वशन्तपुर: अमेरिकी सहयोगमा जिर्णोद्दारपछि नेपाल सरकारलाई हस्तान्तरण गरिएको छ । वशन्तपुर दरबार स्क्वायरको गद्दी बैठक जिर्णोद्दार पूरा भइसकेको छ ।  नेपालमा गएको महाभूकम्पपछि दरबार स्क्वायरको गद्दी बैठकमा क्षति पुगेको थियो । अमेरिकी राजदूत सांस्कृति संरक्षण कोषको ७ लाख अमेरिकी डलर सहयोगमा जिर्णोद्दार सम्पन्न भएको छ ।

Deepak Neupane, Kathmandu : A growing number of hotels around the world, particularly in the UK and Ireland are now accepting international money transfers over traditional credit card payments. Popular hotel review websites are filled with cases of guests wanting to know if wire transfer deposits are a legitimate form of making payments for their hotel accommodations. In fact, the growing popularity of wire transfers for hotel reservations is a win-win for hotels and customers alike.

To understand the merits of wire transfer services over traditional credit card deposits, it’s important to consider the charges levied on hotels and customers when using credit cards. The main credit card companies include Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club International, and Discover Card. Hotels, like other merchants, have many options available when it comes to banking methods. Credit cards are universally popular, and so they are globally accepted. However, credit card fees invariably cost a mint.

While the fees will vary between credit card processors, there are also interchange fees that must be taken into consideration. This comprises a flat fee + a percent of the overall purchase price. There may also be additional fees such as merchant services companies which act as middlemen between your credit card provider and the merchant. They also take a chunk of change from the transaction. On a typical £100 charge, the charge may be £2.50 – £3.00, depending on the credit card provider in question. In the days of old, merchants like hotels had no option but to accept the charges associated with credit card fees. In the US today for example, most states now impose a surcharge up to 4% on the purchase price which gets passed on to customers. Customers may not appreciate a high surcharge when making purchases on the credit cards, particularly when they are on vacation.

In the hotel industry, high turnaround rates are commonplace. American Express for example charges its own rates, and therefore it doesn’t matter which credit card processor you’re using – the rates you pay whenever you swipe an AMEX card are always the rates charged by this credit card provider. Many smaller businesses simply don’t accept American Express because it is simply too expensive. As such, a myriad of transactions is going to be processed, and each of them is subject to fees and other charges. Hotels may be doing themselves a disservice at some level by restricting their range of banking methods to credit cards alone. A more beneficial approach might be including wire transfer services since these are not subject to credit card fees.

Niue Tourism chief executive Felicity Bollen said the country had set aside the next 12 months to wean itself off the habit of a lifetime.  Niue’s tourism chief said: “Vanuatu had to adjust its schedule for introducing the ban because the initial time frame it set of less than six months was too tight.” Ms Bollen said a year will give Niue enough time to embed a change in culture.

Ms Bollen said Niue had learned from the experience of Vanuatu which implemented a ban on single-use plastic bags, straws and polystyrene boxes on 1 July. Niue is a small island nation in the South Pacific Ocean. It’s known for its limestone cliffs and coral-reef dive sites. Migrating whales swim in Niue’s waters between July and October. In the southeast is the Huvalu Forest Conservation Area, where trails through fossilized coral forests lead to the Togo and Vaikona chasms.  “The way that we’re going to do it is with the assistance of the governments of Niue and New Zealand. “We’re actually going to provide substitute bags for every family on Niue. We will be providing them with reusable organic bags for every household. We’re looking at four per household,” she said. Along with Vanuatu and Niue, Papua New Guinea and Samoa have also announced plans to ban single-use plastic bags.

Mr. Deepak Neupane : Small Luxury Hotels of the World is a global brand that actually isn’t so small. It includes over 500 independently-minded hotels worldwide, including destinations in Europe, Asia The hotel group recently partnered with Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH). Yes, small, as in small luxury hotels, as in luxury like the Hyatt, as in the connection is starting to make perfect sense now.  When you think Hyatt, you think big – big hotels, big chain, it’s just big. But unlike other big hotel chains, like Marriott, Hyatt is not sitting on its big laurels and is making sure travelers are not being lulled into knowing what Hyatt is all about.    Chief Executive Officer of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Filip Boyen, said: “Our work together will allow World of Hyatt members to enjoy loyalty benefits across a wider choice of small independent luxury hotels. For SLH, our hotels are our brand, and we look forward to expected increased occupancy with significant exposure to the World of Hyatt program’s more than 10 million members.” This new membership benefit is expected to launch at the end of this year, so you’ll have to sit tight until then. But just to whet your appetite and make travel plans, check out the properties of SLH at their website. SLH offers exciting opportunities to explore new destinations in pure luxury without sacrificing local authenticity. Every hotel is carefully selected for its impeccable service and individual flair and ranges from secluded seaside retreats like the Pangkor Laut Resort in Malaysia to buzzing city center sanctuaries like Villa Spalletti Trivelli in Rome.

“This is another example of how Hyatt continues to listen to the wants and needs of World of Hyatt members and take meaningful action,” said Mark Hoplamazian, President and Chief Executive Officer, Hyatt. “SLH’s high-end collection of boutique hotel experiences means our members will soon be able to earn and redeem World of Hyatt points in more places, including many new locations in Europe and Asia.”

Deepak Neupane, Kathmandu, August 2 :With the view to attract tourists in Nepal Tourism Year 2020, a three-day “Hike for Nepal” campaign is taking place in Wales of the United Kingdom (UK).

The Pokhareli Munch UK and the We Will Rise Foundation (WWRF) are jointly organizing the event that will formally kick off on August 3 under the banner of the We Will Rise Foundation. It is to be supported by the Nepal Tourism Board, Non Resident Nepali Association (NRNA), UK and the Embassy of Nepal, London, among others.

The event, the third of its kind following previous two events held in Hong Kong in 2016 and 2017, is expected to support the “Visit Nepal Year 2020” announced by the Government of Nepal to bring about two million tourists at home. The theme of the event is “Lets walk together for the cause of Nepal”, which itself symbioses the call for unity for the sake of the country. The founder of We Will Rise Foundation Tulsi Gurung said that the campaign will be continued in the days coming as an effort for the development of tourism in Nepal.

Hiking on the ‘Black Mountain’, will take place on August 4 and presentation of cultural and entertainment programs are the part of the event, said the WWRF. Phurpa Tenjing Sherpa -13 times Mt Everest Summiteer; Thaneshor Guragai, the world Guinness book record holder in 16 different categories; Nirmal Shrestha, WWRF Nepal director; and Suraj Gurung, WWRF Hong Kong director will be there to grace the moments and the team left for there Tuesday.

Over 150 people from the U.K. and many countries in the world including the Ambassador of Nepal, popular singers from Nepal and Hong Kong, local MPs, Chairman of Powys County Council, Mayors and councilors from both Brecon and Talgarth and locals are expected to attend the main event. The WWRF, an NGO registered with the government of Nepal, was established after the earthquake with an objective of contributing to the causes helpful to revive the country hit by the quake.

पर्वतारोहणमा गएका विदेशीलाई उद्धारको नाममा अनावस्यक रकम असुली गरेको भन्दै अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय जगतमा नेपालको बद्नाम भएपछि  सरकारले व्यवसायीलाई कारबाही गर्न सफिरिस गरेको छ। नेपालमा विरामी बनाएर उद्धार तथा विमाको नाममा डलर असुल गर्ने डरलाग्दो धन्दा भन्दै उक्त समितिले सात सय पृष्ठ लामो प्रतिवेदनमा त्यस्ता कम्पनीलाई कारबाही गर्न सिफारिस गरेको छ। महंगो शुल्क लिएको अभियोगमा ६ वटा अस्पताललाई कारबाही गर्न स्वास्थ्य मन्त्रालयलाई सिफारिस गर्न समितिले सुझाव दिएको छ ।  सरकारमा परेको उजुरीको आधारमा मन्त्रालयले छानविन गर्न गठित समितिले ८ वटा ट्राभल तथा ट्रेकिङ कम्पनी ४ अस्पताल र ३ हेलिकप्टर  पठाउन सिफारिस गरेको छ।

दिपक न्यौपाने, काठमाडौँः मदिरा पिएर मातेका पाइलटले हवाई उडान गर्ने खोजेपछि आइतवार दुबई जान लागेको फ्लाई दुबईको जहाजलाई त्रिभुवन विमानस्थल प्रशासनले रोकिदिएको छ । उडाउन  रक्सी पिएर मातेका पाइलटले दुबईका लागि जान लागेको फ्लाई दुबईका जहाज उडाउन खोजेपछि विमानस्थल प्रशासनले उनीहरुलाई रोकेर नियन्त्रणमा लिएको छ । रक्सीले मातेको अवस्थाका पाइलटले जहाज उडाउन खोजेपछि चालक दलका अन्य सदस्यले दिएको उजुरीका आधामा उनलाई नियन्त्रणमा लिइएको छ । मातेका पाइलटलाई विमानस्थल प्रशासनले नियन्त्रणमा लिएपछि अर्का पाइलट दुबईबाट आएर लानुपर्ने भएको छ ।

Deepak Neupane, Kathmandu, China wants to develop tourist routes in the Arctic region, the Russian Federal Agency for Tourism said. Chinese tourists, it says, are attracted to the area by its unique natural environment and complex ecosystem.  “China does not have Arctic territories, and thus this kind of tourism is of special interest for China – both from the point of view of studies, and from the point of view of new impressions, of new tourism products,”

Despite being a non-Arctic state, China is increasingly active in the polar region. It became an observer member of the Arctic Council in 2013. Beijing announced plans in January to extend the ambitious Belt and Road Initiative to the Arctic by developing shipping routes. The Arctic route from Southeast Asia to Europe cuts transportation time in half compared to traditional routes through the Suez and Panama canals. The Arctic shipping routes are likely to “become important transport routes for international trade.” According to Beijing, it would encourage enterprises to build infrastructure and conduct commercial trial voyages, paving the way for Arctic shipping routes that would form a “Polar Silk Road.”

He added that Chinese tourism operators have visited the Arkhangelsk Region where they studied the local market to see how they could organize trips for Chinese travelers.  According to the Russian official, China has a clear understanding of what the Russian Arctic is like. “Chinese representatives told us they realize that the Arctic region has a complicated and unique ecology. They understand that organizing trips there would be in connection with keeping that unique natural region, and thus the Chinese are ready to implement tourism technologies, to settle issues of control over their tourists’ staying there,” he said. Land territories in the Arctic cover an area of around 8 million sq km, with sovereignty belonging to Russia, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Canada and the United States. The Arctic Ocean is more than 12 million sq km, where coastal and other countries share maritime rights and interests according to international law.

Yong Dae Kang, New York  : So many people raise their voices for democracy. Some of them also claim to be Christians. The world of Christianity is a kingdom, not a democracy. God is the creator of all and he came to this world as Jesus the king of kings. If you repent of your sinful nature and convert to the cause of Christ, you are a Christian, a servant of God.

Apostle Paul, a Christian, calls himself a slave of God and a servant of God, just about interchangeably. Christians claim Jesus as their Lord and savior. Jesus saved them from the way of the flesh and so they belong to him. Christians do not trust their own heart. Heart is flesh. From the heart comes the thoughts of envy, lies, slander, malice, murder. Heart keeps the rest of the flesh going. Brain is flesh and is useless unless the heart keeps pumping blood to the rest of the body.

The life of a Christian is a life of hardship and suffering. Jesus himself says to daily take up your own cross and follow after him. He means go get crucified each and everyday. Jesus is not some cosmic Santa Claus, a spiritual slot machine that rewards you with things of this world. Jesus says the world hated him enough to crucify him and that it would do the same to those who follow him. He says that there will be trials and tribulation but be of good courage for he has overcome the world.

He says do not return evil for evil. When a person does to you what they know how to from their own hearts, don’t return in kind. Jesus says overcome evil with good. Don’t do what your heart tells you to do, do what God tells you to do. Jesus says there is no one who is righteous in this world. God is the only good in this world.

Jesus says that either you’re with him or you’re against him. If you are not getting crucified yourself, you are putting the nail in somebody else’s cross. There is no middle ground. Jesus says the ones that endure till the end will be rewarded. What reward? Jesus says that unless you go through him you shall in no way see the kingdom of heaven.