Chinese Speaker Li Zhanshu arrives in Kathmandu
Li Zhanshu, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, arrived on a four-day official visit to Kathmandu on Monday.
Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota welcomed Li who arrived at the Tribhuvan International Airport this afternoon.
A team led by the Chinese speaker will directly head towards Hotel Soaltee.
The Chinese Embassy has booked the hotel for them for four days.
They are scheduled to come to the Baneshwor-based Parliament building after resting for some time at the hotel where Sapkota and Li will hold a meeting.
During the meeting, the duo will sign a bilateral agreement, it has been learnt.
Leader Li will pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka on Tuesday.
He is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Wednesday.
Bagmati Province government ensures free blood transfusion service for needy
Citizens in the Bagmati Province will be provided blood transfusion services free of cost. The Province Government has launched the service, as per the Blood Transfusion Service Operation and Management Working Procedure, targeting those people who can't afford it. Blood transfusion is medically one of the most essential services. The District Health Office, Chitwan has reached an agreement with the Regional Blood Transfusion Center, Bharatpur for making the free service available in the district. Office Chief Durga Dutta Chapagain and Nepal Red Cross Society provincial blood transfusion center president Gyanshali Neupane signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides in the presence of representatives from three hospitals in the district. The Office Chief said that patients receiving treatment at Bharatpur Hospital, BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital and Bakulahar Ratnagar Hospital will be entitled to the free service. A patient meeting the criteria for free service will get 10 units of blood in a year. Besides, a dialysis patient and the one who needs frequent blood transfusions will get an additional 10 units of blood. The patient shall present documents to confirm s/he is the Province citizen, stating that paid service is unaffordable for her/ him. In case of emergency cases, geography will not be a matter to get the service. The office has allocated a budget for the free distribution of 3,800 units of blood in a year. The center takes Rs 850 as the service charge. There is a demand for around 150 units of blood in the district each day. The supply is not sufficient to meet the demand and it is adjusted by obtaining blood from neighboring districts, Kathmandu and Pokhara, The service is expected to be directly beneficial for patients from indigent community. Blood transfusion is highly required in accident cases, cancer and delivery cases.
Home Minister Khand, Law Minister Sharma hold meeting with Maoist Center Chair Dahal
Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand and Minister for law, justice and parliamentary affairs Govinda Sharma (Koirala) held a meeting with CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Monday. During the meeting held at Khumaltar, the trio discussed contemporary political issues. Home Minister Khand said that they discussed parliamentary and provincial elections scheduled for November 20 and various ordinances pending in the House of Representatives and National Assembly. The tenure of the House of Representatives is ending on September 17. The five-party alliance has not been able to reach an agreement on seat sharing yet. Senior leaders are holding discussions on the report submitted by the task force.
Queen Elizabeth II: Details revealed for Queen's lying-in-state at Westminster
Mourners wishing to pay their final respects to the Queen have been warned to expect long queues, BBC reported.
Details have been revealed about how people can attend the lying-in-state, which will take place at the Palace of Westminster.
Large crowds are expected and there are warnings those wanting to take apart in the historic occasion may have to wait for hours and even overnight.
People are advised to bring food and drink as well as suitable clothing.
The lying-in-state begins at 17:00BST on Wednesday and will last until 06:30 on Monday, 19 September - the day of the Queen's funeral.
It will be open 24 hours a day between those times.
The Queen's funeral will be "living tradition in action", the Dean of Westminster has said.
The Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle said it would be "an opportunity for us to give thanks for an extraordinary life... and an opportunity, if you like, for us to give the grief somewhere to go."
Since the Queen died peacefully at her Balmoral home on Thursday thousands of mourners have been leaving floral tributes at places she loved, including at Buckingham Palace, Sandringham House and Windsor Castle, according to BBC.
Crowds gathered to watch the Queen's funeral cortege travel from Balmoral to Edinburgh on Sunday, as her coffin began its journey to London ahead of the funeral.
On Monday members of the Royal Family will follow behind the hearse as it travels to St Giles' Cathedral in the Scottish city, where the Queen's coffin will lie under vigil for 24 hours.
During the lying-in-state period the Queen's closed coffin will rest on a raised platform inside Westminster Hall in the Houses of Parliament.
People are being warned that they will need to stand for many hours, possibly overnight, with little opportunity to sit down as the queue will be continuously moving.
There are also expected to be delays on public transport and road closures around the area.
Visitors, who will be required to go through airport-style security, are only allowed to bring one small bag with a single opening or zip per person and there are restrictions on what can be taken in.
People are asked to respect the dignity of the event including by remaining silent while inside the Palace of Westminster and dressing appropriately - with clothes "with political or offensive slogans" banned.
Filming, photography and the use of mobile phones or other devices will not be allowed in the security search area or the Palace of Westminster.
Those queuing are also asked not to attempt to queue on behalf of others or leave personal items unattended in the queue.
