2016-07-29 13:04:52.0Colombian model Ariadna Gutierrez, presents creations by Colombian brand Agua Bendita during the Colombiamoda fashion show in Medellin, Antioquia department, Colombia, on July 28, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / RAUL ARBOLEDA
Showing posts with label entertainment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label entertainment. Show all posts
Friday, July 29, 2016
COLOMBIA-FASHION
2016-07-29 13:04:52.0Colombian model Ariadna Gutierrez, presents creations by Colombian brand Agua Bendita during the Colombiamoda fashion show in Medellin, Antioquia department, Colombia, on July 28, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / RAUL ARBOLEDA
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
closing meeting
Models present creations
SPO-BKO-BKC-USC-V-UTAH
Monday, March 14, 2016
Films on Buddha to premiere at film festival in Bangladesh
Kathmandu, March 14: The Cox Beach International Film Festival – 2016 to be held in Bangladesh from April 15 to 22 will premiere films produced in Nepal that convey facts related to Buddha and his birthplace in Nepal.
The International Academy of Film and Media is collaborating with the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry of Bangladesh in the film festival being coordinated by Trust me Foundation from Nepal.
Foundation’s President, Janisha Bhattarai, said the films and documentaries being screened will let the world into an opportunity to know Nepal’s identity and its positive sides.
The festival will feature documentaries produced in Nepal on Buddha, reconstruction, post-quake nation building, the destructive earthquake which struck on April 25 last year (sans adverse impact on Nepal’s tourism), and films on the role of integrated SAARC for industrial revolution and economic development.
The feature films made in 2015, new documentaries and those produced within the last three years will also be screened.Film actors, directors, critics and various personalities from Hollywood, Bollywood, Russia, Poland, the UK, Iran, Canada and Japan including many other countries will be participating. RSS
The International Academy of Film and Media is collaborating with the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry of Bangladesh in the film festival being coordinated by Trust me Foundation from Nepal.
Foundation’s President, Janisha Bhattarai, said the films and documentaries being screened will let the world into an opportunity to know Nepal’s identity and its positive sides.
The festival will feature documentaries produced in Nepal on Buddha, reconstruction, post-quake nation building, the destructive earthquake which struck on April 25 last year (sans adverse impact on Nepal’s tourism), and films on the role of integrated SAARC for industrial revolution and economic development.
The feature films made in 2015, new documentaries and those produced within the last three years will also be screened.Film actors, directors, critics and various personalities from Hollywood, Bollywood, Russia, Poland, the UK, Iran, Canada and Japan including many other countries will be participating. RSS
Thursday, March 10, 2016
LA Premiere of "Miracles From Heaven" - Arrivals
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
China imports and exports fall again in November: govt
BEIJING, Dec 8,(AFP) - Chinese imports and exports both fell in November, official data showed Tuesday, the latest poor figures from the world's second-largest economy.
The country is a key driver of global growth and its shipments of finished goods, along with its demand for the resources to manufacture them, affect nations across the world.
China's exports sank 6.8 percent to $197.2 billion in November, Customs said -- a marginal improvement on the previous month, but worse than the five percent drop forecast in a Bloomberg poll of economists.
Overseas shipments have been declining every month this year except for February, when the figures were skewed by the Chinese New Year.
Imports tumbled 8.7 percent to $143.1 billion -- the 13th straight month of declines, but narrowing significantly from an 18.8 percent slump in OctoberThe figure was better than the 11.9 percent drop estimated in the Bloomberg survey.
Analysts attributed the slower fall to Beijing's monetary easing policies and the slump in global commodity prices late last year, which lowered the basis for comparison.
"Although disappointing exports data suggest that foreign demand remains subdued, a recovery in imports hints at a policy-driven pick-up in domestic demand," wrote Julian Evans-Pritchard with research firm Capital Economics in a note.
The government has turned to monetary loosening to stimulate growth, cutting interest rates six times since November last year.ANZ economists expected import figures to continue to strengthen next year.
"Looking ahead, the headline growth rate of imports could start to improve in 2016 as the price effect diminishes," they said in a report.Concerns have been mounting among investors worldwide over China's economy, which expanded 6.9 percent in the July-September period according to official figures -- its slowest rate since the aftermath of the global financial crisis.
But those statistics are widely doubted and many analysts believe the real rate of growth could be several percentage points lower.
Annual growth weakened to 7.3 percent last year, the slowest pace since 1990, as traditional growth drivers such as exports and investment increasingly run out of steam.Analysts and Chinese politicians say the country needs to rebalance away from reliance on exports and fixed asset investment towards a consumer-driven economy.
But state intervention struggled to halt a stock market rout this summer, increasing doubts over policymakers' ability to transition to a more market-based economy.
The trade surplus stood at $54.1 billion in November, down from $61.6 billion recorded in October, according to official figures.
The country is a key driver of global growth and its shipments of finished goods, along with its demand for the resources to manufacture them, affect nations across the world.
China's exports sank 6.8 percent to $197.2 billion in November, Customs said -- a marginal improvement on the previous month, but worse than the five percent drop forecast in a Bloomberg poll of economists.
Overseas shipments have been declining every month this year except for February, when the figures were skewed by the Chinese New Year.
Imports tumbled 8.7 percent to $143.1 billion -- the 13th straight month of declines, but narrowing significantly from an 18.8 percent slump in OctoberThe figure was better than the 11.9 percent drop estimated in the Bloomberg survey.
Analysts attributed the slower fall to Beijing's monetary easing policies and the slump in global commodity prices late last year, which lowered the basis for comparison.
"Although disappointing exports data suggest that foreign demand remains subdued, a recovery in imports hints at a policy-driven pick-up in domestic demand," wrote Julian Evans-Pritchard with research firm Capital Economics in a note.
The government has turned to monetary loosening to stimulate growth, cutting interest rates six times since November last year.ANZ economists expected import figures to continue to strengthen next year.
"Looking ahead, the headline growth rate of imports could start to improve in 2016 as the price effect diminishes," they said in a report.Concerns have been mounting among investors worldwide over China's economy, which expanded 6.9 percent in the July-September period according to official figures -- its slowest rate since the aftermath of the global financial crisis.
But those statistics are widely doubted and many analysts believe the real rate of growth could be several percentage points lower.
Annual growth weakened to 7.3 percent last year, the slowest pace since 1990, as traditional growth drivers such as exports and investment increasingly run out of steam.Analysts and Chinese politicians say the country needs to rebalance away from reliance on exports and fixed asset investment towards a consumer-driven economy.
But state intervention struggled to halt a stock market rout this summer, increasing doubts over policymakers' ability to transition to a more market-based economy.
The trade surplus stood at $54.1 billion in November, down from $61.6 billion recorded in October, according to official figures.
Death toll from toxic dog meat dish in Cambodia rises to 5
PHNOM PENH, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- Two more Cambodian villagers died after consuming a toxic dog meat delicacy in eastern Kratie province, bringing the number of the dead to five, a local official confirmed on Tuesday.
"Two more men were pronounced dead at the provincial referral hospital Monday night, bringing the death toll from eating poisoned dog meat dish to five," Kong Kimny, governor of Snuol district, where the incident took place, told Xinhua.
A 76-year-old man, his daughter-in-law and their female neighbor died Sunday morning, hours after they ate the toxic dog meat delicacy, said Kimny, adding that the old man bought the contaminated carcass from the market to cook for food.
A total of 36 other villagers fell ill after they attended the funeral of the three deceased and ate the leftover dog meat delicacy."They did not know that the trio died of eating the contaminated dog meat, so they also ate the meat and subsequently fell ill hours later," he said.
"As of Tuesday morning, all, but eight, of the sick people have recovered and left the hospital.The victims had the symptoms of fatigue, dizziness, and nausea.
"Two more men were pronounced dead at the provincial referral hospital Monday night, bringing the death toll from eating poisoned dog meat dish to five," Kong Kimny, governor of Snuol district, where the incident took place, told Xinhua.
A 76-year-old man, his daughter-in-law and their female neighbor died Sunday morning, hours after they ate the toxic dog meat delicacy, said Kimny, adding that the old man bought the contaminated carcass from the market to cook for food.
A total of 36 other villagers fell ill after they attended the funeral of the three deceased and ate the leftover dog meat delicacy."They did not know that the trio died of eating the contaminated dog meat, so they also ate the meat and subsequently fell ill hours later," he said.
"As of Tuesday morning, all, but eight, of the sick people have recovered and left the hospital.The victims had the symptoms of fatigue, dizziness, and nausea.
New suspected US-led Syria raids kill dozens of civilians
BEIRUT, Dec 8, (AFP) - Suspected US-led coalition air strikes killed at least 26 civilians in a Syrian village Monday, piling pressure on the alliance after allegations another bombing raid left regime soldiers dead.
The coalition has been bombarding the Islamic State group for more than a year in Syria and neighbouring Iraq, where the jihadists have declared a self-styled caliphate.
But according to a monitoring group, strikes on Monday on the village of Al-Khan in northeastern Syria only left civilians dead.Rami Abdel Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said IS is in control of Al-Khan but is only on its outskirts, "which is why all of the deaths were civilians".
The death toll included at least seven children and four women, he said, adding that it was likely to rise as more than a dozen civilians were still missing under rubble.
A spokesman for the US-led coalition said he had no details yet about the raid, but that a "credibility assessment" would review claims of civilian deaths.
Last month, the US said four civilians were "likely" to have been killed in strikes against IS in Iraq. And in November 2014, it admitted accidentally killing two children in a strike in Syria.
The Al-Khan strike came with the coalition already under pressure over allegations it carried out a raid the previous day that killed Syrian soldiers, in the first such case.- 'Flagrant aggression' -In a letter to the UN Security Council and Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Syria accused the coalition of targeting an army camp in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor on Sunday, killing three soldiers and wounding 13.
The foreign ministry letter condemned the attack as "a flagrant aggression".The Observatory said four soldiers died in the first incident of US-led strikes killing Syrian troops.A Syrian military source gave the same toll, and said the attack late Sunday hit several buildings used as weapons depots and an army training camp, damaging two tanks.
But a coalition spokesman said its only strikes in the area on Sunday were on an oil wellhead some 55 kilometres (35 miles) southeast of the army base, and a US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, blamed Russian strikes for the deaths.
Much of Deir Ezzor is under IS control, but the regime still has a presence in small areas, including in the provincial capital.The province's oil has been a major source of IS funding, but on Monday analysis firm IHS said the group was suffering financially due to air strikes on its oil infrastructure.
IHS estimated IS's overall monthly income to be about $80 million (75 million euros) as of late 2015, around half of it from levies and confiscations.But it noted the group also had significant costs because it administers large swathes of territory.
- 'Lacks seriousness and credibility' -The Syrian government has regularly criticised the US-led strikes as ineffective and illegal because they are not coordinated with regime forces."The US coalition lacks the seriousness and credibility to effectively combat terrorism," the foreign ministry said.
Staunch regime ally Moscow began its own aerial campaign in Syria on September 30 and coordinates its strikes with Damascus.On Sunday, US President Barack Obama vowed to destroy IS and hunt down its followers at home and abroad.
It followed a shooting rampage in California last week that saw an apparently radicalised couple kill 14 people.While pledging to "hunt down terrorist plotters in any country", Obama also said he would not be "drawn once more into a long and costly ground war in Iraq and Syria".
"They know they can't defeat us on the battlefield... but they also know that if we occupy foreign lands, they can maintain insurgencies for years, killing thousands of our troops and draining our resources, and using our presence to draw new recruits," he said.
Elsewhere, Syrian media said four people were killed in rebel rocket fire near the now-closed Russian consulate in Aleppo city.Also on Monday, the powerful Jaish al-Islam group announced it will attend a major meeting of Syrian opposition forces in Riyadh this week, the first rebel group to confirm participation.
The group is the most prominent armed opposition faction near Damascus and controls most of the Eastern Ghouta suburb, which is regularly bombarded by government forces.
The coalition has been bombarding the Islamic State group for more than a year in Syria and neighbouring Iraq, where the jihadists have declared a self-styled caliphate.
But according to a monitoring group, strikes on Monday on the village of Al-Khan in northeastern Syria only left civilians dead.Rami Abdel Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said IS is in control of Al-Khan but is only on its outskirts, "which is why all of the deaths were civilians".
The death toll included at least seven children and four women, he said, adding that it was likely to rise as more than a dozen civilians were still missing under rubble.
A spokesman for the US-led coalition said he had no details yet about the raid, but that a "credibility assessment" would review claims of civilian deaths.
Last month, the US said four civilians were "likely" to have been killed in strikes against IS in Iraq. And in November 2014, it admitted accidentally killing two children in a strike in Syria.
The Al-Khan strike came with the coalition already under pressure over allegations it carried out a raid the previous day that killed Syrian soldiers, in the first such case.- 'Flagrant aggression' -In a letter to the UN Security Council and Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Syria accused the coalition of targeting an army camp in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor on Sunday, killing three soldiers and wounding 13.
The foreign ministry letter condemned the attack as "a flagrant aggression".The Observatory said four soldiers died in the first incident of US-led strikes killing Syrian troops.A Syrian military source gave the same toll, and said the attack late Sunday hit several buildings used as weapons depots and an army training camp, damaging two tanks.
But a coalition spokesman said its only strikes in the area on Sunday were on an oil wellhead some 55 kilometres (35 miles) southeast of the army base, and a US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, blamed Russian strikes for the deaths.
Much of Deir Ezzor is under IS control, but the regime still has a presence in small areas, including in the provincial capital.The province's oil has been a major source of IS funding, but on Monday analysis firm IHS said the group was suffering financially due to air strikes on its oil infrastructure.
IHS estimated IS's overall monthly income to be about $80 million (75 million euros) as of late 2015, around half of it from levies and confiscations.But it noted the group also had significant costs because it administers large swathes of territory.
- 'Lacks seriousness and credibility' -The Syrian government has regularly criticised the US-led strikes as ineffective and illegal because they are not coordinated with regime forces."The US coalition lacks the seriousness and credibility to effectively combat terrorism," the foreign ministry said.
Staunch regime ally Moscow began its own aerial campaign in Syria on September 30 and coordinates its strikes with Damascus.On Sunday, US President Barack Obama vowed to destroy IS and hunt down its followers at home and abroad.
It followed a shooting rampage in California last week that saw an apparently radicalised couple kill 14 people.While pledging to "hunt down terrorist plotters in any country", Obama also said he would not be "drawn once more into a long and costly ground war in Iraq and Syria".
"They know they can't defeat us on the battlefield... but they also know that if we occupy foreign lands, they can maintain insurgencies for years, killing thousands of our troops and draining our resources, and using our presence to draw new recruits," he said.
Elsewhere, Syrian media said four people were killed in rebel rocket fire near the now-closed Russian consulate in Aleppo city.Also on Monday, the powerful Jaish al-Islam group announced it will attend a major meeting of Syrian opposition forces in Riyadh this week, the first rebel group to confirm participation.
The group is the most prominent armed opposition faction near Damascus and controls most of the Eastern Ghouta suburb, which is regularly bombarded by government forces.
7.2-magnitude quake strikes Tajikistan, at least one dead
DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, Dec 7, (AFP) - A powerful 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Tajikistan on Monday, US experts said, and state television said one person was killed ten were injured.
The tremor hit at 7:50 GMT in the Central Asian country, some 109 kilometres (67 miles) west of the town of Murghob at a depth of 28 kilometres, the US Geological Survey said.
The driver of a truck travelling along a road some 460 kilometres east of the capital Dushanbe died as the result of a landslide triggered by the quake, state television said.
The earthquake was located some 345 kilometres east of Dushanbe in mountainous terrain, according to the US Geological Survey.The Tajik seismological service noted that the quake's epicentre was just 22 kilometres from the high altitude Lake Sarez.
Sarez, formed following an earthquake in 1911 and containing some 17 cubic kilometres of water, is considered a major threat to the region if its dams break as a result of seismic activity.
Shakarbek, a 50-year-old resident of the region's biggest city, Khorog, told AFP that the quake jolted residents but there was "no major panic and no visible damage."
The quake was also felt in the capital of neighbouring Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan's largest city Almaty to the north, as well as northern parts of Afghanistan to the south, Pakistan and India.
"I felt the windows moving and that only happens when there's an earthquake. The room was swinging," said Sara Seerat, a lawyer in Pakistan's capital Islamabad, where workers voluntarily evacuated office buildings.
Indian television showed residents in Delhi and Srinagar rushing into the streets, although no damage was reported.
The tremor hit at 7:50 GMT in the Central Asian country, some 109 kilometres (67 miles) west of the town of Murghob at a depth of 28 kilometres, the US Geological Survey said.
The driver of a truck travelling along a road some 460 kilometres east of the capital Dushanbe died as the result of a landslide triggered by the quake, state television said.
The earthquake was located some 345 kilometres east of Dushanbe in mountainous terrain, according to the US Geological Survey.The Tajik seismological service noted that the quake's epicentre was just 22 kilometres from the high altitude Lake Sarez.
Sarez, formed following an earthquake in 1911 and containing some 17 cubic kilometres of water, is considered a major threat to the region if its dams break as a result of seismic activity.
Shakarbek, a 50-year-old resident of the region's biggest city, Khorog, told AFP that the quake jolted residents but there was "no major panic and no visible damage."
The quake was also felt in the capital of neighbouring Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan's largest city Almaty to the north, as well as northern parts of Afghanistan to the south, Pakistan and India.
"I felt the windows moving and that only happens when there's an earthquake. The room was swinging," said Sara Seerat, a lawyer in Pakistan's capital Islamabad, where workers voluntarily evacuated office buildings.
Indian television showed residents in Delhi and Srinagar rushing into the streets, although no damage was reported.
Asian markets fall on oil price plunge, China trade data
HONG KONG, Dec 8, (AFP) - Oil prices struggled at seven-year lows Tuesday, sending Asian energy firms plunging in line with their US and European counterparts after OPEC's decision to maintain output dimmed hopes for a recovery in the black gold.
Another tumble in Chinese imports and exports exacerbated the decline on regional markets, reinforcing worries about the state of the world economy as Washington considers raising US interest rates.
A global supply glut, weak demand and the growth slowdown in China have combined with soaring production to send crude slumping more than 60 percent over the past 18 months.
Investors had been hoping that with the market increasingly tight, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries could find a way to ease output and release some pressure on prices.
However, the cartel's six-monthly meeting Friday ended without agreement between bickering members to make any cuts, which in turn battered global markets.
On Monday US benchmark West Texas Intermediate sank 5.8 percent and Brent crude shed 5.3 percent -- hitting levels not seen since February 2009. WTI had tumbled 2.7 percent and Brent lost 1.9 percent Friday.
US giant ExxonMobil, France's Total and Italy's Eni all fell between two and three percent, with many smaller producers and oil-services companies suffering even bigger drops.
And Asian firms continued those losses as crude failed to recover.Hong Kong-listed Chinese giant CNOOC ended down 3.5 percent, while PetroChina closed off two percent in Shanghai.- Weak demand -Mining giant BHP Billiton dived more than five percent in Sydney, while Rio Tinto was off 4.3 percent.
Woodside lost four percent and Oil Search plunged more than 16 percent after Woodside dropped a multi-billion-dollar bid for the latter without explanation.Santos, which has a joint venture with Oil Search in a massive PNG gas project, saw its shares crash 13.1 percent.
Japan's Inpex was off five percent while JX Holdings lost 3.7 percent.Among Asian stock markets, Tokyo and Sydney lost around one percent, Shanghai fell 1.9 percent and Hong Kong ended off 1.3 percent.
"Market focus at the moment is the potential deflationary effects of lower oil prices, and the signalling that aggregate demand is weak," said Michael McCarthy, chief market strategist at CMC Markets in Sydney.Commodity-linked currencies took a hit from the falls, with Malaysia's ringgit down 1.2 percent and the Australian dollar losing 0.4 percent.
In China, investors were hit by another round of weak trade data indicating the world's number two economy and key driver of global growth is heading for its worst year in a quarter-century.
"Fading exports remain a main drag on the slowing economy, adding downward pressure on the yuan and increasing the likelihood of further easing," Bloomberg economists Fielding Chen and Tom Orlik wrote in a note."The hope is that the recovery in the global economy in 2016 may extend some help to China's exports."
The plunge in oil prices and news from China overshadowed data out of Tokyo showing Japan's economy grew 0.3 percent in July-September.The revised figures came just weeks after initial estimates for the quarter indicated the country had fallen into recession.
However, Hideo Kumano, chief economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute, said: "While severe pessimism is receding, consumption -- a key driver for the economy -- is still weak. Without more spending and higher wages, the engine of the economy won't be ignited."In early European trade London fell 0.2 percent, Frankfurt dipped 0.1 percent and Paris lost 0.1 percent.
Another tumble in Chinese imports and exports exacerbated the decline on regional markets, reinforcing worries about the state of the world economy as Washington considers raising US interest rates.
A global supply glut, weak demand and the growth slowdown in China have combined with soaring production to send crude slumping more than 60 percent over the past 18 months.
Investors had been hoping that with the market increasingly tight, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries could find a way to ease output and release some pressure on prices.
However, the cartel's six-monthly meeting Friday ended without agreement between bickering members to make any cuts, which in turn battered global markets.
On Monday US benchmark West Texas Intermediate sank 5.8 percent and Brent crude shed 5.3 percent -- hitting levels not seen since February 2009. WTI had tumbled 2.7 percent and Brent lost 1.9 percent Friday.
US giant ExxonMobil, France's Total and Italy's Eni all fell between two and three percent, with many smaller producers and oil-services companies suffering even bigger drops.
And Asian firms continued those losses as crude failed to recover.Hong Kong-listed Chinese giant CNOOC ended down 3.5 percent, while PetroChina closed off two percent in Shanghai.- Weak demand -Mining giant BHP Billiton dived more than five percent in Sydney, while Rio Tinto was off 4.3 percent.
Woodside lost four percent and Oil Search plunged more than 16 percent after Woodside dropped a multi-billion-dollar bid for the latter without explanation.Santos, which has a joint venture with Oil Search in a massive PNG gas project, saw its shares crash 13.1 percent.
Japan's Inpex was off five percent while JX Holdings lost 3.7 percent.Among Asian stock markets, Tokyo and Sydney lost around one percent, Shanghai fell 1.9 percent and Hong Kong ended off 1.3 percent.
"Market focus at the moment is the potential deflationary effects of lower oil prices, and the signalling that aggregate demand is weak," said Michael McCarthy, chief market strategist at CMC Markets in Sydney.Commodity-linked currencies took a hit from the falls, with Malaysia's ringgit down 1.2 percent and the Australian dollar losing 0.4 percent.
In China, investors were hit by another round of weak trade data indicating the world's number two economy and key driver of global growth is heading for its worst year in a quarter-century.
"Fading exports remain a main drag on the slowing economy, adding downward pressure on the yuan and increasing the likelihood of further easing," Bloomberg economists Fielding Chen and Tom Orlik wrote in a note."The hope is that the recovery in the global economy in 2016 may extend some help to China's exports."
The plunge in oil prices and news from China overshadowed data out of Tokyo showing Japan's economy grew 0.3 percent in July-September.The revised figures came just weeks after initial estimates for the quarter indicated the country had fallen into recession.
However, Hideo Kumano, chief economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute, said: "While severe pessimism is receding, consumption -- a key driver for the economy -- is still weak. Without more spending and higher wages, the engine of the economy won't be ignited."In early European trade London fell 0.2 percent, Frankfurt dipped 0.1 percent and Paris lost 0.1 percent.
Tokyo shares close down as oil-linked stocks tumble
TOKYO, Dec 8, (AFP) - Tokyo stocks fell Tuesday as oil-linked firms took a beating after the price of crude tumbled to near a seven-year low.
The precipitous drop was in reaction to a decision last week by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) not to cut output despite a global supply glut.
"The full implications of OPEC's failure to cut production have been coming to bear on the oil price and energy stocks," IG Ltd. market analyst Angus Nicholson wrote in a client note.
"The dramatic selloff in the energy sector seen in the S&P 500 overnight seems to have crystallised concern over the future of the energy market," he added.Tokyo's fall came after a drop on Wall Street where energy shares took a beating, with the Dow and S&P 500 both losing 0.7 percent and the Nasdaq down 0.8 percent.
In Tuesday trading, Japanese energy explorer Inpex plunged 5.01 percent to 1,164.5 yen, while JX Holdings, one of the country's biggest oil refiners, closed down 3.74 percent at 498.2 yen.
The Nikkei 225 at the Tokyo Stock Exchange dropped 1.04 percent, or 205.55 points, to finish at 19,492.60, while the broader Topix index of all first-section shares finished down 1.04 percent, or 16.48 points, at 1,568.73.
Better-than-expected Japanese economic growth data, published shortly before markets opened, appeared to have little impact on investors.
The world's number three economy grew 0.3 percent in the July-September quarter, according to revised figures, just weeks after initial estimates showed that it had fallen into recession, denting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's growth blitz.
However, economists were cautious as consumer spending remained weak with little in the way of big wage hikes to put more money in people's pockets."The data confirmed that the Japanese economy is growing gradually," said Hideo Kumano, chief economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute.
"And while severe pessimism is receding, consumption -- a key driver for the economy -- is still weak. Without more spending and higher wages, the engine of the economy won't be ignited."
Toyota shares fell 1.33 percent to 7,601 yen, banking giant Mitsubishi UFJ finished down 0.94 percent at 796 yen and mobile carrier SoftBank slipped 0.73 percent to 6,322 yen.Sony dropped 1.62 percent to 3,078 yen, as a pickup in the Japanese currency hit exporters.
The dollar weakened to 123.10 yen from 123.36 yen Monday in New York, while the euro slipped to 133.63 yen from 133.67 yen.The common currency fetched $1.0856, up from $1.0835 in US trade.
The precipitous drop was in reaction to a decision last week by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) not to cut output despite a global supply glut.
"The full implications of OPEC's failure to cut production have been coming to bear on the oil price and energy stocks," IG Ltd. market analyst Angus Nicholson wrote in a client note.
"The dramatic selloff in the energy sector seen in the S&P 500 overnight seems to have crystallised concern over the future of the energy market," he added.Tokyo's fall came after a drop on Wall Street where energy shares took a beating, with the Dow and S&P 500 both losing 0.7 percent and the Nasdaq down 0.8 percent.
In Tuesday trading, Japanese energy explorer Inpex plunged 5.01 percent to 1,164.5 yen, while JX Holdings, one of the country's biggest oil refiners, closed down 3.74 percent at 498.2 yen.
The Nikkei 225 at the Tokyo Stock Exchange dropped 1.04 percent, or 205.55 points, to finish at 19,492.60, while the broader Topix index of all first-section shares finished down 1.04 percent, or 16.48 points, at 1,568.73.
Better-than-expected Japanese economic growth data, published shortly before markets opened, appeared to have little impact on investors.
The world's number three economy grew 0.3 percent in the July-September quarter, according to revised figures, just weeks after initial estimates showed that it had fallen into recession, denting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's growth blitz.
However, economists were cautious as consumer spending remained weak with little in the way of big wage hikes to put more money in people's pockets."The data confirmed that the Japanese economy is growing gradually," said Hideo Kumano, chief economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute.
"And while severe pessimism is receding, consumption -- a key driver for the economy -- is still weak. Without more spending and higher wages, the engine of the economy won't be ignited."
Toyota shares fell 1.33 percent to 7,601 yen, banking giant Mitsubishi UFJ finished down 0.94 percent at 796 yen and mobile carrier SoftBank slipped 0.73 percent to 6,322 yen.Sony dropped 1.62 percent to 3,078 yen, as a pickup in the Japanese currency hit exporters.
The dollar weakened to 123.10 yen from 123.36 yen Monday in New York, while the euro slipped to 133.63 yen from 133.67 yen.The common currency fetched $1.0856, up from $1.0835 in US trade.
ADB to provide 15 million US dollar grant assistance
Kathmandu, Dec 8: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed to provide 15 million US dollars grant assistance from the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR) to the Government of Nepal for the Disaster Risk Reduction and Livelihood Restoration for Earthquake affected communities.
The JFPR is a fund set up by the government of Japan and managed by ADB. The grant agreement in this connection was signed today by Lok Darshan Regmi, secretary at the Ministry of Finance and Kenichi Yogoyama, Country Director of Nepal Residence Mission, ADB, in the Ministry on the behalf of Government of Nepal and ADB respectively.
The objectives of the project are to help restore the disrupted livelihoods and schooling in the poor and severely earthquake-affected communities, and strengthen their resilience against future disaster.
The project will be implemented in 14 districts- Gorkha, Dhading, Nuwakot, Rasuwa, Sindhupalchowk, Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Kavrepalanchowk, Dolakha, Solukhumbu, Okhaldhunga, Sindhuli and Makawanpur. RSS
The JFPR is a fund set up by the government of Japan and managed by ADB. The grant agreement in this connection was signed today by Lok Darshan Regmi, secretary at the Ministry of Finance and Kenichi Yogoyama, Country Director of Nepal Residence Mission, ADB, in the Ministry on the behalf of Government of Nepal and ADB respectively.
The objectives of the project are to help restore the disrupted livelihoods and schooling in the poor and severely earthquake-affected communities, and strengthen their resilience against future disaster.
The project will be implemented in 14 districts- Gorkha, Dhading, Nuwakot, Rasuwa, Sindhupalchowk, Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Kavrepalanchowk, Dolakha, Solukhumbu, Okhaldhunga, Sindhuli and Makawanpur. RSS
Revolving fund sets up in memory of late lawmaker Khadka
Baglung, Dec 8: A revolving fund of Rs 2.5 million has been set up in the memory of late lawmaker Hari Bahadur Khadka. Families of late Khadka set up the fund aimed at spending in social and educational activities, said his wife and lawmaker Champa Devi Khadka.
The Hari Khadka Foundation was established to manage the fund as the late Khadka was interested in social works, according to Dr Sudip Khadka, son of the late Khadka..
Lawmaker Khadka was killed in a jeep accident at Bhakunde VDC in Baglung district last year. RSS
The Hari Khadka Foundation was established to manage the fund as the late Khadka was interested in social works, according to Dr Sudip Khadka, son of the late Khadka..
Lawmaker Khadka was killed in a jeep accident at Bhakunde VDC in Baglung district last year. RSS
New laws to come into effect soon - Law minister Kharel
Chitwan, Dec 8: Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Agni Prasad Kharel today said that 193 different laws have been submitted to the legislation committee after making amendments to them for its approval which would be tabled at the parliament soon.
According to the Ministry, a total of 110 new laws relating to federalism should be made, 22 with regards to provinces and six relating to local bodies.
Speaking at an event on 'Constitution and Inclusive Rights, Legal Remedy and Media's Role' organised by the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, in Bharatpur, Chitwan, Minister Kharel said that the process to make new laws relating to various issues including federalism would proceed soon after making a priority list.
The parliament has remaining two years to expire its tenure, within which time, some legal provisions would be amended or new laws would be made for full implementation of the constitution, he said.
On the issue of demands put forth by the agitating groups, Kharel, also member of the government talk team formed to hold dialogue with agitating Madhes-based political parties, said that review of the delineation of the boundaries would not be possible at this point of time.
He also added that the incumbent government does not have any right to reach any types of agreement that is detrimental to the nation under any pretext.
At the event, joint secretary at the ministry Dilli Raj Ghimire also presented a working paper on the concept of legal remedy, while judge Achyut Kuikel presented a working paper on the provision of legal remedy.
Likewise, Janak Aryal, former president of the Federation of Nepali Journalists, Chitwan, presented a working paper on media's role for the rights of women and backward community in the Constitution of Nepal, 2072 and its implementation. RSS
According to the Ministry, a total of 110 new laws relating to federalism should be made, 22 with regards to provinces and six relating to local bodies.
Speaking at an event on 'Constitution and Inclusive Rights, Legal Remedy and Media's Role' organised by the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, in Bharatpur, Chitwan, Minister Kharel said that the process to make new laws relating to various issues including federalism would proceed soon after making a priority list.
The parliament has remaining two years to expire its tenure, within which time, some legal provisions would be amended or new laws would be made for full implementation of the constitution, he said.
On the issue of demands put forth by the agitating groups, Kharel, also member of the government talk team formed to hold dialogue with agitating Madhes-based political parties, said that review of the delineation of the boundaries would not be possible at this point of time.
He also added that the incumbent government does not have any right to reach any types of agreement that is detrimental to the nation under any pretext.
At the event, joint secretary at the ministry Dilli Raj Ghimire also presented a working paper on the concept of legal remedy, while judge Achyut Kuikel presented a working paper on the provision of legal remedy.
Likewise, Janak Aryal, former president of the Federation of Nepali Journalists, Chitwan, presented a working paper on media's role for the rights of women and backward community in the Constitution of Nepal, 2072 and its implementation. RSS
Orientation to journalists regarding education and child rights
Kathmandu, Dec 8: A three-day workshop has begun at Matatirtha, Kathmandu, for the capacity building of journalists in the sector of education and child rights. The workshop is organised by National Coalition for Children as Zone of Peace and Child Protection (CZOPP) with the support of Save the Children.
Discussion would be held regarding the role of journalists, code of conducts to be adopted by them in this connection and skill for the promotion of child rights and education.
Inaugurating the programme, chief trainer of the workshop Kundan Aryal said that journalists could present issues related to children as in-depth news by using their interview skills for identifying the factual information regarding children and their condition.
Study and skills should be regularly updated to make journalism dignified and professional, he said.
CZOPP Coordinator Deepak Prasad Basyal said that review would be carried out after carrying out onsite visit of different schools and interview with children in course of workshop. Orientation would be given to some 24 journalists. RSS
Discussion would be held regarding the role of journalists, code of conducts to be adopted by them in this connection and skill for the promotion of child rights and education.
Inaugurating the programme, chief trainer of the workshop Kundan Aryal said that journalists could present issues related to children as in-depth news by using their interview skills for identifying the factual information regarding children and their condition.
Study and skills should be regularly updated to make journalism dignified and professional, he said.
CZOPP Coordinator Deepak Prasad Basyal said that review would be carried out after carrying out onsite visit of different schools and interview with children in course of workshop. Orientation would be given to some 24 journalists. RSS
Tuskers destroy two houses
Lahan, Dec. 8: Two wild elephants destroyed two houses and ate up five quintals of paddy from a house after entering the human settlement at Dhangadhimai Municipality-13 in Siraha district last night.
The elephants destroyed the houses of Dhanmaya Thapamagar and Kedar Gelal at Bhorleni village.
Thapamagar said that the elephants ate up five quintals of paddy stored in her house by destroying the wall of the house. Thapamagar said that she and her two kids, however, managed to escape the attack of the tuskers by hiding under a bed.
The locals chased away the tuskers to the east of the village by igniting fire after they inflicted loss in the village. RSS
The elephants destroyed the houses of Dhanmaya Thapamagar and Kedar Gelal at Bhorleni village.
Thapamagar said that the elephants ate up five quintals of paddy stored in her house by destroying the wall of the house. Thapamagar said that she and her two kids, however, managed to escape the attack of the tuskers by hiding under a bed.
The locals chased away the tuskers to the east of the village by igniting fire after they inflicted loss in the village. RSS
Community development programme in Humla
Humla, 8: The Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development has begun community development programme through the rural reconstruction project in some VDCs in the district.
The Ministry has run the programme with the financial support of the Department for International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom, it is learnt.
The district coordinator at the programme, Raj Bahadur Rokaya informed that they have selected Muchu, Syang, Simikot, Kharpunath, Sarkideu, Sanya, Darma, Mimi, Shreenagar and Kalika VDCs to run the programme. RSS
The Ministry has run the programme with the financial support of the Department for International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom, it is learnt.
The district coordinator at the programme, Raj Bahadur Rokaya informed that they have selected Muchu, Syang, Simikot, Kharpunath, Sarkideu, Sanya, Darma, Mimi, Shreenagar and Kalika VDCs to run the programme. RSS
All amount except of EU will be mobilized thru donor agencies: Khatiwada
Kathmandu, Dec 8: Vice-Chairman of the National Planning Commission, Dr Yubraj Khatiwada, has said the first installment of the grants to be provided to the earthquake survivors for house construction is going to be released through the District Natural Disaster Rescue and Relief Committee.
In today's meeting of the Social Justice and Human Rights Committee under the Legislature-Parliament, Vice-Chairman Khatiwada stated that it would be appropriate to provide at least the first installment through the usual process until there was access to banking services.
Stating that formulation of working procedure of providing up to Rs 300,000 loan on the basis of collective guarantee was underway if the grants was not sufficient to build the house, he said the Rs 200,000 to be provided as a support would be distributed within a few days as the amount has already been sent to the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development.
The NPC Vice-Chairman said that the entire budget except that to be provided by the European Union would be mobilized through the donor agencies.
Khatiwada shared that out of Rs 91 billion allocated by the government in this year's budget for the reconstruction of quake-hit areas, Rs 74 billion has been deposited in the Earthquake Reconstruction Authority Fund while adding that at least 50 collective huts would be constructed at least one constituency.
He clarified that the commission was only coordinating with donor agencies in managing donations they have provided to the quake survivors, until the Reconstruction Authority starts its work.
The NPC vice-chairman said that budget ranging from Rs 300,000 to Rs 350,000 is required to construct houses for the quake survivors in hilly areas as per the building guidelines and maps set by the government, and that the government will focus on constructing safe buildings.
He said that the donor agencies and the Ministry of Finance are being urged to sign agreement for running the project and that many agencies were showing interest in building shelters for the quake victims.
Khatiwada added that the process to make regulations, working procedures and guidelines was underway for the feasibility of the authority.
Meanwhile, Sushil Shrestha, president of the committee, and members Hitraj Pandey, Kamala Kumari Ghimire and Kaushal Sah among others vented their ire against the government for the delay in providing the 'announced' compensation to the quake survivors even about eight months after the disasters. RSS
In today's meeting of the Social Justice and Human Rights Committee under the Legislature-Parliament, Vice-Chairman Khatiwada stated that it would be appropriate to provide at least the first installment through the usual process until there was access to banking services.
Stating that formulation of working procedure of providing up to Rs 300,000 loan on the basis of collective guarantee was underway if the grants was not sufficient to build the house, he said the Rs 200,000 to be provided as a support would be distributed within a few days as the amount has already been sent to the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development.
The NPC Vice-Chairman said that the entire budget except that to be provided by the European Union would be mobilized through the donor agencies.
Khatiwada shared that out of Rs 91 billion allocated by the government in this year's budget for the reconstruction of quake-hit areas, Rs 74 billion has been deposited in the Earthquake Reconstruction Authority Fund while adding that at least 50 collective huts would be constructed at least one constituency.
He clarified that the commission was only coordinating with donor agencies in managing donations they have provided to the quake survivors, until the Reconstruction Authority starts its work.
The NPC vice-chairman said that budget ranging from Rs 300,000 to Rs 350,000 is required to construct houses for the quake survivors in hilly areas as per the building guidelines and maps set by the government, and that the government will focus on constructing safe buildings.
He said that the donor agencies and the Ministry of Finance are being urged to sign agreement for running the project and that many agencies were showing interest in building shelters for the quake victims.
Khatiwada added that the process to make regulations, working procedures and guidelines was underway for the feasibility of the authority.
Meanwhile, Sushil Shrestha, president of the committee, and members Hitraj Pandey, Kamala Kumari Ghimire and Kaushal Sah among others vented their ire against the government for the delay in providing the 'announced' compensation to the quake survivors even about eight months after the disasters. RSS
Couple donates cash to school in memory of quake-victim daughter
Myagdi, Dec. 8: A couple at Babiyachaur village in Myagdi district has provided Rs 100,000 plus in cash to a local academic institution in memory of their daughter who lost her life in April 25 Gorkha Earthquake.
Lalit Bahadur Malla and Krishna Kumari Malla of Babiyachaur-8 provided the amount to Mangala Education Campus in memroy of their daugther Yeshuda, the Campus said.
Yeshuda, a hotelier in Gongabu in the capital city, lost her life in a house collapse in April 25 quake.
The Campus is collecting funds for the development of its physical infrastructure. So far, Rs 8.2 million has been collected from ex-students, residents of the area and Nepali diaspora. RSS
Lalit Bahadur Malla and Krishna Kumari Malla of Babiyachaur-8 provided the amount to Mangala Education Campus in memroy of their daugther Yeshuda, the Campus said.
Yeshuda, a hotelier in Gongabu in the capital city, lost her life in a house collapse in April 25 quake.
The Campus is collecting funds for the development of its physical infrastructure. So far, Rs 8.2 million has been collected from ex-students, residents of the area and Nepali diaspora. RSS
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