Thanks to the rapid and miraculous development in the field of science and technology, human life has become much more comfortable and easier than in the past. Similarly, modern technology has made use of radiation and radioactive materials in ameliorating great many ailments considerably limiting their risks.

Push 1 (December 17 this year) is the day when commentaries are written about King Mahendra. This is the day Mahendra had taken powers in his hands and started direct rule. Most people writing about it describe King Mahendra’s action as a coup (the action he took on December 15, 1960) and considerable length of space is used to demonize him in Nepali media. Mostly, the people to demonize and vilify the late king are those who are, or perceived to be, close to Indian power centers. No wonder, most Indian intellectuals have also focused their energies in portraying Mahendra in bad light. In this article, I look into why Mahendra model of nationalism, as is popularly used, came to be the subject of scorn among them and what that brand of nationalism was mainly about.

Globally, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is celebrated every year on 25 November. On this occasion, the United Nations launched sixteen days of activism to advocate for gender equality and elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls.  Statistically, Nepal falls at the bottom on gender equality index and more than one in five women have experienced some form (physical, mental, sexual) of violence in their lifetime.

The quest for economic development and materialism has been almost like Faustian saga in the modern times. As the learned Dr Faustus had to make a deal with evil Mephistopheles who tempted him to exchange his soul for carnal desires, we modern human beings, are exchanging clean environment with the quest for development and industrialization.

LONDON – The following account should sound familiar. Over the course of decades, feats of innovation re-engineer society, diffuse across countries and regions, and fundamentally alter every facet of life. Politicians, slow to respond to new challenges, centralize power and pursue older, more familiar forms of control, be it traditional statism, aggressive nationalism, or both. But technology continues to force change, and inevitably re-orders the political, economic, and social settlement.

Don’t worry, fellow Nepalis, for the country is safe in the hands of crooks. Yours truly thinks most of you guys, regardless of the very many stations of life that you may be in, worry a lot about this country, if the vibes he gets at every imaginable platform—social media, conversations in public places, social gatherings, the Press, among others—are anything to go by.

Since the time of George Bush Jr, the concept of ‘Global Policeman’ for mending international order has received more negative than positive response for its vested interest in others’ affairs. Iraq, Syria, Iran, North Korea, Yemen, Somalia, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Ukraine and Palestine are the examples.  Barak Obama’s  ‘Pivot to Asia’ has been rephrased as “Indo Pacific Strategy” (IPS), essentially to forge military  “collaboration”  through which they intend to penetrate through East Asia, South East Asia and South Asia and beyond  to contain China.

LONDON – The threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is being overshadowed by the menace of climate change. Though the AMR problem is arguably equal in importance, it has not commanded nearly the same level of public awareness.

Dealing with transboundary pests is tricky at the best of times. Standards, practices, capacity levels and engagement vary across countries and regions, and responses are often ad hoc and ineffective. However, matters become even more complex when the pest in question flies over borders, threatens the food security and livelihoods of millions, and causes severe environmental and economic damage along the way. Fall Armyworm is such a pest.

All hands were raised in the meeting hall in response to a question raised by the facilitator in a training program in Delhi, organized by ICLEI-South Asia, a network of more than 1750 local and regional governments for sustainable urban development worldwide. The participants were mayors and deputy mayors from Nepal and Bangladesh. And the question was: Have you dumped mobile phones or any other electronic devices within last year? The raised hands and the resounding ‘yes’ was an anticipated response and it is suggestive of the amount of electronic waste (e-waste) produced by just a group of around 60 individuals in the room.