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Coming to the help of its neighbours, India will export 1.7 lakh tonnes of urea and Diammonium Phosphate during this year to Nepal and will also supply 65,000 tonnes of urea to Sri Lanka under the existing $1 billion Indian line of credit, Times of India reported.

While the supply of urea to Sri Lanka comes at a time when the country is facing a huge economic crisis officials said the export of fertilisers to Nepal is also a strategic move to keep Kathmandu from seeking help from China in meeting its domestic requirement.

Sources said India will export 1.2 lakh tonnes of urea and 50, 000 tonnes of DAP to Nepal. Similarly, another 5,300 tonnes of DAP will be exported to Bhutan. Sri Lanka would be the second country to get urea from India after Nepal in spite of a ban on the export of the chemical fertiliser, according to Time of India.

TOI has learnt that the export of urea and DAP to Nepal wil be as per the MOU (agreement) signed between the two countries. Sources for the demand of fertilizers has gone up in Nepal after the Indian enforcement agencies cracked down on people who were involved in smuggling of urea. In the past 2-3 months, around 300 FIRs have been registered against smugglers in Uttar Pradesh alone and another 50-60 FIRs have been registered in Bihar.

Members of the queer community are increasingly vocal about their rights and the state’s responsibility to allow them to live with dignity.

In this connection, the LGBTIQA+ community celebrated the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia (IDAHOTB) on May 17 this week. Mitini Nepal, an NGO working for the rights and dignity of Lesbian, Bisexuals and Transgender people, organized an event in Gairidhara, Kathmandu. Nanda Bahadur Pun, vice president of Nepal, inaugurated the event. People danced, sang, and recited poetry. All in all, it was an essential coming together of people of different identities.

Laxmi Ghalan, founder and president of Mitini Nepal, said events like these are crucial for the society to understand and accept the LGBTIQA+ community. She said the LGBTIQA+ people face domestic violence and are isolated and thus anxious. They also don’t have access to proper medical facilities. “Homophobia, stemming from a lack of understanding of sexual identities and orientation, is the main reason behind all the problems we face on a daily basis,” she said. Ruby Rana, former Miss Nepal, added treating homosexuality as a disease is indicative of our narrow mindset.

A jeep carrying Nepali Congress district president met with an accident in Soru Rural Municipality-6, Mugu.

Three persons including Nepali Congress Mugu district President Ain Bahadur Shahi were injured in the incident.

Chief District Officer Rom Bahadur Mahat said that the jeep (Lu 1 Pa 1772) was heading towards Sorukot from Gamgadhi Bazaar, the district headquarters, when the incident took place.

Those, who sustained minor injuries, are undergoing treatment in Sorukot while preparations are being made to send Shahi and others critically injured in the incident to Nepalgunj for treatment.

Nepal reported 19 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 3, 565 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 18 returned positive. Likewise, 632 people underwent antigen tests, of which one was tested positive.

The Ministry said that no one died of virus in the last 24 hours. The Ministry said that 18 infected people recovered from the disease.

As of today, there are 149 active cases in the country.