The sale of Pani Puri has been banned in Nepal's Kathmandu due to rising cholera cases in Lalitpur Metropolitan City.
The authorities of Lalitpur Metropolitan City (LMC) last week had decided to put a ban on the sale of Pani Puri on the streets in view of emerging cholera cases until further notice. One of the most consumed and a favourite amongst people of all age groups, Pani-puri stalls are found in most of the corners around Kathmandu Valley.
"I am totally against the idea of banning it with immediate effect, the water used during the consumption should have been checked at first and then make proper arrangements for the healthier one," Monika Malla, one of the Pani-Puri lovers told ANI.
Expressing concern over the ban, she said, "Immediate ban on such businesses might bring on the positive impact from a health perspective but will hamper the economy of those who rely on it."
According to the Department of Health Services (DHS), 12 people from the Kathmandu Valley have been confirmed to have contracted cholera.
Of the infected, eight were discharged from the hospital after recovery, and four are still receiving treatment.
The valley reported the first case of the infectious disease on June 19.
The two infected aged 18 and 23, who were living at Bagbazaar, were admitted to the Shukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital in Teku on June 16. They were later confirmed contracting the disease at the hospital.
"The decision to put a ban on the sales of Pani Puri is completely inappropriate. This ban would put a direct impact on small businesses and would lay an effect on their livelihood. Rather than a ban, measures can be undertaken to increase the level of sanitation to safeguard the people's health," Aryan Dhimal, another foodie told ANI.
Nepal is endemic to cholera with the potential for outbreaks due to an inadequate supply of safe drinking water and unhygienic conditions. An estimated 30,000 cases and 911 deaths per year are recorded during the monsoon months of May through September.
Vibrio cholera 01 Ogawa serotype has been confirmed in stool samples of all infected patients, according to health ministry officials. Cholera is a highly infectious disease that causes severe diarrhoea and vomiting, which causes dehydration and can lead to death within a few hours if left untreated.
(PTI)
Moglai Bap and Mo Chara of Kneecap perform at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
Police may probe anti-Israel comments at Glastonbury
BRITISH police said they were considering whether to launch an investigation after performers at Glastonbury Festival made anti-Israel comments during their shows.
"We are aware of the comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury Festival this afternoon," Avon and Somerset Police, in western England, said on X late on Saturday (28).
Irish hip-hop group Kneecap and punk duo Bob Vylan made anti-Israeli chants in separate shows on the West Holts stage on Saturday. One of the members of Bob Vylan chanted "Death, death, to the IDF" in a reference to the Israel Defense Forces.
"Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation," the police statement said.
The Israeli Embassy in Britain said it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival".
Prime minister Keir Starmer said earlier this month it was "not appropriate" for Kneecap to appear at Glastonbury.
The band's frontman Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh was charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah at a concert in November. He has denied the charge.
A British government minister said it was appalling that the anti-Israel chants had been made at Glastonbury, and that the festival's organisers and the BBC broadcaster - which is showing the event - had questions to answer.
Health secretary Wes Streeting said he was also appalled by violence committed by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
"I'd also say to the Israeli Embassy, get your own house in order in terms of the conduct of your own citizens and the settlers in the West Bank," Streeting told Sky News.
"I wish they'd take the violence of their own citizens towards Palestinians more seriously," he said.
(Reuters)