International News
Nepal, China agree to activate bilateral mechanism to resolve border dispute
In order to resolve the border dispute and sign a new boundary protocol, Nepal and China have agreed to activate bilateral mechanisms.
During a virtual consultation meeting on border affairs held on Thursday, both sides agreed to activate the boundary mechanism first agreed in 1963 while signing the first boundary protocol, said Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Underscoring the importance of joint inspection of the Nepal-China boundary, the two sides agreed to initiate the process for activating the existing bilateral mechanism through mutual consultation, the ministry said in a statement.
The 1963 Joint Boundary Protocol has the provision of constituting three different mechanisms to deal with boundary issues — Joint Inspection Team, Joint Expert Group, and Joint Inspection Committee.
The mechanisms were enshrined in the Nepal-China Boundary Protocol signed between the two countries on January 20, 1963. Three boundary protocols have been signed between Nepal and China in the past — in 1963, 1979 and 1988. Both sides shelved the plan to sign the fourth protocol after much delay in 2011 due to some dispute.
Though the Nepal government and the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu categorically deny having any boundary dispute, Nepali media has been occasionally reporting border friction between China and Nepal in Humla, Gorkha, Rasuwa other districts.
The major bone of contention is the exact location of Pillar No. 57. After the two sides could not agree on the height of Mt Everest and the exact location of Pillar No. 57, the signing of the fourth protocol has been in limbo since 2011.
The meeting also took stock of the overall state of Nepal-China relations, and held discussions on various matters relating to boundary and border management between the two countries, the ministry said.
After activating the boundary mechanism, both sides shall jointly conduct boundary inspection, resolve the differences and sign the new boundary protocol.
Lok Bahadur Thapa, Head of North East Asia Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Hong Liang, Director General of the Department of Border and Ocean Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, led their respective delegations at the meeting.
The two sides also agreed to resume two-way trade through Rasuwagadhi/Keyrung border port, following Covid-19 health protocols and guidelines. Both sides will establish an epidemic prevention and control mechanism to this end.
China has stopped importing goods and products from Nepali trading points citing the Covid related restrictions, and Nepali traders have been asking the government to put pressure on China for resumption of two-way trading.
At the meeting, both sides also agreed to open new trading points on the western side of Nepal.
With a view to support the livelihoods of people in the northern Himalayan region of Nepal, the two sides decided to open the Hilsa/Purang border port for transportation of goods and construction materials from China by putting in place necessary Covid-19 protocols, the statement added.
International News
‘My Heart Is Full Today’: US VP Harris After Conceding Defeat
US Vice President Kamala Harris while addressing supporters at Howard University appeared emotional at her loss, but expressed hope for the betterment of the country.
Donald Trump won a second term in office in the presidential polls. He surpassed the 270-majority mark with a key win in Wisconsin.
Harris expressed hope and said that the light of the US’s promise would burn bright as long as people kept fighting.
“My heart is full today, full of gratitude for the trust you have placed in me, full of love for our country, and full of resolve. The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for. But hear me when I say, the light of America’s promise will always burn bright as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting,” she said.
Harris thanked her husband, Douglas Emhoff, Second Gentleman of the United States, US President Joe Biden and his family, her running mate Tim Walz and the entire team for their support.
“To my beloved Doug and our family, I love you so very much. To President Biden and Dr Biden, thank you for your faith and support. To Governor Walz and the Walz family, I know your service to our nation will continue. And to my extraordinary team, to the volunteers who gave so much of themselves, to the poll workers and the local election officials. I thank you all,” she said.
Choking back her tears, Harris said that she was proud of the way the team ran for the race over the course of the campaign period. She said that the campaign was a reminder of the fact that there was a lot more in common among them than what separated them.
“I am so proud of the race we ran and the way we ran it. Over the 107 days of this campaign, we have been intentional about building community and building coalitions, bringing people together from every walk of life and background, by the love of country, with enthusiasm and joy in our fight for America’s future. And we did it with the knowledge that we all have so much more in common than what separates us. Now, I know folks are feeling and experiencing a range of emotions right now. I get it. But we must accept the results of this election,” she said.
Harris added that she spoke to President-elect Donald Trump and congratulated him on his win. She added that what distinguishes a democracy from tyranny or monarchy is to accept the election result.
“Earlier today, I spoke with President-elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory. I also told him that we will help him and his team with their transition, and that we will engage in a peaceful transfer of power. A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results. That principle, as much as any other, distinguishes democracy from monarchy or tyranny. And anyone who seeks the public trust must honour it. At the same time, in our nation, we owe loyalty not to a president or a party, but to the Constitution of the United States, and loyalty to our conscience and to our God. My allegiance to all three is why I am here to say, while I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fuelled this campaign,” she said.
Harris said that the fight that she won’t give up is a fight to reflect the US at its best. She subtly hinted at the controversial abortion ban, the overturning of which was a part of her campaign and said that her fight would continue for women’s rights over their bodies.
“The fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness, and the dignity of all people. A fight for the ideals at the heart of our nation. The ideals that reflect America at our best. That is a fight I will never give up. I will never give up the fight for a future where Americans can pursue their dreams, ambitions, and aspirations. Where the women of America have the freedom to make decisions about their own body and not have their government telling them what to do. We will never give up the fight to protect our schools and our streets from gun violence. America, we will never give up the fight for our democracy, for the rule of law, for equal justice, and for the sacred idea that every one of us, no matter who we are or where we start out, has certain fundamental rights and freedoms that must be respected and upheld,” she said.
Harris added that her fight would continue everywhere. Subtly hinting at Trump’s policy of ‘sealing the borders’, said that the fight also includes acceptance of strangers as neighbours.
“We will continue to wage this fight in the voting booth, in the courts, and in the public square. And we will also wage it in quieter ways, in how we live our lives, by treating one another with kindness and respect, by looking in the face of a stranger and seeing a neighbour, by always using our strength to lift people up, to fight for the dignity that all people deserve,” she said.
Harris added that the fight for such freedom requires hard work, but it is always worth it.
“The fight for our freedom will take hard work, but like I always say, we like hard work. Hard work is good work. Hard work can be joyful work. And the fight for our country is always worth it. It is always worth it,” she said.
Addressing the young voters, which was Harris’s trump card, she said that the fight wasn’t over yet, and it was time to roll sleeves up, and not give up.
“To the young people who are watching, it is okay to feel sad and disappointed. But please know it’s going to be okay. On the campaign, I would often say, when we fight, we win. But here’s the thing, here’s the thing. Sometimes the fight takes a while. That doesn’t mean we won’t win. The important thing is don’t ever give up.
Don’t ever stop trying to make the world a better place. You have power. And don’t you ever listen when anyone tells you something is impossible because it has never been done before. You have the capacity to do extraordinary good in the world. And so to everyone who is watching, do not despair. This is not a time to throw up our hands. This is a time to roll up our sleeves. This is a time to organize, to mobilize, and to stay engaged for the sake of freedom and justice and the future that we all know we can build together,” she said.
Harris motivated people by asking them to find light within themselves and draw strength.
“Look, many of you know I started out as a prosecutor and throughout my career I saw people at some of the worst times in their lives. People who had suffered great harm and great pain. And yet found within themselves the strength and the courage and the resolve to take the stand, to fight for justice, to fight for themselves, to fight for others. So let their courage be our inspiration. Let their determination be our charge. And I’ll close with this. There’s an adage and historian once called a law of history. True of every society across the ages.
The adage is, only when it is dark enough can you see the stars. I know many people feel like we are entering a dark time, but for the benefit of us all, I hope that is not the case. But here’s the thing, America, if it is, let us fill the sky with the light of a brilliant, brilliant billion of stars. The light of optimism, of faith, of truth and service,” she said.
Harris concluded by asking for God’s blessings for the people and the country.
“May that work guide us, even in the face of setbacks, toward the extraordinary promise of the United States of America. I thank you all. May God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America,” she said.
Several of her supporters appeared extremely sad and cheered for her.
Aaron Carter, a supporter of Harris, said, “I think Kamala’s [Harris] speech was uniting. She tried to be optimistic about the future, which was great. I hope she will be back here next time again for the Presidency. I think she was a great candidate as she managed to bring the really young crowd to support her. It was fantastic.”
International News
US Election Results 2024 Live Updates: Trump On Brink Of Landslide Victory, Leads In 4 Swing States
US Elections Results: After a bitter election campaign, US voters seem to have delivered Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump a second non-consecutive stint in the Oval office. As for electoral college numbers, which determine the winner in this election, Trump is leading with 267, on the brink of a landslide victory, while Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is trailing with 214 votes.
As far as swing states are concerned, Trump has secured four battleground states.
Donald Trump said he would be prepared to concede defeat after Tuesday’s vote “if it’s a fair election”, while again raising concerns about the use of electronic voting machines. Trump, however, said he feels “very confident” about winning back the White House, after casting his Election Day ballot in Florida in one of the most contentious US elections in decades.
Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump on Wednesday thanked his wife Melania Trump in a speech he delivered as he neared the halfway mark in the race for the US President’s post.
He also praised her book, calling it the top-selling book in the country. In the memoir, Melania Trump wrote about her pro-choice stance on abortion, when she met Donald Trump in a New York City night club, and rumours about her son having autism, but left out many personal details of her life.
US Elections Results: “Result Will Help Our Country Heal”, Says Trump
“Result will help our country heal,” says Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump as he addresses the supporters following US presidential election result. “US has never seen anything like this,” Trumps adds as he calls the presidential elections 2024 the “greatest political movement ever”.
Trump was joined on stage by members of his family and his wife, Melania Trump, as well as his running mate, JD Vance, and House Speaker Mike Johnson.
US Election Results: Harris vs Kamala: Who Will Reach The 270 Mark First?
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is leading with 247 electoral candidate votes while Kamala Harris trails closely with 214. The US Presidential election results remain nail-biting with the two candidates neck and neck.
Donald Trump has secured his position in two of the seven swing states or key states that will decide the election’s outcome.
International News
Milton’s Storm Surge Floods Homes, Roads In Florida
Water flowed into homes and over roads as Hurricane Milton neared landfall in Florida Wednesday. Here’s a look at what was happening in the community of El Jobean near Charlotte Harbor, in Southwest Florida.
Milton hits Florida: Hurricane Milton has made landfall near Siesta Key, Florida, as a dangerous Category 3 storm before weakening to a Category 1 as it moves over the state, according to the National Hurricane Center. It is the fifth hurricane to make landfall in the US this year. you can track Milton’s path with CNN’s strom tracker.
A thousand-year flood: Milton has dropped about 16 inches of rain on St. Petersburg, representing a more than a 1 in 1000 year rainfall for the area. Meanwhile, there are “multiple fatalities” in St. Lucie County, Florida, from a tornado outbreak earlier in the day, CNN affiliate WPTV reports
Devastating effects: Milton, the third hurricane to hit Florida this year, has knocked out power for more than 2 million people in the state. Additionally, wind gusts of 100 mph were recorded near Tampa, where a flash flood emergency was issued a emergency services have been halted.
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