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LDCs disappointed with the outcome of the Climate Change summit

Posted on by SAT News Desk

London – The Least Developed Countries (LDCs) have expressed disappointement over the outocme of the UN Climate Change Conference that concluded in Madrid on Sunday adopting the ‘Chile Madrid Time for Action’, which left key issues unresolved.

Sonam P Wangdi, Chair of the Least Developed Countries Group said “This Conference of Parties (COP) was not able to meet our expectations in raising ambition to  address the concerns of our people at home and youth around the world. Now while responding to the request to submit nationally determined contributions (NDCs), countries must make transformational improvements to the targets and related elements of their NDCs by 2020 that put us on a pathway to limit warming to 1.5°C.”

“Our people are already suffering from the impacts of climate change. Our communities across the world are being devastated. Global emissions must be drastically and urgently reduced to limit further impacts, and financial support scaled up so our countries can better address climate change and its impacts. We must see countries enhance their NDCs next year in line with 1.5°C pathways and their fair share. And we must see delivery of the $100 billion of climate finance promised.”

Finalising the rules for global emissions trading mechanisms (under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement) was also a key issue for the talks, but parties could not come to agreement on this issue. Mr Wangdi said, “These rules must ensure environmental integrity and deliver overall mitigation in global emissions. We’re disappointed with the lack of willingness by some parties to work together to ensure environmental integrity, to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable communities, and to build upon rather than undermine the Paris Agreement, including resources for the Adaptation Fund.”

Loss and Damage

Loss and Damage is a key priority for the group. On the decision on loss and damage, Mr Wangdi said, “Our people and communities need support to address devastating loss and damage caused by climate change. We have done the least to cause this crisis yet it is our people who suffer worst and first. The LDC Group welcomes the establishment of the expert group and Santiago Network for Loss and Damage. We believe these institutions will assist to implement actions in our countries already facing loss and damage.”

A number of issues remain unresolved, including the governance of the Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss and Damage, despite the negotiations going well overtime. Mr Wangdi said, “There is a vast disconnect between the urgency we are feeling at home and the pace of these negotiations. We have seen floods in Mozambique and Malawi, droughts in Senegal and the Gambia, and flooding in Bangladesh and Nepal. These disasters have killed thousands, wiped away homes and communities, destroyed farms and crops. Scientists say it is only going to get worse. More climate action and support is urgently needed, not less. But here some countries seem to be working to limit their obligations under the Convention and the Paris Agreement.”

 “We know what needs to be done to address climate change, and the urgency of that challenge. What we do here must move us forwards, not set us back,” he added.

Full text of the advance unedited version of the ‘Chile Madrid Time for Action’:

https://unfccc.int/resource/cop25/1cop25_auv.pdf

Nepal wants to review a military deal with The U.K. before allowing the recruitment of Nepali women

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KATHMANDU (Reuters) – Nepal wants to review a military deal allowing its citizens to be enlisted in the British army, before a planned recruitment of Nepali women in the Brigade of Gurkhas for the first time in two centuries, the Himalayan country’s foreign minister said.

It is not clear how many Gurkha women Britain plans to enlist, but the first Gurkha women could begin their training in the British army in 2020, according to British media.

Britain has been enlisting Gurkhas, a tribe from Nepal’s Himalayan foothills known for their fierce combat abilities, since 1815.

An agreement between New Delhi, London and Kathmandu following India’s independence from colonial rule in 1947 allowed India and Britain to share and recruit Gurkhas.

In 2007, Britain announced plans to recruit Gurkha women for its elite force, adding however that issues such as recruitment and selection standards needed to be settled.

Nepal now wants the 72-year-old tripartite deal renegotiated since that accord does not allow Kathmandu to play any role in the recruitment process of Gurkhas by foreign armies, the country’s Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali told Reuters in an interview late on Friday.

“(Some) provisions of that agreement have become irrelevant now. Therefore, we have told Britain that we should review it … make bilateral arrangements,” said Gyawali.

“We should define the presence of the government of Nepal in the (recruitment) process.”

A new agreement should also address Gurkha grievances such as pensions and other benefits, which retired servicemen say are not at par with their British counterparts, Gyawali added.

Nepal, a natural buffer between China and India, is one of the world’s 10 poorest countries and remittances from Nepalis working abroad, including the Gurkhas, account for more than a quarter of its GDP.

Currently, there are about 3,000 Nepalis in the Brigade of Gurkhas who have fought in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans.

Longest UN climate talks end with no deal on carbon markets

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MADRID:  Marathon international climate talks in Spain have ended with negotiators postponing a key decision on global carbon markets.

A major climate summit wrapped up in Madrid Sunday (Dec 15) with a compromise deal that left little to show, prompting UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to lament a “lost opportunity” to act.

Almost a fortnight of COP 25 talks just squeezed out hard-earned compromises from countries over a global warming battle plan that fell well short of what science says is needed to tackle the climate crisis, channel news Asia reported.

“I am disappointed with the results of COP 25,” Guterres said. “The international community lost an important opportunity to show increased ambition on mitigation, adaptation and finance to tackle the climate crisis.”

The summit’s final declaration “expresses the urgent need” for new carbon cutting commitments to close the gap between current emissions and the Paris treaty goal of capping temperature at below two degrees, host country Spain said.

“Today, the citizens of the world are asking for us to move ahead faster and better,” Carolina Schmidt, Chilean environment minister and President of COP 25, told the closing plenary.

But Tina Eonemto Stege, climate envoy for the Marshall Islands, denounced the response as inadequate for facing an existential threat of rising sea levels.

“Unfortunately, the new text we adopted this morning does not reflect anything near what we would have wanted. It is the bare minimum and we regret that countries could not agree on a more ambitious text,” Stege said.

Green youth activist Greta Thunberg – named 2019 Person of the Year by Time magazine – on Friday slammed world leaders for “still trying to run away from their responsibilities” while demanding a “year of action” in 2020.

Following a year of deadly extreme weather and weekly protests by millions of young people, Madrid negotiators were under pressure to send a clear signal that governments were willing to double down.

The summit – moved at the last minute from Chile due to unrest – at times teetered on the brink of collapse as rich polluters, emerging powerhouses and climate-vulnerable nations groped for common ground in the face of competing national interests.

“Based on the adopted text, there is a glimmer of hope that the heart of the Paris Agreement is still beating,” Mohamed Adow, Director of Power Shift, said.

“But its pulse is very weak.”

Negotiators from nearly 200 nations came to Spain’s capital with the aim of finalising the rulebook for the 2015 Paris accord, which enjoins nations to limit global temperature to below two degrees Celsius.

“MISSING IN ACTION”

With the accord set to become operational next year, it had been hoped COP 25 would show the world that governments would be moved by protests, irrefutable science, and deadly storms and wildfires that marked 2019 to redouble their efforts.

But greater ambition – how far each country is willing to slash carbon emissions or assist less wealthy peers to do likewise – has largely failed to materialise, leaving some veteran observers aghast.

“Never have I seen such a disconnect between what the science requires and what the climate negotiations are delivering in terms of meaningful action,” said Alden Meyer, director of strategy and policy at the Union of Concerned Scientists and a 28-year veteran of the climate process.

“Most of the world’s biggest emitting countries are missing in action and resisting calls to raise their ambition.”

The push for strengthening voluntary carbon cutting plans is led by small-island and least-developed states, along with the European Union.

These have called out nations they see as blocking consensus – notably the United States, Australia and Saudi Arabia.

China and India, the world’s No. 1 and No. 4 carbon emitters, made it clear they see no need to improve on their current emissions reduction plans, which run to 2030.

These emerging giants chose instead to emphasise the historical responsibility of rich nations to lead the way and provide financing to poor countries.

“Major players who needed to deliver in Madrid did not live up to expectations,” said Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation and, as France’s top negotiator, a main architect of the Paris Agreement.

“But thanks to a progressive alliance of small island states, European, African and Latin American countries, we obtained the best possible outcome, against the will of big polluters.”

“LOSS AND DAMAGE”

The summit was also meant to finalise a chapter on carbon markets in the Paris rulebook.

Instead, the focus now switches to next year’s COP 26 in Glasgow, when the true Paris deadline falls.

The US, which is leaving the Paris deal next year, was accused of playing spoiler on a number of issues.

This included so-called “loss and damage” funding to help disaster-hit countries repair and rebuild.

“The US has not come here in good faith,” said Harjeet Singh, climate lead with charity ActionAid.

“They continue to block the world’s efforts to help people whose lives have been turned upside down by climate change.”

Even if all countries implement their current plans under Paris, Earth is on course to warm more than 3C by 2100.

Source: AFP/aa

Two South Asian beauties secured top 12 in Miss world 2019

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London — Jamaica’s Toni-Ann Singh was crowned as Miss World 2019 and said she wanted to use her title to work for “sustainable change” for women and their children.

Asked about the value of beauty contests in today’s world of MeToo# and the drive for equality and respect for women, the 23-year-old graduate of Florida State University said beauty for her was the least important aspect of her achievement.

“I want to make a change that’s sustainable. So if we’re talking women … it needs to be something that will make sure that their children and their children’s children have a different value of life,” an overjoyed Singh told reporters after winning the title in London on Saturday.

Suman Rao, who represented India at the Miss World 2019 contest in London on December 14, won the title of Miss World Asia 2019 during the beauty pageant. The 21-year-old model qualified to the top three and was announced as the second runner-up of Miss World 2019. Miss Jamaica Toni-Ann Singh was crowned Miss World 2019.

Similarly , Anushka Shrestha from Nepal won the ‘Beauty with a Purpose’ title. For the last 48 years, ‘Beauty with a Purpose’ has been sitiing firmly at the very heart of Miss World. ‘Beauty with a Purpose’ projects aim to help and change the lives of disadvantaged communities around the world. This project hopes to allow women who participate to take their humanitarian beliefs one step ahead along with the support of other organizations.

This project is set up in more than 140 countries and every year contestants are asked to take part in these projects and help make the world a better place. The platform allows these talented women use their skills and voice to bring about real change in the world.

Two south Asian Beauties : Miss India Suman Ratan Singh Rao and Miss Nepal Anushka Shrestha were  also successful to secure top 12 position of the Miss Word 2019 contest.

  • Miss Nigeria Nyekachi Douglas
  • Miss Kenya Stacy Michuki
  • Miss Brazil Elis COELHO
  • Miss Mexico Ashley ALVIDREZ
  • Miss India Suman Ratan Singh Rao
  • Miss Nepal Anushka SHRESTHA
  • Miss Philippines Michelle Daniel
  • Miss Vietnam Luong Thuy LINH
  • Miss Jamaica Toni-Ann SINGH
  • Miss France Ophely MEZINO
  • Miss Russia Alina SANKO
  • Miss Cook Islands Tajiya Eikura SAHAY

What Boris Johnson’s victory means for Britain’s place in the world

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Victoria Honeyman, University of Leeds

With Boris Johnson’s impressive election victory, one of the biggest questions in British politics will be answered: Brexit, in some form, will be done.

But what does this election victory mean for Britain’s standing in the world? Who will the UK now count as its allies, and its enemies?

The manner of Brexit matters in terms of Britain’s global standing. The large majority he has secured might give Johnson more room for manoeuvre in Westminster, making a softer Brexit possible. This would undoubtedly allow for smoother relations with the UK’s neighbours, but a softer Brexit might also have more advantages globally.

Overseas, Brexit is viewed as a form of national self-harm by many, and a softer departure may well prevent Britain’s international standing from being substantially damaged. A softer Brexit, which might involve some freedom of movement, may also allow Britain to strike a stronger bargaining position in future trade negotiations with both the EU and other nations. By remaining at least partially linked to the EU, Britain would be able to present itself in trade negotiations as part of a larger market, giving it more power and a louder voice.

US and China

Beyond Brexit, Johnson and US President Donald Trump will undoubtedly remain close, meaning the so-called “special relationship” will be publicly supported and championed. This public friendship may not make Johnson popular on the global stage, but with his majority, and a potential victory for Trump in November 2020, he may not care.

Bonhomie aside, the extent that camaraderie between Johnson and Trump will benefit Britain is more questionable. Securing a favourable post-Brexit trade deal with the US will remain very challenging.

Britain is already looking to strengthen economic and political ties with Commonwealth countries – Australia’s prime minister, Scott Morrison, swiftly tweeted his congratulations to Johnson. The reality of leaning on the Commonwealth will not be as lucrative as membership of the EU, but the Conservatives are keen to draw on itnonetheless.

Specific countries, like India, will become increasingly important. An economic powerhouse, the UK will want to secure a trade deal with India. But at what cost? For India, any trade deal with the UK will have to come with the promise of a relaxation of the visa requirements for Indian nationals. That pay-off may be difficult for Johnson to sell to an electorate which has been repeatedly promised a reduction in immigration and a tightening up of immigration policy from the Conservatives.

China will be another key relationship to watch in future. Relations with China have not been particularly good over the past 20 years. For example China froze investment into the UK under the coalition government following David Cameron’s meeting with the Dalai Lama in 2012. Johnson’s government will be looking to improve this relationship in the hope of a beneficial trade deal.

But how can this be achieved? One recent example is the Conservative government’s response to the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. It might be expected, because of Britain’s historic links with Hong Kong and Britain’s desire to maintain democracy in the territory, that Johnson’s Conservatives would be outspoken in their support of the democratic movements.

Instead, the Johnson government has been quiet on the violence in the territory, a response which will undoubtedly please the Chinese government. It may be that silence is the cost of a future trade deal with China – a stance which has changed from under the leadership of Theresa May, where Jeremy Hunt was fairly outspoken on Hong Kong while foreign secretary.

Weakened

For a post-Brexit Britain, there will undoubtedly be some economic opportunities, but there is a cost. Outside of the EU, Britain is a much smaller power on the global stage, both economically and politically.

To secure those all-important trade deals, Britain will have to decide what pay-offs it is willing to make. For all his bluster, Johnson may have to swallow some uncomfortable truths and some uncomfortable compromises. Whether he can sell those at home is another matter.

The size of the Conservatives’ victory will hammer the final nail in the coffin of the hopes of those in the EU, and in the UK, who wanted a reversal of Brexit. Johnson is not a popular man in Europe, but Brexit fatigue has made his European counterparts keen to work with him to get Brexit finished. While securing a trade deal with the EU by the end of December 2020 will be tricky, it is also in the EU’s interest to make sure that trade remains smooth.

From : The Conversation

Nepal’s largest literary festival kicks off in tourist city

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Pokhara — Nepal’s largest annual literary festival began on Friday in the tourist city of Pokhara.

Prithvi Subba Gurung, the chief minister of the central Gandaki Province, inaugurated the four-day festival in the city that lies in the shadow of Mount Annapurna, the world’s 10th highest mountain.

“I’m not into literature, but I’m committed to provide support for its empowerment and growth,” Gurung told participants near the Phewa Lake in the picturesque city, Anadolu Agency reported.

Nepal’s former Finance Minister and prominent civil society activist Devendra Raj Panday delivered a keynote speech — titled Development of Democracy and Public Responsibility — in which he touched upon the issue of inequality across the world.

At the opening ceremony, three teenage sisters representing formerly untouchable Dalit community — Mamata, Manita and Anita — sang hymns from Hindu religious scriptures called Veda.

The 9th edition of the annual Nepal Literature Festival, inspired by India’s Jaipur Literary Festival, will host more than 40 sessions featuring authors, journalists, activists, intellectuals, and public personalities from India, Pakistan and Nepal.

International authors include Amitabh Bagchi, Indian novelist Harish Trivedi and Pakistani author Jamil Jan Kochai.

The festival includes sessions on English vernacular literature and translations in South Asia, a Hindu traditional practice in the country of banishing menstruating women to live in sheds, and writing in the age of populism.

Indian novelist and chief editor of Indian Express Raj Kamal Jha and Nepali journalist Kunda Dixit will speak at a session — titled Selfie Journalism.

On Monday, the festival will host the award ceremony of the prestigious DSC Prize in Literature, one of South Asia’s largest literary prizes.

Nepal said to be vulnerable to the deadly disease glanders

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From : Horsetalk

Nepal is said to be at risk of an outbreak of the deadly disease glanders, which would seriously affect the welfare of equines and the livelihoods of many poor families.

Glanders, which is usually fatal to both animals and humans, is caused by the bacterium Burkholderia mallei.

It affects mainly horses, mules, and donkeys. Signs include lung lesions and ulceration of mucous membranes in the respiratory tract. The acute form results in coughing and fever, followed by septicaemia and death within days.

Niran Adhikari, Krishna Prasad Acharya and Richard Trevor Wilson, in a letter to the journal Tropical Medicine and Health, say an outbreak is a distinct possibility in the short term.

This is due to its re-emergence in India and periodic unrestricted migration of equines from there, especially from neighboring Uttar Pradesh, where 89 outbreaks were reported in 2017.

The trio say confirmation of glanders has not been possible in suspected cases submitted by field veterinarians in Nepal, mainly due to the lack of diagnostic tools.

outbreak, they say, would affect rural, marginalized communities and the brick kiln industries, in which more than 2200 of Nepal’s 56,834 equines work.

“Brick-making is one of the largest employers of human labor in the country. An outbreak of glanders would thus have an enormous negative impact not only on the horses but also on the poor people who work with them and have no possibility of other forms of employment.”

More attention by the government to the disease is warranted, they say. A strengthened animal quarantine system with holding yards and laboratory backups were required.

Nepal currently has eight quarantine offices and 29 animal quarantine check-posts.

The nation imported 2690 equines from India in 2017.

“Most equines imported from India passed through the Nepalgunj quarantine office, the closest to India’s Uttar Pradesh region.

“Quarantine officers can prohibit entry of animals from such disease-outbreak regions but poor coordination with Indian quarantine check posts, lack of animal holding yards, and illegal migration through the open border create problems for the Nepalese quarantine service.”

Nepal’s Central Veterinary Laboratory is the national veterinary reference laboratory. Samples from suspicious imported animals are dispatched there for analysis, but it does not have the facility to test for glanders.

The high cost of the preferred test for the bacterium means it is less affordable as a screening test for low-income countries such as Nepal, the trio say.

“No confirmed cases of glanders have so far been identified but the threat of the disease being introduced is very real in view of the weak surveillance and animal quarantine activities.”

For now, the authors say quarantine offices should keep full records of equines imported from outbreak regions and possibly even prohibit their entry.

Where equines are allowed into the country, a simpler and more affordable screening test should be applied.

They say the long-term goal should be to improve coordination between quarantine offices on both sides of the border zone. Stringent quarantine measures should be enforced and equines in Nepal should be tested for the disease, with positive cases euthanized.

They proposed a campaign to improve awareness of the disease.

Adhikari is with Animal Health Training and Consultancy Services, in Pokhara, Nepal; Acharya is with the Animal Quarantine Office in Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu, Nepal; and Wilson is with Bartridge House in Umberleigh, Britain.

Adhikari, N., Acharya, K.P. & Wilson, R.T. The potential for an outbreak of glanders in Nepal. Trop Med Health 47, 57 (2019) doi:10.1186/s41182-019-0185-2

Miss Nepal Anushka won the Multimedia Award at Miss World

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London — Miss Nepal 2019 Anushka Shrestha has won the Multimedia Award at Miss World,  Anushka  has mentioned in her instagram account.

Photo : Production III, Ezra Shrestha .

With the win, she has made it to the top 30 of the global beauty pageant. Earlier, she had won Head to Head Challenge at the beauty pageant.

The Multimedia Challenge, which is an event that was added in 2012, judges contestants on how they document their pageant prep and interact with their fans on social media. There haven’t yet been any winners announced for 2019.

The Miss World Facebook page writes, “The winner of this challenge is the contestant who creates the best content to engage fans on social media to get the most votes, likes and shares across all their social media accounts.”

Shrestha will compete in the 69 edition of the Miss World to be held in London on December 14.

Miss Nepal also finished in the Top 10 in the head-to-head challenge and the Beauty With a Purpose event.

Indian Embassy signs agreement for reconstruction of Nepal’s 11 cultural heritage sites

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Kathmandu (ANI): Indian Embassy on Thursday signed an agreement with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), India for the post-earthquake reconstruction of 11 Cultural Heritage sites in Nepal.

“The Agreement was signed by Dr Ajay Kumar, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India, Kathmandu, on behalf of the Government of India, and by Dr. (Mrs) C.T. Mishra, Member Secretary, INTACH. Senior officials from the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) of Nepal and Manjeev Singh Puri, Ambassador of India to Nepal graced the occasion,” a statement in this regard read.

According to the statement, the INTACH will provide Design and Project Management Consultancy services for the reconstruction of 11 Cultural Heritage sites in four districts (Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur and Solukhumbhu).

It will also work with the Department of Archeology (DoA) of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Nepal to reconstruct and conserve Cultural Heritage sites as per the Government of Nepal’s guidelines on the reconstruction of Cultural Heritage Sites.

UK election : London seats update, Boris to remain the UK PM

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London — The Conservatives have won 65% of the seats in England taking a string of former Labour strongholds.

Boris Johnson will remain prime minister with a comfortable majority, as numerous Labour heartland seats fall to the Conservatives.

All but two of England’s 533 constituencies have been declared, with the Conservatives winning 343.

Labour have won 180 seats, the Liberal Democrats seven and Green party one.

Among all the seats of the U.K. London has mixed result.

All the seats in London, and how they ended up

  • Romford: Andrew Richard Rosindell – Conservative and Unionist Party
  • Harrow East: Bob Blackman – Conservative and Unionist Party
  • Bromley and Chislehurst: Bob Neill – Conservative and Unionist Party
  • Beckenham: Bob Stewart – Conservative and Unionist Party
  • Uxbridge and South Ruislip: Boris Johnson – Conservative and Unionist Party
  • Bexleyheath and Crayford: David Evennett – Conservative and Unionist Party
  • Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner: David Simmonds – Conservative and Unionist Party
  • Carshalton and Wallington: Elliot Colburn – Conservative and Unionist Party
  • Kensington: Felicity Buchan – Conservative and Unionist Party
  • Orpington: Gareth Bacon – Conservative and Unionist Party
  • Chelsea and Fulham: Greg Hands – Conservative and Unionist Party
  • Chingford and Woodford Green: Iain Duncan Smith – Conservative and Unionist Party
  • Old Bexley and Sidcup: James Brokenshire – Conservative and Unionist Party
  • Hornchurch and Upminster: Julia Lopez – Conservative and Unionist Party
  • Hendon: Matthew Offord – Conservative and Unionist Party
  • Finchley and Golders Green: Mike Freer – Conservative and Unionist Party
  • Cities of London and Westminster: Nickie Aiken – Conservative and Unionist Party
  • Sutton and Cheam: Paul Scully – Conservative and Unionist Party
  • Wimbledon: Stephen Hammond – Conservative and Unionist Party
  • Chipping Barnet: Theresa Villiers – Conservative and Unionist Party
  • Vauxhall: Florence Eshalomi – Labour and Co-operative Party
  • Harrow West: Gareth Thomas – Labour and Co-operative Party
  • Ealing North: James Murray – Labour and Co-operative Party
  • Edmonton: Kate Osamor – Labour and Co-operative Party
  • Hackney South and Shoreditch: Meg Hillier – Labour and Co-operative Party
  • Feltham and Heston: Seema Malhotra – Labour and Co-operative Party
  • Walthamstow: Stella Creasy – Labour and Co-operative Party
  • Croydon North: Steve Reed – Labour and Co-operative Party
  • Erith and Thamesmead: Abena Oppong-Asare – Labour Party
  • Hammersmith: Andy Slaughter – Labour Party
  • Poplar and Limehouse: Apsana Begum – Labour Party
  • Enfield, Southgate: Bambos Charalambous – Labour Party
  • Brent North: Barry Gardiner – Labour Party
  • Streatham: Bell Ribeiro-Addy – Labour Party
  • Hornsey and Wood Green: Catherine West – Labour Party
  • Eltham: Clive Efford – Labour Party
  • Tottenham: David Lammy – Labour Party
  • Brent Central: Dawn Butler – Labour Party
  • Hackney North and Stoke Newington: Diane Abbott – Labour Party
  • Lewisham West and Penge: Ellie Reeves – Labour Party
  • Islington South and Finsbury: Emily Thornberry – Labour Party
  • Enfield North: Feryal Clark – Labour Party
  • Putney: Fleur Anderson – Labour Party
  • Camberwell and Peckham: Harriet Harman – Labour Party
  • Dulwich and West Norwood: Helen Hayes – Labour Party
  • Lewisham East: Janet Daby – Labour Party
  • Islington North: Jeremy Corbyn – Labour Party
  • Leyton and Wanstead: John Cryer – Labour Party
  • Hayes and Harlington: John McDonnell – Labour Party
  • Dagenham and Rainham: Jon Cruddas – Labour Party
  • Westminster North: Karen Buck – Labour Party
  • Holborn and St Pancras: Keir Starmer – Labour Party
  • West Ham: Lyn Brown – Labour Party
  • Barking: Margaret Hodge – Labour Party
  • Battersea: Marsha de Cordova – Labour Party
  • Greenwich and Woolwich: Matthew Pennycook – Labour Party
  • Bermondsey and Old Southwark: Neil Coyle – Labour Party
  • Tooting: Rosena Allin-Khan – Labour Party
  • Ealing Central and Acton: Rupa Huq – Labour Party
  • Bethnal Green and Bow: Rushanara Ali – Labour Party
  • Brentford and Isleworth: Ruth Cadbury – Labour Party
  • Ilford South: Sam Tarry – Labour Party
  • Croydon Central: Sarah Jones – Labour Party
  • Mitcham and Morden: Siobhain McDonagh – Labour Party
  • East Ham: Stephen Timms – Labour Party
  • Hampstead and Kilburn: Tulip Siddiq – Labour Party
  • Lewisham, Deptford: Vicky Foxcroft – Labour Party
  • Ealing, Southall: Virendra Sharma – Labour Party
  • Ilford North: Wes Streeting – Labour Party
  • Kingston and Surbiton: Ed Davey – Liberal Democrats
  • Twickenham: Munira Wilson – Liberal Democrats
  • Richmond Park: Sarah Olney – Liberal Democrats

– Agencies

UK General Election Day : Voters head to polls across the UK

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London —The UK is going to the polls for the country’s third general election in less than five years. Polling stations in 650 constituencies across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland opened at 07:00 GMT.

The contest, the first to be held in December in nearly 100 years, follows those in 2015 and 2017.

Election day has arrived after a six-week campaign – the first December election since 1923. It is the third UK general election since 2015 .

UK’s 40,000 polling stations open until 10pm.Nation decides between Conservatives’ Boris Johnson and Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn for PM .

Anyone aged 18 or over is eligible to vote, as long as they are a British citizen or qualifying citizen of the Commonwealth or Republic of Ireland and have registered to vote. Registration closed on 26 November, the BBC reported.

Details about where to vote can be found on the Electoral Commission website and are also listed on polling cards sent to households.

People do not need a polling card to be able to vote but will need to give their name and address at their local polling station. People can only vote for one candidate or their ballot paper will not be counted.

After the polls close at 22:00 GMT, counting will begin straight away. Most results are due to be announced in the early hours of Friday morning.

Polling station rules

Every polling station has rules on how you cast your vote and behave when in the polling station:

  • You must bring ID to the polling station
  • Selfies are frowned upon as they risk giving away what someone else voted, which is illegal
  • People are permitted to spoil their ballot as a protest, however they wont be counted
  • It is illegal to openly share how anyone else voted
  • You are not allowed to photograph the ballot paper you receive at the polling station
  • Animals, apart from guide dogs, are usually not allowed inside a polling station
  • There is no law against wearing political clothing or a banner in when you go to vote

A 73 year-old woman is running from Britain to Kathmandu to raise money for Nepal

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Rosie Swale Pope, a seasoned marathoner, adventurer and author, is on her way to Kathmandu, Nepal on foot. She began her run in July 2018 from Brighton, United Kingdom and, as of December 9, 2019, had reached Istanbul, Turkey.

In 2015, Nepal was hit with an earthquake that clocked 7.9 on the Richter scale, causing widespread destruction. Years later, the country is still struggling to recover from its impact, and many are still homeless and have lost their livelihood, Scroll.in writes.

Rosie Swale Pope MBE (@RosieSwalePope) Tweeted:
Is it a bird? ?
Is it a plane? ✈
No! It’s me running across Galata Bridge on a 6,000 mile journey across the world from the UK to Nepal, pulling everything I own in a cart behind me. ?‍♀️
#RosieRuns https://t.co/6A3UyMfavz

Hoping to raise money for Nepal’s local communities and the country’s recovery from the devastating earthquake, Pope is covering an average of 20 kilometres daily. Pope said (video above), “It is not about just giving people food. It is about helping these talented people to grow their own food.”

Nepal Gvt announces cash prizes to SAG medal holders

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Kathmandu — Government has decided to provide Rs. 900,000 each to the Nepali athletes who were successful to bag gold medals in the 13th South Asian Games (SAG).

In a programme organised at Prime Minister’s residence Baluwatar, to appreciate the Nepali SAG players, PM KP Sharma Oli declared the cash prizes that are to be provided to the player, national daily Rising Nepal writes.

According to PM Oli, Rs. 900,000 each will be provided to the gold medalists, Rs. 600,000 to silver medalists and Rs. 300,000 to bronze medalists.  Similarly , an individual holding more than two gold will get RS 1100,000, the source stated.

Nepali athletes won 51 gold, 60 silver and 95 silver medals at the 13th SAG

Home Minister Thapa Meets British Ambassador Pollitt

Posted on by SAT News Desk

RSS, Kathmandu  — Newly appointed British Ambassador to Nepal, Nicola Pollitt, paid a courtesy call on Minister for Home Affairs Ram Bahadur Thapa in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA), Singha Durbar today.
Issues as historical bilateral ties between Nepal and UK and mutual cooperation were figured in the talks during the meeting, according to the MoHA.
Congratulating Pollitt for taking up her assignment in Nepal as the first female British Ambassador to Nepal, Minister Thapa extended his best wishes for her successful tenure in her new appointment.
Home Minister Thapa expressed his confidence that during her tenure, the Nepal-UK ties would reach further height and urged the newly appointed British Ambassador for her positive intervention in resolving the issues concerning the Nepalis in the UK as well as the British Gurkhas.
Furthermore, the Minister also extended his gratitude to the British government for its cooperation to Nepal, especially in the areas of disaster management, military training and construction of physical infrastructures among others and expressed his hope for the continued support in future.
In response, the British Ambassador said that Nepal and UK shared a historic tie and expressed her gratitude towards Nepal’s support to the UK since history.
Stating that the British government was very serious about the issues facing the Nepalis in the UK as well as the British Gurkhas, the British envoy assured that issue was resolved to a large extent by now.
She also reaffirmed the Minister of British government’s continuous support to Nepal and said that the areas of cooperation would be expanded in future.

Kalapani dispute between Nepal and India should be resolved in a diplomatic way: Sharma

Posted on by SAT News Desk
London— A Labour Party leader and former Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Nepal in the British Parliament, Virendra Sharma, has said Nepal and India should resolve the border dispute at Kalapani region through diplomatic ways.

https://youtu.be/9pyNjVWCl9o

“It is for people of Nepal and India to decide together in a diplomatic way,” he said adding, “If there is any move for outside intervention to resolve this issue, I will assist them if they want.”
Nepal has been claiming that India has been occupying Kalapani region at the Nepal-India-China trijunction since the 1950s. India denies that.
In response to another question, Mr Sharma — who is seeking re-election from the Ealing Southall constituency for the record fifth time— said he will continue to lobby for equal pension, benefits and immigration rights for Gurkha veterans who have retired from the British Army.
Consulting Editor of www.southasiatime.com, Bhagirath Yogi, spoke to Mr Sharma early this week. Video courtesy: Mr Shiba Bhandari

https://www.facebook.com/londonnepalnews/videos/736724643404684/

Kenya Gov’t sued over Nepalese women trafficked for sex

Posted on by SAT News Desk

Nairobi — he Kenyan government has been sued for allegedly failing to protect five Nepalese women who were trafficked into the country for sexual exploitation, Citizen TV reported.

According to Awareness Against Human Trafficking (HAART), the government failed to provide appropriate care for five Indian and Nepalese women.

“After four months, the victims just want to go home. They have become deeply traumatized and suicidal. Some have been hospitalized and we have filed a complaint against the government so that all victims of trafficking are not compelled to testify, and the government pays for their speedy and safe repatriation,” Sophie Otiende, program consultant for HAART Kenya told Reuters.

The victims had been rescued from a bar in Nairobi in August and have been allegedly forced to testify against the said traffickers.

This has reportedly caused them ‘psychological harm’ and the NGO is seeking to have the government pay up to Ksh. 1.3 million for failing in their responsibility.

However, Elizabeth Mbuka, who is the Head of the Counter Trafficking in Persons Secretariat, refuted the claims.

She stated that no request for funds had been received from HAART, and that if approached they would have considered them.

She also added that a court order for the repatriation of the Nepalese women and their Indian counterparts had been given.

According to Reuters, a rising number of women and girls are leaving South Asian nations such as Nepal, India and Pakistan under the illusion that they will make money through dancing in Kenyan bars.

It is a business that is apparently fronted in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu, where large numbers of Kenyans of South Asian descent live.

From : the citizen digital.