DAP: The breaking news in Cambodia: “Nepal overcomes India in poverty reduction: UN” plus 6 more

KATHMANDU, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Nepal is more significantly reducing poverty compared to its economically strong neighbor, India, according to a report developed at the University of Oxford and adopted by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Although India made noteworthy improvement in reducing poverty between 1996 and 2006, its economically poorer neighbours like Nepal and Bangladesh progressed at a rate three times higher than itself,the report developed on the basis of Multidimensional Poverty Index(MPI) read.

The MPI includes poverty indicators such as years of schooling, nutrition, child mortality, covered floor and water availability.

The report, released right on the heels of UN's latest development report published last week, also predicted that countries under the poverty line, such as Nepal, could eradicate acute poverty within 20 years if they continue progressing at the present rate of poverty reduction.

The poverty reduction rates of Nepal, Bangladesh and India were marked at 4.1 percent, 3.2 percent and 1.2 percent per year respectively, the report read.

It has tagged countries like Nepal, Bangladesh and Rwanda as" star performers." Bolivia, Cambodia, Ghana and Tanzania were also found to have reduced poverty significantly.

The UN has identified international and national aid and development projects investing in schools, health posts, infrastructures and water as the primary key factors for the significant reduction in poverty.

"The success of Nepal and Bangladesh in reducing poverty despite their relatively low income highlights the effectiveness of social policy investments combined with active civil society engagement," Dr Sabina Alkire, director of the university's Human Development Initiative,said in the report.

A total of 1.6 billion people are living under the MPI with most of the poorest living in South Asia. India is home to 40 percent of the people under poverty index while sub-Saharan Africa houses 33 percent,the report said.

PHNOM PENH, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Newly-Appointed Director General of the state-owned Telecom Cambodia (TC) Kim Vikra vowed Monday to enhance the enterprise's governance in order to improve business operations and revenues.

"I am committed to working with all colleagues in order to lead the enterprise to progress,"he said at his official appointment ceremony."I will enhance the firm's governance through improving accountability, transparency and high responsibilities."

He also vowed to strengthen service quality, competition and human resources for staff. The TC has only 39,000 fixed phone service users and about 3,500 internet service users, according to the firm's report released last week.

Its revenues come from local and international phone calls, internet service providers, Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line services (ADSL), phone connection, fiber optic cable, interconnection fees and transit fees.

Kim Vikra succeeded the firm's ex-director general Lao Sareoun, who was removed from the post on Feb. 14 after more than 300 staff staged a protest, claiming that millions of dollars had gone missing from the company's accounts and calling for Lao Saroeun to be sacked.

However, at a ceremony on Monday, Lao Sareoun was promoted as undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunication.

Speaking at the ceremony, minister of posts and telecommunication So Khun advised the TC's new chief to stick to good governance and transparency in order to bring the firm to prosperity.

TC is one of the state-owned enterprises that plan to list on the Cambodia Securities Exchange (CSX). However, the listing plan will be postponed indefinitely due to poor financial performance, Sarak Khan, secretary of state at the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunication told the ministry's annual meeting last week.

He said the firm had subsequently lost over the last five years, saying that in 2012, the TC, which provides fixed phone and internet services, made losses of 10.2 million U.S. dollars, and in 2011 the company lost 14.4 million U.S. dollars.

According to the rule by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Cambodia, any company wants to list on the stock market, it must see a net profit in the last three years.

PHNOM PENH, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia will sign to receive 33.9 million U.S. dollars in grant aid from Japan for three projects in small hydropower dams, healthcare and education, according to a news release from Cambodia's foreign ministry on Monday.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong and Japanese ambassador to Cambodia Yuji Kumamaru will ink the agreements on Wednesday, the press release said.

One project costs 13.1 million U.S. dollars for the construction and rehabilitation of small hydropower plants in northeastern Rattanakiri province, another is a 14.33 million U.S. dollar grant aid for improvement of Southwestern Preah Sihanouk Province Referral Hospital, and the other is a 6.47 million U.S. dollar aid for improvement of facility and laboratory equipment in the Institute of Technology of Cambodia.

Japan is one of the largest donors to Cambodia.

PHNOM PENH, March 18 (Xinhua) -- A Japan-backed demining course for Cambodian peacekeeping forces has come to an end after a two- month theoretical and on-field training, according to a press release from Japanese embassy to Cambodia on Monday.

The course, under the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations Education and Training Cooperation Project, is conducted by the Japanese Ministry of Defense and the Japan Self-Defense Forces for 15 trainees from the Royal Cambodia Armed Forces, it said.

"The overall objective of this cooperation is to enhance the capacity for Cambodian troops in the area of United Nations Peacekeeping Operation," the press release said.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Gen. Tea Banh and Japanese ambassador to Cambodia Yuji Kumamaru will preside over a closing ceremony on Wednesday at the Institute of Peacekeeping Force, Mine and Explosive Remnants of War Clearance in Kampong Speu province.

Cambodian troops firstly joined the UN Peacekeeping Forces in April 2006. Since then, the country had sent troops to Sudan, Chad, Central Africa and Lebanon for demining and humanitarian activities.

KATHMANDU, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Nepal's national army will organize an international peacekeeping training "Peace Efforts 2" in Kathmandu and Panchkhal, a military training centre some 50 km north of the capital from March 25 to April 7.

The training will boost up capacity of the countries which have been participating in the peacekeeping efforts of the United Nations across the world, according to army sources on Monday.

"Nepal and Nepal Army have extensive knowledge and experience in peace support operations. Hosting this type of exercise in Nepal will not only enhance Nepal's peacekeeping capabilities but will also help other participating nations," said an army statement.

The participating countries are mostly from the Asia Pacific region, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Jordan and India.

The event is supported by Global Peace Operations Initiative, which is an international program of the Group of Eight (G8) countries for enhancing capacities of the peacekeeping missions globally.

Nepal has been a key contributor to the United Nations peacekeeping forces, working in conflict-ridden areas ranging from Lebanon and Kosovo to Haiti and South Sudan.

BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Leaders and parliament speakers of foreign countries have sent congratulatory messages to Zhang Dejiang on his election as chairman of China's top legislature, and Yu Zhengsheng as chairman of China's top advisory body.

Zhang was elected as the chairman of the 12th Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, at an NPC plenary session on Thursday.

Yu was elected as chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the top advisory body in China, at the fourth plenary meeting of the first session of the 12th CPPCC National Committee on Monday.

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the leaders and parliament speakers who have offered congratulations to Zhang included Kim Yong Nam, president of Presidium of Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea; Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung; Hungarian Speaker of the National Assembly Laszlo Kover; Uzbek President Islam Karimov; South African National Assembly Speaker Max Sisulu; Speaker of the National Assembly of Tanzania Anne Makinda; Speaker of the National Assembly of South Korea Kang Chang Hee; Speaker of Kyrgyzstan's Parliament Asylbek Jeenbekov; Tajik Upper House Speaker Makhmadsaid Ubaiduloev; Chairman of the National Assembly of Armenia Ovik Abramyan; Niger's National Assembly Speaker Hama Amadou; Speaker of the National Assembly of Namibia Theo-Ben Gurirab; Speaker of the Dominican House of Assembly Alix Boyd Knights; Belgian Parliament Speaker Andre Flahaut; and Tongan acting Parliament Speaker Tu'i Ha'ateiho.

The leaders who have sent congratulatory messages to Zhang also included President of Cuba's National Assembly of People's Power Esteban Lazo; Pakistan's National Assembly Speaker Fahmida Mirza; Chairman of the State Great Hural of Mongolia Zandaakhuu Enkhbold; Sri Lanka's Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa; Speaker of Myanmar's House of Representatives U Shwe Mann; Kazakh Senate Speaker Kairat Mami; Gabon's Parliamentary Speaker Guy Nzouba Ndama; Guinea Bissau's National Assembly Speaker Sori Djalo; President of National Assembly of the Union of the Comoros Bourhane Hamidou; Speaker of Council of the Republic of Belarus Anatoly Rubinov and Chairman of the Belarus Parliament Vladimir Andreichenko; Chairman of Uruguayan Congress Danilo Astori; Guyana House Speaker Raphael Trotman; Macedonian Parliament Speaker Trajko Veljanovski; and Chairman of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Abdelwahad Radi.

The leaders who have sent congratulations to Yu included the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Huynh Dam; Hungarian Parliament Speaker Laszlo Kover; Kyrgyz Parliament Speaker Asylbek Jeenbekov; Chairman of Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada Volodymyr Rybak; and President of the Senate of Romania Crin Antonescu.

In addition, Esteban Lazo, president of Cuba's National Assembly of People's Power; Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan Nayyar Hussain Bukhari; President of the Senate of Cambodia Chea Sim; Chairman of the State Great Hural of Mongolia Zandaakhuu Enkhbold; and Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makey have also sent messages of congratulations to Yu.