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From the Kathmandu Press: Wednesday, June 13, 2018

The issue that received the biggest coverage on the front pages of Nepali and English broadsheet dailies published from Kathmandu on Wednesday is the meeting between United States President Donald Trump and North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore. The reports have also added that the Nepal government has also welcomed the agreement between the two leaders hoping it would take the Korean region towards denuclearisation. Then, the second biggest issue is the Constitutional Commission’s recommendation to promote Acting Chief Justice Deepak Raj Joshee to the position of Chief Justice.

Important

Deepak Raj Joshee recommended for Chief Justice

Acting Chief Justice Deepak Raj Joshee

This time tool, the Constitutional Council gave the continuity to its decades-long tradition of giving the respect to seniority as it named the senior-most Supreme Court Justice Deepak Raj Joshee as the new Chief Justice, many newspapers have reported on their front pages today.

Kantipur says the Council meeting unanimously made the decision though the Judicial Council had recommended three names for the consideration.

Joshee has been working as the Acting Chief Justice of the apex court for last few months. Now, his name will be forwarded to the Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee and he will be qualified for the appointment by President when the House panel endorses his name, the reports explain. Gorkhapatra informs that the Hearing Committee, however, is yet to be formed and it will take at least one week for the formation.

Joshee will be the 28th Chief Justice of Nepal’s Supreme Court, according to Nepal Samacharpatra.

Govt prepares for constitution amendment

Chairs of Nepal Communist Party and Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal sign an agreement, in Kathmandu, on Monday, May 28, 2018.

As per its commitment made with the Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal and in its bid to bring Rastriya Janata Party Nepal too on board the government, the government under the leadership of Nepal Communist Party Chairman KP Sharma Oli is planning to file a proposal for constitution amendment soon, according to Rajdhani.

Top leaders of the NCP including two co-chairs Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal themselves are involved in the negotiation process for last few days, the report informs, adding, the amendment will make changes in two key points of the constitution though the two parties had demanded 11 such changes. The NCP has been ready to amend the provisions about obtaining naturalised citizenship and giving an official status to any language in the constitution, according to a source close to Prime Minister Oli.

Ignored

Govt needs to implement 41 new laws within next three months

As per the constitutional provision, the government must approve dozens of laws within September 18 this year so as to implement fundamental rights envisioned in the constitution. But, the government has failed to present even a single draft in Parliament meetings, creating doubts among the lawmakers on timely law construction, reports Annapurna Post.

Now, as many as 41 new laws should be constructed within three months of time.

Melamchi contractor gets extension, compensation

File: A tunnel under the Melamchi Water Supply Project

At the time when Home Minister Ram Badhaur Thapa is taking action against the contractors delaying the construction works, the contractor of Melamchi Water Supply Project has got an extension of 212 days with compensation of Rs 10.03 billion as claimed by the contractor, according to Nagarik daily.

The contractor had made a claim for the compensation citing loss during the Gorkha earthquake.

NRB sees no connection between fall in migrants’ number and free visa ticket scheme

A report released by Nepal Rastra Bank showed that there was no connection between the enforcement of ‘free-visa-free-ticket’ scheme and decreasing number of Nepalis going abroad for employment.

According to recruitment companies in Nepal, there is lower demand for workers who should be offered visa cost and airfare. They have also accused the government’s new policy of being responsible for the decrease in number of workers.

Interesting

What are agendas of PM’s China visit?

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will embark on a five-day state visit to China with seven main agendas, according to Naya Patrika lead story. Agreements on energy, trade and transit, construction of Miteri and Rasuwagadhi bridge, Kathmandu-Kyirong railway, and construction of Rasuwagadhi-Kathmandu-Pokhara-Lumbini railways will be the main agendas of the Prime Minister, reports the newspaper.

Likewise, an agreement on joint investment of Rs 40 billion in private sectors of Nepal and BIPPA will also be prioritised during the visit.

West Indies tops the Nepal list of FDI inflow

A report on the stock of foreign direct investment in Nepal unveiled by Nepal Rastra Bank showed that West Indies contributed the largest amount of investment, of the 39 countries that had FDI in Nepal till mid-July 2016, according to The Himalayan Times.

According to the story, Nepal received a total of Rs 197.6 billion FDI till mid-July 2016, with Rs 62.78 billion from West Indies. Likewise, India was in the second position with Rs 27.25 billion, China in the third position with 10.84 billion, Singapore in the fourth rank with Rs 7.13 billion and Ireland in the fifth position with Rs 5.8 billion as per the data.

9.2 million Nepalis have smartphones

According to the anchor story of Nagarik daily, around 9.2 million Nepalis carry smartphones. As per the data collected by Axiata and unveiled by Ncell, the number of smartphone users is growing rapidly. Around 56 per cent customers used smartphone, as per a quarterly financial report of the company.

According to the data, the number of Ncell users has reached 10.64 million.

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