News, Views From Nepal

Yuba Nath Lamsal:-- The world seems to be at the tipping point of nuclear war. The war in Ukraine, the war in the Middle East and the rivalry between some nuclear powers hint at the possibility of nuclear war. Two nuclear powers – Russia and Israel – are already at war. India and Pakistan, both nuclear powers, fought a brief war some time ago, and war between these two South Asian nuclear powers can break out anytime due to the nature of their rivalry and animosity. China and India, too, fought a border war in 1962, and border skirmishes have occasionally erupted between these two nuclear powers, the latest being the Galwan and Doklam conflicts. Currently, there are nine nuclear powers—the United States, Russia, China, India, the United Kingdom, France, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea. Iran is said to be in the process of developing nuclear weapons, for which it is said to be enriching uranium. Some other countries, too, might have been clandestinely trying to develop nuclear arms...

Yuba Nath Lamsal:-- Governments appoint ambassadors to different countries to represent the country, promote national interests, and strengthen relations and cooperation. This has been in practice right from the time when the concept of the state started and continued to evolve with time. In ancient times, there used to be a practice of sending an envoy to other countries for specific tasks that included conveying messages, negotiation, exchanging gifts, and also for matrimonial purposes. The envoy would return after completing the specific tasks. But the practice of having a residential ambassador abroad was not in vogue till the 15th century. In Treta Yuga or Ramayana period, which is believed to be approximately between 8th and 4th BCE, Lord Rama, the crown prince of Ayodhya kingdom, sent Hanuman as an envoy to the kingdom of Ravana (presently Sri Lanka) for peace talks. During the Mahabharat period, too, Lord Krishna went to the court of Dhritarastra or Kauravas as a peace env...

Yuba Nath Lamsal:-- The world seems to be on the cusp of World War III. A dangerous scenario is emerging in the world with some nuclear powers deeply engaged in war. Russia has been at war with Ukraine for the last three years, while India and Pakistan were locked in a brief war following the Pahalgam terrorist attack on April 22. A fragile ceasefire is underway between Iran and Israel and the conflict may break out anytime between these two arch foes of the Middle East. Some countries in Africa are also locked in inter-state and intra-state armed conflict. However, the conflicts in the Middle East, Europe and South Asia will have wider repercussions. Suppose the conflict starts again between Israel and Iran in the Middle East or India and Pakistan in South Asia. In that case, its ramifications will be global, with the possibility of ultimately escalating into World War III. Unlike conventional wars, modern wars are more dangerous. The conventional wars are mostly close combats in...

Yuba Nath Lamsal: -- It’s been almost a year since KP Sharma Oli assumed the responsibility of premiership last time. He was appointed Prime Minister on July 15, 2024, which is his third tenure as Prime Minister. He earlier served as prime minister from October 2015 to July 2016 and from February 2018 to August 2021. He twice led the government with the support of the CPN-Maoist Centre and he had to quit the government due to a problem and misunderstanding with the CPN-Maoist Centre. Now he is at the helm of power in partnership with the Nepali Congress (NC). The formation and collapse of the government in Nepal is determined by the number of seats in the lower house of parliament. This is the practice in parliamentary democracies all over the world. However, the case of Nepal is a little different and unique. Following the adoption of a federal system, the country has adopted a hybrid type of electoral system, which is a mix of majoritarian or first-past-the-post and a proportio...

Yuba Nath Lamsal:-- It was Friday, May 30, 2025. A shocking news pierced into my ear—Vijaya Chalise breathed the last today. I could not believe the news, as I had met him only a few days before. We talked at length and discussed many subjects, including journalism, literature and society, life, and the world. We reminisced about our old days when we worked together. Vijaya was still energetic, and his body and energy did not indicate any sign that he would leave us so early. After all, truth is truth, whether one believes or not. Vijaya passed away at 73, leaving this mortal world for his permanent abode. I have many fond memories of the old days when we worked together under the roof of Gorkhapatra Corporation. My first acquaintance with him was in 1989 when I joined The Rising Nepal Daily, an English-language publication of the Gorkhapatra Daily. Vijaya had already established himself as a seasoned journalist and an accomplished literary writer. He joined the Gokhapatra as a jou...