One Nepali student taken hostage by Hamas, says Foreign Minister Saud
Kathmandu (PTI): A Nepali student who went missing after a farm in Israel was attacked by Hamas has been taken hostage by the Palestine militant group and efforts are on to find him with the help of international organisations, the Nepal government said on Sunday.
Hamas carried out a barrage of air strikes in Southern Israel on Saturday last which killed 10 Nepali students. Six students were rescued and one went missing. The 17 Nepalese students were working as interns on the farm under the 'Learn and Earn' scheme.
Bipin Joshi, who saved the lives of other Nepalese students when Hamas launched a grenade attack on them, has been abducted by the militant group, Foreign Minister N P Saud told a select group of international media representatives at his residence here.
"Joshi has been taken hostage by Hamas. Based on information from his colleagues, Hamas took Joshi as a hostage and a group of Thai nationals. The Nepal government has requested international organisations and diplomatic missions to assist in locating Joshi," he said.
Joshi even threw away one of the two unexploded grenades, which were hurled by the Hamas on them, Saud said.
"The Israeli government has taken control of the dead bodies of the 10 Nepalese students killed in the terrorist attack," he said.
"I spoke with Israel's Foreign Minister (Eli Cohen) on the matter, and we are working towards bringing back the bodies at the earliest. The Nepalese ambassador to Israel has also expressed a commitment to bringing back the bodies to Nepal as soon as possible," Saud said.
The Nepal government has also issued a travel advisory for its citizens, urging them not to visit Israel unless absolutely necessary and to exercise extreme caution and take necessary safety measures in case the travel is urgent.
Nepal wants a peaceful resolution of the Middle East issue, Saud said in reply to a question.
"The attack on our students, some of whom are very young, below 20 years, by Hamas is deplorable," he said.
Hamas targeted the Nepalese students, who were hiding in a bunker, with multiple attacks, including grenade explosions and gunfire, Saud said.
One of the seriously injured students is currently receiving treatment in Israel, he said.
Around 200 Nepalese nationals working in different fields in Israel have filled online forms expressing their desire to return home and the government will soon make some arrangements for their repatriation, the foreign minister said.
On Friday, a group of 254 Nepali students rescued from Israel arrived in Kathmandu.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there were 265 students from Nepal studying under the Israel government-funded 'Learn and Earn' scheme in different parts of Israel, and about 4,500 Nepali citizens working in various professional fields.
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Karnataka issues nutrition advisory for govt events; recommends millets, healthier options
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Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government on Monday issued a nutrition advisory recommending healthier food and beverage options at meetings, functions, and other official gatherings held in the state.
The advisory has been issued by the Department of Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Services to promote healthy dietary and nutritional habits among officials and staff, noting that food, refreshments and beverages served in government offices and official programmes are "often not aligned with nutrition standards."
The advisory recommends serving snacks such as millet-based, low-fat and low-sugar foods, fresh fruits, vegetable salads, sprouts, roasted nuts and seeds during in-house office meetings and breaks.
Beverages such as green tea, low-fat buttermilk, and locally filtered or boiled water served in glass bottles or steel flasks have also been suggested.
According to the advisory, for larger government events, conferences and exhibitions, departments have been advised to include at least one millet-based item during snacks and a minimum of two millet dishes in meals, along with local cuisine and at least one regional recipe.
It also recommends the use of brown rice instead of white rice, freshly prepared vegetable salads, and fresh fruits or low-sugar fruit juices.
If non-vegetarian food is served, it should consist of well-cooked lean or white meat, the advisory stated.
In eateries operating within government office campuses, the department has recommended millet-based foods, fresh vegetable salads, boiled pulses such as horse gram or chickpeas, and low-fat beverages.
It suggests serving food using reusable metal plates and glasses.
The advisory also recommends avoiding microwave-heated food, industrially processed food, fried snacks, high-fat or heavily spiced dishes, carbonated drinks, high-sugar fruit juices, and alcoholic beverages.
It further discourages serving milk-based tea or coffee and plastic-bottled water during official events.
“Overall, hygiene and cleanliness should be maintained while serving food and water. Local cottage industries, self-help groups, prison kitchens, nutri-gardens and others should be preferred for placing food and beverage orders,” the advisory added.
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