Poco X3 Pro of Xiaomi lunched

Kathmandu, May 16

Xiaomi has launched its latest smartphone Poco X3 Pro in Nepal.

"We are introducing the most powerful smartphone in Nepal," Sourabh Kothari, Country General Manager of Xiaomi Nepal, said in a statement on Sunday.

The smart phone offers an impressive quad camera setup, consisting of a Computer Vision Image signal processor, a 48MP primary sensor with F/1.79 aperture, 8MP ultra-wide angle camera with f/2.2 aperture and 118° FoV, 2MP macro camera and a depth sensor for portraiture.

X3 Pro boasts a 5160mAh battery.

The phone will be available in three color variants: graphite black, steel blue, and golden bronze at a price of Rs. 31,999 (6GB +128GB) and Rs. 36,999 (8GB +256GB) across authorized Stores, online and retail partners From Monday.

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 17 May 2021. 

Five more companies eligible for book building

Kathmandu, May 16

The Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON) has allowed additional five companies to work as institutional investors in the public offerings made through book building method.

It has given approval to CBIL Capital Limited, Citizens Mutual Fund 1 and 2, NRN Infrastructure and Development Limited, and Kumari Equity Fund on Sunday.

With this, the total number of companies that can participate in book building has reached 88.

Institutional investors like fund managers offer their bid for the quantity of shares and the price they would pay for them and help the underwriter to build a book for the IPO in book building.

"The board has given approval to these new five investors according to its policy to increase the institutional investors in the book building method," said the SEBON in a statement.

Earlier on April 16, the SEBON had given approval to nine companies: Siddartha Insurance, Jaya Ganesh Investment Company, ICFC Finance, J-Nex Investment, Muktinath Bikas Bank, Pokharar Finance Limited, Swabhiman Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha, Shree Investment and Finance, and Nepal Bank Limited. 

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 17 May 2021. 

Karuna Foundation hands over oxygen concentrators

Kathmandu, May 16

Karuna Foundation Nepal has handed over 30 oxygen concentrators to five different hospitals across the country.

The foundation distributed the machines collected by helping hands in the Netherlands to them on Friday.

Foundation chairman Dr. Bhagwan Koirala and Executive Director Dipak Raj Sapkota handed over eight concentrators weighing 7 kilograms each to Dhulikhel Hospital, eight to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, 10 to Shukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, two each to Tikapur Hospital and Adara Humla.

It also said that initiatives were being taken to arrange more oxygen concentrators.

"Our efforts are focused on arranging the life-saving items," said Sapkota.

The organisation had also handed over various equipment, including ICU beds, PPE sets, medical kits and food items to different organisations and individuals during the previous lockdown. 

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 17 May 2021. 

Govt recommends ambassadors for 11 countries

 Kathmandu, May 15

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has recommended ambassadors for 11 countries.

Of the 11 candidates, two are career diplomats and the rest are politicians, university professors and others.

Nirmal Raj Kafle and Jeevan Prakash Shrestha are recommended from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Austria and Egypt respectively.

Kafle is the Chief of Europe America Division at the ministry and Shrestha is the Director General of Department of Consular Services.

Likewise, Krishna Chandra Sharma is recommended for South Korea, Ramesh Chandra Poudel for Sri Lanka, Kul Prasad Nepal for Brazil, Sumnima Tuladhar for Australia, Yubaraj Karki for Bahrain, Sumitra Subedi for Denmark, Narayan Prasad Sangraula for Myamnar, Janga Bahadur Chauhan for Russia and Mehraj Musalman for Saudi Arabia.

The Ministry has recommended the names for parliamentary hearing. The list is sent to the Parliament Secretariat, said Sewa Lamsal, Spokesperson of the MoFA.

Meanwhile, the MoFA is expecting positive news from the Nepali diplomatic missions regarding the management of oxygen, vaccines and other essential health equipment.

Last week, the Ministry had directed the embassies, permanent missions and consul generals to arrange the essential health items to tackle the current crisis.

"There is a significant progress in terms of managing the necessary items. We are expecting good news from the United States of America and European nations," said Lamsal. The European Union has expressed its commitment with Nepali Ambassador to the EU Gahendra Rajbhandari to provide health items worth two million Euros.

However, the Eid holiday in the Gulf and other Muslim nations has delayed the process in those places.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali held a virtual meeting with heads of Nepali diplomatic missions based in select 13 capital cities abroad today.

Minister, while informing the Ambassadors about the most recent initiatives taken within the country to address the ongoing crisis of the Covid 19 pandemic, received updates from the respective Ambassadors on the efforts made for the mobilization of international cooperation of vaccines, oxygen related items, medicines and other health related supplies.

Minister instructed the Embassies to maximize efforts towards that direction and to explore further avenues of support at the bilateral and multilateral levels as well as through philanthropic organizations, private sector and Nepali diaspora.

He also advised the heads of missions to continue giving high priority to the protection and well-being of Nepali nationals abroad.

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 16 May 2021. 

Merchant banks to suspend physical service delivery

Kathmandu, May 15

Merchant banks have stopped all services except the services needed to run securities transactions online.

Merchant Banker Association of Nepal (MBAN) said in a statement on Saturday that the services were stopped as per the directives of the Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON) which directed the banks to run only the essential services.

The board on Thursday had directed the merchant banks to run services needed for securities transactions, stop physical service delivery and make payments of the share transactions made by small investors.

MBAN said that all services that require physical presence of the staff and customers are stopped.

"Since the government has restricted people to go out unless they have urgent work and the SEBON directed us not to keep more than three staff in the office and run services through work from home, we urge all investors to give priority to online services for the lockdown period," read the statement.

It has urged the investors to make share transactions online and use EDIS (Electronic Deposit Instruction Slip) while selling the shares. 

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 16 May 2021. 

'Selfie with Daughter' campaign launched

 Kathmandu, May 15

Nepal Internet Foundation has launched a 'Selfie with Daughter' campaign in Nepal in collaboration with Selfie With Daughter Foundation, India.

They launched it through a virtual programme earlier this week.

President of NIF, Bikram Shrestha, said that this campaign would help to raise awareness about the rights of daughters and their importance in the society where 'Chhaupadi' system still prevails.

Participants of the programme had presented various challenges to women in Nepali society. They discussed about crimes like rape, acid attack, discrimination against women and suicide.

Any Nepali can participate in the campaign with a selfie with their daughter(s). The best photograph will get prizes where the first will get a certificate and a purse of Rs. 21,000. Likewise, second and third photos will get Rs. 11,000 and Rs. 5,100 respective and certificates.

To participate in the competition people can post a smiling selfie with their daughter and mention #selfiewithdaughter. Such photographs can also be sent to WhatsApp number 9801000044 or post at selfiewithdaughter.in.

This campaign was initially launched by Sunil Junglan in India with the aim of achieving gender equality. He said that the campaign had been effective in creating awareness about the importance and rights of daughters even in rural India. 

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 16 May 2021. 

Paudel assumes office, allocates Rs. 58.3 million for oxygen plants

Kathmandu, May 14

Assuming his office at the Ministry of Finance on Friday, Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel decided to provide Rs. 58.3 million to three hospitals to install oxygen plants and pipeline.

The budget will be given to Dadheldhura Hospital, Patan Academy of Health Sciences and Bheri Hospital, Nepalgunj.

On the occasion, Minister Paudel said that the budget of the coming fiscal year 2021/22 will be focused on fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to him, the preparation of the budget was on the final stage and the government will bring it with a motion of rehabilitating the economy and making it more dynamic.

He also expressed commitment to put all efforts for the testing and treatment of COVID-19 patients.

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 15 May 2021.