiving treatment after being shifted to the post-operative transplant ward from the operation theater.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">This is the second time that the prime minister had a kidney transplant, following the first one 12 years ago. Oli&rsquo;s first kidney transplant was performed in India in 2007.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Prime Minister Oli was undergoing regular dialysis since the last four months after his transplanted kidney stopped functioning. He opted for kidney transplant for the second time as per the suggestions from doctors.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">PM Oli&rsquo;s niece Samikshya Sangroula donated her kidney to PM Oli. Her health condition is also said to be normal.</span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">A team of doctors consisting of Prof Dr Uttam Kumar Sharma, Prof Dr Prem Gyawali and Prof Dr Ananda Kumar had extracted a kidney from Sangraula.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">The prime minister&rsquo;s well-wishers had gathered on the hospital premises to express happiness after the successful completion of the kidney transplantation.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Prime Minister Oli was admitted to the hospital for kidney transplantation on March 2. </span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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			'id' => '11728',
			'article_category_id' => '266',
			'title' => 'NT Strengthens Mobile Data System   ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 8: Nepal Telecom (NT) has further strengthened its mobile data service by updating the GSM mobile service system. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">March 8: Nepal Telecom (NT) has further strengthened its mobile data service by updating the GSM mobile service system.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">As the company said, it has installed a new PCF system and its old customers have been migrated to an upgraded mechanism.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">According to NC spokesperson Rajesh Joshi, capacity of GSM technology under the PCRF system was not sufficient to operate wireless data service effectively so the service was strengthened by installing the new PCRF system. &#39;&#39;Now users have access to high speed data service,&#39;&#39; he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Users will receive an alert message if the 80 percent of data package amount gets finished amidst the use of data service, it is said. - RSS&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><br />
&nbsp;</p>
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			'id' => '11725',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Govt Urges Public not to Hasten in Reserving Essential Goods',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 8: The federal government has urged one and all not to hasten in depositing edible food stuffs being over sensitive of possible outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19).     ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">March 8: The federal government has urged one and all not to hasten in depositing edible food stuffs being over sensitive of possible outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19).&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">There would be no likelihood of food shortage in the present and in future as well, Ministry of Home Affairs said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Issuing a press statement on Saturday (March 7), the Ministry of Home Affairs has clarified that there was no food shortage in the market. The home ministry also warned that black marketing could arise if edible goods were disproportionally stored.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">The ministry has urged all to report to the government if any wrongdoings were found taking place in the market. The home ministry has said though there might be possible outbreak of coronavirus (Covid-19) in Nepal, the government has adopted tough safety measures to get people saved from the pandemic.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">The government has further urged all not to go in crowded places until and unless there was urgency.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Meanwhile, Salt Trading Corporation has clarified that there was no shortage of salt in the country. It has stated that salt reserve is already adequate to meet the needs of people in the country for upcoming 10 months. - RSS</span></span></span></p>
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			'image' => '20200308091402_1111.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-03-08 09:13:24',
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	(int) 2 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11726',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Minister Bhatta Warns of Action Against Anyone Creating Artificial Shortage of Daily Essentials   ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 8: Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supply Lekhraj Bhatta has warned of stern action against those trying to create artificial shortage of essential goods and petroleum products.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">March 8: Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supply Lekhraj Bhatta has warned of stern action against those trying to create artificial shortage of essential goods and petroleum products. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">The ministry reassured the public that there is no shortage of food stuffs, cooking gas and medicines at present but the situation can go out of hand if the people start hoarding.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Therefore, the ministry has urged one and all not to go after rumors and start keeping excessive stock of food and other daily essentials. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Organising a press conference at the ministry on Friday, Minister Bhatta said that the government has adequate stock of food stuffs and other essential goods which can last up to months. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">&ldquo;The government has adequate amount of food and medicines. Therefore, we urge everyone not to get carried away by false news and rumors,&rdquo; said the minister, adding, &quot;The government is closely monitoring the market so as to ensure smooth supply of essentials amidst fears of coronavirus.&quot; </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">According to the minister, the public is gripped by psychological fear and the actual problem seems to have been blown out of proportion. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">The ministry claimed that there is no shortage of petroleum products, salt, sugar, rice among other daily essentials. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Minister Bhatta said that the government-owned Food Management and Trade Company has a stock of 25,669 quintals of rice. According to him, the country has a stock of 68,354 kiloliters of petroleum products which can last for at least nine days.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">The government said that the concerned authorities have been instructed to increase the production of cooking gas in Kathmandu Valley from 30,000 cylinders per day to 44,000 in order to ensure smooth supply of cooking gas. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Minister Bhatta added that the government has formed various plans to curb coronavirus in case of a possible outbreak.</span></span></span></p>
',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2020-03-08',
			'modified' => '2020-03-08',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11477',
			'image' => '20200308093535_aaa.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-03-08 09:34:33',
			'homepage' => false,
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	(int) 3 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11731',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Payments Through LCs Decline',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 8: The halt in import of goods from China following the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has resulted in a decline in number of customers opening Letter of Credit (LC) at commercial banks.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 8: The halt in import of goods from China following the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has resulted in a decline in number of customers opening Letter of Credit (LC) at commercial banks.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to Nepal Rastra Bank, registration of LCs reduced by 20 percent as of mid-February. This has also affected revenue collection from the customs points.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Data show that goods worth Rs 6 billion were imported in Nepal through LCs opened at 27 commercial banks within the last three months. The import of goods through LCs during the corresponding period of last year was worth Rs 12 billion.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Analysts say the effects of reduction in the number of LCs will be seen six months later when there will be a decline in import of goods. &nbsp;</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">However, LCs are not the only medium through which businessmen make payment for goods imported from China.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The halt in import of goods from China has affected the income of banks, informed Himlal Poudel, spokesperson of Agriculture Development Bank.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&ldquo;Payment through LCs has stopped due to a halt in import. Coronavirus has affected economic activities, which finally affects the banking sector,&rdquo; said Poudel.</span></span></p>
',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2020-03-08',
			'modified' => '2020-03-08',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11476',
			'image' => '20200308115514_111.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-03-08 11:54:43',
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	(int) 4 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11729',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Weather to Improve Today',
			'sub_title' => 'Westerly Wind Brings Rainfall Across the Country   ',
			'summary' => 'March 8: The Meteorological Forecasting Division has forecast a fair weather on Sunday with exception of eastern Nepal, following rainfall across the country on Saturday.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 8: The Meteorological Forecasting Division has forecast a fair weather on Sunday with exception of eastern Nepal, following rainfall across the country on Saturday.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to the division, the weather will be partly to generally cloudy in the eastern part of the country and generally fair in the rest of the country on Sunday.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">On Monday, it will be partly to generally cloudy throughout the country with chances of brief rain in one or two places.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The country witnessed rainfall since Saturday morning today due to the influence of the westerly wind. Meteorologist Shanti Kandel said the Westerly wind entered Nepal since Friday, triggering rainfall throughout the country.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&quot;There is also the influence of the local wind along with the Westerly wind as it is the pre-monsoon time,&quot; RSS quoted her as saying. According to Kandel, rainfall will occur intermittently and not continuously.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Meanwhile, the high mountains and hills witnessed light to moderate snowfall on Saturday.</span></span></p>
',
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			'created' => '2020-03-08',
			'modified' => '2020-03-08',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11475',
			'image' => '20200308103325_aaaa.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-03-08 10:32:54',
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	(int) 5 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11723',
			'article_category_id' => '237',
			'title' => 'Pre-Order for Samsung Galaxy S20 and S20+ now Open in Nepal',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 5: Samsung Mobile Business Nepal has announced pre-order for Samsung Galaxy S20 and S20+ in Nepal. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">March 5: Samsung Mobile Business Nepal has announced pre-order for Samsung Galaxy S20 and S20+ in Nepal. The authorized distributor of Samsung smartphones for Nepal announced the pre-order on February 26 which aims help customers to order the most awaited Galaxy S20, Samsung&rsquo;s latest series of flagship smartphones. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">The company believes that this new series of smartphone is designed to fundamentally change the way of capturing and experiencing the world.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">In a statement the company stated that the consumer launch of S20, S20+ will be held on March 13. &ldquo;There is exciting news for the pre-ordering customers as they will receive it even prior to the product launch,&rdquo; the statement added.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&nbsp;<span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">As mentioned by the company, the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20+ will be available for Rs 107,499 and Rs 119,499 respectively. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Galaxy S20 series comes with the world&rsquo;s first camera innovations allowing stunning image and video quality, the company claimed. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">&ldquo;They are designed to change the way we capture our lives and tell our stories.&rdquo;</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Pranaya Ratna Sthapit, head of Samsung mobile business Nepal informed that Samsung Galaxy S20 and S20+ re-imagines videography and photography and the technologies along with the sensors featured in this series of flagship devices allow the users to capture videos and photos with relatively ease.&nbsp;</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:SamsungIFRg">&ldquo;At Samsung, it&rsquo;s our endeavor to deliver new experiences to our consumers,&rdquo; he assured.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Galaxy S20 introduces an entirely new camera system&mdash;powered by AI and with Samsung&rsquo;s biggest image sensor to bring out the best in every image and every moment.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&nbsp;<span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Both Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20+ are equipped with 64MP camera and come with larger sensors for great photography.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">The company claims that Galaxy S20 is the only smartphone in the world to offer stunning 8K video recording. The video shot can be streamed on Samsung QLED 8K which allows the user to enjoy best-in-class viewing experience or to grab a still photo from an 8K video and turn it into a high-resolution photo.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Galaxy S20 and S20+ can be pre-ordered by depositing Rs 5,000 in any Samsung store around Nepal during the pre-order period starting February 26. S20 comes in Cosmic Gray and Cloud Blue colours. S20+ comes in three colors - </span><span style="font-family:&quot;SamsungOne400&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Cosmic Black, Cosmic Gray and Cloud Blue.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Customers upon pre-order can enjoy single time breakage insurance on their set for 12 months. The smartphones are also available in easy EMI service scheme of various banks.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Customers pre-ordering S20+ can receive either Galaxy Buds+ for free or Samsung 32&quot; TV for Rs 5,999. Similarly, pre-borderers of S20 will receive any of&nbsp; Galaxy Buds+ for Rs 2,999 or Samsung 32&quot; TV for Rs 2,999.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Besides this, pre-orderers will also be eligible for lucky draw where lucky winners will get one Business Class round trip ticket from Turkish Airlines, Galaxy Watch Active2, two nights stay at Himalayan Front Hotel or Waterfront Resort by KGH Group on BB basis, or coupon worth Rs 5,000 from Let Me In.</span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
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			'description' => '',
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	(int) 6 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11722',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Government Studying Impacts of Coronavirus on Nepal’s Economy',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => '',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 6: The government has started studying the impacts of coronavrius on the country&rsquo;s economy. Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada, who is also the government spokesperson, informed that the government has already formed a task force which has been studying the impacts.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Speaking at a regular press meet at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology on Thursday, Minister Khatiwada said that Nepal Rastra Bank has also been studying the impacts of the deadly disease on Nepal&rsquo;s economy separately.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to the minister, Nepal&rsquo;s economy has witnessed slight glitches while the global epidemic is yet to cause any adverse effects here so far.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">He further said that the government is currently studying the impacts and has not yet decided to announce relief packages.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Secretary at the ministry Uttar Kumar Khatri also said that the government is not yet ready to announce relief packages but has adopted high alertness about the possible effects of the disease on the national economy.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Officials at the Ministry of Finance opine that the government might include relief packages in the upcoming budget as they have already started making preparations for the annual budget.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Meanwhile, unveiling the mid-term review of the monetary policy, the central bank said on Monday that the government might not meet its target of economic growth as a result of coronavirus outbreak this year. Officials at the central bank said that they have decided to identify the sectors affected by coronavirus and extend additional loans to those sectors to help them cope with the effects of the deadly disease.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The effects of coronavirus have started taking toll on Nepal&rsquo;s economy with the disease fast spreading across the globe. The tourism sector of Nepal has been affected the most while the trade between Nepal and China has come to a grinding halt.</span></span></p>
',
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			'created' => '2020-03-06',
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	(int) 7 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11721',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Government to Request India not to Halt Supplies of Medicines',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 6: The Government of Nepal has decided to request the Indian government not to halt the supplies of medicines and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to Nepal.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 6: The Government of Nepal has decided to request the Indian government not to halt the supplies of medicines and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to Nepal.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A high-level coordination committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister Ishwar Pokharel has decided to write to Indian authorities not to halt supplies of life saving drugs in the wake of coronavirus outbreak across the globe.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada informed during a regular press meet on Thursday that the government has decided to write letter to the Indian government in this regard.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">He further said that there is no need to panic as there is adequate stock of medicines for the time being. However, the minister said that the government decided to solicit support from India to ensure that there is no shortage of medicines in the future as the global supplier plans to restrict export of medicines.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Minister Khatiwada also said that the government is collaborating with the private sector to increase the production of face masks to ward off coronavirus.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Nepal is chiefly dependent on India and China for medicines and APIs. &nbsp;</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The global supply of medicines has been threatened due to the coronavirus outbreak as China, the chief supplier of APIs has stopped exporting the raw materials to India and other countries.</span></span></p>
',
			'published' => true,
			'created' => '2020-03-06',
			'modified' => '2020-03-06',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
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			'image' => '20200306114347_aaaa.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-03-06 11:43:19',
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	(int) 8 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11720',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Hotels in Nepal Start Giving Paid Leave to Employees',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 6: Hotels across the country have started giving paid leave to their staff due to the slump in business caused by the coronavirus outbreak across the globe.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 6: Hotels across the country have started giving paid leave to their staff due to the slump in business caused by the coronavirus outbreak across the globe.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Especially, star-rated hotels of the capital have laid off their staff temporarily on paid leave to adjust to the current situation. Some hotels have started capacity development training for their employees during the slowdown of business.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Many star hotels and tourist areas have started wearing deserted looks in lack of visitors, most of whom have stopped travelling due to fears of contracting the deadly disease which has already killed over 3200 people mostly in China where the virus originated.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Hotel occupancy during this period of year used to be around 80 percent in the previous years. This had dropped to 35 percent at present. Hotel entrepreneurs have informed that cancellation of bookings is also increasing every day.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">As a result, hotel employees have had to stay idle in otherwise busy season. Therefore, the hotel entrepreneurs started giving them paid leave.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Normally, hotels employees can enjoy 45 days of paid leave throughout a year during normal circumstances. But this time, the hotels have started giving them such leave at once. Hotel entrepreneurs are yet to decide whether to extend their leave or not once the leave period comes to an end.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Mostly, star hotels of Nepal are chiefly dependent on foreign tourists. It is not possible to sustain the hotels with income generated from domestic tourists. However, tourist arrival has been witnessed a nosedive due to the widespread fear of coronavirus, which has now spread across the globe. Many countries have issued travel advisories to their citizens not to travel abroad during such a risky period.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Nepal has also decided not to issue on-arrival visas to passengers arriving from five countries which have been severely affected by coronavirus.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Coronavirus outbreak has not only affected Nepal&rsquo;s hotel business but has caused cancellation of hotel bookings worldwide.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) President Shreejana Rana said that the association has urged its members to approve &lsquo;pending leave&rsquo; to their staffers.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&ldquo;Coronavirus has not only affected the hotel business in Nepal but across the world,&rdquo; she said.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&ldquo;We are helpless at the moment,&rdquo; she added.</span></span></p>
',
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	(int) 9 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11724',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Huawei Launches its Own App Gallery',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 5: Huawei has launched its own App Gallery as the Chinese technology giant fight backs against the ban imposed by the USA last year.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 5: Huawei has launched its own App Gallery as the Chinese technology giant fights back&nbsp;against the ban imposed by the USA last year.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The company, which faces accusation of security risk from the US, said in a statement that it launched the new app with the motive to build a secure and reliable mobile apps ecosystem.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&ldquo;Our vision is to make Huawei App Gallery an open, innovative app distribution platform easily accessible to all our customers. Besides, we aim to strictly protect users&rsquo; privacy and security while providing them with a unique and smart experience,&rdquo; Huawei said in a statement.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Huawei said its AppGallery is now available in over 170 countries/regions with 400 million monthly active users, covering mainstream apps and services worldwide. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&nbsp;&ldquo;Privacy, under your control has always been at the heart of our philosophy,&rdquo; Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei Consumer Business Group commented during the launching ceremony. He additionally affirmed that privacy protection and cyber security is the top-most priorities of Huwawei&rsquo;s business operations. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&ldquo;We will strictly implement them in all phases of our products. We also have the strictest privacy and cyber security solutions in Huawei AppGallery,&rdquo; he said.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Huawei has hundreds of millions of users worldwide, laying a solid foundation for the development of the ecosystem. Together with HMS Core, which opens a variety of Huawei software and hardware capabilities, Huawei is en-route to providing the best and innovative application experience for its users. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In a statement the company informed that its AppGallery deploys the highest level of verification to isolate and protect users&rsquo; sensitive data and privacy. Personally-sensitive information &ndash; such as biometric data &ndash; will never be processed outside the Huawei device, giving the user complete control over their personal data, the statement added. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The US had passed a bill at the end of 2018 preventing the federal government and its agencies from doing business with the Chinese technology giant, Huawei. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Newstatesman reported that the company, along with several dozen subsidiaries and affiliates, was added to the US&rsquo;s &ldquo;entity list&rdquo; in 2019, severely restricting US companies&rsquo; ability to do business with one of the world&rsquo;s largest telecommunications equipment firms. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to the BBC, US telecommunications regulators declared Huawei and ZTE national security threats in November.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Reuters reported that US President Donald Trump did not want to do business with Huawei &ldquo;at all&rdquo; due to &ldquo;national security concerns.&rdquo;</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">However, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson granted Huawei a limited role in Britain&rsquo;s 5G mobile network in late January, frustrating a global attempt by the United States to exclude the Chinese telecoms giant from the West&rsquo;s next-generation communications.</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A British official, according to Reuters, said excluding Huawei would have delayed 5G and cost consumers more, echoing warnings from the telecoms industry.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Britain&rsquo;s move vindicated the fact that 5G&rsquo;s much faster data speeds and increased capacity will make it the foundation stone of many industries and a driver of economic growth.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&ldquo;In what some have compared to the Cold War antagonism with the Soviet Union, the United States is worried that 5G dominance is a milestone towards Chinese technological supremacy that could define the geopolitics of the 21st century,&rdquo; Reuters reported.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Huawei, the world&rsquo;s biggest producer of telecoms equipment, has said the United States wants to frustrate its growth because no US company could offer the same range of technology at a competitive price.</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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			'sortorder' => '11470',
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	(int) 10 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11718',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Tourism Ministry Instructs Forming “Action Teams” to Prevent Coronavirus Outbreak',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 5: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai has instructed the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) and the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) to form “action teams” to study the possible effects of coronavirus on the tourism sector of Nepal and to suggest preventive measures to the government.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 5: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai has instructed the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) and the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) to form &ldquo;action teams&rdquo; to study the possible effects of coronavirus on the tourism sector of Nepal and to suggest preventive measures to the government.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Minister Bhattarai issued such directive on Wednesday during a discussion with the concerned departments over the possible impacts of coronavirus and ways to deal with them.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The minister also urged the departments to write to the ministry if there is any need for policy-level decisions. He said that the ministry will form a team headed by the secretary to deal with the issue.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">He also urged the concerned departments to give their suggestions within three days regarding the possible impact of coronavirus on the tourism sector and the steps government should take as counter measures.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Minister Bhattarai also informed that the government has initiated the process to set up health desks at other domestic airports where the inflow of tourists is high.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Meanwhile, Secretary at the Ministry for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Kedar Bahadur Adhikari said that the ministry will take appropriate steps to prevent the outbreak of coronavirus in Nepal in coordination with other line ministries.</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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			'article_date' => '2020-03-05 12:16:59',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11716',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'COVID-19 Fallout: Sauraha Hotels Start Cutting Down Staff   ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 5: Hotels in Sauraha, a major tourist area in Chitwan, have started sending their staff on leave after the fall in the number of visitors due to the fear of coronavirus (COVID-19).    ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 5: Hotels in Sauraha, a major tourist area in Chitwan, have started sending their staff on leave after the fall in the number of visitors due to the fear of coronavirus (COVID-19).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The current rate of occupancy of hotels here is only 15 to 20 per cent.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Regional Hotel Association Sauraha president Deepak Bhattarai said there was almost 90 per cent hotel booking around this period last year. He added that although hotel occupancy is now 20 per cent as domestic events and programmes are taking place, this would drastically go down after a few days.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">There are only some European, Indian and Nepali tourists in Sauraha at present. All the advance bookings have been cancelled.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to Bhattarai, around half the hotels in Sauraha have sent 50 per cent of their staff on leave with the dwindling number of visitors and hotel bookings. The hotels here employ employees ranging from 10 to 70. Some more hotels are said to be preparing to send half of their staff on leave. Staff staying on leave are paid half their salary.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Before this, the hotels here used to send their employees on leave like this until 10 years back during the lean period in the rainy season.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Bhattarai said that although the hotels did not come across this problem in the recent years, now they are facing the problem due to the fear of COVID-19.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The association&#39;s immediate past president Suman Ghimire said the hotel operators were not in a position to pay the bank loans and the interest.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Ghimire believes that more than Rs 8 billion has been invested in the hotel industry in Sauraha. This investment does not include the land property. It is said the hotels have equal amount in bank loans.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Hotel entrepreneurs are facing hard time to pay loans and interests and are worried about being blacklisted by banks as trade suffers due to the fear of the virus, he said. Businesspersons should be given additional deadline to pay loans and interests, according to Ghimire.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Chinese travel agents are yet to make payments, said tourism entrepreneurs. Earlier, Sauraha suffered trade after being hit by many factors like the Maoist insurgency, the earthquake of 2015 and a border blockade.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This time, the infection may affect trade here the most, said tourism entrepreneurs. Even domestic tourists fear visiting Sauraha due to the risk of infection, said Ghimire. The government has also requested people not to organise gatherings and programmes in view of the virus that has hit China hard.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">As a result of this, Sauraha which mostly receives Chinese tourists has been affected the most.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Tourism sector ranging from big hotels, restaurants, shops and jungle safari etc in Sauraha have been severely affected, resulting in decline in revenue collection.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; - RSS</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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	(int) 12 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11714',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Finance Minister Faces Mounting Challenges in his Second Innings ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 5: Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada, who had resigned from his post after his two-year term as National Assembly member expired the same day, was reappointed again to the post a day later upon the recommendation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">March 5: Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada, who had resigned from his post after his two-year term as National Assembly member expired the same day, was reappointed again to the post a day later upon the recommendation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">It seems that the finance minister will face an uphill battle in his second stint to meet the targets set by himself in his first term in office.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Khatiwada was re-appointed to the post due to a strong backing from PM Oli despite strong opposition within the ruling Nepal Communist Party. In such context, Khatiwada&rsquo;s second stint at office seems to be quite challenging on top of poor capital expenditure and revenue collection as well as hosts of other financial problems including the a downcast private sector. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">He also has an added responsibility of protecting the country&rsquo;s economy from the widespread effects of coronavirus epidemic. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Although he pledged to fight against poverty, illiteracy and injustice soon after assuming his office on Wednesday (March 4), the road ahead is not smooth. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Khatiwada downsized the annual budget and the target of revenue collection in the mid-term review of the budget. However, he did not revise the economic growth target of 8.5 percent. Instead, he claimed that the government will meet its target of economic growth at any cost. Coronavirus outbreak is certain to play the spoilsport.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Likewise, the finance minister&rsquo;s claim that 80 percent of development budget will be spent during this fiscal year seems to be an unattainable target. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Speculations are rife that the country&rsquo;s economy is in a slowdown process as a ripple effect of decline in financing by BFIs to the private sector, which in turn has affected big infrastructure projects and also reduced the demand for iron and cement.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Meanwhile, the coronavirus epidemic is most likely to decrease the inflow of remittance. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">In such circumstances, the finance minister faces an improbable task of achieving the targets set earlier this year. </span></span></span></p>
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	(int) 13 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11713',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'World Bank Announces $12 Billion Support to Cope with the Effects of COVID-19',
			'sub_title' => 'The amount will be provided on fast-track basis with poor countries on priority list',
			'summary' => 'March 5: The World Bank has announced an initial package of of up to $12 billion in immediate support to assist countries coping with the health and economic impacts of the global outbreak of COVID-19. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">March 5: The World Bank has announced an initial package of of up to $12 billion in immediate support to assist countries coping with the health and economic impacts of the global outbreak of COVID-19. The World Bank made such announcement on Tuesday (March 3) as the epidemic reached more than 60 countries with over 3200 casualties, mostly in China where the disease is believed to have originated. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">According to the World Bank, this financing is designed to help member countries take effective action to respond to and, where possible, lessen the tragic impacts posed by the COVID-19 (coronavirus).&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">Through this new fast track package, the World Bank Group will help developing countries strengthen health systems, including better access to health services to safeguard people from the epidemic, strengthen disease surveillance, bolster public health interventions, and work with the private sector to reduce the impact on economies, it said in a statement. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">The financial package, with financing drawn from across IDA, IBRD and IFC, will be globally coordinated to support country-based responses.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">&ldquo;The COVID-19 support package will make available initial crisis resources of up to $12 billion in financing &mdash; $8 billion of which is new &mdash; on a fast track basis. This comprises up to $2.7 billion new financing from IBRD; $1.3 billion from IDA, complemented by reprioritization of $2 billion of the Bank&rsquo;s existing portfolio; and $6 billion from IFC,including $2 billion from existing trade facilities. It will also include policy advice and technical assistance drawing on global expertise and country-level knowledge,&rdquo; the statement said.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">&ldquo;We are working to provide a fast, flexible response based on developing country needs in dealing with the spread of COVID-19,&rdquo; said World Bank Group President David Malpass. &ldquo;This includes emergency financing, policy advice, and technical assistance, building on the World Bank Group&#39;s existing instruments and expertise to help countries respond to the crisis.&quot;</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">The financial package will provide grants and low-interest loans from IDA for low income countries and loans from IBRD for middle income countries, using all of the bank&rsquo;s operational instruments with processing accelerated on a fast track basis.&nbsp; International Finance Corporation, the World Bank Group&rsquo;s private sector arm, will provide its clients with the necessary support to continue operating and to sustain jobs.&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">The World Bank support will cover a range of interventions to strengthen health services and primary health care, bolster disease monitoring and reporting, train front line health workers, encourage community engagement to maintain public trust, and improve access to treatment for the poorest patients. The bank said it will also provide policy and technical advice to ensure countries can access global expertise.&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">The World Bank Group support will prioritize the poorest countries and those at high risk with low capacity, the statement further said. </span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11715',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'PM Oli's Health Stable After Successful Kidney Transplant Surgery   ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 5: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s kidney transplant was done successfully after a grueling four-hour surgery on Wednesday (March 4).',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">March 5: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli&rsquo;s kidney transplant was done successfully after a grueling four-hour surgery on Wednesday (March 4).</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Doctors involved in PM Oli&#39;s treatment said his key health indicators are normal following the &ldquo;successful kidney transplant&rdquo;.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Issuing a press statement after the completion of the kidney transplant surgery, the Tribhuvavn University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) informed that Prime Minister&#39;s health was stable and the new kidney had started functioning. Doctors said that the prime minister has already regained consciousness. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">The statement issued by TUTH executive director Prof Dr Prem Krishna Khadka further said that the prime minister is receiving treatment after being shifted to the post-operative transplant ward from the operation theater.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">This is the second time that the prime minister had a kidney transplant, following the first one 12 years ago. Oli&rsquo;s first kidney transplant was performed in India in 2007.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Prime Minister Oli was undergoing regular dialysis since the last four months after his transplanted kidney stopped functioning. He opted for kidney transplant for the second time as per the suggestions from doctors.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">PM Oli&rsquo;s niece Samikshya Sangroula donated her kidney to PM Oli. Her health condition is also said to be normal.</span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">A team of doctors consisting of Prof Dr Uttam Kumar Sharma, Prof Dr Prem Gyawali and Prof Dr Ananda Kumar had extracted a kidney from Sangraula.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">The prime minister&rsquo;s well-wishers had gathered on the hospital premises to express happiness after the successful completion of the kidney transplantation.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Prime Minister Oli was admitted to the hospital for kidney transplantation on March 2. </span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200
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[main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117

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			'id' => '11728',
			'article_category_id' => '266',
			'title' => 'NT Strengthens Mobile Data System   ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 8: Nepal Telecom (NT) has further strengthened its mobile data service by updating the GSM mobile service system. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">March 8: Nepal Telecom (NT) has further strengthened its mobile data service by updating the GSM mobile service system.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">As the company said, it has installed a new PCF system and its old customers have been migrated to an upgraded mechanism.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">According to NC spokesperson Rajesh Joshi, capacity of GSM technology under the PCRF system was not sufficient to operate wireless data service effectively so the service was strengthened by installing the new PCRF system. &#39;&#39;Now users have access to high speed data service,&#39;&#39; he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Users will receive an alert message if the 80 percent of data package amount gets finished amidst the use of data service, it is said. - RSS&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><br />
&nbsp;</p>
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			'created' => '2020-03-08',
			'modified' => '2020-03-08',
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			'sortorder' => '11479',
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			'article_date' => '2020-03-08 10:13:21',
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			'id' => '11725',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Govt Urges Public not to Hasten in Reserving Essential Goods',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 8: The federal government has urged one and all not to hasten in depositing edible food stuffs being over sensitive of possible outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19).     ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">March 8: The federal government has urged one and all not to hasten in depositing edible food stuffs being over sensitive of possible outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19).&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">There would be no likelihood of food shortage in the present and in future as well, Ministry of Home Affairs said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Issuing a press statement on Saturday (March 7), the Ministry of Home Affairs has clarified that there was no food shortage in the market. The home ministry also warned that black marketing could arise if edible goods were disproportionally stored.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">The ministry has urged all to report to the government if any wrongdoings were found taking place in the market. The home ministry has said though there might be possible outbreak of coronavirus (Covid-19) in Nepal, the government has adopted tough safety measures to get people saved from the pandemic.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">The government has further urged all not to go in crowded places until and unless there was urgency.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Meanwhile, Salt Trading Corporation has clarified that there was no shortage of salt in the country. It has stated that salt reserve is already adequate to meet the needs of people in the country for upcoming 10 months. - RSS</span></span></span></p>
',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11726',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Minister Bhatta Warns of Action Against Anyone Creating Artificial Shortage of Daily Essentials   ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 8: Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supply Lekhraj Bhatta has warned of stern action against those trying to create artificial shortage of essential goods and petroleum products.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">March 8: Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supply Lekhraj Bhatta has warned of stern action against those trying to create artificial shortage of essential goods and petroleum products. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">The ministry reassured the public that there is no shortage of food stuffs, cooking gas and medicines at present but the situation can go out of hand if the people start hoarding.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Therefore, the ministry has urged one and all not to go after rumors and start keeping excessive stock of food and other daily essentials. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Organising a press conference at the ministry on Friday, Minister Bhatta said that the government has adequate stock of food stuffs and other essential goods which can last up to months. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">&ldquo;The government has adequate amount of food and medicines. Therefore, we urge everyone not to get carried away by false news and rumors,&rdquo; said the minister, adding, &quot;The government is closely monitoring the market so as to ensure smooth supply of essentials amidst fears of coronavirus.&quot; </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">According to the minister, the public is gripped by psychological fear and the actual problem seems to have been blown out of proportion. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">The ministry claimed that there is no shortage of petroleum products, salt, sugar, rice among other daily essentials. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Minister Bhatta said that the government-owned Food Management and Trade Company has a stock of 25,669 quintals of rice. According to him, the country has a stock of 68,354 kiloliters of petroleum products which can last for at least nine days.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">The government said that the concerned authorities have been instructed to increase the production of cooking gas in Kathmandu Valley from 30,000 cylinders per day to 44,000 in order to ensure smooth supply of cooking gas. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Minister Bhatta added that the government has formed various plans to curb coronavirus in case of a possible outbreak.</span></span></span></p>
',
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			'sortorder' => '11477',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11731',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Payments Through LCs Decline',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 8: The halt in import of goods from China following the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has resulted in a decline in number of customers opening Letter of Credit (LC) at commercial banks.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 8: The halt in import of goods from China following the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has resulted in a decline in number of customers opening Letter of Credit (LC) at commercial banks.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to Nepal Rastra Bank, registration of LCs reduced by 20 percent as of mid-February. This has also affected revenue collection from the customs points.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Data show that goods worth Rs 6 billion were imported in Nepal through LCs opened at 27 commercial banks within the last three months. The import of goods through LCs during the corresponding period of last year was worth Rs 12 billion.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Analysts say the effects of reduction in the number of LCs will be seen six months later when there will be a decline in import of goods. &nbsp;</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">However, LCs are not the only medium through which businessmen make payment for goods imported from China.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The halt in import of goods from China has affected the income of banks, informed Himlal Poudel, spokesperson of Agriculture Development Bank.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&ldquo;Payment through LCs has stopped due to a halt in import. Coronavirus has affected economic activities, which finally affects the banking sector,&rdquo; said Poudel.</span></span></p>
',
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			'created' => '2020-03-08',
			'modified' => '2020-03-08',
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			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11476',
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			'article_date' => '2020-03-08 11:54:43',
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11729',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Weather to Improve Today',
			'sub_title' => 'Westerly Wind Brings Rainfall Across the Country   ',
			'summary' => 'March 8: The Meteorological Forecasting Division has forecast a fair weather on Sunday with exception of eastern Nepal, following rainfall across the country on Saturday.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 8: The Meteorological Forecasting Division has forecast a fair weather on Sunday with exception of eastern Nepal, following rainfall across the country on Saturday.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to the division, the weather will be partly to generally cloudy in the eastern part of the country and generally fair in the rest of the country on Sunday.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">On Monday, it will be partly to generally cloudy throughout the country with chances of brief rain in one or two places.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The country witnessed rainfall since Saturday morning today due to the influence of the westerly wind. Meteorologist Shanti Kandel said the Westerly wind entered Nepal since Friday, triggering rainfall throughout the country.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&quot;There is also the influence of the local wind along with the Westerly wind as it is the pre-monsoon time,&quot; RSS quoted her as saying. According to Kandel, rainfall will occur intermittently and not continuously.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Meanwhile, the high mountains and hills witnessed light to moderate snowfall on Saturday.</span></span></p>
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			'sortorder' => '11475',
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	(int) 5 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11723',
			'article_category_id' => '237',
			'title' => 'Pre-Order for Samsung Galaxy S20 and S20+ now Open in Nepal',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 5: Samsung Mobile Business Nepal has announced pre-order for Samsung Galaxy S20 and S20+ in Nepal. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">March 5: Samsung Mobile Business Nepal has announced pre-order for Samsung Galaxy S20 and S20+ in Nepal. The authorized distributor of Samsung smartphones for Nepal announced the pre-order on February 26 which aims help customers to order the most awaited Galaxy S20, Samsung&rsquo;s latest series of flagship smartphones. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">The company believes that this new series of smartphone is designed to fundamentally change the way of capturing and experiencing the world.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">In a statement the company stated that the consumer launch of S20, S20+ will be held on March 13. &ldquo;There is exciting news for the pre-ordering customers as they will receive it even prior to the product launch,&rdquo; the statement added.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&nbsp;<span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">As mentioned by the company, the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20+ will be available for Rs 107,499 and Rs 119,499 respectively. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Galaxy S20 series comes with the world&rsquo;s first camera innovations allowing stunning image and video quality, the company claimed. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">&ldquo;They are designed to change the way we capture our lives and tell our stories.&rdquo;</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Pranaya Ratna Sthapit, head of Samsung mobile business Nepal informed that Samsung Galaxy S20 and S20+ re-imagines videography and photography and the technologies along with the sensors featured in this series of flagship devices allow the users to capture videos and photos with relatively ease.&nbsp;</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:SamsungIFRg">&ldquo;At Samsung, it&rsquo;s our endeavor to deliver new experiences to our consumers,&rdquo; he assured.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Galaxy S20 introduces an entirely new camera system&mdash;powered by AI and with Samsung&rsquo;s biggest image sensor to bring out the best in every image and every moment.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&nbsp;<span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Both Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20+ are equipped with 64MP camera and come with larger sensors for great photography.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">The company claims that Galaxy S20 is the only smartphone in the world to offer stunning 8K video recording. The video shot can be streamed on Samsung QLED 8K which allows the user to enjoy best-in-class viewing experience or to grab a still photo from an 8K video and turn it into a high-resolution photo.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Galaxy S20 and S20+ can be pre-ordered by depositing Rs 5,000 in any Samsung store around Nepal during the pre-order period starting February 26. S20 comes in Cosmic Gray and Cloud Blue colours. S20+ comes in three colors - </span><span style="font-family:&quot;SamsungOne400&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Cosmic Black, Cosmic Gray and Cloud Blue.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Customers upon pre-order can enjoy single time breakage insurance on their set for 12 months. The smartphones are also available in easy EMI service scheme of various banks.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Customers pre-ordering S20+ can receive either Galaxy Buds+ for free or Samsung 32&quot; TV for Rs 5,999. Similarly, pre-borderers of S20 will receive any of&nbsp; Galaxy Buds+ for Rs 2,999 or Samsung 32&quot; TV for Rs 2,999.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Besides this, pre-orderers will also be eligible for lucky draw where lucky winners will get one Business Class round trip ticket from Turkish Airlines, Galaxy Watch Active2, two nights stay at Himalayan Front Hotel or Waterfront Resort by KGH Group on BB basis, or coupon worth Rs 5,000 from Let Me In.</span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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	(int) 6 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11722',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Government Studying Impacts of Coronavirus on Nepal’s Economy',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => '',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 6: The government has started studying the impacts of coronavrius on the country&rsquo;s economy. Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada, who is also the government spokesperson, informed that the government has already formed a task force which has been studying the impacts.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Speaking at a regular press meet at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology on Thursday, Minister Khatiwada said that Nepal Rastra Bank has also been studying the impacts of the deadly disease on Nepal&rsquo;s economy separately.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to the minister, Nepal&rsquo;s economy has witnessed slight glitches while the global epidemic is yet to cause any adverse effects here so far.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">He further said that the government is currently studying the impacts and has not yet decided to announce relief packages.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Secretary at the ministry Uttar Kumar Khatri also said that the government is not yet ready to announce relief packages but has adopted high alertness about the possible effects of the disease on the national economy.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Officials at the Ministry of Finance opine that the government might include relief packages in the upcoming budget as they have already started making preparations for the annual budget.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Meanwhile, unveiling the mid-term review of the monetary policy, the central bank said on Monday that the government might not meet its target of economic growth as a result of coronavirus outbreak this year. Officials at the central bank said that they have decided to identify the sectors affected by coronavirus and extend additional loans to those sectors to help them cope with the effects of the deadly disease.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The effects of coronavirus have started taking toll on Nepal&rsquo;s economy with the disease fast spreading across the globe. The tourism sector of Nepal has been affected the most while the trade between Nepal and China has come to a grinding halt.</span></span></p>
',
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	(int) 7 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11721',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Government to Request India not to Halt Supplies of Medicines',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 6: The Government of Nepal has decided to request the Indian government not to halt the supplies of medicines and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to Nepal.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 6: The Government of Nepal has decided to request the Indian government not to halt the supplies of medicines and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to Nepal.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A high-level coordination committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister Ishwar Pokharel has decided to write to Indian authorities not to halt supplies of life saving drugs in the wake of coronavirus outbreak across the globe.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada informed during a regular press meet on Thursday that the government has decided to write letter to the Indian government in this regard.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">He further said that there is no need to panic as there is adequate stock of medicines for the time being. However, the minister said that the government decided to solicit support from India to ensure that there is no shortage of medicines in the future as the global supplier plans to restrict export of medicines.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Minister Khatiwada also said that the government is collaborating with the private sector to increase the production of face masks to ward off coronavirus.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Nepal is chiefly dependent on India and China for medicines and APIs. &nbsp;</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The global supply of medicines has been threatened due to the coronavirus outbreak as China, the chief supplier of APIs has stopped exporting the raw materials to India and other countries.</span></span></p>
',
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			'created' => '2020-03-06',
			'modified' => '2020-03-06',
			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11472',
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			'article_date' => '2020-03-06 11:43:19',
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	(int) 8 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11720',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Hotels in Nepal Start Giving Paid Leave to Employees',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 6: Hotels across the country have started giving paid leave to their staff due to the slump in business caused by the coronavirus outbreak across the globe.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 6: Hotels across the country have started giving paid leave to their staff due to the slump in business caused by the coronavirus outbreak across the globe.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Especially, star-rated hotels of the capital have laid off their staff temporarily on paid leave to adjust to the current situation. Some hotels have started capacity development training for their employees during the slowdown of business.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Many star hotels and tourist areas have started wearing deserted looks in lack of visitors, most of whom have stopped travelling due to fears of contracting the deadly disease which has already killed over 3200 people mostly in China where the virus originated.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Hotel occupancy during this period of year used to be around 80 percent in the previous years. This had dropped to 35 percent at present. Hotel entrepreneurs have informed that cancellation of bookings is also increasing every day.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">As a result, hotel employees have had to stay idle in otherwise busy season. Therefore, the hotel entrepreneurs started giving them paid leave.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Normally, hotels employees can enjoy 45 days of paid leave throughout a year during normal circumstances. But this time, the hotels have started giving them such leave at once. Hotel entrepreneurs are yet to decide whether to extend their leave or not once the leave period comes to an end.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Mostly, star hotels of Nepal are chiefly dependent on foreign tourists. It is not possible to sustain the hotels with income generated from domestic tourists. However, tourist arrival has been witnessed a nosedive due to the widespread fear of coronavirus, which has now spread across the globe. Many countries have issued travel advisories to their citizens not to travel abroad during such a risky period.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Nepal has also decided not to issue on-arrival visas to passengers arriving from five countries which have been severely affected by coronavirus.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Coronavirus outbreak has not only affected Nepal&rsquo;s hotel business but has caused cancellation of hotel bookings worldwide.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) President Shreejana Rana said that the association has urged its members to approve &lsquo;pending leave&rsquo; to their staffers.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&ldquo;Coronavirus has not only affected the hotel business in Nepal but across the world,&rdquo; she said.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&ldquo;We are helpless at the moment,&rdquo; she added.</span></span></p>
',
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	(int) 9 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11724',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Huawei Launches its Own App Gallery',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 5: Huawei has launched its own App Gallery as the Chinese technology giant fight backs against the ban imposed by the USA last year.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 5: Huawei has launched its own App Gallery as the Chinese technology giant fights back&nbsp;against the ban imposed by the USA last year.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The company, which faces accusation of security risk from the US, said in a statement that it launched the new app with the motive to build a secure and reliable mobile apps ecosystem.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&ldquo;Our vision is to make Huawei App Gallery an open, innovative app distribution platform easily accessible to all our customers. Besides, we aim to strictly protect users&rsquo; privacy and security while providing them with a unique and smart experience,&rdquo; Huawei said in a statement.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Huawei said its AppGallery is now available in over 170 countries/regions with 400 million monthly active users, covering mainstream apps and services worldwide. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&nbsp;&ldquo;Privacy, under your control has always been at the heart of our philosophy,&rdquo; Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei Consumer Business Group commented during the launching ceremony. He additionally affirmed that privacy protection and cyber security is the top-most priorities of Huwawei&rsquo;s business operations. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&ldquo;We will strictly implement them in all phases of our products. We also have the strictest privacy and cyber security solutions in Huawei AppGallery,&rdquo; he said.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Huawei has hundreds of millions of users worldwide, laying a solid foundation for the development of the ecosystem. Together with HMS Core, which opens a variety of Huawei software and hardware capabilities, Huawei is en-route to providing the best and innovative application experience for its users. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In a statement the company informed that its AppGallery deploys the highest level of verification to isolate and protect users&rsquo; sensitive data and privacy. Personally-sensitive information &ndash; such as biometric data &ndash; will never be processed outside the Huawei device, giving the user complete control over their personal data, the statement added. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The US had passed a bill at the end of 2018 preventing the federal government and its agencies from doing business with the Chinese technology giant, Huawei. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Newstatesman reported that the company, along with several dozen subsidiaries and affiliates, was added to the US&rsquo;s &ldquo;entity list&rdquo; in 2019, severely restricting US companies&rsquo; ability to do business with one of the world&rsquo;s largest telecommunications equipment firms. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to the BBC, US telecommunications regulators declared Huawei and ZTE national security threats in November.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Reuters reported that US President Donald Trump did not want to do business with Huawei &ldquo;at all&rdquo; due to &ldquo;national security concerns.&rdquo;</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">However, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson granted Huawei a limited role in Britain&rsquo;s 5G mobile network in late January, frustrating a global attempt by the United States to exclude the Chinese telecoms giant from the West&rsquo;s next-generation communications.</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A British official, according to Reuters, said excluding Huawei would have delayed 5G and cost consumers more, echoing warnings from the telecoms industry.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Britain&rsquo;s move vindicated the fact that 5G&rsquo;s much faster data speeds and increased capacity will make it the foundation stone of many industries and a driver of economic growth.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">&ldquo;In what some have compared to the Cold War antagonism with the Soviet Union, the United States is worried that 5G dominance is a milestone towards Chinese technological supremacy that could define the geopolitics of the 21st century,&rdquo; Reuters reported.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Huawei, the world&rsquo;s biggest producer of telecoms equipment, has said the United States wants to frustrate its growth because no US company could offer the same range of technology at a competitive price.</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
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	(int) 10 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11718',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Tourism Ministry Instructs Forming “Action Teams” to Prevent Coronavirus Outbreak',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 5: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai has instructed the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) and the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) to form “action teams” to study the possible effects of coronavirus on the tourism sector of Nepal and to suggest preventive measures to the government.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 5: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai has instructed the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) and the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) to form &ldquo;action teams&rdquo; to study the possible effects of coronavirus on the tourism sector of Nepal and to suggest preventive measures to the government.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Minister Bhattarai issued such directive on Wednesday during a discussion with the concerned departments over the possible impacts of coronavirus and ways to deal with them.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The minister also urged the departments to write to the ministry if there is any need for policy-level decisions. He said that the ministry will form a team headed by the secretary to deal with the issue.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">He also urged the concerned departments to give their suggestions within three days regarding the possible impact of coronavirus on the tourism sector and the steps government should take as counter measures.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Minister Bhattarai also informed that the government has initiated the process to set up health desks at other domestic airports where the inflow of tourists is high.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Meanwhile, Secretary at the Ministry for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Kedar Bahadur Adhikari said that the ministry will take appropriate steps to prevent the outbreak of coronavirus in Nepal in coordination with other line ministries.</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
',
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			'created' => '2020-03-05',
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			'keywords' => '',
			'description' => '',
			'sortorder' => '11469',
			'image' => '20200305121728_20190418024748_visit-nepal.jpg',
			'article_date' => '2020-03-05 12:16:59',
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	(int) 11 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11716',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'COVID-19 Fallout: Sauraha Hotels Start Cutting Down Staff   ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 5: Hotels in Sauraha, a major tourist area in Chitwan, have started sending their staff on leave after the fall in the number of visitors due to the fear of coronavirus (COVID-19).    ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">March 5: Hotels in Sauraha, a major tourist area in Chitwan, have started sending their staff on leave after the fall in the number of visitors due to the fear of coronavirus (COVID-19).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The current rate of occupancy of hotels here is only 15 to 20 per cent.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Regional Hotel Association Sauraha president Deepak Bhattarai said there was almost 90 per cent hotel booking around this period last year. He added that although hotel occupancy is now 20 per cent as domestic events and programmes are taking place, this would drastically go down after a few days.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">There are only some European, Indian and Nepali tourists in Sauraha at present. All the advance bookings have been cancelled.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to Bhattarai, around half the hotels in Sauraha have sent 50 per cent of their staff on leave with the dwindling number of visitors and hotel bookings. The hotels here employ employees ranging from 10 to 70. Some more hotels are said to be preparing to send half of their staff on leave. Staff staying on leave are paid half their salary.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Before this, the hotels here used to send their employees on leave like this until 10 years back during the lean period in the rainy season.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Bhattarai said that although the hotels did not come across this problem in the recent years, now they are facing the problem due to the fear of COVID-19.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The association&#39;s immediate past president Suman Ghimire said the hotel operators were not in a position to pay the bank loans and the interest.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Ghimire believes that more than Rs 8 billion has been invested in the hotel industry in Sauraha. This investment does not include the land property. It is said the hotels have equal amount in bank loans.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Hotel entrepreneurs are facing hard time to pay loans and interests and are worried about being blacklisted by banks as trade suffers due to the fear of the virus, he said. Businesspersons should be given additional deadline to pay loans and interests, according to Ghimire.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Chinese travel agents are yet to make payments, said tourism entrepreneurs. Earlier, Sauraha suffered trade after being hit by many factors like the Maoist insurgency, the earthquake of 2015 and a border blockade.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This time, the infection may affect trade here the most, said tourism entrepreneurs. Even domestic tourists fear visiting Sauraha due to the risk of infection, said Ghimire. The government has also requested people not to organise gatherings and programmes in view of the virus that has hit China hard.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">As a result of this, Sauraha which mostly receives Chinese tourists has been affected the most.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Tourism sector ranging from big hotels, restaurants, shops and jungle safari etc in Sauraha have been severely affected, resulting in decline in revenue collection.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; - RSS</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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	(int) 12 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11714',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'Finance Minister Faces Mounting Challenges in his Second Innings ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 5: Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada, who had resigned from his post after his two-year term as National Assembly member expired the same day, was reappointed again to the post a day later upon the recommendation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">March 5: Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada, who had resigned from his post after his two-year term as National Assembly member expired the same day, was reappointed again to the post a day later upon the recommendation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">It seems that the finance minister will face an uphill battle in his second stint to meet the targets set by himself in his first term in office.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Khatiwada was re-appointed to the post due to a strong backing from PM Oli despite strong opposition within the ruling Nepal Communist Party. In such context, Khatiwada&rsquo;s second stint at office seems to be quite challenging on top of poor capital expenditure and revenue collection as well as hosts of other financial problems including the a downcast private sector. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">He also has an added responsibility of protecting the country&rsquo;s economy from the widespread effects of coronavirus epidemic. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Although he pledged to fight against poverty, illiteracy and injustice soon after assuming his office on Wednesday (March 4), the road ahead is not smooth. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Khatiwada downsized the annual budget and the target of revenue collection in the mid-term review of the budget. However, he did not revise the economic growth target of 8.5 percent. Instead, he claimed that the government will meet its target of economic growth at any cost. Coronavirus outbreak is certain to play the spoilsport.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Likewise, the finance minister&rsquo;s claim that 80 percent of development budget will be spent during this fiscal year seems to be an unattainable target. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Speculations are rife that the country&rsquo;s economy is in a slowdown process as a ripple effect of decline in financing by BFIs to the private sector, which in turn has affected big infrastructure projects and also reduced the demand for iron and cement.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Meanwhile, the coronavirus epidemic is most likely to decrease the inflow of remittance. </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">In such circumstances, the finance minister faces an improbable task of achieving the targets set earlier this year. </span></span></span></p>
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	(int) 13 => array(
		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11713',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'World Bank Announces $12 Billion Support to Cope with the Effects of COVID-19',
			'sub_title' => 'The amount will be provided on fast-track basis with poor countries on priority list',
			'summary' => 'March 5: The World Bank has announced an initial package of of up to $12 billion in immediate support to assist countries coping with the health and economic impacts of the global outbreak of COVID-19. ',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">March 5: The World Bank has announced an initial package of of up to $12 billion in immediate support to assist countries coping with the health and economic impacts of the global outbreak of COVID-19. The World Bank made such announcement on Tuesday (March 3) as the epidemic reached more than 60 countries with over 3200 casualties, mostly in China where the disease is believed to have originated. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">According to the World Bank, this financing is designed to help member countries take effective action to respond to and, where possible, lessen the tragic impacts posed by the COVID-19 (coronavirus).&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">Through this new fast track package, the World Bank Group will help developing countries strengthen health systems, including better access to health services to safeguard people from the epidemic, strengthen disease surveillance, bolster public health interventions, and work with the private sector to reduce the impact on economies, it said in a statement. </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">The financial package, with financing drawn from across IDA, IBRD and IFC, will be globally coordinated to support country-based responses.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">&ldquo;The COVID-19 support package will make available initial crisis resources of up to $12 billion in financing &mdash; $8 billion of which is new &mdash; on a fast track basis. This comprises up to $2.7 billion new financing from IBRD; $1.3 billion from IDA, complemented by reprioritization of $2 billion of the Bank&rsquo;s existing portfolio; and $6 billion from IFC,including $2 billion from existing trade facilities. It will also include policy advice and technical assistance drawing on global expertise and country-level knowledge,&rdquo; the statement said.</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">&ldquo;We are working to provide a fast, flexible response based on developing country needs in dealing with the spread of COVID-19,&rdquo; said World Bank Group President David Malpass. &ldquo;This includes emergency financing, policy advice, and technical assistance, building on the World Bank Group&#39;s existing instruments and expertise to help countries respond to the crisis.&quot;</span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">The financial package will provide grants and low-interest loans from IDA for low income countries and loans from IBRD for middle income countries, using all of the bank&rsquo;s operational instruments with processing accelerated on a fast track basis.&nbsp; International Finance Corporation, the World Bank Group&rsquo;s private sector arm, will provide its clients with the necessary support to continue operating and to sustain jobs.&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">The World Bank support will cover a range of interventions to strengthen health services and primary health care, bolster disease monitoring and reporting, train front line health workers, encourage community engagement to maintain public trust, and improve access to treatment for the poorest patients. The bank said it will also provide policy and technical advice to ensure countries can access global expertise.&nbsp; </span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">The World Bank Group support will prioritize the poorest countries and those at high risk with low capacity, the statement further said. </span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		'Article' => array(
			'id' => '11715',
			'article_category_id' => '1',
			'title' => 'PM Oli's Health Stable After Successful Kidney Transplant Surgery   ',
			'sub_title' => '',
			'summary' => 'March 5: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s kidney transplant was done successfully after a grueling four-hour surgery on Wednesday (March 4).',
			'content' => '<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">March 5: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli&rsquo;s kidney transplant was done successfully after a grueling four-hour surgery on Wednesday (March 4).</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Doctors involved in PM Oli&#39;s treatment said his key health indicators are normal following the &ldquo;successful kidney transplant&rdquo;.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Issuing a press statement after the completion of the kidney transplant surgery, the Tribhuvavn University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) informed that Prime Minister&#39;s health was stable and the new kidney had started functioning. Doctors said that the prime minister has already regained consciousness. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">The statement issued by TUTH executive director Prof Dr Prem Krishna Khadka further said that the prime minister is receiving treatment after being shifted to the post-operative transplant ward from the operation theater.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">This is the second time that the prime minister had a kidney transplant, following the first one 12 years ago. Oli&rsquo;s first kidney transplant was performed in India in 2007.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Prime Minister Oli was undergoing regular dialysis since the last four months after his transplanted kidney stopped functioning. He opted for kidney transplant for the second time as per the suggestions from doctors.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">PM Oli&rsquo;s niece Samikshya Sangroula donated her kidney to PM Oli. Her health condition is also said to be normal.</span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">A team of doctors consisting of Prof Dr Uttam Kumar Sharma, Prof Dr Prem Gyawali and Prof Dr Ananda Kumar had extracted a kidney from Sangraula.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span></p>

<p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">The prime minister&rsquo;s well-wishers had gathered on the hospital premises to express happiness after the successful completion of the kidney transplantation.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br />
<span style="font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">Prime Minister Oli was admitted to the hospital for kidney transplantation on March 2. </span></span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
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FOREX

Currency	Unit	Buy	Sell
U.S. Dollar	1	121.23	121.83
European Euro	1	131.65	132.31
UK Pound Sterling	1	142.47	143.18
Swiss Franc	1	124.29	124.90
Australian Dollar	1	71.69	72.05
Canadian Dollar	1	83.90	84.32
Japanese Yen	10	10.94	11.00
Chinese Yuan	1	17.17	17.26
Saudi Arabian Riyal	1	32.27	32.43
UAE Dirham	1	33.01	33.17
Malaysian Ringgit	1	27.36	27.50
South Korean Won	100	9.77	9.82

Update: 2020-03-25 | Source: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB)

Bullion

Fine Gold	1 tola	77000.00
Tejabi Gold	1 tola	76700.00
Silver	1 tola	720.00

Update : 2020-03-25

Source: Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers' Association

Petroleum

Petrol	1 Liter	106.00
Diesel	1 Liter	95.00
Kerosene	1 Liter	95.00
LP Gas	1 Cylinder	1375.00