Nepal records 111 new Covid-19 cases, 1 death on Sunday
Nepal logged 111 new Covid-19 cases and one death on Sunday.
With this, the country's active caseload mounted to 1,116,191. Similarly, the death toll has climbed to 11,935.
According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 6, 484 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 94 returned positive. Likewise, 324 people underwent antigen tests, of which 17 tested positive.
The Ministry said that 415 infected people recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours.
The Ministry said that 8, 285 people are staying in home isolation while 232 are in institutionalized isolation.
Russia suspends cooperation with Europe on space launches from French Guiana
Russia’s space agency Roskosmos is suspending cooperation with Europe on space launches from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana in response to Western sanctions over Ukraine, Roskosmos head Dmitry Rogozin said on Saturday, Reuters reported.
“In response to EU sanctions against our companies, Roskosmos is suspending cooperation with European partners on space launches from Kourou, and is withdrawing its technical staff… from French Guiana,” Rogozin said in a post on his Telegram channel.
Galileo is Europe’s global navigation satellite system which provides positioning and timing information used in mobile phones, cars, railways and aviation. Copernicus delivers earth observation data, documenting climate change, for example.
“We will take all necessary decisions in time to work on the development of the second generation of these two sovereign spacial infrastructures,” EU Commissioner Thierry Breton, responsible for space issues in the bloc’s executive Commission, said on Twitter.
“We are also prepared to act determinedly together with the member states to protect these critical infrastructures in case of an attack, and to continue the development of Ariane 6 and VegaC to guarantee the strategic autonomy with regard to carrier rockets.”
Ukraine rejects Russian offer of talks in Belarus
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy rejected a Russian offer of talks in Belarus on Sunday, saying Minsk itself was complicit in the Russian invasion, but leaving the door open to negotiations in other locations, Reuters reported.
The Kremlin said on Sunday its delegation was ready to meet Ukrainian officials in the Belarusian city of Gomel.
RT, other Russian channels blocked from earning ad dollars
Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google barred on Saturday Russia’s state-owned media outlet RT and other channels from receiving money for ads on their websites, apps and YouTube videos, similar to a move by Facebook after the invasion of Ukraine, Reuters reported.
Citing “extraordinary circumstances,” Google’s YouTube unit said it was “pausing a number of channels’ ability to monetize on YouTube.” These included several Russian channels affiliated with recent sanctions, such as those by the European Union.
Ad placement is largely controlled by YouTube.
Google added later that it was also barring Russian state-funded media outlets from using its ad technology to generate revenue on their own websites and apps.
In addition, the Russian media will not be able to buy ads through Google Tools or place ads on Google services such as search and Gmail, spokesman Michael Aciman said.
“We’re actively monitoring new developments and will take further steps if necessary,” Aciman said.
On Wednesday, the European Union unveiled sanctions on individuals such as Margarita Simonyan, whom it called RT’s editor-in-chief and “a central figure” of Russian propaganda.
Videos from affected media will also come up less often in recommendations, YouTube spokesperson Farshad Shadloo said. He added that RT and several other channels would no longer be accessible in Ukraine after a Ukrainian government request.
On Saturday, Ukraine Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on Twitter he contacted YouTube “to block the propagandist Russian channels — such as Russia 24, TASS, RIA Novosti.”
RT and Simonyan did not respond to requests for comment. YouTube declined to identify the other channels restricted.
For years, lawmakers and some users have urged Google for more action on channels linked to the Russian government, concerned that they spread misinformation and should not profit by it.
Russia received an estimated $7 million to $32 million over the two years to December 2018 from ads across 26 YouTube channels it backed, digital researcher Omelas told Reuters at the time.
YouTube has previously said it did not treat state-funded media channels that comply with its rules differently from others when it comes to sharing ad revenue.
On Friday, Facebook owner Meta Platforms Inc (FB.O) barred Russian state media from running ads or generating revenue from ads on its services.
UN Security Council plans vote to call General Assembly meeting on Ukraine
The United Nations Security Council is due to vote on Sunday to call for a rare emergency special session of the 193-member UN General Assembly on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which would be held on Monday, diplomats said, Reuters reported.
The vote by the 15-member council is procedural so none of the five permanent council members – Russia, China, France, Britain and the United States – can wield their vetoes. The move needs nine votes in favor and is likely to pass, diplomats said.
Only 10 such emergency special sessions of the General Assembly have been convened since 1950.
The request for a session on Ukraine comes after Russia vetoed on Friday a draft UN Security Council resolution that would have deplored Moscow’s invasion. China, India and UAE abstained, while the remaining 11 members voted in favor.
The General Assembly is expected to vote on a similar resolution following several days of statements by countries in the emergency special session, diplomats said. General Assembly resolutions are non-binding but carry political weight.
The United States and allies are seeking as much support as possible to show Russia is internationally isolated.
The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution in March 2014 following Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region. The resolution, which declared invalid a referendum on the status of Crimea, received 100 yes votes and 11 against. Two dozen countries didn’t vote and 58 abstained.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Saturday, telling him the world body plans to “enhance humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine,” a U.N. spokesperson said.
“He informed the President that the United Nations would launch on Tuesday an appeal to fund our humanitarian operations in Ukraine,” the U.N. spokesperson said in a statement.
UN aid chief Martin Griffiths said on Friday that more than $1 billion will be needed for aid operations in Ukraine over the next three months as hundreds of thousands of people are on the move after Russia invaded its neighbor.
Nepse plunges by 7.73 points on Sunday
Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) index plunged by 7.73 points to close at 2,653.70 points on Sunday, the first day of the trading week.
Similarly, the sensitive index fell 0. 73 points to reach 506. 84 points.
A total of 7,040,563 units of shares of 224 companies were traded for Rs 3.27 billion.
Likewise, all sub-indices saw red in today’s market except for Hydropower an Others.
Meanwhile, National Hydropower Compay Limited was the top gainer today with its price surging by 4.53 percent. Likewise, Himalayan General Insurance Co. Limited was the top loser with its price dropped by 4.58 percent.
At the end of the day, total market civilization stands at Rs 3.75 trillion.
One arrested for trying to break ATM machine
Police have arrested a man while he was trying to break an ATM machine of the NIC Asia Bank on Saturday.
A team deployed from the Metropolitan Police Range, Maligaun caught Akash Tamang (21) from Dhulikhel red handed last night from the ATM booth at the Sagarmatha Insurance Building, Naxal Bhagawati Bahal of Kathmandu Metropolitan City-1.
Police believed that the accused was attempting to steal cash from the machine and were alerted about this with the help of the Bank’s siren system. The team also seized a pair of instruments that Tamang used in his failed attempt to damage the machine. RSS
Interpretative declaration is achievement of struggle: Dahal
CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said that interpretative declaration is the achievement of struggle.
Speaking at the party’s Parliamentary Party meeting held at the Parliament building on Sunday, he said that the interpretative declaration is the achievement of struggle.
During the meeting, interpretative declaration on the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) were distributed to the lawmakers in the meeting.
