Kathmandu — Gauri Bahadur Karki, chairperson of the inquiry commission investigating criminal incidents during the Gen Z protests on Bhadra 23 and 24, has clarified that authorities do not need to wait for the commission’s report before taking legal action.
Speaking in response to the Home Ministry’s press release issued on Asoj 9, which stated that action would be taken only after the commission’s findings, Karki emphasized that investigations into murders, violence, arson, and other criminal activities can proceed under regular legal procedures without delay.
The high level, three member commission, headed by former Special Court Chair Gauri Bahadur Karki, was formed to investigate the suppression of the Gen Z movement and the destruction caused by protesters on Bhadra 23 and 24.
The Nobel Prize is one of the most respected honors in the world, symbolizing the highest level of human achievement in science, literature, peace, and economics. It was established by Alfred Nobel, a Swedish chemist, engineer, and inventor best known for discovering dynamite. Nobel was a remarkable man whose invention made him wealthy but also deeply troubled him when it began to be used in warfare. He wanted his wealth to serve humanity in a lasting way, and so he used it to create awards that would celebrate those who make the world better through knowledge, creativity, and peace.
In 1895, a year before his death, Alfred Nobel wrote his will in Paris, dedicating most of his fortune to establish five annual prizes for those who “have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind.” This will became one of the most important documents in modern history. Despite some legal challenges and family objections, Nobel’s wishes were carried out, and in 1901 the first Nobel Prizes were awarded in five fields, physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace. These categories reflected Nobel’s belief that human progress depended on scientific discovery, creative expression, and the pursuit of peace among nations.
The Nobel Prize has since become the most prestigious recognition of human excellence. Over time, it expanded beyond the original five categories. In 1968, Sweden’s central bank, Sveriges Riksbank, established an additional award , the Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. Although not originally included in Nobel’s will, it follows the same principles and procedures as the other Nobel Prizes and is often treated as the sixth Nobel category.
Each Nobel Prize has a distinct awarding institution that ensures the prize’s credibility and fairness. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awards the Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, and Economic Sciences. The Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute, which consists of 50 professors, awards the prize in Physiology or Medicine. The Swedish Academy selects the Literature laureate, while the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, appointed by the Norwegian Parliament. The decision to assign the Peace Prize to Norway, rather than Sweden, was made by Nobel himself, likely because of Norway’s strong peace traditions at the time.
Every Nobel Prize laureate receives a gold medal, a diploma, and a monetary award funded by the Nobel Foundation, which was established to manage Nobel’s fortune and ensure the continuity of the prizes. The Foundation invests Nobel’s endowment, and the annual prize amount varies based on the returns from those investments. In recent years, each prize has been worth about 11 million Swedish kronor (roughly 1.2 million US dollars). This financial reward is not only symbolic but also a way to support the laureates’ continued work or creative freedom.
The process of selecting Nobel laureates is long and meticulous. Nominations are sent by qualified individuals such as previous laureates, university professors, and members of national academies. The committees carefully review hundreds of nominations before deciding on a winner, often after months of confidential deliberation. The Nobel institutions never reveal the names of other nominees until 50 years later, which adds to the secrecy and prestige of the awards.
The Nobel Prizes are awarded every year on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death, in ceremonies held in Stockholm, Sweden, and Oslo, Norway. In Stockholm, the prizes for Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature, and Economic Sciences are presented by the King of Sweden. Meanwhile, the Peace Prize ceremony takes place in Oslo City Hall, where the Norwegian King or a representative of the Nobel Committee presents the award. These ceremonies are followed by grand banquets attended by the Swedish royal family, government officials, scientists, writers, and distinguished guests from around the world.
Alfred Nobel’s decision to create these prizes was deeply influenced by his personal reflections on life, legacy, and morality. In 1888, years before his death, a French newspaper mistakenly published his obituary with the headline “The merchant of death is dead,” criticizing him for profiting from weapons manufacturing. The shocking headline is believed to have moved Nobel to think about how he would be remembered. Determined to leave a positive legacy, he redirected his wealth toward celebrating human progress and peace rather than destruction.
Since 1901, more than 900 individuals and organizations have received Nobel Prizes. Many of them are household names today, such as Albert Einstein for Physics in 1921, Marie Curie for Physics in 1903 and Chemistry in 1911, and Martin Luther King Jr. for Peace in 1964. Others are less known to the general public but have changed lives through their discoveries, inventions or literary works. The Nobel Prize has not only honored great minds but has also drawn global attention to crucial issues such as poverty, climate change, and human rights.
The Peace Prize, in particular, has often reflected the world’s political climate. It has recognized leaders who worked to end wars or build global cooperation, such as Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama, and Malala Yousafzai. At the same time, it has not been free from controversy. Some awards, such as those to Henry Kissinger and Barack Obama, have sparked debate about whether they truly represented Nobel’s vision of peace. Still, the Nobel Peace Prize remains one of the most respected symbols of the global quest for nonviolence and justice.
The Nobel Prize in Literature has honored some of the most influential writers in history, including Rabindranath Tagore, Ernest Hemingway, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Toni Morrison. While the award celebrates artistic excellence, it has also reflected the changing values and politics of the literary world. Some years, the decision to award or not award a prize has been controversial, as in 2018 when the literature prize was postponed due to a scandal in the Swedish Academy.
In science, the Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, and Medicine have recognized discoveries that transformed modern life. The awards have gone to breakthroughs such as the discovery of penicillin, the structure of DNA, quantum mechanics, and CRISPR gene editing technology. These discoveries have saved countless lives and shaped the future of medicine and technology.
The Prize in Economic Sciences, though newer, has also become highly influential. It has honored economists whose theories have shaped government policies and global trade. For instance, Amartya Sen received it in 1998 for his work on welfare economics, while more recent winners have explored climate economics and behavioral finance.
Over more than a century, the Nobel Prizes have survived wars, political conflicts, and scientific revolutions. They have adapted to the changing world while staying true to Nobel’s original mission to reward those who make a lasting contribution to humanity. Yet, they are not without criticism. Some argue that the selection process is too Western focused, while others say it overlooks deserving candidates from developing nations. Despite these debates, few other awards have achieved such universal respect and recognition.
Alfred Nobel could not have imagined how far his idea would reach. What began as a single man’s wish to leave a better legacy has grown into a global celebration of human achievement. Every year, when the Nobel Prizes are announced, they remind the world of the power of knowledge, creativity, and compassion to make life better for everyone.
As the Nobel Foundation continues to carry forward this legacy, the Prize stands as a testament to human progress and a reminder of what individuals can achieve when guided by curiosity, empathy, and a desire to serve humanity. More than a century after Nobel’s death, his name continues to symbolize not destruction but discovery, not greed but generosity, and not conflict but peace.
Kathmandu – A widespread social media campaign has begun demanding the arrest of former PM and CPN-UML Chairperson KP Sharma Oli and former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, both accused by Gen Z movement supporters of being responsible for the violent crackdown on protesters.
The campaign, launched by Gen Z activists, is circulating under hashtags such as #ARRESTKPOLI, #ARRESTRAMESHLEKHAK, and #ARRESTMURDERERS across various social media platforms.
A viral poster features the photos of Oli and Lekhak labeled as “murderers,” with a message reading: “Arrest the killers, or we will be forced to take action.”
This is the image shared on Social media platforms.
Poster has been shared online, urging authorities to arrest the two leaders and calling on the public to join the social media pressure movement.
Activists accuse Oli and Lekhak of being directly involved in the suppression of the Gen Z protests. Earlier, both leaders had already been restricted from leaving the capital as investigations continued.
Kathmandu – The death toll from floods and landslides caused by heavy rainfall on Friday and Saturday has risen to 60, according to police reports. Among the deceased are 19 men, 26 women, and 15 minors.
Ilam district has been the worst affected, with 37 confirmed deaths due to landslides and flooding. Other districts also reported fatalities, including Panchthar (8), Udayapur (3), Khotang (2), Sunsari (1), Rautahat (3), Morang (1), Mahottari (1), Sindhupalchok (1), Sindhuli (1), and Kavre (2).
Authorities continue rescue and relief operations in the affected areas as heavy rains have disrupted transportation and essential services.
Budapest – Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said that his government has no plans to introduce the single European currency, the euro, in the country. He explained that adopting the euro at a time when the European Union itself faces the threat of disintegration would not be reasonable.
In an interview published by the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s podcast, Orban stated, “This issue is definitely not on my agenda.” He added, “The European Union is currently in a state of disarray, so I do not wish to tie my country’s future more tightly to it.” According to him, “Without major reforms, the European Union will remain only a temporary chapter in our lives.”
The Hungarian government has repeatedly said in recent years that the country is not yet ready to adopt the euro because it does not meet the Maastricht criteria. These standards, established under the 1992 Treaty on European Union, include indicators related to financial stability, price control, and exchange rate consistency.
Since joining the EU in 2004, Hungary has occasionally debated joining the eurozone. However, Orban emphasized that the country is not yet prepared for such a step, as it could lose control over its independent monetary and financial policy.
Currently, 20 EU member states officially use the euro as their currency. Apart from Hungary, Bulgaria, Denmark, Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic, and Sweden have also not adopted the euro.
Kathmandu – The Election Commission has approved the official schedule for the upcoming House of Representatives elections, which are set to be held on March 5 (Falgun 21). The decision was made during the Commission’s meeting on Monday.
According to the approved schedule, political parties will be able to register for the elections from Mangsir 1–10. Offices of election officers will be established on Magh 2.
The campaign period will run from Falgun 3–18, followed by a silence period before voting day.
Voting will take place on Falgun 21 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and ballot counting for both the proportional representation and direct election systems will begin immediately after ballot boxes are collected.
For the proportional representation system, election offices will be set up on Mangsir 15, and parties must submit their closed lists on Poush 18–19.
The Commission stated that it will hold regular consultations and coordination meetings with political parties and other stakeholders in line with the approved schedule.
It also clarified that only political parties officially registered with the Election Commission between the deadline will be eligible to participate in the elections. Parties intending to contest must obtain their registration certificates no later thanKartik 30, the Commission’s press statement added.
Bhairahawa — Following disruptions in public transportation caused by ongoing disasters, Nepal Airlines Corporation operated a special relief flight to rescue and assist stranded passengers. The airline’s Airbus A320 narrow-body aircraft departed from Bhairahawa carrying 157 passengers to Kathmandu.
According to officials, the chartered flight was approved upon the request of Gautam Buddha International Airport’s management to assist elderly people, patients, and migrant workers stranded due to weather related disruptions. Although a flight was originally scheduled for 9 PM on Sunday, technical reasons forced the rescheduling to Monday .
Pratap Babu Tiwari, General Manager of Gautam Buddha International Airport, said the government and concerned authorities jointly decided to operate the relief flight in response to high passenger demand after domestic flights were suspended for a day due to bad weather. He added that even though regular Kathmandu-Bhairahawa flights were increased by other airlines, they were unable to accommodate all passengers, prompting the need for a special relief flight.
Paris — France’s political crisis deepened on Monday after Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced his resignation, less than 24 hours after unveiling his cabinet. Lecornu, who was appointed only 26 days ago following the collapse of Francois Bayrou’s government, said he could not continue under current political conditions, citing the lack of willingness among parties to compromise.
“The conditions were not fulfilled for me to carry on as prime minister,” Lecornu said in a brief statement . He accused rival political parties of “partisan appetites” and behaving “as if they had an absolute majority,” adding that despite his readiness for compromise, every party wanted others to accept their full agenda.
The Elysee Palace confirmed Lecornu’s resignation shortly after his one-hour meeting with President Emmanuel Macron on Monday morning. So far, Macron has made no public comment, but the unexpected resignation leaves him facing a series of difficult choices calling new elections, appointing yet another prime minister, or considering his own position amid growing discontent.
The crisis erupted amid heavy criticism from across the National Assembly over Lecornu’s newly announced cabinet, which largely mirrored that of his predecessor Bayrou. Lawmakers from both the left and right had threatened to reject the new government in an upcoming confidence vote.
Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally (RN), was quick to respond to Lecornu’s resignation, saying, “The only wise thing to do now is to hold elections. The joke’s gone on long enough. French people are fed up. Macron has put the country in an extremely difficult position.”
Lecornu, a close ally of Macron and former armed forces minister, was France’s fifth prime minister in less than two years, a clear reflection of the political instability that has gripped the country since mid-2024.
The turmoil began in July 2024, when President Macron called snap parliamentary elections after his party’s defeat in the European Parliament polls. Rather than securing a majority, the elections resulted in a deeply divided hung parliament, split between left, right, and centrist blocs unwilling to cooperate.
This deadlock has made governance nearly impossible, with successive prime ministers struggling to pass legislation. Michel Barnier, appointed last September, was ousted within three months. His successor, Francois Bayrou, lasted nine months before parliament rejected his austerity budget aimed at cutting €44 billion in public spending.
France’s financial challenges have worsened during this period. The country’s deficit reached 5.8% of GDP in 2024, and national debt now stands at 114% of GDP, the third highest in the eurozone after Greece and Italy, amounting to nearly €50,000 per citizen.
Lecornu, in his farewell remarks, said France’s political class needed to “set egos aside” and embrace humility to restore stability. “It wouldn’t need much for this to work,” he said, emphasizing that cooperation between parties was essential for the country to move forward.
Following the news of his resignation, stocks on the Paris exchange fell sharply on Monday morning, reflecting investor anxiety over France’s growing political and economic uncertainty.
With Lecornu’s departure, President Macron faces one of the most fragile moments of his presidency, as France remains without a functioning government and no clear path forward to end the political deadlock.
Kathmandu-Speculation is rising once again about whether U.S. President Donald Trump could win the Nobel Peace Prize. Supporters claim that his recent diplomatic moves, including a new Middle East peace plan and efforts to de-escalate tensions between nuclear powers, make him a deserving candidate. He himself has publicly claimed several times that he deserves the Nobel peace prize. However, many international observers and Nobel experts remain doubtful that the Norwegian Nobel Committee will select him for the prestigious honor this year.
The Nobel Peace Prize, one of the world’s most respected awards, is given to individuals or groups who have made outstanding contributions to promoting peace. The prize, established under the will of Alfred Nobel, is administered by a five member Norwegian committee. According to Nobel’s will, it is intended for “the person who shall have done the most or best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.” The nomination process is confidential, and the committee does not reveal nominees for fifty years. While heads of state, university professors, and former laureates can submit nominations, the final decision rests entirely with the Nobel Committee, which tends to favor long term, verifiable efforts over political gestures or temporary truces.
President Trump’s supporters argue that his foreign policy achievements demonstrate a genuine effort to reduce conflict and promote stability. They often highlight his involvement in the Abraham Accords, the 2020 normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab nations. Those accords were seen as a rare diplomatic breakthrough in a region long defined by hostility and mistrust. More recently, Trump unveiled a 20 point peace plan aimed at resolving the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. The proposal calls for the return of hostages, Israeli withdrawal from certain areas, disarmament of Hamas members who agree to peace, and expanded humanitarian assistance. Supporters claim that this plan could mark a major step toward ending decades of bloodshed, if successfully implemented.
In addition to the Middle East initiatives, reports from several international news agencies, including Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, confirm that Pakistan’s government has formally recommended Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. The nomination credits him for helping to de-escalate tensions between India and Pakistan earlier this year, during a period when both sides were on high alert following border clashes. However, India denies Trump involvement in the peace deal. Furthermore, a ceasefire between the United States and Yemen’s Houthi forces, brokered in 2025, is also being cited as evidence of Trump’s growing influence in promoting regional peace. These developments have led some of his supporters to say that Trump is not only a global peacemaker but also a candidate whose diplomatic initiatives have prevented larger wars.
Despite these claims, experts and Nobel observers remain highly skeptical. Analysts from major international outlets such as Reuters, Associated Press, and BBC have noted that while Trump’s proposals have drawn attention, few have led to lasting or verifiable peace. The Nobel Committee tends to favor figures who show long-term commitment, international cooperation, and humanitarian concern. Trump’s approach, by contrast, is often described as transactional and self promotional. Many also point out that the president has often used the idea of winning a Nobel Peace Prize as a political talking point, something that could work against him. Members of the Nobel Committee have previously made it clear that overt campaigning or lobbying for the prize is viewed negatively.
Public opinion also appears to be against Trump’s chances. A recent survey cited by Anadolu Agency reported that nearly three out of four Americans believe he does not deserve the Nobel Peace Prize, while only about one in five said he does. Critics argue that his domestic policies, public statements, and withdrawal from international agreements on climate and human rights during his previous term still overshadow his recent peace related efforts. Others note that his strong support for Israel and divisive rhetoric may make it difficult for the Nobel Committee to view his actions as impartial or humanitarian.
Even from a procedural standpoint, Trump faces hurdles. While multiple groups have reportedly nominated him, several nominations appear to have been submitted after the official deadline for the 2025 prize, meaning they will not be considered until the following year. Moreover, the Nobel Committee has not confirmed any nomination publicly, as it strictly follows its confidentiality policy. Betting markets have shown fluctuating odds in Trump’s favor, especially after his Gaza peace proposal and his involvement in the India-Pakistan mediation, but analysts stress that betting odds rarely predict actual Nobel outcomes.
Experts say that if Trump truly wants to strengthen his case for a future Nobel Peace Prize, he would need to demonstrate consistent engagement in peacebuilding efforts that produce tangible and lasting results. This would include follow through on peace agreements, broad international cooperation, and evidence that his initiatives have reduced suffering on the ground. The Nobel Committee typically looks for leaders who work beyond personal or political interests, focusing instead on humanitarian and diplomatic principles that benefit people across nations. Previous laureates such as Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama, and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter were honored not for one-time deals but for decades of sustained efforts toward reconciliation, human rights, and disarmament.
For now, the general consensus among analysts is that President Trump’s chances of winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025 remain low. While his supporters point to a list of recent diplomatic achievements, critics argue that his initiatives lack the broad, long term impact that the Nobel Committee values. His record of withdrawing from global institutions, making controversial foreign policy statements, and treating the Nobel Prize as a personal accolade rather than a recognition of collective peacebuilding also weakens his standing. Some experts believe that the committee will continue its recent trend of honoring humanitarian organizations, journalists, or peace activists working in war-torn regions rather than world leaders whose legacies remain disputed.
Still, history shows that Nobel decisions can sometimes surprise the world. If Trump’s peace plans in Gaza or South Asia manage to bring measurable, lasting change and are recognized by international partners, his future candidacy may become more credible. Until then, his Nobel ambitions remain largely symbolic, a reflection of both his global profile and his polarizing reputation. As of now, no verified information suggests that the Nobel Committee is seriously considering him for this year’s award, and official nominations will remain sealed for half a century.
Whether Trump ever wins the Nobel Peace Prize or not, his repeated pursuit of it has already influenced public discussion about what peace means in modern politics. To some, he represents an unconventional negotiator willing to challenge traditional diplomacy. To others, he remains a deeply divisive figure whose idea of peace is inseparable from political advantage. The Nobel Committee, which has guarded its independence since 1901, is unlikely to overlook these contradictions easily. The final decision will rest not on rhetoric or nominations, but on whether Trump’s actions create real and lasting peace that meets Alfred Nobel’s original vision. A vision based on humanity, cooperation, and the true end of war.
Kathmandu – According to the latest update from the Ministry of Health and Population, 30 people injured during the Gen-Z movement are currently receiving medical treatment in various hospitals across the country.
One patient is being treated at Civil Hospital, 10 at the National Trauma Center, 3 at Kathmandu Medical College Teaching Hospital, 5 at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, 3 at Patan Academy of Health Sciences, 1 at Nepal Police Hospital, and 1 at Kirtipur Hospital.
Similarly, 3 patients are admitted at B&B Hospital, 1 at Birat Medical College Teaching Hospital, 1 at Nobel Medical College Teaching Hospital, and 1 at Pokhara Academy of Health Sciences. In total, 30 people remain under treatment, according to the ministry’s report.
The Ministry of Health compiled and released this information based on coordination with various health institutions and provincial emergency health operation centers.
As per the ministry’s data, a total of 2,316 people injured during the protests have received medical attention so far, out of which 2,238 have already been discharged after treatment.
The total number of deaths reported among those brought to hospitals has reached 49.
The 2025 Nobel Prize in Medicine has been awarded to Mary E. Brunkow-USA, Fred Ramsdell-USA, and Shimon Sakaguchi-Japan, for their groundbreaking work on how the human immune system functions and maintains balance.
Announced by Sweden’s Karolinska Institute on Monday, the trio will receive the prize in December for their discoveries related to peripheral immune tolerance, a mechanism that prevents the immune system from attacking the body’s own cells.
“This research explains how our immune system stays controlled allowing us to fight infections while avoiding autoimmune diseases,” said Marie Wahren-Herlenius, a rheumatology professor at the Karolinska Institute.
The three laureates will share the 11 million Swedish kronor (about $1.17 million) prize equally. The King of Sweden will present them with the Nobel gold medals during the official ceremony.
According to the Nobel committee, their discoveries have opened new fields of medical research and inspired the development of treatments for cancer and autoimmune diseases.
The Medicine Prize marks the beginning of this year’s Nobel season, followed by awards in physics, chemistry, literature, peace, and economics in the coming days.
Janakpurdham – Police have arrested Ram Kishor Yadav, the ward chairperson of Kalyanpur Municipality Ward No. 8 in Siraha district, on charges of demolishing the homes of five Dalit families in Arang village.
According to police, the victims filed a complaint against 13 individuals, including Ward Chair Yadav, accusing them of involvement in the attack under criminal disturbance charges. Following the complaint, Yadav was summoned for questioning and subsequently taken into custody for investigation, confirmed Siraha Superintendent of Police Anantaram Sharma.
The complaint also named several others allegedly involved in the vandalism and looting, including locals Rajkumar Singh, Prabhas Singh, Nitesh Singh, Shailendra Singh, Kailash Singh, Ganesh Kamati, and Mustafa Rayen. SP Sharma stated that, so far, police have arrested Yadav and two others, while the search for the remaining suspects continues.
SP Sharma added that if further individuals are found to be involved during the investigation, they too will face legal action.
The incident occurred around 5 p.m. on Friday, when the houses of five Dalit families living north of a large pond in Arang were reportedly demolished and looted in the presence of police officers. The victims have been identified as Shobhit Paswan, Binde Paswan, Ashok Paswan, Rajkumar Paswan, and Raslal Paswan.
According to the victims, a group of about 20 to 25 people led by Rajkumar Singh, Prabhas Singh, Shailendra Singh, and Nitesh Singh carried out the attack, destroying property and stealing belongings. The attackers fled after reinforcements from Mirchaiya Police and the Armed Police Force arrived at the scene.
Locals said the attack was linked to an earlier dispute during Vishwakarma Puja on September 16, when some non-Dalit locals, including Prabhas Singh, clashed with members of the Dalit community over an orchestra program held at Arang Bazaar. After the Dalit group lodged a police complaint over that altercation, the accused allegedly retaliated by destroying their homes.
Kathmandu — Traditionally, when a prime minister leaves office, the official social media accounts along with their usernames and passwords are handed over to the incoming leader. This practice ensures continuity, as those accounts represent the official voice of the government.
However, newly appointed Prime Minister Sushila Karki, who rose to power following the GenZ youth movement, has decided not to use the social media accounts previously managed by former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. Instead, she will operate entirely new accounts on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram.
According to a press statement issued by Rabilal Panth, spokesperson and joint secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the current prime minister will be using different usernames from those used by her predecessors. While former prime ministers operated the X handle @PM_nepal, Prime Minister Karki will now use the handle @pmsushilakarki, the statement confirmed.
Karki’s chief adviser, Ajayabhadra Khanaal, explained that the decision was also made because the secretariat of former Prime Minister Oli has so far transferred only the X (Twitter) account, and that too just last Sunday. The Facebook and Instagram accounts have not yet been handed over, which prompted the new administration to create fresh pages on both platforms.
At present, both the old @PM_nepal and the newly created @pmsushilakarki accounts are accessible to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat. However, Khanaal said the new account will be the main one used for official communication. Some key government announcements posted on @pmsushilakarki will also be retweeted from @PM_nepal to maintain visibility, he added.
He further mentioned that discussions are ongoing with technical teams regarding the management of the new Facebook and Instagram pages.
This move marks a shift in how Nepal’s Prime Minister’s Office manages digital communication, emphasizing personalization and transparency while maintaining official protocol.
Kathmandu — The price of gold continued to rise on Monday. According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the price of hallmark gold, which was set at 230,600 rupees per tola on Sunday, increased to 233,100 rupees per tola on Monday.
The federation confirmed that this is the highest price recorded so far.
Similarly, the price of silver has also gone up. The rate of silver, which was 2,930 rupees per tola on Sunday, climbed to 2,960 rupees per tola on Monday.
Kathmandu — The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) had issued an early warning predicting an increased risk of floods and landslides due to continuous rainfall across the country. Following this, the government and its security agencies carried out extensive preparedness measures to minimize possible losses. Although heavy rainfall caused major damage to life and property in several regions, timely preparation by the government and security forces helped reduce the overall impact, giving citizens a sense of relief.
To prevent accidents caused by floods and landslides, the government restricted nighttime vehicle movement in high-risk areas and suspended long-distance transport services during severe weather conditions. People living near riverbanks in Kathmandu and other districts were safely relocated to secure areas. The government, in coordination with local authorities, also provided food and temporary shelter for those stranded on roads.
The Nepal Army deployed 237 specially trained rescuers for monsoon disaster response after the alert from the NDRRMA. In all 77 districts, 94 battalions and 58 standby rescue units were kept on alert with essential rescue equipment. Rescue teams, along with helicopters, were pre-positioned at 27 key locations to ensure quick response.
Similarly, the Armed Police Force (APF) mobilized 35 personnel from each of its units for disaster response under its 2082 Monsoon Preparedness and Response Plan. Across the country, a total of 7,615 personnel were kept ready, including 135 divers and 3,900 disaster-trained officers. The APF also deployed 33 motorboats, 96 rafting boats, and coordinated with 990 trained community disaster volunteers and 168,695 local disaster informants to strengthen the response network.
The Nepal Police also mobilized 20,485 personnel nationwide for disaster management. In Kathmandu alone, 130 officers were deployed, divided into 15 teams equipped with rafting boats for rescue operations. Each of the seven provincial police units kept 125 personnel on standby to respond immediately during adverse weather conditions.
Following the alert from the NDRRMA, the government and security agencies made necessary preparations in advance. Although this year’s monsoon disasters caused significant loss of life and property across the country, officials said that the impact was reduced to some extent due to timely preparedness. This has also provided a sense of relief among the public.
Jhapa – Continuous rainfall for the past two days has severely disrupted daily life in Jhapa district. Floods in the Kankai, Mai, and Mechi rivers have displaced around 25,231 people from 5,481 households, according to the District Police Office, Jhapa.
DSP Khagendra Khadka said residents living along the riverbanks were moved to safer areas after floodwaters entered their homes. The floods displaced families across several localities, including Shivasatakshi Municipality (wards 4, 5, 6, and 7), Gaurigunj Rural Municipality (wards 1 and 2), Arjundhara Municipality (ward 7), Gauradaha Municipality (ward 5), and Bhadrapur Municipality (ward 5).
The worst-hit areas include Jhapa Rural Municipality, where over 1,500 houses in Sudukhuttu, Milanbasti, Situmari, Lasunganj, and Salmara were affected. Another 2,100 houses in Sugam Bathan, Kuwadi, Sadakbari, Baluwatar, Sirjana Basti, Haldar Basti, Raut Danda, and Nabiral Tole were displaced. Similarly, 1,500 houses in Simlabari, Jhanti, and Gairigaun (Jhapa-3) and dozens more in Yuwa Tole, Bal Bathan, Tintolia, Tappu, and Chaudhary Tole have been flooded.
“The majority of displaced families are from Jhapa Rural Municipality,” DSP Khadka said, adding that some victims have taken shelter at relatives’ homes while others are staying in nearby schools. He noted that water levels in the Kankai and Mechi rivers remain high, and security personnel are carrying out rescue and relief operations in affected areas.
The Kankai River has eroded about 200 meters of the embankment along the Hulaki Highway in Gaurigunj Rural Municipality-2, flooding 114 houses in Hoklabari village and damaging 500 hectares of paddy fields.
According to the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, about 1,500 meters of embankment have been eroded, causing an estimated loss of Rs 100 million. In Jhapa Rural Municipality-2 (Kuwadi), another 200 meters of embankment were washed away, damaging around 25 hectares of land, with losses estimated at Rs 7.5 million. Meanwhile, the Mechi River destroyed several river protection structures (spurs), causing additional damage of about Rs 5 million.
Kathmandu – The Monsoon Response Command Post under the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) held a meeting on Sunday at Singha Durbar to discuss the recent monsoon-related disasters that have affected many parts of Nepal. The meeting issued an eight-point decision focusing on relief, rescue, and rehabilitation measures.
In a statement signed by NDRRMA Executive Chief Dinesh Prasad Bhatt, the authority expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and property caused by the continuous rainfall since October 3 (Asoj 17). The statement extended condolences to the bereaved families and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured.
The meeting decided to direct District Administration Offices to coordinate with local governments to provide financial relief to families of the deceased in line with existing standards and ensure free medical treatment for the injured.
It also resolved to continue search, rescue, and rehabilitation operations in all affected areas. Concerned agencies have been asked to submit preliminary damage assessments and data on affected populations and areas to the authority as soon as possible.
The command post urged local governments and related agencies to expedite relief distribution, relocation, and rehabilitation of displaced individuals. To ensure safety, local administrations were instructed not to allow night bus services on roads identified as risky due to landslides or flooding.
The Department of Roads has been asked to repair and reopen obstructed highways immediately, and local administrations have been directed to ensure the movement of essential services and public transport through coordination.
Similarly, relevant service providers have been instructed to restore disrupted water supply, electricity, and communication networks without delay.
Executive Chief Bhatt informed that the government has decided to provide Rs 200,000 in relief to the family of each person killed in the disaster and ensure that treatment for the injured is free of charge through coordination with district authorities.
Kathmandu – The great Dashain festival concludes today with the worship of Goddess Mahalaxmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, along with night-long prayers on the occasion of Kojagrat Purnima.
According to the Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Samiti, this full moon day of the Ashwin month is observed with Mahalaxmi worship and the ritual of staying awake all night, marking the formal end of the 15 day long Dashain celebration. The committee also stated that today is the day for performing Akhil Balipooja, the final ritual sacrifice prescribed by scriptures.
With this ritual, the tradition of receiving tika and jamara,the blessings of Goddess Durga that began on Vijaya Dashami also concludes. After completing Akhil Balipooja, devotees immerse the jamara in nearby rivers, ponds, or other holy waters.
Dashain, also called Durga Paksha, begins from the first day of the bright lunar fortnight of Ashwin. People across Nepal celebrate it according to their family customs and means.
According to Professor Shambhu Prasad Dhakal, chairperson of the committee, it is believed that Goddess Mahalaxmi visits homes of those who remain awake in her worship tonight and blesses them with wealth and prosperity.
Among the three main forms of Goddess Durga, Mahalaxmi is one, and her worship today marks the farewell of the Durga Paksha. Although Navaratri ends on Vijaya Dashami, the Durga Paksha formally concludes on Kojagrat Purnima.
As Mahalaxmi is worshipped fifteen days before the Laxmi Puja of Tihar, this full moon holds special significance. The day is also known as Kaumudi Purnima. Scriptures mention that playing traditional games like dice (jua) tonight is customary. Along with Mahalaxmi, Lord Indra, who is believed to ride an elephant, is also worshipped.
The annual Kartik Snan (holy bathing) and special worship of the sacred Tulsi plant will begin from Tuesday, Ashwin 21 (October 7). The ritual of lighting lamps in the sky, known as Aakash Deepdaan, will also start that evening.
Hundreds of trekkers have been rescued and moved to safety after being trapped by a snowstorm in the eastern region of Mount Everest in Tibet. Reports said the group was stranded due to heavy rainfall in the Himalayas. Around 350 people have been taken to the city of Guangdong, while contact efforts are ongoing with more than 200 others.
It has been estimate that over 1,000 people may have been affected in the region. Following the incident, ticket sales for tourist sites around Mount Everest have been suspended temporarily.
China is currently observing an eight-day national holiday for its National Day, which has drawn a large number of people to adventurous destinations like Karma Valley. This valley, located in Kangshung in eastern Everest, sits at an altitude of about 4,200 meters (13,779 feet) above sea level. Snowfall in the area began on Friday evening.
According to the report, hundreds of villagers and rescue teams have been deployed to help those trapped, clearing snow and opening paths. It is still unclear whether local guides were responsible for the situation, and an investigation is underway. Authorities are also checking whether tourists visiting the northern side of Mount Everest have been affected by the snowfall or rain.
Chicago- President Donald Trump has approved the deployment of 300 National Guard troops to Chicago, claiming the move is needed to control what he described as “out-of-control crime.”
The decision came just hours after immigration authorities clashed with protesters in the city. Officials said an armed woman was shot after she and others rammed their cars into law enforcement vehicles.
State and local leaders have condemned Trump’s plan as a misuse of power. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker accused Trump of “trying to create a crisis,” saying such federal intervention undermines state authority.
At the same time, a federal judge in Portland, Oregon, temporarily blocked a separate Trump administration plan to send 200 federal troops to that city. Judge Karin Immergut said Trump’s statements about Portland were “not based on facts” and ruled that deploying federal forces without state consent violated the Constitution. She warned that such actions blurred “the line between civil and military authority.”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement that border agents in Chicago were forced to fire defensive shots after being attacked. “Law enforcement was forced to deploy their weapons and fire defensive shots at an armed US citizen,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. The injured woman later drove herself to a local hospital, according to DHS.
The White House defended the deployment. Spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said, “Amidst ongoing violent riots and lawlessness that local leaders like Governor Pritzker have refused to control, President Trump has authorized 300 National Guardsmen to protect federal officers and property.”
These deployments have raised legal and constitutional concerns, as the National Guard is typically deployed by state governors, and federal law restricts military involvement in domestic affairs.
Bhairahawa – A large aircraft of Nepal Airlines Corporation will be sent to rescue passengers stranded for the past two days at Bhairahawa Airport. The decision was made under the directive of Prime Minister Sushila Karki, following the suspension of domestic flights due to bad weather.
Prime Minister Karki instructed Chief Secretary Ek Narayan Aryal to coordinate with Nepal Airlines and arrange rescue flights for passengers who had already purchased tickets but were unable to travel to Kathmandu.
Chief Secretary Aryal has worked with the airline to finalize the flight schedule. “The Prime Minister has directed that all stranded passengers be safely transported,” said Prime Minister’s Chief Personal Secretary.
According to the instructions one rescue flight will operate this evening, and another is scheduled for tomorrow morning.
Kathmandu — Minister for Energy, Urban Development, and Physical Infrastructure Kulman Ghising said that as the rainfall has subsided, the roads closed due to heavy rain and landslides will gradually be reopened.
Speaking at a press conference organized by the ministry to brief the public on the incidents that occurred after two days of continuous rainfall, Minister Ghising stated that preparations are underway to resume long distance transport services that were earlier suspended due to the weather.
He added that efforts are ongoing to clear and reopen highways that were blocked by landslides and flooding.
Kathmandu — Over the past two days, natural disasters across Nepal have claimed the lives of 49 people, according to the Armed Police Force (APF) Nepal. Thirteen others were injured in incidents related to floods, landslides, lightning strikes, and road accidents.
Authorities reported that 11 people are still missing nationwide. Ilam district has suffered the highest casualties, with 37 people killed and two seriously injured due to floods and landslides.
Similarly, two deaths were reported in Udayapur, three in Rautahat, four in Rasuwa, and one in Kathmandu. Lightning strikes injured eight people in Khotang, Bhojpur, Rautahat, and Makwanpur districts.
In Panchthar, six people were killed and six others injured in a road accident.
Kathmandu — Continuous rainfall has caused floods and landslides that severely damaged several sections of the BP Highway. According to district police offices, at least 12 locations in Kavrepalanchok and Sindhuli districts have been blocked.
Police in Kavrepalanchok reported that from Bhakundebesi to the Sindhuli border, nine sections of the highway have been obstructed. In several places, parts of the road have collapsed or been washed away by floods, and officials say traffic is unlikely to resume soon.
The Araniko Highway, however, remains partially operational. At Khawa, traffic is moving one way, but movement in other sections is completely blocked.
In Sindhuli, floods and landslides have also caused major destruction along the highway. Police said that between Nepal Thok and Dumja, floods have washed away roads at three points about 300 meters at one site, 100 meters at another, and 50 meters at the third.
The Roshi River has washed away around 250 meters of road near Nepal Thok, and a large landslide has occurred in Gajuli Dah. Another landslide has been reported in Kanadhungre of Sunkoshi Rural Municipality-6.
Police stated that the road from Nepal Thok to Khurkot has been partially reopened for one-way traffic, while clearing work continues in several areas. Since major portions of the road have been washed away, authorities say it will take time before traffic can fully resume. Vehicle movement on the highway has been completely halted since Saturday.
Kathmandu – People injured in landslides in Ilam have been rescued by a Nepal Army helicopter. The air rescue operation was carried out after floods and landslides caused severe damage in several parts of the district.
The most affected areas include Ilam Municipality, Suryodaya Municipality, Deumai Municipality, Mangsebung Rural Municipality, and Phakphokthum Rural Municipality.
According to local resident, Nepal Army helicopter rescued four seriously injured people, including a pregnant woman, from Gajurmukhi in Mangsebung-1.
Kathmandu — Continuous rainfall has caused deadly landslides in three districts, killing 22 people, according to Nepal Police. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) and central spokesperson Binod Ghimire said landslides in Udayapur, Rautahat, and Ilam on Saturday and Sunday have caused significant loss of life and property.
According to DIG Ghimire, Ilam recorded the highest number of casualties, with 18 people confirmed dead. Seven others are missing, while six have been rescued alive.
In Rautahat, three people were killed due to landslides, while in Udayapur, one person died and 21 others have gone missing.
Police said rescue operations are ongoing, with teams from the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, and Nepal Police deployed in the affected areas, as the risk of further landslides remains high due to continuous rain.
Kathmandu – The Maidhar-Dudhe road section of the under construction East–West Asian Highway in Jhapa has been blocked after floods in the Bhalukhola River swept away a diversion, halting vehicle movement.
According to police, traffic has been rerouted following the disruption. Vehicles traveling from east to west are being diverted from Maidhar through the southern Kanakai Canal to Sangam Chowk, while those heading east are being redirected from Sangam Chowk through the same canal route back to Maidhar.
Repair work on the damaged diversion has already begun.
Meanwhile, floods in the Kali Khola River have obstructed the highway at Mechinagar Municipality-6, and floods in the Sukuna Khola River have blocked the route at Shivasatakshi Municipality-10.
Kathmandu – Three bridges along the Mechi Corridor have been swept away by floods. The affected bridges include the Belase Bridge over the Maikhola River, the Puwa Bridge, and the Jogmai Bridge, all located along the Kechana–Kanchenjunga road section.
In Belase of Ilam Municipality-11, a concrete bridge built over the Maikhola River only about five years ago has been severely damaged, cutting off movement in the area.
Meanwhile, the Mechi Highway has been closed due to multiple landslides. More than 30 small and large landslides have occurred in various parts of Ilam and Panchthar districts, completely halting transportation along the route.
Sunsari — Continuous rainfall has pushed the water level of the Koshi River to its highest point this year. Heavy rain in the hilly districts has rapidly increased the river’s flow.
According to the Sunsari District Police Chief, the river’s discharge reached 330,360 cubic feet per second (cusecs), the highest measurement recorded this year. In response, all 56 gates of the Koshi Barrage have been opened.
A red warning light has been activated at the barrage as a sign of high alert. Officials said that a flow exceeding 150,000 cusecs in the Koshi River is considered dangerous, making the current situation highly sensitive.
To minimize possible risks, teams from the Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, and Nepal Army have been kept on standby, according to Sunsari’s Chief District Officer Dharmendra Kumar Mishra. He said that residents living near the river have been instructed to remain cautious.
Local authorities have urged people living in areas around the Koshi Barrage, Chatara, Paschim Kushaha, and the southern embankment to take necessary precautions.
The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology stated that the river’s water level could rise further if the rainfall continues. The administration has also prepared rescue teams and relief materials to respond to any emergency situation.
Kathmandu – Domestic flights at Tribhuvan International Airport, which had been suspended since yesterday due to continuous rainfall, have resumed this morning.
According to airport authorities, flights from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj and Bhadrapur have already taken off, while weather conditions in Pokhara and Surkhet have also improved, allowing safe flight operations.
The domestic terminal reported that aircraft grounded in Pokhara, Biratnagar, Bharatpur, Bhairahawa, Janakpur, Dhangadhi, and Nepalgunj on Saturday are gradually returning to Kathmandu today.
A total of 140 domestic flights are scheduled for Sunday. Buddha Air has the highest number with 72 flights, followed by Yeti Airlines with 32, Shree Airlines with 26, and Tara Air with 9. Sita Air, Summit Air, and Nepal Airlines each have one scheduled flight.
Among these, three are mountain flights,two operated by Buddha Air and one by Yeti Airlines.
International flights, on the other hand, have been running normally since last night. Between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, seven international flights were diverted to Bangladesh and India due to bad weather. All of them safely returned to Kathmandu later that night.
Ilam- At least 18 people have died in Ilam district after continuous rainfall since Saturday night triggered floods and landslides, according to the Koshi Province Police Office.
Police said that the deaths occurred in different parts of the district. The highest number of casualties, five, were reported in Manebhanjyang. Four bodies were recovered from the site, and one more was found later during the search.
He added that rescue operations were carried out jointly by Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, and India’s Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), as the affected areas are close to the Nepal–India border. The identities of the 18 deceased have not yet been confirmed.
According to the Koshi Province Police Office, the fatalities include five people in Manebhanjyang of Suryodaya Municipality-1, three in Patigaun of Mangsebung Rural Municipality-1, one in Dhare of Deumai Municipality-5, two in Dhusune of Deumai Municipality-5, one in Ratmate of Phakphokthum Rural Municipality-3, and six in Ghosgaun of Ilam Municipality-5.
Tbilisi- Police in Georgia have clashed with anti government protesters who tried to storm the presidential palace in the capital city, Tbilisi.
Security forces used water cannons and pepper spray to disperse the crowds as tensions escalated.
The country has been in political turmoil since the ruling Georgian Dream party declared victory in last year’s parliamentary election, which the pro-European Union opposition claims was rigged. Following the disputed vote, the government suspended talks on joining the EU.
Saturday’s protest coincided with local elections, which the opposition largely boycotted in response to the government’s crackdown.
Waving Georgian and EU flags, tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in central Tbilisi. Protesters later marched toward the presidential palace and attempted to enter the compound, prompting riot police to respond with pepper spray.
The unrest follows months of government pressure on activists, independent media, and opposition figures, with most pro-Western opposition leaders now imprisoned.
Billionaire businessman Andrej Babis has won the Czech Republic’s parliamentary elections, but his populist ANO party failed to secure an outright majority, according to preliminary results.
With nearly all votes counted, ANO received just under 35% of the vote, giving it 81 seats in the 200-member lower house.
Babis, who previously served as prime minister from 2017 to 2021, is now expected to begin talks on forming a new coalition government.
Babis is likely to start negotiations with two small right-wing eurosceptic parties,Motorists for themselves, which opposes the EU’s Green Deal, and the anti-immigration Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party, led by Tomio Okamura. A partnership with both would be needed to secure a majority.
ANO shares common ground with the Motorists, as both oppose the EU’s climate targets and the planned 2035 ban on petrol and diesel car sales. However, relations with the SPD could be tense, since SPD allied with far-right groups and supports holding referendums on EU and NATO membership, proposals Babis firmly rejects.
During his campaign, Babis criticized the outgoing government for favoring Ukrainian refugees over Czech citizens, but he is unlikely to support SPD’s demand to deport refugees.
Analysts say Babis might instead choose to lead a minority government supported informally by the two smaller parties.
Far-Right minister Smotrich slams Netanyahu for pausing offensive to discuss Trump’s Peace Plan
GAZA-Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 61 Palestinians even as US President Donald Trump said Israel has “temporarily stopped the bombing” to give his Gaza plan “a chance.”
The escalation came shortly after Hamas submitted its response to Trump’s Gaza proposal. In its reply, Hamas agreed to hand over the administration of Gaza to a team of Palestinian technocrats and to release all Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
However, the group’s statement did not address the issue of disarmament but said it was ready to “immediately enter” mediated negotiations.
Since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October 2023, at least 67,074 people have been killed and 169,430 injured, with thousands more feared trapped beneath the rubble.
Meanwhile, Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for agreeing to pause the Gaza offensive to allow talks on the US president’s proposal.
In his comments posted on X, Smotrich condemned the temporary halt, marking his first response since Hamas announced it had accepted parts of Trump’s 20-point peace plan.
Smotrich, a leading figure in Netanyahu’s coalition government and a resident of an illegal settlement in the occupied West Bank, has repeatedly called for Israel to annex the Gaza Strip.
Violent clashes broke out in London between police and protesters following Israel’s seizure of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. Demonstrators accused the UK government of failing to pressure Israel to release the flotilla and demanded stronger action.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, which departed from Spain a month ago to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid, carried more than 400 participants from 44 countries, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.
The flotilla was intercepted by Israeli forces on Wednesday. Israel’s Foreign Ministry described the mission as a “provocation” that violated what it called a “lawful naval blockade.”
Large protests also took place in Turkey, Spain, Ireland, Italy, Greece, and Tunisia, as demonstrators worldwide condemned Israel’s actions and called for the immediate release of those on board.
Tokyo-Japan’s ruling conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has chosen Sanae Takaichi as its new leader, paving the way for the 64-year-old to become Japan’s first female prime minister.
Takaichi, known for her strong conservative views, is a former minister, television host, and heavy metal drummer. She is one of Japan’s most recognizable and controversial political figures.
Her leadership comes at a difficult time, as Japan faces a slow economy, rising inflation, stagnant wages, and a weakened relationship with the United States. She will also need to manage a tariff deal with the Trump administration that was agreed upon by the previous government.
Takaichi’s immediate challenge will be to unite her divided party after years of internal disputes and corruption scandals. Her predecessor, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, resigned last month after a series of election losses that cost the LDP coalition its majority in both houses of parliament.
A close ally of the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Takaichi has promised to revive his “Abenomics” policies focused on high government spending and low interest rates.
She also supports strengthening Japan’s defense policies and revising its pacifist constitution. Takaichi is known to visit the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japan’s war dead, including convicted war criminals.
Though she is expected to be confirmed by parliament as prime minister, her appointment is not easy as LDP no longer holds a majority in both chambers.
Kathmandu — Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Kulman Ghising, led a team to inspect the river corridors in the Kathmandu Valley and the Chobhar Galchhi area.
Accompanied by Urban Development Secretary and other government officials, Minister Ghising visited the Galchhi area to assess the rivers that flow collectively from the Valley.
He observed the Dhobikhola, Manohara, Bishnumati, and Bagmati river corridors, and gathered information about the condition of nearby settlements.
During the inspection, the minister urged residents living along riverbanks to remain alert and stay safe.
Kathmandu — The government has announced public holidays on Sunday and Monday, considering the difficult situation caused by continuous rainfall across the country.
The decision was made after the Disaster Management Division called for a three-day suspension of all long-distance transportation nationwide, as well as all vehicles entering and leaving Kathmandu. The move also follows landslides blocking highways and a weather alert issued by the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said security forces will be deployed in high-risk settlements, and Nepal Army helicopters will remain on standby for emergency rescue operations.
Kathmandu- Domestic flights from Tribhuvan International Airport have been suspended since this morning due to continuous rainfall and poor weather conditions.
According to Tribhuvan International Airport, flights to and from Kathmandu, Bharatpur, Janakpur, Bhadrapur, Pokhara, and Tumlingtar airports have been halted because of unfavorable weather.
“The weather situation is being reviewed regularly. International flights are operating as usual, but domestic flights have been suspended for safety reasons due to the ongoing heavy rain,” TIA souce said.
The suspension has affected all domestic flights since early morning as rainfall continues across Kathmandu and several other parts of the country, according to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology.
The department has also issued a warning of heavy rainfall for today and tomorrow.
Kathmandu- Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal has instructed security agencies to remain on standby for effective disaster risk management and mitigation. He gave the directive during an inspection visit to the Nepal Police Disaster Management Office in Samakhusi.
During the visit, Minister Aryal observed a simulated disaster rescue drill, inspected the stockpile of rescue equipment, and was briefed on related activities.
Speaking at the program held after the inspection, he praised Nepal Police for their efforts in disaster management despite limited resources and training. He further directed them to maintain readiness at all times so they can be mobilized immediately with dedication and high morale to minimize possible loss of lives and property from future disasters.
Kathmandu- According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, there is a possibility of moderate to heavy rain with thunder and lightning in most places across the country today. According to the Meteorological Department, the weather throughout the day today will be as follows
This afternoon: It will be generally cloudy across the country. There is a possibility of moderate rain with thunder/lightning in many places in the hills and Terai areas of Koshi Province, Madhes Province, Bagmati Province, Gandaki Province and Lumbini Province and a few places in the hills and Terai areas of the remaining provinces. There is also a possibility of heavy rain in a few places in the hills and Terai areas of Koshi Province, Madhes Province, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province and one or two places in the Terai area of Lumbini Province. There is also a possibility of very heavy rain in one or two places in the hills and Terai areas of Madhes Province, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy in Koshi Province, Madhes Province, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province, while generally cloudy in the rest of the provinces. There is a possibility of moderate rain with thunder/lightning at most places in the hills and Terai areas of Koshi Province, Madhes Province, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province, many places in the hills and Terai areas of Lumbini Province and at some places in the rest of the provinces. There is a possibility of moderate to very heavy rain at some places in the hills and Terai areas of Koshi Province, Madhes Province, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province and at one or two places in the Terai areas of Lumbini Province including Madhes Province.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has made clear that his country does not intend to tie its future to Ukraine, reaffirming Budapest’s opposition to Ukraine’s integration into Western alliances.
Speaking to reporters on Friday after an informal European Union summit in Copenhagen, Orban said Hungary would resist moves to bring Ukraine into either the EU or NATO.
“Why should the future of Hungarians be bound to that of Ukrainians, who have already lost one-fifth of their territory and remain at war? We don’t even know where their eastern borders lie,” Orban said.
In his weekly interview with Kossuth Radio, he repeated the point: “We feel sorry for them, we sympathize with them, and they are fighting bravely. Let us support them, but we do not want to share a common destiny with them.”
Orban has been one of the strongest critics of the EU’s approach to the Ukraine war, claiming that Brussels’ policies have damaged European economies. He has also accused EU leaders of pressuring unwilling nations to send military support to Ukraine and to back its membership bids.
Relations between Budapest and Kiev have worsened recently, especially after Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure that supplies oil to Hungary. Ukraine has urged EU countries to stop buying Russian energy, a stance Orban firmly rejects.
At the same time, EU leaders are considering reforms that would scrap the unanimity rule on foreign and security policy, which would take away Hungary’s and other dissenting states’ power to veto such decisions.
GAZA- The Palestinian group Hamas has announced that it is ready to release all Israeli hostages and begin talks, through mediators, to finalize the details of the exchange. The group also expressed willingness to transfer control of Gaza to an independent Palestinian body.
Hamas said on Friday that the decision followed a “thorough study” of the 20-point peace plan presented by US President Donald Trump earlier this week. The plan includes an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, a hostages-for-prisoners swap, a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and the establishment of a temporary international administration.
In a statement, Hamas confirmed its agreement to release both living and deceased Israeli captives “according to the exchange formula” set out in Trump’s proposal. It added that it is prepared to enter immediate negotiations, through mediators, to work out the implementation.
The group also stated it is ready to hand over Gaza’s administration to “a Palestinian body of independents,” describing it as a technocratic authority formed through Palestinian national consensus and supported by Arab and Islamic states.
Hamas, however, did not clearly accept or reject other elements of the plan, such as its complete disarmament. It said those “other issues” should be addressed within a broader Palestinian national framework, in which Hamas would also take part.
Ankara – Turkiye has rejected US demands to stop purchasing Russian gas, saying it will continue imports from all available suppliers, including Moscow.
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar stressed that ensuring steady supplies is vital for the country’s energy security. “We cannot tell our citizens that we have run out of gas. To maintain uninterrupted supply, we need access to resources without discrimination,” he said. “Our agreements with Russia remain in place, and with winter approaching, we need as much gas as possible.”
His comments came after former US President Donald Trump urged NATO members to cut Russian energy imports in return for new sanctions on Moscow, which he argued would help speed up peace in Ukraine. Following his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last week, Trump had suggested Türkiye would likely comply.
Bayraktar dismissed this, saying Turkiye will not only continue Russian imports but also diversify suppliers and expand domestic production. “Turkiye consumes a significant amount of natural gas. Diversification is crucial,the more sources we buy from, the safer it is,” he added.
Western countries have sharply reduced imports of Russian oil and gas since the Ukraine war escalated in 2022. The EU plans to phase out Russian fossil fuels completely by 2027, though several member states, including Hungary and Slovakia, remain heavily dependent on Russian supplies.
Although not an EU member, Turkiye is a NATO ally and an important regional partner. It has refused to join Western sanctions on Russia and has maintained both energy trade and close diplomatic ties with Moscow.
Russia, for its part, has called restrictions on its energy sector illegal and self defeating, warning that Europe will be forced to turn to more expensive alternatives or indirect imports. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week, “Trump has never hidden his intention to secure US economic interests. The easiest way is to make the whole world pay more for American oil and LNG.”
Kathmandu – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that 1171 Nepali citizens are currently imprisoned abroad.
According to a written response provided by the ministry to a parliamentary question, which was later published by the Federal Parliament Secretariat, a total of 1,171 Nepalese are serving prison sentences in different countries. Among them, seven have been sentenced to life imprisonment. However, the ministry did not provide details about which countries they are in or the nature of the charges they face.
Ministry stated that it has been providing legal and consular assistance to imprisoned Nepalese through Nepali missions abroad.The ministry emphasized that the Government of Nepal remains committed to supporting its citizens facing legal challenges abroad.
Kathmandu- The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has announced the team for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia Region Qualifier to be held in Oman.
A 15-member team led by captain Rohit Kumar Paudel was revealed on Friday, CAN spokesperson Chhumbi Lama confirmed.
The squad includes vice-captain Dipendra Airee, Kushal Bhurtel, Lokesh Bam, Kushal Malla, Aasif Sheikh, Mohammad Aadil Alam, Karan KC, Nandan Yadav, Sandeep Lamichhane, Sandeep Jora, Arif Sheikh, Lalit Rajbanshi, Gulshan Jha, and Sompal Kami.
The tournament will take place from October 8 to 17 at the Al Amerat Cricket Academy grounds in Oman. Nepal has been placed in Group 2 alongside Kuwait and Japan. A total of nine teams from Asia and the East Asia–Pacific regions, divided into three groups, will compete in the qualifiers.
Kathmandu – The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority has requested people not to travel in Koshi, Madhesh, Bagmati, Gandaki, and Lumbini provinces for the next four days unless absolutely necessary.
The authority has urged the public to avoid long-distance travel from Friday, Ashoj 17 (October 3) to Monday, Ashoj 20 (October 6), unless it is urgent. The request follows a warning from the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, which has forecast heavy rainfall in several districts of these five provinces during this period.
According to the authority, water levels in the Bagmati, Kamala, and Koshi rivers could reach danger levels, requiring extra caution. The notice highlights high risks of sudden flooding in small rivers of Bagmati Province (Kathmandu Valley, Kavrepalanchok, Sindhupalchok, Rasuwa, Makwanpur, Chitwan), Koshi Province (Sankhuwasabha, Taplejung, Ilam, Jhapa, Morang), and Madhesh Province (Bara, Parsa, Sarlahi, Rautahat, and nearby areas).
The authority has advised:
Avoiding travel far from home or at night unless absolutely necessary.
District Disaster Management Committees to decide on suspending vehicle movement based on rainfall and road conditions, and to enforce such decisions.
Residents in landslide-prone and riverside settlements to remain highly alert.
People living in flood-prone areas to identify safe and higher ground, inform others, and move to safety if needed.
NDRRMA has also called on all three security agencies, local governments, volunteers, and other stakeholders to remain on standby for response. Heavy equipment like dozers, excavators, and loaders should be kept ready for immediate deployment on risky highways and roads. The authority urged partner organizations to coordinate closely with District and Local Disaster Management Committees, remain alert, and support preparedness and response efforts.
Kathmandu – With the surge in demand for airline tickets during the festival season and the possibility of overpricing, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has published the official domestic airfare rates.
CAAN has also warned airlines and related stakeholders not to charge passengers more than the government-approved fares, stating that strict action will be taken against violations.
According to the published fare list, the highest airfare is Kathmandu–Dhangadhi at NPR 17,579, while the lowest is Kathmandu–Simara at NPR 3,978.
Kathmandu – Minister for Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation, Kulman Ghising, has issued a clarification after his name was linked with the Ujyalo Nepal Party and its chairman in various social media posts and news reports.
Ghising stated that he has no affiliation with the party. Writing on his Facebook page on Friday, he said, “Contrary to the reports and claims being circulated, there has been no discussion regarding my involvement with that party.” He further clarified that he has not participated in any Zoom meeting with the party, as was being rumored.
Ghising added, “Without any consultation with me, false and baseless information has been spread with ill intent. I strongly refute such claims and urge everyone not to fall into such misinformation. I also draw the attention of the concerned parties not to circulate such groundless content in the future.”
Kathmandu – Continuous rainfall, floods, and landslides have blocked highways in five different locations across the country as of Friday (Ashoj 17), according to Nepal Police. The affected districts are Sankhuwasabha, Sindhupalchok, and Rasuwa.
As per reports till 7 am today, the Koshi Highway at Barun in Bhotkhola Rural Municipality–4 of Sankhuwasabha is completely blocked due to heavy rainfall. Another section of the Koshi Highway at Ekuwa in Makalu Rural Municipality–3 of the same district has also been obstructed for a long period.
In Rasuwa, the road at Gosainkunda Municipality–2 has remained closed due to flooding. Because of this, the Nepal–China border crossing cannot be operated. The Pasang Lhamu Highway and the bridge connecting Nepal and China are completely blocked.
Similarly, the Araniko Highway at Charkilo in Bhotekoshi Rural Municipality–4 of Sindhupalchok has been fully obstructed after a landslide.
Bogota-Colombian President Gustavo Petro has ordered the expulsion of all remaining Israeli diplomats after the Israeli navy intercepted a Gaza bound flotilla carrying international activists.
Petro’s office confirmed that two Colombian citizens were among those detained and demanded their immediate release. He wrote on X that the Colombians were “engaged in humanitarian activities in solidarity with Palestine,” and announced the suspension of Colombia’s free trade agreement with Israel.
The flotilla, which left Spain last month, included activists from more than 40 countries. Among those detained was Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. Israeli officials called the flotilla a “provocation,” claiming it was intended to support Hamas rather than deliver humanitarian aid.
The interception has drawn widespread criticism and triggered protests in several countries.
The diplomatic move comes just days after the United States revoked Petro’s visa, following his remarks at the UN General Assembly in New York urging American soldiers to “disobey” President Donald Trump’s orders.
Kathmandu — Today marks Vijaya Dashami, the main day of Dashain, celebrated across Nepal by receiving tika and jamara from elders along with blessings and festive meals. Traditionally, the offerings prepared during nine days of worship since Ghatasthapana are received today as the prasad of Goddess Durga.
The auspicious time for tika today has been fixed at 11:53 am. According to tradition, the person receiving the tika should face east while the one applying it should face west. The ritual farewell (bisarjan) of the deities worshipped from Ghatasthapana takes place at 9:23 am. The yellow jamara, grown since the first day of Dashain, is regarded as a symbol of prosperity and is worn together with tika.
Ayurvedic experts note that jamara also carries medicinal value.
Vijaya Dashami is observed as a symbol of the victory of truth over falsehood and divine power over evil. According to Hindu belief, on this very day during the Treta Yuga, Lord Ram defeated Ravana, which is why the festival is called “Vijaya Dashami.”
On this day, children and younger family members receive tika and jamara from parents, grandparents, priests, and respected elders, along with blessings for long life, prosperity, knowledge, and honor. Special Vedic mantras are recited while giving tika.
For sons and men, the blessing is traditionally accompanied by this mantra:(wriiten in roman Nepali)
which means,“May your life be like Ashwatthama, wealth like King Dasharath, the power to defeat enemies like Ram, riches like King Nahusha, speed like the wind, honor like Duryodhan, bravery like Bhishma, strength like Balaram, generosity like Karna, wisdom like Vidur, and fame like Narayan.”
For daughters, the blessing is given with another mantra that praises Goddess Durga in her many forms, including Kali, Bhadrakali, and Mangala, invoking her protection and grace.
While most families continue the practice of receiving tika and jamara until Kojagrat Purnima, some regions follow the tradition of completing the rituals today itself.
Since early morning, people across Nepal have been visiting elders to receive tika, jamara, and blessings. Vijaya Dashami is thus celebrated with joy, devotion, and a spirit of togetherness throughout the country.
Kathmandu – Dashain is the biggest festival for Nepalese, celebrated as a time of family, joy, and togetherness. With its arrival, markets grow busier, households prepare special meals, and various dishes are cooked in every home. Meat becomes the centerpiece of the festive table, with goat, chicken, sheep, or even fish served in many families. The tradition of animal sacrifice during puja has also kept the practice of consuming meat alive during Dashain.
However, health experts warn that overconsumption of meat during the festival can harm health. People with chronic conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease are at greater risk if they eat excessively. Eating meat is not harmful in itself, but the quantity, cooking method, and combination with other foods determine whether it benefits or harms the body.
Meat is a rich source of protein, iron, vitamin B12, zinc, phosphorus, and essential amino acids, making it highly nutritious. Goat meat provides abundant protein and iron, while chicken meat is leaner and easier to digest. Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids, which support heart and brain health. Still, to gain these benefits, doctors recommend eating meat in moderation and preparing it in healthy ways.
Excessive consumption of meat during Dashain often leads to indigestion, bloating, constipation, high blood pressure, increased cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity. Specialists suggest that an adult should ideally consume only about 75 to 100 grams of meat per day. A light breakfast and a small portion of meat during lunch or dinner are considered safe.
How meat is cooked also plays a key role in health. Boiled, grilled, or roasted meat is healthier than deep-fried or heavily fried options. Experts recommend avoiding excessive oil, ghee, salt, and spices while cooking and instead preparing meat with vegetables or herbs. Trimming the fat before cooking makes it even healthier.
Since meat alone does not provide fiber, a diet heavy in meat can cause digestive problems. For this reason, nutritionists recommend eating meat along with green vegetables, salads, fruits, pulses, and grains. Fruits rich in vitamin C help the body absorb iron from meat more effectively. Drinking plenty of water is also strongly advised.
Those with pre-existing health issues must be extra careful. Patients with high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, as well as elderly people and children, should eat meat only as per medical advice. Another concern during Dashain is alcohol, which is often consumed with meat. Experts warn that excessive alcohol intake along with heavy meat dishes can severely affect the stomach and liver.
Health specialists stress the importance of balanced eating during the festival. Eating meat in limited amounts, including vegetables and fruits in every meal, using natural spices for cooking, avoiding more than two heavy meals per day, and staying active with regular exercise or walking can help maintain good health.
Dashain is a time of joy, family bonding, and celebration. While delicious food is part of the tradition, neglecting health can overshadow the festival’s meaning. By respecting traditions but keeping consumption balanced, Dashain can be enjoyed in a healthier, safer, and more fulfilling way, experts suggest.
Washington-The United States federal government has entered its first shutdown in nearly seven years after lawmakers in the Senate failed to reach an agreement on a spending bill.
The deadline to approve funding passed on Wednesday, with both Republicans and Democrats rejecting each other’s proposals in back-to-back votes.
Democrats refused to support the Republican plan, pressing instead for the extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire at the end of the year and the reversal of Medicaid cuts. Republicans labeled their bill a “clean” funding measure, while Democrats argued it would jeopardize healthcare access for millions of Americans.
The standoff has led to a blame game. Senate Republican leader John Thune accused Democrats of staging a confrontation with the president, while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer charged Republicans with “risking America’s healthcare” and failing to negotiate responsibly.
The White House also directed blame at Democrats, with its official website displaying a countdown clock titled “Democrats Have Shut Down the Government.”
The Senate is scheduled to hold another vote on the Republican proposal Wednesday morning. GOP leaders have pledged to reintroduce the bill daily until Democrats agree.
As a result of the shutdown, federal agencies will scale back operations and many government employees will be placed on temporary leave. The last US government shutdown began on December 22, 2018, and lasted 35 days, the longest in American history.
Kathmandu – Every day, around 2,500 Nepalese leave the country in search of foreign employment, carrying with them dreams of supporting their families and building a better future. Far from home, family, and friends, they hope to earn enough to pay debts, buy land, and build houses. But for many, these dreams end in tragedy abroad.
Instead of returning with savings and gifts for their children, some workers return sealed in coffins. Their families, who had placed all hopes in them, receive only their remains. This grim reality continues to grow.
According to the Foreign Employment Board, in just the first two months of the current fiscal year 2082/83 (mid-July to mid-September 2025), the bodies of 142 Nepali workers who died overseas were brought back home. Among them, 43 deaths occurred in the first month (Shrawan) and 99 in the second month (Bhadra).
Of these, the board bore the cost of repatriating 83 bodies, while the remaining were sent back with financial assistance from companies and other agencies. Last fiscal year, a total of 1,086 bodies were transported back to Nepal, with 481 of them repatriated directly through the board.
The board arranges for the bodies of deceased migrant workers to be delivered from Tribhuvan International Airport to their homes free of charge. In cases where companies pay for repatriation, the board still ensures transport up to the family’s doorstep.
Financial assistance is also provided to bereaved families. In the first two months of this fiscal year, 268 families received aid, including 142 in Shrawan and 126 in Bhadra. Each family of a deceased worker is given 1 million rupees in compensation.
Additionally, workers who suffer serious injuries or become disabled during employment abroad are entitled to up to 700,000 rupees for medical expenses . Families also receive 50,000 rupees for health support, while children of deceased or fully disabled workers are awarded scholarships of 12,000 rupees annually for basic education and 16,000 rupees for secondary education.
To qualify for compensation, families must submit applications within one year of the worker’s death or disability, along with official documentation certified by concerned authorities.
This ongoing tragedy highlights the price many Nepali workers pay while striving to support their loved ones abroad.
Cebu- At least 60 people have died and almost 150 others were injured after a strong 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck off the northern coast of Cebu province in the central Philippines on Tuesday night.
The United States Geological Survey reported that the quake hit at 9:59 pm local time (13:59 GMT), near Bogo City, which has around 90,000 residents. The main tremor was followed by four aftershocks, each registering magnitude 5 or higher.
According to the Philippines’ National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, 60 people were confirmed dead, 147 injured, and 22 buildings damaged as of early Wednesday. Local authorities have declared a “state of calamity” in parts of Cebu.
The quake caused widespread power outages and building collapses, including the destruction of a century-old church. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology issued warnings to residents in Cebu, Leyte, and Biliran provinces to avoid coastal areas due to minor sea disturbances and possible unusual waves.
Located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Philippines is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity. In July 2022, a 7.0 magnitude quake struck the country, killing at least five people and injuring 60.
Kathmandu – The Taleju Bhawani Temple at Hanumandhoka Durbar Square, which opens only once a year on Maha Navami, welcomed thousands of devotees today. Worshippers queued from early morning to offer prayers and perform rituals.
Taleju Bhawani, revered as the patron deity of the Newar community, is also worshipped as a form of divine feminine power and is sometimes called Tulja. The goddess was brought to the Mul Chowk of Hanumandhoka on Phulpati day and will be returned to the main temple on Vijayadashami morning.
On the night of Maha Ashtami, the traditional Kalaratri Puja was performed in Mul Chowk, where 54 goats and 54 buffaloes were sacrificed following tantric rituals. This practice is believed to grant strength and protection for the functioning of the state.
Maha Navami is also marked by special worship at Dashain Ghars, Kot temples, and other Shakti Peeths across the country, with animal sacrifices and recitations from the Durga Saptashati (Chandi), Devi Bhagwat, and other scriptures.
The temple, normally will be closed to the public except today.
Kathmandu – On Ashwin Shukla Navami, the final day of Navratri, devotees across Nepal are worshipping Goddess Siddhidatri, the ninth form of Navadurga, with traditional rituals at temples and homes.
According to Sanatan Vedic tradition, the ninth day of Navratri is dedicated to Siddhidatri, believed to grant liberation and fulfill desires. Revered by sages, Gandharvas, Yakshas, gods, and demons, she is also called Siddhidayini, the giver of divine powers.
Religious texts state that remembering the nine forms of Goddess Durga, as revealed by Lord Brahma to Rishi Markandeya, frees devotees from sorrow and obstacles.
Navratri begins with Ghatasthapana and the worship of Shailaputri, followed by daily worship of the successive goddesses, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayani, Kalaratri, and Mahagauri. Today, the final worship is dedicated to Siddhidatri.
During the nine days, devotees recite scriptures like Durga Saptashati (Chandi) and Shrimad Devi Bhagavatam, seeking strength, prosperity, and wisdom. Offerings from the worship are distributed as prasad from Vijayadashami until Kojagrat Purnima.
As Mahanavami marks the conclusion of Navratri, large crowds are gathering at Shakti Peeths and temples across the country. Many households are also observing special rituals, including animal sacrifices in line with tradition.
Warsaw -Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has declared that the war in Ukraine is not only Ukraine’s fight but also the war of the West. Speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum , he said the main task for European Union leaders is to make their people understand the threat allegedly posed by Russia.
Poland has been one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters in its conflict with Moscow, with Tusk taking a firm stance. Earlier this month, he criticized growing “antipathy” toward Ukraine among Poles, blaming Russian influence, and urged Polish politicians to counter this trend.
On Monday, Tusk stressed that “the biggest and most important task for European leaders today is to make Western societies aware” that the war in Ukraine is the most serious challenge of the 21st century.
“This war is also our war,” he said, calling it a matter of “fundamental interest” for the West. He warned that a Ukrainian defeat would impact the entire Western world, from Poland to the United States. He urged unity within the EU and NATO, saying solidarity was needed to “defeat” Russia.
Tusk also highlighted plans for large-scale modernization of the Polish army and called for mobilization of both governments and societies across Europe. Earlier this month, Warsaw accused Moscow of sending drones into its airspace, a claim Russia has denied.
Russia, on the other hand, has described the Ukraine conflict as a proxy war by the West. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently said that the crisis was provoked by the EU and NATO and used to wage “an actual war” against Moscow.
At the UN General Assembly on Saturday, Lavrov dismissed Western claims that Russia plans to attack NATO in the future, stating, “Russia has not had such intentions.” He added that Moscow had repeatedly invited NATO to agree on “legally binding security guarantees” in Europe, but those proposals were ignored.
Kathmandu – On the ninth day of Bada Dashain and Navaratri, devotees across the country are performing rituals dedicated to Goddess Mahagauri, the eighth among the nine forms of Goddess Durga.
According to Vedic Sanatan tradition, Goddess Mahagauri is worshipped every year on Ashwin Shukla Ashtami. Normally, this falls on the eighth day of Navaratri, but this year, due to the extension of the lunar date (Chaturthi Tithi Vriddhi), the Nepal Panchang Nirnayak Samiti has determined that the worship should take place on the ninth day instead.
As part of Navaratri rituals, devotees recite sacred texts such as Durga Saptashati (Chandi) and Shrimad Devi Bhagwat at sites where Ghatasthapana was performed. It is a common belief that worshipping Goddess Mahagauri during this period brings strength, prosperity, and wisdom.
Kathmandu – Nepal defeated the West Indies in back-to-back matches and clinched the Unity Cup T20I series being held in the UAE.
Nepal secured a commanding 90 run victory in the second match. Winning the toss and batting first, Nepal posted 173 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in 20 overs. Chasing a target of 174 runs, the West Indies were bowled out for just 83 runs in 17.1 overs.
Earlier, Nepal had already made history by beating the West Indies in the first match. With the second win, Nepal not only secured the series but also achieved remarkable success by winning a bilateral series against a Test-playing nation for the first time.
Until now, Nepal had only played bilateral series against associate nations. This was Nepal’s first bilateral series against a Test-playing team, and Nepal emerged victorious.
So far, Nepal has played bilateral series against Hong Kong, Malaysia, UAE, USA, the Netherlands, and Kenya, winning four of them.
In 2014, Nepal lost a series against Hong Kong in Sri Lanka. In 2015, Nepal toured the Netherlands, winning one match but losing two.
In 2019, Nepal played in the UAE, winning two matches and losing one. In the same year, Nepal won both matches of a series in Malaysia.
In 2022, Nepal toured Kenya, winning three matches and losing two. In 2024, Nepal played a one-off match against Hong Kong but lost.
Kathmandu- Laxman Rai, a resident of Panchakanya Rural Municipality-2 in Nuwakot, who was critically injured after being shot during the Jen Z protests, has died.
He was receiving treatment at the National Trauma Center in Kathmandu and passed away at around midnight yesterday.
Family members said his body has been taken to the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital’s forensic department for post-mortem.
Rai had sustained a gunshot injury to the back of his head. With his death, the toll from the Jen Z protests has now reached 76.
Kathmandu- Today, on the seventh day of Navratri, Ashwin Shukla Saptami, special worship of Durga Bhawani in the form of Goddess Kalratri is performed and Fulpati is brought inside the house.
On the seventh day of Bada Dashain, today the seventh form of Durga Bhawani, Kalaratri, is worshipped and nine small stones are installed as idols of Navadevi next to the Kalash set up as Ganesha. According to the religious method, today it is celebrated by bringing flowers, the symbol of an auspicious day, into every house. Sugarcane, Haledo, Banana plant, Paddy, Belpatra, Darim, Jayanthi, Ashoka flower and Manavriksha are brought inside as a symbol of auspiciousness.
FULPATI from the Gorkha palace will be brought to the Dashain house in the temple of Taleju Bhawani in Hanumandhoka, Kathmandu. A Fulpati will be sent to Kathmandu from the Dashain house at Gorkha Durbar this morning. Ever since His Majesty, the late king Prithvi Narayan Shah started his reign from Hanumandhoka Palace in Kathmandu, every year there has been a tradition of bringing a FULPATI (Chariot with flowers) from the Dashain house of Gorkha Palace to the Dashain house in the temple of Taleju Bhawani in Hanumandhoka, Kathmandu.
Kathmandu – Nepal Police’s Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) has raided the residence of Bhushan Rana, the brother-in-law of former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. Rana, who is the brother of Deuba’s wife Arzu Rana, had his home in Jawalakhel searched by police. He is widely known for his influence in major government procurements and appointments.
The raid comes after large amounts of cash and valuables were recovered from Deuba’s residence in Budhanilkantha on September 9, when it was attacked by Jen Z protesters.
Following the recent appointment of Additional Inspector General Dr. Manoj Kumar KC as CIB chief, several individuals under suspicion have been placed under close watch. KC had earlier led the Valley Crime Investigation Office during the high-profile Bhutanese refugee scam probe.
Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal recently visited the CIB headquarters and instructed officials to resume investigations that had been stalled due to political pressure.
Kathmandu – The judicial commission formed to investigate the human and material losses during the Jen Z protests on September 8 and 9 has recommended suspending the passports of former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and four others. The commission has also barred them from leaving the Kathmandu Valley without its approval.
In a letter to the government on Sunday, the commission led by Gauribahadur Karki stated that Oli, former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, former Home Secretary Gokarna Mani Duwadi, former Chief of National Investigation Department Hutaraj Thapa, and former Chief District Officer Chhabilal Rijal have been placed under investigation.
The commission’s decision letter said, “As these individuals are under investigation regarding the incidents of September 8 and 9, necessary action should be taken to restrict their foreign travel. Since they may be required to appear before the commission at any time, arrangements must also be made to prevent them from leaving the Valley without the commission’s consent.”
The commission has further requested the Home Ministry to provide additional experts and staff to make the investigation more effective.
Kathmandu – The government has designated industrial development, transport infrastructure, and cable car projects as national priority programs. The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies published the list through a notice in the Nepal Gazette.
The priority projects include industrial villages, industrial estates, special economic zones (SEZs), dry ports, petroleum pipelines, and privately operated cable cars.
Under the industrial village category, Barahkshetra Industrial Village in Sunsari and Jorayal Industrial Village in Doti have been listed. In the industrial estate category under Industrial Estate Management Limited, projects include Damak Industrial Estate (Jhapa), Mayurdhap Industrial Estate (Makwanpur), Shaktikhor Industrial Estate (Chitwan), Laxmipur Industrial Estate (Dang), Motipur Industrial Estate (Rupandehi), Naubasta Industrial Estate (Banke), and Daiji Industrial Estate (Kanchanpur).
The SEZ Authority will oversee the Panchkhal SEZ in Kavrepalanchok and the Haraiya SEZ in Kailali. Under the Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Committee, the Dodhara Chandani Dry Port with an Integrated Check Post in Kanchanpur has been listed.
Nepal Oil Corporation projects include the Siliguri–Charali petroleum pipeline with a greenfield terminal and the Amlekhgunj–Lothar pipeline expansion with a terminal in Chitwan.
Privately operated cable car projects recognized as priority include Satyawati Darshan Pvt. Ltd. (Palpa), Sano Pathibhara Cable Car Pvt. Ltd. (Ilam), Sikles Annapurna Cable Car Pvt. Ltd. (Kaski), Dreams Hills Pvt. Ltd. (Chitwan, Nawalparasi), Supa Deurali Cable Car Pvt. Ltd. (Arghakhanchi), and Suryakunda Gosainkunda Cable Car Pvt. Ltd. (Sindhupalchok).
According to Industry Secretary Krishna Bahadur Raut, placing these projects under the national priority list will accelerate their implementation and contribute significantly to Nepal’s economic growth and infrastructure development.
Kathmandu – The Ministry of Home Affairs has started distributing identity cards to those injured during the Gen-Z protests to ensure easier access to medical treatment. With these ID cards, injured individuals will be able to receive healthcare services more conveniently.
On Sunday, Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal personally distributed the cards to injured protesters at the National Trauma Center. From Monday, distribution will also take place through district administration offices across the country.
According to the ministry, 16 dedicated “Gen-Z Clinics” have been set up in hospitals across the Kathmandu Valley and other provinces to provide systematic follow-up care. In addition, free transportation to hospitals has been arranged, and if needed, the Health Ministry or respective hospitals will provide free ambulance services for follow-up visits.
A task force led by senior doctors will be formed to categorize the injured, with a final decision expected from the Cabinet meeting on Sunday. The ministry has also assigned focal persons in the hospitals to coordinate treatment.
Hospitals with Gen-Z Clinics:
Kathmandu Valley: Bir Hospital, National Trauma Center, Civil Service Hospital, Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (Maharajgunj)
Koshi Province: BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (Dharan), Koshi Hospital (Biratnagar)
Kathmandu – Finance Minister Rameshwor Prasad Khanal and Japanese Ambassador to Nepal, Maeda Toru, held a courtesy meeting at the Ministry of Finance.
During the meeting, they discussed the historical ties between Nepal and Japan, the current political situation in Nepal after recent changes, and Japan’s continued economic and social support to Nepal.
Minister Khanal said that the main priority of the present government, formed under special circumstances, is to hold elections within the stipulated time. He also expressed commitment to continuing reconstruction efforts along with ongoing economic and social development programs.
The talks also covered ongoing projects such as the Nagdhunga Tunnel Road Project and the Tanahun Hydropower Project, as well as upcoming agreements on the Koteshwor Junction Improvement Project and the Sindhuli Road Flood Recovery Program.
Kathmandu – The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has given industries a 21-day ultimatum to clear outstanding dues for electricity consumed through dedicated feeders and trunk lines. In a notice published on Sunday, NEA instructed customers to settle all arrears by November 3 (Kartik 17).
The dues are related to electricity charges from January 2016 (Magh 2072) to April 2018 (Baisakh 2075). Earlier, customers with pending payments were given until June 2025 (Jestha 2082) to apply for administrative review, with notices published on Baisakh 26 and 30 .
However, following a decision made in the NEA board meeting on Ashoj 10 , the administrative review process has been discontinued. As a result, industries must now pay their dues based on the previously determined rates.
According to NEA, the outstanding bills are calculated based on demand recorded in TOD meters and energy consumption recorded in specific time intervals, as mentioned in a notice published on Kartik 29, 2081 .
NEA has offered industries the option to clear the dues in up to 28 installments. It has also warned that failure to pay within the given deadline will result in legal action.
Kathmandu – The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a notice instructing police not to immediately arrest individuals involved in the recent Gen-Z movement.
The directive came after police began detaining protesters based on collected photos and videos showing acts of vandalism, looting, and arson during the demonstrations.
In an official statement, the Home Ministry clarified that since a special investigation commission has already been formed to look into the Gen-Z protests, any legal action will be taken only on the basis of the commission’s report.
Kathmandu- King Gyanendra Shah announced that he will not conduct a public Tika ceremony during this year’s Dashain festival. He said the country is grieving the loss of lives during the recent Gen-Z protests and the atmosphere remains sensitive, so he decided not to hold the annual public event.
In his Dashain message, Shah emphasized values such as truth, respect for elders, discipline, and love for the nation. He said, “The nation is in deep sorrow and destruction at this moment, so we are compelled to celebrate the festival only in a family and cultural way. Unlike previous years, we will not be offering large-scale Tika and Jamara to the public. May Goddess Navadurga guide us towards the right path.”
He stressed that Nepal has always stood as an independent and proud nation, built on the unity, integrity, and sacrifices of ancestors. “On this occasion of Vijaya Dashami, we extend our best wishes for peace, prosperity, and happiness to all Nepalese at home and abroad,” Shah said.
Reflecting on the nation’s challenges, he urged everyone to focus on rebuilding rather than destruction. “Our state system must adapt to changing times while keeping national values and identity intact. The aspirations of the younger generation should be addressed, and we must embrace modern science and technology to ensure development. The youth are the foundation of our future, and their energy, patriotism, and new ideas will make Nepal strong, prosperous, and self-reliant,” he added.
United Nations – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Moscow has no plans to attack NATO or European Union countries but warned of a decisive response if Russia faces aggression.
Speaking at the UN General Assembly on Saturday, Lavrov accused Western nations of making threats against Russia increasingly common. He stressed that President Vladimir Putin had repeatedly debunked claims that Russia intends to attack NATO or the EU.
Lavrov also criticized Israel, saying that while Moscow condemned the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 attacks, there was no justification for Israel’s large-scale killings of Palestinians in Gaza or for plans to annex the West Bank. He accused Israel of using its campaign against Hamas to justify airstrikes on other Middle Eastern countries.
On Iran, Lavrov condemned the West after a Russia and China led effort to delay the reinstatement of sanctions failed on Friday. He called the decision to reimpose restrictions illegal.
Lavrov’s remarks come amid growing tensions in Europe. Estonia recently accused Russia of violating its airspace, while NATO air defense operations were carried out in Poland in response to drone incursions. Denmark has also reported drones over its airports but has not linked them directly to Moscow.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump suggested that NATO nations should shoot down Russian aircraft if they enter allied airspace. NATO has warned it will use all necessary military and non-military tools to defend itself.
Lavrov also commented on US-Russia relations, saying the current US administration appeared interested not only in addressing the Ukraine conflict realistically but also in seeking pragmatic cooperation without an ideological stance.
In closing, Lavrov criticized Western recognition of a Palestinian state, questioning the timing and suggesting that some countries had waited so long because they hoped there would be no one and nothing left to recognize.
New York – The UN Security Council has rejected a resolution put forward by Russia and China that sought to extend sanctions relief for Iran for another six months. The failure of the resolution clears the way for the reimposition of restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program.
In Friday’s vote, only four members supported the draft,China, Russia, Pakistan, and Algeria, while nine voted against and two abstained. As a result, sanctions that were lifted under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) had officially returned at midnight GMT on Saturday.
The move follows last month’s decision by France, Germany, and the UK to trigger the “snapback mechanism,” accusing Iran of major violations of the deal.
Russia’s deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyansky criticized the Western powers, saying their decision showed that their past promises of seeking a diplomatic solution to Iran’s nuclear issue were “mere noise.”
The US deputy representative to the UN, Dorothy Shea, welcomed the vote, describing the draft resolution as “a hollow effort to excuse Iran from accountability for failing to meet its nuclear commitments.”
In June, the US and Israel carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, claiming the action was aimed at preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Iran has consistently denied such intentions, saying its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that reinstating sanctions would set a “dangerous precedent” and damage the Security Council’s credibility. He called the Western actions “reckless and legally void,” stressing that Iran would not bow to threats or pressure.
Gaza – More than 35 people were killed in Israeli strikes and gunfire on Saturday, according to hospital officials in Gaza.
At least 11 people, including women and children, died when a house in central Gaza was hit. Nine members of one family were also killed in Nuseirat refugee camp, and several others died while seeking aid in different parts of Gaza.
The Israeli military said its air force targeted around 120 sites across the Gaza Strip since Friday, including what it described as militant infrastructure and operatives. This follows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the UN, where he declared Israel must “finish the job” against Hamas.
The intensified ground offensive is now centered on Gaza City, considered Hamas’s last stronghold. Hundreds of thousands have already fled the city, but many remain in worsening humanitarian conditions, with food shortages and collapsing health services.
Amid the violence, US President Donald Trump voiced optimism about a possible deal to release hostages and achieve a new ceasefire. Reports suggest the US has drafted a 21-point plan that includes a ceasefire, prisoner exchanges, and a pathway toward a Palestinian state, though Israel has rejected the statehood idea.
Since the conflict began more than 65,500 people have been killed in Israeli operations.
Tamilnadu- At least 36 people, including women and children, were killed in a stampede at a political rally in Tamil Nadu’s Karur district, on Saturday.
The rally was organized for actor-turned-politician Vijay and drew tens of thousands of supporters. Local media reported the event was delayed for several hours, leading to overcrowding. Television footage showed people fainting in the packed venue.
State Health Minister Ma Subramanian said the victims included at least 16 women, nine men, and six children. More than 50 others were injured and taken to hospitals, where additional medical teams from nearby districts have been mobilized.
Chief Minister MK Stalin announced compensation of one million rupees ($11,300; £8,400) for each of the bereaved families and said an inquiry has been launched into the tragedy.
In a statement, Vijay expressed that his heart was “broken” and described his pain as “unbearable and indescribable.” He extended condolences to the victims’ families and wished for the speedy recovery of those injured.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his sorrow on X, calling the incident “deeply saddening.”
Kathmandu – Nepal registered a historic win against the West Indies in their first-ever T20 International match, securing a 19-run victory.
Chasing Nepal’s target of 149, the West Indies managed only 129 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Navin Vidaisy top-scored for the visitors with 22 runs, while Ameer Jango and Keacy Carty contributed 19 runs each.
For Nepal, Kushal Bhurtel was the standout bowler, taking 2 wickets for just 17 runs in 4 overs. Rohit Paudel, Karan KC, Dipendra Singh Airee, and Nandan Yadav claimed one wicket each.
Earlier, Nepal, put in to bat after losing the toss, posted 148 for 8 in 20 overs. Captain Rohit Paudel led from the front with 38 runs off 35 balls, hitting 3 fours and a six. Kushal Malla added a quick 30 off 21 balls with 2 fours and 2 sixes, while Gulsan Jha scored 22 and Airee made 17. Paudel and Malla shared a crucial 58-run stand for the third wicket after Nepal had slipped to 12 for 2.
Jason Holder was the pick of the bowlers for the West Indies, finishing with 4 wickets for 20 runs in 4 overs. Debutant Navin Vidaisy impressed with 3 wickets for 29 runs, while captain Akeal Hosein took one wicket.
This win is especially significant for Nepal as they had never before defeated a Full Member nation in T20Is, despite playing against sides like India, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh in major tournaments. Today’s triumph over the West Indies marked a historic breakthrough for Nepali cricket.
Kathmandu – The Ministry of Home Affairs has called on all citizens to support peace, order, and security in society as the country prepares for upcoming elections.
In a statement issued today, the ministry requested that assemblies, rallies, meetings, and protests be conducted in a peaceful and non-violent manner.
“The initial process for general elections has already begun following the recent movement led by Gen-Z youth on September 8 and 9, which raised demands related to national interest, good governance, and anti-corruption,” the statement read.
The ministry further urged that all public programs be held without incitement, without disturbing others, and in ways that do not harm social harmony.
Kathmandu – The National Examination Board has published the results of the Secondary Education Examination (SEE) supplementary exams.
Out of 143,257 students who appeared, 83,564 passed while 59,693 failed, remaining unclassified.
The exams were held from Shrawan 29 to Bhadra 6. The supplementary exams were conducted for students who had received “non-graded” marks in up to two subjects or had been absent in the annual SEE held in Baisakh.
Kathmandu – Since Tuesday, the Chairman of the Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON), Santosh Narayan Shrestha, along with the Executive Director and Deputy Director, have been kept under the control of the employees’ union, bringing all board activities to a halt.
Key services such as rights share approvals, IPO applications, and bonus share registrations have been suspended indefinitely. It remains uncertain when normal operations will resume.
The SEBON Employees’ Union and the Independent Employees’ Organization jointly locked the board’s offices in protest. The unions launched this strike against three decisions made by the Ministry of Finance at the secretary level.
One decision ordered the cancellation of two employee funds currently operating at the board. The Employee Welfare Fund and the Employee Security Fund. These funds have been used to provide retirement benefits and annual payouts to staff, with each employee receiving between NPR 150,000 to NPR 250,000 annually depending on service length. With the cancellation, these benefits will stop, which sparked the employees’ opposition.
Union Chairman Ajay Dhungana said, “The board is supposed to be an autonomous body, but the ministry tried to bring it under its control through secretary-level decisions. Our protest is against this.” Employees have also demanded the resignation of Chairman Shrestha, accusing him of failing to defend staff interests with the ministry.
The ministry’s second decision has further fueled anger. It instructed the board to recover previously disbursed amounts from these funds. Some employees who have worked for 30 years have already received about NPR 6 million in extra benefits. Retired staff are also being asked to return their payments, which employees say is impossible.
“This is unrealistic. Even if we sell everything we own, we cannot repay this money,” Dhungana said.
These ministry directives, according to the employees, are the reason behind the current lockout and total disruption of SEBON’s operations.
New York – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced strong backlash at the United Nations General Assembly after condemning recent recognition of a Palestinian state by several Western countries. He called the move a “mark of shame,” claiming it sent the message that “killing Jews pays off.”
As Netanyahu began his speech, many officials and diplomats walked out in protest against Israel’s actions in Gaza, leaving him largely isolated on the world stage. At the same time, demonstrations against the war in Gaza were held outside in New York’s Times Square.
In recent days, the UK, France, Canada, Australia, and other countries formally recognized a Palestinian state. However, Netanyahu repeated that Israel would never accept a Palestinian state, insisting that most Israelis supported this stance.
His speech also drew criticism at home. Opposition leader Yair Lapid described Netanyahu’s remarks as those of a “tired and complaining” leader, while Yair Golan of the Israel Democrats party dismissed the address as “childish propaganda.”
Since Israel’s military campaign began on October 7, 2023, at least 65,549 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to health authorities in the territory.
Washington– The United States has revoked the visa of Colombian President Gustavo Petro. According to the State Department, the move was taken because of Petro’s “incendiary actions” during a pro-Palestinian protest in New York.
Colombian media reported that Petro was already on his way back to Bogota from New York on Friday night.
Earlier, Petro had described US airstrikes ordered by the Trump administration against suspected drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea as an “act of tyranny.”
He also shared a video on social media showing him addressing a large crowd, where he urged nations to form an army larger than that of the United States. In the same address, he called on US soldiers to “disobey Trump’s orders” and instead “follow the orders of humanity.”
The State Department strongly condemned his remarks, stating that Petro had stood on a New York street urging US soldiers to defy orders and incite violence, which led to the decision to revoke his visa.
Following the announcement, Colombia’s Interior Minister Armando Benedetti reacted by saying the visa should have been revoked for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, not Petro.
Petro, the first left-wing president in Colombia’s history, has seen relations with the US grow increasingly strained since taking office.
Earlier, the US had also denied visas to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and 80 Palestinian officials, preventing them from attending the UN General Assembly in New York.
So far 8199 have returned, while 6354 remain at large
Kathmandu – The government has issued a 10-day ultimatum for prisoners who escaped during the recent “Gen Z protests” to return to jail, warning of legal action if they fail to comply.
The Ministry of Home Affairs announced a special campaign to locate, detain, and return the fugitives. For this, search and arrest taskforces have been formed in each district, led by Assistant Chief District Officers, with members from security agencies and other government bodies.
According to a press release from the Department of Prison Management, prisoners must return by Ashoj 20 (Monday). Those failing to do so will face punishment under existing laws.
The taskforces will coordinate with local administrations, security units, schools, campuses, transport hubs, bus parks, entertainment venues, and border points. The names of fugitives will be circulated, and public appeals will be made through media, social networks, and official channels. Anyone found sheltering or hiding escaped prisoners will also face action.
During the Gen Z protests, 14,553 prisoners and juveniles escaped from 28 prisons and 9 juvenile reform centers. So far, 8,199 have returned, while 6,354 remain at large, according to Department Director Chomendra Nyaupane.
Currently, 30,646 inmates are serving sentences in 75 prisons across 72 districts. Five districts—Dhanusha, Bara, Bhaktapur, Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta East), and Rukum East—do not have prisons.
The department said efforts are ongoing to restore damaged prison facilities and continue coordinated campaigns to bring back the remaining fugitives.
Kathmandu – Chief of Army Staff Ashokraj Sigdel held discussions with former Army Chiefs regarding the recent developments and the current situation.
The meeting took place at the Army Headquarters, where Sigdel sought their views on the role of the Nepal Army during such circumstances.
Heads of various departments, directorates, and divisions of the Nepal Army also gathered at the Army Headquarters. In addition, a virtual coordination meeting was conducted with division commanders.
According to the Directorate of Public Relations and Information, division commanders and departmental heads presented reviews of their responsibilities, work progress, and provided suggestions.
The session concluded with closing remarks from Chief of Army Staff Sigdel and Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Pradeep Jung KC.
As per the Army’s annual work plan, the coordination meeting of division commanders is held twice a year. This was the first such meeting since recent changes in the commanders’ responsibilities.
Kathmandu – The newly form government has decided to curb unproductive spending by withdrawing additional facilities provided to retired political and administrative officials.
According to the Cabinet decision , the Ministry of Finance has instructed the Home and Defense Ministries to recall vehicles and security personnel previously allotted to former officeholders.
From now on, former officials will only receive facilities permitted under existing laws and approved standards. Any vehicles, equipment, assistants, or security staff provided beyond the law must be immediately returned. Other unauthorized benefits will also be discontinued.
The Ministry of Finance issued a circular on Friday urging immediate enforcement of the decision. The move is aimed at reducing misuse of state resources and ensuring more transparent and accountable government spending.
Kathmandu – The Cabinet meeting made several major decisions, according to government spokesperson and Minister for Communication and Information Technology Jagdish Kharel.
The meeting decided to bring the National Investigation Department under the Home Ministry, and place the Revenue Investigation Department and the Department of Money Laundering Investigation under the Finance Ministry. Previously, all three agencies were under the Prime Minister’s Office.
Families of citizens killed during the Gen-Z protests on September 8–9 will receive 1 million rupees each, with an additional 500,000 rupees for funeral, food, and transport expenses. However, families of inmates or juveniles who died while escaping from prison will not be eligible for this support.
The Cabinet also reversed a previous government decision, keeping the registration and renewal of online media under the Department of Information and Broadcasting instead of District Administration Offices. Minister Jagdish Kharel has also been appointed as the government’s spokesperson.
Other key decisions include:
Extending the tenure of a taskforce led by former secretary Ramu Prasad Dotel by 45 days to standardize pay and benefits of officials and staff of state-funded institutions.
Promoting two colonels of the Nepal Army to major general, nine major generals to brigadier general, and transferring three brigadier generals.
Accepting grants worth USD 2.24 million for the Forest and Mountain Ecosystem Restoration Project, USD 8.7 million for a climate-resilient rice-based farming project, and USD 4.19 million for a local climate-adaptive livelihoods program.
Approving the resignation of two secretaries, Ram Govinda Aryal and Ramesh Sharma, from the Information Technology Service.
Approving the visit of the Finance Minister and ministry officials to attend the upcoming annual meeting of the World Bank and IMF in the United States.
Morang – The Jogbani border crossing between Nepal and India was closed for two hours on Thursday due to tensions between Hindu and Muslim communities on the Indian side.
According to Morang District Police Office , the closure was enforced to ensure the safety of Nepali citizens traveling for shopping in India. The border was reopened after the situation calmed down.
Local reports said the unrest began after controversial remarks about Prophet Muhammad surfaced on social media, sparking protests from the Muslim community. Clashes broke out when Bajrang Dal youths confronted the protesters, escalating tensions in the area.
Security forces from both sides were deployed heavily around the border to prevent further incidents.
Kathmandu – Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal has directed the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police to move forward with all cases that had been stalled due to political influence.
During his inspection of the CIB office, Aryal instructed newly appointed CIB Chief AIG Manoj KC to ensure impartial investigations into major cases. He said resuming files blocked by political pressure would mark a “breakthrough.”
“Cases that were halted or disrupted because of political connections will no longer remain so,” Aryal stated. He emphasized that the government’s mandate is good governance, adding that peace and security cannot exist without it, and free and fair elections within six months would not be possible otherwise.
Washington- US President Donald Trump said he will not allow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to annex the occupied West Bank. Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump stressed, “It’s not going to happen,” ahead of Netanyahu’s UN address.
Trump also claimed a Gaza deal is “pretty close,” adding he had spoken with Netanyahu and other Middle Eastern leaders. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, addressing the UN by video, expressed readiness to work with global leaders on a French-backed peace plan.
Global pressure on Israel is rising, with the UK, Germany, and the UN warning that annexation would be “intolerable.” Several Western countries have recently recognised an independent Palestinian state, further isolating Israel.
Meanwhile, Gaza faces dire conditions. Over 65,000 Palestinians, including more than 18,000 children, have been killed in Israeli strikes since October 2023, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The UN says half a million people in Gaza face “catastrophic” starvation.
Israel has dismissed genocide accusations but faces growing international sanctions and trade restrictions.
Kathmandu — With the date for the House of Representatives election already announced, the Election Commission has called on political parties to complete their registration without delay.
According to the commission, there are no legal hurdles for registering new political parties, but due to time constraints, it has urged interested groups to prepare and apply promptly. Among the parties already registered, the commission will publish a notice to confirm which of them intend to participate in the election scheduled for March 5 (Falgun 21). Only those listed parties will be allowed to re-register for the upcoming polls.
Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari stated that any political group wishing to form a new party can now apply. As per the Political Parties Act 2017, a party must submit its statute, manifesto, flag, and election symbol along with signatures from at least 500 Nepali voters, certified copies of their citizenship or voter IDs, and proof they are not members of another party. A central committee with at least 21 members is also required.
Currently, 122 political parties are registered with the Election Commission. The election period will officially begin on Kartik 20, 120 days before polling, as defined by the Election Commission Act 2017. Once the period begins, the commission will start formal election programs, including the party registration process.
Meanwhile, the government has cleared legal hurdles to update the voter roll through an ordinance, after protests from the “Gen Z Movement” raised concerns that young voters might be excluded. Voter roll collection will now resume until the end of Kartik, allowing new voters to be included.
Washington-US President Donald Trump has pressed Turkey to stop buying oil from Russia, framing it as a crucial step to cut Moscow’s war funding in Ukraine.
Speaking at the White House alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Trump said halting energy imports from Russia would be “the best thing” Erdogan could do. He added that Erdogan, who is respected by both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, could play a major role in influencing the conflict.
Despite the talks, no deal was reached on lifting US sanctions on Turkey or reviving Ankara’s long-blocked purchase of F-35 fighter jets, although Trump signaled optimism about progress. Turkey was expelled from the F-35 program in 2019 after it bought Russia’s S-400 missile defense system.
Trump’s appeal comes as Turkey remains one of Russia’s top buyers of oil and gas, alongside India and China. Earlier this year, Russian gas deliveries to Europe via Turkey rose by more than 26 percent.
The US president’s remarks follow his repeated warnings that NATO members must stop importing Russian energy. During his UN General Assembly speech earlier this week, he accused allies of “funding the war against themselves” through continued purchases.
US lawmakers have also raised concerns over Turkey’s potential return to the F-35 program, citing its military actions in Syria, violations of Greek airspace, and ties with Moscow. However, Trump said he was hopeful about future agreements, adding that sanctions on Turkey could be lifted “very soon” if talks progress positively.
The Oval Office meeting was the second encounter between Trump and Erdogan this week, following brief talks at the UN General Assembly.
Newyork- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has alleged that the Ukraine crisis was engineered by Western powers as a war against Russia, with Kiev being used as the main front.
Speaking at a G20 ministerial meeting held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Lavrov said Western nations’ “neo-colonial ambitions” and refusal to abide by the UN Charter have fueled regional wars and heightened global tensions.
He stated, “The crisis in Ukraine is another clear example. NATO and the European Union have already declared an actual war on my country and are directly involved in it.”
Moscow has repeatedly described the conflict as a Western proxy war, accusing NATO and the EU of supplying military aid to Kiev and using Ukrainian forces as “cannon fodder.” Russian officials also argue that years of NATO’s eastward expansion and deepening ties with Ukraine, especially after the 2014 Maidan coup and the conflict in Donbass, have steadily escalated tensions.
Kathmandu- Nepal Police has opened applications for a large-scale recruitment drive to fill various positions.
According to a notice issued today by the Human Resource Development Department, Recruitment Selection Branch of Police Headquarters, applications are invited for around 1,600 posts.
Out of the total, 1,553 posts are for Police Constables, 11 for Office Assistants (barbers), 15 for Sweepers, and 15 for Sports Quota. These positions will be filled through an open competition under the inclusive recruitment system.
Eligible Nepali citizens can submit applications from Ashoj 19 to Kartik 28.
For the sports quota, only athletes specializing in football, volleyball, cricket, athletics, judo, karate, and taekwondo are eligible to apply, as stated in the notice.
Kathmandu – In her first address to the nation, Prime Minister Sushila Karki said that the interim government does not have the authority to amend the constitution or change the system of governance. She urged the Gen Z generation to participate in the upcoming elections and pursue constitutional amendment through due democratic process.
Referring to the Gen Z protests held on Bhadra 23 and 24, Karki assured that those found guilty of wrongdoing will face action. She also stated that the government is in discussions with the Election Commission about allowing Nepali citizens living abroad for employment and other reasons to cast their votes.
During the address, the Prime Minister confirmed that elections will be held by Falgun 21 and called on all political parties to take part.
Karki further pledged that the government will act in line with the demands expressed during the movement, focusing on ending corruption, ensuring good governance, and driving development. She also said the government is committed to reconstruction efforts to address the irreversible damage caused to both public and private property.
Kathmandu – The Election Commission has started voter registration and updating of the voter list, which will continue until Kartik 30 (November 16).
According to Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari, the commission decided in its Thursday meeting to keep the registration open until mid-November. He said citizens who turn 18 by Falgun 20 (March 4) will be eligible to cast their votes in the upcoming election.
The process has already started . The commission made this arrangement to prepare for the House of Representatives election scheduled for Falgun 21 (March 5). Earlier, the government had approved the commission’s request through an ordinance to allow voter registration for the election.
Kathmandu – The government has introduced a system to hear and address public complaints in offices under the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, the Ministry of Urban Development, and the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport.
Citizens can now report issues such as delays, negligence, bribery, unnecessary harassment, or disrespectful behavior directly to the ministries.
Energy Minister Kulman Ghising said the grievance mechanism will be made more effective to ensure better service delivery. He urged citizens to file complaints openly if they face problems or injustice. According to him, complaints and suggestions can be submitted through multiple channels, with separate contact numbers assigned for each ministry.
Earlier, the Ministry of Finance had also called on the public to report any inconvenience caused in its subordinate offices.
Kathmandu – The government has established a Reconstruction Fund to rebuild public infrastructure damaged during the recent Gen Z protests. Alongside this, a Reconstruction Committee has been formed under the leadership of the Finance Minister.
Following the announcement, Minister Kulman Ghising appealed to all sectors to contribute to the fund. He said the committee will approve a reconstruction plan and begin restoring structures damaged by arson and vandalism.
Ghising urged support from federal, provincial, and local governments, as well as the private sector, Nepali citizens at home and abroad, the non-resident Nepali community, friendly nations, development partners, and international organizations. He stressed that their valuable contributions would play a vital role in rebuilding and strengthening the nation.
Kathmandu – Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Physical Infrastructure and Transport, and Urban Development, Kulman Ghising, held a courtesy meeting with Swiss Ambassador to Nepal, Danielle Meuwly, at Singha Durbar.
During the meeting, Ambassador Meuwly congratulated Minister Ghising on his appointment and wished him a successful tenure. Discussions covered the progress of ongoing Swiss-supported projects, potential areas for both short-term and long-term cooperation, investment opportunities, and broader bilateral relations.
Minister Ghising thanked Switzerland for its continued support in Nepal’s development. He highlighted that the government formed after the Gen Z movement has prioritized holding elections, rebuilding public and government infrastructure damaged during the protests, promoting good governance, and restoring hope among youth.
He also requested Swiss assistance in promoting electric vehicles, encouraging the use of electricity as a household fuel, applying Swiss tunnel technology in Nepal’s road network, advancing green hydrogen energy, and supporting training programs to create jobs through small-scale industries.
Currently, Switzerland is supporting Nepal through programs such as small irrigation projects, bridge construction, technical cooperation in the Siddhababa tunnel, and skill development training for employment. Ambassador Meuwly assured that Switzerland remains committed to supporting Nepal in the fields of energy and infrastructure development.
UN-Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced that Spain’s navy will join Italy in sending warships to protect the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was attacked by drones in international waters while en route to deliver aid to Gaza.
Speaking in New York on Wednesday during the United Nations General Assembly, Sanchez stressed that international law must be upheld and that citizens from 45 nations participating in the aid mission have the right to navigate the Mediterranean safely. He confirmed that Spain will dispatch a naval vessel from Cartagena to provide support or carry out rescue operations if needed.
The flotilla, consisting of around 50 civilian boats loaded with aid, was targeted overnight by Israeli drones and aircraft, according to activists. They reported low-flying drones dropping flashbang devices and other unidentified objects, as well as deliberate radio jamming that disrupted communication among vessels. Organizers condemned the attacks as “an alarmingly dangerous escalation.”
Italy also announced it would send a frigate after Defence Minister Guido Crosetto condemned the assaults. Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani confirmed that Italian citizens, including lawmakers and members of the European Parliament, are aboard the flotilla. He said Rome had already urged Israel to ensure the safety of passengers and operate strictly within international law.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, which includes human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, and Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, called on UN member states to address the attacks at the ongoing UNGA session. Thunberg, on her second attempt to break Israel’s maritime blockade of Gaza, told that drones have been shadowing the ships nightly.
“This mission is about Gaza, not about us. Any risks we take are nothing compared to what Palestinians face every day,” Thunberg said in a video call from onboard.
Kathmandu – The interim government formed after the Gen Z movement has decided to abolish the National Land Commission. The decision was made during the cabinet meeting held on Sunday. The commission had been established in Kartik last year by the then KP Sharma Oli–led government.
With the dissolution, officials and staff appointed at both the central and 77 district offices will lose their positions. At the central level, the commission had an eight–member leadership team including a chairperson, vice chairperson, two expert members, and four additional members. Along with this, 73 staff positions had also been created.
At the district level, each of the 77 districts had four appointees (a chairperson and three members), meaning 308 positions will be annulled. In total, 316 political appointments at both central and district levels will be scrapped.
In addition, the commission had recruited about 1,128 employees for survey and mapping work, most of them on contract. With the commission’s abolition, these employees will also lose their jobs.
Altogether, 1,444 officials and staff will be out of work. The commission’s operations had been costing the government nearly 60 million rupees each month. With its dissolution, this expense will be saved for the time being.
Kathmandu – Nepal’s public debt has exceeded Rs 2.74 trillion, according to the Public Debt Management Office. By the end of Bhadra (mid-September), the total public debt reached Rs 2.743 trillion. Based on Nepal’s 2021 population, the per capita debt burden stood at Rs 94,065 by that time.
At the end of Ashad (mid-July), per capita debt was Rs 91,688. Out of the total debt as of Bhadra, domestic borrowing accounted for Rs 1.281 trillion, while external borrowing stood at Rs 1.461 trillion. Public debt now makes up about 44.92 percent of Nepal’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The share of domestic debt is 20.99 percent of GDP, and external debt is 23.93 percent. In terms of composition, domestic debt makes up 46.72 percent of the total, while external debt accounts for 53.28 percent.
In the first two months of this fiscal year, the government borrowed Rs 79.15 billion and repaid Rs 65.07 billion. However, the weakening Nepali currency has sharply increased the burden of external debt. Exchange rate fluctuations in Bhadra alone added an additional liability of Rs 55.23 billion. As a result, the debt that stood at Rs 2.674 trillion in Ashad surged close to Rs 2.74 trillion within two months.
The government has set a target to raise Rs 595.66 billion in public debt this fiscal year, of which Rs 362 billion is planned through domestic borrowing and Rs 233 billion through external sources. By Bhadra, the government had raised Rs 70 billion domestically and Rs 9.15 billion externally. This represents 19.34 percent of the domestic borrowing target and just 3.92 percent of the external borrowing goal.
Debt repayment also remains significant. The annual budget has allocated Rs 411.01 billion for debt servicing. By Bhadra, Rs 78.67 billion had already been spent, equivalent to 19.14 percent of the yearly allocation.
During this period, Rs 56.40 billion was paid as principal and Rs 11.27 billion as interest on domestic debt. For external debt, Rs 8.67 billion went to principal repayment and Rs 2.32 billion to interest. Altogether, the government paid Rs 65.07 billion in principal and Rs 13.60 billion in interest within the two months.
Leh, Ladakh – A large number of people took to the streets in Ladakh on Wednesday after being mobilized through social media platforms. Although not under the name of a “Gen Z movement” like in Nepal, the demonstrations drew massive crowds demanding full statehood for Ladakh.
The protests turned violent in Leh as clashes broke out between students and security forces. Demonstrators set fire to the local BJP office, pelted stones at police, and torched a CRPF vehicle. Following the violence, the administration imposed a ban on rallies and gatherings without prior permission.
The protesters were showing solidarity with social activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike for 15 days. The violence flared after demonstrators called for a shutdown to press their demands, which include:
Full statehood for Ladakh
Constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule
Separate Lok Sabha seats for Kargil and Leh
Priority recruitment of locals in government jobs
Sonam Wangchuk ended his hunger strike after the violence and urged authorities to address the four-point demand.
The Indian government had revoked Articles 370 and 35(A) in 2019, splitting Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories: Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh. At that time, the government had promised to restore statehood once the situation normalized.
The next round of talks on Ladakh’s demands is scheduled to take place in Delhi on October 6.
Kathmandu — Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Physical Infrastructure and Transport, and Urban Development, Kulman Ghising, held a meeting with US Ambassador to Nepal, Dean R. Thompson at Singha Durbar.
During the meeting, Ambassador Thompson congratulated the minister on his appointment and extended best wishes for a successful tenure.
Discussions focused on Nepal–US cooperation, progress of projects supported by the United States, and the reconstruction of public infrastructure damaged during the Gen-Z movement.
Minister Ghising highlighted that the government’s top priorities are the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure, conducting the upcoming general elections, and ensuring good governance.
Ambassador Thompson mentioned that America’s support to Nepal will continue.
Kathmandu — President Ram Chandra Paudel has issued an ordinance amending provisions of the Voter List Act to allow additional voter registration ahead of the House of Representatives election scheduled for March 5 (Falgun 21).
The ordinance was recommended by the government after Section 4 of the existing law barred newly eligible Gen-Z youth from registering once the election date had been announced. The amendment now permits voter registration within a period specified by the Election Commission, even after the election date has been declared.
The government argued that the restriction would disenfranchise thousands of young people who recently became eligible to vote. Following the cabinet’s recommendation, the ordinance was forwarded today and issued by the President.
Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal had earlier announced that the government would ensure a one-time chance for eligible but unregistered citizens to be added to the voter roll. He also confirmed that a study team has been formed to begin the process of granting voting rights to Nepalese living abroad.
Under the new ordinance, the Election Commission will set specific dates for additional voter registration. Once completed, the commission will prepare the election timetable and move forward with related activities.
Kathmandu — President Ram Chandra Paudel and Prime Minister Sushila Karki held a meeting at the President’s Office, Shital Niwas, to discuss current political issues, according to the President’s Secretariat.
The talks also covered preparations and security arrangements for the House of Representatives election scheduled for March 5 (Falgun 21).
The government is moving ahead with plans to resolve legal complications related to the election through an ordinance. The proposed ordinance will address matters such as reopening voter registration, ensuring voting rights for Nepalese living abroad, and political party registration.
Under the current Voter List Act, 2073 (2016), Section 4(2) states that once the election date is announced, no new voters can be added to the list. The government intends to amend this provision through the ordinance to allow for updates.
Kathmandu — Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Physical Infrastructure and Transport, and Urban Development, Kulman Ghising, held a courtesy meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, Chen Song, on Wednesday at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport in Singha Durbar.
During the meeting, Ambassador Chen congratulated the newly appointed minister and extended best wishes for his tenure. Discussions focused on Nepal–China road and power transmission connectivity, progress of road and electricity projects contracted to Chinese companies, cooperation in the energy sector, implementation of projects supported by Chinese aid, and prospects for Chinese investment.
Minister Ghising highlighted the importance of the Kathmandu–Kodari (Araniko) and Syaprubensi–Rasuwagadhi roads as vital but vulnerable trade routes due to landslides and fragile terrain. He requested Chinese technical assistance to repair and permanently maintain these roads.
He also urged the immediate start of work on the Kalanki–Basundhara section of the Ring Road expansion funded by Chinese grants, pushed for advancing another cross-border transmission line through Kimathanka to strengthen Nepal’s power market, and stressed the need to accelerate hydropower projects along the Arun River corridor.
Furthermore, he raised concerns over delays in the Kamala–Kanchanpur project contracted to a Chinese company, and sought support to speed up the Narayanghat–Butwal and Muglin–Pokhara road expansion works.
Ambassador Chen assured that China remains committed to supporting Nepal in its priority development areas. The meeting was also attended by ministry secretary Keshav Kumar Sharma, chief of Development Assistance Coordination and Quality Division Sushil Babu Dhakal, Director General of the Department of Roads Bijay Jaishi, and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Kathmandu – The Ministry of Finance has introduced a series of decisions aimed at reducing unnecessary public spending and improving capital expenditure management.
According to the decision, meeting allowances for government staff will be scrapped, officials using private residences will not be entitled to housing allowances, and personal secretaries provided to lawmakers and political appointees will no longer be funded. Except for technical positions, no new posts will be created, and overlapping structures at federal, provincial, and local levels will be eliminated.
Foreign trips at government expense will be restricted, allowing only essential visits. Delegations led by the head of state or government at international conferences will be limited to a maximum of 10 members, while other delegations can include only up to three officials.
Key measures include:
Freezing budgets of approved projects that have not started and restricting use of funds outside their original purpose.
Halting transfer of federal projects to provincial and local levels until further review.
Limiting contingency funds to 100% for projects under Rs 10 million and 2% for projects above Rs 10 million.
Stopping creation of new programs in the 2082/83 budget year.
Cutting all meeting allowances for government officials.
Restricting consultancy services unless expertise is unavailable within the government.
Banning new vehicle purchases for political and administrative officials, with a directive to repair and reuse old vehicles.
Prohibiting government offices from building unnecessary infrastructure and requiring reuse of existing equipment like furniture and computers.
Halting temporary or contract-based staff hiring beyond approved positions.
Stopping additional security guards or perks for officials beyond what is legally mandated.
The ministry said these measures are designed to promote fiscal discipline, reduce wasteful spending, and ensure that capital expenditure is used effectively.
Kathmandu – A letter sent by the Ministry of Finance has triggered unrest at the Nepal Securities Board (SEBON), leading employees to stage a protest and lock the office.
The ministry instructed SEBON to recover all funds disbursed through procedures deemed unlawful and to treat the amounts as government dues. Following this directive, employees launched an agitation, shutting down the office in defiance.
The letter, sent on Ashwin 2, directed enforcement of a Revenue Secretary–level decision regarding SEBON’s Employee Welfare Fund and Employee Security Fund. It further ordered the immediate annulment of the working procedures governing these funds, citing violations of multiple laws including the Securities Act 2006, Legislative Act 2004, Government of Nepal (Allocation of Business) Rules 2017, and SEBON Employee Service Rules 2011.
The ministry also directed SEBON to begin recovery of past payments made under these unlawful procedures and instructed that any future financial decisions must first secure prior approval from the Ministry of Finance.
Kathmandu – Finance Minister Rameshwor Khanal’s newly launched “Complaint Emailbox” system, aimed at hearing and resolving public grievances directly, has shown quick results.
Khanal shared on Tuesday that within just six hours of launching the mechanism, he had already received 166 emails. He said the goal is to end the public’s compulsion of rushing to Singha Durbar to resolve their issues.
According to Khanal, about two dozen emails have already been answered, and action has been initiated on most of them. He assured that the remaining emails will also be responded to as quickly as possible.
The minister expressed confidence that this system will help ordinary citizens and institutions address their problems without the hassle of physically visiting government offices in Singha Durbar.
Kathmandu – Newly appointed Minister for Education, Science, and Technology Mahabir Pun has announced three major directives aimed at improving the education sector. He shared the directives through his social media on Tuesday.
The first directive requires all community secondary schools across Nepal to make computer education mandatory and effective. To achieve this, every school must appoint at least one computer teacher so that no student is deprived of computer learning.
The second directive addresses delays in publishing university exam results. Minister Pun noted that some universities take 8 months to a year to release results, causing serious harm to students’ futures. He instructed that results must be published within three months of exams. Universities failing to comply will face suspension of government grants. Citing the National Examination Board as an example, which publishes results of over 500,000 students within three months, he urged universities to adopt the same efficiency.
The third directive focuses on beautifying Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur. He called for clearing bushes, preserving large trees, and developing gardens and footpaths to create a cleaner and more attractive university environment.
Kathmandu- It has come to light that 200 Myanmar citizens entered the United Arab Emirates (UAE) using Nepali passports. The information was shared by Nepal’s Department of Immigration during a virtual meeting held on Tuesday with ambassadors from nine labor-destination countries, along with officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The meeting included Nepali ambassadors and labor attaches from Gulf countries such as the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, as well as Malaysia and Thailand. Officials discussed the need to bring those using fake documents under legal action.
According to the Department, the talks also reviewed the latest situation of Nepalese traveling abroad on labor and tourist visas, their employment involvement, possible risks, and strategies to improve immigration control.
Other key points discussed included:
Addressing the concerns raised by recent youth led Gen-Z protests in Nepal and their link to foreign employment.
Reviewing and updating government rules related to visit visas.
Formulating a long-term strategy for labor migration and strengthening the role of Nepali missions abroad.
Developing an integrated system for data sharing among embassies, labor attaches, and the Department of Immigration.
Making visit visa insurance mandatory for Nepalese.
Establishing rescue funds at Nepali missions abroad for citizens facing difficulties.
Drafting laws to regulate domestic workers to prevent unsafe migration through informal channels.
Retaining labor representatives at missions abroad to better manage foreign employment.
Minimizing the influence of middlemen in labor migration.
Sharing information to prevent illegal trafficking of Nepalese through Oman after UAE tightened its visa rules.
Addressing cases of fraud where brokers charge high fees for Kuwait visit visas, which are actually prohibited.
Highlighting that UAE has become the “epicenter” of foreign employment for Nepalese, with 25 to 30 deaths per month, mostly suicides. Currently, about 381,000 Nepalese are working in the UAE, with 548 in prison, 345 of them on drug-related charges.
Restoring the labor desk at the airport for visit visa travelers.
Making pre-departure verification mandatory at airports.
Holding manpower agencies more accountable.
Raising awareness on foreign employment risks at the local level.
The Department emphasized the urgent need to act against those presenting fake documents, including the Myanmar citizens carrying Nepali passports in the UAE.
Kathmandu – Prime Minister Sushila Karki and officials of the Election Commission held discussions regarding preparations for the House of Representatives election scheduled for March 5 (Fagun 21). The meeting took place at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.
During the talks, PM Karki stressed that conducting the election in a fair, independent, peaceful, and economical manner is a top government priority. She assured the commission that all necessary resources, manpower, and security arrangements would be provided. She also pledged continuous consultation with stakeholders to create a favorable environment and urged the commission to move forward swiftly with all preparations.
On behalf of the Election Commission, Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari said that essential materials, including ballot boxes, are already in stock, while any shortages will be addressed through competitive procurement with priority to domestic products. He emphasized the commission’s commitment to coordinate with political parties, civil society, and the media, while calling on the government to ensure reliable election security.
He also expressed confidence that the Nepal government, political parties, and citizens would extend full cooperation to ensure successful elections. The meeting was attended by Finance Minister Rameshwor Khanal, Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal, Law Minister Anil Kumar Sinha, Chief Secretary Ek Narayan Aryal, as well as commissioners Dr. Janaki Tuladhar and Sagun Shamsher Jabara, and Secretary Mahadev Pant.
Kathmandu – A massive fire during the Gen-Z protests has destroyed important documents at the Kathmandu District Administration Office, including citizenship records, passports, case files, and institutional documents.
According to Assistant Chief District Officer Muktiram Rijal, about 150,000 national identity cards that were ready for distribution were reduced to ashes. Citizenship records dating back to 2025 BS were also lost in the fire.
Institutional records, complaints, and case files were among the damaged materials. Despite the losses, the office has resumed its services, including citizenship issuance, minor ID cards, and recommendations for duplicate citizenship certificates.
Kathmandu – Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Physical Infrastructure and Transport, and Urban Development, Kulman Ghising, held a courtesy meeting with British Ambassador to Nepal, Rob Fenn, at Singha Durbar.
During the meeting, Ambassador Fenn congratulated the newly appointed minister and wished him a successful tenure.
Discussions focused on Nepal–UK friendship, bilateral cooperation, British support in the energy sector, investment opportunities in infrastructure, and measures to address challenges posed by climate change.
Minister Ghising highlighted that the government formed after the Gen-Z movement has prioritized reconstruction of damaged infrastructure, upcoming general elections, and strengthening good governance. He appreciated the UK’s long-standing support for Nepal’s economic development and noted the effectiveness of British assistance in expanding electric vehicle charging stations to promote a carbon-free Nepal.
He also expressed interest in adopting the public-private partnership investment model, which has been successful in the UK, and requested British cooperation in such areas.
Ambassador Fenn reaffirmed that as an old friend, the UK views Nepal’s success as its own and pledged continued support for Nepal’s economic transformation.
New York – The high-level week of the 80th United Nations General Assembly session begins in New York on Tuesday, bringing together around 150 heads of state and government along with foreign ministers.
Over the week, world leaders will debate pressing global challenges, including peacebuilding, sustainable development, human rights, gender equality, artificial intelligence regulation, combating infectious diseases and mental health issues, and tackling climate change.
This year’s assembly marks the UN’s 80th anniversary, under the theme “Better Together: 80 Years and More for Peace, Development, and Human Rights.” Representatives from all 193 UN member states, along with the Vatican, Palestine, and the European Union, are taking part.
The general debate began with speeches by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Annalena Baerbock, president of the 80th session. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will be the first among world leaders to take the floor, which is a tribute to a long-standing tradition. It dates back to the fact that it was a representative of this Latin American state, Oswaldo Aranha, the then Brazilian foreign minister, who led the work of the first and second special sessions of the General Assembly in 1947. The Brazilian president will be followed by US President Donald Trump.
About 30 speakers from different countries are scheduled to speak on the first day and on the second day, there will be about 40 speakers, including the presidents of France, Ukraine, Finland and Slovakia.
Russia will be represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who will speak on September 27 and will be also taking part in multilateral meetings within the framework of BRICS, the CSTO, the Group of Twenty and the Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter. According to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Lavrov will also hold numerous bilateral and multilateral meetings, including the US.
Kathmandu – The government has appointed Rameshwar Dangal as the new Home Secretary, removing Gokarnamani Duwadi from the post. Duwadi had been accused of playing a role in the suppression of the Gen-Z movement.
Dangal, who previously served as a defense secretary and is a career officer from the home administration cadre, will take charge once the decision is implemented, expected by Tuesday or Wednesday, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
Duwadi, whose name had earlier been linked to the visit-visa controversy but who had avoided consequences, continued to lead the Home Ministry for about one and a half weeks after the change in government. Amid calls for an investigation into his role during the crackdown on the Gen-Z protests, he has now been reassigned to the National Planning Commission Secretariat.
Kathmandu – In the past two months, 51 Nepali workers have died in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to the Nepal Embassy in Abu Dhabi.
Data from the embassy shows that during the first two months of the current fiscal year 2082/83, 32 deaths were reported in July (Shrawan) and 19 in August (Bhadra).
In comparison, 62 Nepalis had died in the UAE during the same period last fiscal year 2081/82. A total of 312 deaths were recorded in the UAE that year, averaging 26 per month. The year before, in fiscal year 2080/81, the number was 231.
The embassy stated that the causes of death include road accidents, workplace accidents, heart attacks, and other heart-related illnesses.
Kathmandu – The price of gold in Nepal has continued to rise, reaching an all-time high on Tuesday. According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the price surged by Rs 3,900 per tola in a single day.
With this increase, the price of gold climbed to Rs 221,700 per tola on Tuesday, compared to Rs 217,800 per tola on Monday. Both rates marked record highs, with Tuesday’s price setting a new peak.
Silver prices also edged up, rising from Rs 2,660 per tola on Monday to Rs 2,680 per tola on Tuesday.
Kathmandu – Nepali Congress leaders from Shekhar Koirala panel, along with several General Convention representatives, has launched a signature campaign demanding a special general convention within the party.
The representatives condemned the recent attack on party president Sher Bahadur Deuba during the Gen-Z protests and stressed that the party must admit past mistakes, seek forgiveness, and reform itself for the future. They argued that a special convention is the only way forward.
Although the authority to call a special convention lies with the central committee, representatives said the current leadership is unlikely to take that step, so they have begun preparations themselves.
They also urged members to responsibly participate in the process as per Article 17 (2) of the party statute, saying the convention is necessary to rescue the party from its present crisis and make it more effective and relevant in today’s context.
Kathmandu – The Grade 12 supplementary (chance) examinations have started today. The exams, originally scheduled for September 13 and 14, were postponed due to violence during the Gen-Z protests.
According to the Examination Controller’s Office of the National Examination Board, the exams will be conducted over two days, today and tomorrow.
On the first day (today), compulsory English (0041), all subjects for students appearing in only one subject, and the smaller code subject for students appearing in two subjects will be held. Students taking both compulsory English and Nepali will sit for English today and Nepali tomorrow.
On Wednesday, students appearing in two subjects will sit for the subject with the larger code.
All exams will begin at 11 AM, the Examination Controller’s Office said.
Seven charities have cut ties with Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, after a 2011 email surfaced in which she called convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein her “supreme friend” and appeared to apologise for publicly criticising him.
Julia’s House children’s hospice was the first to act, calling her role “inappropriate.” The Teenage Cancer Trust, Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, Children’s Literacy Charity, National Foundation for Retired Service Animals, Prevent Breast Cancer, and the British Heart Foundation soon followed.
The Mail on Sunday and The Sun published the email, written years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction. In it, Ferguson thanked him for his generosity and apologised for distancing herself. This conflicted with her earlier public statement that her involvement with him was a “gigantic error of judgement.”
Her spokesperson explained the email was sent under legal advice to prevent Epstein from suing her for defamation, stressing she regretted any connection with him.
The scandal mirrors the downfall of her ex-husband, Prince Andrew, who stepped back from royal duties in 2019 after his own ties to Epstein drew heavy criticism.
With Epstein’s links to high-profile figures under renewed scrutiny, the backlash has damaged Ferguson’s reputation and cast doubt on her future public role, despite decades of charity work and recent praise for her support of Andrew during controversies.
Kathmandu – Employees working under institutions and bodies of the Ministry of Finance can now be reported directly to Finance Minister Rameshwar Khanal if they are found causing delays, exerting undue pressure, or demanding bribes. Complaints can be lodged through email or a hotline.
The ministry announced that any issues such as employees failing to perform required duties, engaging in misconduct, creating obstacles in service delivery, or demanding bribes can be directly reported to the Finance Minister’s email or the ministry’s complaint email.
In addition, a toll-free hotline 18105000410 has been set up where complaints can be filed directly by phone.
Kathmandu – Upon assuming office, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Anil Kumar Sinha announced that employment opportunities will be arranged for the families of martyrs and those injured.
He also decided to promote the use of domestically produced furniture and construction materials in government bodies and to expand online services so that people do not need to visit offices except for essential matters.
Kathmandu – The Supreme Court will remain open during the Dashain holidays to hear habeas corpus petitions. According to the court administration, hearings will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The court stated that, except on Ghatasthapana, Vijaya Dashami, Kojagrat Purnima, and Saturdays, habeas corpus petitions will be accepted and heard throughout the Dashain period.
A notice issued by the court clarified that under Section 26 of the Judicial Administration Act, 2016, hearings on such petitions will continue during the holiday period on the mentioned schedule.
Kathmandu – In the last five days, 189,218 passengers have left the Kathmandu Valley to celebrate the upcoming Dashain festival, according to the Valley Traffic Police Office.
From Asoj 1 to Asoj 5, a total of 29,360 public vehicles carried passengers out of the valley through major exit points such as Thankot, Sanga, Dakshinkali, and Balaju. Passenger numbers were 34,556 on Asoj 1, 36,100 on Asoj 2, 40,555 on Asoj 3, 34,879 on Asoj 4, and 43,124 on Asoj 5.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Lokendra Singh Gurung said that people who had come to Kathmandu for study, business, and employment are now heading back to their hometowns for the festival.
However, poor road conditions have caused travel difficulties this year. Deknath Gautam, General Secretary of the National Federation of Nepali Transport Entrepreneurs, said monsoon-triggered landslides on highways, especially the Muglin–Narayanghat section, have left buses stuck for hours, delaying passengers from reaching their destinations. He urged the government to ensure highways are cleared and kept open during the festival rush.
The pressure of travelers has also sharply increased at bus parks and daily passenger flow has risen from the usual 4,000–5,000 to more than 15,000 .
Kathmandu – A total of 7,627 inmates who escaped during the “Gen-Z” protests remain at large, according to the Department of Prison Management.
On September 9 (Bhadra 24), violent demonstrations led to widespread riots, arson, and jailbreaks across the country. In total, 14,556 prisoners and detainees escaped from 28 prisons and 9 correctional centers. Of them, 13,592 fled from prisons and 964 from correctional facilities.
By Sunday evening (Asoj 5), 6,928 inmates had returned to custody. Authorities stated that most of those still missing are linked to serious and organized crimes.
During the jailbreaks, five inmates were killed after being shot by the Nepal Army.
Today is Ghatasthapana, marked as the first day of Dashain. Dashain is considered to have officially started today. Navratri also begins today.Methodically, after the installation of Ghat or Ghada, the worship of Durga in the form of Shaktiswarupa is performed which is called Ghatasthapana. On the day of Vijaya Dashami, Prasad of Goddess Durga is accepted by anointing with the water of Purna Kalash installed today.
The auspicious time for Ghatasthapana is 9:13 am today.Ghatasthapana is performed today by worshipping Chitra Nakshatra owner Twashta ( Vishwakarma) and owner of Vaidhriti Yog Aditi, Mother of Gods. At the time of Chitra and Vaidhriti yoga, worship of Rudra, Surya, Soma and Mrityunjaya is performed along with Twashta and Aditi.Today, Sanatan Vedic Hindu religious people across the country keep Jamra(sacredly grown plants) in their houses and temples.
Seeds of barley are sown in the soil mixed with a little sand, inside a pooja room of the house or a clean place inside the house, placing a Diyo, Kalash and Ganesh. Recently, it has been found that rice, corn and wheat are also used along with barley while sowing Jamara. Jamara is worshipped every day until the last day of Navratri.
Seeds are grown in such a way that no light penetrates into them and the sprouts of this grain germinated for 10 days are used as Jamra.Jamara is offered as a blessing by elders on the tenth day of Dashain, which is known as Tika.
During Navratri, the three forms of Goddess Durga, Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati, are ritually invoked and worshipped. Mahakali is the symbol of power, Mahalakshmi is the symbol of wealth and opulence and Mahasaraswati is worshipped as the symbol of learning and wisdom.
The 15 days from Ashwin Shukla Pratipada to Purnima are called Durga Paksha and special worship is done on the occasion of Durga Paksha in the nine forms taken by Durga to kill the demons including Chanda, Mund, Shumbha, Nishumbha and Raktavija.
Shailaputri is worshipped on the first day of Durga Paksha, Brahmacharini on the second day, Chandraghanta on the third day, Kushmanda on the fourth day, Skandamata on the fifth day, Katyayani on the sixth day, Kalaratri on the seventh day, Mahagauri on the eighth day and Siddhidatri on the ninth day. These nine forms of Durga are also called Navadurga. Therefore, Dasai is celebrated as a symbol of the victory of truth over falsehood and divine power over demonic power.
Today onwards, the worship of Goddess Durga in the form of Shaktiswarupa begins according to the Vedic method, in the Dasainghar located in the Hanumandhoka Palace in Kathmandu.The culture of putting Jamra on the head on the day of Tika is considered an important part of Dashain, a great festival of Sanatan Vedic Hindus.
The UK, Canada ,Australia and Portugal have formally recognized the State of Palestine. The move comes as more than 140 world leaders are preparing to attend the annual United Nations General Assembly summit in New York next week, which will be dominated by questions regarding the region.
Earlier in September, the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly supported a resolution calling for a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. In opposing the measure, Washington and West Jerusalem were only joined by eight other countries, including the remote Pacific island nations of Palau, Tonga, Micronesia and Nauru.
The subsequent Israeli siege of Gaza has left nearly 65,000 Palestinians dead so far, according to local health authorities, and produced a devastating humanitarian situation in the enclave, leading to mounting international pressure on West Jerusalem to end its campaign.
Many countries have since condemned the war and a number have chosen to acknowledge Palestinian statehood. At the upcoming UNGA session, France and Belgium are expected to follow suit and formally recognize the country.
Moscow views a two-state solution as the only way to deescalate and end the Gaza War. As the legal successor to the Soviet Union, Russia has long recognized the State of Palestine.
Kathmandu – Prime Minister Sushila Karki has recommended the names of five individuals for ministerial appointments to the President.
Following extensive discussions within her team, she proposed former Supreme Court Justice Anil Kumar Sinha, journalist Jagadish Kharel, Additional Secretary Dr. Sangita Mishra, scientist Mahabir Pun, and former State Restructuring Commission coordinator Dr. Madan Pariyar for the cabinet.
According to the President’s Office, their appointment and swearing-in ceremony will take place on Monday.
As per the recommendation, former Justice Sinha will oversee the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, and the Ministry of Law.
Dr. Mishra has been recommended for the Ministry of Health.
Journalist Kharel, who has worked in the media for over two decades and served as News Chief at Image Television, has been recommended for the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
Dr. Pariyar, an agricultural expert and former coordinator of the State Restructuring Commission, has been proposed for the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.
Scientist Pun, founder of the National Innovation Center has been recommended to lead the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology.
Kathmandu- The government has appointed Manoj Silwal as the Executive Director of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA).
Sunday’s Cabinet meeting transferred Hitendra Dev Shakya to the Water and Energy Commission and named Silwal as his replacement. Silwal is a former Deputy Executive Director of the NEA.
The decision was made based on a proposal by Energy Minister Kulman Ghising.
Kathmandu – The government has appointed Additional Inspector General (AIG) Dr. Manoj Kumar KC as the new chief of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police.
Dr. KC, who was serving as head of the Provincial Coordination Department at the Nepal Police Headquarters, was given the new responsibility following a Cabinet decision on Sunday, according to Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal.
The post had remained vacant after former CIB chief Chandra Kuber Khapung was promoted to Inspector General of Police (IGP), with the previous government making no decision on the replacement.
KC was an investigating officer in the Bhutanese refugee scam.
Kathmandu – The Election Commission has proposed amending the Voter List Act to allow reopening of voter registration, sending the proposal to the Ministry of Home Affairs following a meeting of commission officials on Sunday. The Cabinet is expected to consider revising the law through an ordinance.
According to Commission spokesperson Suman Ghimire, the amendment would revise Section 4 of the Act, enabling the commission to open voter registration whenever deemed necessary.
Under the current law, voter registration cannot take place after the announcement of an election date. This restriction has raised concerns that many young people who recently turned 18 would be left out of the voter list. The proposed amendment aims to address this issue by facilitating fresh registration.
Discussions have also begun on how to include Nepalese living abroad in the voting process. The commission has started consultations with experts on possible methods for their participation.
Kathmandu – Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Physical Infrastructure and Transport, and Urban Development Kulman Ghising held talks with Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastav at the Ministry of Energy in Singha Durbar. Ambassador Srivastav congratulated the newly appointed minister and wished him a successful tenure.
The meeting focused on bilateral cooperation in the fields of energy, water resources, and irrigation, as well as the progress of projects under Indian assistance. Discussions also covered the Mahakali Irrigation Project (Phase III) and the delivery of water to Nepal through its canal system.
Updates were also provided on the progress of the Rahughat Hydropower Project and the construction of the 400 kV cross-border transmission lines from Inaruwa–Purnia and New Lamki–Bareilly. The study on the Indian side has already been completed, officials confirmed.
Minister Ghising urged India to approve additional electricity exports during the Dashain and Tihar festivals, when domestic demand falls due to industry and factory closures. Nepal currently has approval to export 1,165 MW of electricity to India and Bangladesh, and has proposed to export an additional 138 MW from four new projects.
Ambassador Srivastav also expressed India’s readiness to support the reconstruction of infrastructure damaged during the recent Gen-Z protests in Nepal.
London – Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to announce the United Kingdom’s formal recognition of a Palestinian state in a statement on (today)Sunday afternoon, marking a major shift in British foreign policy.
In July, Starmer warned that the UK would change its stance unless Israel agreed to key conditions, including a ceasefire in Gaza and a commitment to a long-term peace process leading to a two-state solution.
The decision has sparked sharp criticism from the Israeli government, families of hostages in Gaza, and some Conservative MPs. Until now, successive UK governments had maintained that recognition should only come as part of a peace process at a time of maximum diplomatic impact.
Ministers defended the move, saying the UK had a moral duty to act to keep hopes of lasting peace alive.
The announcement comes as Gaza faces worsening humanitarian conditions. Israel’s latest ground assault on Gaza City, described by a UN official as “cataclysmic,” has displaced hundreds of thousands and left much of the territory destroyed. The Hamas-run health ministry reports at least 65,208 deaths in the nearly two-year conflict.
Several other nations, including Spain, Ireland, and Norway last year, and now Portugal, France, Canada, and Australia, have either recognized or pledged recognition of a Palestinian state.
Currently, around 75% of UN member states recognize Palestine, although it lacks agreed borders, a capital, or an army, making the recognition largely symbolic.
The Labour Party has long supported Palestinian statehood, and Starmer faced heavy pressure from within his party, with more than half of Labour MPs signing a letter in July urging immediate recognition.
Kathmandu – President Ram Chandra Poudel has authenticated the amendment bill to the Nepal Citizenship Act, 2006, as per the Constitution of Nepal, according to a statement issued by Presidential Office spokesperson Pradeep Kumar Koirala.
The bill allows citizenship to be obtained in the name of the mother and gives applicants the option not to include the father’s name, surname, or address in the citizenship certificate.
The House of Representatives passed the bill , and the National Assembly endorsed it . Following approval from both houses, Speaker Dev Raj Ghimire certified the bill and forwarded it to the President’s Office for authentication.
Kathmandu – The Human Rights and Peace Society has demanded legal action against former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Society expressed concern over the recent political developments and the loss of lives and property during the Gen-Z protests, stressing that peace is not possible without good governance.
“The country has suffered great damage due to corruption and misgovernance. Former Prime Minister Oli and former Home Minister Lekhak must be held legally accountable,” the statement said. It also called for the identification and punishment of those involved in arson and vandalism of public property, historical monuments, press institutions, and citizens’ assets during the protests.
The Society urged that the police and administration be freed from political influence and made autonomous. It further stressed that individuals appointed to constitutional and judicial bodies based on political power-sharing should step aside.
Additionally, the Society appealed to the interim government to act as a guardian of all citizens, safeguard the constitution and democratic achievements, and ensure a free, fair, and fearless election as soon as possible, followed by a smooth transfer of power to an elected government.
Kathmandu – Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) has scrapped the system of calculating the index based on the weighted average price of the last 15 minutes of trading. According to NEPSE spokesperson Murahari Parajuli, the method was tested today and will be continued ahead.
The weighted average calculation method, introduced on March 20, had faced strong criticism from investors, who argued that it was dragging the market down artificially. Under the system, the index was calculated based on the weighted average of all trades executed between 2:45 PM and 3:00 PM.
Investors and brokers had also pointed out several technical errors in the process, noting that NEPSE’s technology was neither automated nor up to standard.
Kathmandu — The “Gen-Z” protests, marked by police crackdowns and subsequent violence, led to widespread arson and vandalism targeting police posts across the country. Over two days of unrest, 74 people, including three police personnel, lost their lives, while around 200 others remain hospitalized.
An internal report prepared by Nepal Police revealed that 1,276 rifles and pistols were looted during the protests. In addition, 98,491 rounds of ammunition are unaccounted for. The report notes that a high-level investigation is necessary to determine how many of the missing rounds were used by police and how many were stolen.
The report also shows a shortfall of 1,315 rubber bullets, though police have not clarified how many were actually used. Official figures confirm that within two days, security forces fired 2,220 rounds into the air and launched 3,223 tear gas shells.
Chitwan – Efforts to clear the landslide near the Tuin Khola bridge on the Narayangadh–Muglin road resumed early this morning, according to the Bharatpur Road Division Office. Excavators have been mobilized from both the Muglin and Narayangadh sides to remove the debris.
However, stonefall continues in the area. The office said if no further landslides occur and work progresses without interruption, traffic could reopen soon.
Since Friday, continuous landslides at Tuin Khola in Ichchhakamana Rural Municipality, Chitwan, have blocked the highway, leaving passengers stranded overnight. A long line of vehicles remains backed up on both sides of the road.
The District Administration Office and police arranged food and drinking water for stranded passengers on Saturday afternoon and evening, while local businesses along the highway were also requested to assist travelers.
The Tuin Khola area lies about 2.5 kilometers from Muglin towards Narayangadh. With Dashain approaching and the main highway blocked, the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport held discussions on Saturday. Minister Kulman Ghising instructed authorities to reopen the road as soon as possible and make alternative arrangements.
The Bharatpur Road Division Office has advised travelers to use alternative routes. Suggested detours include Naubise–Daman–Hetauda and the Kaligandaki Corridor via Muglin–Bhimaad–Dedhgaun–Gaindakot.
Kathmandu – The government has instructed all offices to establish service facilitation desks and complaint-handling mechanisms to address grievances and improve service delivery. The Prime Minister’s Office and Council of Ministers issued the directive, calling for hotlines to be set up in service-providing agencies. A circular was sent to all ministries following a decision.
The decision mainly targets offices and agencies that directly provide services to the public. Each is required to set up a facilitation desk staffed with courteous personnel to ensure services are delivered in a quick, hassle-free, and efficient manner.
The directive also requires every ministry and agency to establish a hotline for handling complaints. Citizens will be able to report delays, negligence, bribery, harassment, or any disrespectful behavior by staff, and such grievances must be addressed immediately. Offices must also share their hotline numbers with the Prime Minister’s Office.
Provincial and local governments have been requested to adopt the same system. The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) and the National Vigilance Center have also been notified of this decision.
Kathmandu – The Ministry of Finance has released Rs 9.80 billion to cover the long-delayed interest subsidies on concessional loans. The amount was disbursed to Nepal Rastra Bank on Saturday.
For a long time, banks and financial institutions had stopped issuing new concessional loans because the subsidy amount had not been released, forcing borrowers to pay higher interest rates.
According to a letter from the Finance Ministry, under the approved annual program of fiscal year 2082/83 (2025/26), funds allocated for the second quarter were adjusted to the first quarter, and the subsidy amount for concessional loans provided in the past seven quarters has now been settled through this release.
With the government clearing most of the outstanding subsidy payments, the possibility of banks and financial institutions resuming concessional loan distribution has increased.
Kathmandu – Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Kulman Ghising, held a meeting on Saturday (September 20) with stakeholders to ensure smooth transport management and road safety during the Dashain festival.
Following the talks, Minister Ghising instructed concerned authorities to provide 24-hour updates on road conditions, respond to passenger complaints, and immediately reopen highways blocked by floods or landslides.
The meeting discussed arrangements to allow public vehicles to exit the Kathmandu Valley through the Nagdhunga–Sisnekhola tunnel road, and after Dashain, also permit their entry, according to the minister’s secretariat.
The meeting also decided to request the Home Ministry to mobilize more police patrols and increase security personnel at Kathmandu’s New Bus Park and major highways across the country.
Since smooth passenger movement must be prioritized, the meeting resolved to restrict heavy vehicles with 12 wheels or more from operating on the Daunne section of the Butwal–Narayangadh road during Dashain. However, vehicles carrying food and other essential goods will be allowed to pass.
The Department of Roads has been directed to maintain and repair main highways nationwide, arrange equipment for landslide management, ensure two-way traffic on the Daunne section around the clock, clear the landslide at Tuin Khola on the Narayangadh–Muglin road, and reopen the Tatopani border road before Dashain.
A decision was also made to issue a public notice urging citizens to travel only after checking weather and road conditions. The Roads Department has been asked to set up a 24-hour focal person system to coordinate and provide road-related information.
The meeting was attended by the Secretary of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, the Director General of the Department of Transport Management, the Director General of the Department of Roads, Nepal Police officials, and representatives of the National Federation of Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs.
Morang – Although the law requires local governments to present their budgets by Ashad 10, Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City unveiled its policies, programs, and budget for the fiscal year 2082/83 three months late. In the 17th municipal assembly held on Saturday, Deputy Mayor Aindra Bikram Begha presented a budget of Rs 2.20 billion.
According to the budget, revenue sources include Rs 805.3 million from internal revenue, Rs 892.9 million in federal grants, Rs 773.4 million in provincial grants, and Rs 341.8 million from revenue sharing. In addition, Rs 20 million is expected from the Road Board and Rs 70 million carried over from last year.
On the expenditure side, the largest allocation of Rs 669.4 million has been set aside for urban planning and physical infrastructure development. Similarly, Rs 468.5 million is allocated for education, youth, and sports, Rs 69.9 million for health, and Rs 48.6 million for social development.
Other allocations include Rs 12.9 million for economic development, Rs 27.4 million for forestry, environment, energy, and disaster management, Rs 2 million for law and justice, Rs 1.5 million for public land protection, Rs 4.3 million for revenue mobilization, and Rs 50.5 million for the municipal vision program. Each of Dharan’s 20 wards will also receive Rs 210 million in the current fiscal year.
Kathmandu – Within hours of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s phone call to congratulate Sushila Karki on her appointment as Nepal’s interim prime minister, the Chinese and American ambassadors in Kathmandu arrived at Singha Durbar for courtesy meetings. The sequence of visits, coming from three of the world’s most influential powers, has been read in diplomatic circles as a sign that Nepal’s political shift is being closely watched far beyond its borders. For a small Himalayan nation caught between India and China and increasingly courted by the United States, such simultaneous attention is rarely accidental.
The timing alone carries geopolitical weight. India has long held a dominant influence in Nepal, bound by geography, trade and cultural ties. By reaching out first, New Delhi signaled its intent to reaffirm those links and remind Kathmandu of its historic partnership. China’s ambassador, by arriving immediately after, conveyed Beijing’s determination not to let Nepal slip further into India’s orbit. And the United States, which has invested heavily in development projects and the controversial Millennium Challenge Corporation compact, underscored that its strategic interests in South Asia extend well beyond New Delhi.
For Nepal, the sudden convergence of attention highlights the delicate balance it must maintain. Prime Minister Karki takes office at a fragile moment, with protests still fresh, elections scheduled for early next year, and the state under pressure to restore both political order and economic confidence. How her government handles these early overtures may set the tone for the next phase of Nepal’s foreign policy.
Each of the three powers has its own motives. India is anxious to keep Nepal firmly within its strategic fold, ensuring that no major infrastructure or security arrangement tilts decisively toward Beijing. It is particularly sensitive about transit routes, cross-border energy trade and unresolved border disputes. China, on the other hand, has steadily expanded its footprint in Nepal through roads, hydropower projects and Belt and Road Initiative commitments, while watching closely how Nepal manages issues linked to Tibet. The United States, meanwhile, has emphasized democracy, governance and transparency, but it also sees Nepal’s location as strategically valuable in the context of rising Chinese power in Asia.
The visits also expose the risks Nepal faces. If it leans too far toward one capital, it risks alienating another. Accepting large-scale projects without proper safeguards could saddle the country with unsustainable debt or compromise sovereignty. At the same time, failing to seize the moment could mean losing opportunities for investment, infrastructure and energy exports that the country badly needs.
President Ram Chandra Poudel recently urged unity and good governance as guiding principles for the country, and those same principles apply to foreign policy. Nepal’s challenge is to convert this influx of attention into tangible benefits without allowing itself to become a pawn in wider geopolitical rivalries. That will require clear priorities, transparent negotiation and above all a firm insistence that Nepal’s sovereignty and national interest come first.
The simultaneous outreach by India, China and the United States to Prime Minister Karki is not simply a coincidence of protocol. It is a reminder that Nepal, though small, occupies a strategic crossroads that matters deeply to the world’s major powers. How karki’s government responds could shape not only the country’s external relations but its internal stability and future trajectory.
Kathmandu – Prime Minister Sushila Karki, addressing the main ceremony at the Army Pavilion in Tundikhel on the occasion of Constitution Day, said that public dissatisfaction has increased due to the failure to fully uphold democratic values.
She emphasized that democracy is a system meant to listen to the people, foster dialogue, and seek solutions. However, the inability to fully implement democratic principles has led to growing frustration among citizens. She highlighted that from the Gen Z generation to all citizens, expectations include civil liberties, fundamental rights, human rights, complete press freedom, an independent judiciary, good governance, and the rule of law.
PM Karki also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to meeting the hopes and expectations of citizens, including the youth, by promoting employment, quality of life, transparency, legal equality, ending corruption, and advancing development as key national priorities.
She clarified that she became Prime Minister not out of personal ambition or desire for office, but at the request of the change seeking youth during a time of national crisis. She reiterated her commitment to hand over power to a representative government through elections for the House of Representatives within six months, as per the Constitution.
Kathmandu – Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, and Physical Infrastructure and Urban Development, Kulman Ghising, has said that contracts of development projects left neglected for a long time will be terminated.
Directing secretaries and departmental heads of the three ministries to immediately prepare and submit a list of such stalled projects, Minister Ghising stressed that projects cannot be left in limbo just to favor non-performing contractors.
Earlier, he had also instructed the Nepal Electricity Authority to recover outstanding dues from the industralist using dedicated trunk line service.
Kathmandu – Constitution Day and National Day 2082 is being celebrated this year as well with various programs across the country. The main ceremony was held this morning at the Army Pavilion in Tundikhel under the chief guestship of President Ram Chandra Paudel. Prime Minister Sushila Karki addressed the program.
Former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, former Speaker Devraj Ghimire, National Assembly Chairman Narayan Dahal and other ministers participated in the program. However, top leaders of the three major political parties were not seen in the program.
Nepal’s Constitution was declared on Ashoj 3, 2072 BS by the Constituent Assembly as the outcome of the Nepali people’s long struggle and sacrifices. Following the second Constituent Assembly election, the assembly promulgated the “Constitution of Nepal 2072” after tireless efforts and long debates.
London – Concluding a three-day visit to the United Kingdom, US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reaffirmed the enduring strength of the US-UK relationship, underlining their cooperation on trade, defense, and technology.
During a joint press briefing at Downing Street on Thursday, Trump praised the hospitality he received in Britain and stressed the importance of maintaining close ties with London despite recent transatlantic strains. Starmer, standing alongside him, described the United States and the United Kingdom as “first partners,” emphasizing their shared priorities in economic and security matters.
The visit came against the backdrop of European unease over Trump’s trade approach and his wavering stance on continued support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. However, the tone of the meetings in London pointed to a renewed commitment to bilateral unity. Both leaders agreed to strengthen trade discussions, expand cooperation in defense strategies, and enhance collaboration in emerging technologies.
The display of solidarity underscored the significance of the US-UK alliance after Britain’s departure from the European Union in 2020. The warm reception for Trump in London, coupled with Starmer’s message of partnership, signaled both governments’ determination to project stability and deepen cooperation despite broader geopolitical uncertainties.
London – US President Donald Trump said Thursday that his administration is working to reclaim the former US Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan from the Taliban, framing it as a matter of strategic importance.
Speaking alongside UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump criticized President Joe Biden’s handling of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, calling it a mistake that left the airbase in Taliban control. “We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us,” Trump told reporters, though he did not specify what the Taliban might seek from the United States.
Trump underscored the base’s strategic value, noting its location “an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons.” His remarks came amid reports that the Taliban, isolated on the world stage due to human rights abuses, have shown interest in improving ties with Washington.
According to Taliban officials, recent talks between their foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and US envoys Adam Boehler and Zalmay Khalilzad touched on the potential development of bilateral relations, issues concerning citizens, and investment opportunities in Afghanistan. While no formal agreements were announced, the discussions suggested cautious engagement between the two sides despite deep political and human rights divisions.
Kathmandu – US Ambassador to Nepal, Dean R. Thompson, paid a courtesy visit to newly appointed Prime Minister Sushila Karki on Thursday at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in Singha Durbar.
According to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, the two discussed matters of mutual interest during the meeting. Prime Minister Karki expressed gratitude to the United States for its continued support to Nepal and voiced confidence that the assistance would carry on in the future.
On behalf of the US government, Ambassador Thompson congratulated Prime Minister Karki on her appointment and reaffirmed America’s commitment to maintain its support for Nepal with the same priority as before. Ambassador Thompson offered condolences for the lives lost in Nepal’s recent protests and reaffirmed support for Nepal’s peaceful, democratic path forward.
Kathmandu – The government has begun preparations to allow Nepali citizens living abroad to cast their votes in the upcoming House of Representatives election scheduled for March 5 (Fagun 21).
Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal held talks with Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari to move forward on securing voting rights for citizens overseas.
Bhandari told , “We discussed the issue of voting rights for citizens abroad. The current law creates some obstacles, but we are looking into ways to address them and find a solution.”
Minister Aryal said the government is working to ensure at least proportional representation voting rights for Nepalese abroad. “There is a mandatory need to guarantee this right, at least under proportional representation. The Supreme Court has already issued an order on this matter. The Election Commission will identify the legal barriers, and the government will prepare the necessary law to move it forward,” he stated.
He added that the government plans to arrange voting through Nepal embassies in respective countries to secure the voting rights of citizens abroad.
Kathmandu – Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, Chen Song, met with Prime Minister Sushila Karki on Thursday to extend congratulations and best wishes on her appointment.
According to the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu, Ambassador Song expressed China’s commitment to continued support and cooperation during the meeting.
Both sides also exchanged views and agreed to further strengthen friendship and partnership between Nepal and China, the embassy stated.
Kathmandu – Newly appointed Prime Minister Sushila Karki spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a phone call today, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed.
During the conversation, Prime Minister Karki extended birthday greetings to Prime Minister Modi on his 75th birthday and highlighted the centuries-old friendly ties between Nepal and India. Karki also briefed Modi on Nepal’s latest political developments.
Prime Minister Modi congratulated Karki on assuming office and assured that India would continue to support Nepal as a close and reliable neighbor.
The two leaders also discussed Nepal-India relations, issues of mutual interest, and regional concerns, reaffirming their commitment to further strengthen bilateral cooperation.
Kathmandu – The parliamentary election scheduled for March 5, 2026 (Falgun 21, 2082 BS) is projected to cost at least Rs 5 billion, according to former officials of the Election Commission. In comparison, the 2022 general and provincial elections together cost Rs 5.82 billion. Since this time only the House of Representatives election will be held, former Chief Election Commissioners believe the process can be completed at a lower cost.
A former commissioner told that the financial burden on the government will not be heavy. “In 2022, both parliamentary and provincial elections were held together, requiring four ballot boxes per station. Now only two are needed. This alone will cut significant expenses,” he explained. According to him, ballot boxes alone could save around Rs 20–30 million, while the reduced requirement of ballot papers could save an additional Rs 150–200 million.
The number of election staff will also decrease. Previously, four staff members were needed for four ballot boxes at each polling station, but this time only two staff members will be sufficient. In addition, the Cabinet Secretariat has already decided not to provide extra allowances to election staff, further reducing costs.
Some observers had raised concerns that the absence of a Chief Election Commissioner and two vacant positions might affect the preparations. However, another former commissioner dismissed such worries, saying, “The acting chief commissioner has full authority. The commission can mobilize any level of staff to get the job done.”
The voter registration process has been halted since July 1 (Ashad 17), as required by law once an election date is announced. The Election Commission has noted that reopening registration would require a government ordinance.
With six months left until the polls, experts say the time frame is sufficient. “In the past, national elections have been held in as little as 84 days, and local elections in 86 days,” a former commissioner recalled. However, he added that in the current political climate, ordinances may be required to address the demands of groups involved in the recent Gen-Z movement that led to the government’s collapse and parliament’s dissolution.
Former commissioners also stressed that political consensus is more important than time or cost. “Elections are fundamentally political agreements. Without party consensus, elections cannot be legitimate,” .
Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal also underlined that elections are the only democratic way to resolve political disputes. Taking office this week, he said: “Political questions demand representation, and elections are the democratic medium for that. Banning political parties goes against the constitution. Any return of banned or displaced groups must be legitimized through elections.”
The Election Commission has said it is already preparing to hold the election on time. Spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai stated, “We are ready to conduct the polls in a free, fair, and peaceful environment.” A member of the commission confirmed that discussions with the Home Minister are scheduled this week to finalize legal adjustments, including whether to issue an ordinance to reopen voter registration.
Kathmandu- The NEPSE index has experienced a negative circuit break for the second time in the first hour of trading. The market fell by 107.04 points within two minutes of opening and was closed for 20 minutes. After that, the market opened and fell by 133.61 points within one minute and was closed for 40 minutes. With the second circuit break, the NEPSE index fell to 2,538.63 points.
The market that reopened then fell by 6 percent and entered the third circuit. During this period, the NEPSE fell by 160.33 points to 2,511.91 points.
The NEPSE index had closed at 2,672.25 points on the previous trading day, on Bhadra 23.
Riyadh – Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have signed a formal mutual defence agreement, marking a major step in their decades-long security partnership.
According to a joint statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, the pact reflects the shared commitment of both nations to strengthen security and peace in the region and beyond. It aims to expand defence cooperation and establish joint deterrence, declaring that “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both.”
The agreement was described as being rooted in the “historic partnership” between Riyadh and Islamabad, built on shared strategic interests and close defence cooperation.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met in Riyadh on Wednesday, where they discussed expanding the strategic partnership across multiple sectors, exchanged views on regional and global issues, and reaffirmed efforts toward stability. Sharif is currently on a state visit to Saudi Arabia.
“This agreement is a culmination of years of discussions. It is not a reaction to any specific country or event but rather the institutionalisation of our long-standing cooperation,” a senior Saudi official told press. When asked if the pact involved Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, the official described it as a “comprehensive defensive agreement that encompasses all military means” but did not provide further details.
The signing took place two days after an extraordinary joint session of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), convened in response to Israel’s September 9 attack on Doha, Qatar, which killed several Hamas political leaders who were meeting to discuss a US-backed ceasefire proposal. Arab and Islamic countries strongly condemned the strike.
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have maintained close trade and defence relations for decades. Since 1967, Pakistan has trained more than 8,200 Saudi military personnel, and the two countries have conducted multiple joint exercises.
Kathmandu- 90 Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs) and 48 Superintendents of Police (SPs) of Nepal Police have been transferred simultaneously. Inspector General of Police Chandrakuber Khapung has made a massive transfer of SPs and DSPs following the Gen Z movement.
The transfers include various offices and districts, including the Kathmandu Valley Circle. In-charges have been changed in some districts, areas and circles.
GAZA-Thousands of Palestinians are fleeing Gaza City as Israel’s ground assault escalates. The Israeli military says the operation aims to defeat around 3,000 Hamas fighters and free hostages, but the offensive has triggered strong international criticism.
Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said Israeli strikes hit al-Rantisi children’s hospital three times, forcing half of its patients and families to flee. Other hospitals reported at least 35 killed across Gaza on Wednesday, mostly in the north. Israel said it is reviewing the hospital strike reports and claimed it hit more than 150 “terror targets” in two days.
Aid agencies, including Save the Children and Oxfam, warned of an “unconscionable” humanitarian crisis. The UN says 190,000 people have fled Gaza City since August, while Israel claims 350,000 have left, with about 650,000 still inside.
Palestinians are evacuating via donkey carts, cars, and on foot, but costs are soaring.Trucks cost around 3,000 shekels ($900), and tents 4,000 shekels. Many families say the “humanitarian area” in al-Mawasi is overcrowded and unlivable, with some forced to return north.
Meanwhile, families of 48 hostages held by Hamas protested in Jerusalem, saying Israel’s assault puts their relatives at risk. The offensive has been condemned by the UN rights chief, Saudi Arabia, and Pope Leo XIV, who called Gaza’s conditions “unacceptable” and urged a ceasefire.
A UN inquiry accused Israel of genocide, alleging targeted attacks on civilians, children, and cultural sites. Israel rejected the report as “distorted and false.”
Since the war began at least 64,964 people have been killed, nearly half of them women and children. The UN has already declared famine in Gaza City and warned the worsening offensive will deepen the catastrophe.
Kathmandu – Senior leaders of the Janamat Party have demanded that party chairman Dr. CK Raut and head of the organization department Jaykant Raut resign within 24 hours, citing dissatisfaction with the leadership.
The demand was formally submitted through a joint statement signed by six leaders under the leadership of party vice-chairman Abdul Khana.
The leaders accused the current leadership of weak performance, lack of transparency in decision-making, and engaging in activities contrary to public sentiment. They argued that such shortcomings have prevented the party from moving forward in line with its core goals, ideology, and the spirit of its members.
Those who signed the demand include central spokesperson Dr. Sharadsingh Bhandari, Janamat Youth Union coordinator Sanjay Yadav, Janamat Health Workers’ Union coordinator CK Singh, Sudurpaschim Province in-charge Rajaram Chaudhary, and National Council member Bikram Bahadur Bam.
Questions remain about whether the collected funds will actually reach the victims in Nepal ?
Kathmandu – The Gen Z protests of Bhadra 23 and 24 shook Nepal and caught global attention. In response, Nepali diaspora communities, international citizens, and various organizations have launched crowdfunding initiatives to support the families of martyrs, the injured, and other victims of the movement.
On the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe alone, hundreds of campaigns have been created, collecting donations in U.S. dollars, British pounds, Australian dollars, and euros. In the past week, these efforts have gained significant momentum. Funds are being raised under titles such as financial support for martyrs’ families, medical expenses for the injured, reconstruction of damaged homes, aid for uninsured victims, volunteer costs, and campaigns against corruption.
Some notable examples include:
Rashika Chamlagaai from Charlotte, North Carolina, who has raised over USD 25,948 (about NPR 3.4 million) under the campaign “Stand with Nepal: Help Families of Martyrs.”
The Nepali Business Directory in the UK, which has raised GBP 14,862 (about NPR 2.5 million) through the appeal “Support the Victims of Nepal’s Gen Z Protests.”
Prabin Sharma from Quincy, U.S., who collected USD 9,708 (about NPR 1.29 million) for rebuilding his mother’s vandalized home.
Brian White from Longview, U.S., who gathered USD 6,816 (about NPR 900,000) for uninsured victims.
Vijay Sapkota from Leuven, Belgium, who raised EUR 3,801 (about NPR 540,000) under the campaign “Nepal’s Gen Z Movement: Medical and Emergency Support.”
These campaigns, run from cities across the U.S., UK, Australia, and Europe, highlight the strong participation of the Nepali diaspora and international supporters. However, questions remain about whether the collected funds will actually reach the victims in Nepal. Without strong oversight and credible channels, there is no guarantee that the money raised will reach the real victims and families who need it most.
Kathmandu – During the Gen Z protests on September 8 and 9 , nearly Rs 380 million worth of gold and cash was looted from the Rastriya Banijya Bank branch located inside the Parliament building. Nepal Rastra Bank Governor Dr. Bishwanath Paudel confirmed the incident, stating that Rs 50 million in cash and 18 kilograms of gold were stolen.
According to Governor Paudel, the branch experienced a “serious burglary.” He personally inspected the site on September 11 after the protests subsided. Initial investigations revealed that lockers inside the branch had been broken open to steal the cash and gold.
So far, no suspects have been arrested. Nepal Rastra Bank and police are reviewing CCTV footage to identify those involved. Governor Paudel explained that although protesters did not specifically target banks, the Parliament branch became vulnerable due to its location.
Rastriya Banijya Bank CEO Devendra Raman Khanal said the investigation is in its final stage and that an official report on the scale of loss will be made public soon.
Preliminary data from the Bankers’ Association and Nepal Rastra Bank shows that 68 bank branches and 69 ATMs across the country were damaged during the protests. However, the Parliament branch is the only one where a large amount of gold and cash was confirmed stolen.
Kathmandu-Today, followers of the Vedic Sanatan Hindu faith are celebrating Bishwakarma Puja, honoring Lord Bishwakarma, revered as the divine creator of crafts, architecture, and technology.
According to religious belief, even in the age of the gods, Lord Bishwakarma is said to have created thousands of tools, machines, and vehicles. Following this tradition, Nepalese mark the day by worshiping machinery, industrial equipment, weapons, and vehicles in their factories, workshops, and homes.
Lord Bishwakarma is also regarded as the originator of Vastu Shastra (the ancient science of architecture). Vastu is explained as an ancient science that considers directions, constellations, angles, the five elements, and the shape of land. It is believed that houses built according to Vastu principles bring happiness, prosperity, and well-being.
On this day, idols of Lord Bishwakarma are installed and worshiped. The following day, these idols are ritually immersed in a nearby river or pond.
According to scriptures, Bishwakarma is considered the son of Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe.
Kathmandu — President Ramchandra Paudel has officially ended the ongoing session of the National Assembly based on the recommendation of the Cabinet meeting held on Monday evening.
In line with Article 93 (2) of the Constitution of Nepal, the session has been concluded effective from Tuesday midnight. With the House of Representatives already dissolved and the National Assembly session now closed, the government has been cleared to issue ordinances.
Kathmandu — Prime Minister Sushila Karki held a courtesy meeting with Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava at Singha Durbar.
During the meeting, Ambassador Srivastava reaffirmed India’s longstanding support for Nepal’s progress and prosperity, expressing commitment to continue assisting Nepal in development and reconstruction efforts. He also stressed that India stands for peace, good governance, and stability in Nepal.
It has also been confirmed that Prime Minister Karki will hold a virtual meeting with her Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, on Thursday.
Kathmandu — Prime Minister Sushila Karki has ruled out the possibility of reinstating the dissolved Parliament, saying it has already been “demoralized.”
In an interview with BBC Nepali Service, Karki said, “As far as I see, Parliament can no longer be active. It is in a demoralized state, and so are the political parties. The main priority now is elections.” She added that if the Supreme Court or any court orders reinstatement, she would abide by it, but she does not believe Parliament can function again.
Karki revealed that her cabinet will have up to 11 members, with some ministers possibly handling more than one ministry. She also said President Ram Chandra Paudel suggested including political figures in the cabinet, but she declined, deciding to appoint only non-political individuals. She emphasized that women, indigenous groups, Dalits, and marginalized communities would be represented.
Karki committed to holding elections within six months. “If elections cannot be held within six months, it may extend by a month or two, but we are not in favor of unnecessary delays,” she said.
She stressed that her government will work on ensuring good governance in line with youth demands. Referring to the recent protests and unrest, Karki said all those responsible will face legal action based on the findings of a high-level judicial probe committee.
On foreign relations, Karki stated that ties with India and China remain intact and that the interim government aims to maintain friendly relations with both.
Defending her ability to govern, she said she remains active and capable of working every day. She highlighted her choice of trusted and capable officials, mentioning Rameshwar, Kulman, and Om as strong and supportive colleagues.
Karki also made it clear that she will not contest in the upcoming elections. “Once elections are held, I will feel free in the open world,” she said.
Makwanpur — Sixteen soldiers were injured after a Nepal Army truck met with an accident on the East-West Highway at Churiya Mai, Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan-15, located on the border of Makwanpur and Bara.
The accident occurred at around 2:50 PM on Tuesday when a military convoy from No. 2 Rajdal Battalion, Tanahun, was heading toward Dhanusha under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Harsh Bikram Adhikari. Out of the four trucks in the convoy, the one with registration number Lu Ga 280 overturned, according to Makwanpur Police.
Police confirmed that 22 soldiers were on board when the truck veered off the roadside bridge and plunged about 10–12 feet into a stream, leaving 16 injured. Among them, three are reported to be in serious condition while the others sustained minor injuries, said DSP Shyamu Aryal, spokesperson for Makwanpur Police.
Following the incident, a rescue team led by DSP Aryal was deployed. The injured soldiers were immediately rescued with the help of fellow army personnel and taken to Hetauda Hospital for treatment.
Kathmandu — Prime Minister Sushila Karki has announced the formation of a separate commission to investigate corruption, saying it is necessary as part of the mandate of the recent movement.
She explained that the commission would conduct investigations and create a foundation that would make it easier for the next government to act.
“In cases where corruption and irregularities are found, if we at least complete the investigation and bring them to the point of action, the government will be able to function. Our role is to pave the way,” Karki told in an interview.
The Prime Minister also revealed that a three-member commission will be formed to investigate the suppression of the Gen Z protests. The commission will initially be given one month to complete its work, with the option of a 15-day extension if needed. The Council of Ministers had already made a policy decision yesterday to establish the commission.
Karki added that since the government’s term is only six months, her goal is to achieve the maximum possible within this period.
Kathmandu — Nepal government ministers Kulman Ghising and Om Prakash Aryal have draped the national flag to pay their last respects to the “Gen Z” martyrs at Pashupati Aryaghat.
Similarly, the Armed Police Force has also paid its last respects to the “Gen Z” martyrs.
The government has declared those who died during the Gen Z movement as martyrs and cremated them with national honors. A day of mourning will be observed on Asoj 1 in their honor and memory.
Kathmandu – Minister for Energy Kulman Ghising and Minister for Home and Law Om Prakash Aryal participated in the funeral procession of those who lost their lives during the Gen Z movement.
Energy Minister Kulman carried the national flag during the funeral procession, while Law Minister Aryal draped the national flag.
The bodies of the Gen Z martyrs who died in the Gen Z movement have been taken to Pashupati Aryaghat for the last rites. They will be cremated there with full national honors.
Kathmandu – A mass funeral procession and final tribute is being held today for 10 people who lost their lives during the recent Gen Z protests in Kathmandu. Funeral procession preparations are underway at Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj, where the bodies of the victims were kept after they lost their lives during treatment.
Of the 10 victims, the bodies of 6 will be flown from Tribhuvan International Airport to their respective hometowns, while the remaining 4 will be cremated with national honors at Pashupati Aryaghat.
Some victims of the Gen Z movement had already been cremated earlier.
According to reports, the protests led by Gen Z against corruption on September 8 and 9 (Bhadra 23 and 24) have so far claimed 72 lives.
Kathmandu — In July alone, NPR 177,410,000,000 entered the country as remittances. This is a 29.9% increase from the same month last year. In July last year, remittance inflows were NPR 136,600,000,000.
In US dollar terms, remittance inflows rose 25% to USD 1,270,000,000 in July. Last year the dollar inflow rose 15.8% in the same month.
During the same period, 44,466 Nepalese received final labor approval for foreign employment (institutional and individual, new), and 23,644 people renewed their labor approval. In the same month last year, those numbers were 36,928 and 22,647, respectively.
The current account was in surplus by NPR 78,140,000,000 in July. In the same month last year the current account was in surplus by NPR 33,080,000,000. In US dollar terms, the current account surplus was USD 560,000,000 in the review month, up from USD 250,000,000 in the same month last year.
On the balance of payments, the post-clearance position was in surplus by NPR 89,300,000,000 in the first month of the fiscal year. A year earlier, the post-clearance position was in surplus by NPR 40,900,000,000. In US dollar terms that was USD 640,000,000 in the review period and USD 310,000,000 in the same month last year.
By the end of July, foreign exchange reserves reached NPR 2,806,040,000,000. At the end of Ashad 2082 the reserve was NPR 2,677,680,000,000. In US dollars, the reserve was USD 19,500,000,000 at the end of Ashad and rose 2.7% to USD 20,030,000,000 at the end of Shrawan.
Based on the first month’s imports in the current fiscal year, the reserves can cover 20.4 months of goods imports and 16.6 months of goods and services imports. The central bank set a target this year to hold reserves sufficient for 7 months of imports.
Inflation and price details:
Annual point-to-point consumer price inflation in July: 1.68% (last year 4.09%).
Food and beverage inflation: 2.28% (last year 6.17%).
Non-food and services inflation: 3.95% (last year 2.94%).
Kathmandu: According to the Nepal Gold and Silver Merchants Federation, gold and silver prices have reached their highest point yet. On Tuesday, the price of gold increased by Rs 1,900 per tola to Rs 217,100.
On Monday, the price of gold had reached Rs 215,200 per tola.
Similarly, silver has increased by Rs 20 to its highest ever price. The federation said that silver is being bought and sold at Rs 2,595 today.
Washington – The United States has destroyed another vessel in international waters accused of smuggling drugs from Venezuela, President Donald Trump announced on Monday.
Trump said the action was part of his broader crackdown in the Caribbean against drug cartels, which he claims are supported by the Venezuelan government. Caracas has denied this accusation.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump shared a video of the strike, saying the boat was operated by “positively identified, extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists.” He added that three people were killed during the operation. “Be warned – if you are transporting drugs that can kill Americans, we are hunting you!” Trump wrote.
This operation follows a September 2 strike in which another vessel was destroyed and 11 people were killed, according to Trump.
The US had already imposed sanctions on Venezuela during Trump’s first term and recently increased its reward for information leading to President Nicolas Maduro’s arrest to $50 million.
Maduro has condemned the US military presence near Venezuela’s coast, calling it an attempt to remove him from power. Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello stated last week that the country was prepared for a “prolonged war” if open conflict begins.
Dhanusha – Police have recovered two firearms that were looted during the Gen-Z protest in Janakpurdham. The guns had been seized from security personnel guarding the Madhesh Province Public Service Commission office.
Three men accused of involvement in the looting and vandalism were arrested: Manish Kumar Adhikari (37) of Janakpurdham Sub-Metropolitan City-9, Santosh Kumar Yadav (21), and Manish Sah (25) of Yadukuha, Shahidnagar Municipality-3, police said.
According to Police , around 50–60 people stormed the office premises on Tuesday evening, damaging four vehicles and CCTV cameras before stealing the weapons.
Police identified the suspects through CCTV footage analysis and further investigation is underway. Authorities said efforts to track down other individuals involved in the looting are ongoing.
Kathmandu – Newly appointed Energy Minister Kulman Ghising has decided to instruct the Electricity Authority to recover the outstanding amount of the dedicated trunk line as his first decision after assuming office.
Ghising had tried to recover the outstanding amount when he was the executive director of the authority, but the then government had blocked it. Not only that, he was also dismissed from the post .
Kathmandu – Newly appointed Finance Minister Rameshwor Khanal has taken the first decision to not implement piecemeal projects after assuming office.
He has said that expenses will be cut by not implementing the piecemeal plan due to the unpreparedness and the need to address the demands of the youth and hold elections.
Madrid – US and Chinese officials are meeting in Spain for a second day of trade talks, just days before the deadline for TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance to find a US buyer or face a ban.
Talks are led by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, aiming to ease trade tensions after both sides extended their tariff truce until 10 November.
President Donald Trump, who once pushed for a TikTok ban, has delayed it three times and hinted the deadline may be extended again. He recently downplayed security concerns, calling them “overrated.”
TikTok has about 170 million US users, and the White House even launched an official account in August.
Officials may also use the talks to prepare for a possible Trump–Xi meeting in October at a South Korea summit.
Doha – Arab and Islamic states have convened an emergency meeting in Qatar following Israel’s air strike last week on Hamas leaders in Doha.
A draft resolution condemns what it calls Israel’s “hostile acts including genocide, ethnic cleansing, and starvation,” warning these threaten “prospects of peace and coexistence.” Israel has firmly rejected such accusations.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani urged the international community to end “double standards” and take action against Israel.
The UN Security Council condemned Israel’s strike on Doha, stressing the need for de-escalation and expressing solidarity with Qatar.
Israel defended the strike, with President Isaac Herzog stating it was necessary to “remove some of the people if they are not willing to get a deal” to end the war. Hamas confirmed its negotiating team survived the 9 September strike, though five members, including the son of chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, were killed along with a Qatari security officer.
Qatar has been a central mediator in indirect talks between Hamas and Israel since 2012, while also serving as a key US ally and host to a major American airbase.
Kathmandu – Minister Kulman Ghising, who is scheduled to enter Singha Durbar today after taking oath as a minister from President Poudel, has reached Teaching Hospital to meet the citizens injured during the Gen Z movement before entering Singha Durbar. He has also met the relatives and family of those who lost thier life during the movement.
Ghising reached the hospital immediately after assuming office at Sheetal Niwas. He has been given the responsibility of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Physical Infrastructure and Urban Development.
Prime Minister Sushila Karki had appointed him as a minister only on Sunday. After meeting the injured, Ghising gave a brief response and said that now the country will move in a new direction and take a new form.
Kathmandu- Three ministers participating in the interim government led by Sushila Karki took the oath of office and secrecy at the President’s residence, Sheetal Niwas, today.
President Ram Chandra Poudel administered the oath of office and secrecy to newly appointed Minister for Home Affairs and Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Om Prakash Aryal, Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Physical Infrastructure and Transport and Urban Development Kulman Ghising, and Minister for Finance Rameshwor Khanal.
Kathmandu – The Federal Parliament Secretariat has urged the return of looted goods during the protest of Gen Z Youth.
The Internal Services and Planning Branch of the Federal Parliament Secretariat has issued a notice, requesting the return of goods including printers, scanners, cameras, televisions, monitors, microphones, mixers, speakers, photocopy machines, electrical appliances.
If you have information about the location or person where such goods are located, you are requested to inform the Federal Parliament Secretariat and if there is a video of the goods being taken, you are also requested to provide it. The Parliament Secretariat has stated that the identity of the person providing the video/information will be kept confidential.
Kathmandu – Schools across the Kathmandu Valley, which had remained closed due to the Gen-Z protests, gradually reopened on Monday.
Some schools had been set on fire during the protests, prompting administrations to suspend classes for several days citing safety concerns. With conditions now improving, schools have resumed regular teaching activities.
Kathmandu – The ministers joining the interim government led by Prime Minister Sushila Karki will take their oath of office today at around 11:30 AM.
According to the Office of the President, President Ramchandra Paudel will administer the oath to newly appointed ministers Om Prakash Aryal, Kulman Ghising, and Rameshwor Khanal.
In Karki’s interim government, former NEA chief Kulman Ghising has been appointed Minister for Energy, Physical Infrastructure, and Urban Development, former Finance Secretary Rameshwor Khanal has been appointed Finance Minister, and Om Prakash Aryal has been appointed Minister for Home Affairs and Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs.
Kathmandu – As part of Prime Minister Sushila Karki’s interim government bringing in subject experts to the cabinet, the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance has been given to former Finance Secretary Rameshwor Khanal.
Khanal, widely regarded as an expert in economic administration, spent most of his career in the Ministry of Finance. He served as Finance Secretary from August 2008 to March 2011, and earlier as Revenue Secretary from August 2006.
During his tenure as secretary, he worked with finance ministers including Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat, Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, Surendra Pandey, and Bharat Mohan Adhikari. Khanal resigned from his post when Adhikari was finance minister, after learning that the budget was being prepared outside the ministry.
Earlier, while serving as joint secretary, Khanal led the Budget and Program Division and the Foreign Aid Coordination Division.
After retiring from the Ministry of Finance, Khanal has remained active in research, teaching, consultation, and policy studies.
Kathmandu – The interim government led by Prime Minister Sushila Karki has appointed former Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Executive Director Kulman Ghising as the Minister for Energy, Physical Infrastructure, and Urban Development.
Ghising, known as the “Light of Nepal” and nicknamed the “Electricity Man” for his role in ending load-shedding during his tenure at NEA, was earlier removed from the post by the government led by KP Sharma Oli.
Prime Minister Karki has announced plans to keep her cabinet limited to 11 members, which means the appointed ministers may also need to take responsibility for additional ministries.
Kathmandu – Prime Minister Sushila Karki has expanded her cabinet, appointing Om Prakash Aryal as the Minister for Home Affairs and the Minister for Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs.
Aryal, an advocate, previously served as the legal advisor to Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balen Shah. During his career, he filed several high-profile public interest writs, including challenges to the appointment of Lokman Singh Karki, the policy corruption case involving Giribandhu Tea Estate, and the dissolution of Parliament.
Kathmandu – President Ramchandra Paudel has appointed Sabita Bhandari Baral as the Attorney General. The Office of the President stated that the appointment was made on the recommendation of Prime Minister Sushila Karki under Article 157(2) of the Constitution.
Senior advocate Bhandari has become Nepal’s first female Attorney General. Earlier, following the fall of the government led by KP Sharma Oli, then-Attorney General Ramesh Badal resigned on Sunday.
After his resignation, Prime Minister Karki decided to appoint Bhandari as Attorney General. Karki had assumed the post of Prime Minister on the proposal of Gen Z activists. President Paudel appointed her with the condition of holding elections within six months. The interim government has set the election date for March 5.
Kathmandu – Prime Minister Sushila Karki announced that she will not remain in office for more than six months. Addressing the nation after assuming office today, she said her leadership was not driven by personal desire but by compulsion of the current crisis.
“I did not come here out of ambition. People from the streets and across the country demanded that I take responsibility, so I had no choice. I am not here to enjoy power or position, nor is it the time of my life for that. I was called to serve, and that is why I am here,” Karki stated.
She emphasized that her government’s work would be completed within six months, after which responsibility would be handed over to a new parliament and ministers.
Karki stressed the importance of collective support to overcome the crisis. “Without everyone’s support, it is not possible to move forward. The security agencies must also stand together. Please support me,” she appealed.
She added that the circumstances were highly challenging but called for unity and cooperation to guide the nation through the difficult period.
Kathmandu — Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) leader and former Education Minister Sumana Shrestha has announced her resignation from the party, expressing strong dissatisfaction with its leadership.
In her statement, Shrestha accused the leadership of repeatedly making mistakes and forcing the entire party to bear the consequences. She criticized the tendency to launch media trials against those who voice internal criticism.
She wrote, “From the moment the Rastriya Swatantra Party began placing the party above the country, and the leader above the party, I have been critical. But nothing changed. Instead, media trials began against me. This is unacceptable.”
Shrestha added that she is ready to face open attacks and has stepped aside to make it easier for the leadership. “Do as you wish for as long as you wish,” she concluded.
Kathmandu — Two people seriously injured during the Gen Z protests have died while undergoing treatment, according to hospital sources. Both were on ventilator support at Bir Hospital.
With these deaths, the overall toll from the protests has climbed to 72. Chief Secretary Ek Narayan Aryal confirmed that among the dead are 59 protesters, 10 inmates, and 3 security personnel. Additionally, 133 protesters and 57 security personnel are still receiving treatment for injuries.
Earlier, six charred bodies were recovered from the Bhatbhateni store in Chabahil Chucchepati, and officials warn that the death toll could continue to rise.
New York – The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday passed a resolution with overwhelming support in favor of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, explicitly excluding Hamas from future governance in Gaza.
The resolution, which is non-binding, received 142 votes in favor, 10 against, and 12 abstentions. Ukraine supported the motion, while Israel and the United States opposed it. The measure calls for Hamas to be disarmed and for a permanent settlement to the Gaza war based on the creation of separate states.
Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon dismissed the move as a “hollow gesture” and “not a serious attempt at peacemaking,” arguing it would prolong the war and “reward” Hamas rather than weaken it. Hamas has not issued a response to the resolution.
This is the strongest-worded UNGA resolution to date on Gaza, directly urging Hamas to relinquish control after nearly two decades of rule. Hamas rose to power after defeating Fatah in the 2006 election and seizing full control of Gaza the following year.
At the upcoming UNGA session on September 22, Britain, France, Canada, Australia, and Belgium are expected to follow suit. Russia has reiterated its stance that a two-state solution is the only viable path to de-escalation, continuing its long-standing recognition of Palestine since the Soviet era.
Kathmandu — Newly appointed Prime Minister Sushila Karki has officially assumed office. She took charge today during a ceremony held at Singha Durbar.
Following the arson attack on the Prime Minister’s Office during the recent Gen Z movement, her new office has been set up at the Ministry of Home Affairs building.
Before assuming office, Prime Minister Karki visited the Martyrs’ Memorial at Lainchaur, where she laid a wreath in honor of the martyrs.
Kathmandu — The United States has welcomed the appointment of former Chief Justice Sushila Karki as Nepal’s interim prime minister, describing it as a step toward peaceful resolution following the tragic incidents during the recent Gen Z movement.
The US also praised President Ramchandra Paudel and youth leaders for their commitment to democratic solutions.
In a statement, the US Embassy in Nepal acknowledged the role of President Paudel and Chief of Army Staff Ashok Raj Sigdel, stating, “We commend their significant role in easing the transition and helping restore a peaceful civilian government and democratic order.”
Expressing solidarity with Nepal during this difficult period, the United States reiterated its readiness to cooperate as the country prepares for new elections in the coming months.
Kathmandu — Nationwide Gen Z-led protests in Nepal have resulted in widespread arson, looting, and vandalism, affecting more than 300 local government offices. Among the country’s six metropolitan cities, offices in Biratnagar, Birgunj, Pokhara, and Bharatpur were completely destroyed, while Kathmandu and Lalitpur remained largely untouched. Daily administrative operations have been halted in the affected areas.
The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration reports that over 200 municipalities, sub-metropolitan, and metropolitan offices have suffered damage. Urban areas were particularly hard-hit, with widespread destruction from Jhapa in the east to Kanchanpur in the far west. Preliminary data show that municipalities were more affected than rural local governments, with 29 rural municipalities experiencing arson or vandalism,18 fully destroyed and 11 partially damaged. Several municipal chairpersons also reported attacks on their homes.
In Biratnagar, a four-story municipal building and two ward offices were burned. In Birgunj, three of seven municipal buildings were rendered unusable, and 95% of government property was destroyed, some later recovered with police assistance. Pokhara saw 26 of 33 ward offices damaged, with nine vehicles burned and valuable equipment looted. Bharatpur’s municipal office was gutted, including fire engines and garbage trucks. Local officials reported that looting typically preceded the fires, and perpetrators were recognized by residents.
The Kathmandu Valley also witnessed extensive damage in 18 urban municipalities and sub-metropolitan areas. In Kirtipur, a six-story municipal building, 10 vehicles, and over 22 motorcycles were destroyed. Ward offices in Gokarneshwor, Tarkeshwar, Dakshinkali, and other municipalities faced arson and vandalism. Bhaktapur’s Suryavinayak municipal office and Lalitpur’s Mahalakshmi Municipality experienced similar destruction. Local residents in some areas intervened to chase away attackers, but officials warn that normal operations cannot resume for some time, and safety concerns remain high.
The scale of destruction has paralyzed essential government services, highlighting the intensity of public anger. Ministry officials estimate that damage spans across all provinces, underscoring the protests’ national reach. Local leaders and security authorities now face the challenge of restoring order, rebuilding infrastructure, and addressing the grievances that fueled the unrest.
Kathmandu – The Election Commission has started preparations for the parliamentary elections scheduled for March 5, following the government’s decision to dissolve the House of Representatives.
Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari said the commission is ready to hold the election if the government ensures the necessary resources. He noted that while elections typically require at least 120 days of preparation, the commission is prepared to conduct them within six months.
According to Bhandari, preparatory tasks such as management and updating the voter list are already underway. “Once the government provides the resources, the commission will not face any difficulty,” he said.
He added that after the official election announcement is issued by the Prime Minister and the President’s Office, the remaining processes will move forward in coordination with the Ministry of Home Affairs. Once the minister is involved, consultations will take place, and the commission will proceed as instructed. But we are ready to move forward as soon as resources are secured,” Bhandari explained.
He also pointed out that the term of one-third of National Assembly members will expire in mid-February, requiring elections to be completed at least 35 days in advance. He said the House of Representatives and National Assembly elections will be conducted simultaneously.
Washington – US President Donald Trump has said he is prepared to enforce tough sanctions on Russia, but only if all NATO member states act collectively and stop buying Russian oil.
Writing on his Truth Social page. he criticized NATO members for continuing to import Russian oil, calling it “shocking” and claiming it undermines the alliance’s ability to negotiate strongly. “Anyway, I am ready to ‘go’ when you are. Just say when,” Trump added.
Trump also urged NATO members to impose tariffs of 50 to 100 percent on China, arguing that such measures could help bring an end to the war in Ukraine. He suggested the tariffs could later be lifted once a peaceful settlement is reached.
Trump referred to the conflict in Ukraine as Biden’s and Zelensky’s war,” and said, “If NATO does as I say, the war will end quickly, and all of those lives will be saved. If not, you are just wasting my time, and the time, energy, and money of the United States.”
Kathmandu- President Ramchandra Paudel has urged all parties to assist in successfully conducting the upcoming parliamentary elections.
In a statement released on Saturday, he emphasized that after arduous efforts amid extremely challenging circumstances, a peaceful resolution has been achieved. He called on all stakeholders to cooperate in ensuring the upcoming election is carried out smoothly.
Highlighting the preservation of the constitution and parliamentary system, President Paudel stated that the democratic republic remains intact. He noted that citizens now have the opportunity to advance Nepal toward a stronger democracy by holding elections for the House of Representatives within six months.
He said, “After strenuous efforts under extremely difficult, complex, and tense conditions, a peaceful resolution has been reached. The constitution has been preserved, the parliamentary system remains, and the federal democratic republic is intact. Citizens now have the opportunity to conduct the House of Representatives elections within six months and move forward on the path of a more advanced democracy. Therefore, I earnestly appeal to all parties to make the most of this hard-won opportunity, work to engage the people, uphold responsibility, and assist in ensuring the elections are successfully conducted.”
Kathmandu – The District Security Committee has lifted the curfew and prohibitory order in Kathmandu. However, restricted zones in key areas, imposed to prevent protests and demonstrations, remain in place.
According to SSP Bishwo Adhikari, the decision was made during a security review meeting held on Saturday morning. Following the removal of restrictions, public movement on the streets has increased, shops have reopened, and daily life in Kathmandu is gradually returning to normal.
Kathmandu – Former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, who had already made history as Nepal’s first female Chief Justice, has now become the country’s first female and 39th Prime Minister.
She was administered the oath of office today by President Ramchandra Paudel. Karki assumed leadership of the interim government after the fall of KP Oli’s administration, following the Gen Z movement.
Dharan – Four charred bodies have been recovered from the Bhatbhateni Supermarket at Putaliline, Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City-9, which was set on fire during the Gen Z protests.
According to District Police Office spokesperson Yogaraj Khatri, the deceased are believed to be protesters who entered the supermarket during the demonstrations on September 9. He said the victims were trapped inside when the fire broke out.
Three of the bodies were found on the fourth floor and one on the second floor. Due to their burned condition, identification is not immediately possible and will now require DNA testing. The bodies have been sent to BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences in Dharan for further examination.
On the evening of September 9, around 7 pm, a group of protesters reportedly broke into the supermarket, poured petrol, and set it ablaze. The fire was brought under control only by the following morning.
Kathmandu – Nepal Police has called on the public to provide evidence to help take action against those involved in arson and looting during the recent Gen Z protests.
Requesting public support, police asked for photos, videos, and social media links related to incidents of arson, looting, and other activities that created fear among people in Kathmandu Valley and other parts of the country. Such evidence can be sent to the official police email address, [email protected] . Police also assured that the identity of those providing information would remain confidential.
During the Gen Z demonstrations on September 8 and 9, public and private properties across the country were damaged, with reports of cash, jewelry, and goods being looted. This time, even police offices and barracks were attacked and set on fire, with weapons, uniforms, and even food items like rice and lentils looted, according to police.
Police added that they had identified and arrested most of those involved in violent activities from March 28 protest, and warned that similar legal action would be taken against those responsible for violence during the Gen Z protests.
Kathmandu – Authorities have confirmed that 51 people have died across the country during the “Gen Z” protests.
According to police, among the deceased are 3 police personnel, 1 Indian national, and other Nepali citizens.
Today, the bodies of four youths who lost their lives during the protests were cremated at Pashupati Aryaghat. After postmortem examinations at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, their families carried out the final rites at the Aryaghat.
Kathmandu – As the process of forming an interim government gains pace, a consensus has been reached to appoint former Chief Justice Sushila Karki as Prime Minister. However, the sensitive issue of whether to dissolve parliament remains unresolved.
The agreement was reached during a late-night meeting at the President’s Office, Sheetal Niwas, on Thursday. The meeting, attended by President Ram Chandra Paudel, lasted nearly four and a half hours, beginning at 10:30 p.m. and concluding at 3:30 a.m. on Friday.
The decision was made following a proposal from Gen Z representatives. Alongside them, Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah (Balen) and Chief of Army Staff Ashokraj Sigdel also expressed support for Karki leading the interim government.
Still, President Paudel has not reached a conclusion on whether to dissolve parliament. It has been agreed that discussions will resume at 9 a.m. on Friday. He has also begun separate consultations with Speaker Devraj Ghimire regarding this matter.
Participants in the talks noted that the constitution does not allow a non-parliamentarian to become Prime Minister while parliament is still in place, which has complicated the decision. However, President Paudel has sought advice from constitutional experts on whether Article 61 (4), which grants the President authority to “remove obstacles,” could be applied. Legal experts advised that as the guardian of the nation, the President could take a decision that causes the least harm, even in exceptional situations.
This political development follows the Gen Z protests, which escalated after government crackdowns left 19 youths dead on September 8. The Ministry of Health confirmed that the death toll had risen to 36 by Thursday evening, with two more injured succumbing during treatment. So far, 1,330 of the injured have been discharged after treatment, while 322 remain hospitalized.
Kathmandu – The Supreme Court of Nepal is set to resume operations from Sunday. An emergency full bench meeting held on Thursday decided to begin registering and hearing habeas corpus petitions on a regular basis.
In a press release issued by Chief Justice Prakamansingh Raut, it was stated, “Starting Sunday, September 15, 2025 (2082/05/29 BS), this court will commence the registration and regular hearings of habeas corpus petitions. This decision was made by today’s emergency full bench meeting for the information of the general public.”
Although several important documents related to Nepal’s judicial history were destroyed in the recent arson attack at the Supreme Court, the press release stressed that the court remains committed to fulfilling its constitutional responsibilities.
“The arson nearly wiped out vital documents of Nepal’s judicial history,” the statement read. “Even under such difficult circumstances, the judiciary will continue to uphold the responsibilities entrusted to it by the Constitution, safeguard sovereignty, constitutionalism, the rule of law, fundamental rights, and the citizens’ right to justice. The court reaffirms its commitment to remain steadfast on the path of justice and resume operations as soon as possible to address public expectations.”
Former President Bidhya Devi Bhandari has stated that the government should be formed in coordination between the President and the Speaker of the House.
Issuing a statement on Thursday, Bhandari said, “After the resignation of the Prime Minister and its approval by the President, the government is in a caretaker position. However, we still have institutions like the President and the elected Parliament as provided by the Constitution. Therefore, at this moment, the process of forming a new Council of Ministers must move forward through constitutional procedures, coordinated by the President and the Speaker of the House. In this process, the President should take the initiative.”
She stressed that the solution must come from within the framework of the Constitution. “This Constitution stands as a symbol of the sacrifice, dedication, and struggle of the Nepali people. It is also one of the finest Constitutions. Hence, even in such a difficult political situation, we must move forward by upholding the spirit and values of the Constitution and finding a way out through its provisions,” she said.
Bhandari further noted that the concerns of the Gen Z movement must be addressed with seriousness. “The current political problem must be resolved from within the Constitution. While doing so, we must pay serious attention to the demands and aspirations expressed by the Gen Z generation,” she stated.
She cautioned that the enthusiasm of Gen Z should not be undermined by any decision that could harm the democratic system. “I firmly believe that although social media was shut down, suffocating Nepali society, Gen Z has imagined a freer, more democratic, and progressive Nepal. Therefore, no decision should be taken that harms their democratic spirit or undermines the principle of people’s sovereignty,” Bhandari emphasized.
Kathmandu – Nepal Police has appealed to the public to return weapons, communication devices, vehicles, uniforms, and other items that were seized or found during the recent protests.
In a statement issued today, police requested that items looted during the demonstrations held between September 8 and September 10 be returned.
The police asked anyone in possession of such materials to hand them over to the nearest police or security office, the District Police Office, or contact Police Control at 100, the toll-free number 16600141516, or Nepal Police Headquarters at 9851293459.
The statement also urged the public not to misuse police uniforms taken during the protests and to provide any related information to the authorities.
Kathmandu – Nepal Rastra Bank has instructed banks and financial institutions to continue providing essential services without disruption.
In a notice issued on Thursday, the central bank stated that as per the directive of the Nepal Army, sensitive systems must remain operational to ensure essential banking and digital payment services even under restricted movement.
The bank further directed that along with others, services should be operated through remote access if necessary. It also instructed institutions to publish related information on their official websites.
Kathmandu- Tribhuvan University will remain closed until October 27, with classes resuming only from October 28, according to the University’s Information and Public Relations Division.
In a public notice, the University stated that due to the unusual situation in the country, all academic activities will be suspended till October 27. The University clarified that these days will be adjusted by shortening the upcoming winter vacation.
Kathmandu – Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balen Shah has called on Generation Z to move forward toward shaping the country’s future. In a message shared through social media, he stated that Nepal has now entered the path of forming an interim government, which will lead the nation toward a new mandate.
Shah expressed his full support for former Chief Justice Sushila Karki to lead the interim electoral government. He also suggested to the President that the parliament should be dissolved immediately and an interim government should be formed without delay.
Kathmandu-The Nepal Army’s Public Relations and Information Directorate has announced that a curfew order has been issued.
The curfew currently in effect will remain in effect throughout the country until 5 p.m. and the curfew order will continue until 6 a.m. tomorrow, the army has stated.
Kathmandu – The Nepali Army has started patrolling the streets of Kathmandu following the Gen Z movement. After the human loss and physical infrastructure was damaged during the movement, the Nepali Army took over the responsibility of security of the country by leading peacekeeping operations from 10 pm last night.
The army is urging the public not to leave their homes unless it is emergency . However, the army has allowed people in need to move out freely after questioning and checking the identity cards.
Kathmandu – The Nepal Army has provided an emergency number to immediately report arson, looting or any other incident on public property.
For which, the Nepal Army’s emergency contact numbers can be called 01-5979223,01-5979000 and 01-5979224.
The army has moved forward with all security agencies and protest groups to take action against those who vandalize public and private property in various parts of the country.
After the blood of innocent youths was spilled on Nepal’s streets, one truth became undeniable, tyranny cannot survive. The brutal crackdown that killed 20 young citizens during the “Gen Z” anti-corruption protests has brought an end to Prime Minister K. P. Oli’s government.
The nation witnessed an extraordinary moment of fury and grief. Enraged crowds, mourning their brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters, dragged corrupt leaders into the streets and set fire to symbols of state power, from the parliament building to the presidential office. It is true that the destruction of public property cannot be justified, for these institutions belong to the people themselves. Yet this eruption of rage revealed a reality, when citizens are robbed of their children, their patience, and their dignity, their anger becomes unstoppable.
The government’s late-night announcement promising free medical treatment for the injured and compensation for the families of the dead offers no comfort. No relief package can heal a mother’s torn heart or bring joy back to parents who lost their children. Justice must be delivered. The police officers who fired the bullets and the leaders who gave the orders must be held accountable under the law.
But the truth is plain, public property belongs not to any leader or party, but to the people. These buildings were built with our taxes, with our labor, with our sacrifices. They are the inheritance we hope to pass to our children. The destruction that followed is a tragedy and yet, it is the tyrannical system that lit the first flame, please we must stop vandalizing and burning public property built with our own hard work and sweat. We can not bring back those young and innocent souls back to life. who had lost their life. But there’s lot we can preserve for our coming generation.
Now, as one era of brutality ends, a harder question lies before us,what kind of nation will we build?
This is not a time for blind rage alone. It is a time to transform pain into purpose. The courage and sacrifice of the Gen Z protesters must not be wasted. Their blood and tears have opened the door to a new Nepal, one that must be shaped with justice, equality, and compassion.If this rage is not transformed into justice, if this grief is not turned into change, then today’s tragedy will only be tomorrow’s memory, destined to repeat.
The tyrant has fallen. The corrupt regime is no more. What remains is the responsibility on our shoulders to rebuild, to create a Nepal where no government dares to fire on its own children, where the state listens rather than suppresses, where the future is written not in blood but in hope.
We cannot let tomorrow’s generation ask why we failed to protect them after shedding today’s tears and blood. The duty now lies with the people of Nepal to prove that from the blood of its children, a just and democratic future can rise.This is our chance to ensure their future will not be one of regret, but one of freedom, dignity, and peace.
Kathmandu — With protests continuing throughout Tuesday and late into the night, the Nepali Army has called for an immediate halt to looting, arson, and related acts.
In a statement issued by the Directorate of Public Relations and Information, the Army warned that if such activities are not stopped, all security forces, including the Nepali Army, will be deployed from 10 PM.
The statement noted that some groups have been exploiting the tense situation to cause serious damage to civilians and public property. It urged all citizens to cooperate in bringing the situation under control.
The Army also stated that the security situation will be reassessed and further information will be released accordingly.
Kathmandu — A team of the Nepali Army was deployed to the Pashupatinath temple area after unruly groups attempted to vandalize the temple gates. Army spokesperson Rajaram Basnet confirmed that troops had already reached the site.
Leaders of the Gen Z protest, however, said that outsiders had infiltrated their demonstrations. One protester remarked, “It was never our plan to carry out arson late into the night. While our demands were moving forward, some anarchic groups entered the temple area and created the situation.”
Gen Z leaders also stated they are ready to join talks called by the President to find a solution. At the same time, they urged people not to set fire to government property, saying a new situation has already emerged.
Kathmandu – The Nepali Army has called on Gen Z to suspend their protest programs and come to the negotiation table.
In a video message, Chief of Army Staff Ashokraj Sigdel appealed for dialogue, expressing deep sorrow over the irreparable losses caused during the protests. He noted that significant damage to lives and property had already occurred and stressed that preventing further harm, maintaining peace and security, and ensuring public order is the responsibility of everyone.
Sigdel further said that guaranteeing safety and protecting the people is a shared duty, urging protesters to suspend their agitation and take part in talks.
Nepal Government has crossed a line from which it may never return. The streets of Nepal are stained with the blood of its youth. Twenty young GEN Z are dead. More than 400 are wounded. Hundreds languish in detention. These young Generation Z stood for hope in a country exhausted by decades of corruption and privilege. They carried slogans, not weapons. They demanded accountability, not violence. Yet the government of Nepal, led by Prime Minister K.P. Oli, chose to meet their courage with live ammunition.
What crime did these young citizens commit? They demanded accountability, an end to corruption, and the right to free expression. For this, the state answered with bullets.This was no accident. This was not chaos spiraling out of control. This was state-sponsored violence, an order to fire live rounds into crowds of unarmed citizens, many of them students, some of them still children. What we have witnessed is not governance but massacre.
As the nation grieves, the government hides behind a midnight statement, promising free medical treatment for the injured and compensation for the families of the dead. But can compensation restore the lives of those gunned down in the streets? Can money bring peace to parents who now must bury their children? No relief package can fill the void of lives cut short by the very government sworn to protect them.No decree can resurrect lives stolen by state brutality. The state cannot pay its way out of murder.
The Home Minister has resigned, a gesture meant to quiet public outrage. But resignation is not justice. Stepping down does not erase the crime of ordering police to fire at peaceful demonstrators. Those who gave the orders, and those who pulled the triggers, must stand in the dock of justice. They must face trial under the law and be punished accordingly. Anything less is complicity in bloodshed.
This brutality marks a low point in Nepal’s fragile democracy. Even under the monarchy, citizens did not face such ruthless suppression. To fire on unarmed youth for demanding a future free of corruption is not governance, it is authoritarianism in its rawest form.It was a desperate attempt to protect a crumbling power structure, one threatened by the courage of a new generation. Gen Z, in daring to speak out, has exposed the state’s fear and insecurity.
History will not forget this bloodshed. The faces of the dead will haunt Nepal’s rulers long after their power faded. And history will record that when confronted with the voices of its own children, the government of Nepal chose bullets over dialogue.
The question now is stark, can a government that kills its own people still claim to be a government of the people? The answer is equally stark. No.This is no longer simply a political failure. It is a moral collapse. And until those responsible are held accountable, Nepal’s democracy will remain tainted with the blood of its children. The killings reveal the true face of a government that has abandoned democratic principles for raw repression. These were not isolated clashes. They were state-directed attacks designed to terrorize a generation into silence.
History will remember this moment with shame. The dead will not be forgotten. The question is no longer whether this government can reform. It is whether a regime that kills its own children can claim any right to govern. The answer is simple. It cannot. Nepal’s democracy now bleeds in the streets of Kathmandu. And until justice is delivered, Nepal’s rulers will stand condemned, not just by their citizens, but by history itself.
Dharan — A Gen Z protest in Itahari turned violent, leading to police gunfire that killed one person, whose identity has not yet been confirmed.
As the situation spiraled out of control, authorities imposed an indefinite curfew. According to Sunsari Chief District Officer Dharmendra Kumar Mishra, the curfew extends from Milan Chowk through Jutbikas to the Commission Office in the east, Kalanki Chowk in the west, Halgada in the north, and Sathi Petrol Pump to the bus park in the south.
Protesters reportedly entered the sub-metropolitan area during the demonstrations, launching attacks and setting fires.
Kathmandu — The death toll from the Gen Z protest in Kathmandu has risen to 18 .
According to rauma Center, seven people have died there durinf treatment. The hospital is currently treating 50 injured individuals, with four reported to be in critical condition.
Everest Hospital confirmed five deaths, while Civil Hospital reported the deaths of three protesters. Kathmandu Medical College recorded two deaths, and Teaching Hospital confirmed one death, according to hospital spokesperson Dr. Gopal Sedai.
The identities of the deceased have not yet been made public. Among the victims are reported to be school children.
More than 200 injured are still receiving treatment at various hospitals across Kathmandu.
Moscow- Russia has announced that its newly developed cancer vaccine has delivered promising results in three years of preclinical trials and is now awaiting approval for clinical use.
Veronika Skvortsova, head of the Federal Medical-Biological Agency, said the vaccine proved both safe and highly effective, with trials showing tumor reduction, slower growth, and survival improvements. In some cancer types, effectiveness reached 60–80%.
Documents have been submitted to the Health Ministry, with the first rollout expected for colorectal cancer, followed by glioblastoma and melanoma.
Developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute, the mRNA-based vaccine uses artificial intelligence to train the immune system to target cancer cells. The institute, which also created the Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine, is applying similar technology to develop an HIV vaccine.
Moscow- The Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday that its long-range precision strikes in Ukraine were aimed solely at drone assembly facilities, military airfields, and an industrial plant on the outskirts of Kyiv. It stressed that no government offices or other civilian buildings were targeted in the operation.
Moscow specified that the strikes destroyed UAV production and storage sites, as well as the industrial enterprise “Kiev-67” and a logistics facility in southern Kyiv. “All designated targets have been hit. No strikes have been carried out on other sites within the boundaries of Kyiv,” the ministry stated.
Ukraine, however, reported that a drone struck a government building near Independence Square, sparking a fire and damaging its upper floors. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said four people were killed and 44 injured in the attacks, which he claimed involved more than 800 drones across the country.
Russia has repeatedly launched drone and missile strikes in recent months, insisting they are aimed at Ukraine’s defense industry and carried out in response to Ukrainian attacks inside Russia. Moscow denies targeting civilians and argues that Ukrainian air defense systems positioned in residential areas contribute to casualties.
London- The United Kingdom is facing growing criticism over what many see as an alarming crackdown on free expression. Recent arrests linked to online comments, protests, and even silent prayer have intensified debate about whether the country, once considered a global defender of free speech, is moving toward restrictive policies that silence dissenting voices.
One of the most high-profile cases involves Irish comedian Graham Linehan, who was arrested in London for allegedly criticizing transgender activists on social media. His detention drew sharp backlash, with critics arguing that law enforcement is prioritizing the policing of speech over tackling serious crimes. Prominent actor John Cleese questioned the decision, noting that several officers were deployed to arrest a comedian while everyday crimes such as burglaries remain unresolved.
Linehan’s case is not an isolated one. In January, parents in Hertfordshire were detained for eight hours after comments in a WhatsApp group sparked a school complaint. In another case, Daily Telegraph columnist Allison Pearson faced a police investigation over a social media post critical of police handling of pro-Palestinian rallies.
Authorities have also pursued actions against individuals expressing controversial or offensive opinions online. Lucy Connolly, the wife of a Conservative politician, was sentenced to 31 months in prison for posting a racist message on X following a deadly attack in Southport. While she deleted the post within hours, the court handed down a lengthy sentence, further fueling debate about whether punishments are proportionate.
Beyond online speech, pro-life activists have been frequent targets of restrictions. Several individuals have been arrested or fined for silently praying outside abortion clinics or holding signs offering conversation. Cases such as Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, detained for silent prayer, and Livia Tossici-Bolt, arrested for standing with a simple sign near a clinic, have drawn global attention. In Scotland, grandmother Rose Docherty was detained for a similar act.
Critics argue these examples reveal a broader trend in which authorities interpret free expression as a threat rather than a right. Pro-life groups, religious organizations, and conservative commentators have described the situation as “a newfound bigotry for free speech.” They warn that the UK is sending a troubling message by criminalizing peaceful expression, satire, and dissent.
Supporters of these laws argue that restrictions are meant to protect vulnerable groups from hate speech and harassment, but opponents counter that the line between protection and censorship is increasingly blurred. With arrests and legal actions on the rise, the debate over the state of free speech in the UK shows no sign of slowing down.
Yemen’s Houthi group has claimed responsibility for a drone attack on Israel’s Ramon Airport near the Red Sea city of Eilat, which injured two people and briefly halted airport operations on Sunday.
According to Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree, the drone hit the airport’s arrivals hall, forcing a two-hour suspension of flights. He said the strike was part of a wider drone campaign targeting several sites in southern Israel and warned of further escalation in support of Palestinians in Gaza. Saree declared that airports inside Israel “are unsafe and will be continuously targeted.”
The Israeli military confirmed that three drones were launched from Yemen, saying two were intercepted before reaching Israeli airspace. It did not provide details about the third drone. Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that a 63-year-old man was injured by shrapnel, while a 52-year-old woman was hurt after falling. Both were taken to a hospital in Eilat, while others treated for panic attacks received medical care at the scene.
Israeli Army Radio said an initial probe found that the drone which struck Ramon Airport had not been detected by air force radar systems.
The Houthis have repeatedly launched missiles and drones at Israel since the Gaza war began in October 2023, describing their attacks as acts of solidarity with Palestinians. They have also targeted commercial ships in the Red Sea. In response, Israel has carried out airstrikes on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, including the strategic Hodeidah port.
Late last month, Israeli strikes killed several senior Houthi officials, including Ahmed al-Rahawi, the prime minister of the Houthi-backed government, along with other ministers and many civilians. In May, a Houthi missile landed near Israel’s main Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv, lightly injuring four people and prompting airlines to suspend flights for months. Israel later destroyed Sanaa International Airport in Yemen in retaliation.
Tokyo — Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has announced his decision to step down from office, public broadcaster NHK reported.
According to NHK, Ishiba’s resignation is aimed at preventing further division within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Survey results from all LDP lawmakers and regional party branches on whether to hold an early leadership election are expected to be released .
The Ishiba-led LDP suffered a major setback in the July parliamentary elections, failing to secure a majority in both houses. This defeat sparked widespread calls within the party for Ishiba to take responsibility and resign.
NHK reported that the LDP was preparing to decide on Monday whether to hold a special leadership contest. On Saturday, Ishiba met with former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, who reportedly urged him to prioritize party unity. According to sources, they advised Ishiba to resign before lawmakers formally moved to demand a leadership vote.
Kathmandu – The Supreme Court has rejected the petitions filed against the government’s decision to ban social media platforms. According to Supreme Court spokesperson Arjun Prasad Koirala, a total of 10 petitions were filed, all of which were dismissed.
The registrar of the Supreme Court dismissed the petitions by referring to a previous order issued in the case against SidhaKura.com. Lawyers, however, are preparing to file another petition challenging the rejection decision.
GAZA CITY – The Israeli military has demolished another high-rise building in Gaza, the second such strike in as many days, as its campaign in the enclave intensifies.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Saturday’s target, the Sussi Tower, was being used by Hamas, a claim the group denies. Video posted by Defence Minister Israel Katz on X showed the tower collapsing with the caption: “We’re continuing.”
It remains unclear if there were casualties. Before the strike, Israel dropped leaflets urging residents to move south to what it calls a “humanitarian zone.” But the United Nations has warned that tent camps in al-Mawasi are overcrowded and unsafe, while hospitals in the south are overwhelmed.
Tensions remain high following the deaths of five children on Tuesday, reportedly killed by an Israeli drone while waiting for water in al-Mawasi. The IDF has said the incident is under review.
Friday’s strike on the Mushtaha Tower in Gaza City’s al-Rimal neighbourhood also brought down another major residential block.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, at least 63,746 people have been killed since the war began, while 367 have died from malnutrition and starvation.
The back-to-back destruction of Gaza’s high-rises underscores the deepening humanitarian crisis and the growing civilian cost of Israel’s military campaign.
LONDON – More than 425 people were arrested in London on Saturday during violent clashes at a rally demanding that the UK government lift its ban on the activist group Palestine Action.
The protest, organised by the campaign group “Defend Our Juries”, drew about 1,500 demonstrators outside the UK Parliament. Videos shared on X showed police tackling protesters to the ground and detaining others holding signs reading: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.”
The Metropolitan Police confirmed the arrests, citing offences ranging from assaulting officers to showing support for a banned organisation. The UK government outlawed Palestine Action in July under the Terrorism Act 2000, making membership or public backing of the group punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
The crackdown has sparked growing criticism. Amnesty International UK condemned the arrests, arguing that peaceful protest should not be criminalised under terrorism laws.
This marks the latest in a series of mass arrests. Earlier demonstrations saw more than 700 detained, including 532 on August 9 in what was described as London’s largest mass arrest since the 1960s. So far, 138 protesters have been formally charged under the Terrorism Act.
Palestine Action has secured a High Court ruling to challenge the ban, with the government seeking to overturn it. A key hearing in the case is scheduled for September 25.
NEW YORK – European Union officials are set to hold discussions on new sanctions against Russia in Washington on September 8.
The EU delegation will be led by David O’Sullivan, the bloc’s envoy on sanctions, and the talks will take place at the US Department of the Treasury. Officials from the White House, the US State Department, and the Office of the US Trade Representative are also expected to take part. The agenda will focus on “various forms of economic pressure” to be imposed on Moscow, including potential new rounds of sanctions.
European Council President Antonio Costa had earlier confirmed that an EU team would travel to the United States to coordinate sanctions policy on Russia.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking at a press conference after his visit to China, accused Western nations of exploiting the Ukraine conflict to advance their own economic interests in dealings with other countries.
A new youth-driven movement is sweeping across Nepal’s social media platforms, with Generation Z turning its frustration into a campaign against political privilege and corruption. The trend, centered on the term “Nepo Kid,” has rapidly spread on TikTok where young users accuse the children of politicians and influential elites of living off wealth and opportunities funded by taxpayers’ money.
The posts and videos shows two different sides of the country, one where politicians’ sons and daughters pose with luxury cars, enjoy foreign education, and flaunt lavish holidays, and another where ordinary young people struggle for decent jobs, often migrating abroad for survival engaging themselves in low paying job. This digital protest, campaigners say, exposes the widening gulf between privilege and hardship in the country.
TikTok clips under the hashtag #PoliticiansNepoBabyNepal have fueled the momentum, some even singling out specific families.
What started as an online outcry is edging closer to the streets. Calls for physical demonstrations in Kathmandu’s Baneshwor and other locations have begun circulating, with some users declaring that Gen Z is “waking up” against systemic corruption. Organizers say they plan to launch street protests starting Monday, even as the government tightens restrictions on social media access.
The movement has also drawn debate. Critics argue that blaming children for the sins of their parents risks crossing into cyberbullying. Yet activists insist the real issue is not individual children but the system of entrenched privilege that shields political families from accountability.
For now, the campaign continues to swell online, tapping into long-standing anger over corruption, inequality, and the unchecked power of Nepal’s ruling class. Whether it remains digital or spills onto the streets, the “Nepo Kid” protest marks a sharp generational challenge to the culture of impunity that has defined Nepali politics for decades. For a growing number of young Nepalese, the “Nepo Kid” movement has become more than just a hashtag. It is a demand for accountability, equality, and a break from the cycle of corruption .
On Saturday morning, a vehicle carrying Koshi Province Finance and Planning Minister Ram Bahadur Magar struck a young girl on the road in Harisiddhi, Lalitpur. The minister was on his way to the UML General Convention in Godawari. The child was rushed to B & B Hospital, where she was treated for two hours before being discharged. She survived, but the conduct of those in power has left deep scars on public conscience.
Instead of stopping to help, Magar’s car fled the scene. This single act reveals a truth many Nepalese already know, when it comes to accountability, the political elite believe they live under a different set of rules. Even more alarming was the response from UML chair and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who described the accident as a “minor incident” and said the party would cover medical costs. Such words are not just dismissive, they strip the incident of its seriousness, reducing a child’s suffering to a footnote in a political gathering.
Accidents do happen. Sometimes pedestrians are at fault. But this was not simply an accident.It was the failure of a minister, entrusted with public duty, to show even the most basic humanity. To walk away from a citizen injured by his own vehicle is not just irresponsible, it is disgraceful. In any democracy worthy of the name, such behavior would demand resignation and a criminal investigation. In Nepal, however, leaders too often shield themselves behind party loyalty and power, while the law looks the other way.
This is the deeper tragedy. When ordinary citizens are involved in road accidents, the law is swift and often unforgiving. When the powerful are involved, excuses flow, cases stall, and silence prevails. The very institutions meant to protect the weak bend to the comfort of the strong. By calling the matter “minor,” the Prime Minister sent a chilling message, that the suffering of an ordinary child weighs less than the political schedules of those in office.
What should have been a moment of compassion turned into an exhibition of arrogance. A minister should have been seen rushing to the hospital, standing with the family, apologizing to the nation, and placing himself under the judgment of law. Instead, he disappeared behind tinted windows, as if his duty to the people could be brushed aside like an inconvenience.
This is not an isolated case. It reflects a wider culture of impunity, where ministers, lawmakers, and senior officials routinely escape consequences for actions that would land any ordinary citizen behind bars. Until Nepal enforces one law for all, the divide between rulers and the ruled will only grow deeper.
Minister Magar must resign immediately. The government must allow an impartial investigation, free from political interference, and if found guilty, he must face punishment to the full extent of the law. Anything less will confirm what many Nepalese already fear, that in their country, justice depends not on right or wrong, but on who you are.
Nepal cannot afford leaders who treat citizens as expendable. Nor can it afford laws that bend to privilege. The child in Harisiddhi deserved better. The people of Nepal deserve better. And if those in power cannot live up to the standards of humanity and accountability, they do not deserve to govern.
Biratnagar — Nepali Congress President and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has clarified that Nepal’s constitution does not prevent former presidents or vice presidents from re-entering active politics.
Speaking to journalists at Biratnagar Airport on Saturday, Deuba said the political involvement of former President Bidya Devi Bhandari and former Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun should not be seen as unusual. According to him, since the constitution does not prohibit individuals from joining political parties, their participation is natural.
However, the CPN-UML has already decided not to renew Bhandari’s party membership even though she has returned to active politics. In contrast, former Vice President Pun has already become active within the CPN-Maoist Centre.
Responding to questions, Deuba stated, “The constitution has not restricted it anywhere, nor has it said it is not allowed, so there is no question of it losing its relevance.”
On constitutional amendment, Deuba said the process can only move forward once a two-thirds majority is secured. He added that discussions among political parties are ongoing, but no concrete conclusion has been reached yet.
Kathmandu – The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed serious concern over the government’s decision to ban social media platforms. The commission stated that such a move would not only affect users but also contradict the principles of democratic governance and fundamental human rights.
According to the NHRC, while the government has the duty and authority to register, regulate, and list service providers before they operate, shutting down social media platforms that have long been in use and have become an essential part of people’s communication and expression is harmful. The commission noted that this decision undermines citizens’ fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution of Nepal, including the right to freedom of expression (Article 17), the right to communication (Article 19), and the right to information (Article 27). It also violates international commitments such as Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966).
The NHRC urged the government to reconsider its decision and instead adopt alternative measures to regulate and manage social media platforms. It stressed that regulation should ensure the protection of constitutional rights and international human rights standards while safeguarding citizens’ freedom to use social media, which has already become an integral part of daily life.
Kathmandu- Former President Bidhya Devi Bhandari has written to the UML General Convention delegates, seeking support in the ongoing dispute over her party membership renewal. She said she renewed her membership following the party leadership’s advice, but expressed surprise that the same leaders are now criticizing her. Bhandari stated that such behavior goes against the party’s democratic values and urged that her renewed membership be recognized.
After the UML blocked her membership, Bhandari has been carrying out parallel activities. Meanwhile, Senior Vice Chairman Ishwar Pokharel voiced a differing opinion in her favor during the Secretariat meeting, while other leaders are preparing to present a separate document at the convention showing support for her.
Here is the full text what she wrote in the letter,
Kiev – Ukraine has rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal that President Volodymyr Zelensky travel to Moscow for peace talks.
Putin, speaking to reporters in Beijing on Wednesday, said Zelensky could come to the Russian capital if negotiations were well-prepared and had a chance of producing positive results. He repeated his stance that a summit should only take place at the final stage of talks.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga responded on X, noting that at least seven countries, including Hungary, Switzerland, and Türkiye, have offered to host potential negotiations. He stressed that Zelensky is ready for a meeting “at any time” but criticized Putin for making “knowingly unacceptable proposals,” calling instead for stronger international pressure on Russia.
Putin also questioned Zelensky’s legitimacy, pointing out that his five-year presidential term expired last year and no elections were held due to martial law.
Russia has maintained that for a lasting peace, Ukraine must accept its revised borders and drop its bid to join NATO.
London- Kiev is set to receive long-range weapons from its Western allies, described as the “coalition of the willing,” according to a statement released by London after a virtual meeting of member states on Thursday. The UK government did not disclose which countries are providing the arms or specify the types of weapons involved.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed the pledges during the video call, while French President Emmanuel Macron noted that some European nations are ready to offer Ukraine security guarantees once a peace deal with Russia is signed.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has previously considered supplying Taurus missiles, which have a 500-kilometer range and could reach Moscow from Ukraine. Earlier on Thursday, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) accused Berlin of secretly preparing a shipment of these missiles, stripped of identification marks, and claimed German troops might conduct launches due to the time required to train Ukrainian forces.
Moscow has consistently argued that Western arms deliveries only prolong the war and increase civilian suffering, with President Vladimir Putin stressing that halting military aid to Kiev remains one of Russia’s conditions for a ceasefire.
kathmandu- The Government of Nepal has announced a sweeping decision to ban social media platforms that have not formally registered within the country, marking one of the most significant interventions in Nepal’s digital space in recent years. The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology confirmed the decision following a high-level meeting chaired by Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung. The ministry issued a formal notice stating that unregistered platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and others will gradually be restricted from operating in Nepal until they comply with the government’s directives. The move comes in line with a recent Supreme Court order that directed the government to enforce stricter digital regulations and ensure accountability of global tech companies operating in Nepal without formal registration.
The announcement has stirred a wave of debate across the country. For millions of Nepalese, platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter have become central to communication, education, entertainment, and commerce. The decision to restrict them has therefore triggered immediate concern about how it will reshape the digital ecosystem. For the government, however, the measure is justified as a necessary step to bring order to a sector that has long operated outside of the country’s legal and fiscal framework. Officials argue that without regulation, these platforms continue to profit from Nepali users, influence public opinion, and spread misinformation while contributing little in terms of tax revenue or legal accountability.
The government maintains that the order is not intended to silence voices or curtail expression but to bring global digital companies under Nepal’s legal system. According to the ministry’s statement, platforms that agree to register in Nepal and follow domestic laws will be allowed to operate again. Officials believe this will establish a more transparent and accountable system where complaints of hate speech, misinformation, fraud, and online exploitation can be properly addressed. The ministry further emphasized that the move was in line with the Supreme Court’s directive to regulate social media responsibly and protect citizens’ rights in the digital sphere.
Despite these assurances, the public response has been mixed and, in some quarters, outright alarmed. Social media in Nepal is not only a tool for personal interaction but also an economic lifeline. Tens of thousands of small businesses rely on Facebook and Instagram to market products, reach customers, and expand their businesses at minimal cost. YouTube has become a major platform for independent creators, musicians, educators, and media outlets who generate income and influence. TikTok, despite its controversies, has provided young Nepalese with a platform to showcase talent and earn revenue through brand partnerships and online engagement. With the ban, these sources of livelihood face severe disruption. For a country where unemployment and underemployment remain pressing issues, cutting off access to global digital markets could deepen economic challenges.
The education sector also stands to be affected. During the COVID-19 pandemic, platforms like YouTube, Facebook Live, and Google Classroom became indispensable for online teaching and knowledge sharing. Students in rural and urban areas alike have grown accustomed to using social media for tutorials, research, and communication with teachers and peers. A sudden restriction on these platforms risks widening the digital divide at a time when Nepal is striving to expand digital literacy and inclusion.
Freedom of expression is another concern. Civil society groups, journalists, and rights activists argue that banning widely used platforms is a blunt tool that risks silencing critical voices. Social media has been an essential channel for exposing corruption, mobilizing protests, and amplifying marginalized voices. The fear is that by shutting down unregistered platforms, the government may unintentionally or deliberately restrict political dissent and weaken democratic accountability. Critics point to global precedents where similar restrictions have been used by authoritarian governments to control information flows, warning that Nepal must avoid setting a precedent that undermines its democratic gains.
The government, however, has insisted that such interpretations are misplaced. Officials argue that registration is a standard practice in many countries and that tech companies should not be exempt from domestic laws simply because they are global giants. They emphasize that Nepal is not banning social media outright but asking for compliance with local regulations. If Facebook, YouTube, and others register, they can resume services legally and securely. The authorities stress that it is up to the companies to respect Nepal’s sovereignty and legal framework.
Analysts note that the ban also reflects a deeper frustration with the unequal relationship between small states and global technology firms. For years, Nepal has attempted to bring these companies into the tax system, ensure data protection, and establish accountability for harmful content. Yet, the platforms have largely ignored such efforts, citing their global standards and policies. By taking a hardline stance, Nepal is signaling that it will no longer tolerate being treated as a peripheral market where rules can be bypassed. This mirrors similar debates across South Asia, where governments in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh have clashed with tech firms over content regulation, taxation, and compliance.
The international dimension of the decision is also significant. Restricting global platforms could strain Nepal’s relations with democratic allies that advocate for free expression and open internet policies. On the other hand, it may align Nepal more closely with countries that favor stronger state control over digital spaces. Observers caution that this geopolitical balancing act could shape how Nepal is perceived in global forums on digital rights and internet governance. There is also the question of foreign investment. Digital companies may become hesitant to invest in Nepal’s growing tech sector if the regulatory environment is perceived as unpredictable or restrictive.
The consequences of the ban will unfold gradually, depending on how strictly the government enforces it and how quickly platforms respond. If companies agree to register, the disruption may be temporary and could even lead to a stronger, more regulated digital ecosystem in the long run. However, if they refuse, Nepal could face a prolonged period of digital isolation, with users forced to rely on less popular or domestic alternatives. This could stifle innovation, limit access to information, and weaken Nepal’s integration into the global digital economy.
Experts argue that a balanced approach is crucial. Instead of abrupt bans, a phased implementation with clear guidelines and transparent dialogue with tech companies could minimize disruption while achieving regulatory goals. Civil society has also called for more consultation with stakeholders, including users, businesses, and digital rights groups, to ensure that the policy reflects the needs of Nepali society.
For ordinary citizens, the uncertainty is already causing anxiety. Many fear losing contact with family abroad, particularly in a country where millions work overseas and rely on platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp to stay connected. Others worry about losing access to global conversations, news, and opportunities. While the government promises that compliant platforms will be restored, the timeline remains unclear, leaving users caught between regulation and restriction.
In the end, the government’s decision to ban unregistered social media platforms represents a bold but risky step in shaping Nepal’s digital future. It highlights the tension between state authority and global technology, between regulation and freedom, and between sovereignty and connectivity. Whether this move strengthens Nepal’s digital governance or undermines its democratic values will depend on how it is implemented and how global platforms respond. The coming weeks and months will therefore be crucial in determining whether Nepal emerges as a pioneer in asserting digital sovereignty or faces backlash for curbing the very freedoms that social media helped to expand.
Kathmandu — The government has decided to impose a ban on social media platforms that are not registered with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. The decision was made on Thursday during a meeting at the ministry, which was attended by Communication and Information Technology Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung, ministry officials, Nepal Telecommunications Authority, telecom operators, and internet service providers.
According to an official present at the meeting, all unregistered social media platforms will be restricted, and the ministry is preparing to send official notices to these companies. The ban will come into effect starting tonight.
The government had earlier given social media companies a seven-day deadline to register with the ministry, which expired on Wednesday night. However, as of the time this report was prepared, no major platforms had approached the ministry to begin the registration process.
So far, large companies like Meta, Alphabet, X, Reddit, and LinkedIn have not contacted the ministry regarding registration. The government had already warned that any social media platform failing to register within the given timeframe would be gradually blocked.
This traditional cultural Jatra is celebrated for eight days, starting every year on the day of Bhadra Shukla Dwadashi in Hanumandhoka of Kathmandu. JATRA starts by worshipping Indra and ritually hoisting a lingo(ritual tree trunk) with the ritual flag on top of it.
It can be seen that the method of Jatra celebration is also changing gradually as the generations pass over time. There are various stories about the beginning of Jatra in Nepali society. On the occasion of Indra Jatra, between Marusattal and Silyansattah in Marutol, a tall DABALI is built on top of four lions, and it is considered a symbol of Indra’s regime power. Indra Jatra is called ‘Yen Ya:’ in NEPAL BHASHA. ”Yen” means Kantipur city and ”Ya” means the main Jatra. During Indra Jatra, all the deities related to Indrajatra are also brought out for public display.
The Manandhar community has a tradition of picking up a lingo of 32 cubits length brought from the forest at Chitpol in Bhaktapur. In Hanumandhoka Durbar area, the lingo is ritually placed in front of the statue of Kalbhairav. The lingo is hoisted by firing cannons with traditional instruments, Guruju’s paltan and mangaldhun.
Indra is considered as the god of rain and season. The place of origin of this festival celebrated by the Newar community is considered to be Hanumandhoka palace area. This festival is celebrated for eight days by playing various instruments, dancing, singing and riding a chariot. Mainly the people of Newar community from Kathmandu,Bhaktapur and Lalitpur celebrate this occasion.
Kavrepalanchok — The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) carried out a raid at the Kavre Land Revenue Office on Wednesday morning and detained Section Officer (Nasu) Gyanendra Bhandari with 200k rupees in cash.
CIAA spokesperson Rajendra Kumar Paudel said the team is still at the office, and further details will be available only after the team returns to the commission.
The CIAA confirmed that further investigation into Bhandari is underway.
Kathmandu — A group of education experts and campaigners met President Ramchandra Paudel , urging him to intervene in the School Education Bill, arguing that it does not align with the constitution or the principles of social justice.
In a memorandum submitted to the president, they said the bill under discussion in the House of Representatives is “not progressive” and even risks reversing some progressive provisions at the final stage.
The experts raised five major concerns, including ensuring competent teachers in public schools by recruiting 60 percent through internal competition and 40 percent through open competition, avoiding contradictions with the Free and Compulsory Education Act of 2018, respecting the spirit of federalism, and maintaining space for coexistence between public and private schools.
They also criticized the provision allowing private schools to operate under company law. Additionally, they emphasized that education should be multilingual since most Nepali children grow up in multilingual environments.
The group further described the Nepal Teachers’ Federation as “a federation of political party affiliates” and called for an end to the politicization of education.
The delegation included Prof. Kedar Bhakta Mathema, Prof. Bidhya Nath Koirala, Prof. Sushan Acharya, Dr. Amina Singh, editor Rajendra Dahal, and educator Tika Bhattarai.
President Paudel said that while the bill primarily falls under the legislature and executive, he is taking the matter seriously and assured the delegation that he would play his role at the appropriate time.
GAZA- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his security cabinet have pressed for a faster operation in Gaza, but the military has raised concerns. At a heated cabinet meeting , IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir urged a ceasefire deal, warning that a rushed campaign could endanger hostages still held in Gaza and strain army resources.
This dispute follows earlier clashes between Zamir and Netanyahu, who has pushed the military to speed up plans to capture what he calls Hamas’ “last stronghold.” Some reservists have also expressed frustration, citing dissatisfaction over the lack of a clear strategy to secure victory or ensure the release of hostages.
Meanwhile, Tens of thousands of Israeli reservists have begun reporting for duty as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) prepares for a new offensive to take full control of Gaza City . Israeli Army Radio said around 40,000 reservists were expected to be called up.
Israel’s latest Gaza City operation, launched last month, has targeted Hamas command centers, weapons stores, and tunnels built under civilian areas. More than 1,000 buildings have been destroyed, leaving many trapped under rubble and thousands homeless, according to Palestinian authorities.
Israel insists the offensive is vital for national security and aims to dismantle Hamas infrastructure.
The war began on October 7, 2023 has killed more than 62,000 and about 156,000 injured in Israeli strikes .
Washington- The United States has carried out a “lethal strike” on a suspected drug vessel in the southern Caribbean, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Tuesday.
Rubio announced on X that the vessel had departed from Venezuela and was operated by a group designated as a narco-terrorist organization. He said the strike was conducted shortly after President Donald Trump referenced the operation in remarks at the Oval Office.
The move marks a sharp escalation in the Trump administration’s fight against drug cartels, several of which Washington has officially designated as foreign terrorist organizations. Analysts warn the strike could heighten tensions in the region, especially with Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
President Trump told reporters the US military “just over the last few minutes, literally shot out a drug-carrying boat.” He added that the operation was briefed by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and hinted at further actions to come.
“We have a lot of drugs pouring into our country, coming in for a long time. These just came out of Venezuela, very heavily from Venezuela,” Trump said.
Israel may be winning the war, but they’re not winning the world of public relations.
Washington- US President Donald Trump has said that Israel once had “total control” over the US Congress, but its influence has weakened in recent years.
In an interview with the Daily Caller published Monday, Trump described Israel’s lobby as the “strongest” he had ever seen two decades ago, stronger than any company, corporation, or state. “Today, it doesn’t have that strong a lobby. It’s amazing,” he said.
Trump noted that US politics has changed and US politics now has all sorts of critics of Israel now active in Congress, mentioning members of the progressive “Squad” ,Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Tlaib ,known for their opposition to Israeli policies.
He also suggested that the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, which escalated after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel, has further weakened Israel’s standing in American public opinion. “They may be winning the war, but they’re not winning the world of public relations, and it is hurting them,” Trump said.
At the same time, Trump praised his own record, insisting that “nobody has done more” for Israel and adding that he continues to receive strong support from the country.
Tianjin- Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico told Russian President Vladimir Putin in China on Tuesday that while Ukraine is free to pursue membership in the European Union, joining NATO is unacceptable.
Fico said every nation has the right to decide its future, but stressed Ukraine must meet all conditions before entering the EU. He added he would raise the issue with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an upcoming meeting.
“On one hand, we support Ukraine’s EU path. But on NATO, I’ve been clear from the start, Ukraine cannot join. This is final,” Fico stated.
Putin replied that Russia does not oppose Ukraine’s EU membership but described NATO accession as a direct threat to Russian security. He argued that Moscow was forced to defend its interests after the 2014 Western-backed coup , insisting the conflict is about protection, not aggression.
Rejecting Western claims of Russian plans to invade Europe, Putin called such warnings “complete nonsense” and mocked Western leaders as “experts in horror films.”
Fico, who survived an assassination attempt last year by a pro-Ukraine activist, also criticized EU and NATO policies toward Russia. He expressed hope for normalized relations between Bratislava and Moscow.
Beijing-China announced it will allow ordinary Russian passport holders to enter the country without a visa for one year, starting September 15, 2025, until September 14, 2026. The visa-free stay of up to 30 days covers business, tourism, family visits, exchanges, and transit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday.
Guo explained that the decision reflects the high-level cooperation between China and Russia under the leadership of their heads of state. He noted that Beijing attaches importance to facilitating travel between the two nations and strengthening people-to-people exchanges.
“We welcome more Russian friends to visit China often and regularly,” Guo added, emphasizing that the move contributes to advancing the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era.
Kathmandu – The Federal Civil Service Bill has been passed by the Legislative Management Committee of the National Assembly.
The committee, which met at 8 a.m., read the full draft of the bill, discussed it, and approved the report.
The bill had earlier been passed by the House of Representatives on 14 Ashad and forwarded to the National Assembly. The National Assembly had sent it to the legislative committee for detailed discussion.
The bill, approved by the committee, is expected to be passed in today’s National Assembly session before being sent back to the House of Representatives.
Tianjin — Chinese President Xi Jinping used the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin to call for a new global governance initiative aimed at building a fairer international system.
“I would like to put forward a global governance initiative and work with all countries to jointly create a more just and equitable international system, fostering a community with a shared future for mankind,” Xi said during an expanded meeting of the summit.
Xi stressed that all nations, regardless of size, strength, or wealth, should have equal rights and opportunities in global governance. He urged greater representation for developing countries and called for the “democratization of international relations.”
The Chinese leader emphasized the need to respect international law, reject double standards, and avoid imposing one nation’s internal policies on others. He added that global governance should be based on consultation, shared resources, and collective decision-making, dismissing unilateral approaches as unacceptable.
Xi’s proposal also seeks to ensure the benefits of governance are broadly shared and to reduce the development gap between the global North and South.
The SCO summit in Tianjin, running from August 31 to September 1, has drawn Russian President Vladimir Putin, North korean Leader kim , Indian Pm Modi and leaders from more than 20 countries, and representatives of 10 international organizations.
Kathmandu – Private school owners have launched protests across the country, saying the government has ignored their demands.
They are opposing provisions in the new School Education Bill that require full scholarships and mandate schools to gradually become non-profit.
As part of their protest, private school operators organized a bus rally on the Ring Road in Kathmandu today. The demonstration was jointly carried out by PABSON, N-PABSON, HISSAN and APEN.
Kathmandu- Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Chinese President Xi Jinping have pledged to advance mutually beneficial cooperation in the coming days, according to the Embassy of Nepal in Beijing. President Xi reaffirmed China’s continued support to Nepal and expressed commitment to work together at bilateral as well as multilateral forums such as the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
The Embassy stated that Xi promised ongoing assistance to Nepal and reiterated China’s pledge to implement the high-quality Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects already agreed upon. Prime Minister Oli, on his part, requested President Xi’s support for Nepal’s full membership in the SCO, as Nepal currently holds only dialogue partner status.
Xi highlighted that the BRI has brought the peoples of Nepal and China closer, noting that the two countries are bound by mountains and rivers, and have shared a friendship for generations. He said that the 70 years of bilateral ties have been marked by a history of good neighborliness and trust.
During the talks, Oli drew Xi’s attention to the need for faster implementation of 10 agreed projects under the BRI and sought further cooperation in areas such as fertilizer supply, petroleum exploration, human resource development, climate resilience, and strengthening people-to-people ties. He also urged China to help reopen blocked border points, according to Oli’s economic advisor Dr. Yubaraj Khatiwada. Xi reportedly assured support in helping Nepal transform from a landlocked to a land-linked country and pledged to facilitate smooth border operations.
According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Oli stated that Nepal–China relations have withstood tests and challenges, becoming stronger over time. He reaffirmed Nepal’s commitment to the “One China Policy,” opposition to “Taiwan independence,” and assured that Nepali soil will never be used against China’s interests. Oli emphasized Nepal’s dedication to development and expressed readiness to strengthen cooperation with China in trade, investment, agriculture, science and technology, tourism, and climate change while jointly building the BRI.
Xi expressed China’s willingness to upgrade the traditional friendship with Nepal and promote a new phase of strategic partnership for development and prosperity. He stressed enhancing strategic mutual trust, supporting each other’s core interests, deepening win–win cooperation, and advancing the BRI together.
Xi further assured that China will continue supporting Nepal’s industrial development and believes that the BRI will boost connectivity in ports, roads, energy grids, aviation, and communication. He noted that cooperation under the BRI should also extend to industry, agriculture, livestock, renewable energy, environmental protection, oil and gas, artificial intelligence, education, healthcare, law enforcement, and security.
Copenhagen – Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has accused the European Union of focusing on prolonging the Russia-Ukraine conflict rather than pursuing peace. Writing on X after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Copenhagen on Saturday, Szijjarto said Brussels is prioritizing Ukraine’s interests over those of its own member states.
He stated that the EU and most of its members are “preparing for a long war,” allocating tens of billions of euros to fund Ukraine’s military and state operations, including weapons, drones, and soldiers’ salaries. He also noted pressure for Ukraine’s fast-tracked EU membership, new sanctions on Russian energy, and an additional €6 billion ($7 billion) in arms support.
Szijjarto criticized the European Commission for ignoring concerns about Hungary’s energy security and the rights of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine’s Transcarpathia region. Tensions between Budapest and Kiev have escalated following Ukrainian strikes on the Druzhba oil pipeline, a key supply route for Hungary and Slovakia.
Hungary has consistently refused to send weapons to Ukraine, opposed EU and NATO membership for Kiev, and rejected sanctions on Russia. Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas reaffirmed that the bloc would continue arming Ukraine and step up pressure on Moscow.
Russia has denounced Western military aid to Ukraine, calling it a NATO proxy war and condemning what it sees as the EU’s growing militarization.
White House Accuses Europe of Blocking Ukraine Peace Efforts
White House believes some European governments are quietly undermining peace in Ukraine by urging Kiev to make unrealistic demands, despite publicly supporting President Donald Trump’s peace plan.
US officials say they are frustrated with Europe’s “maximalist” stance, accusing the EU of relying on Washington while contributing little. A senior official warned that if Europe pushes to prolong the war, it risks turning potential victory into defeat. Another official said some European leaders are acting “in a fantasy world” by ignoring the need for compromise.Trump has reportedly voiced dissatisfaction over Zelensky’s unwillingness to consider concessions and the EU’s refusal to support what the White House considers a “realistic” outcome.
Putin Envoy Accuses EU of Blocking Ukraine Peace
Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special economic envoy, accused the EU of “sabotaging real peace efforts” in Ukraine by pushing Kiev to make “impossible demands.” Dmitriev urged the EU to abandon “failed logic” and stop prolonging the conflict.
Yemen – The Houthi movement in Yemen has confirmed that its self-declared Prime Minister, Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Thursday in the capital, Sanaa. Several senior Houthi ministers also died in the strike, though not all names were revealed. Saudi outlet Al-Hadath reported the deaths of the Houthis’ foreign, justice, youth and sports, social affairs, and labour ministers.
The office of Houthi president Mahdi al-Mashat said other ministers were injured and announced that Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Ahmed Miftah would replace Rahawi. Rahawi, who took the role in August 2024, was largely viewed as a figurehead rather than a key strategist.
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed the attack, saying Rahawi and other senior officials were “eliminated” within hours of receiving intelligence. Israel has increased strikes on Houthi-held areas in response to missile and drone attacks by the group, which has targeted Israel and commercial shipping routes since the war in Gaza began.
Ankara- Turkiye has announced a complete halt to trade and economic relations with Israel, along with restrictions on air and sea access, in response to Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told parliament on Friday that Turkiye has shut its ports to Israeli ships and barred Turkish-flagged vessels from entering Israeli ports. He also said Israeli flights carrying weapons or ammunition are banned from Turkish airspace, while container ships with military cargo are no longer allowed to dock at Turkish ports.
Meanwhile, commercial carriers can still transit, but port authorities now require shipping agents to confirm that vessels have no Israeli links and are not transporting arms or hazardous goods.
An Israeli official told that Ankara had previously announced similar restrictions, but trade continued despite earlier bans.
Relations between Turkiye and Israel have sharply worsened since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023. Ankara accuses Israel of genocide, while President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “the butcher of Gaza,” comparing his actions to those of Adolf Hitler, a charge Israel rejects.
Kathmandu — Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The meeting took place at the Tianjin Guest House in China, where Oli had arrived to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit.
During the discussion, the two leaders talked about bilateral relations and cooperation between Nepal and China.
Oli was welcomed by senior Chinese officials, as well as China’s Ambassador to Nepal, Dr. Krishna Prasad Oli, and other dignitaries including Chen Song.
Parsa — Former President Bidhya Devi Bhandari has said that the time has come to prove that women are equally capable of leading society. She made this remark while addressing the inaugural session of the “Women: Power, Dedication, and Dignity” National Women’s Conference 2082, organized by the Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Saturday in Birgunj.
Bhandari pointed out that women’s contributions have not yet received the recognition they deserve. She emphasized that society must now create an environment where women can confidently lead, run businesses, and drive social transformation.
Highlighting women’s continuous role in building families, business, education, healthcare, and social progress, she said that women are not only part of change but also the foundation of overall development. She noted that women’s growing involvement in business and entrepreneurship in trade hubs like Birgunj strengthens not only individual success but also the national economy.
Bhandari called for greater respect and encouragement for women entrepreneurs, urging them to inspire future generations by overcoming gender inequality, prejudice, and barriers. She stressed that institutional recognition of women’s strength, sacrifice, and dedication is essential to achieve equality, sustainable development, and a prosperous Nepal.
She also underlined Nepal’s potential, citing its natural resources, skilled manpower, and cultural diversity. She said sustainable use of these resources could help build a self-reliant economy. To reduce the growing trade deficit, she recommended import substitution policies and promotion of domestic industries in agriculture, herbal and Ayurvedic products, small and medium enterprises, tourism, energy, and information technology. According to her, this would stabilize the economy and create more jobs.
Speaking about the role of Birgunj in economic development, she said proper management of the Birgunj-Pathlaiya industrial corridor, Simara Special Economic Zone, and Sirsiya Dry Port could make the area a strong industrial hub. She also highlighted the agricultural potential of Bara district, mentioning fish farming, banana cultivation, sugarcane, vegetables, and grain production, along with the tourism opportunities at Simraungadh, Gadhimai Temple, and Parsa National Park.
Bhandari warned about the impact of uncontrolled exploitation of the Chure region, which has increased floods, erosion, and desertification in the Terai, lowering groundwater levels and harming agriculture and livelihoods. She also raised concerns about sugarcane farmers not getting fair prices or timely payments, which discourages farmers and affects agro-based industries.
She further pointed to the problem of loan sharks exploiting people in the Terai-Madhes and urged the government to strictly regulate lending practices, simplify complaint procedures, ensure transparency, and provide affordable loans for poor families.
On the issue of cooperatives, she said many people lost their savings due to unsafe investments lured by high-interest promises. She suggested transparency, strict regulation, compensation for victims, and institutional reforms as urgent measures.
Kathmandu — The House of Representatives on Friday passed the Land Bill 2082, which amends several existing laws related to land. Speaker Devraj Ghimire announced the bill’s approval after it was endorsed by a majority vote.
Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, Balram Adhikari, had presented the proposal for decision. He explained that the bill was introduced to provide land to landless Dalits, squatters, and unmanaged settlers, aiming to regulate settlement patterns across the country. According to him, families living in risky areas will be relocated to integrated settlements through coordination with local governments.
However, some lawmakers criticized the bill. Rajkishor Yadav of the JASAPA argued that the intended groups may not benefit as expected, while lawmaker Prakash Adhikari claimed that the bill lacked constitutional analysis and could favor land mafias. Maoist chief whip Hitraj Pandey said some provisions were impractical and would not serve the general public’s interest. Similarly, Maoist whip Rupa Sosi Chaudhary, though supporting the provision of land to Dalits and squatters, accused the bill of including arrangements that would benefit real estate businesses.
When Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stand side by side at Beijing’s upcoming Victory Parade, the world will be watching closely. What might appear to be a ceremonial commemoration of World War II has transformed into a geopolitical statement,one that points toward a reshaping of global power.
For China, the parade is more than a remembrance of history. It is a demonstration of strength and legitimacy. Xi Jinping has tied his vision of “national rejuvenation” to the idea that China deserves recognition as a central world power. Hosting Putin and Kim allows him to project Beijing as the hub of an alternative international order, one not bound by Western dominance. For Putin, the optics are equally valuable. Isolated from the West after the war in Ukraine and weighed down by sanctions, Moscow needs to show it still matters. By standing with Xi, Putin can present Russia as a co-architect of a multipolar world, not a diminished state. Even if the partnership is uneven, with China the stronger side, it provides him recognition and leverage. Kim Jong Un, meanwhile, gains something priceless, legitimacy. His presence alongside Putin and Xi places North Korea at the table of global politics. For Beijing and Moscow, including him underscores their willingness to embrace states ostracized by the West.
At its core, the parade reflects the shared conviction of Beijing and Moscow that the unipolar era dominated by the United States is fading. China’s rapid rise, Russia’s persistence as a military power, and the willingness of countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America to engage with both suggest the world is becoming more fragmented and multipolar. For Xi, this shift is essential. His global projects, from the Belt and Road Initiative to new financial institutions, are built on the idea of creating alternatives to Western-led systems. For Putin, it is about survival and the assertion that Russia cannot be excluded from shaping the future, no matter how much pressure comes from Washington or Brussels.
Military parades in China are not just about showcasing weapons. They are carefully choreographed political theater, aimed at both domestic and international audiences. Domestically, they reinforce the Communist Party’s authority as guardian of the nation. Internationally, they project China’s growing military confidence and diplomatic reach. Inviting Putin and Kim gives the event global weight. It sends a message that Beijing can convene leaders who openly challenge the Western order, offering a stage that Washington cannot control.
Yet beneath the unity, there are limits. Russia does not want to be seen as a junior partner to China, and China does not want to be dragged into Russia’s conflicts. Their partnership is pragmatic, born of necessity rather than deep trust. Economic asymmetry is stark. China’s economy is ten times larger than Russia’s, and Moscow has become increasingly dependent on Beijing for energy sales and trade. Still, for now, the relationship works. China gains secure energy supplies and a strategic partner against U.S. pressure. Russia gains economic survival and diplomatic cover. Together, they project enough strength to unsettle Western capitals.
For the United States and its allies, the Beijing parade is a reminder that attempts to isolate Russia and contain China have not prevented them from drawing closer. Instead, they may have encouraged it. The sight of Putin and Xi together will resonate in regions where Western influence is already contested. It does not mean a formal alliance is forming, nor that their interests always align. But it does highlight the reality that a multipolar world is no longer a distant idea, it is taking shape in visible ways.
The Victory Parade in Beijing will be remembered less for the weapons on display than for the leaders who share the stage. Xi and Putin, joined by Kim, are signaling their intent to challenge the global order built after the Cold War. Whether their vision of multipolarity will lead to stability or deeper conflict is unclear. But the message is unmistakable, Beijing has become a stage where the foundations of a new order are being laid, and the world must pay attention.
Washington- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will not be able to attend the upcoming UN General Assembly in New York after the US State Department revoked his visa along with those of about 80 other Palestinian officials.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Abbas and his delegation of undermining peace efforts and pursuing unilateral recognition of a conjectural Palestinian state. The move, strongly welcomed by Israel, is unusual since the US is generally expected to ensure access for all delegations to UN headquarters.
The decision comes as France pushes international efforts to recognize a Palestinian state during the UN session, a step opposed by the Trump administration.
Palestinian ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour had earlier confirmed Abbas would attend as head of his delegation, but the State Department later clarified that members of both the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Palestinian Authority (PA) were affected by the visa ban.
While Rubio said Palestinian representatives at the UN mission in New York can still participate under the UN Headquarters Agreement, it remains unclear if the US move complies with that treaty, which obliges the US not to restrict foreign officials’ access to UN meetings regardless of political relations.
Abbas’ office condemned the decision, calling it a violation of international law and the UN Headquarters Agreement, noting that Palestine holds observer status at the UN. The office urged Washington to reverse the measure.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar welcomed the US action.
BAngkok- Thailand’s Constitutional Court has dismissed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra after ruling that she violated ethics during a leaked phone call with Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen. In the June call, she referred to Hun Sen as “uncle” and criticized the Thai army while border tensions with Cambodia were rising.
The court said her remarks suggested personal ties that could align with Cambodia’s interests over Thailand’s, casting doubt on her loyalty. By a six-to-three vote, judges concluded her actions breached ethical standards required of her office.
Paetongtarn, daughter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, becomes the fifth Thai leader removed by the court since 2008 and the third Shinawatra forced out of office. She defended her actions as an attempt to prevent violence during the conflict, which later escalated into five days of clashes that killed dozens and displaced hundreds of thousands.
Her removal comes just months after she rose to power following the dismissal of her predecessor, Srettha Thavisin. Soon after the ruling, the conservative Bhumjaithai Party said it had secured enough support to form a new government under leader Anutin Charnvirakul.
The Shinawatra family, long dominant in Thai politics, now faces another major setback, raising questions about the future of their influence.
Kathmandu — The Election Commission has decided to hold by-elections in Manang Constituency-1 (Province Assembly-2) and Rupandehi Constituency-3 on Kartik 17.
The Manang Province Assembly-2 seat became vacant after representative Rajiv Gurung, also known as Deepak Manange, was dismissed from his position following a Supreme Court order. On June 18, a constitutional bench comprising Chief Justice Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha and Justices Sapana Pradhan Malla, Kumar Regmi, Hari Prasad Phuyal, and Kumar Chudal ruled to disqualify Gurung, stating that he was ineligible to contest and had misrepresented details to obtain the position.
After the Supreme Court recently released the full text of the verdict, the government published a notice in the Nepal Gazette, initiating the process of setting the election date.
Similarly, the commision will hold the election in Rupandehi-3 on the same date.
Kathmandu – Fifty-three organizations have expressed their opposition to the Nepalese government’s decision to issue embossed vehicle number plates with only English letters. At a joint meeting held on Thursday, these organizations urged the government to take notice of the issue and implement embossed number plates in the Nepali language.
In a statement issued after the meeting, the organizations requested that the government respectfully include Nepali letters on the number plates. The statement noted that the unilateral decision to remove Nepali letters from vehicle number plates contradicts the Constitution, government notices published in the gazette, and the sentiments of the Nepalese people. It emphasized that the government should immediately correct the decision and use Nepali letters with due respect. The statement also warned that the government would be fully responsible for all consequences if the decision is not amended.
UK, France and Germany have launched the process to restore major UN sanctions on Iran, using the 2015 nuclear deal’s “snapback” mechanism. The move could reimpose sanctions within 30 days unless Iran shifts course.
The three countries said Iran has failed to meet its commitments under the 2015 accord and accused Tehran of deliberately breaching limits by stockpiling highly enriched uranium with “no civilian justification.” They warned that Iran’s nuclear program poses “a clear threat to international peace and security.”
Iran denounced the step as a “provocative escalation” that would undermine its work with the International Atomic Energy Agency. It insisted its program is peaceful and promised to respond appropriately, while also expressing readiness for further talks.
The 2015 deal had lifted crippling sanctions in exchange for limits on Iran’s nuclear program, but collapsed after Donald Trump withdrew the US in 2018 and reimposed sanctions.
The E3 letter to the UN Security Council sets a 30-day deadline to decide whether sanctions relief will continue. Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Iran had made “no substantive effort” to address concerns. The US welcomed the move, saying it remains open to direct talks with Tehran to find a lasting resolution.
The disappearance of Yugoslavia from the world map remains one of the most dramatic geopolitical shifts of the late 20th century. Formed after World War I and strengthened after World War II as a federation of six republics and two autonomous provinces, Yugoslavia was a unique multi-ethnic state in Europe. But in the early 1990s, Europe watched a country vanish. Yugoslavia, once a proud federation of six republics and two autonomous provinces, a nation born out of antifascist struggle and unity, was slowly dismantled in blood and fire. The breakup did not occur in isolation. It was not simply the result of old ethnic rivalries, as many leaders in the West conveniently claimed. It was fueled and accelerated by outside powers that saw opportunity in its collapse and chose to intervene in ways that turned fault lines into frontlines. What followed was not only the death of a country but one of the darkest chapters in post-World War II Europe.
The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes was established in 1918 following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Kingdom of Serbia’s expansion after World War I. In 1929, it was renamed the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, meaning “Land of the South Slavs.” This state was intended to unify Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, Bosniaks, Montenegrins, and Macedonians under one national identity, but ethnic differences and rivalries persisted from the start. Tensions between centralized Serbian dominance and the aspirations of Croats and Slovenes for autonomy created cracks that never fully healed.
World War II deepened these divides. Nazi occupation and collaboration by local factions left scars across the region. After the war, Yugoslavia re-emerged under the leadership of Josip Broz Tito, who established a socialist federation consisting of six republics, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and Macedonia and two autonomous provinces within Serbia, Kosovo and Vojvodina. Tito’s government pursued a distinct socialist path, independent from the Soviet Union, and successfully held the nation together for decades despite its diversity. Tito relied on a careful balance of federalism, repression of nationalist movements, and a unifying ideology of “Brotherhood and Unity.” His rule provided relative stability, modernization, and international prestige, with Yugoslavia becoming a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement.
However, beneath the surface, unresolved national questions remained. Tito’s death in 1980 exposed the fragility of the system. Without his authority, the collective leadership structure failed to maintain cohesion. The 1980s brought worsening economic decline marked by debt, inflation, unemployment, and a growing black market economy. Regional disparities increased, with Slovenia and Croatia resenting that their wealth was redistributed to poorer republics like Kosovo and Macedonia. Nationalist rhetoric resurfaced, exploiting economic hardship and the absence of a unifying leader.
The rise of Slobodan Milosevic in Serbia symbolized this new era of nationalism. He championed Serbian dominance within the federation, stripping Kosovo and Vojvodina of their autonomy and asserting control over the federal system. This alarmed Slovenia and Croatia, who saw their autonomy eroding. At the same time, other nationalist leaders such as Franjo Tudman in Croatia and Alija Izetbegovic in Bosnia and Herzegovina emerged, each with competing visions for their republics’ futures. The weakening of central authority and the competing nationalist agendas set the stage for disintegration.
The collapse of communism across Eastern Europe further accelerated Yugoslavia’s unraveling. Multiparty elections held in 1990 brought nationalist parties to power in most republics. Slovenia and Croatia declared independence in 1991, prompting the Yugoslav People’s Army, dominated by Serbs, to intervene. The brief Ten-Day War in Slovenia ended with minimal casualties, but Croatia descended into a bloody conflict as ethnic Serbs within its borders, backed by Belgrade, opposed independence. By 1992, the war in Croatia had become one of the bloodiest conflicts in Europe since World War II.
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s declaration of independence in 1992 triggered the most devastating conflict of the Yugoslav wars. With its mixed population of Bosniaks, Serbs, and Croats, Bosnia became the battleground for ethnic cleansing, mass atrocities, and genocide. The siege of Sarajevo and the massacre at Srebrenica shocked the world and highlighted the brutal consequences of ethnic nationalism. International intervention came late and hesitantly, with United Nations peacekeepers often powerless to stop the violence. NATO eventually intervened with airstrikes, and the war ended with the US-brokered Dayton Agreement in 1995, which established a fragile peace by dividing Bosnia into two autonomous entities.
The conflicts did not end there. In Kosovo, tensions between the Albanian majority and Serbian authorities escalated throughout the 1990s, culminating in the 1999 NATO bombing campaign against Yugoslavia after Milosevic’s forces carried out mass atrocities. Kosovo was placed under UN administration and eventually declared independence in 2008, though Serbia and several other countries still refuse to recognize it. Montenegro also voted for independence in 2006, peacefully dissolving its union with Serbia. By the 21st century, Yugoslavia had completely vanished from the world map, replaced by Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Kosovo.
The dissolution of Yugoslavia carried enormous consequences. The wars of the 1990s left over 140,000 people dead, millions displaced, and deep scars of ethnic hatred that remain unresolved. Economically, the region suffered massive destruction and fell behind in development compared to Western Europe. Politically, the legacy of Yugoslavia continues to shape the Balkans, with disputes over borders, minority rights, and EU integration. Bosnia and Herzegovina remains divided and dysfunctional, Kosovo’s status is contested, and Serbia struggles with its role in the wars and its European future. At the same time, Slovenia and Croatia have successfully joined the European Union and NATO, marking a stark contrast with their neighbors.
The fall of Yugoslavia was not caused by a single event but by a complex interplay of nationalism, economic crisis, weakened leadership, and international factors. Tito’s system had postponed but never resolved ethnic rivalries. Once his authority was gone, and once global communism crumbled, the federation could not withstand the centrifugal forces pulling it apart. The attempt to impose Serbian dominance only intensified resistance from other republics. International indecision in the early years of the conflicts allowed violence to escalate, prolonging the wars and their devastation.
Throughout these wars, Washington, Berlin, London, and Brussels spoke the language of peace while acting with double standards. They armed factions, imposed sanctions selectively, and legitimized certain leaders while demonizing others. The fragmentation of Yugoslavia was not merely the collapse of a failed socialist experiment. It was a dismemberment overseen and hastened by powers that preferred a fractured Balkans aligned with Western interests over a united, independent federation.
Today, Yugoslavia exists only in memory, its place on the world map erased. But the story of its disappearance is not only a tale of internal collapse. It is also a story of how Europe and the United States, in the wake of the Cold War, chose to back certain wars, reward certain leaders, and allow destruction to run its course when it suited their interests. It is a story that should remind us that nations do not simply vanish, they are torn apart, sometimes from within, but often with decisive help from outside.
Washington-The United States plans to use frozen Russian assets as a bargaining tool in negotiations over the Ukraine war rather than seizing them outright and handing them to Kiev, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday.
Speaking to press, treasury Secretary Scott Bessent outlined Washington’s position on more than $300 billion in Russian assets blocked in Western financial institutions since 2022. While most of the funds are held under EU jurisdiction, the US controls about $5 billion. Moscow has condemned the freeze as “theft.”
Bessent said the assets are “part of the negotiation and argued against immediate seizure. He suggested they could eventually contribute to Ukraine’s reconstruction, depending on the outcome of talks.
The debate over confiscating Russian assets has divided Western allies. Ukraine has pressed for swift transfer, but some European leaders and experts warn outright seizure could breach international law, undermine global financial trust, and rattle markets.
For now, the EU has chosen to redirect profits and interest earned on the frozen funds, expected to yield over $3 billion annually, to Ukraine. The US, while legally empowered by Congress to seize Russian sovereign assets, has refrained due to legal and financial risks. Instead, Washington joined the G7 in approving a $50 billion loan to Ukraine backed by interest from the frozen funds.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia will never abandon its claim to the assets and warned of “serious judicial and legal consequences” if they are confiscated and transferred to Ukraine.
Beijing- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will join Russian president Vladimir Putin and China’s leader Xi Jinping at a military parade in Beijing, a rare and symbolic moment that underscores Xi’s growing diplomatic reach.
For Xi, it is more than a commemoration of Japan’s surrender in World War Two. It is a display of Chinese power and influence at a time when he wants to project Beijing as both an economic and diplomatic heavyweight.
The parade comes as Xi prepares to host Putin, while the United States struggles to push Moscow toward ending the war in Ukraine. At the same time, Kim’s presence is significant. It is his first appearance at a Chinese parade since 1959, reaffirming ties with Beijing despite speculation he was moving closer to Moscow.
Kim’s reliance on China is deep, with Beijing providing nearly 90% of North Korea’s food imports. Standing alongside Xi and Putin not only gives him legitimacy but also highlights Xi’s ability to shape conversations around both North Korea and Russia.
The timing also matters for Washington. President Donald Trump has suggested he wants another meeting with Kim after past summits ended without progress. The White House has signaled Trump may travel to the region in October for possible talks with Xi, with trade disputes, tariffs, and even TikTok on the agenda.
China has tried to appear neutral on the Ukraine war but is accused by the US and allies of quietly aiding Russia. Xi’s meetings with both Putin and Kim position him as a central player who could influence future negotiations.
For Trump, any talks with Xi will now involve a leader who already has the ear of both Putin and Kim, giving Beijing added leverage. Some even wonder if a meeting involving all four leaders could be on the horizon.
Kathmandu – Dr. Govinda KC has announced that he will begin a hunger strike on Sunday, September 1 (Bhadra 15), demanding reforms in medical education.
Dr. KC, who has long been campaigning through hunger strikes and pressure movements for improvements in Nepal’s medical education system, said he is resuming his protest in response to the government’s recent decision.
The government had approved an increase in seats at private medical colleges, a move widely criticized as favoring private institutions over public ones. Dr. KC had urged the government to reverse the decision and instead increase seats in public medical colleges. With the demand ignored, he has decided to restart his hunger strike.
EU- The European Union is considering fresh action against countries it believes are helping Moscow sidestep Western sanctions.
After years of restrictions targeting Russia directly, Brussels is now turning its attention to third states accused of facilitating sanctions evasion. EU foreign ministers are scheduled to meet in Copenhagen later this week for informal talks on stronger steps, including use of the “anti-circumvention tool” adopted in 2023. That measure would allow the EU to block exports or supplies of certain goods to countries suspected of channeling them to Russia.
The bloc has already passed 18 sanctions packages, the most recent just last month, after overcoming objections from Slovakia. Work on a 19th package is underway and could be finalized next month. Possible new steps may also target Russia’s oil, gas, financial sectors, and trade in specific goods.
Despite repeated rounds of sanctions, Moscow insists the restrictions have failed to weaken its economy, noting it has redirected much of its trade toward Asia, the Middle East, and other regions. EU officials have pushed US President Donald Trump to adopt tougher measures on Russia’s trade partners, though Washington has so far refrained from expanding its sanctions list.
Beijing- China has firmly rejected Washington’s call to join nuclear arms reduction talks with the United States and Russia, arguing that the idea is both unreasonable and unrealistic.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Wednesday that China maintains only a limited nuclear arsenal strictly for national defense and cannot be compared with the massive stockpiles held by Washington and Moscow.
“The country with the world’s largest nuclear arsenal should take the lead in disarmament,” Guo stated, pointing at the United States. He added that Beijing upholds a strict “no first use” policy and has no intention of entering an arms race.
US President Donald Trump recently suggested that China should join discussions on reducing nuclear weapons after his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Trump claimed China could close the gap in nuclear capabilities within five years.
Data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) shows a stark imbalance. Russia possesses about 2,591 warheads in storage and 1,718 deployed, while the US holds 1,930 in storage and 1,770 deployed. China’s arsenal is much smaller, with an estimated 576 warheads, of which only 24 are deployed. In comparison, the UK and France have 120 and 280 deployed warheads, respectively.
The US and Russia remain bound by the New START treaty, which limits deployed warheads to 1,550 each. Although extended until 2026, Russia suspended its participation in 2023 in response to US military support for Ukraine, though it said it would continue to observe the treaty’s limits.
Kathmandu – The government is preparing to involve manpower agencies and other relevant stakeholders in negotiating bilateral labor agreements with foreign countries.
The recently released National Labor Migration Policy states that “a model framework for bilateral labor agreements will be developed and implemented based on meaningful participation of labor service providers, NGOs, and other stakeholders.”
Previously, Nepal handled labor agreements with countries such as Malaysia, Qatar, Japan, and South Korea solely through the government. Under the new policy, however, private agencies and other stakeholders will have the opportunity to provide input during the drafting process.
Officials and migration experts have expressed differing views on the policy. The Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Security has emphasized that the approach reflects a holistic societal perspective, aiming to involve all relevant stakeholders.
Some experts, however, have raised concerns that this could create additional complications in the foreign employment sector. While stakeholder involvement is positive, there is a risk of conflicts of interest if private parties prioritize their own gains.
Kathmandu – A government formed committee has recommended that the private sector be allowed to participate in electricity trade in Nepal. The recommendation was submitted to Minister for Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation, Deepak Khadka, by the Electricity Trade Study and Recommendation Committee led by former Energy Secretary Dinesh Kumar Ghimire.
The committee, formed on July 10 with the mandate to study electricity trade including private sector involvement, concluded that private companies should also be granted licenses for electricity trading.
According to the report, the private sector has played a significant role in electricity generation in Nepal. However, its contribution has so far been limited to production. The committee noted that involving private entities in electricity trade has become necessary to further develop the energy sector.
The report highlighted that the absence of adequate legal provisions has prevented private participation in electricity trading until now. It mentioned that the Electricity Regulatory Commission Act, 2017 already provides a regulatory framework for licensed entities, while the Electricity Bill, 2080 BS , currently under consideration in the federal parliament, seeks to amend and integrate existing laws to address electricity trade more comprehensively.
With rising electricity production, the committee stressed that involving the private sector in electricity trading is essential to manage domestic demand and supply, as well as to export surplus electricity to neighboring countries.
Moscow- For the first time, Chinese and Russian diesel-electric submarines carried out a joint patrol in the Asia-Pacific region earlier this month, according to a statement released by Russia’s Pacific Fleet and reported by Russian media on Wednesday.
The patrol began in early August, shortly after the conclusion of the China-Russia Joint Sea 2025 naval drills in the Sea of Japan. Russia’s Pacific Fleet submarine Volkhov and a submarine from China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy patrolled a designated route in the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea before returning to their respective bases.
While Beijing has not yet officially announced the submarine patrol, Chinese state media confirmed the broader Joint Sea 2025 exercise and a follow-up joint maritime patrol in the Western Pacific. According to China Central Television (CCTV), the joint maritime patrol, which began on August 6, concluded on August 20.
During the joint drills, Chinese and Russian forces conducted exercises in air defense, naval warfare, anti-submarine operations, and anchorage defense in waters near Vladivostok.
Kathmandu – The Health Insurance Board has decided to impose additional fees on those who fail to renew their health insurance on time. The board stated in a notice released on Wednesday that insurance not renewed by October 17 (Asoj 31) will be subject to late fees.
According to the board, individuals who fail to renew their insurance for up to three years will have to pay a fee equivalent to four times the contribution amount.
The notice states, “Families who previously had health insurance but did not renew it will get a one-time waiver of the late fee. However, those renewing after November 16 (Kartik 31) will have to pay the applicable late charges.”
For those renewing by the end of October (Asoj), the renewal can be done at the original contribution amount without any extra fees.
The notice also specifies:
Renewal within three months of expiry will incur a 10% additional fee.
Renewal within six months will incur a 30% additional fee.
Renewal between six months and one year will incur a 50% additional fee.
Renewal after one year will incur a 100% additional fee.
Renewal delayed up to two years will require payment equal to three times the contribution amount.
Renewal delayed over three years will also require payment equal to three times the contribution amount.
The board has urged all insured families to renew their health insurance on time to avoid unnecessary additional charges.
Kathmandu – Police have said that Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) central member Dr. Araniko Pandey, arrested on charges of verbally abusing a woman on social media, will be presented before the court today for a remand extension.
Pandey was taken into custody yesterday after a woman filed a complaint accusing him of abusing her online. He had appeared at the Cyber Bureau in connection with the case before being arrested.
Pandey is also a former member of the National Planning Commission. He joined RSP in 2079 BS. and was appointed as a member of the National Planning Commission in 2080 BS.
In a separate cybercrime case, CPN-UML central member Ain Mahar was released on Wednesday within a few hours of arrest.
Kathmandu – Nepal’s public debt increased by more than Rs 14 billion during the first month of the current fiscal year 2082/83 , according to the Public Debt Management Office.
The report shows that total government debt stood at Rs 2.669 trillion at the beginning of the fiscal year and reached Rs 2.684 trillion by mid-August. This figure accounts for 43.94 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
Out of the total debt, 52.26 percent, Rs 1.42 trillion, is external borrowing, while the remaining 47.74 percent, or Rs 1.264 trillion, is domestic borrowing.
The government has set a target of raising Rs 595 billion in debt this fiscal year. By the end of Shrawan , Rs 44.57 billion, 7.48 percent of the annual target, had been raised, which includes Rs 40 billion from domestic loans and Rs 4.57 billion from external loans.
Meanwhile, Rs 36.68 billion has already been spent on interest payments from the Rs 411 billion allocated for debt servicing in the current budget. This amount represents 8.93 percent of total government expenditure.
Kathmandu – The government has directed all social media platforms operating in Nepal to complete registration within seven days. A Cabinet meeting on Monday decided that platforms failing to comply within the given time will be deactivated in Nepal.
Government spokesperson and Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung, informed about the decision on Wednesday. He said the move aims to regulate the use of social media in line with the Social Media Directive 2080 and the order of the Supreme Court, making users and operators more accountable.
According to the decision, the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology will instruct the Nepal Telecommunications Authority to deactivate non-registered platforms. However, once registered, those platforms will be immediately reactivated.
Delhi-US President Donald Trump’s steep 50% tariffs on Indian goods have officially taken effect, weeks after he imposed an additional 25% penalty over India’s purchases of Russian oil and weapons. The move makes India one of the most heavily targeted countries in the world by US tariffs, despite being a key partner in the Indo-Pacific.
The decision is expected to hurt exports and growth in India, the world’s fifth-largest economy, as the US was until recently its biggest trading partner. In response, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised major tax relief to cushion the economic shock. He announced that a “massive tax bonanza” will be delivered to ordinary citizens and small businesses, which he described as the backbone of Asia’s third-largest economy.
During his Independence Day speech at Delhi’s Red Fort, Modi urged citizens to adopt self-reliance by promoting “Swadeshi” or “Made in India” goods. “We should become self-reliant, not out of desperation but out of pride,” he said, stressing that India must not allow others to control its economy.
His message has been repeated in several public speeches, seen as a direct response to Trump’s tariffs that threaten millions of jobs across India’s export-driven sectors, from textiles to gems and seafood.
While Modi’s “Make in India” campaign has struggled, with manufacturing stuck at around 15% of GDP despite subsidies and incentives, experts believe tax reforms could soften the impact. After announcing a $12 billion income tax package earlier this year, Modi is now pushing for a major overhaul of India’s goods and services tax (GST) to simplify and reduce rates, aiming to put more money in people’s hands and encourage domestic spending.
Washington- US President Donald Trump warned that Washington could impose sanctions and tariffs on both Russia and Ukraine if they fail to make progress in ending hostilities. Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said resolving the conflict “takes two to tango” and suggested that Ukraine’s President Zelensky “was not exactly innocent.”
Trump emphasized the human cost of the war, noting that “thousands of young people are dying every single week,” and said he could act through sanctions or tariffs to influence the situation. He reaffirmed his willingness to impose further economic restrictions on Russia, stressing that his goal was to avoid a wider war.
Trump criticized his predecessor, Joe Biden, calling him “grossly incompetent” for allowing the conflict to escalate, and downplayed Moscow’s concerns about Zelensky’s legitimacy, calling much of the posturing “bullsh*t.”
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told that any peace deal must be signed by someone with legal authority, describing Zelensky as the “de facto head of the regime.”
KATHMANDU-The government has decided to establish 23 new Area District Administration Offices (DPOs) across different districts to improve the delivery of public services. The decision was discussed in a cabinet meeting on Monday and has now been forwarded to the Cabinet’s Administration Committee for further review.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the main goal of opening these new offices is to make public services more accessible and effective. The new DPOs are expected to reduce existing gaps in population coverage, geographical access, and service delivery.
The MoHA said the new offices will help balance the workload and make it easier for people in remote or underserved areas to access administrative services. The ministry also mentioned that more Area DPOs will be established in the future in regions where such gaps continue to exist.
Kathmandu – Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has announced new rules on carrying foreign currency. From now on, travelers entering or leaving Nepal can carry a maximum of 5,000 US dollars in cash. Any amount above this must be declared in advance with customs.
The bank has also banned the carrying and use of Indian currency notes of 200, 500, and 2,000 rupees. Nepali citizens are not allowed to take Indian currency to countries other than India. In addition, the use of old Indian notes of 500 and 1,000 rupees, already demonetised by the Government of India, remains strictly prohibited.
According to NRB, these rules are enforced under the Foreign Exchange (Regulation) Act 1962, the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2008, and a notice published in the Nepal Gazette. The government says the move is part of wider efforts to get Nepal removed from the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) grey list.
The FATF’s September 2023 report had pointed out that Nepal lacked a proper cash declaration system and warned of rising smuggling of cash, gold, and silver through its porous borders.
Paris- France is heading toward fresh political turmoil as Prime Minister François Bayrou is expected to lose a no-confidence vote next month over his unpopular austerity budget and debt-reduction plan.
Bayrou, 74, a close ally of President Emmanuel Macron, admitted he would “fight like a dog” to stay in power but opposition parties from both the far right and left are determined to remove him after less than nine months in office.
The vote, set for 8 September, has already rattled markets, with French bank shares falling and borrowing costs rising. Protests and strikes against planned budget cuts are also scheduled to begin on 10 September.
Bayrou’s proposal to slash €44 billion from public spending, including freezing welfare and scrapping public holidays, has been widely criticized as unfair. Polls show his approval at historic lows, with 80% of French voters saying they do not trust him.
If Bayrou is ousted, Macron will be forced to appoint a new prime minister, but political divisions suggest any successor could face the same fate.
Kathmandu – The Department of Transport Management has clarified confusion regarding the mandatory use of embossed number plates, stating that there will be no immediate fines or penalties for now. The department explained that a false impression had spread that vehicles without embossed plates would face instant action starting from Ashoj 1, but such action will not be taken immediately.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the department said that the decision to install embossed number plates on government, private, and public vehicles will be implemented gradually. It stated, “There is a misconception that vehicles without embossed number plates will be penalized starting from Ashoj 1, 2082. However, no fines or penalties will be imposed immediately.”
The department has requested vehicle owners to visit their respective transport offices and voluntarily install the number plates.
It also clarified that regarding the language used on number plates, the Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court has already ruled that the use of the English script is legal.
Moscow – Russia has condemned ongoing Ukrainian strikes on the Druzhba oil pipeline, one of the world’s longest energy networks, calling the actions “acts of terrorism.” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Monday that attacks on energy infrastructure are considered terrorist acts under international law, yet Western governments continue to ignore them.
The Druzhba pipeline, built in the 1960s and stretching 4,000 kilometers, supplies Russian and Kazakh oil to refineries in Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Germany, and Poland. Hungary and Slovakia, both heavily dependent on Russian oil, were the only EU states to openly denounce the strikes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky added to tensions over the weekend, suggesting that future friendship with Hungary hinged on Budapest’s political stance. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban interpreted the remark as a direct threat, accusing Kiev of using energy supplies as leverage to push Hungary toward supporting Ukraine’s EU membership bid.
Relations between Hungary and Ukraine have worsened in recent years, with disputes over sanctions, military aid, and the treatment of the Hungarian minority in Western Ukraine. Slovakia has also criticized the attacks, describing them as a serious risk to regional energy security.
Since the war escalated in February 2022, Ukrainian forces have targeted multiple Russian energy facilities, including pipelines such as Druzhba and TurkStream, as well as nuclear power plants, raising wider concerns over European energy stability.
Kathmandu – A constitutional dispute has emerged after Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli did not seek a vote of confidence even though a coalition partner, the Nagarik Unmukti Party, formally withdrew its support on Ashar 22.
According to Article 100(2) of the Constitution, if a party in government withdraws support, the Prime Minister must seek a confidence vote in Parliament within 30 days. Oli’s government did not do so, prompting a writ petition at the Supreme Court challenging its legitimacy.
Although the Nagarik Unmukti Party later sent a letter renewing its support after the 30-day deadline, critics argue this does not override the constitutional requirement. The Supreme Court has asked Oli, the Speaker, and other parties to provide written responses to four constitutional questions, including whether the government has effectively turned into a caretaker administration.
The Court has scheduled a hearing for August 27 to decide whether an interim order should be issued. Legal experts say the Constitution clearly requires a confidence vote once a coalition partner withdraws support, regardless of whether the government still holds a majority.
Government officials, however, argue no formal withdrawal has occurred because Nagarik Unmukti’s ministers remain in office, so no confidence vote is necessary. Parliament officials maintain that the party is currently registered as opposition, making the government’s position unclear.
The Court’s decision will determine whether Oli’s government has violated the Constitution by avoiding a floor test and whether it should now be treated as a caretaker government.
Washington- US President Donald Trump said Monday that Europe should take the lead in providing “significant security guarantees” to Ukraine, with Washington playing only a backup role. Speaking at the Oval Office, Trump emphasized that Europe is directly affected by the conflict and “should” take primary responsibility.
Trump has repeatedly clarified Washington’s position. Last week, after talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, he said Ukraine reclaiming Crimea or joining NATO is “impossible,” noting that Russia has always opposed NATO expansion on its border.
Zelensky said new details of security guarantees will be ready soon, with teams from Ukraine, the US, and Europe working together. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also called such guarantees “essential,” stressing Europe’s role, while confirming US support would remain limited.
Ukraine seeks NATO-style guarantees, including commitments for ground support, air defense, maritime security, and funding for its military. Some nations have suggested sending peacekeepers, and Canada has not ruled out troops. Washington rejected ground deployments but left open the possibility of air support.
Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed Ukraine’s security must be ensured but warned against solutions that exclude Moscow. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called foreign military intervention “absolutely unacceptable” and insisted guarantees must come through consensus.
Kathmandu- According to the Vedic Sanatan tradition, Hindu women in Nepal celebrate the great festival of Haritalika Teej every year on the third day of the bright lunar fortnight in the month of Bhadra.
Teej is not just about fasting and worship. It is also a celebration of sisterhood and womanhood. On the eve of Teej, women gather with relatives and friends to enjoy a grand feast known as Dar. Dressed in bright red saris, adorned with jewelry and henna, they sing, dance, and share stories late into the night. The colors, songs, and dances create a vibrant atmosphere that reflects the strength and unity of women.
It is also customary for daughters and married women to visit their parental home on Teej. In earlier times, when travel was difficult, women especially used this occasion to return to their birth homes and spend joyful time with family. During those days, when social restrictions and illiteracy were widespread, daughters-in-law expressed their hardships through Teej songs, turning sorrow into shared joy through music and dance.
Religious belief holds that Goddess Parvati, daughter of the Himalayas, observed a strict fast to get Lord Shiva as her husband. Following this tradition, married women fast on Teej for the longevity of their husbands, family harmony, and a successful married life, while unmarried women fast with the wish of finding a husband like Lord Shiva.
Today, Teej continues to evolve. While it remains deeply spiritual, it is also celebrated as a festival of joy, identity, and empowerment. Women across Nepal and in Nepali communities abroad, mark the occasion with pride, keeping alive both tradition and togetherness.
GAZA- Israel launched a deadly strike on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza on Monday, killing at least 21 people, among them six journalists, as well as medics and rescue workers. The attack further devastated the already crippled health system in the besieged enclave and drew global outrage.
The assault followed the “double-tap” pattern, where one strike is followed quickly by another. The first blast hit the hospital’s top floor. Minutes later, as journalists and rescuers rushed to help, a second strike struck the building, according to Dr. Ahmed al-Farra, head of the paediatrics department.
Journalists killed included Al Jazeera’s Mohammad Salama, Reuters cameraman Hussam al-Masri, freelance journalist Mariam Abu Daqqa, as well as Ahmed Abu Aziz, Moaz Abu Taha, and Palestinian correspondent Hassan Douhan. The attack also injured others and caused widespread panic among patients and civilians.
Press freedom groups condemned the strike, calling it part of a systematic targeting of journalists in Gaza. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate described it as “an open war against free media,” while the Committee to Protect Journalists urged international accountability.
Israel’s government called the incident a “tragic mishap” and said an investigation was underway. Similar statements have been issued after previous strikes that killed journalists and civilians, but rights groups note that accountability has been absent.
The attack adds to a growing list of Israeli strikes on hospitals and media workers during nearly two years of war. Nasser Hospital, like al-Shifa Medical Complex and other facilities, has faced repeated bombardments and severe shortages of supplies and staff under Israel’s blockade.
The attack raises the death toll of Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023 to at least 273.
Biratnagar – The Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) Koshi Province has started a protest against the “Koshi Province Mass Communication Bill 2081.”
The FNJ announced the protest on Monday after preparations were made to pass the bill, which includes strict provisions for penalties and fines for journalists. The federation stated that the bill goes against the spirit of the constitution and curtails press freedom, demanding immediate amendments.
The FNJ has announced protest programs up to Bhadra 13.
Protest Programs:
Bhadra 9 (Today): Awareness posts on social media. Bhadra 10: Meetings with the Chief Minister, ministers, and party leaders to draw attention to amendments. Bhadra 11: Sending messages to provincial assembly members. Bhadra 12: One-hour sit-in in front of the Chief Minister’s Office and District Administration Offices. Bhadra 13: One-hour sit-in at Devkota Chowk, Biratnagar, at 1 PM.
Moscow – Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has insisted that Moscow is not seeking to seize Ukrainian territory, but aims to protect ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking communities from what he called persecution by Kyiv.
Speaking in an interview, Lavrov said, “We don’t have any interest in territories. We have the biggest territory on Earth. What we are concerned about is the people who live on those lands, whose ancestors lived there for centuries.” He added that Russia’s goals include removing security threats to Russia from Ukrainian territory and defending the rights of Russian-speaking people who identify with Russian culture and history.
Lavrov argued that Ukraine must allow people in its eastern and southern regions who voted to join Russia in 2014 and 2022 to express their will. He accused Kyiv of dehumanizing those populations and labeling them terrorists.
He also questioned the legitimacy of President Volodymyr Zelensky, noting that his term expired over a year ago and that elections have been suspended under martial law. Lavrov suggested Zelensky’s calls for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin were “a game” meant to bolster his image, saying,“He wants theatrics in everything,he does not care about substance.”
Lavrov did not rule out direct talks between Putin and Zelensky, but said any agreement would need to be signed by a legitimate representative of Ukraine. He also criticized Zelensky for rejecting discussions on NATO membership and territorial issues, accusing him of defying even the United States.
Russia maintains that any settlement must address what it calls the root causes of the conflict, including Ukraine’s neutrality, demilitarization, denazification and recognition of territories now under Russian control.
Kyiv, however, has said it will not recognize territorial losses, even though Zelensky has expressed readiness to discuss disputes with Moscow.
Kyiv- President Volodymyr Zelensky marked Ukraine’s Independence Day with a vow that the country will not surrender and will keep fighting “until its calls for peace are heard.” He stressed Ukraine seeks “a just peace” decided only by its people, declaring: “Ukraine is not a victim, it is a fighter.”
Kyiv hosted international guests including Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, who pledged $2 billion Canadian dollars in military aid, including drones, ammunition, and armored vehicles. US envoy Keith Kellogg attended, with President Donald Trump sending a letter urging an end to “senseless killing.” King Charles of the UK also praised Ukrainians’ “unbreakable spirit.” The UK confirmed it will keep training Ukrainian troops until 2026.
Norway announced $693 million worth of air defence systems in partnership with Germany, while Sweden agreed to co-produce defence equipment with Ukraine.
Meanwhile, peace efforts appear to be collapsing. Despite last week’s Alaska summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, no breakthrough was reached. Trump has signaled frustration and threatened new sanctions on Moscow. Zelensky accuses Russia of blocking talks, while Moscow says Kyiv refuses to agree on a summit agenda.
For now, Ukraine shows no sign of backing down, and Europe is sending more weapons, suggesting the war is set to grind on with no peace deal in sight.
Kathmandu – The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the special court’s verdict that acquitted former Chief Secretary Baikuntha Aryal and other accused in the excise sticker printing corruption case.
The CIAA claimed that the special court ignored facts and evidence and delivered a flawed judgment, and argued that the accused should be punished according to the charges in the indictment.
On 9 Ashar 2081 BS, the CIAA had filed the case against 12 individuals, including then Chief Secretary Aryal and Finance Ministry Joint Secretary Ritesh Shakya, demanding imprisonment and fines totaling NPR 386,717,640. The indictment also stated that an additional NPR 68,445,600 paid for sticker printing should be recovered individually from the accused.
On 14 Ashoj 2081 BS, the special court acquitted most of the accused while finding the then Executive Director of the Security Printing Press, Bikal Paudel, and Director Safal Shrestha guilty. The CIAA filed the appeal on Sunday against this verdict.
According to the CIAA, the basis and facts cited by the special court for acquittal contradict established evidence and investigation findings. The commission has urged the court to annul the previous verdict and ensure punishment according to the indictment.
Kathmandu – The government is preparing to purchase seven Twin Otter aircraft, one for each province, to improve flight services across the country. Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Badri Pandey said regular flights in the Himalayan and hilly districts have been affected due to a shortage of Twin Otter planes. To address this, the ministry has put forward a proposal to buy new aircraft.
Currently, Nepal Airlines has only two Twin Otters, which the minister said are insufficient to meet demand. He added that the new aircraft will be procured under a transparent model and operated in collaboration with the private sector.
Although there are 53 airports across Nepal, most remain inactive. Minister Pandey warned that if the number of Twin Otter planes continues to decline, life in remote regions will become even more difficult.
He also said that due to the low number of aircrafts, they were not able to operate air services to various remote mountain areas.
Kathmandu – The Department of Transport Management has announced that embossed number plates will be mandatory on all vehicles starting from October 17 (Ashwin1).
Issuing a notice, the department urged vehicle owners who are still using regular number plates to switch to the high-tech embossed number plates.
According to the department, from October 17 onward, vehicles will not be allowed to proceed with registration, ownership transfer, or renewal without installing embossed number plates.
The cost for installing the plates has been set at 2,500 rupees for motorcycles, 2,900 rupees for three-wheelers, 3,200 rupees for four-wheelers, and 3,600 rupees for heavy vehicles.
Kathmandu – Protesting the government’s decision to cut subsidies on sugarcane, farmers from across the country have begun an indefinite sit-in at Maitighar in the capital from today.
According to Kapilmune Mainali, chairperson of the Nepal Sugarcane Producers Federation, farmers carrying sugarcane stalks arrived in Kathmandu and launched the protest demanding continuation of the subsidy.
The demonstration has seen participation of leading farmers from 13 districts of the Terai–Madhes region, including Sarlahi, Mahottari, Siraha, Rautahat, Bara, Sunsari, Morang, Nawalparasi, and Kanchanpur.
In the last week of Asar, a Cabinet meeting decided to cut the subsidy of 70 rupees per quintal of sugarcane that farmers had been receiving. Although the government had announced 35 rupees per quintal subsidy for the sugarcane crushed last year, this year’s budget has not allocated any subsidy for sugarcane. As a result, it is almost certain that farmers will not receive any subsidy for sugarcane crushed this year either.
Farmers had been receiving subsidies on sugarcane since 2009 (2066 BS). However, the government not only excluded subsidies in the current fiscal year’s budget, it has also failed to distribute the remaining subsidy from last year’s crushed sugarcane. Farmers from Sarlahi alone are yet to receive 373.99 million rupees.
Farmers say the decision to cut subsidies has forced hundreds of thousands of them to consider abandoning sugarcane farming. They have demanded that the government continue the 70 rupees per quintal subsidy.
Kathmandu – Among Nepalese who have gone abroad for foreign employment, 174 dead bodies were brought back to Nepal in just the past month.
According to the statistics from the Tribhuvan International Airport Customs Office, 174 bodies were repatriated to Nepal during the month of Shrawan alone. On average, 4 to 5 bodies are sent to Nepal every day, the office reported.
The data shows that the bodies were repatriated from countries including Kuwait, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Qatar, among others.
According to the Foreign Employment Board, 1,255 Nepalese migrant workers died abroad in the fiscal year 2081/82 BS. This figure is based on families who received financial assistance from the board after the death of workers who had gone abroad with official labor approval.
Similarly, police records show that in the previous fiscal year 2080/81 BS, 1,517 Nepalese died abroad, while 1,401 bodies were repatriated to Nepal during the same period.
GAZA-At least 63 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza on Saturday. The deaths came as Israeli forces pushed deeper into Gaza City in their effort to capture the area and displace nearly one million residents.
Footage showed Israeli tanks advancing into the Sabra neighborhood, near the heavily bombarded Zeitoun district. A child was reportedly killed in the latest Israeli bombardment of Sabra, Gaza City’s al-Ahli Hospital confirmed.
In southern Gaza, Israeli artillery shelled tents sheltering displaced families in the Asdaa area northwest of Khan Younis, killing 16 people, including six children. Later, at least 22 more Palestinians were killed while trying to obtain humanitarian aid, including two civilians shot dead by Israeli forces near aid distribution points in Khan Younis and along the Netzarim Corridor.
Palestinian health officials also reported that eight people, including two children, died from malnutrition in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of famine-related deaths to 281 since the war began nearly two years ago. Munir al-Bursh, director-general of Gaza’s Health Ministry, said 114 of the victims were children, warning that “the famine is silently ravaging the bodies of civilians” and turning tents and hospitals into “daily scenes of tragedy.”
On Friday, the United Nations officially declared a famine in Gaza – the first time such a designation has ever been made in the Middle East. The UN accused Israel of systematically blocking aid deliveries and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the famine a “man-made disaster.”
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said 514,000 people, nearly a quarter of Gaza’s population, are currently facing famine, with the number expected to rise to 641,000 by the end of September.
Kyiv- Ukraine is prepared to hold direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to address their territorial dispute, according to First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Kislitsa. He said President Volodymyr Zelensky is ready for such discussions, with the current frontline serving as the starting point for negotiations.
Speaking to NBC News on Friday, Kislitsa stressed that Ukrainians strongly oppose giving up land in exchange for peace. “President Zelensky made it clear he is ready to sit down with President Putin and discuss it, and the beginning of the conversations on the territorial issue is the contact line that is currently there,” he said.
Although Zelensky has publicly rejected territorial concessions, some reports suggest he may consider freezing the current front lines as part of a possible settlement.
Kislitsa also noted that the United States is working on drafting security guarantees for Ukraine, with the first draft expected soon. European nations are likely to provide most of the forces for such guarantees, while the US could oversee overall command.
Moscow has said it does not rule out security guarantees for Ukraine but opposes the deployment of Western troops there. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that a Zelensky-Putin meeting is possible, but key issues must first be resolved. Russia has also questioned Zelensky’s authority to sign binding agreements, since his presidential term expired more than a year ago.
Washington – Newly released documents show that former US President Bill Clinton once assured Russian President Vladimir Putin that NATO’s expansion was not aimed at threatening Moscow and even promised to consider the possibility of Russia joining the alliance.
The revelation comes from White House minutes of a June 4, 2000 meeting at the Kremlin, published on Thursday by the National Security Archive, an independent research institute at George Washington University.
According to the documents, Clinton acknowledged Moscow’s concerns about NATO’s enlargement but insisted that the military bloc posed no danger to Russia. “From the outset of the NATO enlargement process, I knew that it could be a problem for Russia. I was sensitive to this, and I want it understood that NATO enlargement does not threaten Russia in any way,” Clinton reportedly told Putin.
In a striking admission, Clinton went further, saying he was “serious about being ready to discuss NATO membership with Russia,” though he also noted that domestic challenges within Russia could make the move difficult at the time.
Clinton added that, over the long term, Russia “should be a part of every organization that holds the civilized world together,” suggesting that integration into Western-led institutions was a path open to Moscow if circumstances allowed.
While Clinton’s remarks to Putin suggested a willingness to explore cooperation, the following decades painted a starkly different picture. Instead of Russia moving closer to NATO, the alliance expanded steadily eastward, admitting former Warsaw Pact states and Baltic nations once under Soviet influence. For Moscow, this was seen not as partnership but as encirclement.
Analysts argue that the contrast between Clinton’s assurances and the West’s later actions deepened mistrust. Russia’s repeated objections to NATO enlargement were largely dismissed in Western capitals, reinforcing the belief in Moscow that early promises were never made in good faith.
Today, US-Russia relations are at their lowest point since the Cold War. The war in Ukraine, NATO’s military buildup in Eastern Europe, and sweeping sanctions on Russia reflect a climate of confrontation rather than cooperation. The idea of Russia ever joining NATO has become unthinkable, replaced by an entrenched hostility that dominates global security discussions.
Critics say the declassified documents highlight a pivotal “what if” moment in history. Had Clinton’s promise been pursued with sincerity, some argue, the trajectory of US-Russia relations could have been radically different, potentially avoiding decades of mistrust and conflict. Instead, the failure to align words with actions has left a lasting scar, with both sides now entrenched in a cycle of suspicion and rivalry.
WASHINGTON — As former President Donald J. Trump and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia push forward with efforts to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, recent actions by Kyiv have cast doubt on the viability of a settlement.
Ukrainian forces have intensified strikes on critical infrastructure, including an attack on an oil pipeline supplying Hungary, a NATO member state that has often taken a more conciliatory stance toward Moscow. The strike rattled European energy markets and deepened Russian anger, with the Kremlin describing it as a deliberate attempt to sabotage peace efforts.
The attack came just days after the Alaska summit, where Mr. Trump sought to frame territorial concessions by Ukraine as part of a larger deal to end the conflict. For Russia, the strikes are not only provocative but also undermine the fragile opening created by Mr. Trump’s diplomacy.
European capitals, particularly London and Brussels, have echoed Ukraine’s position, warning that any agreement validating Russia’s territorial control would set a dangerous precedent. Officials in these governments argue that Kyiv’s resistance is not simply defiance but a strategic calculation supported by Western allies who fear that a U.S.-Russia deal could weaken Europe’s influence in the conflict.
The result is a tense standoff, a U.S. president lobbying for peace through compromise, a Russian leader signaling readiness to negotiate under favorable terms, and a Ukrainian government unwilling to legitimize Moscow’s gains. Analysts say the divergence exposes the central paradox of the conflict ,that peace, while urgently sought, is entangled in competing interests that extend far beyond Ukraine’s borders.
“The Alaska summit created momentum, but it’s clear that Kyiv is not ready to make the concessions Trump and Putin envision,” said one European diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity. “And without Ukraine, there is no deal.”
As the war grinds on, the strikes, particularly on energy infrastructure that affects both Russia and its European partners illustrate Ukraine’s determination to assert sovereignty even as the world’s powers maneuver around it. For Washington, the challenge lies in balancing Trump’s vision of a swift end to the conflict with the reality that Ukraine and its European backers are prepared to fight for far longer than Moscow or Washington may anticipate.
Kathmandu – The unfolding tragedy in Gaza City has reached an alarming stage, with famine now described as a “failure of humanity.” The worsening crisis reflects not only the relentless assault on the besieged population but also the shameful silence and complicity of the international community, particularly nations that claim to uphold democracy and human rights.
For months, Gaza has endured constant bombardment, blockade, and the collapse of its basic infrastructure. Food, medicine, and clean water have become scarce, leaving millions on the brink of starvation. Humanitarian organizations, including the United Nations, have repeatedly warned of “massive death and destruction,” yet the appeals have gone largely unanswered.
Instead of restraining the ruling administration in Tel Aviv, often described as the occupying authority, many powerful nations have extended political, military, and financial backing. This support, whether through weapons, diplomatic cover, or vetoes at the UN, has enabled the continuation of mass killings, forced displacement, and the targeting of civilian areas. Critics argue that this not only undermines international law but actively fuels what many observers and human rights groups are calling genocide.
The response from so-called democratic countries has been particularly disheartening. These governments, which often lecture the world on human rights and freedoms, have chosen strategic alliances over moral responsibility. Their inaction and selective outrage have left Gaza’s people isolated, stripped of protection, and abandoned to relentless suffering.
As famine spreads and the death toll climbs, the world is confronted with a painful truth: justice and humanity have been overshadowed by politics and power. Unless global leaders act decisively to halt the assault and ensure safe humanitarian access, history will remember this chapter as one of the darkest betrayals of modern times.
Kathmandu- Today is the 159th birth anniversary of Motiram Bhatt, an immortal figure in the field of Nepali literature. As he was born on the day of Kushe Aunsi, Moti Jayanti is celebrated every year on the day of Kushe Aunsi in the memory of the late Motiram Bhatt.
Motiram Bhatt was born on the day of Kushe Aunsi on the 25th of Bhadra in the year 1923 BS to father Dayaram Bhatt and mother Ripumardini Devi in the village of Bhosi in Kathmandu.
Bhatt, who went to India at the tender age of 6 while studying at Durbar High School, continued his studies in Banaras. Bhatt returned to Nepal at the age of 15. After listening to a poem recited by Bhanubhakta Acharya at the wedding of his neighbour Khadga Dutt Pandey, Bhatta started researching Bhanubhakta’s poems and works and tried to expose them to the public.
He wrote the biography of Bhanubhakta Acharya, “Bhanubhaktako Jiwan Charitra”, which played an important role in establishing Acharya as the first poet (Aadi Kavi) of Nepali language. Bhatt, who is considered the national hero of Nepal, was also given the title of young poet. The period of Nepali literature from 1940 BS to 1948BS is also known as Moti Ram era in .
Bhatt is known as a poet, singer, essayist and publisher in the field of Nepali literature. He is also considered to be the first biographer and literary critic of Nepali literature. He is also considered as the first ghazal writer of Nepal.
In terms of singing, this ghazal is considered to be the first ghazal of Nepal. But in some places this ghazal is said to be the first.
Dui aankhi bhaun ta tayar chan,tarbar po kina chiayo Timi aafain malik bhai gayau,Sarkar po kina chaiyo..
Multilingual Bhatt was proficient in Sanskrit, Persian, English, Bengali, Urdu and Nepali as well as Nepal Bhasha. About 2 dozen of his works have been published including Bhanubhakta ko jiwan charitra, Shakuntala, Priyadarshika, Manoveg Pravah, Gajendra Moksha, Prahlad Bhakti Katha.
After coming to Nepal at the age of 15,he got married and he returned to Banaras for higher education after 1 year of marriage with his wife. He published a Nepali magazine called Gorkha Bharat Jeevan even while staying in India. Meanwhile, Bhatt kept visiting Nepal time and again. Bhatt, who returned to Nepal after falling ill while visiting India in 1952 BS, died a year later in 1953. His last rites were performed at Aryaghat in Pashupati.
Every year, on the new moon day of the dark fortnight of the month of Bhadra, the festival of Kushe Aunsi is observed by placing kush at homes.
Kushe Aunsi In the Vedic Sanatan Hindu religion and culture, KUSH(Eragrostis cynosuroides) is used as a very important and mandatory plant during chanting bath, worship-reciting and in every Deva Karma and PITRI karma. On this day, every Nepalese keeps KUSH in their house. It is believed that keeping KUSH in front of the main door of the house will destroy the bad and evil forces. Therefore, this day is also known as Kushe Aunsi festival. Science has also proven that KUSH is used as a medicine in Ayurveda. It has also been proven that Kush reflects all the radiation. In Vedic Sanatan Dharma rites, KUSH’s ring and JANAI are very important.
Father’s day Kushe Aunsi is also known as the day of “Bubako Mukh Herne Din”, Which simply is Father’s Day in Nepal.It is a day to honor, remember, and dedicate special offerings to fathers. Nepalese people celebrate this day as a day of respect, remembrance and special dedication to the father. Today, sons and daughters look at their father’s face and give gifts like sweets, fruits, clothes etc. Those who do not have fathers today go to various religious shrines, holy places or pilgrimage and bathe, perform SHRADDHA in the name of their father, offer TARPAN and remember their father through spiritual contemplation and wish for the peace of his soul.
Kathmandu: Prime Minister and CPN-UML Chairperson KP Sharma Oli has said that former President Bidhya Devi Bhandari’s party membership will not be renewed.
Speaking at a party program held in Chyasal on Friday, Oli clarified that since Bhandari had renounced her party membership to become president, it cannot be renewed now. He reiterated that the allegation of him revoking her membership was false. Referring to Bhandari’s claim of having receipts for renewal, Oli remarked that merely misleading staff into issuing receipts does not validate membership renewal.
According to him, Bhandari has been gathering election losers and dissatisfied members to form a faction within the party. He said it was unimaginable for someone who had already served as president twice to create problems inside the party. He also accused her of organizing gatherings against the party in the name of celebrating Madan Bhandari’s birthday, while siding with discontented groups.
Oli stated, “Those who are always dissatisfied with the party, who never speak in its favor, and those who have lost elections in various party organizations are being gathered to form a crowd of disgruntled people.”
Kathmandu – The Nepal Citizenship (Second Amendment) Bill has been unanimously passed by the National Assembly.
The bill, which had already been endorsed by the House of Representatives, will now be sent back there by the National Assembly.
The approved bill includes a provision allowing citizenship to be issued under the mother’s name, with certain conditions. Once this law is enacted, mothers will gain the legal right to pass on citizenship by descent. This means citizenship can now be acquired through either the mother’s or the father’s name.
GAZA- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has openly declared that Israel will seize full control of Gaza, even if Hamas agrees to a ceasefire and a hostage deal. His remarks reveal that Israel’s goal is not peace, but the occupation of Palestinian land.
Netanyahu’s statement came as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched the first stage of its operation to take Gaza City, which it labels a Hamas stronghold. Speaking to Sky News Australia, he said Israel would expel Hamas regardless of any agreement. “We’re gonna do that anyway. There was never a question,” he said.
He tried to justify his stance by citing US President Donald Trump’s earlier remarks, comparing Hamas in Gaza to Nazis in Germany. Netanyahu also claimed the war could end if Hamas disarmed and surrendered, while dismissing worldwide condemnation as “anti-Semitism.”
Meanwhile, the humanitarian toll continues to mount. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has again urged an immediate ceasefire, warning that the offensive will cause “massive death and destruction.” The Red Cross and other aid agencies have also called for a halt, as Palestinian deaths in Gaza since October 2023 have surpassed 62,000.
Global frustration with Israel’s actions is growing. Several countries are now preparing to officially recognize the State of Palestine.
Colombo – Sri Lanka’s former president Ranil Wickremesinghe has been arrested on charges of misusing state funds, police confirmed.
The case concerns several foreign trips he made while in office. He is expected to appear before a magistrates court in Colombo on Friday after giving a statement earlier to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).
Wickremesinghe, 76, served as president from 2022 to 2024, taking charge during the country’s worst economic crisis after Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled. He was credited with stabilizing the nation’s economy and also held the office of prime minister six times since the 1990s.
According to BBC Sinhala, he made 23 foreign trips during his presidency, costing the state over Rs 600 million ($2m). His arrest is linked to a 2023 stopover in the UK after attending the G77 summit in Cuba. During this visit, he and his wife attended a University of Wolverhampton ceremony.
CID officials allege that this was a private trip funded by the state, a claim Wickremesinghe has rejected.
Washington- US President Donald Trump has declared that the world is no longer facing the danger of the Ukraine conflict escalating into World War III.
In a podcast on Wednesday, Trump said the war was “raging” and “heading to World War III” when he took office earlier this year, but now “you’re not going to have that anymore.”
Trump blamed former President Joe Biden for fueling the conflict by supporting Ukraine’s NATO ambitions despite Russia’s objections. Since returning to office, Trump has reopened high-level talks with Moscow and met directly with President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week, calling the discussions “very productive.”
On Monday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders held talks with Trump in Washington. The White House said there is now “light at the end of the tunnel” and a real chance for lasting peace, though the process will take time.
Russia has long accused NATO of turning the war into a proxy conflict, but Russian officials, including Putin, have welcomed Trump’s “sincere” effort to seek peace.
Moscow- Multiple media outlets reported Wednesday that Ukraine may have lost more than 1.7 million soldiers killed or missing since the start of the 2022 conflict, citing a leaked digital database allegedly from Ukraine’s armed forces.
According to reports, Russian hacking groups said they gained access to personal computers and networks of the Ukrainian General Staff. The leaked database is said to contain full names of fallen soldiers, details about where and how they died or went missing, personal information, photos, and contacts of next of kin.
The data suggests Ukrainian troop losses totaled about 118,500 in 2022, 405,400 in 2023, 595,000 in 2024, and 621,000 in 2025, bringing the overall figure to 1,721,000. Hackers from groups including Killnet, Palach Pro, User Sec, and Beregini also claim to hold terabytes of information on Ukraine’s military command, lists of foreign weapons suppliers, and records of arms transfers from 2022 to 2025.
These figures are far higher than official numbers shared by Kyiv. In February, President Volodymyr Zelensky told that 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed and 380,000 wounded since 2022. His statement was met with skepticism, with outlets such as France’s Le Monde suggesting the true death toll was “likely much higher,” pointing to Ukraine’s rapid expansion of military cemeteries.
Russia has repeatedly given higher estimates of Ukrainian losses. Moscow claimed that more than 1.08 million Ukrainian troops had been killed or wounded by February, especially after the failed counteroffensive in 2023.
Moscow- Russia has barred 21 British citizens, including journalists and members of non-governmental organizations, from entering the country in response to the UK’s recent sanctions. The announcement was made through a list published on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s website.
The ministry said the move came as a reaction to what it called London’s “confrontational course,” accusing the UK of spreading anti-Russian narratives, trying to undermine Moscow’s influence, and supplying arms to Ukraine.
According to the statement, the blacklist includes both UK citizens and foreign nationals linked to British media outlets and consulting organizations. These individuals, the ministry claimed, have spread disinformation, lobbied for tougher anti-Russian measures, and pushed for greater Western support for Ukraine.
The Foreign Ministry further accused British media and officials of fueling instability in global energy markets and diverting Western resources away from development to support Ukraine’s military ambitions, which it argued hurts countries of the global South.
The statement added that London and its allies disregard these consequences while continuing their anti-Russian campaign, warning that such propaganda tactics could be used against any country not aligned with Western interests.
Israel has launched the takeover of Gaza’s largest northern city, sending 60,000 additional reserve troops and extending the service of another 20,000 soldiers.
According to a military spokesman, Israeli forces are already active in the Zeitoun and Jabalia areas to prepare for a wider assault. The operation, approved by Defence Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday, will be presented to the security cabinet later this week.
The move has triggered rising criticism both inside Israel and abroad, with concerns that the deepening humanitarian and hunger crisis in Gaza could worsen. Critics also warn that the lives of remaining hostages may be put in greater danger as the military escalation expands.
IDF spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Wednesday that Israeli forces have reached the outskirts of Gaza City, calling it the first stage of the broader operation.
Kathmandu — Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is preparing for a high-profile diplomatic tour. First, he will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in China, where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also be present. Soon after, he is scheduled to visit New Delhi. On the surface, these trips look like routine diplomacy. In reality, they are a test of whether Nepal’s leadership will stand firm on its sovereignty or remain silent as its land is bargained away.
The issue at stake is nothing less than Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura, and Kalapani. Territories that belong to Nepal by history, geography, and law. Oli himself once demonstrated boldness by updating Nepal’s political map to include these very lands under the nation’s sovereignty. That decision was applauded across the country as an act of patriotism and courage. Yet, today, India continues to occupy the territories, building military infrastructure and controlling access, while China and India strike bilateral trade deals through Lipulekh as if Nepal does not exist.
In Beijing, Oli will share the stage with China’s leadership, the very government that has agreed with India to reopen trade routes through Lipulekh without Nepal’s consent. Will he remind them that this land is Nepal’s? In Delhi, he will sit down with Prime Minister Modi, whose government is directly responsible for the encroachment. Will Oli demand India’s withdrawal from Kalapani and Limpiyadhura, or will he allow Nepal’s map to remain a symbol rather than a reality?
The Nepali people deserve clarity. They did not cheer the publication of the new map only for their leaders to stay silent when it matters most. Oli’s trips are not just about cooperation or trade, they are about whether Nepal asserts its sovereignty when confronted by its two most powerful neighbors.
Lipulekh is Nepal. Limpiyadhura is Nepal. Kalapani is Nepal. If Prime Minister Oli fails to repeat these words in both Beijing and Delhi, then his historic act of issuing the new map risks being reduced to a gesture without substance. The world will watch closely, but more importantly, the Nepali people will remember whether their Prime Minister defended their land or bowed to pressure.
In a move that has deeply unsettled Nepal, China and India have once again agreed to reopen trade through the Lipulekh border pass, a territory that lies squarely within Nepal’s sovereign boundaries. The agreement, announced in a joint communique following Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s two-day visit to New Delhi, makes explicit reference to Lipulekh, along with Sikkim’s Nathu La and Shipki La, as trade corridors to Tibet. Nowhere in this deal, however, is Nepal mentioned.
This omission is not just a diplomatic slight. It is a direct encroachment upon Nepal’s sovereignty. Lipulekh, along with the adjoining areas of Limpiyadhura and Kalapani, has long been recognized by Nepal as part of its territory. These lands sit at the trijunction of Nepal, India, and China. Yet, for decades, India has stationed troops there and constructed strategic roadways connecting to Tibet without Nepal’s consent. China, too, by signing bilateral agreements with India on Lipulekh, has effectively ignored Nepal’s rightful claim.
The pattern is clear. Two large neighbors are striking deals over land that does not belong to them. In 2015, when India and China first reached an understanding to develop trade through Lipulekh, Nepal lodged a strong protest. The current arrangement repeats the same disregard. Such actions reduce Nepal, a sovereign nation of nearly 30 million people, to a silent spectator in matters that directly undermine its territorial integrity.
The geography underscores the reality. Lipulekh is north of Nepal’s Darchula district. Just 17 kilometers west lies Limpiyadhura, the origin of the Kali River , the very river that defines Nepal’s western boundary under the 1816 Sugauli Treaty with the British East India Company. That treaty left no ambiguity: the lands east of the Kali River, including Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura, and Kalapani, belong to Nepal. Successive maps and documents reinforce this claim. India’s continued presence there, and now China’s collusion in overlooking Nepal’s rights, is an affront to history, to law, and to Nepal’s dignity.
This agreement comes at a particularly sensitive time. Nepal’s Prime Minister is preparing to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in China, where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also be present. For Nepal, this raises pressing questions: Will its voice be heard? Will its sovereignty be respected? Or will Kathmandu once again be forced into issuing statements of protest while its territory is negotiated away behind closed doors?
It is unacceptable that two powerful neighbors treat Nepal’s land as their bargaining chip. International norms, good-neighborly conduct, and the principle of sovereign equality all demand that Nepal must be consulted before any trade, transit, or security arrangements are made in Lipulekh. Anything less amounts to erasure of Nepal’s sovereignty.
Nepal is not a buffer zone. It is not a pawn. It is an independent nation whose territorial boundaries are clear and internationally recognized. Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura, and Kalapani belong to Nepal. India and China must respect that reality. Until they do, any agreement that sidelines Nepal is illegitimate, unjust, and unacceptable.
Kathmandu — The ruling party Nepali Congress is facing sharp internal rifts over the plan to dismiss Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Indira Rana Magar. Although the Congress–CPN-UML-led government has pushed forward with the move to remove her in order to maintain its influence and majority in the Constitutional Council, the decision has deepened divisions within the party.
Leaders from the Shekhar Koirala faction have voiced dissatisfaction with the step. Along with Koirala himself, two general secretaries and several lawmakers aligned with the Koirala camp have publicly stated that Rana should not be removed. This signals that the Congress leadership may struggle to secure the necessary support.
Meanwhile, Rana, who is currently in the United States, has reportedly shown concern over the unfolding events and contacted Shekhar Koirala by phone. Reports suggest that once she returns to Nepal, a no-confidence motion will be filed against her. In the past too, attempts were made to remove her, but the process was stalled after failing to secure the required two-thirds majority. Political circles now speculate that a similar situation could repeat itself.
In terms of political arithmetic, the Congress–UML-led government faces serious challenges in gathering the necessary votes. Parties such as the Rastriya Prajatantra Party , Rastriya Swatantra Party , CPN Unified Socialist, and Maoist Centre have already made it clear they will not support the move. This makes it very difficult for the government to reach the two-thirds majority.
Further uncertainty has arisen after the Supreme Court recently issued a mandamus in the Gaur massacre case involving Upendra Yadav. Whether Yadav’s faction will back the government or not remains unclear, but his decision could play a decisive role.
Similarly, the support of the Nagarik Unmukti Party also remains uncertain. The party is divided internally, and allegations of irregularities against party chairperson Ranjita Shrestha have left its stance on the proposal unclear. Even so, observers suggest that both Yadav and Shrestha might eventually side with the government out of fear of court and anti-corruption scrutiny.
All these factors have made the government’s strategy increasingly complicated. With internal discontent within the ruling Congress, lack of support from opposition parties, and uncertainty among smaller parties, whether the attempt to remove Deputy Speaker Rana will succeed or once again end incomplete remains a subject of close political attention.
Meanwhile, analysts have begun interpreting the political struggle surrounding the Deputy Speaker not only as an effort to dismiss her but also as a broader reflection of power balance, factional rivalries, and future coalition dynamics. According to them, this step is not merely about one position but signals deeper shifts in the balance of power within the state.
Now the question remains, will the Congress–UML leadership resolve internal disputes and secure the two-thirds majority, or will the move to remove Deputy Speaker Rana once again end in failure?
Kathmandu -The UML has called an emergency parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday morning, with discussions expected on filing a no-confidence motion against Deputy Speaker Indira Rana.
At the same time, the Nepali Congress has convened a meeting of its central committee. Immediately after the meeting, the party has summoned its lawmakers to Singha Durbar.
According to sources, a preliminary understanding to remove the Deputy Speaker for not acting according to her position was reached during a meeting on Monday evening at the Prime Minister’s residence in Baluwatar, which included leaders from both Congress and UML. Participants included Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Congress Vice President Purna Bahadur Khadka, and Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, among others.
Both parties allege that Deputy Speaker Rana has failed to perform her duties according to official conduct. Sources also report that signatures are being collected from Congress and UML lawmakers to support the proposal for action against the Deputy Speaker, with some lawmakers having already signed as of Monday.
Earlier, a complaint against her was filed with the Parliament’s Good Governance Committee alleging that Deputy Speaker Indira Rana magar misused her position and recommended visa interviews to non-parliamentarians at the American Embassy in Kathmandu.
Kathmandu- Private schools in Nepal with residential facilities will now be required to provide accommodation when granting full scholarships, according to a consensus reached in the Education, Health, and Information Technology Committee of the House of Representatives.
While the principle has been agreed upon, the exact number or percentage of students eligible for residential facilities has yet to be finalized. The issue of accommodation within full scholarships has been pending since earlier discussions on the School Education Bill.
In Monday’s committee meeting, Education Minister Raghuji Pant proposed that residential facilities be offered to 2.5 percent of students based on the schools’ capacity. Previously, the Ministry of Education had maintained that private schools should not be compelled to provide residential facilities. Some lawmakers argued that at least 10 percent of students should receive accommodation, but no final consensus was reached. The committee plans to finalize the issue in Thursday’s meeting.
The bill also includes provisions for full scholarships and non-profit management of private schools, which has caused dissatisfaction among school operators. Despite opposition, the bill’s report has been submitted to the committee. Lawmakers have been given two days to study it. Theu also emphasized that a balanced approach would be taken on full scholarships, suggesting that responsibility could be shared between the government and private schools, with a combined quota of up to 10 percent of students.
Earlier, an agreement was reached that private schools must provide full scholarships to 10–15 percent of students. However, the percentage eligible for residential facilities under the full scholarship program has not been decided. Full scholarships cover tuition, examinations, textbooks, learning materials, uniforms, and transportation fees, and now residential facilities will be included in this definition.
Existing laws, such as the Scholarship Act and the Free and Compulsory Education Act, stipulate that institutions with up to 500 students must provide scholarships to 10 percent, 500–800 students to 12 percent, and more than 800 students to 15 percent. Both ruling and opposition lawmakers argue that under the new system, full scholarships must include additional facilities. If fully implemented, approximately 300,000 students in private schools are expected to benefit.
Education Minister Pant requested that residential facilities be included in the regulations, but lawmakers opposed leaving the matter solely to administrative rules. Congress lawmakers Dig Bahadur Limbu and Chandra Bhandari emphasized that the law must clearly define the provisions. They suggested that residential facilities for 10 percent of students should be divided equally between academically gifted and underprivileged students to ensure equality.
Former Education Minister and lawmaker Bidhya Bhattarai said private schools must be compelled to participate in the scholarship program, noting that the constitution and Free and Compulsory Education Act require inclusivity. UML lawmaker Chhabilal Bishwakarma urged the ministry and lawmakers to reach consensus, while Maoist Center lawmaker Gyanu Basnet stressed that residential facilities should target both underprivileged and high-performing students.
Private school organizations such as PABSON, N-PABSON, and HISAN have expressed dissatisfaction with the full scholarship provisions, even threatening protests. They claim that arbitrary imposition of full scholarships must be replaced with a fair system, providing uniform benefits like uniforms only to disadvantaged students. Schools will need to submit details to local governments to determine scholarship seats.
Local governments are required to publicize available scholarships and accept applications. Students can choose the schools where they wish to study. Half of the scholarships will be allocated to underprivileged students and the other half to high-achieving students through a competitive, inclusive process. The Ministry of Education will set uniform standards for student selection, and other provisions will follow local laws, as outlined in the bill.
Washington- U.S. President Donald Trump has announced plans to hold a trilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 22, raising hopes of a potential breakthrough in the grinding Ukraine conflict. The proposal, welcomed by Zelensky and supported by key European leaders including U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has injected new momentum into international diplomacy. Yet, questions over Zelensky’s legitimacy and Putin’s hardline stance threaten to derail the initiative before it begins.
During a meeting at the White House with Zelensky, Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and EU leaders Ursula von der Leyen and Mark Rutte, Trump pledged “very strong security and protection” for Ukraine. The Western leaders reaffirmed their unified stance that peace must be built on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Zelensky himself called the trilateral meeting “a good idea,” expressing hope that Trump could serve as a mediator capable of pushing Putin toward compromise.
However, Putin has repeatedly dismissed Zelensky’s authority, arguing that his presidential term expired earlier this year and that he no longer represents Ukraine legally. Moscow has instead signaled willingness to negotiate only with alternative Ukrainian figures or through direct talks with Washington and European powers. This position casts serious doubt on whether the proposed trilateral meeting can even take place, let alone yield substantive results.
Diplomatic analysts say Trump’s eagerness to host a trilateral summit reflects both his desire to showcase leadership on the global stage and his belief that personal dealmaking could succeed where traditional diplomacy has stalled. The Alaska summit last week between Trump and Putin was described as “warm and constructive,” but it ended without agreements on ceasefire or territorial issues. Trump has since hinted that peace might not require a formal ceasefire, a remark that has unsettled European allies and underscored the divisions in Western strategy.
For Zelensky, participation in a U.S.-brokered trilateral meeting is both an opportunity and a risk. While it could elevate his standing and reaffirm his recognition among allies, it also exposes him to further attacks from Moscow, which continues to label him illegitimate. European leaders meanwhile fear that if Putin refuses to attend, the event could weaken rather than strengthen the Ukrainian position.
Looking ahead, the stakes remain high. If Trump succeeds in bringing Putin and Zelensky to the same table on August 22, it would mark the first direct three-way negotiation since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. A failure, however, could deepen the diplomatic stalemate, leaving Ukraine more vulnerable and Europe divided on how to proceed. Much will depend on whether Trump can leverage his rapport with Putin from Alaska to soften Moscow’s resistance and convince him that engagement, even with Zelensky, is preferable to continued isolation.
As of now, the world watches with cautious anticipation. The coming days will determine whether the proposed trilateral meeting becomes a historic step toward peace or another missed chance in a war that has already redrawn the global order.
Kathmandu – The Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal has remarked that the recent Supreme Court order is politically biased and motivated by revenge. Party spokesperson Manish Suman said that the party had withdrawn its support to the government, played a role in neutralizing the land-related ordinance, and after that, the court’s order appeared with political motives attached. He accused the court of issuing a one-sided order without hearing their side and demanded an impartial judicial investigation.
He further said that the party will hold an executive committee meeting to make a concrete decision and will announce its official stance after legal consultation. Party Chair Upendra Yadav stated that he would respond only after studying the order, adding that whether the decision is a judicial process or political revenge.
Washington-Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky on Monday expressed support for a trilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Speaking alongside Trump in the Oval Office, Zelensky called the idea “a good one.” Trump added that the US would provide Ukraine with “very good protection and security,” suggesting that peace might not require a ceasefire, despite Zelensky and European allies insisting it is a key condition.
Zelensky and several Western European leaders joined Trump and his team at the White House to discuss possible ways to resolve the Ukraine conflict. This comes just days after Trump held what both sides called a “warm” and “constructive” summit with Putin in Alaska.
Zelensky’s previous White House visit ended on a sour note after he was accused of being disrespectful, with Trump remarking that “he does not hold the cards.”
After the Trump–Putin summit in Alaska, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky presented himself as a defender of law: “The Constitution of Ukraine does not allow the surrender of territories or the trading of land.”
This was evident after the Trump–Putin talks. Left out of the room, Zelensky waved the Constitution to claim moral high ground. The charade was obvious. Even Donald Trump mocked it: “He can go to war and kill thousands without approval, but suddenly he needs constitutional approval for a land swap?”
On the surface, it sounds principled. In practice, it is like a political theater where he is acting like a hero. Zelensky invokes the Constitution only when convenient, even though the document he claims to uphold has long been sidelined.
In December 2022, Zelensky himself admitted it. Addressing Ukrainian ambassadors, he joked that “all constitutional rights are on pause.” What began as humor has become policy. Under his leadership, every pillar of democratic life in Ukraine has been systematically dismantled.
Elections? Cancelled. Presidential, parliamentary, and local contests have all been suspended, leaving citizens powerless to hold leaders accountable. Zelensky extended his own term without a vote, with no clear end date.
Freedom of the press? Crushed. Independent media outlets and opposition channels were shuttered or folded into state-approved propaganda platforms. Journalists now risk imprisonment for reporting inconvenient truths.
Religious freedom? Targeted. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church, deemed too close to Moscow, has faced harassment, eviction from centuries-old monasteries, and prosecution of worshippers simply for practicing their faith.
Military conscription? Brutal and indiscriminate. Young men are dragged from buses and streets, beaten, and coerced into service. Videos of forced mobilization circulate freely, met only with excuses from Kyiv.
Political opposition? Eliminated. Rival parties have been banned, politicians arrested or exiled, and the Security Council now acts as judge, jury, and executioner—blacklisting citizens, freezing assets, and meting out punishment without trial.
This erosion of law did not begin with Zelensky. Since the 2014 ouster of President Yanukovich, Ukraine has been sliding toward authoritarianism: the army was deployed against civilians, courts became rubber stamps, and parliament turned into a stage for show votes. Zelensky has merely taken this decay to its logical extreme.
Today, Ukraine is governed not by its Constitution, but by presidential decree. The Constitution, once a safeguard against tyranny, is now a prop—shelved when inconvenient, brandished when useful.
The reality is stark. Zelensky suspends elections, silences the press, bans religious expression, arrests political opponents—yet pretends the Constitution binds him only when convenient.
This is not democracy. It is not constitutional governance. Ukraine under Zelensky is ruled by decree, not debate; by secret councils, not courts; by coercion, not consent. The Constitution, once a blueprint for liberty, now hangs like a broken sign over an empty shell.
Washington- US President Donald Trump has said Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky could end the conflict with Russia “immediately” by agreeing to a settlement that rules out NATO membership and includes territorial concessions.
Zelensky has been called to the White House on Monday to discuss the proposal, which reports suggest could involve Kyiv giving up its remaining positions in Donbass and freezing battle lines in exchange for a halt in fighting. Zelensky has already rejected such terms, insisting that Crimea and other occupied regions remain part of Ukraine.
In a Truth Social post, Trump reminded followers that Crimea was taken during the Obama administration “without a shot being fired,” and stressed there would be “no going into NATO by Ukraine.” He argued that compromises may be necessary for peace.
The meeting follows Trump’s talks in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where both leaders expressed cautious optimism about future negotiations. Moscow continues to insist that any settlement must see Ukraine drop its NATO ambitions, accept demilitarization and recognize Russian control over Crimea, Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye.
Russian President Putin said any lasting deal must address Moscow’s security concerns and restore balance in Europe. Meanwhile, US special envoy Steve Witkoff told that Washington and its allies are weighing possible security guarantees for Ukraine outside NATO.
Kathmandu – The National Assembly’s Public Policy and Delegated Legislation Committee has directed Tribhuvan University (TU) to ensure that vacant leadership positions are filled at least three months before the end of a term.
The directive came as part of a study report on the implementation of delegated legislation under the Tribhuvan University Act, 2049 BS.
According to the report, “If the post of Vice-Chancellor or other office bearers becomes vacant, the concerned authority must appoint successors at least three months in advance. This will help the new leadership to perform their duties smoothly.”
The committee also suggested that the government introduce a new law to restructure TU in line with the current constitution.
The report pointed out that office bearers’ pay, benefits, and service conditions should be defined in the rules, not arbitrarily set through internal regulations.
It further criticized the creation of funds such as the Staff Welfare Fund, Medical Fund, and Loan Fund through regulations, saying such provisions should be made only through law to avoid adding unnecessary financial burdens on the university.
The report concluded that TU has exceeded its delegated authority by framing 35 regulations, 16 procedures, 17 directives, and 19 guidelines through its executive council, despite having no legal authority to re-delegate rule-making powers.
Brussels- European leaders will accompany Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to his meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday. Attendees include UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO chief Mark Rutte, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and Italian PM Giorgia Meloni.
The talks follow Trump’s Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which ended without a ceasefire deal. Trump later said he prefers a permanent peace agreement over a ceasefire, calling ceasefires unreliable. Reports suggest Putin offered terms requiring Ukraine to withdraw from Donetsk in exchange for Russia freezing front lines in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. European officials fear Trump may pressure Zelensky to accept.
Zelensky has rejected giving up the Donbas, stressing Russia could use it to launch further attacks. The UN and European leaders remain cautious but have backed Ukraine’s stance that peace cannot be achieved without Zelensky’s consent.
Monday’s meeting will be Zelensky’s first White House visit since February’s public clash with Trump, though the two leaders reconciled in April. Ukraine has since deepened ties with Washington through a minerals deal and commitment to pay for US weapons.
Concerns remain after Trump warmly received Putin in Alaska despite the ICC warrant against him. Zelensky insists peace must be lasting, not just a pause between Russian invasions.
GAZA-Israel announced preparations to forcibly move Palestinians from “combat zones” in Gaza City to southern Gaza starting Sunday, days after launching a new offensive to seize the enclave’s largest urban center.
Army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said tents and shelter equipment would be transported through the Kerem Shalom crossing with support from the UN and aid groups, though the UN has not confirmed its role. It remains unclear if the relocation site will be Rafah, near Egypt.
The plan follows Prime Minister Netanyahu’s order to dismantle Hamas strongholds in Gaza City and al-Mawasi. The UN has warned that thousands already facing dire humanitarian conditions could be pushed past survival limits if the plan proceeds.
Islamic Jihad condemned the move as part of Israel’s “brutal attack” and called it a violation of international law.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces have intensified operations around Gaza City. Heavy strikes were reported in Zeitoun and Shujayea, while an Israeli drone attack in Zeitoun’s Asqaula killed people and wounded several others .
Kathmandu – The government has begun discussions on shutting down government agencies deemed unnecessary, merging them with others, or transferring them to provincial and local levels. The issue was discussed during the second meeting of the High-Level Governance Reform Commission held at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in Singha Durbar under the chairmanship of Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli.
The meeting assigned the commission’s implementation committee, led by Chief Secretary Ek Narayan Aryal, to carry out a detailed study and bring concrete proposals based on past reports and recommendations made by various commissions and task forces.
Prime Minister Oli directed the committee to prepare a result-oriented and practical report with clear options within 15 days.
Members of the commission include Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ajay Kumar Chaurasia, and Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration Bhagwati Neupane. This was the first meeting since the addition of Nepali Congress Vice President Purna Bahadur Khadka, UML Vice Chairman Ram Bahadur Thapa, and three expert members.
The meeting was also briefed on preparations to present the proposal for functional adjustments among the federal, provincial, and local governments to the Cabinet after its approval by the National Coordination Council.
The commission has been tasked with making service delivery agencies more people-friendly in terms of infrastructure and procedures, ensuring faster and more result-oriented decision-making, removing duplication and delays, strengthening cooperation among all three levels of government, and reforming administrative structures and laws in line with federalism. It will also focus on good governance reforms and work to make the civil service competent, disciplined, and accountable.
Washington, August 17 – US President Donald Trump is seeking to hold a trilateral summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as early as August 22.
Following his meeting with Putin in Alaska on August 15, Trump reportedly informed Zelensky and several European leaders by phone that he wanted to bring the two sides together for direct talks.
It is reported that Trump suggested a potential peace deal under which Ukraine would cede remaining parts of the Donbass region to Russia, while a ceasefire along current frontlines and security guarantees for both Ukraine and Europe would be offered in exchange.
Trump and Putin met at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base in Alaska for about three hours, including private talks and a small-group discussion. The Russian delegation included Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, while the US side was represented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff. Both leaders later said the talks focused on ending the war in Ukraine.
Calling the summit “very productive,” Trump later reached out to Zelensky, EU leaders, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. He said Russia and Ukraine should move directly toward a final peace agreement, dropping his earlier insistence on a ceasefire first.
Trump and Zelensky are expected to meet at the White House on August 18. Trump has indicated that if those talks go well, he may arrange another round of discussions with Putin.
Kathmandu, August 17 – Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri held talks with President Ram Chandra Paudel today.
During the meeting, President Paudel highlighted the long-standing social, cultural, religious, spiritual, economic, and people-to-people ties between Nepal and India. He said that these relations are based on sovereign equality, mutual respect, trust, and friendly cooperation. He also noted that Nepal has benefited from India’s progress and hopes to gain even more in the future.
Foreign Secretary Misri, on his part, stated that under Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policy of giving priority to relations with neighboring countries, Nepal holds a high place. He expressed confidence that his visit would provide an opportunity to discuss enhancing connectivity and cooperation for progress and development in the modern era, which would further strengthen the bilateral relationship.
Earlier today, Misri also held talks with Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli. He is scheduled to visit the Pashupatinath Temple on Monday before returning to India. His Kathmandu visit is part of preparations for Prime Minister Oli’s upcoming official trip to India.
Kathmandu – Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri held a courtesy meeting with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in Singha Durbar. Vikram Misri arrived in Kathmandu this morning for a two-day visit.
He is scheduled to hold several high-level meetings today.
On Monday, he will visit the Pashupatinath Temple before returning to India. It has been reported that the discussions also touched on agendas related to Prime Minister Oli’s upcoming India visit.
The death toll from heavy monsoon floods and landslides in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir has risen to at least 307, with disaster zones expanding across the north-west of the country. Most casualties were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where entire villages have been swept away.
Authorities confirmed that 74 homes were destroyed, and a rescue helicopter crashed during relief operations, killing all five crew members. Nine deaths were reported in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and five in Gilgit-Baltistan. Officials warned that heavy rainfall is expected to continue until 21 August, with more areas at risk.
In the Indian-administered part of Kashmir, a separate flood devastated a Himalayan village, leaving at least 60 people dead and many still missing. Rescue teams pulled bodies from mud and rubble as families held funeral prayers nearby.
This year’s monsoon has already claimed over 300 lives across South Asia, with Punjab province recording 73 percent more rainfall than last year. Scientists warn that climate change is driving more frequent and extreme weather events in the region.
Kyiv, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will travel to Washington on Monday for direct talks with U.S. President Donald Trump after a high-profile summit in Alaska between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded without a formal agreement on Ukraine.
Zelensky confirmed the visit on his Telegram channel, saying he had a long and meaningful conversation with Trump that lasted around 90 minutes. During the call, Trump briefed him on the main points of his discussions with Putin. “I am going to discuss all the details on ending the killings and the war with President Trump in Washington on Monday. Thank you for the invitation,” Zelensky wrote.
According to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Trump called Zelensky and several NATO leaders while flying back to Washington. Later, Trump posted on social media that the best way to end the conflict “is to go directly to a peace agreement” rather than rely on a temporary ceasefire, which he said often does not last.
In Anchorage, Putin received a formal welcome with military honors before sitting down with Trump for nearly three hours of talks. Both leaders described the discussions as constructive and useful, though no breakthrough was announced. Trump called the summit “extremely productive” and afterward urged Zelensky to “make a deal.”
Zelensky voiced support for Trump’s proposal for a trilateral meeting that would bring together the United States, Russia, and Ukraine. At the same time, he underlined that Western European partners must remain involved in all stages of the process to ensure Kyiv receives firm U.S.-backed security guarantees. “We discussed positive signals from the American side regarding participation in guaranteeing security for Ukraine,” he said.
Although the Alaska meeting ended without a settlement, the follow-up diplomacy now under way, including Zelensky’s planned Washington visit and Trump’s consultations with NATO leaders, has raised hopes that progress toward ending the war could be made in the coming weeks.
Anchorage- The Alaska summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin ended earlier than expected on Friday. The meeting, initially planned for about seven hours, wrapped up in less than three.
Afterward, both leaders delivered short prepared statements to journalists but took no questions. Putin repeated that Russia is committed to ending the war, though he insisted that the conflict’s “primary causes” must be resolved for any peace to last. He also warned Ukraine and the European Union not to obstruct the fragile progress, cautioning against “backroom dealings” and provocations that could derail talks.
Trump, in a calmer tone than usual, praised what he called an “extremely productive meeting,” saying that “many points were agreed to.” He added that there is a “very good chance” of moving toward a ceasefire, but admitted that “significant” differences with Moscow remain.
The U.S. president stressed that responsibility ultimately lies with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” Trump said.
Anchorage — U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for nearly three hours on Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, in what both leaders described as a constructive and useful summit. While no formal agreement was reached to end the war in Ukraine, the tone was markedly positive, with Trump calling the meeting “10 out of 10” and Putin praising the talks as “sincere” and “useful.”
The summit carried heavy symbolism from the start. Putin was greeted with a red carpet, a military flyover that included F-22 fighter jets and a B-2 stealth bomber, and a handshake from Trump on the tarmac. In a move seen as a show of trust, Putin even joined Trump in the presidential limousine. Critics later argued the ceremony gave Moscow too much legitimacy, but Trump brushed it off as “good diplomacy.”
After the meeting, the two leaders stood together at a joint press conference — a signal that the talks had gone well, since Trump had warned earlier he would appear alone if the discussions were unproductive. Speaking to reporters, Trump said “many points were agreed to” and that there is a “very good chance” of securing a ceasefire, though he stressed that “there’s no deal until there’s a deal.” He noted that ultimate responsibility lies with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and emphasized that European countries also need to play a role.
When asked what advice he would give to Zelenskyy, Trump replied simply: “Make the deal.” He said he was ready to mediate direct talks between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders and would be open to attending a trilateral meeting. “If they’d like, I’ll be at that meeting,” Trump said. “Not that I want to be there, but I want to make sure it gets done.” He confirmed that preparations are already underway for Zelenskyy to meet him and Putin, though he cautioned that significant sticking points remain with Moscow.
Putin echoed Trump’s optimism, saying Russia was “sincerely interested in putting an end” to the conflict. He urged Kyiv and its allies to build on the progress made in Anchorage and not undermine it. Both leaders avoided detailing the “significant” differences that remain, but their joint appearance suggested that channels for future diplomacy have opened.
The delegations underscored the importance of the meeting. Putin was accompanied by senior officials including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, and presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev, a central figure in past settlement efforts. Trump brought Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
Despite the positive atmosphere, critics in Washington and European capitals raised concerns. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer described the welcome for Putin as “political theater,” and European diplomats expressed unease that the summit might embolden Moscow without concrete commitments. Still, supporters of Trump argued the talks marked the most serious effort in years to break the stalemate in Ukraine.
For now, the spotlight shifts to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, who is expected to travel to Washington for follow-up discussions after a lengthy phone call with Trump. Markets reacted calmly, reading the absence of new sanctions or escalatory measures as a stabilizing factor. While the Anchorage summit stopped short of a breakthrough, it may serve as a foundation for future negotiations.
In the end, the meeting was more spectacle than settlement, but it brought both Washington and Moscow closer to the possibility of peace. As Trump put it, “We have a pretty good chance of getting it done.”
Kathmandu- The Supreme Court has refused to register a writ petition filed against former Chief Justice Cholendra Shamsher Rana. Advocate Yagyamani Neupane had filed the petition on Wednesday, arguing that Rana had refused to sign the verdict on the case against the dissolution of Parliament.
In Friday’s order, Registrar Man Bahadur Karki stated that preparing and authenticating a verdict is part of the judicial process, and therefore, the petition could not be filed under the court’s extraordinary jurisdiction. Citing Section 128 of the Civil Procedure Code 2017 and Rule 18 of the Supreme Court Regulations 2017, the court returned the petition.
On December 20, 2020, then–Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli dissolved the House of Representatives for the first time. On February 23, 2021, the Constitutional Bench led by then Chief Justice Rana annulled the dissolution.
Although the full text of the verdict was prepared and signed by the other justices, Rana refused to sign, preventing its publication. Neupane’s petition had also requested an interim order to ensure that Rana did not obstruct the preparation and authentication of the verdict.
Hetauda — Bagmati Province Chief Minister Indra Bahadur Baniya on Friday appointed five new ministers from the Nepali Congress, completing his cabinet. Earlier, he had appointed eight ministers, including himself.
The newly appointed ministers are Kanchan Chandra Bade from Kavre (Ministry of Social Development), Prabhat Tamang from Rasuwa (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Planning), Urmila KC Nepal from Lalitpur (Ministry of Youth and Sports), Suresh Shrestha from Bhaktapur (Ministry of Culture and Tourism), and Binu Rayamajhi Poudel from Chitwan (Ministry of Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation).
Earlier, Congress members Krishna Tamang and Shivraj Adhikari had also been given ministerial responsibilities, while six ministers from CPN-UML took charge of various ministries. According to an earlier agreement between Congress and UML, both parties received six ministries each, including the chief ministership.
However, dissatisfaction has surfaced within the Congress after Baniya failed to appoint three lawmakers from former Chief Minister Bahadur Singh Lama’s faction as ministers. Lama’s side had earlier agreed to support Baniya in the vote of confidence on August 11 only on the condition that their chosen three lawmakers would be made ministers. Lama later stated that he supported the vote after the central leadership assured him the agreement would be implemented.
Baniya, however, did not include any lawmakers from Lama’s faction in the cabinet. If disagreements between Baniya and Lama over this matter deepen, political tensions within the provincial government could rise again.
Kathmandu — Considering the risk of floods and landslides, nighttime vehicle movement on the BP Highway has been banned until August 31.
According to a joint decision by the Kavrepalanchok and Sindhuli administrations, private and public vehicles will not be allowed to operate from 5 PM to 5 AM.
Authorities said that with the monsoon active across the country, there is a high possibility of disasters such as floods and landslides at any time, prompting the extension of the nighttime travel ban for another 15 days.
Earlier, starting June 21, the local administration had already been enforcing a ban on vehicle movement from 5 PM to 5 AM due to the risk of floods and landslides.
The war in Ukraine is deep into its third year, and the country is paying a price far heavier than any Western promise can repay. The Alaska meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin could be a turning point. Not for victory, but for survival.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will not be there. His absence is symbolic. Decisions about Ukraine’s future are now being shaped elsewhere. Zelensky’s greatest mistake was steering Ukraine into NATO’s orbit, knowing it would provoke Moscow and ignite a confrontation Ukraine could never win on its own. NATO expansion was the red line. The West knew it. Russia made it clear. Yet Zelensky pushed forward, encouraged by promises from Washington and Brussels. Those promises have proven to be weapons without guarantees, aid without security. Ukraine is now the battleground of a proxy war aimed at weakening Russia, at the expense of Ukrainian lives, land, and future.
Ukraine once shared more than just a border with Russia. For centuries, their histories, cultures, and languages intertwined. Millions of Ukrainians speak Russian as their mother tongue. Much of the country’s infrastructure, trade, and industrial base was built during the Soviet era, when cooperation was not confrontation but the norm. That relationship could have been preserved after independence, making Ukraine a bridge between East and West. Instead, Kyiv became the front line of a geopolitical game.
Now, the Alaska meeting between Trump and Putin could signal a different path, one that acknowledges reality. If Ukraine is to have peace, it may mean accepting the loss of certain territories now under Russian control. This is the “price for peace.” The phrase “piece for peace” captures the uncomfortable truth, but sometimes a portion of land must be given up to stop further destruction.
A settlement, even one that involves territorial concessions, could allow Ukraine to rebuild its economy, repopulate its towns, and recover its independence in practice, if not entirely on paper. This would not mean turning its back on the West entirely, but it would mean recognizing that lasting stability requires a functional relationship with Russia. Given the shared language, culture, and history, Ukraine could have been a bridge between East and West. Instead, Zelensky’s government chose to burn that bridge.
Now the question is whether a new one can be built, before the entire foundation crumbles.
The Alaska summit may be the best chance yet to end the bloodshed. It will require courage from leaders to accept imperfect peace. For Ukraine, that courage means facing the hard truth, peace may come at the cost of a piece of territory. But the cost of continuing down the current path will be far higher.
Donald Trump has said more than once that Ukraine should be ready to give up some territory to achieve peace. That idea, however painful, might be the only path left. If Alaska produces an agreement to end hostilities, it will likely include territorial concessions, what could be called a “piece for peace.” Without that, the war could drag on for years, exhausting Ukraine’s population, economy, and military until there is little left to save.
Zelensky has rejected any deal involving territorial loss, insisting that peace cannot be achieved by surrendering land. The EU and UK have echoed his position. That makes the Alaska meeting controversial, negotiations about Ukraine’s fate are being held without Ukraine’s own president at the table. Critics will call this surrender. But is it surrender to choose survival over ruin? Ukraine’s leadership must weigh whether continuing the fight truly serves its people’s long-term interests. Every month of war brings new graves, deeper economic collapse, and more young Ukrainians leaving the country for good. The promise of NATO membership is distant. The hope of recovering every inch of territory may be impossible without risking total collapse.
If the meeting fails to produce a ceasefire or a clear path to end the war, amid zelensky and EU members being against giving up the territories, the consequences could be dire. Russia may consolidate its hold on occupied regions. Western support may waver as public fatigue and economic strain grow. Ukraine’s battlefield losses may deepen beyond repair. And the chance for a negotiated settlement, however imperfect may disappear entirely.
Peace will almost certainly require compromise. For Ukraine, that may mean accepting the loss of some land to save the rest of the country. Continuing the war without a path to victory is not bravery, it is national suicide. History will not remember the exact borders. It will remember whether there was still a Ukraine for its people to call home.
Ukraine can still have a future, but not if it insists on fighting to the last brick. Territorial concessions are not the end of independence, they can be the beginning of survival.
kathmandu- Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will visit China from August 31 to September 1 to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin before heading to India on September 16. This will be his second China visit since becoming prime minister last year.
Oli is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and other leaders. He is also likely to address the summit as a distinguished speaker, where he will push for Nepal’s long-pending request for observer status in the regional bloc.
The visit is seen as a strategic step to strengthen Nepal’s role in fostering closer cooperation and building strong ties with key countries in the region.
Kathmandu – The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case against Tourism Department Director Sachindra Kumar Yadav. The CIAA lodged the case at the Special Court on Thursday, accusing Yadav of possessing property worth Rs 9,685,553.19 without a legitimate source of income.
According to CIAA spokesperson Rajendra Kumar Paudel, Yadav had kept illegally acquired assets under the name of his wife, Asha Kumari Yadav, while holding public office. The commission has also named Asha Kumari Yadav as a co-defendant under Section 47 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2002 (2059 BS) and Section 29(kha) of the CIAA Act, 1991 (2048 BS) for the purpose of confiscating the property.
The case stems from a complaint alleging that Yadav accumulated illegal wealth during his tenure as Director. An investigation into his financial records from May 7, 2009 (2066 Jestha 24) to August 14, 2022 (2079 shrawan 29) revealed that he and his immediate family members had earned a total of Rs 26,818,900.72 during the review period.
However, including his expenses and bank balances, Yadav’s total expenditure and investments during the same period amounted to Rs 36,504,453.91. The CIAA concluded that the source of property equivalent to Rs 9,685,553.19 could not be justified, leading to the corruption charges.
kathmandu -Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Nepal has signed two major contracts to advance the electricity transmission project under the Nepal Compact, a joint investment between the governments of Nepal and the United States.
MCA-Nepal awarded the Ratamate–New Damauli transmission line construction contract to Angelic Skipper Joint Venture and the New Damauli–New Butwal transmission line construction contract to Waiba–Salasar Joint Venture. The projects will involve the design, installation, testing, and operation of 180 km of 400 kV transmission lines.
The agreements were signed in the presence of officials from Nepal’s Ministry of Finance, Nepal Electricity Authority, the acting vice president of the MCC, the MCC Resident Country Director’s office, and the US Embassy in Nepal. MCA-Nepal Executive Director Khadga Bahadur Bista signed on behalf of MCA-Nepal, alongside representatives from the two companies.
The MCC Nepal Compact includes projects to strengthen electricity transmission and road maintenance, boost cross-border energy trade, and improve Nepal’s transport network connectivity.
Following a recent review of US foreign assistance, the MCC Nepal Compact was reactivated with renewed commitment from both governments.
Kathmandu – Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is set to sign performance agreements today with Deputy Prime Ministers Prakash Man Singh and Bishnu Prasad Paudel, along with other ministers, outlining the key tasks and targets for the current fiscal year.
The signing and exchange ceremony will take place at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Singha Durbar, alongside the annual progress review of each ministry.
According to the Prime Minister’s private secretary, Binod Bahadur Kunwar, the agreements will serve as the main framework for speeding up and making the year’s tasks more effective.
The practice of signing performance agreements, aimed at completing infrastructure projects and improving service delivery on time to fulfill the national vision of “Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali,” which was initiated during Oli’s previous term.
Once the ministers sign their agreements with the Prime Minister, they will, in turn, sign performance agreements with their respective secretaries.
Kathmandu – The Parliamentary Committee on Law, Justice, and Human Rights has directed the government to conduct an impartial investigation into the recent incident at Kailali Prison and take legal action against those responsible.
In a meeting held at Singha Durbar on Wednesday, the committee instructed the government to investigate the incident of Kailali Prison, punish the guilty in accordance with the law, and arrange compensation for the victims as per legal provisions.
The committee also directed the Ministry of Home Affairs to make the prison administration more accountable and prevent such clashes and assaults from recurring in other prisons across the country. It further recommended implementing strategies to engage inmates in labor and productive activities effectively.
Additionally, the committee instructed authorities to house prisoners in different blocks or facilities based on the nature of their crimes, the number of inmates, and their behavior. It also called on the government to expand physical infrastructure inside prisons and establish at least one model prison in each province.
During the meeting, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak informed that a probe committee had already been formed to investigate the Kailali Prison incident and that the facts would be revealed once the report completed. He stated that no firearms were used in the incident; instead, bricks and stones available on the premises had been used.
Minister Lekhak acknowledged the poor state of prison infrastructure nationwide and stressed the need for improvement. He said the government is committed to developing prisons while ensuring the protection of inmates’ human rights and creating an environment for their reintegration into society after release.
KATHMANDU – The Election Commission has formally decided that Ranjita Shrestha remains the chairperson of the Nagarik Unmukti Party.
According to Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari, the decision was made in line with the Political Parties Act and the party’s constitution. “The details submitted by the dissenting faction did not comply with the Act and the statute,” he said.
Earlier, on July 30, a gathering of the party’s founding members had decided to remove Shrestha and appoint Lalbir Chaudhary as the new chairperson. Lalbir is the father of Nagarik Unmukti Party’s founding chair, Resham Chaudhary, and the father-in-law of Shrestha.
With the commission’s decision, Resham Chaudhary’s attempt to replace his wife with his father as party leader has failed.
KATHMANDU – The Press Council Nepal has released a record of press freedom-related incidents based on complaints registered with the council and its regular monitoring.
According to the council, monitoring conducted between July 17, 2024, and mid-July 2025 documented 94 cases of press freedom violations.
The data shows that threats and harassment were the most frequent types of violations. A total of 106 journalists — 96 men and 10 women — were found to be victims during this period.
SEOUL – Kim Keon Hee, wife of jailed former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol, has been arrested on multiple charges including stock manipulation, bribery, and political interference—marking the first time in the nation’s history that both a former president and first lady have been imprisoned.
During a four-hour court hearing in Seoul on Tuesday, the 52-year-old denied all allegations. However, the court approved her detention, citing a risk of evidence destruction.
Prosecutors allege that Kim earned over 800 million won ($577,940) through a price-rigging scheme involving shares of Deutsch Motors, a BMW dealership in South Korea. While the alleged scheme began before Yoon’s presidency, it continued to shadow his administration.
Kim is also accused of accepting luxury gifts—including two Chanel bags and a diamond necklace—from the controversial Unification Church in return for business favours. Additional charges include meddling in parliamentary candidate nominations during the 2022 by-elections and last year’s general elections.
Appearing in court dressed in black, Kim told reporters: “I sincerely apologise for causing trouble despite being a person of no importance.”
Yoon, detained in January over an alleged failed martial law bid, had previously vetoed three opposition-led bills calling for a special counsel probe into allegations against his wife. The last veto came in November—just a week before he declared martial law.
The special counsel investigation was launched in June this year after Yoon’s political rival, Lee Jae Myung, assumed the presidency.
KATHMANDU – John Wingle, Deputy Vice President of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) overseeing operations in Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and Latin America, arrived in Kathmandu on Monday, marking the first high-level MCC visit since the US resumed aid halted under the Trump administration.
During his stay, Wingle will meet senior Nepali officials, including Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel, and attend the signing of contracts for two transmission line projects jointly funded by Nepal and MCC. These include the $77.48 million Ratmate–New Damauli line and the $77.03 million New Damauli–New Butwal line, part of the 297 km MCC Nepal Compact electricity project.
The Trump administration had paused MCC operations in early 2025 during a foreign aid review. In July, the US decided to continue the MCC Nepal Compact, giving Nepal three years to complete the projects or return unspent funds.
The MCC board will meet on August 21 to clarify the agency’s future. In Nepal, the $697 million MCC Compact—ratified in 2022—also includes road upgrades and construction of three new substations. Land acquisition and tree clearance remain key challenges to meeting the tight deadline.
Kathmandu – Speaking during Tuesday’s meeting of the House of Representatives, Ramhari Khatiwoda announced his resignation from the position of Chairperson of the State Affairs and Governance Committee.
The resignation comes amid debate that the committee chair should take moral responsibility after a parliamentary probe concluded that the committee’s report on the Cooling-Off Period Bill contained serious errors.
Khatiwoda clarified that staff from the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs and the Ministry of Federal Affairs were involved in drafting the report, and that the errors in the Civil Service Bill were not committed by him or the committee members. However, he admitted his shortcoming in failing to thoroughly review the final draft before approval.
The UN Human Rights Office has denounced an Israeli airstrike in Gaza that killed six journalists, describing it as a serious violation of international law and urging immediate, unhindered access for media in the region.
The targeted strike on Sunday killed five Al Jazeera journalists — including well-known correspondent Anas al-Sharif, Mohammed Qreiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa — as well as freelance journalist Mohammad al-Khaldi. Funerals drew large crowds in Gaza City on Monday.
Media watchdogs, Qatar, and the UK government condemned the attack. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesman called for an independent investigation and stressed that journalists must be able to work without fear.
Reporters Without Borders labelled Sharif’s killing an assassination, while the Foreign Press Association accused the Israeli military of repeatedly branding Palestinian journalists as militants without credible proof. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) echoed this, citing a “documented pattern” of unsubstantiated accusations.
The Israeli military claims it found documents linking Sharif to Hamas, including rosters, training lists, and salary records, but has released only limited screenshots. No official explanation has been given for the deaths of the entire Al Jazeera crew.
According to CPJ, more than 200 journalists have been killed since Israel began its Gaza offensive in October 2023 — the deadliest period for journalists since CPJ began record-keeping in 1992.
International media access to Gaza remains restricted, forcing outlets to rely on local reporters for coverage.
The upcoming Putin–Trump meeting in Alaska, set for August 15, has already become a lightning rod for international intrigue. Ostensibly aimed at exploring an end to the ongoing war in Ukraine, the talks have been thrown into sharper controversy after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly rejected Donald Trump’s floated idea of a land concession deal to secure a ceasefire with Russia.
Zelensky’s swift and unequivocal dismissal—coming just hours after Trump hinted Ukraine might need to cede territory—was expected. But what is raising eyebrows in diplomatic circles is the apparent wave of behind-the-scenes lobbying by both individuals and countries aligned with Kyiv to undermine the meeting altogether.
According to multiple European diplomatic sources, Kyiv’s allies in Eastern Europe and within certain factions of the EU have been quietly urging Washington policymakers and Trump-aligned advisers to reconsider the meeting’s agenda, if not the meeting itself. Their argument is straightforward: any negotiation that entertains territorial concessions plays into Moscow’s hands and erodes Ukraine’s hard-fought resistance.
These efforts reportedly extend beyond governmental channels. Influential think tanks, advocacy groups, and even private security consultants sympathetic to Kyiv’s cause are said to be coordinating media narratives that cast the Alaska talks as a diplomatic trap designed to legitimize Russia’s gains.
For Zelensky, the stakes are existential. Accepting any land-for-peace formula would fracture domestic unity, embolden Kremlin demands, and potentially unravel the international sanctions regime painstakingly built since 2022. From his perspective, delegitimizing the Alaska talks before they gain traction may be less risky than allowing them to produce an agreement unfavorable to Ukraine.
But critics argue this is a double-edged sword. Actively working to derail talks involving two major powers risks alienating sections of the U.S. political spectrum—particularly those who view ending the war quickly, even at Ukraine’s expense, as a foreign policy priority.
Several NATO members appear divided. While Poland and the Baltic states are firmly in Zelensky’s corner, warning against any diplomatic settlement that compromises Ukraine’s territorial integrity, others—particularly in Western Europe—are growing weary of the economic and political toll of an open-ended conflict. These divisions make the Alaska meeting both a potential breakthrough and a dangerous fault line.
Russia, for its part, is likely to frame any Ukrainian lobbying effort as proof that Kyiv is not a genuine partner for peace. Moscow’s state media has already seized on Zelensky’s comments, portraying him as beholden to “Western war hawks” intent on prolonging the conflict.
What emerges is a complex, high-stakes diplomatic battle taking place in parallel to the one on the battlefield. Whether Zelensky’s lobbying is a principled stand against territorial compromise or a calculated bid to preserve Ukraine’s maximum negotiating leverage, it is clear the Alaska talks are as much about shaping the postwar order as they are about ending the war itself.
In the end, the question may not be whether the Putin–Trump meeting happens, but whether it can produce any agreement that survives the web of competing interests—and whether Ukraine’s lobbying campaign will be seen as a defensive necessity or a diplomatic overreach.
KATHMANDU, Aug 11 — Nepal’s electricity export to India has climbed to 850 megawatts over the past two weeks, driven by heavy rainfall and increased river flow that have boosted hydropower generation.
According to the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), the country is currently exporting over 20,500 megawatt-hours of electricity to India daily. NEA spokesperson Rajan Dhakal said production has risen significantly, allowing surplus electricity—beyond domestic consumption—to be sold to the neighboring country.
With most hydropower plants operating on a run-of-river basis, Nepal produces excess power during the rainy season but faces shortages in the dry months. Dhakal noted that river water levels have been optimal for the past two weeks.
Currently, NEA’s own plants generate 13,512 MWh daily, while private producers supply 44,553 MWh. Peak domestic demand stands at 2,111 MW, against a total generation of about 3,000 MW, leaving around 850 MW for export to India.
In FY 2024/25, Nepal earned a record Rs 17.46 billion from electricity exports—Rs 17.19 billion from India and Rs 266.7 million from Bangladesh—making it a net exporter for the first time in FY 2023/24, with a net profit of Rs 120 million.
Since mid-June, Nepal has been supplying 40 MW to Bangladesh under an ongoing arrangement. The country has approval to export up to 940 MW in total—400 MW through a medium-term bilateral deal and 540 MW via the Indian Energy Exchange—but has yet to reach the full target.
Kathmandu-Private education associations in Nepal have opposed key provisions in the School Education Bill, warning of nationwide protests if their demands are ignored by August 13.
The Private and Boarding Schools’ Organisation Nepal (PABSON) and the Higher Institutions and Secondary Schools’ Association Nepal (HISSAN) object to clauses aimed at making private schools non-profit, and demand removal of the “full scholarship” requirement—preferring the current rule of providing scholarships to 10% of students, covering only tuition and basic fees.
The parliamentary committee recently decided that both existing and new private schools can operate as companies, scrapping earlier proposals to convert them into trusts. The bill also mandates publishing fee structures two months before the school year, regulating fees, and distributing scholarships equally between disadvantaged and meritorious students.
Private school operators say some provisions, including full scholarships and limits on fees, are impractical and discriminatory. They have vowed to launch protests from August 14 if changes are not made.
Kathmandu- From mid-April to mid-August, Nepal recorded a total of 2,675 disaster-related incidents, affecting 4,725 households, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA).
These incidents claimed 117 lives and injured 564 people. The data shows that floods accounted for 198 cases, resulting in 16 deaths and leaving 21 people missing. Floods alone impacted 1,313 households. Landslides were reported 281 times, causing 13 deaths and injuring 17 others.
Other incidents included 174 cases of continuous rainfall, 244 lightning strikes, and 74 snakebites. Fires made up 1,066 incidents, including 158 wildfires. There were also 276 windstorms, 153 animal attacks, 41 cases of high-altitude sickness, and five earthquake-related events.
A total of 22 people remain missing. On August 9 alone, authorities recorded 35 disaster events — including 13 landslides, five cases of continuous rainfall, two incidents of high-altitude sickness, and one each of lightning strike and animal attack — which left six people injured.
KATHMANDU — Four different committees of the Federal Parliament are scheduled to meet today, according to the official calendar. The meetings will include the Finance Committee, the Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee, the Agriculture, Cooperatives and Natural Resources Committee, and the Legislative Management Committee.
The Finance Committee will hold clause-by-clause discussions on the “Bill on Managing Alternative Development Finance.”
The Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee will conduct a clause-by-clause review of the “Nepal Bar Council (Second Amendment) Bill, 2081.”
The Agriculture, Cooperatives and Natural Resources Committee will discuss matters related to the “Hind Kush Himalayan Parliaments’ Meet – 2025.”
Meanwhile, the Legislative Management Committee will hold a theoretical discussion on the “Nepal Citizenship (Second Amendment) Bill, 2081.”
London — Police in London have arrested hundreds of protesters demonstrating in support of Palestine Action, a group designated as a “terror organisation” by the UK government last month.
According to the Metropolitan Police, 466 people were detained at Parliament Square by 9 p.m. local time on Saturday for “showing support for Palestine Action.” Earlier, the police warned via X that they would arrest anyone expressing such support.
Videos on social media showed officers removing protesters seated in the square, holding signs reading, “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.” Organisers from Defend Our Juries described the gathering as a collective stand against “genocide in Gaza” and the ban on Palestine Action.
Critics argue the government’s decision under the Terrorism Act 2000 — making membership or support for Palestine Action punishable by up to 14 years in prison — infringes on free speech and the right to protest. Even wearing a T-shirt or holding a sign with “I support Palestine Action” could result in arrest.
Since the ban took effect in July, more than 200 people have already been arrested during protests across the UK. Over 350 academics worldwide have signed an open letter praising a “campaign of collective defiance” against Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s decision, warning of its repressive effects, particularly on universities. Signatories include Israeli historian Ilan Pappe, Professor Eyal Weizman, and political theorists Michael Hardt and Jacqueline Rose.
On the same day, a separate march by the Palestine Coalition took place in London, where one person was arrested for displaying a pro-Palestine Action banner.
Amnesty International UK condemned the arrests of peaceful demonstrators holding signs, calling it a breach of the UK’s obligations to uphold freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
Kathmandu — 26 players have been signed through the first round of auction of the second edition of Nepal Premier League (NPL). The 8 teams participating in the auction held on Saturday have selected their preferred players.
Dev Khanal, Arjun Saud, Adil Alam and Pawan Saraf are among the players who will receive the highest prices. They will receive Rs 1.5 million each. Dev and Arjun will play for Chitwan Rhinos, Adil for Kathmandu Gorkhas and Pawan for Karnali Yaks.
Similarly, Dilip Nath and Sher Malla (Lumbini Lions), Hemant Dhami (Sudurpaschim Royals), Surya Tamang (Biratnagar Kings), Santosh Yadav (Kathmandu Gorkhas) and Yubaraj Khatri (Karnali Yaks) have been signed for Rs 1 million each.
Mayan Yadav has been signed by Janakpur Bolts for Rs 750,000 and Akash Tripathi by Kathmandu Gorkhas for Rs 700,000. Narayan Joshi and Sahil Patel (Biratnagar Kings), Arjun Kumal (Pokhara Avengers), Vishal Patel (Lumbini Lions) and Aditya Mahat (Janakpur Bolts) have been signed for Rs 500,000 each. Kathmandu Gorkhas has brought in Uttam Thapa Magar for Rs 300,000.
Similarly, Tek Bahadur Rawat and Dipendra Thapa (Sudur Paschim Royals), Abhishek Tiwari and Krishna Poudel (Pokhara Avengers), Sachin Bhatt (Janakpur Bolts), Tul Bahadur Thapa (Kathmandu Gorkhas) and Imran Sheikh and Deepak Dumre (Karnali Yaks) have been signed for Rs 200,000 each.
Kathmandu Gorkhas has signed 5 players as per its quota, while other teams will be able to sign the remaining players at the lowest price in the second phase. This time, 150 players selected out of 458 registered players participated in the mini auction.
The latest fallout from former President Donald Trump’s tariff battles has quietly struck America’s dairy industry.In a startling but largely unreported trade twist, more than $3 billion worth of American dairy products — including over 200 containers of cheese and milk — were rejected at the Canadian border within the past 48 hours, without public explanation or warning.
Trade analysts link the move to lingering tensions from the Trump administration’s aggressive tariff policies, which reshaped U.S.–Canada trade dynamics and led to stricter enforcement of dairy quotas under the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA). The U.S. exceeded its 3.6% market share allowance in Canada, triggering retaliatory tariffs of up to 292% and an outright border block.
Those shipments have now quietly returned to American grocery shelves, repackaged and marked down by 50% — with no indication they were rejected abroad. Meanwhile, dairy farmers in Wisconsin and other key producing states are dumping fresh milk into storm drains, facing deep financial losses and emotional strain.
The White House has not issued a statement, prompting critics to accuse Washington of letting “bureaucratic warfare” slowly strangle the sector. Supporters of the former tariff push argue it was a necessary defense of American industry, while opponents say it provoked Canada into hardline measures that now punish U.S. farmers.
For consumers, the fallout means cheaper dairy in the short term, but for farmers, it’s another blow in an increasingly precarious industry.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reaffirmed that Ukraine will not cede any territory to Russia, just days before a planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on 15 August to discuss the war’s future.
The statement came after Trump suggested that “some swapping of territories” could help end the conflict, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. While offering no specific details, Trump said such a deal could benefit both sides given the years of fighting and heavy casualties.
Zelensky, posting on Telegram, declared that “Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier” and stressed that Ukraine must be part of any peace agreement.
He warned that any deal made without Ukraine’s involvement would be “a solution against peace.”
Kailali Prison has come under the control of inmates following a violent clash between prisoners on Friday night. The incident claimed the life of 40-year-old Bharat Chaudhary, who was serving time for a drug-related offense, and left 47 others injured. Among the injured, Ayush Bhatt of Godawari Municipality and Ravi Chaudhary of Dhangadhi are in the ICU.
The prison, which has a capacity of 150 inmates, currently holds around 700. Security personnel have not yet been able to enter the premises, and the extent of damage inside remains unknown. Prisoners have locked the main cell block gate from the inside and placed gas cylinders at the entrance, threatening to blow them up if anyone tries to enter.
During the clash, inmates from Block A broke through a bricked-up door — originally sealed years ago — using gym equipment and forced their way into Block B. There, they attacked sleeping prisoners with rods, khukuris (traditional Nepali knives), knives, and bricks. Some victims were dragged back to Block A and beaten further.
The attack was reportedly triggered by two main issues: the transfer of inmates involved in the Bhupendra Baduwal murder case and disputes over replacing the prison’s “naike” (inmate leader). The same dispute had sparked a smaller clash on Thursday, injuring five. Those involved in Friday’s attack included convicts in the Baduwal murder case, the Arjun Das murder case, and a group accused of assaulting an electricity worker in Attariya with a khukuri.
According to sources, Chief District Officer (CDO) Gogan Bahadur Hamal had been informed earlier on Friday about the planned attack but allegedly dismissed the warning, which allowed the situation to escalate.
The atmosphere inside the prison remains tense, with security forces attempting to enter but being deterred by threats of an explosion. Authorities have described the situation as highly sensitive.
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in Alaska on 15 August to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin called the location “logical” due to its proximity to Russia and confirmed Trump has also been invited to Moscow for a potential second summit.
The talks come after Trump suggested Ukraine might have to cede territory — including the entire Donbas and Crimea — to secure peace, an idea reportedly floated by Putin to Trump’s envoy in Moscow. Such concessions have been firmly rejected by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who opposes any territorial compromise.
Moscow currently controls about 20% of Ukraine. Previous peace talks have failed, with Russia demanding Ukraine’s neutrality, reduced military capacity, NATO withdrawal, and the lifting of Western sanctions.
Trump claims there’s a “shot at” a trilateral deal and had set an 8 August deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire, though no new sanctions were announced. The Alaska meeting will be the leaders’ first in-person encounter since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
China has issued a sharp rebuke to Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr after he suggested that Manila could be drawn into a potential conflict between China and the United States over Taiwan.
Speaking during a state visit to India this week, Marcos told Indian broadcaster Firstpost that the Philippines’ geographic proximity to Taiwan and the large Filipino community there would inevitably pull the country into any war. “If there is an all-out war, then we will be drawn into it. There are many Filipino nationals in Taiwan, and that would immediately become a humanitarian problem,” he said.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded on Friday with a strongly worded warning, urging the Philippines not to “play with fire” and to adhere to the one-China principle. “Geographical proximity and large overseas populations are not excuses for interfering in others’ internal affairs,” the ministry said.
Beijing accused Marcos of undermining international law and the ASEAN charter, warning that his remarks risk destabilising regional peace and harming the Philippine people’s interests. Tensions between Manila and Beijing have already been rising over disputes in the South China Sea, with recent incidents involving ramming, water cannon use, and even weapons such as spears and knives.
Marcos’s India trip also saw the signing of new security agreements to strengthen defence cooperation between the two nations’ armies, navies, and air forces. Indian warships have recently begun joint patrols with the Philippine Navy in contested South China Sea waters — a move expected to further irk Beijing.
Adding to the friction, Philippine officials this week condemned the launch of a Chinese rocket, saying suspected debris fell near a western province, posing risks to residents, ships, and aircraft. No damage or injuries were reported.
The growing maritime standoff has also drawn in the United States, which has a mutual defence treaty with the Philippines. Washington has reaffirmed its commitment to defend Philippine forces, including coastguard vessels and aircraft, if attacked anywhere in the South China Sea.
Kathmandu — After six years, the government is once again attempting to enact a law that allows monitoring of citizens’ phone calls and communications. The draft of the ‘National Intelligence and Investigation Bill,’ prepared by the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, proposes expanding the jurisdiction of intelligence agencies to include surveillance and monitoring of phones and other communication networks.
A similar attempt was made in 2019 (2076 BS) by the then government but was withdrawn following widespread public opposition. The current government is revisiting this effort.
Article 15 of the proposed bill contains special provisions regarding information collection. It allows the Inspector General of Investigation to order interception and monitoring of communications if deemed necessary to prevent serious harm to the country.
The bill also grants the National Investigation Department read-only access (‘read-only’) to computer databases in other government or public agencies. Officials authorized by the Inspector General can record communications and request assistance from communication service providers to ensure uninterrupted monitoring.
The draft bill will be revised based on public feedback and input from the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, and the Ministry of Finance before being submitted to the Council of Ministers. The bill will only be presented to Parliament and become law after Cabinet approval and passage by both houses of the federal Parliament.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump have held several friendly phone conversations this year.
Trump frequently emphasized his goal of restoring US-Russia relations through enhanced economic cooperation. The two leaders also exchanged numerous messages via intermediaries.
Since the start of 2025, Putin and Trump have spoken by phone six times. Trump expressed his desire to meet Putin the day after his January 2025 inauguration and has repeatedly mentioned plans for a summit. On August 7, Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov confirmed that an agreement had been reached for the two leaders to meet in the coming days.
US Doubles Reward to $50 Million for Information Leading to Venezuelan President Maduro’s Arrest
The US has increased its reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from $25 million to $50 million, accusing him of being one of the world’s largest drug traffickers.
President Donald Trump, a long-time critic of Maduro, highlighted Maduro’s alleged involvement in extensive drug smuggling operations, linking him to criminal groups like the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel. The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) claims to have seized 30 tons of cocaine connected to Maduro and his associates.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil dismissed the reward as “political propaganda” and a “pathetic” attempt to distract from other US controversies.
Maduro, who returned to power amid disputed elections, has been accused by the US and others of corruption, repression, and drug trafficking. Former Venezuelan intelligence chief Hugo Carvajal, recently convicted in the US, reportedly cooperated with authorities, possibly implicating Maduro.
The UK and EU have also imposed sanctions on Maduro’s government following his contested re-election.
China has strongly criticized the United States for imposing what it called “unsustainable” tariffs on Brazil, introduced by US President Donald Trump in response to the prosecution of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and Brazil’s ongoing cooperation within the BRICS bloc.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing “firmly supports Brazil in defending its sovereignty and dignity” and “opposes unwarranted external interference” in its internal affairs. He pledged China’s backing for Brazil in resisting “bullying” tariff measures and strengthening cooperation among Global South nations, especially within the BRICS framework.
Speaking with Celso Amorim, a senior adviser to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Wang said using tariffs as a political weapon violates the UN Charter, undermines WTO rules, and is “unpopular and unsustainable.”
In late July, Trump announced a 50% tariff on all Brazilian goods, citing threats to US national security and concerns over Bolsonaro’s prosecution for allegedly plotting a coup after his 2022 election defeat. Trump has also accused BRICS of seeking to weaken the US dollar’s global influence.
Lula dismissed Trump’s stance, saying he is not “the emperor of the world,” and proposed a BRICS meeting to formulate a joint response.
Trump has hinted at similar tariffs for China and earlier raised duties on India by 25%, criticizing both nations for importing Russian oil during the Ukraine conflict. Moscow rejected the threats, asserting that sovereign nations are free to choose their trading partners.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel intends to take full control of the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu’s push for a full military takeover of Gaza has drawn sharp condemnation, with critics accusing him of escalating the war for political survival at the expense of civilian lives and hostage safety. Human rights groups warn the move would deepen the humanitarian catastrophe, violate international law, and risk mass displacement of Palestinians already on the brink of famine. Detractors say his strategy ignores viable alternatives, fuels further instability, and prioritizes personal and political interests over peace and the protection of both Israeli and Palestinian civilians.
The war has displaced most of Gaza’s population, with UN experts warning of famine and the WHO reporting record child malnutrition in July. Since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages, Israel’s offensive has killed over 61,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
US President Donald Trump said the decision was “up to Israel,” while ceasefire talks remain stalled.
Kathmandu – The Supreme Court of Nepal has ruled that there is no constitutional obligation to automatically appoint the leader of the largest party in Parliament as Prime Minister following the fall of a coalition government.
The Court rejected the argument that a change in coalition dynamics must immediately trigger the process under Article 76(3) of the Constitution. Instead, it clarified that Article 76(2) can be applied multiple times, and the departure of one coalition partner does not necessarily require initiating a new government formation process.
This verdict was in response to demands that Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba be appointed Prime Minister after then-Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda) lost a vote of confidence due to the withdrawal of support by the CPN-UML. Subsequently, President Ram Chandra Paudel had called for a new government under Article 76(2) and appointed KP Sharma Oli as Prime Minister.
The constitutional bench of the Supreme Court issued an interpretation aimed at clarifying future uncertainties in government formation, affirming that even if a coalition collapses, the President is not bound to move directly to Article 76(3). Rather, the President may again invoke Article 76(2) to invite parties to form a new majority-backed government.
Kathmandu – Suspended Mayor of Bagmati Municipality in Sarlahi, Bharat Kumar Thapa, has been found guilty in an illegal wealth accumulation case.
The Special Court has sentenced Thapa to one year in prison and imposed a fine of Rs 34.5 million. The verdict came in response to a case filed by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA).
Thapa was accused of amassing illegal property worth Rs 53.3 million. The court ruled for a one-year prison term, a fine of Rs 34.5 million (Rs 34,522,387), and confiscation of equivalent property.
Alongside Thapa, the court also convicted Chief Administrative Officer Bimal Kumar Pokharel and Planning Division Chief Engineer Sagar Paudel on corruption charges. However, Shila Kumari Moktan, Bishwaraj Pokharel, and Methur Chaudhary were acquitted.
Israeli authorities are moving forward with plans to dramatically expand illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, despite growing international condemnation and warnings that the move would destroy already moribund prospects for a two-state solution.
The Israeli government has set Wednesday as the date to discuss building thousands of new housing units in the E1 area, east of occupied East Jerusalem. The proposed expansion would link the large and illegal Ma’ale Adumim settlement with Jerusalem, effectively bisecting the West Bank and isolating Palestinian communities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government also appears on the cusp of announcing its intention to occupy all of Gaza as its genocidal war on the besieged enclave rages on.
The E1 plan in the West Bank has long been criticised by the international community, including the European Union and successive United States administrations.
Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are illegal under international law. The International Court of Justice, the top United Nations tribunal, reaffirmed that position last year, saying that Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is unlawful and must end “as rapidly as possible”.
The plan would see nearly 1,214 hectares (3,000 acres) of Palestinian land stolen to build more than 4,000 settlement units, as well as hotels and roads connecting Ma’ale Adumim to West Jerusalem.
Palestinians say the project is part of broader efforts to “Judaise” East Jerusalem and entrench Israeli control over occupied territories in violation of international law.
Palestinian leaders seek the entirety of the West Bank, along with the Gaza Strip, and as a capital, East Jerusalem – areas Israel captured in the 1967 war – for their future state.
Currently, more than 500,000 settlers are living in the West Bank, and some 220,000 others in East Jerusalem.
India has sharply criticized a new US tariff linked to its oil trade with Russia, denouncing the move “extremely unfortunate,” while pledging to protect its own national interests.
The White House announced an additional 25% levy on Indian imports on Wednesday, doubling the tariff burden it recently imposed on its major trading partner to 50%. The new duties are set to take effect in 21 days – in late August – according to an order signed by US President Donald Trump.
India’s Foreign Ministry condemned the move, noting Washington is targeting the energy security of the world’s most populous nation.
India’s oil “imports from Russia are based on market factors and done with the overall objective of ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion people of India,” the ministry spokesperson said in a statement.
“We reiterate that these actions are unfair, unjustified and unreasonable,” the official added, pointing out that “several other countries” continue to trade with Russia in line with their national interests.
India had exposed the double standards of the Western nations earlier this week. In a strongly worded statement on Monday, New Delhi stressed that, while the US and EU condemn India’s defense and energy ties with Moscow, they both continue to trade with Russia at even higher levels.
US officials have hardened their rhetoric towards New Delhi in recent weeks, criticizing India’s close ties with Moscow. They have also accused the Asian country of “effectively” financing Russia’s conflict with Ukraine by purchasing large volumes of crude. India rejects the charge, insisting its energy policy is rooted in economic necessity and the welfare of its population.
Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Russia has emerged as India’s top crude supplier, while India now exports large volumes of refined fuels – much of it made from Russian oil – to EU buyers.
Trump has threatened to impose 100% tariffs on countries that continue business with Russia unless Moscow agrees to a major peace deal with Ukraine. In response to such threats, Russia has said it believes “sovereign states should have, and do have, the right to choose their own trade partners,” as well as to pursue cooperation that suits their national priorities.
US President Donald Trump says “great progress” has been made over Ukraine during talks between his envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump also described the meeting as “highly productive” in a post on his Truth Social platform.
The Kremlin earlier issued a vague statement about the talks, with foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov saying the two sides had exchanged “signals” as part of “constructive” talks in Moscow.
He also said Russia and the US had discussed the possibility of strategic cooperation – but refused to share more until Witkoff had briefed the US president.
The meeting came days before Trump’s deadline to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine.Trump said he had briefed some of America’s European allies following the talks.”Everyone agrees this War must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come,” he said.
The discussions between Putin and Witkoff appeared cordial despite Trump’s mounting irritation with the lack of progress in negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv.
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has rejected any limited ceasefire with Russia, insisting that Kiev will only agree to a complete halt in hostilities. His statement came in the wake of reports from Bloomberg that Moscow planned to propose a pause in air operations.
Moscow and Kiev have agreed to several partial ceasefires since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Both sides have also accused each other of violating the agreements.
In a post on his Telegram channel, Zelensky wrote that Kiev supports only an “immediate, complete and unconditional” ceasefire. “We’ve already tried many different formats,” he said, referring to proposals for “silence in the skies” and halts to energy‑sector attacks. He alleged that all such agreements were breached and urged further sanctions on Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow favors a peaceful resolution and a “long‑term, lasting peace” rather than a temporary truce. He has stressed that any settlement must address the “realities on the ground” and the root causes of the conflict.
Russia has repeatedly called on Ukraine to recognize the loss of five of its former regions that joined Russia in public referendums, withdraw its forces from those territories, commit to neutrality, and limit its military capabilities.
Moscow has also said a ceasefire could be possible if Ukraine halts troop movements, suspends mobilization, stops foreign arms shipments, and holds a presidential election. Kiev has rejected the terms as unacceptable.
Kathmandu — The government is preparing to approach the Supreme Court against the Patan High Court’s decision to release medical entrepreneur Durga Prasai on bail.
The Office of the Attorney General has instructed the Office of the Chief Public Prosecutor in Patan to study the court order and submit a report with legal opinion.
According to Uddhav Pudasaini, spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office, the two separate bail orders related to Prasai’s cases are found to be inconsistent with legal principles and existing law.
“Both orders violate fundamental legal doctrines and undermine the rule of law,” said Pudasaini. “Therefore, we are filing a petition in the Supreme Court demanding the annulment of these orders.”
In this context, the Patan office has been directed to conduct a detailed review of the related files and orders to prepare a formal legal recommendation.
The Patan High Court had issued an order to release Durga Prasai on bail. The government has now decided to seek judicial review of that decision.
Hetauda – Indra Bahadur Baniya has been appointed as the head of Bagmati Province Government. Baniya became the Chief Minister with the support of a total of 64 lawmakers from Nepali Congress and CPN-UML in the 110-member Province Assembly.
Province Chief Deepak Prasad Devkota appointed Baniya as the Chief Minister today. Baniya, a resident of Makawanpur and also the President of Nepali Congress Bagmati Province Committee, has become the sixth Chief Minister of Bagmati.
On 9 Shrawan 2082, 21 lawmakers led by Baniya filed a no-confidence motion against party leader Lama, who was also the Chief Minister. On 13 Shrawan, when the vote was divided on the no-confidence motion, Lama lost the status of party leader after 22 votes were cast in favor of the no-confidence motion and 15 against. After defeating Lama in the election held to select the party leader on 14 Shrawan, Baniya was cleared to become the Chief Minister.
When the government was formed in Bagmati a year ago, there was an agreement between the UML and the Congress to lead the government for 20 months each. According to this, Baniya will lead the government for 8 months and hand over the leadership to the UML in coming Falgun.
Kathmandu — From now on, any notice or advertisement related to foreign employment will be considered invalid unless published online. The Department of Labour and Occupational Safety under the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security has enforced this mandatory provision.
According to the new rule, all foreign employment ads must now be uploaded to the ‘Shram Sansar’ portal (www.shramsansar.gov.np) and the ‘Shram Sansar’ mobile application. The department issued a notice on Tuesday announcing the implementation of this requirement.
However, the existing provision requiring such advertisements to be printed in national daily newspapers, as per Section 22(3) of the Foreign Employment Act, 2007, and Rule 7 of the Foreign Employment Regulation, 2007, will remain unchanged. But now, it is compulsory to upload those same ads on digital platforms as well.
The Shram Sansar portal has been integrated with the Nagarik App (Citizen App), allowing users to easily access foreign job ads on their mobile devices. The department clarified that since verification is not possible through the app when ads are only printed in newspapers, online publication has been made mandatory.
The department has instructed all foreign employment agencies to strictly follow this rule by uploading complete information while posting ads. Failure to do so will result in the ad being deemed incomplete, and disciplinary action will be taken as per the law.
Kathmandu — The Parliamentary Inquiry Special Committee has concluded that Nepali Congress MP and Chairman of the State Affairs Committee Ramhari Khatiwada is morally responsible for the errors seen in the report on the Federal Civil Service Bill. The role of some employees, including Khatiwada, is also clearly mentioned in the investigation report prepared by the committee.
According to the investigation committee, it has been seen that even high-ranking employees have failed to behave in a manner befitting their positions. The committee has concluded that if they had understood their official responsibilities, such a big error would not have occurred in the writing of the bill report.
The report submitted to the House of Representatives bears the signatures of Chairman of the State Affairs Committee Ramhari Khatiwada and Secretary Suraj Kumar Dura, and their names have been mentioned in the report. According to a member of the committee, “Both Khatiwada and Dura have been mentioned in the report because political officials are politically and morally responsible.”
Similarly, although it is mentioned that the Chief Secretary and other employees will be held accountable both officially and legally, the name of the Chief Secretary is not mentioned in the report.
Kathmandu- The application process for the Korean language test for 2025 under South Korea’s employment permit system EPS is set to begin on August 11 for Nepalese workers. The application deadline has been set for August 16.
The EPS branch under the Department of Foreign Employment of Nepal has issued a public notice inviting applications for the first phase of the language test to be conducted in Kathmandu. Candidates who succeed in this phase will get employment in the industrial and animal husbandry sectors of South Korea.
The target for this phase is to recruit 5,300 Nepali workers. Out of which 3,500 will be selected in the industrial sector and 1,800 in the animal husbandry sector.
The notice states that this number may increase or decrease based on demand. Only Nepali citizens between the ages of 18 and 39 will be eligible to participate in the language test. One person can apply for only one sector.
In the fiscal year 2081/82 alone, 14,224 Nepalese have obtained work permits for Korea. So far, more than 110,000 Nepalese have gone to Korea, and about 50,000 are currently working in Korea.
South Korea signed an agreement with the Nepalese government in 2007 to send workers through the EPS system, and the process has been operating regularly since 2008.
Hetauda – Nepali Congress parliamentary party leader Indra Bahadur Baniya is being appointed as the sixth Chief Minister of the Bagmati Province government.
Baniya, who is also the Congress Bagmati Province President, has submitted his claim to the Chief Minister’s post to form a new government at the Province Chief’s Office.
Immediately after Bahadur Singh Lama’s resignation was accepted, Province Chief Deepak Prasad Devkota had called for submission of claims for the appointment of Chief Minister by 2 pm today, Tuesday.
Baniya submitted his claim on Monday with the support of 37 Congress MPs and 27 from the ruling party CPN-UML. The support of 56 MPs is required to form a government in the 110-member Province Assembly.
Province Chief Devkota will appoint Baniya as the Chief Minister after the 2 pm deadline given for government formation. The Province Chief’s Office has scheduled Baniya’s oath of office and secrecy for 4 pm.
The High Court, Patan had ordered to release Durga Prasai on bail. The High Court has ordered Prasai, who was detained in the incident that turned the protest in Tinkune into violence, to be released on a bail of three lakh rupees. The bench of Justices Tanka Gurung and Dilli Ratna Shrestha overturned the order of the District Court.
As per the order of the District Court, Kathmandu, he is in the Dillibazaar Jail. Sushil Baral, Dandapani Neupane and Saroj Gautam, who are also detained in the same case, have also been ordered to be released on bail.
Similarly, a bail of 2.5 million rupees has been demanded in the banking offence case against him. A case was filed against him on charges of misappropriating bank loans with an amount of 180 million rupees. The bench of Justices Sudarshan Dev Bhatta and Munendra Prasad Awasthi demanded bail in the banking offence case.
Kathmandu — Forest and Environment Minister Ain Bahadur Shahi misled the Cabinet to gain approval for a Norway visit that never had an official event. Instead, he took his wife and personal aide on a state-funded trip from July 24 to August 1 (Shrawan 9–16), with all expenses paid by the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC).
Minister Shahi got Cabinet approval by claiming he was attending a “Norway to Strengthen Cooperation” program, which never actually existed. While most official visits are publicized, this trip was kept unusually quiet.
Shahi’s wife Basuna and personal aide Bhim Bista accompanied him, with flight tickets, hotel, allowances, and incidentals covered by NTNC. The trip was arranged by NTNC Member Secretary Dr. Naresh Subedi. Subedi’s term ends in December, and sources say he aimed to please the minister to secure reappointment.
Though the Cabinet approved the trip till July 30 (Shrawan 14), Shahi returned two days later. During the stay, he briefly visited some wildlife centers and met students — but no official government-level meetings were held.
Critics say such misuse of public resources damages government credibility. Former diplomats and administrators emphasized that ministers must attend only the programs approved by the Cabinet and should not exploit vague invitations for personal travel.
Despite public backlash, Minister Shahi insists he attended in his role as NTNC chair and denies any wrongdoing. Subedi also claims the visit was legitimate and says he will clarify further in person.
Hetauda — Bagmati Province Chief Minister Bahadur Singh Lama has announced his resignation .
Lama said his decision was influenced by internal party discussions and a request from Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba.
He claimed he didn’t receive enough support from colleagues and faced challenges due to irregular transfers by senior officials. Lama expressed frustration that while coalition governments in other provinces remain stable, Bagmati’s leadership is being changed unnecessarily.
He warned that such political instability could harm democratic values.
Lama was appointed in July 2024 (Shrawan 8, 2081). Recently, a no-confidence motion was filed against him, and he was removed as parliamentary party leader.
Indra Bahadur Baniya, who has now been elected as the new party leader, is expected to become the next Chief Minister. Baniya had previously competed against Lama in 2022 but lost. This time, he secured 22 out of 37 party votes, giving him the majority to lead the government.
Kathmandu – The Government of Nepal has shifted the authority to determine the salaries and benefits of top political officeholders — from the Prime Minister to State Ministers — from administrative directives to formal decisions made by the Council of Ministers. Under the newly amended law, the Cabinet can now set pay and benefits through an official notice published in the Nepal Gazette.
According to the 2020 (2077 B.S.) approved Operational Directive, the current monthly salary of the Prime Minister is NPR 94,280, which includes base pay, allowance, communication costs, and hospitality expenses.
In addition to salary, the Prime Minister is entitled to 306 liters of petrol per month, 40 liters of engine oil annually, and the services of 34 staff members ranging from advisors to office assistants. While traveling outside the Kathmandu Valley, the Prime Minister also receives a daily allowance of NPR 3,000.
The Deputy Prime Minister receives a total monthly salary of NPR 84,640 and is entitled to the same fuel allowance (306 liters) and 8 staff members.
Cabinet Ministers receive NPR 79,230 monthly, and State Ministers receive NPR 75,030. They are entitled to 207 and 200 liters of petrol per month, respectively, along with 7 staff members each.
This shift allows the government to adjust pay and perks through Cabinet decisions, removing the need for directive-based amendments in the future.
Kathmandu — A parliamentary special investigation committee has concluded that deliberate manipulation was carried out in the Federal Civil Service Bill to render the “cooling-off period” provision ineffective. The finding, issued by the special probe committee of the House of Representatives, states that the inclusion of a contradictory clause in the bill was not a “human error” but an intentional act — a conclusion unanimously agreed upon by all seven committee members.
The State Affairs and Good Governance Committee had unanimously decided to include a provision under Clause 82 (4) of the bill stating:
“Civil servants or individuals who resigned or retired from other government services shall not be eligible for appointment to any constitutional or governmental position until two years have passed from the date of their retirement.”
Once this provision was included, a previously existing clause — which prohibited such individuals from being appointed to any post except for constitutional or diplomatic roles or other appointments made by the Government of Nepal — was supposed to be removed. However, it was retained under Clause 82 (5a), raising serious concerns.
In response to this contradiction, the House of Representatives formed a special probe committee led by Nepali Congress MP Jeevan Pariyar. Other members include Sushila Thing, Narayan Prasad Acharya, Ishwari Gharti, Madhav Sapkota, Ganesh Parajuli, and Roshan Karki. The committee is now in the final stages of drafting its report.
According to members of the probe committee, the report will specify who was involved in keeping the conflicting clause in the bill and recommend necessary actions against them. It will also make suggestions to prevent similar manipulation in the future.
One committee member noted that from the bill’s drafting to the parliamentary reporting stages, senior experienced officials from the Ministry of Law and General Administration, as well as the Parliament Secretariat, were involved. In addition, there were visible lobbying efforts against the cooling-off period by the Chief Secretary, the Secretary General of Parliament, and several other government secretaries — making it impossible to dismiss the issue as a mere technical oversight.
Another member stated that even during the State Affairs Committee meeting on Asar 18 (early July), suspicions of deliberate conspiracy and ill-intent were raised, ruling out the possibility of it being a simple error.
Committee coordinator Jeevan Pariyar confirmed that the final report would be submitted to the House of Representatives on Shrawan 19 (August 4).
“We’ll submit a report that identifies flaws in the cooling-off provision, recommends action against those involved, and outlines future safeguards,” he said. “We’re finalizing the conclusions, and the committee is carefully analyzing facts and shaping its recommendations.”
At a committee meeting held Saturday, members discussed the exact roles played by various individuals in intentionally weakening the cooling-off period clause.
“Members have expressed views on who bears what level of responsibility. A Congress MP has said he will share his views on Sunday,” one member reported.
According to that source, the report drafting involved officials from the Ministry of Law and General Administration, the Chairperson of the State Affairs Committee Ramhari Khatiwada, Secretary Suraj Kumar Dura, and several others. Following the bill’s approval by the committee, Chief Secretary Eknarayan Aryal, along with two dozen secretaries and Parliament Secretary General Padma Prasad Pandey, were actively lobbying against the cooling-off provision.
While undersecretaries were still preparing the report, the Chief Secretary, Secretary General, and other secretaries threatened collective resignation and lobbied top political leaders, including then-Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba. They also publicly confronted Secretary Dura of the State Affairs Committee in front of Speaker Devraj Ghimire and National Assembly Chair Narayan Prasad Dahal.
“Such actions clearly influenced the law-making process,” one committee member stated.
The special committee plans to discuss punitive actions against responsible officials during its Sunday meeting. Clause 3 of the committee’s mandate explicitly directs it to recommend disciplinary measures.
“We’ve finished analyzing the facts and are now evaluating individual responsibilities to draw final conclusions,” the member added.
To support its investigation, the committee has consulted constitutional expert Kashiraj Dahal and legal professionals from the Office of the Attorney General. It has also summoned IT and computer experts from Nepal Police.
The House of Representatives had formed this special committee on Asar 23 (July 7) with an initial 21-day mandate to investigate the controversial provision in the civil service bill. Since the probe could not be completed on time, the deadline was extended by a week. The committee includes two members each from the ruling Nepali Congress and UML, and one each from the opposition parties — Maoist Center, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP).
Nawalparasi – The deadline for the Butwal-Narayangadh road expansion has been extended for the fourth time. The deadline for the eastern section has been extended until 2083 Shrawan 7 and the deadline for the western section has been extended until 2083 Shrawan 5.
The area from Daunne to East Gaindakot of the Narayangadh-Butwal road section is called the eastern section and the area from Daunne to West Butwal is called the western section.
The deadline has been extended because the Chinese contractor company, which started work from Chaitra 2075, did not complete the work within the specified time. The Chinese contractor was supposed to complete the highway expansion work within the first three years. The highway expansion work was not completed even after the first, second and third extensions of one year each, so the extension has been extended for the fourth time.
The Chinese contractor company China State Engineering Corporation had got the contract to expand the 114 kilometers of highway in both sections for Rs 17 billion. Even though the deadline has been extended for the fourth time, the cost of road construction will not increase, said Chudaraj Dhakal, director of the road expansion project. The Chinese contractor company and consultant had asked for time until Magh 2083. Dhakal said that the project office has extended the deadline by one year on the condition that the work be completed by Shrawan 2083. The Butwal-Narayangadh road expansion is ongoing with the loan assistance of the Asian Development Bank.
The cost from Gaindakot to Daunne is Rs. 9,131,895,000. The cost from Daunne to West Butwal is Rs. 7,863,400,000. Out of the 114 kilometers of road, a four-lane road will be constructed in 29 kilometers. A 70-kilometer road in the Butwal-Narayangadh area will be constructed in the market area with 6 lanes. Road upgrading work is underway to make three lanes in about 14 kilometers of Daunne. The Daunne road will be 13 meters wide.
The Department of Roads has stated that the highway expansion work that began on Chaitra 2075 BS has been completed by only 70 percent as of last Ashar.
Kathmandu-Ravindra Dhant from Nepal has become the first-ever Nepali fighter to win the Matrix Fight Night (MFN) Championship, defeating Indian champion Chungreng Koren in MFN 17, held in India.
Competing in the bantamweight category, Dhant earned the title with his aggressive mixed martial arts (MMA) style, known for striking and wrestling. He secured victory in the third round after delivering a series of powerful strikes that left Koren in trouble, prompting the referee to stop the fight and declare Dhant the winner via technical knockout (TKO).
This victory not only crowns Ravindra Dhant as the MFN champion but also breaks Koren’s five-fight winning streak, improving Dhant’s professional record to 8 wins and 1 loss.
Kathmandu- According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Weather Forecasting Division, the weather across the country for the coming week will be like this.
It seems that the influence of monsoon winds will continue throughout this week. This week, the low pressure line of monsoon is likely to remain north of the average location.
High hilly and mountainous areas: There is a possibility of heavy rain and snowfall at one or two places in Koshi Province, Bagmati Province, Gandaki Province and Lumbini Province in the middle of the week. There is a possibility of light to moderate rain and snowfall with thunder/lightning at a few places at the beginning and end of the week and at some places in the middle.
Hilly areas: There is a possibility of heavy rain at one or two places in Bagmati Province, Lumbini Province, Karnali Province and Sudurpaschim Province in the middle of the week and moderate to very heavy rain at a few places in Koshi Province and Gandaki Province. There is a possibility of light to moderate rainfall with thunder/lightning at a few places in the beginning and end of the week and at many places in Koshi Province, Bagmati Province, Gandaki Province and at some places in Lumbini Province, Karnali Province and Sudurpaschim Province.
Terai Region: There is a possibility of heavy rainfall at one or two places in Bagmati Province, Gandaki Province, Lumbini Province and Sudurpaschim Province in the middle of the week and at one or two places in Koshi Province and Madhesh Province in the middle and end of the week. There is a possibility of light to moderate rainfall with thunder/lightning at a few places in the beginning and end of the week and at some places in the middle and at many places in Koshi Province and Madhesh Province. Although there is no significant change in the maximum and minimum temperatures across the country at the beginning and end of this week, there is a possibility of a slight decrease in the maximum temperature in the middle of the week.
Compared to the average: This week there is a possibility of slightly more rainfall than average in the eastern region and average rainfall in the remaining places. Maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to be above average in all provinces.
Kathmandu- The Prime Minister and ministers have got the right to set their own salaries. The Federal Parliament has amended the prevailing Act and given the right to set the salaries of the Prime Minister and ministers to the Council of Ministers.
President Ram Chandra Poudel has certified ‘Some Nepal Acts Amendment Bill’, which was passed by the Federal Parliament, on shrawan 14. With the certification of the bill, the Act on the Remuneration and Facilities of the Prime Minister and Ministers, 2049 BS, has been amended. This has given the right to set the salaries of the Prime Minister and ministers to the Council of Ministers.
In 2049 BS, an act was made by the then Legislative Assembly to determine the salaries and service facilities of the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of State, Assistant Minister. By amending the said Act, the government has made provision for the Council of Ministers to determine the salaries of the Prime Minister and ministers.
Section 3 of the Ministers’ Remuneration and Facilities Act, 2049 BS clearly stipulates the remuneration of the Prime Minister and ministers.
The amended Act provides that the Prime Minister and ministers will be paid the remuneration as specified by the Government of Nepal by publishing a notification in the Nepal Gazette. Since this bill has been ratified by the President, the government has now opened the way to take the necessary decision regarding the salaries of the Prime Minister and ministers from the Council of Ministers at any time.
In the past, when the Act was not amended, the government had been deciding on the review of the services, facilities, and remuneration of the Prime Minister and ministers through the Operational Act Directive.
The government last reviewed the salaries and benefits of the Prime Minister and ministers on 22 Magh 2077 BS. The eighth edition of the Work Operation Directive 2077 BS has published the arrangements for the remuneration of the Prime Minister and ministers. Which was approved on 22 Magh 2077 BS.
Now, according to the amended Act, the Prime Minister and ministers can make new decisions on their own through the Council of Ministers on how much their salaries will be.
President Donald Trump has fired Dr. Erika McEntarfer, Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), accusing her—without evidence—of manipulating job numbers to harm his administration politically.
The move followed a disappointing July jobs report showing just 73,000 jobs added—well below expectations—and downward revisions to May and June figures by a combined 258,000. Trump reacted sharply, claiming the figures were deliberately distorted.
“In my opinion, today’s Jobs Numbers were RIGGED in order to make the Republicans, and ME, look bad,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, later calling the data “phony” and accusing McEntarfer of making a “major mistake.”
“We’re doing so well… So, you know what I did? I fired her,” Trump told reporters Friday.
McEntarfer, confirmed by the Senate in January 2024 for a four-year term, has not commented. Deputy Commissioner William Wiatrowski will serve as Acting Commissioner until a new appointment is made.
Trump has previously questioned the credibility of BLS data when unfavorable, despite praising it when reports were strong. Experts note that revisions like those made to the May and June figures are common, as the BLS uses evolving data and seasonal adjustments to refine its estimates.
In a dramatic move fueled by rising tensions with Moscow, U.S. President Donald Trump announced he has ordered two American nuclear submarines to relocate to “appropriate regions.” The decision, Trump claimed, comes in response to what he described as “highly provocative statements” from Dmitry Medvedev, the Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council and former Russian President.
“Based on the highly provocative statements of the Former President of Russia… I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned… just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that,” Trump posted on Truth Social. He did not elaborate on the exact nature of Medvedev’s remarks.
Warning that “words are very important and can often lead to unintended consequences,” Trump expressed hope that this situation would not spiral further.
The verbal escalation follows Medvedev’s series of posts on X (formerly Twitter) and Telegram. On July 28, he warned that Trump’s comments about shortening the timeline for the Ukraine conflict and issuing threats toward Russia could be seen as a step toward war. Days later, on July 31, Medvedev mocked Trump’s criticism of the Russian and Indian economies, referring to them as “dead,” and cryptically referenced the Cold War-era Soviet “Dead Hand” nuclear retaliation system.
“Let him remember his favorite movies about the ‘walking dead,’ and also how dangerous a ‘dead hand’ can be,” Medvedev wrote, accompanied by a laughing emoji.
The “Dead Hand” or “Perimeter” was a Cold War-era automatic system designed to launch a full-scale nuclear retaliation in the event of a decapitation strike on Soviet leadership.
Trump had earlier derided the economies of Russia as “dead” and took aim at Medvedev personally in his Truth Social posts, deepening the rhetorical standoff.
Kathmandu — In a renewed display of diplomatic engagement, Nepal and India have agreed to resume joint border mapping using new technology. This development emerged from the seventh meeting of the Nepal–India Boundary Working Group (BWG) held in New Delhi. While the agreement marks progress in managing technical aspects of the shared boundary, it consciously sidestepped some of the most politically sensitive areas,particularly Kalapani and Susta,thus failing to address the deeper, long-standing territorial disputes between the two nations.
For Nepal, the border issue transcends modern geopolitics. It is rooted in history, colonial injustice, and a national quest to restore its rightful territory. In an age when democracies strive to rectify the injustices of colonialism, Nepal’s long-standing territorial grievances remain invisible to the global stage. Once a proud Himalayan kingdom stretching from the Sutlej in the west to the Teesta in the east, Nepal now exists within a fraction of its historical borders,its national dignity wounded, its sovereignty perpetually questioned. This is not merely a cartographic dispute. The idea of “Greater Nepal” is not a mythic dream,it is a rightful demand born from history, bloodshed, and betrayal.
The British justified the annexation through brute force and diplomacy under duress. Unlike other colonial possessions, these lands were taken from an independent sovereign state through an unfair treaty, which, under modern international norms, would be deemed voidable. When the British departed the subcontinent in 1947, Nepal anticipated that its lands taken under colonial coercion would be returned. International law supports the principle that post-colonial borders should be reconsidered in light of unjust treaties imposed under imperial duress. However, instead of restoration, India absorbed these territories,including Kalapani, Lipulek, Limpiyadhura, Darjeeling, and Sikkim,into its republic without dialogue or legal negotiation with Nepal.
The Roots of a Disputed Geography
Following the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814–1816), Nepal was coerced into signing the Treaty of Sugauli with the British East India Company. This humiliating accord saw Nepal lose over a third of its territory, including the fertile and strategically significant regions of Kumaon, Garhwal, Darjeeling, Sikkim, and much of the Terai. These areas,forming what many now call “Greater Nepal”,were annexed not through fair negotiation but at the barrel of a gun, violating Nepal’s sovereignty under duress.
While the colonial cartographers redrew South Asia, there was little regard for history, culture, or consent. These lost lands were never just borders,they were the economic lifeblood and cultural identity of the Nepali state. And when the British Empire ended in 1947, instead of restoring these territories to their rightful owner, newly independent India retained them, failing to address the illegitimacy of colonial conquest.
Independence for India, Injustice for Nepal
When Britain departed in 1947, its colonial scars were supposed to fade. But for Nepal, a new chapter of disenfranchisement began. Instead of returning territories unjustly annexed, newly independent India inherited colonial boundaries and preserved them with greater tenacity than even the British.
The Treaty of Peace and Friendship, signed in 1950 between Rana Prime Minister Mohan Shamsher and Indian Ambassador C.P.N. Singh, became a cornerstone of India-Nepal relations. Yet to many in Nepal, it symbolized a quiet annexation of sovereignty. Indian citizens could live and work freely in Nepal, while Nepal’s strategic autonomy shrank under India’s expanding shadow. No clause addressed territorial restitution. No dialogue ever considered the unfinished business of decolonization. What followed was India embedding itself into Nepal’s internal affairs under the guise of cooperation. Military liaison missions, economic dependency, and political manipulation followed. Even Nepal’s attempts to exercise independent foreign policy were often met with economic blockades or diplomatic pressure. The 1950 treaty, still unamended, remains a living document of Nepal’s compromised sovereignty.
The Mahakali Treaty: Water and Wounds
In 1996, the Mahakali Treaty was signed with the promise of joint hydropower and irrigation development along the Mahakali River (called Sharda in India). While hailed as a landmark in cooperation, the treaty failed to address the very origin of the river,Kalapani, a disputed territory still under Indian control.
The ambitious Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project promised economic upliftment but remains stalled. Critics within Nepal argue the deal lacked transparency, disproportionately benefitted India, and ignored ecological and national security implications. Once again, diplomacy cloaked domination.
Kalapani and the Cartographic War
The turning point came in 2020, when India unilaterally constructed a road through the Lipulek pass, a territory Nepal firmly claims under its western boundary demarcation. In a defiant and historically informed act, Nepal responded by issuing a new political map that reinstated Kalapani, Lipulek, and Limpiyadhura as integral parts of its territory. This move, supported by a constitutional amendment and overwhelming parliamentary consensus, was not mere symbolism,it was an overdue assertion of historical fact.
India, instead of engaging diplomatically, labelled the new map as “cartographic aggression.” Yet it was India that had redrawn the lines, not Nepal. The Nepali move was a correction, not a provocation.
Historical Justice and International Law
The Greater Nepal movement is not secessionist,it is restorative. International law has increasingly recognised the illegitimacy of colonial-era treaties made under coercion. The Sugauli Treaty is one such example. The principle of “uti possidetis juris“,which insists colonial borders must be upheld to avoid conflict,fails when those borders were fraudulently or violently imposed.
Global precedent suggests that historical claims must be revisited when they stem from violent dispossession. If Britain could return Hong Kong and entire India itself, Portugal could return Goa(city in India),if France could apologise to Algeria, why can’t India acknowledge that much of its northern border was inherited not by right but by colonial theft?
The Modern Reality: India’s Strategic Paralysis
Despite growing calls for a treaty review, India continues to dismiss or delay discussions. The Eminent Persons Group (EPG), a joint Nepal-India panel formed in 2016 to recommend revisions to outdated agreements, submitted its report in 2018. India has refused to even receive the document.
India’s approach has not only bred resentment but also strengthened the hand of nationalist movements in Nepal. The Greater Nepal campaign is no longer fringe,it is mainstream. It reflects a broader South Asian trend where smaller nations are demanding dignity, not deference.
Greater Nepal Is Not an Idea—It Is an Injustice Waiting to Be Corrected
Nepal’s historical claim is not rooted in expansionism but in rightful reclamation. The lands of Greater Nepal were not lost in war,they were stolen in colonial deceit and never returned. Today, maps, treaties, and military might cannot erase the memory of that theft.
India must face a moral crossroads. Will it continue to uphold colonial spoils as sacred borders, or will it join the ranks of mature democracies that right the wrongs of the past? Greater Nepal is not a dream,it is unfinished justice. And until that justice is acknowledged, Nepal’s sovereignty will remain wounded, its borders incomplete, and its dignity denied.
For Nepal, this is not about geopolitics but identity. And for the global community, it is a test, will the international order uphold principles of fairness, or will it remain selectively blind to the scars of empire?
The borders of Greater Nepal may not be redrawn tomorrow. But its claim,anchored in history, marred by betrayal, and now reawakened,will not be forgotten. Not by its people. Not by those who still believe that justice delayed is not justice denied. For Nepal, the call is clear,the era of silence has ended. The Greater Nepal that once was, must now be the Nepal that will be.
As Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and Portugal prepare to recognize the State of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly this September, the move is being hailed by some as a moral shift in global diplomacy. But let us be absolutely clear: recognition alone is no longer enough. It is the bare minimum. While Palestinians in Gaza are being starved, bombed, and exterminated in broad daylight, such gestures ring hollow unless they are accompanied by real, punitive measures against the aggressor—Israel.
More than 60,000 Palestinians have been slaughtered by Israel since October 2023—many of them children, women, and the elderly. Gaza lies in ruins. Hospitals are levelled, ambulances are targeted, water pipelines have been destroyed, and food convoys are routinely blocked. Children are dying not only from airstrikes but from hunger and thirst. Entire generations are being wiped out while the so-called “international community” continues to deliberate over symbolism and semantics.
Meanwhile, Israel has released a new official map claiming all of historic Palestine as its own, eliminating even the illusion of a future Palestinian state. This is not just a rejection of the two-state solution; it is a declaration of colonial conquest. It is ethnic cleansing in real time, broadcast to the world, and shamelessly supported by billions in military aid from the West.
In this context, what does it mean for Western countries to “recognise” Palestine? It is like applauding a drowning man from the shore while refusing to throw a rope. It is diplomatic theatre designed to appease growing public outrage while maintaining the status quo—continued occupation, apartheid, and genocide.
Recognition, without consequences for Israel, is nothing more than complicity. These same countries that plan to vote for Palestinian statehood in September are the ones that sell Israel the weapons it uses to massacre civilians. They train Israeli forces, shield Israel from accountability at the International Criminal Court, and block ceasefire resolutions at the UN Security Council. Their recognition is coated in the blood of their own hypocrisy.
Let us not forget: over 140 countries already recognise Palestine. Has that stopped the bombings? Has that freed Gaza from blockade? Has that secured justice for the thousands buried under rubble? No. Because recognition without enforcement is meaningless. What Palestine needs is not another statement—it needs sanctions on Israel, an arms embargo, diplomatic isolation, and full criminal prosecution of Israeli leaders and military commanders for crimes against humanity.
Between now and September, and even after the UN vote, the killing will likely continue. Israel will ignore these symbolic recognitions as it always has, emboldened by the military and financial support it receives from the very countries now claiming to support Palestinian statehood. Worse, Israel may escalate its brutality even further to dismantle any trace of Palestinian governance before it can gain new legal ground through recognition.
As the world watches a slow genocide unfold, the real question is not whether Palestine deserves recognition. It is: how long will the world enable Israel to destroy it?
Palestine does not need empty declarations—it needs liberation. It needs justice, not charity. If countries like the UK, Canada, and France truly care about human rights, then recognising a Palestinian state must be the beginning of a complete rupture with Israeli apartheid and war crimes. Until they cut arms sales, impose sanctions, and demand accountability, their recognition is not an act of solidarity—it is an insult. The time for symbolic gestures is over. The world must choose: justice for Palestine or complicity in its destruction.
A newly unclassified 29-page document annexed to Special Counsel John Durham’s 2023 report suggests that George Soros’ Open Society Foundation may have played a role in the Hillary Clinton campaign’s 2016 effort to falsely link Donald Trump to Russia.
Released by the Senate Judiciary Committee, the annex reveals that senior Open Society executive Leonard Benardo allegedly exchanged emails in July 2016 outlining a strategy to circulate unverified Trump-Russia claims through FBI-connected tech firms like CrowdStrike and media outlets.
Senator Chuck Grassley condemned it as part of “one of the biggest political scandals and cover-ups in American history,” accusing the Obama-era FBI of failing to investigate key intelligence and allowing the Clinton campaign to weaponize false narratives for political gain.
The annex identifies Clinton adviser Julianne Smith as a participant in this effort, reportedly describing the plan as a long-term campaign to vilify both Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
Kathmandu – The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has drawn attention to the deteriorating health condition of Tirtharaj Bhattarai, Mayor of Diktel Rupakot Majhuwagadhi Municipality in Khotang, who is currently on a hunger strike in Kathmandu.
Mayor Bhattarai began his fast demanding the right to freely utilize local raw materials. The NHRC stated it is deeply concerned about the mayor’s worsening health. As his condition became critical, he was admitted to the emergency ward of Bir Hospital on the night of Shrawan 14 .
According to a press statement issued by the Commission, it has monitored both the protest site and Bir Hospital. The NHRC team also held discussions with Mayor Bhattarai, Health Minister Pradeep Paudel, as well as doctors and administrators at Bir Hospital to inquire about his medical condition.
Urging that proper medical attention be given, the Commission has appealed to all concerned parties to resolve the issue through dialogue and ensure the protection of Bhattarai’s life.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced that Canada will officially recognize the state of Palestine at the 80th UN General Assembly in September 2025. The move aligns with recent declarations by the UK and France and comes amid ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza.
Carney said the traditional peace process is no longer viable and emphasized that the recognition depends on reforms by the Palestinian Authority and elections set for 2026. He ruled out any future role for Hamas in Palestinian governance.
The U.S., however, has opposed such recognition, claiming it rewards Hamas and undermines peace efforts.
Hezbollah’s deputy leader Naim Qassem has rejected growing calls,mainly from the U.S.—to disarm the group, saying such demands only benefit Israel. Speaking on the anniversary of commander Fuad Shukr’s killing by Israel, Qassem stated, “Disarming Hezbollah means surrendering to Israel—we will not do that.”
The U.S. has reportedly been pressuring Lebanon to formally commit to Hezbollah’s disarmament as a condition for halting Israeli military operations. Under a ceasefire agreed last November, Hezbollah was to withdraw north of the Litani River, leaving southern Lebanon to the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers. However, Israeli strikes and troop presence continue.
Qassem warned that calls to hand over Hezbollah’s arsenal—especially missiles and drones—are being pushed for Israel’s benefit, not Lebanon’s security. He insisted that Hezbollah’s weapons are a national matter, unrelated to Israel, and reaffirmed that the group will only consider disarmament if Israel halts its aggression and withdraws from Lebanese territory.
A cabinet meeting is set for next week in Beirut to address national sovereignty, the ceasefire, and possibly the disarmament proposal reportedly backed by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack.
Kathmandu – The bodies of 1,401 Nepalese who died during foreign employment in the fiscal year 2080/81 have been brought to Nepal and handed over to their families.
The largest number of deceased were 233 people in the age group of 26 to 30 years. This was followed by 172 people in the age group of 21-25, 226 people in the age group of 31-35, 225 people in the age group of 36-40, 215 people in the age group of 41-45, 117 people in the age group of 46-50 and 71 people in the age group of 51-55.
It has been mentioned that 29 people were below the age of 20, 24 people in the age group of 56-60, 12 people in the age group of 61-65 and 66-70 and 6 Nepalese above the age of 70 have also died.
According to the Department of Foreign Employment, out of the 1,401 bodies, 481 bodies were brought to Nepal directly through the department and 1,086 through other means.
Similarly, the department has provided a total of Rs 1.2 billion as financial assistance to the families of 1,517 deceased . The government has currently arranged to provide compensation of Rs 1 million to the families of each deceased Nepalese migrant workers.
US and UK officials have allegedly held a covert meeting with top Ukrainian powerbrokers to discuss removing President Vladimir Zelensky and replacing him with former military chief Valery Zaluzhny, according to Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).
The SVR claims the secret meeting took place at an undisclosed Alpine resort and involved key figures including Zelensky’s chief of staff Andrey Yermak, military intelligence head Kirill Budanov, and Zaluzhny, currently Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK.
According to the SVR, Western officials agreed that Zelensky’s time was up and considered his replacement a “key condition” for restoring relations and continuing military aid. Yermak and Budanov reportedly supported the plan, having been promised to retain their positions under a Zaluzhny presidency.
Zaluzhny, Ukraine’s armed forces chief from 2021 to 2024, remains popular and is widely seen as a strong contender in any potential election.
The SVR also linked the move to Zelensky’s controversial attempt to strip anti-corruption bodies of their independence—a decision it claims Yermak encouraged to damage Zelensky’s image and justify his removal.
Addressing Ukrainians, the SVR remarked: “A new president has been chosen at an Alpine resort. Is this the democracy you hoped for?”
Zelensky’s term officially ended in May, but elections have been suspended under martial law. Russia now considers him illegitimate, claiming real power lies with Ukraine’s parliament.
Bagmati- Indra Bahadur Baniya has been elected as the leader of Nepali Congress’ Bagmati Province Parliamentary Party.
In the voting held at the Provincial Assembly Secretariat on Wednesday, Baniya defeated incumbent Chief Minister Bahadur Singh Lama Tamang by eight votes.
Baniya received 22 votes in the total 37-member parliamentary party, while Lama received 14 votes. The Election Committee has stated that one vote was invalid. Earlier, in the no-confidence motion against Lama on Tuesday, 22 votes were in favor and 15 votes were against. With the passing of the no-confidence motion, Lama lost the status of party leader.
This is the second time that Baniya and Lama are competing for the party leadership. Earlier, Baniya was defeated by five votes in the first election held on 13 Poush 2079. Lama had received 21 votes and Baniya 16 votes at that time.
Following a no-confidence motion filed by 21 MPs under Baniya’s leadership on 9 Shrawan, five ministers in the Lama-led government resigned and stood in Baniya’s favor. Lama, who has been defeated as the parliamentary party leader, has reiterated that he will not resign from his post.
Kathmandu- The meeting of the special committee to investigate the errors in the report of the Federal Civil Service Bill is being held.
The meeting to be held at 11 am at the Singha Durbar State Affairs and Good Governance Committee meeting hall will discuss the work of writing the report.
As the inquiry work is nearing its end, the committee is busy writing the report.
On Ashad 23, the House of Representatives had formed a parliamentary inquiry committee regarding the changes in the cooling period provided in the Civil Service Bill. The committee has two members each from the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML and one each from the Maoist Center, the Rashtriya Swatantra Party and the RPP.
The committee includes Congress MPs Jeevan Pariyar and Sushila Thing, while the CPN (UML) members are Ishwori Gharti and Narayan Prasad Acharya. Madhav Sapkota is from the Maoist Center, Ganesh Parajuli from the Rastriya Swatantra Party, and Roshan Karki from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party.
When the committee was formed, Speaker Devraj Ghimire gave 21 days to the committee. After the committee stated that the time was insufficient, an additional seven days were given. Now, the investigation committee has time until 19th Shrawan.
The committee is busy writing the report to complete the work on time. The House of Representatives is meeting on 19th Shrawan. The committee is preparing to submit the investigation report in that meeting.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has declared that the United Kingdom is prepared to recognize a Palestinian state unless Israel takes immediate and meaningful action to address the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The announcement marks a major departure from the UK’s traditional diplomatic posture and adds further momentum to a growing European push for Palestinian recognition.
Speaking from Downing Street, Starmer made clear that the UK’s patience is wearing thin. He demanded a full ceasefire in Gaza and called on Israel to commit to a long-term peace process. Without these “substantive steps,” he said, recognition of Palestinian statehood will proceed. “We cannot stand idly by as the situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate. The suffering of civilians has reached an intolerable level,” Starmer said. “If Israel continues down this path, the UK will be compelled to act.”
Starmer’s comments follow a similar announcement from France earlier this month, in which President Emmanuel Macron confirmed his government’s intention to recognize a Palestinian state by September if no breakthrough in the peace process occurs. With two of Europe’s most influential powers now publicly aligning their timelines and conditions for recognition, the pressure on Israel to shift its approach is intensifying.
The move is seen as a sign of growing frustration among Western governments, many of which have supported Israel diplomatically and militarily for decades but are now increasingly critical of its actions in Gaza. The conflict has led to thousands of civilian casualties, massive displacement, and what humanitarian organizations describe as a collapsing civil infrastructure in the besieged enclave. Starmer’s remarks come amid increasing calls from within Parliament and civil society for the UK to adopt a more balanced and assertive approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Several European allies, including Spain, Ireland, and Norway, have already recognized Palestine, and Starmer’s government appears poised to follow unless meaningful progress is made.
“We are not abandoning Israel,” Starmer clarified. “We are demanding accountability and a pathway to peace that includes dignity, statehood, and security for both Israelis and Palestinians.”
If the UK and France follow through on their pledges, it could mark a historic turning point in international diplomacy regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The recognition of Palestinian statehood by two permanent members of the UN Security Council would be a major diplomatic setback for Israel and a symbolic victory for Palestinian aspirations. Whether Israel will respond with concessions or defiance remains uncertain, but the message from Europe is clear: the era of unconditional support is over.
The United States must formally acknowledge North Korea as a permanent nuclear-armed state, said Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and a senior official in the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea.
In a statement released on Tuesday by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim, who serves as deputy director of the party’s Central Committee, warned that future dialogue with Washington must begin with the recognition of North Korea’s “irreversible status” as a nuclear weapons state.
She emphasized that the current strategic and geopolitical conditions have changed dramatically since the Trump administration’s diplomatic efforts. Therefore, any attempt by the U.S. to revisit past approaches or deny North Korea’s nuclear status “will be flatly rejected.”
Kim also noted that while the personal relationship between Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump was “not bad,” using that bond to pressure Pyongyang into denuclearization would amount to nothing more than an insult. “If the relationship between the leaders is used to push for denuclearization, it is merely a mockery of the other side,” she said.
North Korea, she added, remains open to all necessary options to defend its national interests but recognizes that confrontation between two nuclear powers is not beneficial for either side.
Kim concluded by saying that unless the U.S. accepts the new reality, any future DPRK-U.S. summit will remain merely a “hope” on Washington’s part.
Between 2018 and 2019, Trump met Kim Jong-un three times in unprecedented diplomatic talks aimed at achieving North Korea’s denuclearization in exchange for security guarantees and economic relief. However, the negotiations ultimately collapsed without a lasting agreement.
North Korea is believed to possess around 50 nuclear warheads and maintains that its arsenal is essential for deterrence against perceived threats from the U.S. and South Korea, who frequently conduct joint military drills near its borders.
At least 60,034 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the war in Gaza began in October 2023, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
The grim figures were released on Tuesday. At least 62 Palestinians have been killed since Tuesday morning alone.
Meanwhile, the “worst-ever” famine is unfolding in Gaza, according to the latest report by the International Hunger Monitoring System, Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).
“Food insecurity has reached a critical level in most parts of the Gaza Strip, and severe malnutrition has persisted in Gaza City,” the report said.
“The crisis has now reached a critical and deadly level amid ongoing conflict, widespread displacement, severe restrictions on humanitarian access, and restrictions on essential services such as health care,” the report warned.
Food consumption has plummeted, with one in three people going days without food.
Malnutrition has risen sharply in the first half of July, with more than 20,000 children hospitalized for severe malnutrition between April and mid-July. More than 3,000 of them are severely malnourished.
The hunger crisis has reached all sections of Gaza. According to UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous, one million women and girls in Gaza face the impossible choice of “starving to death or risking their lives in search of food.”
“This horror must end now,” Bahos wrote on social media. She called for the unhindered entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, the release of hostages, and a permanent ceasefire.
Kathmandu: A case has been filed against Rajesh Ahiraj, also known as Rajesh Jha, the former Chief of Madhesh Province, who was arrested on charges of rape.
Jha, who was arrested on Shrawan 4 (July 19), was charged within nine days. Based on the police investigation report, the Office of the Government Attorney, Kathmandu, filed a case against him at the Kathmandu District Court.
Ahiraj has been accused of raping a young woman. The allegation states that on Jestha 4, 2081 BS (May 17, 2024), he raped her at her rented apartment in New Baneshwar, Kathmandu. The victim claims that while she was alone in her room, Ahiraj came and raped her. They were already acquainted prior to the incident.
The investigation was carried out under Section 219 of the Muluki Criminal Code Act 2074 (Nepal Penal Code), which deals with the offense of rape. The charge demands punishment as per Clause (ṅ) of Subsection 2 of Section 219.
According to Clause (ṅ), raping a woman aged 18 years or older is punishable by imprisonment ranging from seven to ten years.
The victim stated that Ahiraj took advantage of her being alone to commit the act. She had known him through close family connections. In her statement, she mentioned that Ahiraj used to visit her house from time to time due to their prior acquaintance.
She further stated that since then, Ahiraj had been trying to get close to her. Originally from Biratnagar, the young woman had moved to Kathmandu for her studies and had been living in a rented room in Baneshwar. She claims the rape occurred when Ahiraj came to her room.
“When he found out I had moved to Kathmandu, he began visiting my rented room in Baneshwar. Taking advantage of the fact that he was well-acquainted with my father, mother, and family members, he used that familiarity to exploit me and raped me on Jestha 4, 2081,” the victim said in her statement.
According to the investigation, Ahiraj entered her room under the pretext of delivering an urgent message from her family.
“When I asked him why he came in person and didn’t just inform me over the phone, and told him I was alone, he said, ‘Why are you afraid? I know your family well. You can trust me,’” she recounted.
The victim said that after she offered him water, he locked the door, covered her mouth, and raped her.
“When I asked why he locked the door, he suddenly covered my mouth and threw me onto the bed. He threatened me, saying, ‘If you scream, it will only disgrace you. I’m a man, nothing will happen to me.’ He then started pressing hard on my throat and mouth. I still tried to scream, but he said, ‘If you scream again, I’ll rape you and kill you,’” she stated.
The victim said he assaulted her while threatening to kill her and exploiting her vulnerability.
“He said, ‘None of your family members are here. No one will ever know who killed you. In Nepal, laws only work for those with money and power,’ and with that threat, he violated me,” she told the police. “After repeated sexual assault, I was bleeding from my private parts. Even when I pleaded with him to stop, he continued to rape me forcibly.”
She further alleged that after the rape, he threatened her not to speak about it, warning that the Madheshi community would socially boycott her.
“If this gets out, you and your family will be shamed to the point you won’t be able to show your faces anywhere. Your entire family might be forced to commit suicide,” she stated in her complaint. “And if you tell anyone, I’ll either kill you or kidnap and murder your brother,” she said, adding that he left the room wearing his clothes after making these threats.
Kathmandu — Public debt increased by 231 billion 80 million rupees in the last fiscal year 2081/82. With this, the total public debt reached 2 trillion 669 billion rupees, according to the Public Debt Management Office. As of Asad 2081, the government’s outstanding public debt was 2 trillion 438 billion 480 million rupees.
During this period, the appreciation of the US dollar against the Nepali currency has added additional burden to the public debt. As the US dollar has been continuously rising in recent months and the value of other foreign currencies has also increased, the Public Debt Management Office’s report for the month of Asad has shown that the additional public debt liability is increasing every month.
The report states that an additional burden of 66 billion 930 million rupees has been added to the outstanding public debt due to the weakening of the Nepali currency from Asad 2081 to Asad. The Nepali rupee depreciated by 2.97 percent against the US dollar in mid-June 2082 compared to mid-June 2081. In the same period of the previous year, the Nepali rupee depreciated by 1.66 percent until Jestha last year. In mid-June 2082, the buying exchange rate of one US dollar reached 137.44. In mid-June 2081, the exchange rate was 133.36.
The amount of external debt varies due to changes in the exchange rate of the Nepalese rupee against foreign currencies. When the exchange rate of the dollar decreases, Nepal benefits, and when it increases, it loses. Compared to mid-June 2079, in mid-June 2080, due to the devaluation of the Nepalese rupee against foreign currencies, there was a foreign exchange loss of 59 billion 160 million rupees. Due to changes in the exchange rate, there has been a loss in 4 of the last 7 fiscal years, while the rest have been in profit.
Similarly, the total outstanding public debt as of last Ashar is 43.71 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). The National Statistics Office has projected that GDP will reach Rs 6,107 billion in the current fiscal year. The share of foreign debt in the total public debt as of mid-Ashar is 52.49 percent and internal debt is 47.51 percent.
According to the office, the government collected Rs 455 billion 490 million in public debt last year. The public debt collected last year is 83.25 percent of the annual target. During the period, the receipt of internal debt is Rs 329 billion 990 million (100 percent of the annual target) and external debt is Rs 125 billion 390 million (57.79 percent of the annual target). This year, the government has set a target of raising public debt of Rs 547 billion. Although the receipt of internal debt is high, the external debt is very low, according to the Public Debt Management Office report.
‘If the work is done as per the agreement, the external debt will be received more, if not, no more debt will be received,’ said a source from the Public Debt Management Office. ‘If the Nepal Electricity Authority, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal and other bodies complete the work on time, the external debt will be received more, if not, the target will not be achieved.’
In the last fiscal year, the government has paid 362 billion 590 million rupees for the principal and interest payment of the loan. This is 90.01 percent of the annual target. Of this, 304 billion 190 million (90.28 percent) was spent on the principal and interest of the internal debt and 58 billion 400 million (88.62 percent) on the principal and interest of the external debt, according to the office. In the last fiscal year, the government has allocated 402 billion 850 million rupees for debt service expenses. Out of which 362 billion 590 million rupees have been paid.
Looking at the public debt outstanding by the government as of the end of the last fiscal year, every Nepali now has a debt about 91 thousand 7 rupees on their head. According to the National Census 2078 of the National Statistics Office, the population of Nepal is 29,164,578. This figure was derived by dividing the outstanding public debt as of last Ashar by this population.
Economists say that the continuously increasing public debt poses a risk. From the fiscal year 2080/81 to last year, the allocation under the heading of financial management has surpassed the size of capital expenditure. They say that this is the result of the continuous increase in internal and external debt. With the increasing debt repayment obligations, the gap between the level of capital expenditure and the budget allocated for financial management is widening, which risks shrinking the government’s ability to invest in the future. Economists say that the result is also the risk of fiscal imbalance. However, in the current fiscal year, the amount allocated for capital expenditure is more than the budget allocated by the government under the heading of financial management.
Kathmandu – The CPN-UML has directed to send suggestions on the proposed statute amendment by Bhadra 10th.
Subordinate committees and members will have to send their suggestions in writing on the statute amendment proposal to the party central office by Bhadra 10th, and the suggestions received will be discussed in the central committee meeting before the statutory general convention and necessary decisions will be taken.
In the inter-party directive issued by the party, the subordinate committees have also been instructed not to discuss and debate further about former President Bidya Devi Bhandari.
The inter-party directive states, “Honorable former President Bidya Devi Bhandari should remain respected as the pride of the nation. She should not enter active politics. The CPN (UML) should not make a person who is the leader of the entire nation a cadre. The former President should remain respectfully as the pride of the nation’s republic. She is the jewel of the nation. She is also our jewel. The process of renewing her membership is not approved .
Bidhya Bhandari’s membership renewal process is not approved.
Kathmandu- The CPN-UML has issued an inter-party directive directing the party to send suggestions on the amendment of the statute by Bhadra 10, in preparation for the second statutory general convention to be held in Godawari, Lalitpur from Bhadra 20-22.
In the inter-party directive issued by the UML, it has been mentioned that “the process of renewing Bhandari’s membership is not approved” in the context of the honorable former president’s involvement in party politics. In this context, the inter-party directive states:
“A democratic republic is not just a political system, it is also a culture, values and conduct in itself. The practices we adopt, the style to emulate and the norms we establish develop it as a holistic system. We must work accordingly with awareness and restraint to establish the democratic republic, which was established only a decade and a half ago, as a holistic system and the life of the nation. The Constitution of Nepal has entrusted the President with the important responsibility of being the symbol of national unity, the guardian and upholder of the Constitution and the Supreme Commander of the Nepali Army. This role in itself is highly respected, dignified and of historical importance. Keeping in mind this dignified position of the presidency, the Constitution of Nepal has made provision that the person elected to that position should be completely free from their party or other institutional affiliation and act impartially and work within the constitutional limits while in office. It is clear that our democratic system, which has a constitutional head of state, is different from the system of countries where the president is the chief executive.
The head of state in such a dignified role The Constitution of Nepal does not seem to envisage the issue of returning to one’s party affiliation even while holding office and even after retiring from it. In doing so, the work performed by the President while holding office may become controversial. We must all be aware that if work is performed with any hope or fear of the future, its credibility will be questioned. The example set by the first President of the Republic of Nepal in this regard is worth remembering here. The CPN (UML), which has been at the forefront of the sacrificial struggle to establish a democratic republic in the country for more than seven decades and has played a leading and decisive role in the formulation of the Constitution of Nepal, is determined to protect, develop and strengthen this system. Honorable former President Bidhya Devi Bhandari is a respected name in Nepali politics. Whether in the central leadership of her party and in the position of Vice President or in the position of Honorable President, she has performed those positions with great dignity, justice and excellence. She is an ‘icon’ of gender equality and inclusiveness in Nepal. Due to these contributions, the reference to being honored as the ‘Glory of the Republic’ at the Diamond Year Celebration of the Nepal Communist Party last year is worth remembering here. Whether as a party leader or as the head of the country and taking a break from it, she has always been honored for us. Keeping in mind this background, context and recognition, the Central Committee should stand on the belief that the issue of a person who has reached high constitutional positions like the Constitutional President, Vice President returning to party politics is not in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution, that it raises questions about the constitutionality and impartiality of the actions taken while in office, that it weakens democratic values and that the person’s own respected personality should not be disputed.
The Ninth Central Committee meeting of the party has decided the following regarding the honorable former President Bidhya Devi Bhandari based on the above recognition:
“Honorable former President Bidya Devi Bhandari should remain honored as the pride of the nation. She should not enter active politics. The CPN (UML) should not make a person who is the leader of the entire nation a cadre. The former president should remain respectfully as the pride of the nation’s republic. She is the jewel of the nation. She is also our jewel. Tthe process of renewing her membership is not approved.
Kathmandu – The ruling party Nepali Congress has proposed a five-point amendment to the bill to amend some Nepal laws related to land.
During the clause-by-clause discussion on the bill, the Nepali Congress proposed an amendment to improve the bill. This includes considering the constitutional provisions, the interpretation/decision of the Supreme Court, and not conflating squatters, landless, and unorganized settlers.
First: Legal avenues should not be opened to allow the exemption to be used for purposes other than the purpose for which it was taken.
Second: The issue of land and forests is also related to the jurisdiction of the provincial and local governments. Therefore, coordination is necessary.
Third: Squatters, landless, and unorganized settlers should not be considered in the same place.
Fourth: The suspicions of those who say that deforestation will occur if the land bill is converted into an act should be dispelled.
Fifth: The government should not be given the authority to formulate guidelines or procedures.
The Nepal Act Amendment Bill seeks to amend three acts related to land. These include the Land Act 2021, the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 2029, and the Forest Act 2076.
Kathmandu- The Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection has taken action against 5 educational consultancies.
The department’s monitoring team took action against the five educational consultancies and fined them Rs 332,000 as part of regular monitoring.
The department has informed that Edu Hub Global Nepal Pvt. Ltd. in Kathmandu Metropolitan City-31 have been fined of Rs 100,000 , Rs 75,000 to Student Abroad Study Center Pvt. Ltd. in Kathmandu-28, and Rs 55,000 to Galaxy and Global International Consultancy Pvt. Ltd. in Kathmandu-16.
Similarly, Oasis Career Advisor Pvt. Ltd. in Kathmandu-10 and Ringo Japanese Language Academy Pvt. Ltd. paid a fine of Rs. 51000 , the department said.
According to the department, these 5 consultancies were operating without a license from the Ministry of Education.The department has directed 5 educational consultancies to appear within 3 days with business-related documents, while 6 have been given general instructions.
The department had started monitoring the educational consultancies after the complaints have been received against the fraud of educational consultancies.During the monitoring, it was found that 70 percent of the consultancies were operating without registration and were operating illegally without a license from the Ministry of Education.
Kathmandu — Devotees across the country celebrate Nag Panchami today, a traditional Hindu festival dedicated to the worship of Nāgas—the divine serpent deities believed to dwell in the netherworlds and guard water sources.
The festival, celebrated on the fifth day of the bright half of the lunar month of Shrawan, is marked by rituals, offerings, and symbolic worship of snake deities at homes, temples, and sacred ponds. Today people will visit Nag Pokharis (snake ponds) and shrines dedicated to serpent gods, such as Nag Bahal in Patan and Nag Daha in Kirtipur, offering milk, rice pudding, dubo grass, and flowers.
Families pastes images of Nāgas above the doorways of their homes using cow dung and mud, believing it protects the household from snakebites and misfortune. The images often depict eight prominent serpent gods, including Ananta, Vasuki, Takshaka, Karkotaka, Padma, Mahapadma, Shankha, and Kulika.
This is not only a religious practice but also a way of respecting nature and age-old belief in the harmony between humans and other creatures. “Nag Panchami” reminds us of the sanctity of water sources and the importance of ecological balance.”
In many communities, especially in the Madhes and Hilly regions, special pujas will be conducted at wells, rivers, and stone spouts, where snakes are believed to reside. Traditional songs, folk tales, and rituals are passed down from elders to children, continuing the cultural heritage.
The festival also holds astrological significance, as it is believed that appeasing the Nāgas during this time can prevent Kal Sarp Dosh, a planetary affliction linked with obstacles and bad luck.
Nag Panchami continues to be a vibrant testament to Nepal’s unique blend of spirituality, nature worship, and folk tradition. Despite the influence of modernization, the festival retains a special place in the cultural consciousness of the nation.
Houthi rebels from Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement will carry out strikes on the vessels belonging to all companies working with Israeli ports within the reach of their weapons, the movement’s military spokesman Yahya Saree said.
“Yemen’s armed forces have made a decision to activate their military operations in support [of Palestinians] and begin implementing Phase Four of its naval blockade of the adversary, targeting all ships belonging to any company that deals with Israeli ports, regardless of nationality or destination and anywhere they can be reached by our missiles and drones,” the spokesman said as cited by the Houthi-controlled television channel Al Masirah.
Kathmandu – The US government has decided to continue the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) compact being implemented in Nepal.
The US government’s foreign assistance review has recommended continuing the implementation of the MCC Nepal agreement, a spokesperson for the US Embassy in Nepal said. He also said that they have informed the Nepal government about this decision.
Dhaniram Sharma, Chief of the International Assistance Coordination Division of the Ministry of Finance, also said that the US government has informed about the continuation of MCC in Nepal.
On Friday, the MCC headquarters issued a statement stating that the work related to the foreign assistance review of the MCC portfolio has been completed.
“This review shows that the MCC portfolio is consistent with the Trump administration’s America First foreign policy and that MCC will continue to work to make America even safer, stronger, and more prosperous,” the MCC statement said.
MCC also stated that other details will be revealed next week based on the process of the MCC Board of Directors and discussions with the US Congress and partner countries. The MCC statement indicates that most of its programs will continue.
Earlier, on 18 Ashad, the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA)-Nepal had also issued a statement indicating that the MCC project in Nepal would continue.
Kathmandu. A complaint has been filed with the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) demanding an investigation into Prem Kumar Rai, the chief commissioner of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), who is involved in three controversial irregularities and corruption.
Yubaraj Poudel of Sindhuli Kamalamai filed a complaint with the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) office on Sunday, demanding an investigation into Rai. The complaint against him has been registered under the number ‘C-003498’.
Poudel has demanded an investigation into Rai in the wide-body aircraft purchase irregularities, Nepal Oil Corporation land purchase irregularities, and the fact that the accused in the fake Bhutanese refugee case put money in Rai’s vehicle.
Last week, the special court had made a judicial comment in the full text of the wide-body aircraft purchase corruption case that there was no investigation into the initial decision-makers of the corrupt activities and that there was selective prosecution by selecting some and leaving others during the trial.
Poudel has said in the complaint, “I have submitted a complaint requesting the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority to immediately file a case against Prem Kumar Rai, who is in charge of the Chief Commissioner of Authority, through a supplementary charge sheet and take maximum action.”
In addition, he has demanded an investigation into the land purchase case of Nepal Oil Corporation. Even when the decision to purchase the land was made, Rai, as the Secretary of the Ministry of Supplies, was the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nepal Oil Corporation. Poudel has demanded a re-investigation into the file kept in the custody, saying that Rai was acquitted after filing a case against the then Executive Director of the Oil Corporation, Gopal Khadka.
Similarly, some of the accused in the fake Bhutanese refugee case had stated that they had put cash in the car of the then Home Secretary Prem Kumar Rai. But the police did not conduct any investigation against the CIAA Chief Rai. The complainant Poudel has demanded an investigation into the CIAA Chief Rai in that incident as well.
Tirtharaj Bhattarai, Mayor of Diktel Rupakot Majhuwagadhi Municipality, Khotang, has started a Satyagraha with seven-point demands.
He started the Satyagraha saying that the federal government has ignored repeated written and verbal requests as the federal law is an obstacle to using local raw materials. He has started the Satyagraha at Maitighar Mandala. He has shaved his hair and worn white clothes and is sitting in the Satyagraha from today.
Kathmandu- An attempt has been made to change the leader of the Nepali Congress parliamentary party in Bagmati Province.
Four ministers resigned on Friday with the aim of putting pressure on the leader of the parliamentary party, Bahadur Singh Lama.
Minister for Youth and Sports Min Krishna Maharjan, Minister for Internal Affairs and Law Suraj Chandra Lamichhane, Minister for Culture and Tourism Bimal Thakuri, and Minister for Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Madhu Kumar Shrestha have resigned .
Initiatives have also been launched to remove him from the post of parliamentary party leader and remove him from the post of Chief Minister.
Indra Baniya, who is also the party president of Bagmati Province, informed that the MPs are dissatisfied with the leader of the parliamentary party, Lama and he was ready to resign yesterday but today he acted different.
Baniyan said that the parliamentary party is moving forward to change its leadership. In the Nepali Congress parliamentary party election held on 13 Paush 2079, Bagmati Province President Baniya was defeated by Lama by 5 votes.
Israel views Palestinian statehood as a threat to its security and will not allow the Palestinian state to be created, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said, commenting on French President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to recognize the sovereignty of Palestine.
“We will not allow the creation of a Palestinian entity that damages our security, puts our existence and risk and violates our historic right to the land of Israel. We all are united to prevent this serious threat,” he wrote on the X social network.
He slammed Macron’s decision as “a disgrace and capitulation to terrorism, as well as reward and support of murderers and rapists from Hamas, who committed the most serious carnage of the Jewish people since the times of Holocaust [on October 7, 2023].”
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly condemned President Macron’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state, calling it “a move [that] rewards terror” and risks “creating another Iranian proxy.”
French President Emmanuel Macron said late on July 24 that Paris would officially recognize the State of Palestine at the September session of the United Nations General Assembly. In his opinion, “the most important thing today is to end the war in Gaza and provide relief to civilians.” The French leader highlighted the need “to ensure the demilitarization of the Palestinian movement Hamas, as well as the security and restoration of Gaza.” “Finally, we need to build the State of Palestine, ensure its viability, and ensure that, by accepting its demilitarization and fully recognizing Israel, it contributes to the security of all nations in the Middle East,” Macron stressed. On April 9, Macron announced that France could recognize the State of Palestine in June.
Ireland, Spain, and Norway announced their recognition of the State of Palestine in 2024, amid increased tensions in the Middle East. The Soviet Union, of which Russia is the legal successor, recognized the State of Palestine in 1988.
kathmandu – The government is set to raise Rs 113 billion in domestic debt by mid-October as part of its internal borrowing plan for the first quarter of the current Fiscal Year (FY) 2025/26.
According to a schedule released by the Public Debt Management Office (PDMO), the government will issue a total of 11 development bonds, each worth Rs 10 billion, with maturities ranging from three to eleven years. In addition, it plans to raise Rs 2.5 billion through Citizen Saving Bonds with a five-year maturity period, and Rs 500 million via Foreign Employment Saving Bonds.
The government’s plan to raise the debt comes amid mounting fiscal pressures driven by declining revenue and rising recurrent expenditures. In the second quarter (mid-October to mid-January), the government aims to borrow an additional Rs 85 billion internally — Rs 60 billion through development bonds and Rs 25 billion via treasury bills. The plan includes the issuance of five treasury bills of Rs 5 billion each, with maturities ranging from 28 days to one year, and six development bonds worth Rs 10 billion each, maturing in three to ten years.
From mid-January to mid-April 2026, the government plans to raise Rs 109 billion in internal debt. This includes Rs 56 billion through development bonds, Rs 50 billion through treasury bills, Rs 2.5 billion via Citizen Saving Bonds, and Rs 500 million through Foreign Employment Saving Bonds. For the final quarter of the fiscal year, the government plans to borrow another Rs 55 billion.
Of the total expenditure of Rs 1.964 trillion for FY 2025/26, the government plans to finance Rs 1.315 trillion through revenue collection. The remaining amount will be met through Rs 362 billion in domestic borrowing, Rs 233 billion in foreign loans, and Rs 53 billion in foreign grants. The government has allocated Rs 375.24 billion for interest payments and principal repayments on public debt.
By the end of FY 2024/25, Nepal’s total public debt had climbed to Rs 2.66 trillion, marking an increase of Rs 231 billion in just one year. With limited capacity to cover recurrent expenditure, the government has increasingly relied on both domestic and foreign loans to fund development and operational needs.
Former Finance Secretary Madhu Kumar Marasini warned of the economic consequences of rising debt. “The growing burden of interest and principal repayments has begun to affect public investment in development projects,” he said.
Meanwhile, the PDMO on Wednesday issued Development Bonds-2085 worth Rs 10 billion. The three-year maturity bonds will be sold through competitive bidding and can be traded in Nepal’s secondary market, according to the PDMO.
French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that his country will recognize Palestine as a state in pursuit of what he called a “historic commitment to a just and lasting peace” in the region.
In a surprise statement on X on Thursday, Macron said that he would make a formal announcement to this effect at the United Nations General Assembly in September in New York.
“The urgent need today is to end the war in Gaza and to rescue the civilian population,” he added.
While most countries around the world recognize Palestine as a nation, the United States and many of its close allies do not. With President Macron’s decision, France would be the first major country in the G7 – comprised of the US, Britain, Canada, Germany, Japan, and Italy – to officially recognize a Palestinian state.
The move comes as US President Donald Trump’s administration tries to end the hostilities between Israel and Hamas. Earlier on Thursday, US Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff said that Washington had decided to bring its negotiating team home for consultations “after the latest response from Hamas,” which “clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.”
The deal under discussion calls for a 60-day truce during which Hamas would release ten living hostages and the remains of 18 more in phases, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Humanitarian aid supplies would be increased, and both parties would hold negotiations toward a lasting ceasefire.
The talks have stalled over conflicting demands on how to end the war. Hamas insists it will only release all hostages in exchange for a complete Israeli withdrawal and a cessation of hostilities. On the other hand, Israel refuses to agree to end its campaign until Hamas relinquishes power and disarms, a condition that the militant group rejects.
The conflict started in October 2023 had killed over 59,000 Palestinians , according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
At least 15 people, including one soldier, were killed and 46 others injured in Thailand during armed clashes along the border with Cambodia, the Thai Health Ministry reported.
According to the agency, five fatalities occurred in the Surin Province, while nine people — including a soldier — were killed in the Sisaket Province. One civilian was also reported dead in the Ubon Ratchathani Province.
The clashes erupted on the morning of July 24 near the disputed border area in Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey Province.
10 more Palestinians have starved to death in the besieged Gaza Strip, health officials say, as a wave of hunger crashes over the enclave.
The latest starvation deaths bring the death toll from malnutrition since Israel’s war began in October 2023 to 111, most of them in recent weeks.
At least 100 other Palestinians, including 34 aid seekers, were killed in Israeli attacks over the past 24 hours, Gaza’s Ministry of Health said on Wednesday.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said that 21 children under the age of five were among those who died of malnutrition so far this year. It said it had been unable to deliver any food for nearly 80 days, between March and May, and that a resumption of food deliveries was still far below what is needed.
In a statement, 111 organisations, including Mercy Corps, the Norwegian Refugee Council and Refugees International, said that “mass starvation” was spreading even as tonnes of food, clean water and medical supplies sit untouched just outside Gaza, where aid groups are blocked from accessing them.
The United Nations and aid groups trying to deliver food to Gaza say Israel, which controls everything that comes in and out, is choking delivery, while Israeli troops have shot dead hundreds of Palestinians close to aid distribution points since May.
US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Wednesday released a previously classified congressional report, which she claims reveals a coordinated effort by former President Barack Obama to distort intelligence regarding Russia’s alleged interference in the 2016 election.
This marks Gabbard’s second major declassification move, following her earlier allegation of a “treasonous conspiracy” aimed at undermining Donald Trump’s presidency.
The newly public document – produced by the House Intelligence Committee in 2020 under Republican leadership – challenges the analytical foundation for the conclusion that Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to help then-candidate Trump win the election. It criticizes the CIA for failing to adhere to its own standards, citing “one scant, unclear, and unverifiable fragment of a sentence from one of the substandard reports” as the basis for its assessment that Putin favored Trump.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Gabbard called the report a “bombshell,” asserting it reveals “the most egregious weaponization and politicization of intelligence in American history.” She accused Obama and his senior officials of collaborating with media allies to delegitimize Trump through what she described as a deliberate disinformation campaign.
“They conspired to subvert the will of the American people,” Gabbard wrote, claiming the effort amounted to a “years-long coup” against Trump.
The third round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul has ended. The delegations met at the Ciragan Palace on the European side of the Bosporus.
The talks follow two rounds of direct negotiations held in Istanbul earlier this year. The negotiations have focused primarily on various humanitarian issues, including the exchange of the remains of fallen soldiers and prisoner swaps. The two sides have also exchanged draft memorandums outlining their vision of a peace settlement.
The Russian delegation is headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, who led the previous negotiations with Ukraine. Kiev has also fielded the same team as before, which is headed by now-former Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who was appointed head of the country’s Security Council during a major government reshuffle last week.
The new round of negotiations is expected to “mainly focus on issues related to those draft memorandums that were exchanged during the second round, and also a discussion on the continuation of a very important process of mutual [POW] exchanges,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier in the day, cautioning against making any predictions.
“It’s hardly possible to talk about this now. We need to see how it goes,” Peskov told reporters. “No one expects an easy path. Naturally, this will be a very difficult conversation. The draft proposals are diametrically opposed.”
Former President Bidhya Devi Bhandari appears poised for a political comeback, and her re-entry into active politics has already sent shockwaves through the CPN UML. What should have been a routine internal debate has now spiraled into a larger question: Does Nepal’s political system truly respect constitutional rights, or are personal ambitions and party power struggles rewriting democratic norms?
Bhandari’s attempt to return to active politics has thrown Nepal’s largest communist party into turmoil—and exposed the deep contradictions in its democratic credentials. The party’s decision to bar Bhandari from political involvement is being sold as a defense of “institutional dignity,” but it reeks far more of political insecurity than principle.
The central committee, under the firm grip of Chairman K.P. Sharma Oli, argues that a former president, as a symbol of national unity, should not descend into partisan politics. The logic may sound noble, but it is neither constitutionally grounded nor politically honest. The Nepali constitution guarantees every citizen the right to political participation. There is no clause—explicit or implied—that strips former presidents of this right once they leave office. If anything, preventing a citizen from exercising this fundamental freedom undercuts the very democratic values Oli claims to uphold.
Bhandari, who served two terms as Nepal’s first female president, seems unwilling to be quietly sidelined. Her close allies have already signaled that they will challenge the decision legally and politically, framing it as a direct attack on constitutional rights. This is not just a matter of one woman’s political ambition; it is a litmus test for Nepal’s democracy. If a former head of state can be stripped of her basic political rights by a party decree, what hope is there for ordinary party members?
Inside the UML, dissent is already spilling out. Senior leaders like Surendra Pandey, Yubaraj Gyawali, and Karna Thapa have broken ranks, accusing the leadership of violating constitutional principles for political convenience. The party is slowly dividing into two camps—one rallying behind Oli’s hardline stance and the other sympathetic to Bhandari’s right to return. District committees and central secretariat members are reportedly polarized, with many grassroots leaders quietly expressing their support for Bhandari. The coming months, particularly the party’s general convention, could turn this ideological fault line into a full-blown power struggle.
What’s really at stake here is not just Bhandari’s comeback. It is the question of whether political parties in Nepal are prepared to live by the democratic values they preach. Oli’s move suggests that constitutional rights are negotiable when they threaten entrenched power. If Bhandari succeeds—through the courts or through sheer political momentum—it will be a rare victory for internal party democracy in a country where leaders often behave as though they own their parties. If she fails, it will reinforce a dangerous precedent: that party leadership, not the constitution, decides who gets to participate in politics.
The controversy surrounding Bhandari’s political comeback is more than a personal or partisan matter; it is a test of Nepal’s democratic maturity. Can a political party legitimately restrict the constitutional rights of its members under the guise of “institutional dignity”? As the legal and political battles unfold, the UML stands at a crossroads. Either it will embrace internal pluralism, allowing leaders like Bhandari to contest power through democratic means, or it will tighten its grip in ways that undermine the very principles it claims to defend. The outcome of this confrontation will shape not only UML’s future but also send a powerful message about the state of democracy in Nepal.
The UML can dress up its decision in the language of “respect for the presidency,” but the reality is harder to disguise. This is about control, not principle. Nepal’s democracy will be judged not by how it treats its powerful leaders but by whether it allows even the most powerful to enjoy the same basic rights as everyone else. Bhandari’s fight—whether you like her politics or not—has now become a fight for that principle.
On a warm evening in Tel Aviv, the chants of “STOP the GENOCIDE!” echoed across the streets, not from Palestinian activists, but from young Israelis—many barely out of high school—who have chosen prison cells over military uniforms.
In a quiet but defiant act of resistance, teenagers burned their draft papers in public squares, their hands trembling not from fear, but from the weight of conviction. Among them was Iddo Elam, an 18-year-old from Tel Aviv, who stood before the cameras and spoke with a steady voice:
“The lies that our government tells us are that we are surrounded by enemies. But the first people to stand next to me and support my cause were my Palestinian comrades.”
Elam, like many others now known as “refuseniks,” has refused Israel’s mandatory military service, calling it a moral duty to reject participation in what he describes as the “ongoing wave of destruction and genocide in Gaza.”
The protest drew dozens of young Israelis—some covering their faces, others boldly showing themselves to the cameras—aware that their refusal would make them targets of social scorn. Many have already been branded “traitors” by family members and friends, their names whispered with anger in their own communities.
Yet, for these teenagers, the moral line was clear. One protester, holding a sign scorched by the flames of burned draft papers, whispered, “Better a prison cell than a hand in killing innocent people.”
This rare show of solidarity inside Israel also carries a quiet hope. Protesters spoke of a shared future, one where Jews and Palestinians live side by side without fear. “A future in which we Jews and Palestinians stand together is possible,” Elam declared, his words drowned briefly by cheers.
For now, these voices remain a minority in a nation deeply divided over its war in Gaza. But as the smoke from burning draft papers curled into the Tel Aviv sky, it symbolized something far greater than defiance—it was a plea for humanity.
Kathmandu — The ninth meeting of the Nepal Communist Party (UML) Central Committee, held for two days at the party’s central office, Chyasal, under the chairmanship of party chairman and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, has passed an eight-point resolution on contemporary political activities in the country, government effectiveness, and the statutory general convention, among other contemporary issues.
It has been decided that the proposal regarding the statute amendment, incorporating the suggestions received from the members of the Central Committee, will be sent to the party’s provincial and district committees for further suggestions.
In the meeting, Vice-Chairman Bishnu Prasad Poudel presented the proposal regarding the statute amendment, while General Secretary Shankar Pokharel informed about the organizational work.
Similarly, the meeting has decided to express high respect to former President Bidya Devi Bhandari. 264 members expressed their views in the meeting.
Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi has said that Tehran cannot give up on its uranium enrichment programme, which was severely damaged by waves of US and Israeli air strikes last month.
“It is now stopped because, yes, damages are serious and severe, but obviously, we cannot give up our enrichment because it is an achievement of our own scientists, and now, more than that, it is a question of national pride,” Araghchi told the Fox News in an interview.
Araghchi said at the beginning of the interview that Iran is “open to talks” with the United States, but that they would not be direct talks “for the time being”.
“If they [the US] are coming for a win-win solution, I am ready to engage with them,” he said.
“We are ready to do any confidence-building measure needed to prove that Iran’s nuclear programme is peaceful and would remain peaceful forever, and Iran would never go for nuclear weapons, and in return, we expect them to lift their sanctions,” the foreign minister added.
“So, my message to the United States is that let’s go for a negotiated solution for Iran’s nuclear programme.”“There is a negotiated solution for our nuclear programme. We have done it once in the past. We are ready to do it once again,” Araghchi said.
Tehran and Washington had been holding talks on the nuclear programme earlier this year, seven years after Trump pulled the US out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which Tehran signed with several world powers in 2015. Under the pact, Iran opened the country’s nuclear sites to comprehensive international inspection in return for the lifting of sanctions.
Trump’s decision to pull the US out of the deal came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran of pursuing a “secret nuclear programme“.
Iran has long maintained that its nuclear enrichment programme is strictly for civilian purposes.
The US and Iran engaged in talks as recently as May to reach a new deal, but those negotiations broke down when Israel launched surprise bombing raids across Iran on June 13, targeting military and nuclear sites, killing more than 900 civilians including top nuclear scientists and army personnel.
Kathmandu — Nepali Congress General Secretary Bishwa Prakash Sharma has warned that the alliance will be riven if the CPN-UML does not withdraw the amendment on the ‘cooling off period’ tabled in the National Assembly.
Addressing a program organized on the 43rd BP Memorial Day on Tuesday, General Secretary Sharma gave the warning. He reminded that a unanimous inquiry committee was formed by the National Assembly to correct the mistake made by the House of Representatives regarding the cooling off period and to take action against the guilty.
General Secretary Sharma said, ‘In the context of the issue of the cooling off period passed by the State Affairs Committee, an inquiry committee has been formed through the honorable Speaker. Those who are at fault should be taken action against them. At the same time, we have unanimously appealed and called on the State Affairs Committee to correct this through the National Assembly.’
He warned that the efforts being made by the UML to remove the cooling off period against the unanimous decision would lead to an accident.
Sharma also urged Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to respect the different views and opinions among the parties in the alliance. He also pointed out the need to find a common opinion from the different opinions of the coalition parties when there is no consensus within a single party.
The creation of the modern State of Israel in 1948 was not an isolated historical accident but rather the outcome of decades of political maneuvering, international agreements, and colonial policies—most notably the involvement of the British Empire. The argument that Israel was established under the “privilege of a British gift” is rooted in historical events that reshaped the Middle East following World War I, particularly the British Mandate over Palestine and the issuance of the Balfour Declaration. While Jewish nationalism, known as Zionism, played a significant role, the facilitation of Jewish statehood was made possible largely due to Britain’s control of the region and its policies that favored Jewish settlement over the indigenous Arab majority.
Prior to 1917, Palestine had been part of the Ottoman Empire for nearly four centuries, administered as part of larger provinces, with a population composed predominantly of Arab Muslims, alongside Christian and Jewish minorities. In 1917, during World War I, Britain captured Palestine from the Ottomans and soon afterward issued the Balfour Declaration, a 67-word statement signed by British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour, which promised British support for the establishment of a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine. Crucially, the declaration added that “nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine,” yet no political rights were promised to the Arab majority. At the time of the declaration, Jews made up only about 10 percent of Palestine’s population, and most were long-established communities, not part of the new Zionist immigration wave.
The Balfour Declaration was not a random act of goodwill but a calculated colonial policy. Britain saw strategic advantages in supporting the Zionist movement. A Jewish homeland loyal to Britain in the eastern Mediterranean would help secure the Suez Canal and Britain’s imperial interests in the region. The British also hoped to gain influence among influential Jewish communities in Europe and the United States during the war. However, this promise to the Jews conflicted directly with earlier wartime commitments Britain had made to the Arabs. Through the Hussein-McMahon Correspondence (1915–1916), Britain had encouraged an Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire by promising Arab independence over vast territories, including Palestine. The later secret Sykes-Picot Agreement (1916), in which Britain and France divided Ottoman territories between them, further exposed the duplicity of British wartime diplomacy.
When the League of Nations granted Britain the Mandate for Palestine in 1920, the Balfour Declaration was incorporated into the legal framework of British administration. This mandate gave Britain the authority to implement policies encouraging Jewish immigration and settlement while effectively disregarding the political aspirations of the Arab majority. Under British protection, Zionist institutions flourished: the Jewish Agency acted as a proto-government, collecting funds from Jewish communities worldwide, purchasing land, and establishing agricultural settlements. The British administration trained Jewish paramilitary forces such as the Haganah, which would later form the core of the Israeli Defense Forces. In contrast, Palestinian Arabs, who made up around 90 percent of the population in 1920, were systematically excluded from political power. Their opposition to British policies was often suppressed by military force, especially during revolts.
Jewish immigration increased rapidly under British rule, particularly in the 1920s and 1930s. Waves of immigration, known as Aliyahs, were driven by growing antisemitism and persecution in Europe, culminating in the Holocaust. Between 1922 and 1947, the Jewish population in Palestine rose from around 83,000 to over 600,000, changing the demographic balance significantly. Zionist organizations, with British facilitation, purchased large tracts of land, often displacing Palestinian tenant farmers. Land sales by absentee landlords were legal under British policies, despite protests from local Arab communities who feared losing their livelihoods.
Palestinian resistance to these changes erupted in multiple uprisings, the largest being the Arab Revolt of 1936–1939. This revolt was a nationalist uprising against both British rule and Jewish immigration. Britain responded with overwhelming military force, killing thousands, imprisoning leaders, and dismantling much of the Palestinian political infrastructure. While British authorities did impose temporary restrictions on Jewish immigration later, especially with the 1939 White Paper, which sought to limit immigration to appease Arab opposition, by then the demographic and institutional foundations for a future Jewish state had already been laid. The White Paper was widely criticized by Zionist leaders, but despite these limits, illegal immigration and continued support from Britain allowed Jewish paramilitary groups to grow stronger.
The Holocaust added a new urgency to Zionist claims for a Jewish homeland. Tens of thousands of Holocaust survivors sought refuge in Palestine, and Britain, struggling to maintain control, faced growing international pressure. Jewish paramilitary groups such as the Haganah, Irgun, and Lehi increasingly turned against British authorities, targeting British military installations and officials to force an end to the mandate. Britain, exhausted by World War II and unable to manage the intensifying conflict between Jews and Arabs, referred the issue to the newly formed United Nations.
In 1947, the UN proposed a partition plan (Resolution 181), recommending the creation of separate Jewish and Arab states. The plan allocated about 55 percent of the land to the Jewish state, even though Jews owned less than 7 percent of the land and constituted about one-third of the population at the time. Jewish leaders accepted the plan, while Arab leaders rejected it, viewing it as illegitimate and unfair. Violence escalated immediately after the UN vote. By the time the British withdrew in May 1948, Zionist militias had already launched military operations—such as Plan Dalet—capturing Arab towns and depopulating villages, paving the way for Israel’s declaration of independence on May 14, 1948.
Thus, while the State of Israel was ultimately declared unilaterally by Jewish leaders and secured through war, its very possibility was shaped by three decades of British policy. The British provided the legal framework, military support, and geopolitical conditions necessary for a Jewish state to emerge in a territory where the indigenous population overwhelmingly opposed it. The Balfour Declaration, incorporated into the British Mandate, effectively acted as a colonial “gift”—not to the Jewish people as a whole, but to the political Zionist movement. The Palestinians, who had no comparable international support, were left stateless, and more than 700,000 were expelled or fled during the 1948 war, an event Palestinians call the Nakba, or “catastrophe.”
In retrospect, the establishment of Israel was both a product of Zionist organization and determination and of British imperial strategy. Without British control of Palestine, its favorable treatment of Zionist institutions, and its suppression of Arab resistance, the rapid transformation of Palestine’s demographics and political structures would have been unlikely. The British may not have intended to create a future regional conflict of such magnitude, but by privileging one nationalist movement over another under a colonial mandate, they laid the foundation for a state whose birth was marked by war, displacement, and a refugee crisis that persists to this day. Whether seen as a sanctuary for a persecuted people or as a colonial project enabled by imperial powers, Israel’s creation remains inseparable from the British policies that made it possible.
Kathmandu – The National Assembly meeting is scheduled to convene at 1:15 pm today.
In today’s meeting, the possible agenda has been set for Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration Bhagwati Neupane to present a proposal that the ‘Federal Civil Service Bill, 2080, received with a message from the House of Representatives, be sent to the Legislative Management Committee for clause-wise discussion.
Similarly, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak will present a proposal that the ‘Nepal Citizenship (Second Amendment) Bill, 2081, received with a message from the House of Representatives, be sent to the Legislative Management Committee for clause-wise discussion.’ The concerned minister will answer the oral questions related to the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The meeting of three committees under the House of Representatives is also being held today. The agenda includes meetings of the Law, Justice and Human Rights, Women and Social Affairs, and Education, Health and Information Technology committees. The Law Committee is scheduled to discuss ‘the Universal Periodic Review with the National Human Rights Commission’.
The Women and Social Affairs Committee has an agenda to discuss ‘the current situation of female workers employed abroad’. The Education, Health and Information Technology Committee has an agenda to ‘discuss with the amenders on the Media Council Bill’. The same bill is being discussed continuously in that committee.
Kathmandu – The 43rd BP Memorial Day is being observed today in memory of the contribution of Nepal’s first elected Prime Minister Bishweshwor Prasad Koirala.
Koirala was born on 24th Bhadra 1971 BS. Koirala, who fought hard for the establishment of democracy in Nepal, passed away on 6th Shrawan 2039 BS. He has also made significant contributions to the field of Nepali literature. He became the first elected Prime Minister in 2016 BS after the parliamentary elections in 2015 BS.
He spent eight years in exile in India. Analyzing that his nationalism had weakened while he was in exile in India and struggling for the restoration of democracy, he returned to Nepal on 16th Poush 2033 BS following his vision of national unity and reconciliation. After returning home on 16th Poush 2033 BS with a policy of national unity and reconciliation, he was taken directly to Sundarijal Prison from Tribhuvan International Airport.
Koirala, the founder of the psychological realist movement in Nepali literature, has published one and a half dozen works. Koirala provided political leadership for the establishment of nationalism, democracy, and socialism in Nepal.
Kathmandu – MoU has been signed between China and Nepal extending the supports for four different projects in Nepal.
China is set to reconstruct flood-damaged structures in Rasuwagadhi .During a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Poudel, Chairman of the China International Development Cooperation Agency Chen Xiaodong said that China will assist in the reconstruction of flood-damaged physical structures in Rasuwa.
During the meeting, Chairman Xiaodong informed that necessary assistance will be provided for the reconstruction of physical structures and that the customs process will be carried out quickly.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed for the construction of a bone marrow transplantation project and a feasibility study for the expansion of the Civil Servants Hospital at the BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital in Bharatpur, Chitwan.
A bone marrow cancer treatment center spread over an area of 1,834 square meters will be constructed at the BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital in Bharatpur and the necessary machinery will be installed. This will make a significant contribution to the treatment of bone marrow cancer. Similarly, a feasibility study will also be conducted for the expansion of the Civil Servants Hospital. The implementation of these two agreements is expected to make a significant contribution to the health sector of Nepal.
On this occasion, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Nepal and China on human resource development. This will give 1,270 government employees the opportunity to participate in bilateral and multilateral seminars organized by various organizations in China. This will make a significant contribution to the capacity building of employees.
Similarly, the feasibility study memorandum for the construction of the Rasuwagadhi-Kerung cross-border transmission line was signed by Hitendradev Shakya, Executive Director of Nepal Electricity Authority, and the Chairman of SIDCA. This will move forward the feasibility study work related to the construction of the Rasuwagadhi-Kerung transmission line.
Kathmandu — President Ram Chandra Poudel has blocked the Constitutional Council Bill, which includes a provision that allows decisions to be taken even in the absence of a majority, citing the need for legal advice. The bill was passed by both houses of the federal parliament and reached Sheetal Niwas on Ashad 32.
The President is concerned about the new provision that allows only two out of the six members of the council to recommend appointments. This change in the law is against the principle of balance of power in the constitution, according to a source at the President’s Sheetal Niwas. For this reason, President Poudel will decide whether to certify it or send it back to parliament for one time only after further consultation.
Clause 2 of Article 113 of the Constitution provides that a bill submitted to the President must be certified within fifteen days. If the President feels that it is necessary to reconsider the bill, he can send it back to the house of origin with a message within fifteen days of its submission.
After the parliament passes it for the second time and sends it, the President is constitutionally obligated to certify it within fifteen days. However, it has been established as a precedent that the Citizenship Bill, which was once withdrawn by former President Bidya Devi Bhandari, was repeatedly passed and sent to the House of Representatives, but was put on hold without being certified within 15 days.
There is a constitutional provision that the Constitutional Council, chaired by the Prime Minister, will have the Chief Justice, Speaker, National Assembly Speaker, leader of the main opposition party, and Deputy Speaker as members. Currently, the law stipulates that the presence of the chair and four members is mandatory for a quorum. However, the amended bill envisages four situations of quorum. A provision has been made that only two people can take a decision on the recommendation of an appointment.
Kathmandu – Former Madhesh Province Chief Rajesh Jha (Ahiraj) has been arrested in a rape case. He was arrested and presented in court on sunday . The court has remanded him in custody for five days, said SSP Bishwa Adhikari of Nepal police.
A complaint was filed four months ago alleging that he sexually exploited a teenage girl on various promises. He absconded after the complaint was filed.
The land historically known as Palestine has been inhabited for millennia, serving as a crossroads of civilizations, cultures, and faiths. Its history predates the modern conflict by thousands of years and is deeply intertwined with the region’s strategic location and religious significance. Today, what was once a single geographic and cultural entity is fragmented into territories under occupation, blockade, and partial autonomy. Understanding the history of Palestine provides essential context for its current political and humanitarian crisis.
The earliest recorded history of Palestine dates back to ancient Canaanite and Philistine civilizations around 3000 BCE. Over the centuries, the region witnessed successive rules by ancient Israelites, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans. The ancient Kingdoms of Israel and Judah existed intermittently in parts of this land, but after the Roman conquest and destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE, the region was incorporated into the Roman Empire and later renamed Syria Palaestina after the Bar Kokhba revolt in 135 CE, a name meant to erase Jewish national identity. The term “Palestine” thus became widely used in classical antiquity to refer to the geographic area between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River.
From the 7th century CE, following the Muslim conquest, Palestine became part of successive Islamic caliphates. Under the Umayyads, Abbasids, and later the Fatimids, the region thrived as an important center of trade and religious learning. During the Crusades, parts of Palestine were briefly controlled by European Christian kingdoms, but Muslim forces under Salah al-Din (Saladin) reclaimed the territory in 1187. By 1517, Palestine became part of the Ottoman Empire, where it remained for four centuries. Under Ottoman rule, Palestine was administratively divided into districts but retained its cultural and demographic continuity, with a population predominantly Arab and Muslim, alongside Christian and Jewish minorities who coexisted for centuries.
Modern Palestinian national identity began to take shape in the late Ottoman period, influenced by Arab nationalism and opposition to European colonial ambitions. However, Palestine’s fate dramatically changed after World War I. The collapse of the Ottoman Empire brought the region under British control through the British Mandate for Palestine (1920–1948), formalized by the League of Nations. The mandate period saw significant political and demographic transformation due to Britain’s support for the Zionist movement, enshrined in the Balfour Declaration of 1917, which promised to facilitate a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine. At that time, Arabs made up around 90 percent of the population, with Jews comprising about 10 percent.
Jewish immigration, driven by European persecution and later the Holocaust, increased sharply under British administration, with the Jewish population rising to roughly one-third by 1947. Tensions between the Arab majority, who sought independence, and the Jewish community, which sought a separate state, escalated into violence. Palestinian Arabs staged revolts, notably the 1936–1939 Arab Revolt, which Britain brutally suppressed. Britain’s eventual withdrawal from the mandate left Palestine in turmoil.
The United Nations Partition Plan of 1947 (Resolution 181) proposed dividing Palestine into a Jewish state (allocated 55 percent of the land) and an Arab state (45 percent), with Jerusalem placed under international administration. Jewish leaders accepted the plan, but Palestinian Arabs and neighboring Arab states rejected it, viewing it as unjust and illegitimate. Civil war erupted between Jewish and Arab forces even before the British left.
On May 14, 1948, Zionist leaders declared the independence of the State of Israel. In the ensuing war, Israel expanded its control to 78 percent of historic Palestine, far beyond the UN allocation. More than 700,000 Palestinians were expelled or fled from their homes in what Palestinians call the Nakba (Catastrophe). Over 400 villages were depopulated or destroyed, and the refugees were barred from returning despite UN Resolution 194 affirming their right of return.
The remaining 22 percent of Palestine—the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip—fell under Jordanian and Egyptian control, respectively, until the 1967 Six-Day War, when Israel occupied these territories. Since then, Palestinian lands have been subjected to military occupation, settlement expansion, and annexation efforts. East Jerusalem was annexed by Israel in 1980, a move unrecognized by most of the international community. The Oslo Accords of the 1990s created the Palestinian Authority with limited self-rule in parts of the West Bank, while Gaza came under the control of Hamas in 2007 following an internal Palestinian political split.
Today, the territory of historic Palestine is divided into three main areas. Israel occupies 78 percent, recognized internationally as a state since 1948. The West Bank, formally under Israeli military occupation, is fragmented into zones, with more than 700,000 Israeli settlers living in illegal settlements built on Palestinian land. Gaza, a densely populated enclave home to over two million Palestinians, has been under a blockade by Israel and Egypt since 2007, with repeated wars devastating its infrastructure. Palestinians in East Jerusalem live under Israeli control with limited rights, while millions of Palestinian refugees remain stateless in camps across Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and beyond.
The State of Palestine is recognized by more than 130 UN member states and has been a non-member observer state at the United Nations since 2012, but it lacks full sovereignty due to ongoing Israeli occupation and international political deadlock. Palestinians continue to demand their right to self-determination, the establishment of an independent state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, and the right of return for refugees, while Israel asserts security concerns and historical claims to the land.
The history of Palestine reveals that it was not an empty land awaiting statehood, but a vibrant society with deep-rooted communities and cultural heritage. Its fragmentation today is the direct outcome of colonial decisions, wars, and decades of occupation. What once existed as a single geographic and cultural homeland is now divided by walls, checkpoints, and borders, with Palestinians struggling to preserve their identity and right to statehood in the face of one of the world’s longest unresolved conflicts.
The history of Israel and Palestine is not merely a tale of two peoples competing for the same land; it is a story of deliberate political engineering by imperial powers that favored one national movement while erasing the rights of another. Britain’s role in shaping this tragedy cannot be understated—it used Palestine as a pawn in its colonial strategy, granting legitimacy and resources to the Zionist project while crushing Palestinian resistance with military force. The Balfour Declaration was not a neutral promise; it was a colonial endorsement that handed over a homeland that was not Britain’s to give. The result was not just the birth of a new state, but the catastrophic dispossession of an entire people, creating one of the largest refugee crises in modern history.
Today, the consequences of those imperial decisions still echo through every destroyed village, every refugee camp, every checkpoint, and every blockade. While Israel stands as a state born of determination and tragedy, it is equally a state born of privilege—privilege granted by British imperial power and cemented through wars of conquest. The ongoing occupation, settlement expansion, and denial of Palestinian rights are not new phenomena; they are continuations of a colonial legacy that treated Palestinian lives and sovereignty as expendable. History will remember this not only as a story of survival for one people but as a permanent stain of injustice against another—a reminder that statehood built on dispossession carries a moral debt that the world has yet to reckon with.
Kathmandu – The Election Commission has made public the election program for the by-election to be held in Rupandehi Constituency No. 3 on Kartik 17.
According to the approved program of the Commission, the nomination of candidates will be registered at the office of the Election Officer on Asoj 21 from 10 am to 5 pm, while the list of candidates will be published on the same day from 5 pm to 7 pm.
Similarly, the period for filing complaints against candidates will be from 10 am to 3 pm on Asoj 22. The nomination papers and complaints will be examined and decided on from 3 pm to 5 pm on Asoj 23 and the list of candidates will be published at the office of the Election Officer on the same day from 5 pm to 7 pm.
According to the commission, the names of candidates can be withdrawn from 10 am to 1 pm on Asoj 24, while the final list of candidates will be published in the office of the election officer from 1 pm to 5 pm on the same day and the election symbols will be given to the candidates from 3 pm to 6 pm.
According to the commission, the election program will be held on Kartik 17 from 7 am to 5 pm at the respective polling stations. There is a legal provision that a person whose name is included in the closed list for the proportional electoral system of the House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly member elections, 2079 BS, will not be allowed to file a nomination.
The by-election is being held there after the death of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) MP Deepak Bohara, who was elected from Rupandehi-3.
Kathmandu – Kathmandu Metropolitan City has published the results of the entrance examination for students interested in studying in institutional schools in grades 11 and 12 under the scholarship quota for the academic session 2082/83.
The metropolis conducted the entrance examination on Saturday for the scholarship it is going to provide this year. The examination was conducted from 8 am to 10 am on Saturday at 54 examination centers.
According to the Metropolitan Education Department, out of 17,229 applications received from 77 districts across the country, 16,137 students were selected. Of these, 14,173 students participated in the examination.
Out of which, 10,867 students have passed. A minimum of 40 marks was required to pass and students who did not score 40 marks were declared failed, the department said.
The examination was based on the grade 10 syllabus, in which a total of 100 multiple-choice questions were asked, including 30 questions each from mathematics, science and English and 10 questions from general knowledge.
The results have been published on the official website of the metropolis. Students can view, download or print their score cards using their SEE symbol number, date of birth and password received via email or SMS.
There are more than 4,000 scholarship seats available in 160 institutional schools under Kathmandu Metropolitan City.
Kathmandu: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is set to visit India. According to Foreign Ministry sources, Prime Minister Oli is going to visit New Delhi on Bhadra 31 (September 16).
According to sources, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sent an invitation to his counterpart Oli for a two-day visit. However, foreign sources say that the date may change.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that preparations have begun for Prime Minister Oli’s visit to India.
It is said that a secretary-level meeting will also be held before that. After almost 9 years, a meeting of the Nepal-India Home Secretary-level mechanism is going to be held. The meeting is going to be held in the Indian capital, New Delhi, on 6 and 7 Shrawan (July 22 and 23). The Nepali team led by Home Secretary Gokarna Mani Duwadi is preparing to leave for Delhi on Monday.
Kathmandu – The two-day Politburo meeting of the CPN-UML has decided not to take any immediate decision by keeping the dispute over the renewal of former President Bidhya Devi Bhandari’s party membership as ‘pending’. The meeting saw a heated debate between leaders close to Chairman KP Sharma Oli and those pro-Bhandari. The Oli faction has been claiming that Bhandari’s membership renewal is against the statute, while the Bhandari faction has argued that the membership is automatically renewed, explaining the statute.
Informing a press conference after the meeting, the party’s publicity department chief Rajendra Gautam said that since the membership dispute is based on Articles 8 and 9 of the party statute, no conclusion could be reached at the time and it has been kept ‘pending’. According to him, Article 8 (3) of the statute stipulates that a person who has renounced party membership and assumed a constitutional position must re-join the party only through a new process, based on which the Oli faction has been saying that Bhandari’s membership renewal is not in accordance with the statute. Bhandari had resigned from the party membership before assuming the presidency, and therefore, she can only re-apply through a new process. Therefore, they claim that her renewal in 2081 Baisakh is procedurally incomplete and therefore controversial.
However, Bhandari’s side has presented it from a completely different angle. According to them, Article 9 (3) of the statute provides that if a member is given special responsibility by the party—even if he or she is not in any body of the party committee or organization—their membership will automatically remain. According to Bhandari’s pro-party leaders, Bhandari was on special responsibility of the party even when she was president, and therefore her membership will remain. Kashinath Adhikari, head of the organization department, has said that Bhandari renewed her membership in 2081 Baisakh by paying the prescribed fee, and this was done according to the legal process like all other members. Bhandari herself has also clarified that her membership has been renewed and that there is no obstacle to her return to active politics.
The Politburo meeting was not only about the membership dispute, but also important decisions regarding the amendment of the statute. The meeting proposed removing the age limit of 70 and maintaining the system of allowing the same person to hold the same post for two terms. Political analysts believe that this decision has paved the way for Chairman Oli to become the chairman again in the upcoming general convention. The Oli faction has interpreted this decision to amend the statute under Oli’s leadership as a strategy to secure its long-term leadership, while Bhandari faction leaders are considering it as a continuation of Oli’s efforts to maintain sole control over power.
Bhandari’s pro-membership leaders have portrayed the membership dispute as a planned move by the Oli faction, alleging that it was raised with the aim of obstructing Bhandari’s active political role. According to them, the dispute was raised in this way because the balance of power within the party could change after Bhandari returns to the UML and Oli’s long-term leadership could be challenged. In this regard, Bhandari faction leaders have accused the Oli faction of planning to sideline Bhandari.
Meanwhile, factionalism within the party has become apparent. Sources say that leaders from both sides exchanged accusations and debated for a long time in the Politburo meeting. In the meeting, some neutral leaders suggested resolving the dispute by clearly explaining the provisions of the statute. However, due to the strong stance of both factions, no concrete conclusion could be drawn immediately and therefore, it is understood that the membership dispute has been kept ‘pending’.
This amendment to the statute of the UML and the membership dispute have made the upcoming general convention of the party even more interesting. The debate has already started on the question of whether Oli’s leadership will be restored at the general convention or a new force will emerge. Bhandari’s entry into active politics is expected to further intensify the factionalism within the party and this will shift the balance of power in the UML in a new direction.
According to political analysts, even if Oli secures his leadership through the amendment to the statute, Bhandari’s activism is sure to challenge his dominance. Since Bhandari is not only a former president but also an old and influential leader within the party, there is a strong possibility that a new equation may emerge in UML politics after her return. Meanwhile, some leaders have even warned that the conflict between Oli and Bhandari will be fatal for the party’s unity and future in the long run.
In the current situation, it is clear that this dispute within the UML has increased polarization within the party and brought a new wave of possibilities for leadership change.
Kathmandu- Nepal’s power generation capacity has reached 3,878 MW, a major milestone in the country’s energy sector.
Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Deepak Khadka announced this at a press conference recently.
Addressing a program organized to mark the completion of his first year in office, the minister said that 631 MW of new power generation was added to the national grid last year alone.
Minister Khadka emphasized that the increased capacity has enabled Nepal to export additional power, of which more than 800 MW is being sold to India and Bangladesh daily. He also said that Nepal has received approval to export 941 MW to India and import 1,000 MW under a bilateral agreement. In addition, Bangladesh has started dollar-based electricity exports, of which 40 MW has already been supplied, generating an estimated revenue of Rs 1.25 billion within five months.
The Ministry of Energy presented the Energy Development Roadmap 2081, which sets an ambitious target of generating 28,500 MW of electricity by 2035, requiring a fiscal plan of $46.5 billion. Under this roadmap, Nepal aims to export 15,000 MW to India and Bangladesh, while retaining 13,500 MW for domestic consumption.
The minister briefed the meeting on progress in policy and infrastructure, including the installation of 397 kW of small hydropower projects, 603 kW of solar power systems, 3,584 biogas plants, and 4,142 domestic solar systems.
Kathmandu – The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Weather Forecasting Division has urged caution, saying that there is a possibility of thunderstorms and windstorms in various parts of the country.
Currently, a weather system has developed in the areas around Koshi, Madhesh, Bagmati and Gandaki provinces, causing thunderstorms and windstorms. Therefore, the division has urged caution.
There has been very heavy rain in some places. The Flood Forecasting Division has issued a notice stating that the risk has increased after the water level in the rivers and streams increased due to the rain.
According to the Weather Forecasting Division, heavy rain has been measured in Lumle in Kaski, Mulghat, Triveni and Majhuwaghat in Dhankuta, Tharara and Dharan Bazaar in Sunsari, and Maipokhari in Ilam in the past hour.
Due to the rain, the water level at Kankai and Mainachuli hydrological stations in Ilam was around the alert level at 5:30 am today and is rising, so the Flood Forecasting Division has requested that high alert be maintained in the riverbanks and low-lying areas until noon.
In the last 24 hours, 182.2 mm of rainfall has been recorded at Maipokhari station in Ilam. Ilam Tea Garden, Kanyam Tea Garden, Jitpur, and Himali villages in Ilam have also recorded heavy rain.
Similarly, 195.6 mm of rainfall has been recorded in Triveni in Dhankuta and 173 mm in Majhuwaghat. Dhankuta Bazaar, Pakhribas, Mulghat, Dharan Bazaar in Sunsari, and Tharara have also recorded heavy rain.
Light to moderate rainfall has been recorded in the districts of Madhesh Province and Bagmati Province.
Heavy rainfall has been recorded in one or two places in Gandaki Province. Lumle in Kaski has recorded the most rainfall. Lumle has 162.6 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours. Yamjakot has recorded 134 mm of rainfall.
The Flood Forecasting Division has stated that there has been heavy rainfall in Lumle in Kaski and its surrounding areas in the last 1 hour and there is a possibility of more rainfall. Therefore, it has sent an SMS requesting people to be cautious as the small rivers flowing through the area may increase in sudden flow and landslides may occur on weak and steep land.
Buzhung and Khudibazar in Lamjung and Panchase in Parbat have also recorded heavy rainfall. Flooding has occurred at the Modi Khola Nayapul water measurement station in Parbat under the Narayani River Basin.
Similarly, the Department of Water and Meteorology has stated that there has been heavy rainfall in Bharshe in Tanahun and Sheragaun in Rukumpur.
Kathmandu – Today, a meeting of five different committees of the Federal Parliament is being held.
According to the scheduled agenda of the Federal Parliament, today, a meeting of the Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee, Women and Children, Education, Health and Information Technology, Legislative Management and Public Policy and Delegated Legislative Committee is being held.
The Law Committee has set the agenda for ‘discussions with the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers regarding the Universal Periodic Review’, informed the committee’s secretary Ramhari Thapa.
Similarly, the Women and Social Affairs Committee will discuss the ‘Annual Report of the Madhesi Commission (2080/81)’. The Education, Health and Information Technology Committee has the agenda for ‘principled discussion on the Media Council Bill’.
The Legislative Management Committee is scheduled to discuss the ‘National Forensic Science Laboratory (Establishment and Operation) Bill, 2081’ clause-wise. The Public Policy and Delegated Legislation Committee has an agenda to discuss the ‘Report Related to National Parks’.
The term Nakba—Arabic for “catastrophe”—refers to the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians that accompanied the creation of the State of Israel in 1948. Recognized by historians worldwide as a defining event in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Nakba marked the destruction of Palestinian society as it had existed for centuries and set the stage for decades of conflict, refugee crises, and contested narratives. While interpretations of the causes and intentions vary, the facts of the events themselves are well-documented through historical records, eyewitness accounts, and both Israeli and Palestinian archives.
Between late 1947 and 1949, during and after the first Arab-Israeli war, an estimated 700,000 to 750,000 Palestinians—roughly half of the Arab population of Mandatory Palestine—were expelled or fled from their homes. Over 400 to 530 villages and towns were depopulated or destroyed, many razed deliberately to prevent the return of refugees. Cities like Jaffa, Haifa, Lydda (Lod), and Ramle saw mass expulsions of residents, while dozens of rural communities ceased to exist entirely. Key expulsions occurred in operations such as Operation Dani, which forcibly removed tens of thousands from Lydda and Ramle, and Operation Hiram in the Galilee, which cleared dozens of villages in a matter of days.
The process began even before the official establishment of Israel. Following the United Nations Partition Plan of November 29, 1947 (UN Resolution 181), which proposed dividing Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states, violence escalated between Jewish and Arab communities. The British, who administered the territory under a Mandate, announced their withdrawal, leaving a power vacuum. Zionist militias—primarily the Haganah, along with more radical groups such as the Irgun (Etzel) and Lehi (Stern Gang)—launched military operations to secure territory allotted to the Jewish state and beyond.
One of the most infamous incidents was the Deir Yassin massacre on April 9, 1948, when over 100 Palestinian villagers, including women and children, were killed by Irgun and Lehi fighters. Though condemned by the Jewish Agency leadership, news of the massacre spread rapidly and caused widespread panic, prompting many Palestinians to flee their villages. Other massacres and killings, such as in Tantura, Safsaf, and Al-Dawayima, have been documented by both Palestinian and Israeli historians, including in declassified Israeli military archives.
The exodus accelerated after May 14, 1948, when Israel declared independence and neighboring Arab armies intervened. While some Palestinians fled in fear of the fighting, a significant portion were forcibly expelled. The Israeli leadership’s intentions have been a matter of historical debate. The traditional Israeli narrative long held that Palestinian leaders encouraged the population to leave, expecting to return after an Arab military victory. However, extensive research by Israeli “New Historians” such as Ilan Pappé, Benny Morris, and Avi Shlaim—drawing from Israeli archives—demonstrates that planned expulsions were a central part of the conflict.
The Plan Dalet (Plan D), approved by the Haganah in March 1948, authorized the capture of Arab towns and villages, with provisions for the expulsion of populations deemed hostile. While historians disagree on whether this constituted an explicit policy of ethnic cleansing, the practical outcome was the same: a permanent displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, most of whom were never allowed to return despite Israel’s obligations under UN General Assembly Resolution 194 (December 1948), which called for the right of return for refugees wishing to live in peace.
The newly founded Israeli state quickly moved to consolidate control over depopulated areas. Many Palestinian homes were confiscated under the Absentees’ Property Law, and new Jewish immigrants were settled in emptied Arab neighborhoods. Hundreds of villages were demolished, their lands repurposed for Jewish settlements or reforested by the Jewish National Fund, erasing traces of Palestinian life.
For Palestinians, the Nakba was not just a loss of homes but a cultural and national disintegration. Families were split across borders, and entire communities were uprooted. Today, there are more than 5.9 million Palestinian refugees registered with UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency), living across the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, many still carrying deeds and keys to homes lost in 1948.
For Israelis, the 1948 war, known as the War of Independence, symbolizes the survival and establishment of a Jewish homeland after centuries of persecution, including the Holocaust. The clash of these narratives—Israel’s war for statehood versus the Palestinian experience of dispossession—remains central to the intractability of the conflict.
The Nakba is not only a historical memory but an ongoing reality for many Palestinians. Land confiscations, settlement expansions, and military occupations in the West Bank are often described by scholars as a continuation of the same process of displacement that began in 1948. Every year on May 15, Palestinians commemorate Nakba Day, mourning what they view as the beginning of a process of systematic dispossession that has yet to end.
The facts of the Nakba are not in serious dispute: hundreds of thousands were displaced, villages were destroyed, and a permanent refugee crisis was created. What remains contentious is the interpretation of motives, with Israel continuing to reject the accusation of premeditated ethnic cleansing, while Palestinians and many historians argue that demographic engineering was essential to creating and maintaining a Jewish-majority state. What is undeniable, however, is that the Nakba reshaped the Middle East, creating a refugee crisis that endures to this day and leaving a legacy of trauma, grievance, and unresolved claims that continue to fuel one of the world’s longest-running conflicts.
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories has resulted in one of the most destructive and deadly conflicts of the modern era. What began as a response to a Hamas-led attack has evolved into what international observers, human rights groups, and legal experts describe as a wide-scale assault on civilian life, infrastructure, and the Palestinian national identity itself. Critics, international legal bodies, and humanitarian organizations argue that the scale and nature of the operations suggest a broader strategic doctrine—one aimed at gaining full control over Palestinian territories under a one-state vision, displacing Palestinians through what they describe as ethnic cleansing, and erasing their national identity.
As of mid-July 2025, Gaza’s Ministry of Health reports more than 58,600 Palestinian deaths, with over 139,000 wounded. Independent estimates from research groups, including The Lancet, suggest the true toll may exceed 70,000 to 80,000 when factoring in indirect deaths caused by trauma, starvation, and medical collapse. More than 59% of the dead are women, children, or elderly civilians. UN reports verify that 2,917 Palestinian children were killed in 2024 alone, with thousands more unverified but believed dead. The UN’s Commission of Inquiry documented that 403 of 564 schools in Gaza were struck, 85 destroyed entirely, and 742 people killed in UNRWA shelters. Nearly 90% of schools and universities, over 84% of health facilities, and half of Gaza’s religious and cultural sites have sustained damage or total destruction. Hospitals, water distribution points, churches, and mosques have been repeatedly hit by Israeli strikes, including a recent attack on July 17, 2025, on Gaza’s sole Catholic church, killing at least three civilians, including children and disabled residents, and wounding a priest known to have worked closely with Pope Francis. On July 13, a strike at a water-collection point killed ten people, mostly children.
Israel insists its military actions are defensive measures against Hamas militants allegedly embedded in civilian areas, citing both rocket attacks and supposed use of hospitals as militant bases. However, the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor has stated that many such claims, including Hamas’ use of hospitals as military strongholds, have been “grossly exaggerated.” The UN Commission of Inquiry, after reviewing more than 7,000 pieces of evidence, concluded that Israel’s actions amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the crime of extermination, and that many strikes showed no military necessity or warning. The Commission has submitted findings to the ICC, which in November 2024 issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including deliberate starvation, indiscriminate bombing, and targeting civilians.
Beyond the carnage lies a deeper geopolitical concern. Many analysts, activists, and international legal experts now argue that Israel’s military operations are part of a broader strategy to eliminate the Palestinian presence in historic Palestine and replace it with a singular, Jewish-majority state. This claim is supported by comments from senior Israeli officials, proposals to build “humanitarian cities” on Gaza’s border—described by former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as concentration camps—and ongoing efforts to expand settlements across the West Bank.
International observers argue that Israel’s military campaign is not solely about neutralizing Hamas but rather part of a wider policy to achieve demographic and territorial dominance. Proposals for “humanitarian cities” along Gaza’s border, described by former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert as “concentration camps,” fuel claims of permanent displacement. UN experts have warned that the forced relocation of Palestinians echoes the Nakba of 1948 and amounts to a new instance of ethnic cleansing. Scholars describe this as demographic engineering designed to secure Jewish majority control over all of historic Palestine, effectively dismantling Palestinian national identity. Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Oxfam have labeled the destruction of civilian infrastructure and blockade-induced deprivation as genocidal and systematic. South Africa has filed genocide charges against Israel at the ICC, while a coalition of Global South nations, dubbed the Hague Group, has pledged to defend ICC and ICJ rulings and push for arms embargoes.
The humanitarian crisis remains catastrophic. UN findings show that child malnutrition in Gaza has more than doubled in three months, jumping from 5.5% to 10.2%. Over 1.9 million people are displaced, trapped in makeshift shelters with minimal access to food, water, or medical care. Aid agencies report repeated strikes on humanitarian convoys and refugee camps. Despite repeated international calls for a ceasefire, no comprehensive truce holds, and bombardment continues daily, even in designated safe zones.
The United Nations has consistently condemned Israel’s actions, demanding an immediate ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian access. The UN Human Rights Council’s Commission has accused Israel of committing widespread war crimes and crimes against humanity, warning of atrocity crimes in progress. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has criticized Israel’s collective punishment measures, citing incidents such as a six-day offensive in March that killed 506 Palestinians, including 200 children. UN human rights rapporteurs have repeatedly warned that the destruction and displacement amount to mass ethnic cleansing, urging immediate international intervention.
Western governments remain divided. The United States continues to provide extensive military and financial support to Israel, opposing ICC actions and supplying almost $18 billion in security assistance since the war began. European responses vary, with some states pausing arms exports and expressing support for ICC warrants, while others resume funding to UNRWA and call for sanctions on illegal settlement expansions. The International Court of Justice has ruled Israel’s occupation and settlement policies unlawful under international law. Meanwhile, human rights organizations and legal experts worldwide are pressing for arms embargoes and accountability.
The Israeli government insists that its war is against Hamas, not Palestinians. But to, many in the international community, the systematic destruction of Gaza’s civilian life, infrastructure, and history—carried out under the guise of self-defense—reflects a broader campaign of erasure. With the death toll continuing to rise, ceasefire negotiations stalled, and legal processes grinding slowly forward, the conflict shows no sign of resolution. Critics argue that such justifications mask a long-term plan for territorial annexation and permanent displacement of Palestinians. What remains is a devastated population, a broken land, and a deepening sense among Palestinians that the war is not merely about territory or rockets, but about existence itself.
With the weight of overwhelming evidence, the devastation unfolding in Gaza can no longer be framed merely as collateral damage of war or a tragic by-product of self-defense. The systematic targeting of civilians, the relentless destruction of homes, hospitals, schools, and places of worship, and the forced displacement of nearly an entire population point to a deliberate strategy that transcends the fight against Hamas. What is happening is not just a military campaign; it is the slow erasure of a people from their land, a campaign of dispossession carried out under the banner of security. No justification can legitimize the mass killing of children, the starvation of families, or the leveling of entire neighborhoods. The international community’s tepid response and the open complicity of powerful Western nations only deepen the stain of this tragedy, allowing impunity to flourish while civilians pay the price in blood. History will remember this not as a war of defense, but as an assault on an entire population’s right to exist, and silence in the face of such crimes will forever remain a moral failure of our time.
At least 70 Palestinians, including 36 people near food aid sites in Rafah, killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza today.
World Food Programme (WFP) said thousands of Palestinians in Gaza are on the “verge of catastrophic hunger” with one in three people in the enclave not eating for days at a time.
Hamas said Israel rejected a ceasefire proposal that would have seen the release of all remaining captives held in Gaza, and pledged it was prepared for a lengthy war if there is no deal.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 58,667 people and wounded 139,974. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the October 7 attacks, and more than 200 were taken captive.
The Israeli army said its air force launched 90 strikes over the past day across the besieged Gaza Strip, which is just 365sq km (140sq miles) in size.
It claimed it hit what it called military compounds and underground infrastructure, without providing evidence or details of the locations.
In recent days, Israeli forces have hit tents sheltering displaced Palestinians in al-Mawasi after ordering Palestinians to move there, as well as Gaza’s only Catholic church in Gaza City.
The Syrian presidency has announced an “immediate ceasefire” in the southern city of Suweida to try to bring an end to a week of sectarian violence that has left hundreds dead.
There have been chaotic gun battles on city streets between the local Bedouin tribesmen and the Druze community, with both accused of atrocities. Graphic footage shows bodies strewn in the streets.”
“This moment requires unity of ranks and complete cooperation in order to overcome what we are all going through,” Syria’s interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa said.
The ceasefire came as Syrian internal security forces were deployed to Suweida to end the clashes – a move approved by Israel as long as the Druze citizens were protected.Israel intervened in the conflict earlier this week, hitting government forces and the defense ministry building as it declared support for the Druze.
Suweida’s Druze community follows a secretive, unique faith derived from Shia Islam, and distrusts the current government in Damascus. They are a minority in Syria, as well as in neighbouring Israel and Lebanon.
President Donald Trump has claimed that BRICS is “fading out fast,” while warning that any attempts by the group to challenge the US dollar will be met with a harsh economic backlash.
Speaking at the White House on Friday, Trump denounced what he called BRICS’ attempts to weaken the dollar. “They wanted to try and take over the dollar, the dominance of the dollar… And I said, anybody that’s in the BRICS consortium of nations, we’re going to tariff you 10%.”
Trump stressed that Washington will spare no effort to preserve the dollar’s hegemony. “The reserve currency is so important. You know, if we lost that, that would be like losing a World War.”
Washington “can never let anyone play games,” Trump said, adding that he has decided to “hit them [BRICS] very, very hard.”“If they ever really form in a meaningful way, it will end very quickly,” he said.
Trump also claimed his threat to impose 10% tariffs on imports from the BRICS had completely derailed the group’s summit in Rio de Janeiro earlier this month. “They had a meeting the following day and almost nobody showed up,” he said.
However, the BRICS summit featured broad participation at the highest level. While China’s President Xi Jinping was absent from the meeting, his country was represented by Chinese Premier Li Qiang. Russian President Vladimir Putin was also absent, but addressed the summit remotely.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa and Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto, as well as leaders from Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE attended in person.
In October, Russia’s Finance Minister Anton Siluanov stated that the share of national currencies in trade among BRICS countries has reached 65%, with the share of the dollar and euro plunging below 30%.
Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov explained that BRICS countries are exploring dollar alternatives “to shield themselves from US arbitrariness.”
However, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has said that BRICS has never been meant as a rival to the US, although warning that “the language of threats and manipulation… is not the way to speak to members of this group.”
United States President Donald Trump has filed a defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal publication and its owners, including media magnate Rupert Murdoch, seeking at least $20bn in damages over the publication of a bombshell report on the president’s friendship with the infamous high-society sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump filed the lawsuit in federal court in the Southern District of Florida on Friday, as he attempts to prevent a growing scandal around the Epstein case from spreading further and threatening to cause him serious political damage.
Trump also instructed the US Justice Department to file a motion in Manhattan federal court to unseal grand jury transcripts in the Epstein case and that of his former associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, who in 2021 was convicted of five federal charges related to her role in Epstein’s sexual abuse of underage girls.
In the defamation lawsuit, Trump accuses Dow Jones, News Corp, Murdoch and two Wall Street Journal reporters of acting with malicious intent that caused him overwhelming financial and reputational harm. Dow Jones, the parent company of the newspaper, is a division of News Corp.
Before filing the case, Trump wrote on Friday morning on his social media platform Truth Social: “I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his ‘pile of garbage’ newspaper, the WSJ. That will be an interesting experience!!!”
In response, the Wall Street Journal owner Dow Jones said it will “vigorously defend” against Trump’s legal action.
Kathmandu- 839,000 Nepalese have obtained work permits for foreign employment in the last fiscal year.
Organizing a press conference , the Department of Foreign Employment informed that 839,266 people obtained work permits for foreign employment in the last fiscal year 2081/82.
According to the department, 744,811 men and 94,455 women received work permits.
The ten countries with the highest number of workers in the last fiscal year were UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Malaysia, Romania, Japan, Korea, Croatia and Bahrain.
Speaking at the press conference, Director General of the department, Kamal Prasad Bhattarai, mentioned that 3,516,965 people have obtained work permits in the last five years.
According to him, 1,687 organizations have obtained permits so far, and 212 organizations have been renewed by mid-Ashar 2082.
He also said that the ‘Work Permit on the Same Day’ service is being fully implemented for labor approval.
He also said that in the case of incomplete online applications, messages are being sent immediately to submit the necessary documents. He also said that the department has fully adopted the zero tolerance policy by making the foreign employment sector free from intermediaries.
Director General Bhattarai said that the department has a future plan to amend the foreign employment law to make it simple, easy and timely and to reduce the time and cost of going for foreign employment.
Kathmandu: CPN-Ekikrit Samajwadi chairman Madhav Nepal has said that there is no possibility of party unity with CPN-UML. Speaking at a unity program with Bamdev Gautam, he made it clear that there is no possibility of unity with UML.
Chairman Nepal said, “We have seen the situation there. If someone has any hopes or expectations, I have nothing to say.
Chairman Nepal has urged not to be under the illusion of party unity with UML in any way. He said that no one can stop the party from strengthening through unity with Bamdev Gautam.
Kathmandu- The party unification has been achieved between the CPN Ekikrit samjwadi Party and the CPN Ekta Rastriya Abhiyaan. The party unification was achieved through discussions between the Chairman of Samajwadi Party, Madhav Kumar Nepal, and the Coordinator of the Rastriya Abhiyaan, Bamdev Gautam.
Gautam will be given the third priority in the Party as well as the position of senior leader. Now the party will have Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal, Honored Leader Jhalanath Khanal, and Bamdev Gautam as the senior leader.
The party unification program was held at Rastriya Sabhaa Bhawan. Leaders of both parties have said that party unification will make a significant contribution to leftist unity.
Leaders of both parties have said that the unity of the communist movement of Nepal is inevitable as there is uniformity in political philosophy, principles, programs, strategies, and lines of action.
Kathmandu — The Attorney General’s Office has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against former minister Aftab Aalam, who was convicted by the District Court on charges of trying to cover up a bomb blast and burning people alive in a brick kiln but was acquitted by the High Court.
According to Supreme Court spokesperson Achyut Kuinkel, the appeal will be filed on Sunday.
The Birgunj bench of the Janakpur High Court acquitted former minister and Nepali Congress leader Mohammad Aftab Aalam, including four others, on Chaitra 27 2064 BS, on charges of killing the injured by throwing them alive into a brick kiln in Rautahat on the night before the first Constituent Assembly elections.
The Rautahat District Court had sentenced Aalam and four others to life imprisonment on 14 Jeth..
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in an interview said, “Everyone says they want peace in Ukraine, but there’s still war. That means someone is lying,” he said, accusing some parties of having a vested interest in prolonging the bloodshed. “They want the war to continue, no matter what they say.”
Orban has called for an in-person meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, describing it as the only realistic path to ending the Ukraine conflict.
The conflict will not stop until the Russian and American presidents sit down at the negotiating table,” Orban added. He expressed hope that such a meeting could lay the foundation for a broad agreement addressing not only Ukraine, but also global trade and arms control.
KATHMANDU- Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, Balram Adhikari, has claimed he has no involvement in the recently surfaced audio controversy, calling it as a conspiracy to assassinate his character.
During a press conference held at the ministry he said he is ready to face any punishment if proven guilty.
He claimed that it is a clear attempt of character assassination. “Those who failed to fulfill their personal interests have resorted to such tactics,” he said. He claimed some individuals tried to pressure him regarding the transfer of a government official, and after he refused, the audio was made public. He stressed that,” i have no involvement with the leaked audio clip and there is not even a single bit of my voice on it.”
However, Federal Affairs and General Administration Minister Rajkumar Gupta, who was involved in the same case, resigned soon after the audio clip was made public.
Kathmandu – At least 93 people have died and 22 have gone missing in disaster-related incidents across Nepal in the past three months, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.
From mid-April to mid-July, the authority recorded 2,065 disaster incidents, including floods, landslides, lightning, fires and animal attacks. A total of 445 people were injured during this period and 4,136 families were directly affected.
Floods alone caused 137 incidents, resulting in 13 deaths and 22 missing. Landslides were the second most frequent hazard, with 175 incidents and six fatalities.
Among other causes of death, lightning caused the highest number of deaths at 26, followed by fire-related at 14, animal attacks at 12 and altitude sickness at 11.
Floods have affected 1,246 families, while 1,048 households have been affected by fires. Hundreds have been displaced by a combination of natural and weather-related events.
The figures cover the first quarter of the Nepali year 2082, and officials say more extreme weather and disaster events are likely as the monsoon season progresses.
Kathmandu – Nighttime traffic has been banned on the Kavrepalanchok section of the BP Highway from today, August 15, for one month.
According to the District Administration Office, the nighttime traffic has been banned from Kavrebhanjyang in Kavre to Nepalthok on the Sindhuli border from 5 pm to 5 am (12 hours).
The Security Committee meeting held on July 15 had decided to ban nighttime vehicle driving for one month, citing the possibility of a catastrophic incident due to the active monsoon.
According to Kavrepalanchok Chief District Officer Umesh Dhakal, vehicles going from Kathmandu at night will be stopped at Kavrebhanjyang in Kavrepalanchok and vehicles coming towards Kathmandu at Nepalthok on the Sindhuli border due to the risk of floods and landslides during the rainy season.
Last year, the floods and landslides in Asoj damaged an eight-kilometer stretch of the BP Highway from Chowkidanda in Kavrepalanchok to Barkhekhola in Sindhuli. Out of the total 160 kilometers of the highway, the floods and landslides damaged 84 kilometers of the road, including 34 kilometers from Khurkot in Sindhuli to Nepalthok in the third section and 50 kilometers from Nepalthok to Dhulikhel in Kavrepalanchok in the fourth section, according to the Division Road Office, Bhaktapur.
Kathmandu- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has granted amnesty to 120 Nepalese. The amnesty was granted to 120 Nepali citizens who were in UAE jails on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, the great festival of Muslims.
The Nepal Embassy in the UAE has informed that the amnesty has been granted by waiving the remaining period of their sentences. The embassy has issued a statement thanking the UAE government.
Nepalis who have reached the UAE for foreign employment have been imprisoned for various crimes.
Kathmandu – The Medical Education Commission has determined seats for certificate level programs in medical education under the Technical and Vocational Training Council.
The seats were determined based on the report presented in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. Currently, seats have been determined for 285 educational institutions, including non-profit and private ones. The meeting also discussed legal facilitation to allow medical colleges to operate PCL nursing programs.
The report of the task force formed to prepare a draft of the criteria for determining the fees for undergraduate and postgraduate educational programs in medical education and to recommend the determination of tuition fees for the upcoming academic session has been tabled.
The meeting approved the program and budget for the internal resources of the Commission for the upcoming fiscal year. Addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Oli directed to do the homework of timely amendments to the Medical Education Act, 2057 BS and to make the commission effective by limiting it to its actual scope of work. He said that the education sector should not be planned but should be expanded and facilitated while maintaining quality.
Kathmandu – The CPN-UML is starting formal discussions on the agenda of the statutory general convention from today.
The draft of the report to be taken to the statutory general convention will be presented at the secretariat meeting to be held at the central headquarters, Chyasal, at 1 pm today. Vice President Bishnu Prasad Poudel has been given the responsibility of bringing the draft of the report .
As per the decision taken at the secretariat meeting on 11 Ashad, Chairman KP Sharma Oli will prepare the political report, General Secretary Shankar Pokharel will prepare the organizational report, and Vice President Poudel will prepare the statutory report.
Accordingly, General Secretary Pokharel has already held meetings and consultations with the office bearers of all seven provinces, 77 district leaderships, office bearers of public organizations, department and party leaderships to prepare the organizational report. Preparations are underway to discuss the draft of the statute amendment to be prepared by Vice President Poudel in today’s secretariat meeting.
The UML leadership has already started informal discussions on the agenda to be presented at the second statutory general convention scheduled for the upcoming 20-22 Bhadra in Godawari, Lalitpur. Based on the informal discussions, it seems that the 70-year age limit and the restriction on candidates from being candidates for the same post (for officials above the municipality) for more than two consecutive terms will be the main agenda in this statutory general convention.
According to sources, preparations are underway to bring a proposal to remove both these provisions under Article 64 of the party statute in the secretariat meeting. Meanwhile, Bidhya Devi Bhandari, who has entered active politics of the UML to take over the party leadership, and her supporters are preparing to not allow to be candidates for more than two terms in the same post and not to abandon the agenda of the 70-year age limit.
Article 64 (1) of the party statute, revised by the Godawari statutory general convention held on 15-17 Asoj 2078, provided that candidates for more than two terms in the same post were banned and according to Article 64 (2) had a provision for an age limit of 70 years. But less than two months later, the provision of Article 64 (1) was removed from the Central Committee meeting held before the 10th National Convention held in Chitwan (10-14 Mangsir 2078).
Since the determination of the leader who will take the leadership from the 11th National Convention will also be based on this agenda, the UML is about to enter into an important discussion. Because the decision on the age limit and the two-term arrangement will determine whether Oli will become the chairman for the third time or not.
Israel has launched several air strikes in the heart of the Syrian capital, Damascus, as clashes continued in the southwestern city of Suwayda after a truce between government forces and Druze armed groups collapsed.
Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israeli forces struck near the entrance to the Syrian Ministry of Defence on Wednesday, hours after he had demanded Syrian government forces withdraw from Suwayda.
Another strike hit near the presidential palace, on the outskirts of the city.At least three people were killed and 34 others were wounded in the attacks, Syrian state media reported, citing the Ministry of Health.
The attacks on Syria’s capital come amid continuing unrest in the city of Suwayda, where local Sunni Bedouin tribes have been engaged in fierce clashes in recent days with fighters from Syria’s Druze minority, whom Israel views as a potential ally in Syria and claims to be intervening to protect.
Damascus deployed its forces to the city on Tuesday and declared a ceasefire, but the fighting quickly resumed.
A senior security official in Tehran has told that Iran is prepared to take action unless Israel is punished and the US provides compensation for its strikes on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities.
The IDF launched strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites last month, killing senior commanders and nuclear scientists. Israel claimed the operation was aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons – a charge Tehran denied, responding with missile and drone attacks on Israeli targets. The US joined the campaign, striking several Iranian nuclear facilities. The 12-day war ended with a US-brokered ceasefire on June 24.
Addressing Washington’s request to resume nuclear talks, the official stated that Tehran had not agreed to a permanent ceasefire and considers negotiations premature. “The Americans are pursuing the start of negotiations, but Iran… is in a state of temporary cessation of the hostilities,” he said.
Washington has long demanded that Tehran halt all uranium enrichment – a condition Iran rejects as a deal-breaker. The latter insists its nuclear program is peaceful, legal, and under IAEA supervision. It currently enriches uranium to 60% purity, far above the 3.67% cap set under the now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal, which was rendered null and void after US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew Washington from it during his first term.
Talks were revived earlier this year by Trump, but collapsed in the wake of the attacks on Iran. Tehran has since accused Washington of abandoning diplomacy and turning to force.
The official warned that Iranian forces remain fully prepared to respond to any further aggression, saying: “Our hands are on the trigger, but in case of any miscalculation by the child-killing regime, this time we will not wait for the enemy to fire the first shot.”
Kathmandu – The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of the police has formed a committee to investigate a group that took unrelated people to attend the UN conference in Seville, Spain.
The committee, led by the bureau’s Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Hovindra Bogati, has six members, including the Superintendent of Police (SP) of the Human Trafficking Investigation Bureau (HTIB), Rugam Kunwar.
According to the bureau’s chief, Additional Inspector General of Police (AIG) Chandrakuber Khapung, the committee has been formed to deploy a joint team of the CIB and the HTIB to investigate the details that have been made public.
According to an official present at the meeting, since it appears that unrelated individuals may have been sent to Spain , an investigation will be conducted to determine whether all those who went there have returned, and then the police will also investigate the group that sent them, the official said.
Their names were registered through the website as non-governmental organizations to participate in the United Nations’ Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development.
Kathmandu – UML MP Rajkumar Gupta, who was involved in the bribery ‘deal’ case, has resigned.
A few days ago, an audio clip of Minister Gupta demanding a bribe was made public. He was also widely opposed after the audio was made public.
Unable to bear the accusations and criticism, Gupta said that he reached the secretariat of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who is also the party chairman, today and submitted his resignation.
The audio clip of Minister Gupta demanding a bribe of Rs 7.8 million and accepting some of the money in the end of 2081 Paush was made public only a few days ago.
The audio clip of the then chief of the Kaski Land Revenue Office, Ram Chandra Adhikari, demanding a bribe of Rs 5.3 million to stop a transfer and a bribe of Rs 2.5 million to make UML’s Gandaki Province member Khem Bahadur Pun the chairman of the Land Commission, Kaski, was released.
A complaint has been filed with the Authority, claiming that Gupta took a bribe of Rs 5.3 million, along with two bags containing the bribe money, note numbers and a photo of the bundle of notes.
The opposition parties had demanded his resignation and also demanded action.
EU warns that its trade with the US could be effectively wiped out if Trump follows through on his threat.
The European Union has warned that its trade with the United States could be effectively wiped out if Washington makes good on its threat to slap a 30% tariff on goods imported from the bloc.
A tariff of “30%, or anything above 30%… has more or less the same effect. So, practically it prohibits the trade,” Maros Sefcovic, the EU’s trade commissioner, said as he arrived ahead of an EU ministerial meeting in Brussels on Monday.
The EU is said to be seeking a preliminary agreement with the US that would allow it to lock in a 10% tariff rate beyond an August 1 deadline.
Sefcovic said it will “be almost impossible” for the bloc to continue its current level of trade with America if that new tariff rate is implemented on August 1 – the date stipulated by US President Donald Trump in his letter to the EU on Saturday.
“If (the tariff) stays 30 (percent) plus, simply trading as we know it will not continue, with huge negative effects on both sides of the Atlantic,” he added. “I will definitely do everything I can to prevent this super-negative scenario.”
Trump on Monday said his administration is open to negotiating trade with the EU, striking a softer tone on tariffs just days after he announced a 30% duty on the bloc.
“They would like to do a different kind of a deal, and we’re always open to talk,” Trump said during an event at the White House with Mark Rutte, the secretary general of NATO. “We are open to talk, including to Europe.”
US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose “severe” tariffs of up to 100% on Russia’s trading partners unless a deal is reached to end the Ukraine conflict within 50 days.
Trump issued the warning on Monday during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office.
“We’re very, very unhappy – I am – with [Russia], and we’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in about 50 days,” he stated.
Trump blamed his predecessor Joe Biden for dragging Washington into the conflict, saying the US had spent approximately $350 billion on aid for Ukraine.
The US president also mentioned a congressional bill that would impose tougher sanctions on Russia, saying, “I’m not sure we need it, but it’s good they’re doing it… could be very useful.” A Senate vote is expected next week.
He noted that, if there was no progress on Ukraine, slapping Russia with secondary US tariffs would not require congressional approval.
Secondary tariffs are sometimes introduced on countries that do business with a sanctioned country. Trump also announced that the US will send weapons to Ukraine through NATO, which would handle both payment and distribution.
“We’ve made a deal today where we are going to be sending them weapons, and they’re going to be paying for them,” he said.
Russia has repeatedly denounced the West for supplying Ukraine with weapons, warning that this only serves to prolong the conflict and makes no impact on its outcome.
The Russian stock market soared on Trump’s remarks, with the main index jumping nearly 3%, according to data from the Moscow Exchange.
Kanchanpur – After a woman sleeping in a Chhaugoth died after being bitten by a snake in Krishnapur Municipality of Kanchanpur, the District Administration Office, Kanchanpur, has written to all nine municipalities and directed them to demolish Chhaugoths across the district.
“The ‘Chau Goths’ are small huts made for menstruating women away from their houses in the name of ‘Chaupadi’, an ill-practice criminalized by the government. “
Chief District Officer Laxman Dhakal addressed all nine local levels across the district on Monday and wrote to them to launch a campaign to demolish Chhaugoths. On Saturday night, 28-year-old Kamala Auji of Nigali, Krishnapur Municipality-1, Kanchanpur, died after being bitten by a snake while sleeping in a Chhaugoth.
We have requested the local levels to launch a campaign to demolish Chhaugoths. Our police will also participate in it. A campaign should be launched to eradicate this evil practice and the disparity against women, said Chief District Officer Dhakal.
Kathmandu — The Federal Parliament House of Representatives will meet today at 1 pm at the Federal Parliament Building, New Baneshwor. The agenda for today’s meeting is for Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Poudel to present a proposal to consider the ‘Alternative Finance Mobilization Bill, 2081’.
Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Devendra Dahal will present a proposal to consider the ‘Ships (Operation and Management) Bill, 2081, which originated in the National Assembly.’ In today’s meeting, Accounts Committee Chairman Hrishikesh Pokharel will present the ’23rd Annual Report of the Public Accounts Committee, 2082′ and Speaker Devraj Ghimire will read out the letter regarding the certification of the bill received from the President’s Office.
Similarly, the National Assembly meeting will be held at 1:15 pm today. In today’s meeting of the National Assembly, Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration Rajkumar Gupta will present a proposal to consider the ‘Federal Civil Service Bill, 2080’ received with a message from the House of Representatives.
In the meeting, Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Deepak Khadka will present a proposal to send the ‘Water Resources Bill, 2081’ received with a message from the House of Representatives to the Legislative Management Committee for clause-wise discussion, according to the Federal Parliament Secretariat.
Brussels will delay countermeasures against US tariffs until early August, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced. She stressed that the EU aims to negotiate a trade solution with its transatlantic partner.
On Saturday, US President Donald Trump unveiled plans to impose additional 30% tariffs on goods from the EU and Mexico, as part of his broader effort to address trade imbalances with key partners. Scheduled to take effect on August 1, these tariffs would be applied on top of existing sector-specific duties, such as the blanket 25% on steel, aluminum, and car imports introduced earlier this year.
On Sunday, von der Leyen confirmed that talks are ongoing with the White House following Washington’s tariff announcement.
“We will therefore extend the suspension of our countermeasures until early August. At the same time, we will continue preparing further countermeasures to ensure we are always ready,” she said.
The first package of EU countermeasures targeting approximately $25 billion worth of US steel and aluminum imports was suspended in April for 90 days to facilitate trade discussions. This suspension was set to expire on Monday.
Von der Leyen has warned that the newly announced US tariffs will disrupt vital transatlantic supply chains, adversely affecting businesses and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic.
The EU is among the US’ largest trading partners. However, years of substantial imports from the bloc, especially of machinery, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, and luxury goods, have contributed to a significant trade gap. In 2024, the US trade deficit with the EU reached over $235 billion.
Trump has accused the EU of unfair trade practices, attributing the trade imbalance to the bloc’s complex regulatory framework. He has claimed the EU is maintaining “trade barriers, VAT taxes, excessive corporate penalties, non-monetary trade restrictions, currency manipulation, and unjustified lawsuits against American companies.”
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has threatened new strikes deep inside Russia, days after the US pledged to resume military aid to Kiev.
Zelensky made the remarks after a meeting with Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Aleksandr Syrsky, and Chief of the General Staff Andrey Gnatov on Sunday.
“Our units will continue to destroy the occupiers and do everything possible to bring the war onto Russian territory. We are preparing our new long-range strikes,” Zelensky wrote on X.
He added that Ukraine is preparing for a visit by US presidential envoy Keith Kellogg and will “work with partners on arms deliveries and scaling up joint production of essential defense assets.”
Among its recent attacks far from the front line, Ukraine targeted military airfields housing strategic bombers in several Russian regions last month. Ukrainian drones and missiles also repeatedly struck apartment blocks and other civilian infrastructure. According to Moscow, Ukraine was responsible for the passenger train derailment on March 31, which left seven people dead.
The EU has allocated hundreds of billions of euros in recent months to expand its military-industrial complex and support Ukraine’s domestic armament production.
Berlin will provide Ukraine its first batch of long-range missiles financed by Germany in the coming weeks, Major General Christian Freuding, who oversees the coordination of the country’s military support for Kiev, has said.
US President Donald Trump said earlier this week that the Pentagon will resume deliveries to Kiev, following weeks of suspension, and reportedly considers approving a first new aid package since returning to office.
Russia has said that it views the use of foreign-supplied missiles as direct participation by Western states in the conflict and claimed that Ukrainian troops cannot operate sophisticated weapons systems on their own.
United States President Donald Trump has said he will send Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine as his administration signals growing disillusionment with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s refusal to negotiate an end to Moscow’s invasion.
“We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Sunday.
“Putin really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice and then he bombs everybody in the evening,” Trump said.
“So, there’s a little bit of a problem there. I don’t like it.”
Trump said he had not decided on the number of Patriot batteries he would send to Ukraine, but “they’re going to have some because they do need protection.”
Trump’s comments come after he last week confirmed that his administration had decided to sell weapons to NATO allies in Europe for them to pass on to Kyiv.
Trump is set to meet NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte this week for discussions expected to focus on his plans to supply weapons to Kyiv.
Rutte’s trip to Washington, DC comes as Trump has teased that he will make a “major statement” on Russia on Monday.
Kathmandu – Preparations are underway to remove Federal Affairs and General Administration Minister Rajkumar Gupta after an audio clip claiming he had made a bribe deal went public.
According to a high-ranking source, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will return to Kathmandu and take a decision on the matter. ‘This happened while the Prime Minister was in the East, preparations are underway to take a decision on this after he returns,’ the source said.
According to the source, a decision will be made to make Minister Gupta resign or dismiss him. ‘He is being asked to resign. That is the best option,’ the source said, ‘otherwise, a decision will have to be made to dismiss him.’
In the audio clip that has been made public, Minister Gupta has also accused another minister, Balram Adhikari, of taking a bribe. However, there is a possibility that no decision will be taken immediately on the basis of the same allegation against Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, Adhikari.
‘First of all, Minister Gupta’s statement is yet to be confirmed. Now, just because he said so, action should not be taken against another minister immediately,’ the source said.
According to the audio that has been made public, there has been a conversation between the middleman and Minister Gupta regarding the appointment of the District Chairman of the Land Commission, Kaski. It is heard that a bribe was dealt in the appointment of the Land Commission Chairman.
However, the person named in the audio was not appointed as the District Chairman of the Commission. It is understood that the name proposed by the middleman could not be successful due to the leaders of the UML District and Provincial Committees.
Based on the audio, a deal has been made not only in the political appointment of the District Chairman of the Land Commission, but also in the transfer of the Chief of the Land Revenue Office, Kaski. A bribe of Rs 5.3 million was dealt in the transfer of the Chief of the Land Revenue Office.
Kathmandu – Kathmandu Metropolitan City has brought a budget of 25.76 billion rupees.
Deputy Mayor Sunita Dangol made the budget public at the first meeting of the 17th Municipal Assembly held on Sunday.
Of the total estimated income, KMC expects to raise Rs 20.12 billion from internal revenue and bank reserves. Additionally, conditional, equalization, and revenue-sharing grants from the federal and provincial governments are expected to contribute Rs 4.98 billion.
The budget prioritizes infrastructure development (51 percent or Rs 12.80 billion), followed by social development (20 percent or Rs 5.02 billion), governance and interrelated areas (12 percent or Rs 3.01 billion), and administrative operations (14 percent or Rs 3.51 billion). Only 3 percent (Rs 753 million) is earmarked for economic development.
Major focus areas include waste management, educational reforms, urban health promotion, employment generation through the “One Ward, One Enterprise” initiative, noise pollution control, management of public transport, and conservation of heritage sites such as temples, ponds, and traditional water systems.
Deputy Mayor Dangol acknowledged the delay in presenting the annual policy and budget due to internal disagreements. She expressed regret over the delay and extended apologies to the public and stakeholders.
Despite the delay, she thanked all representatives and staff for their contribution and emphasized the need for collective effort and coordination with federal and provincial governments to fulfill public expectations and drive Kathmandu’s development.
The European Union (EU) and Mexico have expressed disappointment at US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose 30% tariffs on their imports from 1 August.
Mexico criticised what it called Trump’s “unfair deal” and insisted its sovereignty is non-negotiable, while the EU’s chief, Ursula von der Leyen threatened to take “proportionate countermeasures”, if needed. Both said they want to keep negotiating with the US.
Trump has warned he would impose even higher import taxes if either of the US trading partners decided to retaliate.
This week Trump also announced new tariffs on goods from Japan, South Korea, Canada and Brazil from next month.
Kathmandu- The House of Representatives meeting is being held today. The agenda for the meeting to be held at 1 pm is to present the Cyber Security Bill.
The Federal Parliament Secretariat has stated that the possible agenda has been set for Minister for Communications and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung to present the ‘Information Technology and Cyber Security Bill, 2082’.
The possible agenda also mentions that Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Damodar Bhandari will present the ‘Industrial Property Bill, 2082’.
Similarly, there is a possible agenda for Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Ajay Kumar Chaurasia to present a proposal to ‘consider the amendments made by the National Assembly to the bill to amend some Nepal Acts’.
Kathmandu: The 212th birth anniversary of Bhanubhakta Acharya, the first poet of Nepali literature, is being celebrated today with various programs.
Bhanubhakta, who translated the biography of King Ram of Ayodhya from Sanskrit into Nepali in his famous ‘Ramayan’ and recited it in Nepalese households in a melodious rhythm, is still remembered with great respect. It is said that Nepal which was geographically united by Prithvi Narayan Shah was united by Bhanubhakta through language, literature, and culture.
Bhanubhakta, who was born in Chundi Ramgha village of Tanahun on Ashad 29 1871 BS., was inspired by a grass cutter and translated the Ramayan into Nepali. Apart from ‘Ramayan’, his other famous works include ‘Badhushiksha’, ‘Prashnottar’, ‘Bhaktamala’, ‘Ram Gita’ and few other books.
The National Music Awards 2025, honoured legendary musician Shambhujeet Baskota with the Lifetime Achievement Award .
Several other artists from across 14 diverse categories were honoured at the special function organised at the Godavari Sunrise Convention Centre.
One of the most touching moments of the event came with the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to legendary composer Baskota, who was honoured for his decades-long contribution to Nepali music.
Born in 1957 in Panipokhari, Kathmandu, Baskota has composed music for over 355 Nepali films and more than 2,000 modern, folk, and devotional songs.
Kailash Sirohiya, chairman of Kantipur Media Group, Director Swastika Sirohiya, and Managing Director Sambhav Sirohiya honoured Baskota with the award.
Among the event’s major award winners, RC Rimal claimed Best Debut Singer for his heartfelt song “Je hunuthyo bhaisakyo”. In the Adhunik (modern) categories, Tika Prasain was awarded Best Singer (female) for “Ae Jindagi”, and Shiva Pariyar took home Best Singer (male) for “Chupchap”.
Bhushan Kharel won Best Lyricist for “Janchhau Bhane”, while Prakash Dutraj and Shanti Shree Pariyar earned accolades as Best Folk Singer (Male) and Best Folk Singer (Female), respectively, for “Karim” and “Timi ra ma jam maya”.
Pop sensation Sushant KC walked away with two awards—Best Pop Singer (male) and the prestigious People’s Choice Award, both for his hit song “Bardali”. Trishala Gurung received Best Pop Singer (female) for her vibrant track “Beach Vibes”.
In the playback singing category, Samikshya Adhikari won Best Playback Singer (female) for “Bujhina Maile” from the film Boksiko Ghar, while SD Yogi was named Best Playback Singer (male) for “Rukum Maikot” from the film Khushma.
For the first time, the Radio Kantipur awarded the Best Hip-hop and R&B category, which went to Brijesh Shrestha for his standout track “Mutuma Basera”.
The Best Band award was clinched by Kuma Sagar & The Khwopa Band, led by the popular Kuma Sagar, whose popularity among young audiences continues to rise.
The event featured energetic performances by Durgesh Thapa, Kuma Sagar, Swoopna Suman, Elena Chauhan, Asmita Adhikari, and Wangden Sherpa, along with comic segments by Sundar Khanal and Sujita Shrestha, adding to the celebration’s festive atmosphere.
The National Music Awards continues to recognise and uplift both emerging and established talents across genres, including pop, folk, playback, and hip-hop.
This year’s edition, blending heartfelt stories and high-calibre artistry, has once again affirmed the strength and diversity of Nepali music.
Lumbini — The World Heritage Site Lumbini has been removed from UNESCO’s List of Potential Danger. The 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which is being held in Paris, France, has decided not to keep it on the list of danger for a year as conservation-friendly and improvement work is underway.
The decision was taken at a meeting held on Thursday under the chairmanship of Bulgarian Professor Nikolay Nenov. UNESCO has also decided to send a reactive monitoring mission to Lumbini to understand the overall condition of Lumbini.
The report submitted by this mission after on-site observation will be used to decide whether Lumbini will be included in the list of danger again, said Gyanin Rai, Senior Director of the Lumbini Development Fund, who participated in the session. Earlier, the World Heritage Center and ICOMOS had sent a reactive monitoring mission to Lumbini in 2022, involving heritage expert Rolen Lin and Professor Kariya, and had placed Lumbini on the list of potential threats in 2024 based on the report.
During the 46th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Delhi last July, India’s amendment proposal was not immediately included in the list of threats when it was discussed why Lumbini should not be included in the list of threats. However, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee had sent a 12-point decision and directive through the Nepali Embassy in France, incorporating the proposals, issues raised, queries and suggestions made by Nepal during the discussion on Lumbini.
Sanuraja Shakya, Member-Secretary of the Lumbini Development Fund, said that it was a positive decision to submit the SOP report by absorbing these points, reforming, protecting, creating legal clarity and policy. ‘We have worked by including all the issues,’ he said, ‘This has yielded good results. Now we will continue the conservation-friendly work.’
UNESCO has positively welcomed the creation of an integrated management framework (IMF) to protect and manage the heritage of Lumbini and the creation of various sector strategies (fragmented strategic plans) in the World Heritage Area to implement it. The sector strategy has been made covering five topics: archaeology, visitor management, natural disasters, local development and the Buddhist community.
The 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee is underway in Paris from July 6 to 16. The session will end next Wednesday.
Kathmandu- Nepal Rastra Bank has announced the monetary policy for the upcoming fiscal year 082/83 today. On Friday, Governor Dr. Bishwanath Poudel announced the first monetary policy of his tenure.
In the monetary policy announced by the National Bank, it is projected that credit to the private sector will expand by 12 percent for the upcoming year.
Similarly, the bank rate, which is the upper limit of the interest rate corridor, has been reduced from 6.5 percent to 6 percent and the deposit collection rate, which is the lower limit of the interest rate corridor, has been reduced from 3 percent to 2.75 percent. The policy rate has been reduced from 5 percent to 4.5 percent. Nepal Rastra Bank bonds will be issued as needed to make the structural liquidity management in the banking system effective. The limit of credit to be disbursed for construction/purchase of private residential houses will be increased from 20 million to 30 million. Arrangements will be made to maintain a loan-to-value ratio of up to 80 percent for such loans when building/purchasing a first home and up to 70 percent for others.
The guidelines on working capital loans will be revised as needed based on the nature of the business and the loan repayment-income cycle, including agriculture, small and cottage industries, education, health, sports, communication and media houses. The classification of existing loans and loan loss provisions will be studied and reviewed as needed. It has not been mentioned what kind of modifications will be made. Arrangements will be made to provide agricultural or commercial loans up to Rs. 1 million. Minimum loan loss will be provided during the grace period for loans up to 1 million rupees disbursed in this way. Loans disbursed up to 30 million rupees will be included in loans disbursed to small and medium enterprises and counted as loans disbursed in the designated sector. The arrangement related to capitalization of interest on loans disbursed in the energy production sector will be reviewed. The existing single customer loan limit for margin loans disbursed against shares by banks and financial institutions will be increased from 150 million rupees to 250 million rupees. Policy facilitation will be provided in the existing arrangement for blacklisting due to cheque dishonor.
Arrangements will be made to allow the amount of regulatory reserve created for non-banking assets to be counted as supplementary capital for two years after banks and financial institutions have accepted such assets. A draft of the necessary acts and rules will be formulated and submitted to the Government of Nepal for the establishment of an asset management company with the objective of assisting in the management of non-performing loans and non-banking assets of banks and financial institutions. In the context of the strengthening of the electronic payment system, the existing branch expansion policy of banks and financial institutions will be reviewed. The existing system for distributing dividends (cash or bonus) exceeding 15 percent per year by microfinance institutions will be reviewed. Loans up to 300,000 rupees disbursed to youth going for foreign employment, with or without collateral, can be counted as loans to the poor, and in the case of women, such a limit has been set at 500,000 rupees. Currently, there is a system to provide exchange facilities up to US$ 2,500 per visit to Nepali citizens traveling to countries other than India, but this exchange facility has been increased to US$ 3,000. In the context of the increasing contribution of remittance companies to the economy, such companies will be classified on the basis of capital and turnover. Legal and procedural arrangements will be made to establish ‘Neo Banks’ to expand financial access. Customer Identification (KYC) details of banks and financial institutions and other financial service providers will be facilitated through the national identity card. After the customer updates the details at any one bank, the necessary body will also be facilitated to develop infrastructure that can be obtained electronically.
The full text of the new monetary policy announced by the National Bank:
Kathmandu – Nepal Rastra Bank has revised and made new provisions related to foreign exchange management through the monetary policy for the upcoming fiscal year 082/83.
The monetary policy states that Nepali citizens traveling to countries other than India are currently provided with an exchange facility of up to $2,500 per visit, but this exchange facility will be increased to $3,000.
Similarly, the Rastra Bank has also stated that the currencies of countries where foreign exchange transactions are increasing, including Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, will be added to the list of convertible foreign currencies.
The monetary policy states that the exchange rate used in remittance transactions will be reviewed as needed and policy provisions will be made regarding interbank transactions in convertible foreign currencies. The Rastra Bank has also stated that arrangements will be made to manage foreign exchange risks through commercial banks to attract foreign investment.
The policy of amending the ‘Nepal Rastra Bank Foreign Investment and Foreign Debt Management Regulations, 2078’ has been adopted to facilitate the improvement of the economic and business environment and investment growth. The monetary policy also includes a provision to review the limit of cash foreign currency subject to customs self-declaration and to facilitate the provision of submitting details of foreign exchange held abroad in the name of Nepali citizens or institutions.
The monetary policy also mentions that the existing provisions related to gold import and sale-distribution will be reviewed. Similarly, in the context of the increasing contribution of remittance companies to the economy, it is stated that a provision will be made to classify such companies on the basis of capital and turnover.
Kathmandu – A parliamentary committee has directed the Nepal Securities Board not to proceed with the license of a new stock exchange without restructuring the government-owned Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE).
The Finance Committee, which convened a discussion with Chairman Santosh Narayan Shrestha on Thursday, gave the directive.
Nepali Congress MP and Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Parliament Santosh Chalise informed that the committee meeting initially concluded that the license of a new stock exchange without restructuring the government-owned Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) would not be permitted.
According to Chairman Chalise, the directive has been issued not to proceed with the licensing process of the new stock exchange for the time being.The new stock exchange is competing with the Himalayan Stock Exchange, Annapurna Stock Exchange, and National Stock Exchange.
Kathmandu – Gold and silver traders have suspended their protest after a six-point agreement was reached between the government and Gold and Silver Traders Federation.
The Nepal Gold and Silver Traders Federation has stated that shops will open regularly from Friday as the protest programs have been postponed.
The government had made a provision for a two percent luxury tax on gold transactions and a 13 percent VAT on diamond jewelry through the budget for the fiscal year 2082/83. The traders had been protesting for a month, demanding a refund, saying that the tax and VAT would affect both consumers and traders.
In a meeting held at the Ministry of Finance on Thursday, it was agreed to form a task force to address the demands of the traders and to recommend a review after conducting the necessary study regarding gold and jewelry, which are included in the definition of luxury.
Dharmasundar Bajracharya, second vice-president of the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers, said that there was also an agreement that the tax and VAT increased through the budget would not be implemented until the task force studies and submits its report.
Similarly, the federation has stated that there has been an agreement on making clear arrangements regarding the level seen in the sale and distribution of gold and silver, importing gold from nearby trading centers so that local gold, silver and gemstones and jewelry can be easily accessed, and effectively implementing the Gold Import and Sale and Distribution Procedure, 2068 BS so that gold is available from commercial banks, and amending it as needed.
According to the federation, it has also been agreed that the secretariat of the task force, which will solve the problems of entrepreneurs and study tax and VAT issues, will be located in the Revenue Management Division of the Ministry of Finance.
The MoU was signed by Uttar Kumar Khatri, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, Bipin Acharya, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Madan Dahal, Director General of the Department of Inland Revenue, Mahesh Bhattarai, Director General of the Department of Customs, Rajendra Bhattarai, Director of Nepal Rastra Bank, Arjun Rasaili, President of the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers, and Kisan Sunar, President of the Federation of Nepal Gold, Silver, Gems and Jewellery.
A US judge has once again blocked President Donald Trump from implementing an executive order ending birth right citizenship for some US residents as a legal challenge moves forward.
A New Hampshire judge approved a class action lawsuit against Trump’s executive order, and temporarily stopped the president’s order from taking effect.
The class action lawsuit was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of immigrant parents and their infants.
The decision comes weeks after the Supreme Court introduced limits on how and when universal injunctions are issued by federal courts. However, the decision still allows them through certain legal avenues.
The class action suit was introduced after the Supreme Court decision, in keeping with the new standards set by the court.
Still, the White House challenged the validity of the judge’s ruling.
“Today’s decision is an obvious and unlawful attempt to circumvent the Supreme Court’s clear order against universal relief. This judge’s decision disregards the rule of law by abusing class action certification procedures,” spokesman Harrison Fields said in a statement Thursday. “The Trump Administration will be fighting vigorously against the attempts of these rogue district court judges to impede the policies President Trump was elected to implement.”
The lawsuit argues Trump’s order goes against the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, which established that “all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside”.
Trump has sought to revoke that right for babies born to undocumented immigrants and foreign visitors, as part of his crackdown on immigration.
The class-action lawsuit seeks to challenge the order as harmful and unconstitutional, and the judge ruled that it can proceed on behalf of the babies who would be affected by the restrictions.
The ruling also once again pauses an order that was a priority for Trump. The judge has given the government seven days to appeal.
Restricting birthright citizenship was one of his first actions in office.
Multiple courts across the US issued nationwide injunctions as they considered legal challenges to the order.
The Trump administration appealed those temporary holds to the highest US court, arguing judges did not have the authority to block a presidential order nationally while the courts considered the cases.
The Supreme Court’s conservative majority sided with Trump in a 6-3 ruling that broadly curtailed judicial power, though the justices did not address the constitutionality of Trump’s birthright citizenship order.
Following the Supreme Court’s decision, Trump’s order had been set to take effect on 27 July.
Kathmandu. Nepali Congress leader Shekhar Koirala is holding a meeting of leaders of his group. Koirala has called the meeting after the party’s disciplinary commission took action against leaders close to him.
A leader said that discussions are underway on how to move forward now in the ongoing meeting at the liaison office in Bishalnagar, Kathmandu.
The Nepali Congress has taken action against 18 people, including former provincial ministers, provincial general secretaries, current and former district presidents, and general committee members.
Former Gandaki minister Kumar Khadka, Lumbini general secretary Bikram Khanal, and Khotang district president Bishnukumar Rai have been expelled for one year. Similarly, former Kaski president Krishna KC has been expelled for three months.
The Congress has taken action against leaders and workers by allocating time periods of one year, six months, and three months.
The Nepali Congress has stated that the party expelled them citing the fact that they had been asked for an explanation and not received a satisfactory answer regarding the complaint filed alleging that they played a role in defeating the candidate supported by the Congress and the party in the last election.
Kathmandu. A meeting of the office bearers of the CPN-Maoist Center is being held to discuss the current situation. The meeting is scheduled to be held at the party’s central office in Parisdanda at 4 pm.
Party Vice President and Spokesperson Agni Sapkota said that the damage caused by floods and landslides, the government’s work and other issues will be discussed.
According to him, preparations are also underway to discuss the issue of party organization.
“Guru Brahma, Guru Bishnu Guru Devo Maheshwar, Guru Sakshat Param Brahma Tasmai Shri Guruve Namah:”
Meaning: “Guru is Brahma, Guru is Bishnu and Guru is Lord Shankar, The Guru is the real Parabrahm, I salute such a Guru.”
The knowledge given by the Guru(teacher) and its connection with human life is very deep. Therefore, on this day Gurupurnima is celebrated to show respect to the teachers who provide education.
On this day, knowledge is worshiped as Guru. Guru Purnima is celebrated all over the country on this day showing respect and reverence to the Guru. Sanatan Dharma followers and Buddhists take this day as a special day to express their gratitude to the Guru who showed them the way of their religion and traditional cultural knowledge.
By embracing the same importance of Guru Tattva, Gurus are looked upon with more respect and reverence in Sanatan Sanskar year after year and even in Yuga after Yuga. The work of showing the importance of guru, knowledge and gravitas to the generations to come will continue on Guru Purnima. All the Gurus who brought from the darkness of ignorance and unconsciousness to the light of knowledge and awareness, who demonstrated the right path, are worshiped today. Gurupurnima is also a day to express gratitude to the Guru and pledge to always move forward on the path of knowledge while expressing gratitude for the influence of knowledge and wisdom gained through the Guru.
Byas Jayanti Byas Jayanti is also celebrated today in memory of Ved Byas . Ashad Shukla Purnima also happens to be the birth day of Chiranjeevi, Guru Byas , one of Ashta Chiranjeevi. Ved Byasa divided the Vedas into four parts namely Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvaveda and composed 18 Puranas and 18 Upapuranas in simple Sanskrit language to explain its meaning. The Mahabharata also known as the fifth Veda was also composed by Byasa . Guru Byas is not only the author of Mahabharata but also a living character of Mahabharata, Bhishma and Byas of Mahabharata are step-brothers. King Shantanu marries Satyavati. Satyavati’s father was a fisherman.King Shantanu promises his father-in-law to place the children of Satyavati on the throne, but before this, Santanu had already declared his son Bhishma as the heir. Later, Bhishma, knowing his father’s promise, declared that he himself would step down as a prince and make no claim to the throne in order to keep his father’s promise.
Guru Byas is Satyavati’s son before marriage, his father is Parashar. By the spiritual union of Parashar and Satyavati, Byas was born, later while searching for his birth mother, Byas reached Hastinapur Palace. It is mentioned that Byas, the creator of all Vedas, Srimad Bhagwat and 18 Puranas, also taught Dattatraya. Byas is also known as the Guru of all gurus. This full moon day is remembered as the holy day of his birth and the day when he shared the knowledge of the Vedas and gave the names and forms of the Vedas.
The administration of United States President Donald Trump has imposed sanctions on United Nations expert Francesca Albanese over her documentation of Israel’s abuses against Palestinians during its war on Gaza.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the penalties on Wednesday, accusing Albanese of waging a “campaign of political and economic warfare against the United States and Israel”.
Albanese, who serves as UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory, has been a leading global voice in calling for action to end Israel’s human rights violations.
Israel and its supporters have been rebuking Albanese and calling for her to be removed from her UN position for years.
Rubio cited Albanese’s push for the prosecution of Israeli officials at the ICC as the legal basis for the sanctions.
South Korea’s former president has been arrested again over last year’s failed martial law bid that plunged the country into political turmoil.
Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached in April over the order, which saw military rule introduced for six-hours in December.
A senior judge at Seoul’s Central District Court issued an arrest warrant for Yoon on Wednesday, citing fears he could destroy evidence.
Yoon, who was the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested, faces trial on charges of leading an insurrection over his attempt to impose martial law.
During Wednesday’s seven-hour hearing, a special counsel team argued for the arrest warrant on five key charges, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported.
The charges include Yoon’s alleged violation of the rights of cabinet members by not inviting some of them to a meeting before he declared martial law.
Yoon initially attended the hearing alongside his lawyers to deny the charges, before being taken to Seoul Detention Center to await a decision on an arrest warrant.
He was first arrested in January following a lengthy stand-off, with investigators scaling barricades and cutting through barbed wire to take him into custody from his residence in central Seoul.
Yoon was released two months later after a court overturned his arrest on technical grounds, but still faces trial.
If found guilty, he could face life in prison or the death penalty.
Prosecutors have reportedly found evidence that Yoon ordered military drones to be flown over North Korea to provoke a reaction that would justify his martial law declaration, according to reports.
Other senior officials also face charges including insurrection and abuse of authority over the martial law declaration.
Insurrection is one of a small number of criminal charges from which South Korean presidents do not have immunity, but now Yoon is no longer president he is open to other criminal charges.
South Korea’s new president, Lee Jae-myung, was elected in June following a snap election after Yoon’s impeachment.
Lee campaigned on the promise to strengthen the country’s democracy following the crisis and appointed a special counsel team to investigate Yoon over the imposition of martial-law, as well as other criminal allegations surrounding his administration.
In a world increasingly shaped by media narratives and political alliances, the question of who is seen as a freedom fighter and who is labeled a terrorist reveals more about global power dynamics than it does about the nature of resistance itself. Take, for instance, the war in Ukraine. When Russian forces invaded in 2022, Ukrainian civilians who took up arms to defend their homes were almost instantly hailed as heroes. Western governments showered Ukraine with billions in military aid, political support, and humanitarian sympathy. Images of elderly citizens training with wooden rifles, women weaving camouflage nets, and children taking shelter in subway stations were circulated globally as testaments of bravery and democratic spirit. In short, the Ukrainian struggle was not only seen as legitimate—it was celebrated as a moral imperative.
Contrast this with how Palestinian resistance is portrayed, particularly in the context of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Palestinians who resist decades of military occupation, land seizure, and systemic discrimination are rarely afforded the same narrative dignity. Whether they protest peacefully in the West Bank or engage in armed struggle from Gaza, they are more often than not framed as “militants,” “radicals,” or “terrorists.” Their motivations are buried beneath headlines about security concerns, while their historical and political context is frequently ignored or reduced to accusations of extremism. When Israeli airstrikes flatten homes in Gaza or military operations in the West Bank kill civilians, the international response is often muted or couched in phrases like “Israel has a right to defend itself”—a courtesy not always extended to Palestinians.
This double standard is neither new nor accidental. Throughout modern history, labels such as “freedom fighter” or “terrorist” have been used selectively, depending on who controls the narrative and where geopolitical sympathies lie. During the Cold War, the U.S. armed Afghan Mujahideen fighters against Soviet forces, hailing them as defenders of liberty. Years later, many of these fighters formed extremist groups that would be condemned globally. Nelson Mandela, now widely celebrated as a champion of peace, was for decades branded a terrorist by the very nations that later erected statues in his honour. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) was seen as either a liberation force or a terrorist organization, depending largely on whether one stood with Irish independence or British rule.
Today, the discrepancy is even starker in the age of real-time media. The framing of the Ukrainian resistance has benefited from widespread Western media support, cultural proximity, and political alignment. It is easy for the West to identify with Ukraine’s European image and its aspirations for liberal democracy. Thus, their acts of defiance are framed as noble, necessary, and just. Journalists are embedded in Ukrainian cities, reporting stories of individual heroism, civilian loss, and national pride. The world rallies in solidarity with blue and yellow flags.
Palestinians, however, continue to struggle for the same principles—dignity, sovereignty, and the right to exist free from domination—but their cause is often buried beneath political taboos and media asymmetry. When they resist, even through international law-sanctioned means, they are met not with global solidarity but with suspicion, surveillance, and often silence. Peaceful protests in Sheikh Jarrah, for example, were met with violent crackdowns. Civil society organizations are outlawed, and children face military tribunals. Meanwhile, acts of collective punishment—such as the cutting of electricity, bombing of civilian infrastructure, and mass displacement—rarely lead to meaningful international consequences for the occupying power.
The October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on southern Israel, which killed over 1,100 people, was rightly condemned for its brutality. But the military response that followed—resulting in the deaths of more than 56,000 Palestinians as of mid-2025, the vast majority of whom were civilians—has not drawn the same scale of outrage from Western governments. Instead, the same states that demanded international accountability in Ukraine have continued to arm and fund Israel, excusing its actions as “self-defense,” despite growing evidence of disproportionate force, war crimes, and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. The glaring imbalance of empathy and outrage reveals a deeper problem: Western support for resistance is conditional, and its moral clarity often ends where its strategic interests begin.
International law affirms the right of people under occupation to resist. But in practice, this principle is rarely upheld with consistency. While Ukrainians are praised for their defense of democracy, Palestinians asking for basic rights are accused of destabilizing peace. The inconsistency not only undermines international law but erodes the credibility of those who claim to defend a rules-based order. It creates an environment where justice becomes selective and moral outrage transactional.
Language plays a powerful role in this disparity. A Ukrainian father carrying his wounded child is a symbol of war’s tragedy; a Palestinian mother doing the same is too often an anonymous casualty in a statistical report. One resistance is valorized with flags and funding; the other is criminalized and dehumanized. Even tech platforms have participated in this disparity, with pro-Palestinian content frequently censored or shadow-banned under vague “community guidelines.”
To be clear, this is not to excuse or romanticize violence by any group. Attacks targeting civilians, whether in Tel Aviv, Kyiv, or Gaza City, are reprehensible and must be condemned unequivocally. But condemnation must not be selectively applied. The humanity of one people should not come at the cost of denying another’s. If the global community truly values freedom, dignity, and resistance against oppression, then it must have the courage to confront its own inconsistencies.
The time has come to ask difficult questions: Why is freedom only celebrated when it aligns with Western political goals? Why are some struggles amplified while others are suppressed? And most importantly, how can we claim to uphold universal values if those values are only extended to a chosen few?
Until we address these questions with honesty and consistency, the world will remain divided not just by borders, but by narratives—where one people’s hero is another’s criminal, and where justice is not a principle, but a privilege.
Fully independent Palestinian state would pose threat to Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a meeting with US President Donald Trump.
A reporter asked Trump during a dinner with Netanyahu on Monday whether an independent Palestinian state was possible. “I don’t know,” Trump replied, referring the question to the Israeli leader.
“I think the Palestinians should have all the powers to govern themselves, but none of the powers to threaten us. That means a sovereign power, like overall security, will always remain in our hands,” Netanyahu said.
He later argued that Hamas used its control of Gaza to carry out the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. “So people aren’t likely to say, ‘Let’s just give them another state.’ It’ll be a platform to destroy Israel,” Netanyahu said.
“We will work out a peace with our Palestinian neighbors, those who don’t want to destroy us, and we will work out a peace in which our security, the sovereign power of security, always remains in our hands,” the prime minister added.
Now people will say, ‘It’s not a complete state, it’s not a state, it’s not that.’ We don’t care. We vowed never again. Never again is now. It’s not going to happen again,” he said.
While the UN and US have backed a two-state solution for decades, some Israeli politicians and Republicans in Washington are increasingly describing it as unrealistic.
Last month, the US State Department warned other countries against recognizing Palestinian statehood, according to Reuters. Nevertheless, it is recognized as a sovereign nation by over 140 countries, representing about 75 percent of UN members as of November 2024, according to Al Jazeera.
Israel resumed its operation against Hamas in Gaza after a two-month ceasefire collapsed in March when the sides failed to reach further agreement. Netanyahu has said the campaign will continue until all remaining hostages are freed and the militant groups are dismantled.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is “appalled by the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” made worse by the lack of access to food and other aid, his spokesman said last week. At least 57,523 Palestinians have been killed there since October 2023, according to local authorities in the enclave.
Kathmandu — 18 people have been missing in the flood that hit Bhotekoshi at the Rasuwagadhi border crossing on Tuesday morning. According to Assistant Chief District Officer of Rasuwa, Dhruba Prasad Adhikari, 3 policemen, 9 civilians and 6 Chinese nationals are among those missing.
Some people trapped in the customs yard at the border crossing have been rescued. Armed Police Force Assistant Spokesperson Police Inspector Shailendra Thapa informed that it was difficult to rescue some people as there was flood on all sides.
The flood has washed away the Miteri Bridge connecting Nepal-China. Police have also said that six cargo container cars at the customs yard have been washed away. Similarly, the EV charging station in Timure has been damaged. Some EVs have also been washed away. Police say that the dam of the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project has also been damaged.
Kathmandu: A special committee has been formed to investigate the errors in the report of the Federal Civil Service Bill. The House of Representatives meeting has formed a seven-member parliamentary special committee to study and investigate the irregularities in the cooling-off period mentioned in the Federal Civil Service Bill.
The meeting had approved the proposal to form the special committee made by Speaker Devraj Ghimire. The committee includes lawmakers Jeevan Pariyar and Sushila Thing from the Nepali Congress, Ishwari Gharti and Narayan Prasad Acharya from the UML, Madhav Sapkota from the Maoist Center, Ganesh Parajuli from the Rastriya swatantra party and Roshan Karki from the RPP, while lawmaker Jeevan Pariyar has been designated as the coordinator of the committee.
Speaker Devraj Ghimire informed that the special committee has been given 21 days to investigate the errors in the report of the Civil Service Bill.
He said that the special committee has been given a mandate to suggest whether or not action should be taken according to the prevailing law if anyone is found to be involved in tampering with the committee’s report. The Federal Civil Service Bill, which was passed by the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee, had a provision for a two-year cooling period.
However, when the bill was passed by the House of Representatives, after it was found that the cooling period had been tampered with, lawmakers from various parties demanded an investigation and action against the culprits.
KAthmandu- Patients are in trouble as doctors staged a protest over the Consumer Court’s decision. Doctors have shut down all services except emergency. Patients are in trouble after the hospital’s OPD service was shut down. Patients who came for treatment at major hospitals including Bir Hospital, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Patan Hospital and others are in trouble after the OPD was shut down.
Doctors have stopped all services except emergency in both private and government hospitals today, accusing the court of deliberately passing a decision against doctors and hospitals. The Nepal Medical Association has led the protest and instructed the doctors to shut down the services.
Nine other health-related organizations have also supported the protest led by the Nepal Medical Association and opposed the court’s decision. The association’s president, Anil Bikram Karki, said that the court’s decision was unreasonable and that it was a revenge attack on doctors.
“The state has increased the burden of punishment on doctors. We object to this. The service will be disrupted until this is resolved,” he said. “It’s not that we should not provide treatment to patients, but the government’s retaliation and targeting of doctors is not right.”
The recently concluded BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro has underlined a growing desire among emerging economies to reshape the global order and counter Western dominance. Leaders of the five founding BRICS nations—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—along with new members Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, gathered with a unified message: the world needs a fairer, more multipolar system that reflects the realities of today’s economic and geopolitical landscape.
Brazilian President Lula da Silva set the tone by comparing BRICS to the Non-Aligned Movement, stating that the bloc has become a key defender of multilateralism at a time when it is “under attack.” Throughout the summit, BRICS leaders stressed the urgent need for reform of global institutions like the UN Security Council, the IMF, and the World Bank, arguing that their governance structures are outdated and fail to represent the interests of the Global South. The push for change is driven by a sense of frustration over longstanding Western dominance in international decision-making.
Finance ministers reached consensus on reforming IMF quotas to give emerging markets greater influence, and the summit produced strong backing for the New Development Bank’s new Multilateral Guarantee (BMG) fund. This fund aims to attract private investment into infrastructure, green energy, and climate resilience projects across BRICS member countries. Delegates emphasized that for every $1 guaranteed through the BMG, up to $10 in private capital could be unlocked, demonstrating a more market-driven approach to development financing.
A key focus was the bloc’s ambition to reduce dependency on the US dollar by boosting intra-BRICS trade using local currencies. Russia and China have already intensified their bilateral currency settlements, and discussions about launching a digital BRICS currency, while still in the early stages, signal a clear long-term strategy to challenge the dollar’s hegemony in global transactions. The summit also considered ways to institutionalize these efforts through the NDB and a possible BRICS payments platform.
The Rio summit highlighted the remarkable growth of BRICS since its founding in 2009. Together, the member states now account for over half the world’s population and around 40% of global GDP, giving the bloc substantial leverage to influence international norms and economic policies. Leaders discussed expanding BRICS membership further, as more than 30 countries have expressed interest in joining. The recent addition of key Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian nations demonstrates the group’s ambition to build a broader coalition representing the Global South.
Yet, significant internal challenges remain. India and China’s border tensions, diverging foreign policies, and the mix of political systems—ranging from democracies like India and South Africa to authoritarian regimes in China and Russia—create friction that can weaken BRICS’ cohesion. The absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin from key sessions of the summit also raised questions about the bloc’s internal unity and commitment.
Despite these obstacles, BRICS leaders presented a united front in opposing Western protectionism, unilateral sanctions, and perceived attempts to maintain an outdated geopolitical order. The summit’s statements highlighted a shared determination to create alternative systems of trade, finance, and governance that better serve the interests of developing nations. By pursuing de-dollarization, strengthening the New Development Bank, and championing reforms in global institutions, BRICS is positioning itself as the collective voice of the Global South.
Nonetheless, analysts caution that BRICS risks diluting its identity as it expands. The diversity of interests among old and new members could make it harder to reach consensus on major issues, from climate action to geopolitical conflicts like the war in Ukraine or tensions in the Middle East. Additionally, BRICS’ ability to move from ambitious declarations to concrete outcomes will determine whether it emerges as a genuine force for change or remains a symbolic counterweight to the West.
The BRICS summit in Brazil stands as a powerful symbol of a shifting world order. But for the bloc to truly reshape global governance, it must overcome its internal differences, deliver on its promises of development financing and institutional reform, and address the social and economic needs of its vast populations. Only then can BRICS evolve from a coalition of convenience into a transformative platform capable of redefining the rules of the 21st-century global economy.
Elon Musk has announced that he is moving ahead with plans to create a new political party. The move comes on the heels of a falling out between the billionaire and President Donald Trump over tax and spending policy.
Both Republicans and Democrats are wasting taxpayers’ money and damaging the US economy, Musk claimed on Saturday. “When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste and graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy,” he wrote in a post on X, the social media platform he owns. “Today, the America Party is formed to give you your freedom.”
The billionaire did not elaborate on how much progress he had made with the plan but indicated that the first move could be expected “next year,” during the US midterm elections in November 2026, when 33 of the 100 Senate seats and all 435 House seats will be up for grabs. For a new nationwide party to be established, its founding organization must qualify as a political party committee and register with the Federal Election Commission.
“The way we’re going to crack the uniparty system is by using a variant of how Epaminondas shattered the myth of Spartan invincibility at Leuctra: extremely concentrated force at a precise location on the battlefield,” Musk added in a follow-up post.
Kathmandu- The National Assembly’s meeting on Friday passed the National Debt Collection Bill, 2082.
Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Poudel had submitted a proposal in the meeting of the assembly that ‘the National Debt Collection Bill, 2082, received with a message from the House of Representatives, be passed without suggestions and sent back to the House of Representatives.’
The proposal was passed by a majority vote in the National Assembly meeting.
The National Debt Collection Bill was passed by the National Assembly in its original form without amendment.
Kathmandu — A contribution-based social security system will be implemented for employees appointed from the upcoming fiscal year 2082/83 instead of pension and gratuity.
The Ministry of Finance on Friday issued a circular to all ministries, regulatory bodies, public institutions, boards, committees and institutions asking them to make arrangements to implement the social security system.
The Ministry of Finance has also requested to inform that the Government of Nepal will not bear the liability created due to not implementing the contribution-based social security system.
Currently, the ‘Plan-Based Social Security Act, 2074 BS’ and the ‘Retirement Fund Act, 2075 BS’ for government employees are being implemented to provide social security to employees, laborers and other individuals. According to which, the contribution-based social security system was implemented from 2075 BS.
Pokhara — Nepal Oil Corporation has constructed a aviation fuel depot at the Pokhara Regional International Airport. For the first time in its 55-year history, the corporation has brought the depot into operation at a cost of Rs 750 million.
Three large storage houses with a capacity of 1,200 kiloliters each have been constructed at the depot. It has the capacity to store a total of 3,600 kiloliters of aviation fuel. Each vertical storage tank is 12 meters high and 12 meters in diameter. The corporation has leased a land area of 9,215 square meters with the Civil Aviation Authority and is operating this project. The storage tanks and iron pipes installed here are based on American Petroleum Institute (API) standards, which ensure international quality.
Project Chief, Pradip Kumar Yadav said that special arrangements have been made at the depot for the safety of flammable materials like aviation fuel. A separate water tank with a capacity of 1,200 kiloliters has been constructed for safety arrangements, which has been connected to the fire-fighting structure installed around the depot.
A 4,000-liter capacity ‘foam storage’ tank has been constructed to immediately extinguish fire incidents. Since it is connected to the fire-fighting structure, it has been made in such a way that foam also flows along with the water jet and helps in immediately extinguishing the fire. For fire-fighting purposes, two fire-fighting diesel pumps with a capacity of 230 horsepower, a jockey pump with a capacity of 15 horsepower and an 8-inch pipe have been connected.
With the help of the aviation fuel pipe in the storage house, a product pump has been installed to fill the refueling and to store the aviation fuel brought from the tanker in the storage house in the required quantity. 1 micron and 5 micron filters have been installed in loading and unloading, respectively. This helps maintain the quality of the fuel. Bids were invited for the construction of the depot on Chaitra 2, 2077 as per the Public Procurement Act. However, due to various reasons, a construction contract was signed with the construction contractor who submitted the bids only on Kartik 29, 2079 after a year and a half.
On Poush 15, 2079, an agreement was reached with the Civil Aviation Authority to lease the land. After that, the foundation stone of the construction work was laid on Shrawan 1, 2080 in the presence of the then Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Ramesh Rijal. The Corporation has stated that the cost of the project was managed from internal resources. This depot has been constructed to provide aviation fuel required by national and international aircraft flying and landing from Pokhara.
Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory, has called on countries to cut off all trade and financial ties with Israel, including a full arms embargo, and withdraw international support for what she termed an “economy of genocide”.
Albanese made the comments in a speech to the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Thursday as she presented her latest report, which named dozens of companies she said were involved in supporting Israeli repression and violence towards Palestinians.
“The situation in the occupied Palestinian territory is apocalyptic,” she said. “Israel is responsible for one of the cruellest genocides in modern history.”
The report, titled From economy of occupation to economy of genocide, detailed what it described as “the corporate machinery sustaining Israel’s settler-colonial project of displacement and replacement of the Palestinians in the occupied territory”.
The report singled out companies, including arms manufacturers, tech giants, heavy machinery companies and financial institutions, for their “complicity” in Israel’s repression of Palestinians, from sustaining Israeli expansion on occupied land to enabling the surveillance and killing of Palestinians.
The report said that while political leaders had been shirking their responsibilities to pressure Israel to halt its bloodshed in Gaza, “far too many corporate entities have profited from Israel’s economy of illegal occupation, apartheid and now, genocide”.
Nearly 57,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since the war, now in its 22nd month began, hundreds of thousands have been displaced multiple times, cities and towns have been razed, hospitals and schools targeted, and 85 percent of the besieged and bombarded enclave is now under Israeli military control, according to the UN.
Russia has become the first country to formally recognise Taliban rule, with Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi calling it a “courageous” decision.
He met Russia’s ambassador to Afghanistan, Dmitry Zhirnov, in Kabul on Thursday, where Mr Zhirnov officially conveyed his government’s decision to recognise the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
Muttaqi said it was “a new phase of positive relations, mutual respect, and constructive engagement”, and that the shift would serve as “an example” to other countries.
The Taliban have sought international recognition and investment since they returned to power in August 2021, despite reports of increasing violations on human rights.
“We believe that the act of official recognition of the government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will give impetus to the development of productive bilateral cooperation between our countries,” Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
It said Russia saw the potential for “commercial and economic” cooperation in “energy, transportation, agriculture and infrastructure”, and that it would continue to help Kabul to fight against the threats of terrorism and drug trafficking.
Russia was one of very few countries that did not close down their embassy in Afghanistan in 2021, and said on Telegram that “expanding the dialogue with Kabul” was critical in terms of regional security and economic development.
The country was also the first to sign an international economic deal with the Taliban in 2022, where they agreed to supply oil, gas and wheat to Afghanistan.
The Taliban was removed from Russia’s list of terrorist organisations in April this year with the intention to pave the way for the establishment of a “full-fledged partnership” with Kabul, according to the Russian foreign ministry.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also referred to the Taliban as an “ally” in fighting terrorism in July last year, with representatives travelling to Moscow for talks as early as 2018.
The two countries have a complex history, after the Soviet Union invaded the country in 1979 and fought a nine-year war that cost them 15,000 personnel.
The decision to install a USSR-backed government in Kabul turned the Soviets into an international pariah, and they eventually withdrew from Afghanistan in February 1989.
Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been handed a six-month prison sentence by the Dhaka-based International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in a contempt of court case, the Dhaka Tribune reports.
The verdict was delivered by the three-member tribunal on Wednesday. Bangladeshi prosecutors had requested the tribunal over a telephone conversation in which Hasina allegedly said that she had a license to kill 227 people, as 227 cases had been filed against her, according to the Dhaka Tribune.
The ICT is a Bangladeshi domestic war crimes tribunal that was set up in 2009 to investigate and prosecute collaborators involved in the genocide carried out by the nation’s Pakistani rulers during the country’s war of independence in 1971. Hasina, who left Bangladesh for neighboring India after her government was deposed in a 2024 coup, was tried and convicted by the ICT in absentia. Earlier this year, Dhaka sent a diplomatic note to New Delhi requesting her return to face trial, to which the Indian government has not yet formally responded.
This is the first prison sentence for Hasina since she left Bangladesh. In June, the ICT formally charged Hasina with crimes against humanity in connection with a crackdown on mass protests that took place last year and led the ouster of the government run by her party, the Awami League.
Mohammad Tajul Islam, ICT’s chief prosecutor, has accused Hasina of orchestrating a “systemic attack” on the protestors. A February report by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said “as many as 1,400 people may have been killed between 15 July and 5 August (2024), and thousands were injured, the vast majority of whom were shot by Bangladesh’s security forces.”
Hasina, who resigned on August 5, 2024, has maintained her innocence. She plans to present arguments to seek her discharge from these allegations, according to her defense lawyer, Amir Hossain. In May, Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus, barred the Awami League from running in the next general election, saying it was in the interests of national security and sovereignty.
Portuguese star forward Diogo Jota of English club Liverpool has died in a car accident. Jota died in the accident in the province of Zamora, Spain.
Jota, 28, is also a Portuguese national player and was playing for English Premier League club Liverpool. Although the details of the accident are yet to be released, according to initial information, the car went out of control and crashed.
He was in the car with his brother. Both have died. According to reports, the car caught fire after the accident. Jota had only been married a few days ago.
This news has caused deep grief in the football world.
The Nepali youth cricket team has won today’s match against home team Malaysia.
Nepal has reached the final for the fourth time after defeating Malaysia by 9 wickets in the first semi-final of the ACC Men’s U-16 East Zone Cup held on Thursday.
Nepal achieved the target of 91 runs set by Malaysia for the loss of 1 wicket in 11.4 overs. Nepal will now play the winner of the second semi-final for the title. Hong Kong and Singapore are currently facing each other in the second semi-final.
Singapore, chasing the target of 169 runs set by Hong Kong, is batting in reply.
Kathmandu — The Supreme Court has upheld the appointment of 52 constitutional office bearers pending for a long time. The appointment of 20 office bearers on 10 Ashad 2078, based on the ordinance brought by the then KP Sharma Oli-led government, was upheld unanimously, while the appointment of 32 office bearers on 21 Magh 2077 was upheld by a majority.
Justices Sapana Pradhan Malla, Kumar Chudal and Manoj Sharma have ordered that the appointment of 32 office bearers made four and a half years ago will be upheld. After hearing the case pending for four and a half years 11 times, the bench took 48 days to pronounce the decision.
Justices Chudal and Sharma have stated that the reason for upholding the appointment is that the President can bring an ordinance on the recommendation of the executive and the ordinance brought in this way is deemed to be implemented after verification. They have also submitted the reason that ‘the members provided for by the constitution were not deprived of the meeting of the Constitutional Council, and that there was no objection from the leader of the then opposition party in the House of Representatives, who was a member of the Constitutional Council.’ The additional reasons stated are, ‘Since it is evident from the writ petition that the then Speaker of the House of Representatives, a member of the Constitutional Council, was informed of the meeting at 9 am on 30 Mangsir 2077, the meeting held at 5 pm on 30 Mangsir 2077 was a continuation of the meeting that morning, and in a situation where such a practice has been going on, the writ petitioner, although the then Speaker of the House of Representatives, a member of the Constitutional Council, is not a demand to be allowed to participate in the meeting of the Constitutional Council, but a demand for an order to ‘not do such a thing in the future’, and the fact that he is not currently a member of the Constitutional Council and that the circumstances have changed, the writ petition is dismissed as it does not appear that a writ should be issued as per the petitioner’s demand.’
Born on July 6, 1935, in the modest village of Taktser in northeastern Tibet, Lhamo Thondup was identified at the age of two as the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, the highest spiritual authority in Tibetan Buddhism. Renamed Tenzin Gyatso, he was taken to Lhasa and formally enthroned in 1940. From a young age, his life was immersed in the study of Buddhist logic, scripture, debate, and metaphysics, a rigorous monastic education reserved for the tulkus of the Gelug school. By the age of fifteen, in 1950, he was thrust into political leadership just as the Chinese People’s Liberation Army began asserting control over Tibetan territory.
Following the defeat of the Republic of China and the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 under Mao Zedong, the new Communist regime declared its claim over Tibet, viewing it as part of a “unified motherland.” In 1951, under pressure and with little ability to resist militarily, Tibetan representatives signed the Seventeen Point Agreement. While China viewed it as a peaceful reunification, many Tibetans, including the monastic community and the aristocracy, considered it a coercive annexation. The young Dalai Lama initially tried to work within the framework, even visiting Beijing in 1954 and meeting Chairman Mao. However, by the mid-1950s, tensions were escalating rapidly. The promise of autonomy began to collapse under the weight of forced collectivization, suppression of religious institutions, and mass arrests. In March 1959, facing a popular uprising in Lhasa and fearing for his life as PLA troops encircled the capital, the Dalai Lama fled Tibet in secrecy. Disguised as a soldier, he crossed the treacherous Himalayas and reached India, where Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru offered him asylum.
From exile in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, the Dalai Lama re-established the Tibetan government-in-exile, known as the Central Tibetan Administration. Over time, he shifted his role from political sovereign to spiritual guide, eventually renouncing any formal political power in 2011 and handing authority to a democratically elected Sikyong (Prime Minister). Nevertheless, he remained the moral and symbolic leader of Tibetans worldwide, preserving not only Tibetan Buddhist teachings but also acting as a bridge between East and West. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, the Dalai Lama earned global recognition for his steadfast commitment to nonviolence, even in the face of repression, and for championing dialogue, religious harmony, and compassion.
One of the most debated aspects of his leadership is the “Middle Way Approach,” a policy that seeks genuine autonomy for Tibet within the framework of the Chinese constitution, rather than demanding full independence. The Dalai Lama has argued that such a compromise would ensure cultural, linguistic, and religious preservation for Tibetans while maintaining political stability. However, this approach has not been universally embraced within the Tibetan diaspora. Many exiles and younger activists view it as too conciliatory, believing it concedes moral and historical legitimacy to China. Meanwhile, China rejects the Dalai Lama’s proposal outright, accusing him of promoting “separatism” under the guise of autonomy. His image, name, and teachings are banned across most parts of Tibet, and he remains one of Beijing’s most censored figures.
Yet, his spiritual stature continues to grow. The Dalai Lama’s influence transcends the confines of religion. He has engaged in dialogue with scientists on the nature of consciousness, introduced secular ethics into global educational discussions, and offered teachings across traditions that emphasize universal human values. His writings and public appearances have popularized Tibetan Buddhism in the West and inspired millions around the world, regardless of faith.
As he advances in age, the issue of his succession has become a focal point of global concern. In Tibetan tradition, the Dalai Lama reincarnates, and his next rebirth is identified by high lamas through a combination of visions, signs, and divinations. However, the Chinese government has declared that it will oversee and approve any future reincarnation—a move that contradicts centuries of Tibetan religious practice. The Dalai Lama has hinted he may reincarnate outside Chinese territory or may even end the lineage, a statement that has stirred controversy both inside Tibet and internationally. What he says, and doesn’t say, in this context is being closely monitored in Washington, New Delhi, and Beijing. The United States views him as a champion of human rights and a peaceful counterbalance to Chinese authoritarianism. India, which hosts the Tibetan government-in-exile, walks a delicate line—sympathetic to the Tibetan cause yet wary of further straining ties with China, especially amid ongoing border tensions. Beijing, meanwhile, continues to regard the Dalai Lama as a threat to national unity, regardless of his calls for dialogue and nonviolence.
Critically, the Dalai Lama’s global stature allows him to keep the Tibetan issue alive in international forums, even as geopolitical realities shift in China’s favor. His peaceful resistance has drawn praise, but real diplomatic momentum toward resolving the Tibetan issue has stalled. Critics argue that while his moral authority is unmatched, his political approach has yielded little concrete change within Tibet itself, where cultural suppression and surveillance continue. Some fear that after his passing, the Tibetan movement may fracture or lose global attention, especially if China attempts to appoint its own successor and sow division within Tibetan Buddhism.
Still, in a world increasingly defined by power politics, nationalism, and authoritarian resurgence, the Dalai Lama remains a unique figure—a symbol of spiritual resilience, humility, and the enduring pursuit of freedom without violence. His life embodies the story of a displaced nation, the cost of imperial ambition, and the possibility that compassion, even when exiled, can move the conscience of the world. Whether or not his vision for Tibet is ever realized, his legacy is certain: a bridge between cultures, a voice for the voiceless, and a reminder that moral authority can still shape the narrative in an age of geopolitical cynicism.
In the early hours of August 13, 1961, the city of Berlin awoke to a stark new reality. Streets that once connected neighbors and families were abruptly blocked by barbed wire and armed guards. Over the coming days and months, these temporary barriers would be replaced by concrete slabs, guard towers, floodlights, and death strips. What began as a hastily constructed security measure quickly became one of the most potent symbols of ideological division in modern history: the Berlin Wall. For 28 years, it physically and psychologically separated not only East and West Berlin, but also represented the broader chasm between the communist East and the capitalist West during the Cold War.
To understand the Berlin Wall, one must go back to the aftermath of World War II. Following Nazi Germany’s defeat in 1945, the Allied powers—namely the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and France—divided the country into four occupation zones. Berlin, though entirely situated within the Soviet zone of eastern Germany, was likewise split into four sectors, administered separately by each of the Allied powers. Tensions between the Soviets and their Western counterparts emerged quickly, fueled by ideological differences and competing visions for Germany’s future. These tensions came to a head with the formal establishment of two separate German states in 1949: the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), or West Germany, supported by the West, and the German Democratic Republic (GDR), or East Germany, under Soviet control.
While West Germany embraced democratic institutions and a capitalist economy, East Germany adopted a centralized, socialist system modeled after the USSR. This divergence created stark contrasts in living standards, freedom, and opportunity. Berlin became the frontline of this ideological conflict. Even though West Berlin was surrounded by East Germany, it remained a vibrant, Western enclave with a visibly higher quality of life. This situation soon created a massive problem for the East German regime: a growing exodus of its citizens.
Between 1949 and 1961, it is estimated that over 2.5 million East Germans fled to the West, most through Berlin. This migration, often referred to as the “brain drain,” included many young professionals, skilled workers, and academics—individuals whose departure threatened the economic and political viability of East Germany. The Soviet-backed East German government, led by Walter Ulbricht, viewed this mass defection not only as a national crisis but as a public embarrassment that undermined the legitimacy of the socialist model.
Faced with this unsustainable outflow, the East German authorities, with Soviet approval, decided to seal off Berlin. Without prior warning, in the early hours of August 13, 1961, East German troops and workers began erecting barbed wire fences, cutting off road, rail, and pedestrian access between East and West Berlin. In the days that followed, a concrete wall replaced the temporary fences, eventually becoming a highly fortified, 155-kilometer barrier equipped with watchtowers, guard dogs, minefields, and a so-called “death strip”—a no-man’s land designed to deter escape attempts. The construction of the Berlin Wall was condemned internationally, with U.S. President John F. Kennedy calling it a “wall of shame,” though the West refrained from military intervention.
Over the next nearly three decades, the Wall stood as both a physical and symbolic embodiment of the Cold War. Families were torn apart, friends separated, and countless lives disrupted. More tragically, an estimated 140 to over 200 people lost their lives attempting to flee over the Wall, although some estimates suggest the number may be higher. The most famous case was that of 18-year-old Peter Fechter, who was shot and left to bleed to death in 1962 as Western onlookers helplessly watched from the other side. Despite the danger, many East Germans risked—and some succeeded—in escaping, using tunnels, homemade balloons, forged documents, or smuggled vehicles.
The Wall also became a focal point for Cold War rhetoric and confrontation. In 1963, President Kennedy delivered his famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech, affirming U.S. solidarity with the people of Berlin. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan famously stood at the Brandenburg Gate and challenged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall.” These moments underscored the global significance of the Berlin Wall, transforming it into an enduring symbol of resistance against oppression and the yearning for freedom.
The beginning of the end came in the late 1980s, as the Eastern Bloc began to unravel. Gorbachev’s policies of glasnost and perestroika introduced reforms and loosened Soviet control over satellite states. Pro-democracy movements gained momentum across Eastern Europe. In Hungary, border restrictions with Austria were relaxed in mid-1989, allowing thousands of East Germans to escape westward. Mass protests erupted in East Germany, especially in Leipzig and Berlin, demanding reform, free elections, and open borders.
Under mounting pressure, the East German government announced on November 9, 1989, that citizens would be allowed to cross the border freely. The announcement, made in confusion and poor coordination, led thousands of East Berliners to flock to the checkpoints. Overwhelmed and unsure of orders, border guards eventually opened the gates. Crowds surged through, cheering, hugging, and climbing atop the Wall in scenes broadcast worldwide. That night, the Berlin Wall—so long a symbol of division and tyranny—was rendered meaningless by the will of the people. In the following days and weeks, Berliners from both sides began physically dismantling the wall, piece by piece.
The fall of the Berlin Wall paved the way for the formal reunification of Germany on October 3, 1990. It also marked the symbolic collapse of Soviet influence in Eastern Europe and foreshadowed the dissolution of the Soviet Union itself. Today, remnants of the Wall remain as historical memorials, stark reminders of a time when a divided world seemed permanent and insurmountable. The Berlin Wall was more than concrete and wire—it was a physical expression of an ideological conflict that defined a century. Its fall was a testament to human resilience and the ultimate failure of repression to contain the aspirations of people longing for freedom.
On December 26, 1991, the Soviet Union officially ceased to exist, marking one of the most dramatic geopolitical shifts of the 20th century. The red flag that once flew over Kremlin buildings were lowered for the last time, and a state that had been forged through revolution, war, ideology, and repression disappeared overnight. In its place rose fifteen new nations—each grappling with independence, identity, and their own political futures—while Russia, the USSR’s largest and most powerful successor, began a new chapter marked by turbulence, ambition, and global confrontation.
The collapse of the Soviet Union was neither sudden nor entirely unexpected. The decline had its roots in decades of economic stagnation, over-centralization, and the burdens of a prolonged arms race with the West. By the early 1980s, the Soviet economy was failing to meet even basic needs. Mikhail Gorbachev’s rise to power in 1985 brought hope for revitalization. With his twin policies of perestroika (economic restructuring) and glasnost (political openness), Gorbachev aimed to modernize the Soviet system. He loosened censorship, allowed greater personal freedoms, and introduced elements of market economics—all of which challenged the very foundations of the Soviet regime. But the same reforms that aimed to save the system ended up accelerating its demise. The political liberalization emboldened independence movements across the republics, and economic changes unleashed inflation and shortages.
Gorbachev also revised foreign policy through what became known as “New Political Thinking,” which emphasized diplomacy, cooperation with the West, and de-escalation of nuclear tensions. This led to historic arms control treaties, such as the 1987 INF Treaty and the 1991 START I Agreement. He renounced the Brezhnev Doctrine, effectively allowing Soviet satellite states in Eastern Europe to determine their own political futures. As a result, between 1989 and 1990, one communist regime after another fell across Eastern Europe. The most iconic moment of this shift came with the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989.
One of the defining moments that followed was German reunification. West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl negotiated with both the United States and the Soviet Union to unify East and West Germany under NATO’s umbrella. During these discussions, U.S. officials—including Secretary of State James Baker—gave verbal assurances that NATO would not expand “one inch eastward” beyond unified Germany. While these promises were not codified in a binding treaty, they were widely interpreted by Soviet leaders as a gentleman’s agreement. In the years that followed, the meaning and relevance of those assurances became a matter of deep dispute, especially as NATO later expanded to include former Soviet allies and republics.
By 1990, Gorbachev’s reforms were losing traction domestically. A New Union Treaty was drafted to preserve the USSR as a looser federation of republics, but hardliners opposed to decentralization launched a coup in August 1991. Though the coup failed, it dealt a fatal blow to Gorbachev’s authority and emboldened the independence movements already gaining strength across the republics. The most decisive break came in Ukraine. On December 1, 1991, over 90% of Ukrainians voted in a referendum to secede from the USSR. Shortly thereafter, on December 8, the leaders of Russia (Boris Yeltsin), Ukraine (Leonid Kravchuk), and Belarus (Stanislav Shushkevich) signed the Belovezha Accords, declaring the Soviet Union effectively defunct and establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Gorbachev, now sidelined, resigned on December 25, and the Soviet flag was lowered from the Kremlin the same day.
The end of the Soviet Union produced fifteen new independent states: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. These republics had been part of the USSR, but most had maintained formal republican structures and ethnic identities, which now served as the basis for statehood. While the Soviet constitution allowed for secession, the actual process was a complex mix of public referendums, elite negotiations, and—at times—power struggles. Leaders such as Yeltsin in Russia, Kravchuk in Ukraine, and Nazarbayev in Kazakhstan played pivotal roles in declaring sovereignty and pushing for recognition. Not all transitions were smooth. Moldova faced separatist tensions in Transnistria, Georgia grappled with breakaway regions, and Central Asia navigated authoritarian consolidation and ethnic complexities.
While the United States and Europe welcomed the peaceful end of the Cold War, they also began reimagining their strategic frameworks. NATO, originally formed to counter Soviet influence, found itself without a clear enemy. Through initiatives like the Partnership for Peace in 1994 and subsequent waves of expansion, NATO welcomed Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic in 1999; then the Baltic states, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, and others in 2004; and later Albania, Croatia, and Montenegro. These moves were seen by many new members as essential guarantees of sovereignty and protection. But in Russia, NATO’s eastward expansion was interpreted as a betrayal of the post-Cold War understanding. For many Russians, it felt like the West was exploiting their country’s weakness during a time of transition.
In the 1990s, Boris Yeltsin’s Russia initially pursued cooperation with the West. It joined international institutions, adopted market reforms with the help of Western advisors, and engaged with NATO through the NATO-Russia Founding Act. But the results were mixed. The shock therapy economics advised by Western institutions led to hyperinflation, a collapse in living standards, and the rise of a corrupt oligarch class. The 1990s became a time of humiliation and hardship for many Russians, and a sense of betrayal took hold—fed by memories of Western intervention in Serbia during the Kosovo conflict, which occurred without UN approval and over Russian objections.
When Vladimir Putin assumed the presidency in 2000, he inherited a country still recovering from economic collapse and social instability. His early years focused on centralizing power, restoring economic order, and projecting strength abroad. Under Putin, Russia began to reassert itself as a major regional and global player. NATO’s support for Georgia and Ukraine’s eventual membership aspirations were perceived in Moscow as existential threats. In 2008, Russia invaded Georgia, occupying two separatist regions. In 2014, following Ukraine’s Euromaidan revolution and its pivot toward the West, Russia annexed Crimea—a move condemned by the international community—and supported separatist forces in eastern Ukraine.
Russia’s modern foreign policy, particularly under Putin, is shaped by the belief that the post-Soviet order was rigged against it. Many Russian officials cite NATO’s expansion and Western backing of color revolutions as proof of encirclement and interference. Conversely, Western leaders argue that the alliance is voluntary and defensive, with new members freely choosing integration. The debate over broken promises, mutual misinterpretations, and diverging visions of European security continues to define East-West relations to this day.
The story of the Soviet collapse and the rise of modern Russia is not one of good versus evil, nor of inevitable outcomes. It is a tale of reform and resistance, of diplomacy and miscalculation, of nations seeking self-determination and a global order still struggling to accommodate competing legacies. The dissolution of the USSR unleashed enormous potential—but also unresolved tensions. Today’s geopolitical rivalries—from NATO’s role in Europe to Russia’s war in Ukraine—can only be fully understood in light of those transformative years between 1985 and 1991, when the world map changed and the old rules ceased to apply.
The Dalai Lama confirmed on Wednesday that he will have a successor to carry on the role of spiritual leadership to Tibetan Buddhists, in a statement issued during continuing celebrations to mark his 90th birthday.
He said that leaders of Tibet’s spiritual traditions, members of the Tibetan parliament and government in exile, both of which are in the Indian district of Dharamshala, and Buddhists from around the world, including mainland China and Tibet, had written to him, requesting that the institution continue.
“In accordance with all these requests, I am affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue,” he said.
His statement, issued at a time when Buddhist scholars and revered monks from around the world have converged on McLeodganj town in Dharamshala, where the Dalai Lama lives, to participate in the 90th birthday celebrations. The town, also known as “Little Lhasa” because it is in effect the capital of Tibetan Buddhists in exile, will also host an intense three-day religious conference that the Dalai Lama will preside over.
But the occasion isn’t only religious. How the next Dalai is chosen, and by whom, carries deep geopolitical significance.
For centuries, Tibetan Buddhist leaders have chosen and enthroned a new Dalai Lama only after an intense quest and subsequent schooling after the incumbent passes away. If the current Dalai Lama, the 14th, offers any more details in the coming days about how his successor might be chosen, or whom it might be, that would represent a dramatic break with tradition.
What he says, and doesn’t say, will be closely watched in Washington, New Delhi and Beijing.
The Dalai Lama, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who fled Tibet for India in 1959, is seen as a separatist by Beijing. India, as his host for 66 years, has deep stakes in the future of the institution of the Dalai Lama, who has known every Indian prime minister since the country gained independence. And the United States, which has long cited the Tibetan movement in exile as evidence of China’s human rights excesses, will want to make sure that the glue that binds it all – the institution of the Dalai Lama – continues.
Kathmandu. The ruling party, the CPN-UML, has demanded the resignation of the chairman of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee.
In today’s meeting of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee under the House of Representatives, UML MP Padam Giri has demanded the resignation of committee chairman Ramhari Khatiwada, taking responsibility for the mischief done on the Civil Service Bill.
The committee meeting is currently discussing the manipulation of the ‘cooling off period’ provision in the Civil Service Bill. Participating in the discussion, former Law Minister Giri said that the chairman should resign, taking responsibility, as he was the last signatory to the report. He also demanded the resignation of the committee’s secretary, Suraj Kumar Dura.
‘The committee passed the cooling off period for 2 years after months of discussion. However, the report, which was signed by the chairman and secretary, was presented in a different way. This is a shameful and disgusting situation in the history of Nepal. It is unimaginable that people’s representatives would work to this extent. Therefore, the chairman and secretary should resign, taking responsibility.’
He suggested paving the way on the basis of morality. Now the secretary cannot continue to hold this position,’ he said.
Israel has agreed to the “necessary conditions” to finalise a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, US President Donald Trump has said.
During the proposed deal, “we will work with all parties to end the War”, Trump said in a post on Truth Social, without detailing what the conditions are.
“The Qataris and Egyptians, who have worked very hard to help bring Peace, will deliver this final proposal. I hope… that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE,” Trump wrote.
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon said that Israel was “absolutely” ready for a ceasefire, but it was not immediately clear whether Hamas would accept the conditions of the proposed deal.
Meanwhile,Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has said that the war in Gaza must continue until “a decisive victory” is achieved, rejecting calls for a ceasefire or negotiated settlement.
Speaking at a press briefing , Smotrich said Israel was “in the midst of a campaign against a crushed terrorist organization” and warned that there would be “no greater danger” to the country’s future than halting the operation prematurely.
“This war must end in a decisive victory for many generations to come, without agreements, without mediators,” he said.
Kathmandu – Nepal Oil Corporation has increased the price of petroleum products. The corporation has increased the price of petrol by 5 rupees and diesel and kerosene by 4 rupees.
The corporation has also increased the price, citing the increase in prices from Indian Oil Corporation.
According to the new price, petrol has reached 165 per liter, while diesel and kerosene have reached 149 per liter.
Similarly, the international price of aviation fuel has increased by 51 US dollars per kiloliter, according to the corporation.
Kathmandu — A case has been filed against journalist Dilbhushan Pathak in Kathmandu District Court on charges of committing cybercrime.
The District Public Prosecutor’s Office, Kathmandu, filed a case against Pathak on Monday based on a complaint filed with the Cyber Bureau.
In the indictment filed by Assistant District Attorney Purnendra Pandey on behalf of the public prosecutor, Section 47 of the Electronic Transactions Act, 2063, a fine of up to one lakh rupees or imprisonment for five years or both has been sought for publishing illegal material in electronic form. The public prosecutor’s office has also placed Pathak on the fugitive list.
Journalist Pathak had presented a video titled ‘Jaybir Singh Deuba’s money in Hilton’ on his program ‘Tough Talk’ regarding the involvement of Jaybir Singh Deuba in the sale and purchase of Hilton Hotel shares.
Jaybir had earlier filed a complaint with the Cyber Bureau alleging that Pathak had committed character assassination on the same issue. However, the Patan High Court had ordered not to arrest journalist Dilbhushan Pathak. Jaibeer is the son of Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and Foreign Minister Arju Rana Deuba.
Meanwhile, various civil society groups, journalists, and the press and media have opposed this move against Dilbhushan Pathak, saying, “The duty of a journalist is to bring out the truth, but the current situation in Nepal has weakened press freedom.”
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, has spent more than three decades positioning himself as the architect of Israel’s aggressive regional posture, leaving behind a legacy defined by repeated wars, interventions, and accusations of grave human rights abuses. Since his rise in the 1990s, Netanyahu has consistently framed Israel’s security in zero-sum terms, using overwhelming force against enemies real or perceived across Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and beyond, while leveraging perpetual conflict as a tool to maintain his grip on power despite repeated corruption scandals.
Netanyahu’s tenure has been marked by devastating wars on Gaza. In the wake of the Hamas-led attack on October 7, which killed around 1,200 Israelis and saw more than 240 hostages taken, Netanyahu launched a relentless campaign of bombings and siege tactics on Gaza. This operation cut off water, food, and fuel for over two million people, prompting accusations of collective punishment from humanitarian groups. By June 2025, Palestinian health authorities reported over 56,000 killed, including tens of thousands of children, and more than 130,000 injured. UN agencies, Médecins Sans Frontières, and the International Criminal Court described Israel’s use of starvation and systematic attacks on civilian infrastructure as war crimes, with the ICC issuing arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his defense minister in May 2024 for crimes against humanity, including murder and persecution.
But Gaza is only the latest chapter in Netanyahu’s pattern of warfare. Early in his first term (1996–1999), Netanyahu endorsed Operation Grapes of Wrath in Lebanon, where Israeli shelling killed over 100 civilians sheltering at a UN base in Qana. Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, he repeatedly vowed to destroy Hezbollah, telling Israeli voters and the international community that Israel would “return Lebanon to the stone age” if rockets were fired into Israel. After Hezbollah’s rise as a formidable force following the 2006 Lebanon war, Netanyahu’s threats and occasional airstrikes on Lebanon became a permanent feature of his military policy. His statements warning of “obliterating” Lebanon’s infrastructure if Hezbollah acts have stoked fears of a full-scale war that could engulf the region.
In Syria, Netanyahu has ordered hundreds of airstrikes since the Syrian civil war began in 2011, targeting Iranian forces and Hezbollah arms convoys. In 2018, he boasted publicly, “We have struck thousands of targets to stop Iran’s entrenchment in Syria and will continue to hit them anywhere in Syria and beyond,” setting a precedent for near-constant Israeli raids that have killed hundreds of fighters and civilians alike. These attacks have often destabilized ceasefires and complicated humanitarian efforts, with Syrian civilians paying a heavy price. In 2015, Netanyahu told voters that only he could “prevent Syria from becoming a base for Iranian terror that will burn the entire Middle East,” using the specter of endless conflict to rally support.
Netanyahu’s war calculus also extended to Iraq. In 2019, according to U.S. intelligence leaks, Israel launched covert airstrikes on Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces depots, killing fighters and destroying infrastructure. Netanyahu publicly hinted at Israel’s involvement, declaring Israel would “strike Iranian assets wherever they are, including Iraq,” remarks that rattled Baghdad and raised the specter of a broader regional war.
In Yemen, Netanyahu accused the Iran-backed Houthis of plotting attacks on Israel from afar and threatened strikes on Yemeni soil. Meanwhile, he pressured Gulf Arab states into closer security pacts by painting Iran’s regional activities — in Bahrain, the UAE, and the wider Gulf — as existential threats requiring a de facto Israeli-Arab alliance under his leadership.
This bellicose approach found one of its starkest expressions in June 2025, when Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a massive attack on more than 100 Iranian military and nuclear facilities. The assault killed at least 224 people, many civilians, and injured more than 1,000. Iran retaliated with missile strikes on Israeli cities that killed dozens, marking the most dangerous direct conflict ever between the two countries. Netanyahu framed the attack as vital to freeing Israeli hostages in Gaza and halting Iran’s nuclear ambitions, but the escalation prompted international condemnation and fears of a regional war spiraling out of control.
Throughout these wars, Netanyahu has used bombastic speeches and dramatic visuals — like his infamous 2012 UN presentation where he drew a red line on a cartoon bomb to warn of Iran’s nuclear program — to keep Israel’s population and allies focused on external threats. Critics argue these tactics are designed to distract from his domestic political and legal crises.
Netanyahu’s political survival has indeed depended heavily on these cycles of war. Since 2019, he has been on trial for three major corruption cases — Cases 1000, 2000, and 4000 — involving bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. In Case 1000, prosecutors accuse him of accepting luxury gifts worth nearly 700,000 shekels from billionaires such as Arnon Milchan and James Packer in return for political favors. In Case 2000, he allegedly negotiated a deal with the publisher of Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper for favorable coverage in exchange for undermining a rival outlet. In Case 4000, Netanyahu is accused of approving regulatory benefits worth hundreds of millions of dollars for telecom giant Bezeq’s owner, Shaul Elovitch, who then skewed Walla News coverage to favor him. Netanyahu has repeatedly delayed these trials, citing national security crises like Gaza and Iran, while denouncing the charges as part of a leftist conspiracy to topple him.
His domestic policies have only fueled polarization further. From 2022 to 2024, Netanyahu pushed sweeping judicial reforms that critics said would undermine Israeli democracy by stripping the Supreme Court of its power to check the government. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets in some of the largest protests in the nation’s history. Under pressure, Netanyahu paused parts of the overhaul, but has vowed to revive it, framing the judiciary as an obstacle to the will of the people.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu has pursued settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank at an unprecedented pace, approving thousands of new housing units and further entrenching Israeli control in defiance of multiple UN Security Council resolutions. This expansion has intensified daily violence between settlers and Palestinians, stoking tensions that could explode into wider conflict at any moment.
Even as Israel reels from war with Iran, Netanyahu has continued to signal readiness for more aggression. His government has warned Hezbollah and Syria that Israel would not hesitate to strike again if it detected Iranian weapons transfers. His repeated threats that Israel will “do whatever it takes” to destroy Iranian capabilities, including in Syria and Lebanon, have deepened regional instability and left millions across the Middle East living in fear of the next Israeli operation.
Netanyahu’s defenders insist his tough policies have kept Israel safe, pointing to the normalization deals with some Arab states as proof of his strategic vision. But critics, including former Israeli military and intelligence officials, warn that his wars have radicalized new generations of militants across Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Iran, and that his approach leaves Israel more isolated internationally while cementing cycles of hatred and violence that undermine its long-term security.
Despite repeated international condemnations and polls showing a majority of Israelis want him to step down, Netanyahu has kept power through alliances with ultra-nationalist and religious parties, along with a strategy of portraying himself as Israel’s irreplaceable defender. Yet with Gaza on the brink of famine, Iran vowing revenge, and a corruption trial still looming over his future, Netanyahu’s relentless focus on war as a means of political survival has pushed Israel and the Middle East to a level of instability not seen in decades. Without decisive action by both Israeli society and the international community, many fear Netanyahu’s legacy will be a region locked in endless war.
GAZA CITY — Gaza today stands as a testament to modern warfare’s most egregious moral and legal failures. Since Israel’s latest offensive began in October 2023, more than 56,000 Palestinians have been killed, including over 16,000 children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry and verified by international organizations such as the World Health Organization. Entire families have been erased. UN agencies estimate that over 80% of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are displaced, living in tents or rubble without sanitation, electricity, or safe drinking water.
Journalists documenting these war crimes have themselves become targets: more than 200 journalists have been killed since October, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, which calls Gaza “the deadliest place in the world for journalists.” Yet despite the risks, reporters, local media, and aid workers continue to expose the unprecedented scale of civilian suffering.
The physical devastation is staggering: the UN OCHAconfirms that more than 60% of all residential buildings in Gaza have been destroyed or severely damaged. Over 130 schools, 36 hospitals and clinics, and every one of Gaza’s sewage treatment plants have been bombed, according to data compiled by OCHA. This has created not just a warzone, but an engineered humanitarian catastrophe in which disease and starvation now threaten more lives than bombs.
The destruction of Al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s largest medical facility, was particularly symbolic: once a lifeline for over 2 million residents, it has been bombed, raided, and permanently closed, leaving trauma patients to die untreated. These acts violate Articles 18 and 19 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which explicitly prohibit attacks on medical facilities and staff.
Israel’s Defense Ministry has declared Gaza’s north a “safe-free zone,” where civilians have been ordered to leave but given no realistic path to safety. Human Rights Watch documented Israeli forces firing on civilians attempting to flee along supposed evacuation routes. Meanwhile, UNICEF has warned of an “imminent mass death of children” due to famine induced by Israel’s blockade — a clear use of hunger as a weapon of war.
These are not isolated incidents. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz and investigative outlet +972 Magazine have published evidence showing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government repeatedly approved Qatari cash transfers to Hamas in Gaza to keep it politically dominant and Palestinian society fractured — all while publicly condemning Hamas as terrorists. This longstanding policy allowed Israel to avoid negotiating a unified peace agreement with the Palestinians.
Netanyahu’s political incentives cannot be overstated. He is on trial for multiple corruption charges and has a track record of using Gaza escalations to rally nationalist voters, as documented by Israeli journalist Raviv Drucker. Every major war on Gaza under Netanyahu — 2008, 2012, 2014, and now 2023–2025 — coincided with political crises or elections, according to analyses by International Crisis Group and Carnegie Middle East Center.
Economic interests lie at the heart of Gaza’s tragedy. The offshore Gaza Marine gas field, discovered by British Gas in 2000, has an estimated 1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Israel has consistently blocked Palestinian development of these reserves. Reports by The Financial Times and Reuters show that control over these gas fields — potentially worth billions — is a major, underreported factor behind Israel’s refusal to allow any form of Palestinian sovereignty over Gaza.
On the ground, statements by Israeli leaders reveal genocidal intent. Israeli Minister of Heritage Amichai Eliyahu said in November 2023 that dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza was “an option,” later telling Israeli radio that Gaza’s civilians were legitimate targets because they “raised murderers.” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared that “there are no innocent civilians in Gaza,” effectively endorsing mass killing. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for “voluntary emigration” of Gaza’s population — a euphemism for ethnic cleansing. These statements were widely reported in Israeli and international media, including The Times of Israel.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Western allies continue to enable and shield these crimes. The United States has provided Israel with over 40,000 precision bombs and missiles since October 2023, according to Pentagon arms export data analyzed by the Center for International Policy. President Joe Biden has repeatedly stated that “Israel has the right to defend itself” and signed a $14 billion supplemental military aid package in May 2024 to replenish Israeli stockpiles. US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield has vetoed four UN Security Council resolutions calling for a ceasefire, arguing that a ceasefire would “embolden Hamas.”
European governments have been complicit as well. Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz publicly declared Germany’s “unconditional solidarity with Israel” (DW, October 2023) and authorized continued weapons exports despite evidence of war crimes. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visited Israel and pledged full support, while British arms companies have increased shipments of components for Israeli drones, according to data from the UK Department for Business and Trade cited by Amnesty International.
Arab regimes have offered rhetorical condemnations but taken little concrete action. Egypt, despite controlling the only non-Israeli crossing into Gaza at Rafah, has cooperated with Israel’s blockade by limiting humanitarian aid flows and refusing to allow mass evacuations. Saudi Arabia and the UAE, eager to preserve normalization talks with Israel under the US-brokered Abraham Accords, have restricted protests and muted their diplomatic pressure. This silent complicity leaves Palestinians isolated even in the region that once claimed to champion their cause.
Meanwhile, the broader economic and geopolitical system profits from Gaza’s suffering. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s latest 2024 report shows Israel is among the world’s top 10 arms exporters — and that wars like Gaza’s boost demand for “combat-proven” weapons worldwide. Israeli defense companies like Elbit Systems and Rafael have seen their stock prices surge since October 2023, driven by international orders for weapons tested during the bombardment.
What is happening in Gaza is not simply collateral damage or a tragic byproduct of conflict. It is a deliberate, systematic campaign of ethnic cleansing — a genocide that seeks to erase Gaza’s Palestinian population through starvation, bombardment, and forced displacement. It is mass murder carried out in full view of the world, and it is state terrorism, designed not just to defeat Hamas, but to annihilate the social fabric of Palestinian society. Shielded by the United States, supported by European powers, and enabled by Arab regimes more interested in political deals than human rights, this genocide continues with impunity.
This is the hardest truth: the world is witnessing the destruction of an entire people in real time — and powerful governments are not only failing to stop it but are directly complicit in the ethnic cleansing of Gaza.
Kathmandu — The Special Court has ordered the release of former Communications Minister Mohan Bahadur Basnet, who is involved in the Terramax corruption case. The bench of Special Court Judges Tej Narayan Singh Rai, Ram Bahadur Thapa and Bidur Koirala ordered the release of Basnet on bail of Rs 2.5 million on Sunday.
Suspended Congress MP Basnet appeared in court today for a statement in the corruption case. The court ordered his release on bail after his statement and detention. He is facing a corruption case in the Terramax technology procurement case of the Nepal Telecommunication Authority.
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority has filed a corruption case against Basnet and former Law Secretary Dhanraj Gyawali, along with 16 individuals and two companies, in the Terramax technology equipment procurement scam for the authority.
“Banana Republic” has become a popular satirical term in Nepal. Banana Republic has become a satirical term used by most of the young generation to express their anger amid the recent weak political situation in Nepal, amid the increasing mismanagement, corruption, impunity, and weak economic situation. Recently, after the proliferation of T-shirts with the word Banana Republic written on them started increasing in Nepal, the government has banned its sale, distribution, and use. In the meantime, let’s review what Banana Republic is today, its meaning, and its origins.
The term “banana republic” has come to symbolize countries plagued by political instability, corruption, and domination by foreign corporate interests. But its origins lie in a very specific moment in history, when American fruit companies turned Central American nations into virtual company towns.
The phrase “banana republic” was first coined by the American writer O. Henry (William Sydney Porter) in 1904 in his book Cabbages and Kings. While living in Honduras, O. Henry witnessed firsthand how small Central American nations were being transformed by foreign business interests. In the book, he invented the fictional country of “Anchuria,” which was based on the real conditions of Honduras, where the economy and politics were dominated by banana exports and American companies. From there, the term entered the popular lexicon to describe a country whose government and economy are deeply entwined with, and often subservient to, powerful foreign corporations.
At the heart of the banana republic phenomenon were companies like the United Fruit Company (UFCO), founded in 1899 and later known as Chiquita. United Fruit became infamous for acquiring vast tracts of fertile land across Central America at rock-bottom prices. These plantations produced bananas that were shipped to the U.S. and Europe, generating enormous profits. To move their produce efficiently, companies like UFCO built railways and ports, but these investments primarily served their own operations, not the broader development of the countries they occupied.
Control over infrastructure and local economies quickly translated into political influence. United Fruit and other companies effectively bought the loyalty of local elites and politicians through bribes or strategic favors. When leaders resisted corporate demands—by, for example, trying to tax the companies fairly or enact labor protections—these corporations often turned to their home governments for support. This led to direct U.S. interventions in the region, sometimes under the banner of protecting American interests or restoring order. The most famous example occurred in 1954 in Guatemala, where a CIA-backed coup ousted President Jacobo Árbenz after he attempted to nationalize unused lands belonging to United Fruit, a move that threatened the company’s profits.
Countries traditionally associated with the banana republic archetype include Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama, all of which at different times in the early-to-mid 20th century experienced this toxic mix of economic monoculture, foreign dominance, and corrupt leadership. The economies of these nations depended overwhelmingly on a single crop—bananas—which made them vulnerable to fluctuations in world prices and demands. This reliance also gave foreign companies immense leverage: if a government displeased the corporations, they could threaten to withdraw investment or lobby for outside intervention.
As the term evolved, it has come to describe any nation, not just in Latin America, where a fragile political system is exploited by domestic elites or foreign interests, and where the economy relies on a narrow set of exports or monopolies. Critics, journalists, and commentators sometimes use “banana republic” metaphorically today to describe situations in countries far removed from Central America, whether it’s political dysfunction, electoral manipulation, or economies controlled by a few powerful families or corporations. Although the comparison can highlight important problems, it sometimes oversimplifies complex realities and risks stigmatizing countries that have struggled to overcome difficult histories.
It’s important to recognize that the banana republic dynamic was not solely the fault of local actors. The role of powerful foreign corporations—and the governments that supported them through military and economic pressure—was central to creating and sustaining these systems. Today, the term carries a powerful reminder of how economic imperialism can undermine democracy and sovereignty, especially when local institutions are too weak to resist external pressure.
Yet there are also important criticisms of the term itself. Many scholars and activists argue that it reflects a Western-centric perspective, often ignoring how U.S. and European actions contributed to the chaos it describes. Moreover, using the phrase can perpetuate stereotypes about developing countries, reducing complex social, cultural, and political contexts to a dismissive label. It can also overshadow the resilience and agency of people in these nations, who have often fought hard for reforms, democratic governance, and economic diversification.
In conclusion, a banana republic is far more than just a humorous expression or the name of a clothing brand. It is a concept rooted in a specific history of exploitation, where powerful companies and complicit governments created systems of dependency and corruption that left lasting scars. By understanding the real history behind the term, we can better appreciate the challenges that many countries continue to face and the importance of building fairer, more sustainable, and truly sovereign societies.
India has rejected Pakistan’s accusation that it was behind a deadly terrorist attack in North Waziristan District earlier that day, calling the claim “false and malicious,” according to a statement from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. This comes after Islamabad accused New Delhi of sponsoring terrorism following an attack on Saturday morning in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province which borders Afghanistan.
In the attack, a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a military convoy, followed by indiscriminate firing. The Pakistan Army said 13 soldiers were killed and three civilians injured, including two children. AFP news agency initially reported, citing the authorities, that 29 civilians were injured in the attack.
Hours after the incident, the Pakistan Army’s Inter-Services Public Relations wing issued a statement accusing India of backing the terrorists: “In a cowardly attack, planned and orchestrated by the terrorist state of India and executed by its proxy Fitna al Khwarij, a Security Forces convoy was targeted today in the general area of Mir Ali, North Waziristan District.”
It went on to say: “The security forces of Pakistan, in step with the nation, remain steadfast in their resolve to eradicate Indian-sponsored terrorism from the country, and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers and innocent civilians further reinforce our unwavering commitment to safeguarding our nation at all costs.”
In another statement, the Pakistan Army said Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir visited Corps Headquarters in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where he was briefed on the security situation and ongoing counterterrorism operations.
Media reports earlier indicated that the Pakistani-based Taliban faction, the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, claimed responsibility for the bombing.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has long been a point of contention between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with Islamabad often blaming the Taliban for providing safe haven to outlawed militant groups that stage attacks on security personnel and civilians.
In March 2024, five Chinese workers and their local driver were killed in a suicide bomb attack in the province. Pakistan identified the attacker as an Afghan national and claimed the attack was planned in Afghanistan.
Kathmandu – The Education, Health and Information Technology Committee of the House of Representatives has reached an agreement to provide opportunities for those with degrees other than education to become school-level teachers.
However,The Teachers Service Commission has made the license exam mandatory.
The committee has passed a provision that every teacher must renew their license when changing their curriculum or every five years by taking the government-specified refresher training.
Kathmandu: The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority has stated that various districts in western Nepal are at high risk of heavy rain today and tomorrow. According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, it has issued a special bulletin stating that extremely heavy rain is possible in various areas of western Nepal. The Flood Division has placed 29 districts on yellow alert and has designated 5 areas for the districts marked yellow and warned to be vigilant.
According to the Flood Forecasting Division under the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, there is a risk of heavy rain in Baitadi, Dadeldhura, Doti, Achham, Kailali and Kanchanpur of Sudurpaschim Province, Surkhet, Dailekh and Salyan of Karnali Province, Banke, Bardiya and Dang of Lumbini Province. It is said that there is a possibility of heavy rain in one or two places in the high hilly areas of other provinces.
The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has reported that heavy rainfall has occurred in some places in Pyuthan, Doti, Baglung, and Kailali in the last 24 hours. It is currently cloudy across the country and it is raining in some places.
There is a possibility of medium to very heavy rainfall in some places in the hilly areas of Karnali Province, the hilly and terai areas of Sudurpaschim Province and Lumbini Province until the morning of Monday, Ashad 16. It is also said that there is a possibility of medium to very heavy rainfall in one or two places in the hilly areas of other provinces.
As there is a moderate risk of flash floods, high alert has been urged in the riverine areas.
Butwal – Amidst the dissatisfaction and controversy over the budget presented by the Lumbini Province government, the ruling Nepali Congress Province Working Committee meeting has passed a written decision to revise the budget.
The Congress meeting concluded that the rationale for the two-party mechanism from the center to the local level, formed in collaboration with the UML to run the government, has ended, stating that the budget has not been prepared in accordance with the spirit and essence of the purpose for which the two-party mechanism was created, meetings have not been held, and an effective role has not been played.
The meeting decided to revise the budget, concluding that the budget was prepared contrary to the suggestions and feelings given by party leaders and lawmakers in the meeting called to collect suggestions before preparing the budget.
The Minister for Economic Affairs of Lumbini Province is Dhanendra Karki of the Nepali Congress. He had presented a budget of Rs 38.19 billion in the provincial assembly on Ashad 1. The Minister of Economic Affairs of Lumbini Province is Dhanendra Karki of the Nepali Congress. However, due to dissatisfaction from Chet Narayan Acharya, who is the Chief Minister from UML, leaders of the ruling coalition Nepali Congress, and even the opposition parties, the discussion on the budget has not been able to begin.
The provincial assembly meeting called on Ashad 7 to start the discussion on the budget was also postponed indefinitely. It is alleged that Minister of Economic Affairs Dhanendra Karki, Minister of Urban Development Saroj Thapa (Rose Rana) and Minister of Physical Infrastructure Bhumishwar Dhakal dominated the budget of Lumbini Province.
Therefore, the meeting of the Nepali Congress Lumbini Province Committee has directed the parliamentary party to take the initiative to pass the budget for the fiscal year 2082/083 with amendments, concluding that it is focused only on individuals.
Serbian police have clashed with a huge crowd of anti-government protesters demanding an early election and end to President Aleksandar Vucic’s 12-year rule in the capital Belgrade.
Around 140,000 protesters rallied in the city, the largest turnout in recent months, as student-led demonstrations mount pressure on the populist government. “We want elections!” the crowd chanted.
Dozens have been arrested, with riot police seen firing tear gas and stun grenades.
President Vucic accused protesters calling for an election of being part of a foreign plot trying to usurp his country. “They wanted to topple Serbia, and they have failed,” he wrote on his Instagram page.
On Friday, five people were detained, accused of plotting to overthrow the government, according to a statement from Serbia’s Higher Court in Belgrade.Months of protests across the country – including university shutdowns – have rattled Mr Vucic, whose second term ends in 2027 when there are also parliamentary elections scheduled.
The president has previously refused snap elections. His Progressive Party-led coalition holds 156 of 250 parliamentary seats.Mr Vucic’s opponents accuse him and his allies of ties to organised crime, corruption, violence against rivals and curbing media freedoms, which they deny.
He has maintained close ties to Russia, and Serbia – a candidate for EU membership – has not joined the Western sanctions regime imposed on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. Protests by students, opposition, teachers, workers and farmers began last December after 16 people died on 1 November in the collapse of Novi Sad railway station’s roof. Protesters blame corruption for the disaster.The accident has already forced the former prime minister to resign.As Saturday’s protest ended, organisers played a statement to the crowd, calling for Serbians to “take freedom into your own hands” and giving them the “green light”.
“The authorities had all the mechanisms and all the time to meet the demands and prevent an escalation,” the organisers said in a statement on Instagram after the rally.
“Instead, they opted for violence and repression against the people. Any radicalisation of the situation is their responsibility.”
Despite Trump’s announcement of truce between Israel & Iran,Ground reality hits different
Trump’s announcement possibly “paves the way” for a ceasefire but the reality on the ground is very different, with sounds of explosions heard over the Iranian capital as air defence systems battle Israeli attacks.Sounds of several explosions have been heard across the Iranian capital, according to the country’s Tasnim news agency, amid reports that a ceasefire deal between Iran and Israel was reached and will come into effect in the next few hours.
In a post on X, Tasnim also reports that Iran activated air defence systems to repel the latest attacks carried out by Israeli aircraft.
According to Hamshahri News, “loud explosions” were heard in the west and centre of Tehran, as well as in the western suburb of Karaj.
“We haven’t received any official reaction from Tehran regarding the latest statement that came out from the US President Donald Trump,” Asadi said, adding that previous statements by Iran’s senior leaders signalled that an “imposed peace” would not be accepted.
“We have to keep in mind the previous statements that we heard from the Iranian leaders including the supreme leader of the country, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who came out to say a couple of days ago in a video message that we are not going to accept an imposed peace,” Asadi said.
“Whether the statement that we heard from the US president is going to be interpreted as an imposed peace or an agreed peace is something that we have to keep waiting for,” he said.
“A new emerging development on the ground here in Tehran is more sounds of explosions that we can hear related to the interception by air defence systems.”
The US Supreme Court has cleared the way for President Donald Trump’s administration to resume deportations of migrants to countries other than their homeland.
By 6-3, the justices reversed a lower court order requiring the government to give migrants a “meaningful opportunity” to tell officials what risks they might face being deported to a third country.
The court’s three liberal justices dissented from the majority ruling, saying it was “rewarding lawlessness”.The case involves eight migrants from Myanmar, South Sudan, Cuba, Mexico, Laos and Vietnam, who were deported in May on a plane said to be heading for South Sudan. The Trump administration said they were “the worst of the worst”.
Boston-based US District Judge Brian Murphy ruled the removals had violated an order he issued in April that migrants must have a chance to argue they could be tortured or killed if they were removed to third countries – even if their other legal appeals had already failed.
Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson criticised the majority’s unsigned decision on Monday, calling it a “gross abuse”.
“Apparently, the court finds the idea that thousands will suffer violence in farflung locales more palatable than the remote possibility that a district court exceeded its remedial powers when it ordered the government to provide notice and process to which the plaintiffs are constitutionally and statutorily entitled,” Sotomayor wrote.
“That use of discretion is as incomprehensible as it is inexcusable.” The Department of Homeland Security said the ruling was “a victory for the safety and security of the American people.””Fire up the deportation planes,” said the agency’s spokeswoman, Tricia McLaughlin.
The Trump administration said the eight migrants had committed “heinous crimes” in the US, including murder, arson and armed robbery.But the migrants’ lawyers said in a filing to the Supreme Court that many of the detainees had no criminal convictions. The National Immigration Litigation Alliance, which has represented the plaintiffs, called the court’s ruling “horrifying”.Its executive director, Trina Realmuto, said the decision exposed their clients to “torture and death”.Trump brought the case to the justices after a Boston-based appeals court last month declined to block the lower court ruling.
The original intervention by Judge Murphy, a Biden appointee, prompted the US government to keep the migrants in the Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti, where an American military base is located. US Solicitor General John Sauer told the Supreme Court that immigration agents had “been forced to establish a makeshift detention facility for dangerous criminals” in a converted conference room.Sauer said the government is often unable to deport violent criminal migrants to their homelands as those countries refuse to take them back, which he said allows them to stay in the US “victimising law-abiding Americans”.
Monday’s decision is another victory for the Republican president in his pursuit of mass deportations.Last month, the Supreme Court allowed Trump to end Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelan nationals, affecting about 350,000 migrants.
The justices also said the president could temporarily pause a humanitarian programme that has allowed nearly half a million migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to stay in the US for two years.BBC
US President Donald Trump says Israel and Iran have agreed to a “complete and total ceasefire”
Trump says the ceasefire is set to take effect in the coming hours. Iran and Israel are yet to confirm a ceasefire has been reached.Earlier, Iran launched missiles at a US airbase in Qatar in response to strikes on its nuclear sites on Saturday.
Trump said there were no US or Qatari casualties, called the Iranian response “very weak” and thanked Iran for “early notice” of it. Qatar said all the missiles aimed at the US-run Al Udeid base were intercepted and labelled the attack a “flagrant violation”
Iran’s response comes two days after the US launched massive strikes against three nuclear facilities inside Iran
Iran has attacked United States forces stationed at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, saying it was retaliating against the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites.
The attacks on Monday were confirmed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in a statement addressed to the Iranian people.
Consecutive flares, coupled with loud explosions, were seen in Qatar’s capital, Doha, and other parts of the country.The IRGC, in its statement, said it launched a “powerful and devastating missile attack” as part of Operation Annunciation of Victory in response to the “blatant military aggression” by the US on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The IRGC also said its “decisive action” sent a message to the White House and its allies that Iran would, “under no circumstances, leave any aggression against its territorial integrity, sovereignty, or national security unanswered”.
“US bases and mobile military assets in the region are not points of strength, but rather major vulnerabilities,” the statement warned.
Iran said it targeted the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar because it “serves as the command centre of the US Air Force and is the largest strategic asset of the American terrorist army in West Asia”.
Tehran also noted that the missile strike was conducted away from residential areas in Qatar.
“This action does not pose any threat to the friendly and brotherly country, Qatar, and its noble people, and the Islamic Republic of Iran remains committed to maintaining and continuing warm and historic relations with Qatar,” Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said in a statement.
Iran has a legitimate right to respond to Israel’s attacks, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said, accusing West Jerusalem of engaging in “banditry and state terrorism.”
He also compared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler.
Israel began bombing Iran on Friday, claiming Tehran is nearing the completion of a nuclear bomb. Iran dismissed the accusations and retaliated to the Israeli military operation with waves of drone and missile strikes on the Jewish state.
“It is entirely natural, legitimate, and lawful for Iran to defend itself against Israel’s banditry and state terrorism,” Erdogan stated on Wednesday during a parliamentary group meeting in Ankara.
The Turkish president strongly criticized Israel’s leadership for its acts of aggression, claiming that Netanyahu has “long surpassed the tyrant Hitler in the crime of genocide.”
He also condemned the global inaction over Israel’s aggression in Gaza, seen by the UN rights committee as characteristic of genocide, stating that “the blood of massacred civilians, murdered babies, and children is splattered not only on the hands and faces of those who support Israel’s arrogance, but also on those who remain silent.”
Türkiye is doing “everything we can” to stop what he called “inhumane aggression” not only against Iran, but also Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen, Erdogan insisted.
“Stopping Israel’s aggression is essential for the world and humanity,” he said. Ankara is staying vigilant and “closely monitoring Israel’s terrorist attacks on Iran,” he said.
Russia has condemned the Israeli campaign as illegal and warned that strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure could trigger a “nuclear catastrophe.” In a statement on Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Israel’s attacks on peaceful atomic sites violate international law and threaten global stability.
US President Donald Trump, however, has backed Israel and demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender.”
On Tuesday, he claimed that American forces and allies have achieved “complete and total control of the skies over Iran,” and said the US knew the location of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling him an “easy target.”
Iran’s supreme leader warns Donald Trump of “irreparable harm” if the US military intervenes in Tehran’s conflict with Israel. Ali Khamenei has responded to US President Donald Trump in a televised statement.
But this isn’t the first time he’s spoken to the US.Trump and Khamenei have been exchanging words online for some time now.
On Tuesday, Trump claimed to have “complete and total control of the skies over Iran”.
In another post on his Truth Social platform, he warned Khamenei: “We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now… [but] our patience is wearing thin.”
A final post read: “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”Trump is considering joining Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, the BBC’s US partner CBS News reports.
In his own flurry of posts on X on Wednesday, Khamenei warned that the US entering the “war” is “100% to its own detriment”.
He also wrote that it isn’t “wise” to tell Iran to surrender, adding that they “will never surrender in response to the attacks of anyone”.
Another X post read: “With his [Trump’s] absurd rhetoric, he demands that the Iranian people surrender to him… The Iranian nation isn’t frightened by such threats.”
The Middle East is once again at a dangerous crossroads as Israel’s war on Iran intensifies, igniting fires that now rage across Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen. What began as a long-simmering rivalry between Israel and Iran has exploded into open conflict, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spearheading military actions that risk dragging the entire region into prolonged war. The so-called reason behind Israel’s recent strikes — that Iran is racing toward nuclear weapons capability — remains steeped in controversy, with little verifiable evidence offered publicly and growing comparisons to the discredited pretext for the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq.
Israel’s direct attacks on Iranian military installations, alleged nuclear sites, and proxy forces have been accompanied by the most devastating assault on Gaza in modern memory. Netanyahu frames these operations as necessary to neutralize what he calls the “Iranian terror axis” and to defend Israel against existential threats. Yet, analysts and human rights groups argue that these claims mask deeper ambitions: regional dominance, the destruction of Palestinian and Lebanese resistance, and Netanyahu’s own political survival.
The current wave of violence has its roots in decades of enmity. Israel has long viewed Iran as its principal strategic rival in the region, citing Tehran’s support for Hezbollah in Lebanon, Palestinian factions like Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and militias in Syria and Iraq. Tensions escalated dramatically following the collapse of the Iran nuclear deal — the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — after the Trump administration’s withdrawal in 2018. Since then, both Israel and the United States have repeatedly accused Iran of covertly advancing toward a nuclear weapon. These accusations have provided justification for cyberattacks, assassinations of Iranian scientists, and now, a sustained military campaign.
However, much like the fabricated claims of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction that paved the way for the 2003 invasion, evidence of an imminent Iranian nuclear bomb has not been presented to the international community in any transparent or verifiable form. UN nuclear inspectors with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have reported Iranian enrichment activities exceeding limits set by the JCPOA, but have stopped short of concluding that Iran is building a bomb. Critics of Israel’s narrative argue that Netanyahu is exploiting the nuclear fear to galvanize Western support and to legitimize actions that otherwise would be condemned as unprovoked aggression.
The United States and European Union have largely embraced Israel’s framing of the war. Washington has pledged unwavering support, supplying billions of dollars in military aid, advanced weapons, and diplomatic protection at the United Nations. European leaders, including Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, have echoed this stance. Von der Leyen has described Israel’s military actions as a rightful defense of democracy against terrorism and extremism. This has fueled outrage across the Global South and among international rights organizations, who accuse Western powers of enabling war crimes and turning a blind eye to what they increasingly characterize as acts of genocide, especially in Gaza.
While Israel’s confrontation with Iran dominates headlines, the humanitarian cost is most visible in Gaza. Since October 2023, Israeli forces have unleashed a ferocious assault on the enclave, flattening neighborhoods, hospitals, schools, and refugee camps. More than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed, the majority women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The United Nations warns of imminent famine and mass displacement, with the territory reduced to rubble. Despite mounting evidence of widespread civilian suffering, ceasefire efforts at the UN Security Council have been repeatedly blocked by the United States and its allies.
Netanyahu’s strategy, according to many observers, is not only to degrade Iran’s influence but to reshape the map of the region in Israel’s favor. His government, dominated by ultra-nationalists and hardliners, envisions permanent Israeli control over the West Bank, a depopulated and weakened Gaza, and a Lebanon stripped of Hezbollah’s military power. In pursuing this vision, Netanyahu has leveraged the war to deflect attention from his domestic troubles, including ongoing corruption trials and fierce opposition to his efforts to weaken Israel’s judiciary.
The specter of Iraq hangs heavily over the unfolding crisis. In 2003, the world watched as the United States, with the backing of allies, invaded Iraq on the false pretext that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. No such weapons were ever found, but the war shattered Iraq, destabilized the region, and cost hundreds of thousands of lives. Today, many fear a similar pattern is repeating itself, with Iran cast as the new existential threat and war justified on dubious grounds.
As Israel’s military operations continue, and with no sign of diplomatic breakthrough, the risk of a full-scale regional war grows by the day. The lessons of the past, it seems, have gone unheeded. Without an urgent shift toward accountability, diplomacy, and justice for the region’s peoples, the Middle East stands on the brink of yet another devastating chapter.
Editor’s Note:
This article draws on information from UN agencies, the IAEA, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and public statements by Israeli, US, and European officials. For further reading, see:
Kathmandu — The ruling party Nepali Congress has called an emergency meeting of the Central Working Committee. According to Krishna Prasad Poudel, Chief Secretary of the Nepali Congress Central Office, the emergency meeting has been called for Wednesday, Asad 4.
The office bearers, and members of the Central Working Committee have been called to the meeting. Earlier, the Nepali Congress had called a meeting of the Central Working Committee for Asad 15.
Kathmandu — Rastriya Swatantra Party MP Manish Jha has made it clear that he will not back down from his demand for an investigation into those involved in organized crime of visit visa and human trafficking.
Talking to reporters at the Federal Parliament Building in New Baneshwor on Tuesday, he said that he understood the importance of the bills the government is introducing and is ready to provide political support to the bills, but the government should also listen to their demands. He has been adamant that a high-level investigation commission, judicial committee or parliamentary special investigation committee should be formed to investigate those involved in the visit visa case.
After the name of Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak was also linked to the visit visa case, the Rastriya Swatantra Party has been continuously obstructing the parliament demanding the resignation of the Home Minister .
Kathmandu- Addressing a program organized on the occasion of the 34th Foundation Day of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, President Ram Chandra Poudel has said that the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority should not yield to anyone’s pressure or influence and work without considering the offense and the offender big or small.
He also said that in a situation where the nature and form of corruption is changing, the investigation and prosecution process should also be modernized and that the attention of all parties concerned should be drawn to the issue as some problems and complaints are being received even if the bills related to corruption are not disposed of for a long time.
He also said that by qualitatively improving the living standards of the citizens, we should work for the interest, welfare and international image of the country by making integrity, impartiality, transparency and fearlessness fulfilling the high aspirations of the people for development and good governance, and since Nepal is also a party to the International Convention on the Control of Corruption, it is necessary to amend our laws and mechanisms in accordance with the provisions mentioned in it.
Pokhara- Pokhara Metropolitan City, which was declared the tourism capital on Chaitra 4, is preparing to celebrate 2025 as Pokhara Visit Year.
A 1,051-member main organizing committee has been formed under the coordination of Pokhara Metropolitan City Mayor Dhanraj Acharya, a 51-member director committee led by Mayor Acharya, and another 15-member work execution committee.
The metropolis has set a target of bringing 2 million tourists to Pokhara during the visit year.
The metropolis has also urged tourism entrepreneurs to promote tourism and provide various package programs for tourists during the visit year. The information issued by the metropolis states that the packages should be made available in the metropolis by Magh 28.
Pokhara Metropolitan City Mayor Dhanraj Acharya has planned to run programs to promote Pokhara throughout the visit year and also announce a goodwill ambassador to promote Pokhara abroad.
Biratnagar – Speaking in a press conference at Biratnagar on Monday morning, CPN-UML leader and former Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal said that the government is moving towards dictatorship and the authoritarianism of the Congress-UML is taking the country towards decline.
Stating that the country is currently facing a political crisis and is becoming weaker overall, he said that the authoritarianism of the two parties is pushing the country towards decline rather than progress.
He also said that there is no justification for amending the constitution when the constitution is not being fully implemented, saying that the government’s attitude has challenged democratic values and corrupt people are getting immunity after the formation of the Congress-UML coalition government.
Kathmandu – Today’s meeting of the House of Representatives under the federal parliament will be held at 1 pm at the Parliament Building, New Baneshwor.
Today’s agenda includes the presentation of the ‘Annual Report of the National Natural Resources and Finance Commission, 2080/81’ by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
In the assembly, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Poudel will present a proposal to ‘discuss the Secure Transactions (First Amendment) Bill, 2080 along with the report of the Finance Committee.’
Similarly, the Finance Minister will present a proposal to ‘pass the Secure Transactions (First Amendment) Bill, 2081’.
Kathmandu- The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case against suspended mayor of Nagarjuna Municipality Mohan Bahadur Basnet on charges of abusing his position to acquire illegal assets worth around Rs 87 million.
CIAA claims that during his term in office he purchased land, constructed and renovated houses, and purchased apartments from the money he received illegally.
The CIAA has called it ‘abuse of public office’, saying that the trend of unnatural income has increased since he became the mayor of Nagarjuna Municipality. The CIAA has also filed a case against his wife Urmila Basnet to seize the assets that were hidden and managed by her.
The CIAA has already filed a corruption case against Nagarjuna Mayor Basnet. The case filed by the CIAA against him for illegally engaging in plotting and misusing municipal resources to benefit from the plotting is pending in a special court.
Dolakha — Houses built encroaching on Nepali Army land have been removed. 39 houses built encroaching on the land of Melung Rural Municipality-6, Tudikhel, have been removed, said Chief District Officer Shivaram Gelal.
The houses built encroaching on Nepali Army land were removed by a team including the Garuda Dal, APF and Armed Police of the Nepali Army. The houses built on army land were demolished by using a dozer, he said.
‘We have started the work as part of the campaign to remove encroachment by issuing a notice to demolish houses built on public land,’ he said. ‘We have asked to remove and not build permanent and temporary structures from areas where public land has been encroached on throughout the district.’
In 2007 BS, there was an army contingent in Melung, which was the headquarters of Dolakha and Ramechhap. In 2018 BS, Melung, which was an administrative unit of two districts, was removed as the headquarters after the political division that took place in the same year.
The Garuda Dal Battalion of the Nepali Army had requested the administration to remove the encroachment on its land to conduct training. In Melung, 69 ropanis of land has been acquired in the name of the Nepali Army. The Garuda Dal Battalion has stated that it will conduct training after the encroachment is removed.
Kathmandu – The National Democracy Day, 2081 Main Celebration Committee has been formed under the chairmanship of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. As per the proposal of the Ministry of Home Affairs, it has been decided to celebrate the day with grandeur by passing the proposal of the Main Celebration Committee, various sub-committees and various programs after discussion.
The Main Celebration Committee formed under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister will include Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers and Ministers of State, Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Chief Secretary to the Government of Nepal, Chief of Army Staff, Mayor of Lalitpur Metropolitan City, Secretaries to the Government of Nepal and Special Category Gazetted Officers, Chiefs of Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and National Investigation Department, and Mayors of Municipalities in Kathmandu Valley.
Similarly, a sub-committee has been formed with the participation of concerned bodies and parties for publicity, stage decoration, ground parade and exercise management, cultural tableau management, and cultural diversity display management. Similarly, it has been decided to form a provincial-level celebration committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister in all seven provinces and celebrate the day by organizing various programs.
This day is celebrated every Falgun 7 in memory of the historic day of the establishment of democracy on Falgun 7, 2007. This year, democracy day will be celebrated for three days on Falgun 6, 7 and 8 at Nepalese embassies, diplomatic missions and consulates in Nepal and abroad, and the main program will be organized at the Nepal Army Forum, Tundikhel on Falgun 7.
Kathmandu – The Association of Private Medical and Dental Colleges of Nepal, an organization of private medical and dental colleges, has decided not to provide government-level (eighth-level) subsistence allowance to studying resident doctors.
Earlier, the 16th meeting of the Medical Education Commission chaired by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had decided to provide a subsistence allowance to resident doctors studying in private medical colleges at the same rate as government-level eighth-level medical officers.
Similarly, on 14th Magh, Health Minister Pradeep Poudel and Education Minister Bidya Bhattarai made a three-point decision, the first of which was to provide a subsistence allowance of Rs. 25,000 for the first year, Rs. 30,000 for the second year, and Rs. 35,000 for the third year to resident doctors studying at the postgraduate level in private medical colleges. The second point was to provide a subsistence allowance to resident doctors studying at the postgraduate level from the academic session 2081 and 2082 as per the scholarship guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Population, and the resident doctors who want to study for free should commit to serving in the same educational institution for two years after their studies.
Expressing disagreement with the government’s decision, the Association of Private Medical and Dental Colleges of Nepal, an organization of private medical and dental colleges, issued a statement on Saturday, stating that it would not be possible to provide postgraduate teaching with a subsistence allowance equivalent to the eighth level without ensuring the resources to operate postgraduate educational programs.
It was decided that private medical colleges would provide decent facilities to resident doctors studying at the postgraduate (PG) level in accordance with the university and medical council and prevailing labor laws. After the decision, resident doctors expressed dissatisfaction and intensified their agitation, the government has been providing a subsistence allowance similar to the government (eighth level).
Pokhara- Speaking at the inauguration of the Gandaki Province Convention of the Unified Socialist Party held in Pokhara, Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal has accused the government of bringing the ordinance to loot the country, benefit middlemen and encourage the corruption.
If the ordinance was brought for the people, why was it brought overnight and for what purpose, he questioned, and accused the government of trying to loot the country by trying to amend 30 laws through 6 ordinances brought by deceiving the parliament.
He urged the leaders and workers present to face the challenges without getting discouraged and move forward, clarifying that there will be no unity with the UML or the Maoist parties as rumored in the market. However, he said that cooperation with parties with similar views is possible.
The convention was attended by 400 representatives from 11 districts of the province and 550 people including organizers, informed the party’s Gandaki Province Chairman Srinath Baral. The convention will elect a 143-member provincial committee, including a chairperson, two vice-chairpersons, a secretary, and three joint secretaries, representing different geographical and sectoral backgrounds. Baral informed that the committee’s tenure will be four years.
Kathmandu – The first general convention of Nepal Samajwadi Party (Naya Shakti) led by Dr. Baburam Bhattarai is beginning today at Nepal Pragya Pratishthan.
All preparations for the general convention to be held from Magh 27 to 29 have been completed and around 1,500 delegates from across the country will participate in the general convention,Coordinator of the general convention management committee Hisila Yami informed.
She said Nepal Samajwadi Party (Naya Shakti) will strengthen internal democracy within the political party and prioritize party consolidation, good political practice, and building an organization with an inclusive character in line with the spirit of the constitution. At the same time, a 99-member central committee including 11 office bearers will be elected through the general convention, Naya Shakti has stated that there is a possibility of collaboration with the country’s progressive, alternative and transformative political forces.
Coordinator Yami said that the general convention will prioritize strengthening the internal democracy within the political party, strengthening the party, practicing good political practices, and building an organization with an inclusive character in line with the spirit of the constitution.
Janakpur- Most private hospitals in Janakpur have been found to be operating illegally. Most private hospitals from Mujelia to Bhramarpurachowk in Janakpurdham have been found to be operating illegally.
Following continuous complaints of serious negligence in treatment, Madhesh Chief Minister Satish Kumar Singh had monitored 20 hospitals in Janakpurdham on Saturday.
During the monitoring, it was found that most of the hospitals were operating without registration and those that were registered were also operating against standards, according to the Chief Minister’s Office.
On Saturday, the Chief Minister had monitored Jeevan Jyoti Hospital and Research Center Pvt. Ltd., BN Hospital and Research Center Pvt. Ltd., Janakpur Sita Hospital Pvt. Ltd., Janakpur Grande Hospital Pvt. Ltd., Rama Memorial Hospital and Research Center, Multi-Specialty Hospital and Trauma Center.
Similarly, the Chief Minister also visited Summer Hospital, Care Medical Center Pvt. Ltd., Nepal Apollo Hospital Pvt. Ltd., Shriram Hospital Pvt. Ltd., Nayana Hospital & Pvt. Ltd., Armaan Hospital Pvt. Ltd., andMihilal International Pvt. Ltd.
During the monitoring, Chief Minister Singh also visited Sahyog Hospital Pvt. Ltd., Janakpur Modern Hospital and Research Center Pvt. Ltd., Maa Gayatri Memorial Hospital Pvt. Ltd., Max Hospital and Research Center Pvt. Ltd., Swastika Healthcare Hospital Pvt. Ltd., Life Care and Research Center Pvt. Ltd. and Om Dirghayu Hospital Pvt. Ltd.
The Chief Minister directed the immediate closure of hospitals operating without permission from the federal, provincial and local governments as per the law. After it was found that most hospitals in Janakpurdham were operating without meeting the standards of manpower, physical infrastructure, equipment, cleanliness, etc., the Chief Minister directed the hospital operators to lock them by Sunday.
Chief Minister Singh has directed the operators of hospitals that have been operating illegally and have not met the criteria despite receiving approval to contact the government on Sunday with all documents. He has also warned hospitals that have received approval but not renewed, are in the approval process, and are operating without approval to operate their services only after obtaining legality.
Kathmandu- Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is set to deliver a special address at the Lumbini Provincial Assembly. He will deliver a special address on Falgun 5, informed Speaker of the Provincial Assembly Tula Ram Gharti Magar. According to him, Prime Minister Oli will address the Provincial Assembly meeting on Falgun 5 at 1 pm.
Speaker Tula Ram Gharti Magar has sent an invitation letter to Prime Minister Oli through Chief Minister Chet Narayan Acharya on behalf of the Provincial Assembly for a special address at the Provincial Assembly meeting. The invitation has been made in accordance with Sub-rule (2) of Rule 220 of the Lumbini Provincial Assembly Rules, 2079 BS.
Prime Minister Oli is scheduled to address a meeting to be held in Ghorahi after the special address at the Provincial Assembly meeting and to participate in the Senate meeting of the Rapti Institute of Health Sciences on the 6th falgun.
Kathmandu- Senior advocate Rabinarayan Khanal has won the position of councilor of the Legal Practitioners Council from Bagmati Province.
He defeated rival senior advocate Parshuram Koirala by a margin of 578 votes. Khanal received 2,355 votes, while Koirala received 1,777 votes, according to the election committee.
Khanal belongs to the Progressive Professional Legal Practitioners Organization close to UML. He was also supported by the Revolutionary Legal Practitioners Organization close to Maoists.
Koirala had filed his candidacy on behalf of the Nepal Democratic Lawyers Association close to the Congress. He was supported by the Legal Practitioners Organization close to the Unified Socialist Party of Nepal.
The council is an organization that monitors and regulates the professional code of conduct of legal practitioners. Its chairman is the Attorney General.According to the system of selecting one councilor from each of the seven provinces, the voting for the Bagmati Province councilor was held at the Supreme Court premises.
There were 8,200 voters in Bagmati Province alone.Earlier, senior advocate Dr. Chandrakant Gyawali was elected as the councilor of Bagmati Province.The term of office of a councilor is five years.
Similarly,Raju Dhakal from Koshi Province, Sanjeev Kumar Mallik from Madhes, Dayaram Gautam from Gandaki, Ishwori Prasad Gyawali from Lumbini, Matrika Prasad Khanal from Karnali and Tek Bahadur Kathayat from Sudurpaschim have won the election.
Candidates of the DLA (Congress)-led alliance have won in Koshi, Madhes, Gandaki, Lumbini and Sudurpaschim provinces. An alliance was formed between the Nepali Congress and the organization of legal practitioners close to the Unified Socialist Party in this election.
Candidates of the UML-Maoist alliance have won only in Bagmati and Karnali.
Kathmandu – Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has directed the Nepal Police to conduct a fair investigation based on evidence and facts without any pressure.
Inaugurating ‘The Blue Pavilion’ built on the premises of the Nepal Police Club in Bhrikutimandap, Prime Minister Oli has directed them to move forward firmly in maintaining the rule of law and peace and security in the country.
‘You should act according to the expectations of the people. The people expect impartial and good behavior from the police. Therefore, you should work according to the constitution and law, keeping the interests of the country and the people at the center,’ he said. ‘Investigate any smugglers, corrupt people and fraudsters with confidence. Work more effectively by maintaining peace and order in the country and keeping in mind national interests and unity.’
At the program, Prime Minister Oli released the History of Nepal Police Part-2 and honored the officers, technicians, and builders who contributed to the construction of the building.
Gulmi- The government-leading CPN-UML has sought the support of the main opposition party, the CPN-Maoist Center, to pass the ordinance in parliament.
UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel has called Maoist Center Deputy General Secretary Barshaman Pun and requested his help in the ordinance.
Maoist Center Deputy General Secretary Barshaman Pun said that UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel had called him to seek his help in the ordinance. Pun said that Pokharel had called him while addressing the Chandrakot Rural Municipality convention of the Maoist Center Gulmi but he made it clear during the conversation that he could not help the government in the ordinance. Deputy Secretary General Pun commented that the UML is worried that the ordinance will be rejected.Pun said that the UML, which had bypassed them by being arrogant to govern through the ordinance, started asking for help after it got into trouble. He urged that if there is a good intention to solve the country’s problems, the ordinance should be withdrawn and the bill should be brought procedurally.
The ordinances were to be submitted for decision in the meeting of the House of Representatives and the National Assembly on Thursday. However, despite having a comfortable majority in the House of Representatives, the government had requested the Speaker to remove them from the agenda at the last minute because they were in a minority in the National Assembly.
Nuwakot – CPN-UML Senior Vice President Ishwor Pokharel has claimed that the ordinance brought in parliament by the government will be passed.
At a press conference organized by Press Chautari in Bidur, Nuwakot on Saturday, Pokharel, who is also a former Deputy Prime Minister, said that there is no point in those outside the government opposing the ordinance. He claimed that the ordinance has been submitted to the House of Representatives and will be passed by both the houses.
Senior Vice President Pokharel said that discussions and agreement are underway on passing the bill by both houses with a majority . He also said that the current government will continue for the specified period as per the agreement made by the equation.
He said that the current equation has been created to get the country out of problems. Pokharel said that the current government will continue as long as the ruling parties, Congress and UML, continue to be honest.
The Russian Foreign Ministry strongly condemns the Ukrainian military’s attack on the city of Makeyevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.
“We strongly condemn this heinous act of terrorism. The Kiev regime’s Western sponsors are directly involved in it as they keep provoking the current Ukrainian authorities to commit atrocities. Apart from Ukrainian neo-Nazis, the West’s ruling circles are also responsible for this as they continue to stubbornly and irresponsibly flood the Ukrainian army with weapons,” the statement reads.
“We call on all responsible governments and international organizations to condemn another terrorist attack. Silence in response to the barbaric crimes of Ukrainian Nazis amounts to complicity in their atrocities,” Zakharova noted.
According to her, attacks on residential areas make it clear that Vladimir Zelensky’s regime is in agony as it is trying to kill as many Russians as possible in order to please its Western handlers.
According to the latest reports, the attack killed a young girl and left another 11 people, including two children, injured.
A judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump from placing 2,200 workers at the US Agency for International Development (USAID) on paid leave, hours before it was due to happen.
Judge Carl Nichols issued a “limited” temporary restraining order, in response to a last-minute lawsuit filed by two unions trying to save the agency.The order will remain in place for a week, until 14 February at midnight.
Trump has argued that USAID, the overseas aid agency, is not a valuable use of taxpayer money and wants to dismantle it – he plans to put nearly all of the agency’s 10,000 employees on leave, except 611 workers.Some 500 staff had already been put on administrative leave and another 2,200 were due to join them from midnight on Friday (05:00 GMT).
But the last-minute lawsuit on Friday argued the government was violating the US Constitution, and also that the workers were suffering harm.The judge will also consider a request for a longer-term pause at a hearing on Wednesday.
It is unclear from the court order what will happen to the remaining staff’s jobs.As the ruling came, officials had been removing and covering USAID signs at the organisation’s headquarters in Washington DC.
All 10 people aboard the Bering Air plane that crashed in Alaska on Thursday were killed, the Associated Press reported, citing the US Coast Guard.
It is unclear yet what caused the accident. The plane was traveling from Unalakleet to Nome with nine passengers and a pilot when it went missing.
NBC reported the plane’s debris were found 34 miles (55 kilometers) southeast of Nome.
This is the third serious plane crash in the US in less than two weeks. On January 31, a Learjet 55 medical flight crashed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The accident killed at least 7 people and 19 others were hospitalized.
On January 29, an American Airlines jetliner and an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided near Washington, DC’s Ronald Reagan Airport, killing 67 people.
Kathmandu – Health workers, including doctors, have been assaulted at Bir Hospital.
The attack on health workers, including doctors, was reported at 4:30 pm on Friday in the hospital’s operating room, according to hospital director Dr. Santosh Poudel.
Professor Dr. Sharad Pokharel and Sanumaya Magar, who were deployed in the surgical service, and other health workers were attacked.
The hospital has stated that 21-year-old Ramchandra Khadka of Gokulganga Rural Municipality-6 in Ramechhap was involved in the incident. Director Poudel has demanded that he be taken to the fullest extent of the law.
Kathmandu – Police have said that the fire at the Ministry of Water Supply in Singha Durbar has been brought under control.
A fire broke out on the fourth floor of the building of the Ministry of Water Supply, which is attached to the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure , at 8:46 this morning. The fire broke out in the minister’s office in the morning and the police were able to bring the fire under control as soon as it was discovered.
According to the police, the building of the Ministry of Water Supply has been damaged in the fire. Ministry of Water Supply has been damaged due to the fire and the details of other damage have not yet been confirmed.
Police have also said that two employees of the ministry have been taken into custody and are being questioned as the incident is suspicious.
Janakpur- Chief Minister Satish Kumar Singh has directed to immediately close Muskan Hospital in Janakpur, citing negligence in treatment and registration.
After news was published that there was negligence in the gallbladder surgery and the patient had not recovered even 20 days after the surgery, Chief Minister Singh, who went to monitor the hospital, came to know that the hospital was being operated illegally without even registering it and ordered to close the hospital and hand over the keys.
After it was found that the hospital was not registered, Chief Minister Singh directed to manage the three patients undergoing treatment here in other hospitals and to lock the hospital by 11 am and hand over the keys to the government, and also directed to immediately take Babita Kumari Yadav out in another hospital and provide proper treatment.
After undergoing gallbladder surgery on Magh 3, 25-year-old Babita Kumari Yadav of Haripurwa Municipality Ward No. 5 in Sarlahi is still unconscious.
Kathmandu — 17 Americans and 1 Indian national have been arrested on charges of religious propaganda. They were arrested on charges of religious propaganda under the guise of labor donations while coming on tourist visas.
Police said that they were arrested after they preached religion while coming on labor donations to build a building for the Prerna Kalyankari Samaj at Deurali Saugat Chowk, Dharan Sub-metropolitan City-5, Sunsari. The District Administration Office, Sunsari, has handed them over to the Immigration Department for further investigation.
According to the Sunsari administration, American citizens Ryan Matthew Carter, Silas Daniel Fox, Russell Thomas Howells, Rose Brian Howells, Mark Alan Summers Matthew Brian Kennedy, Patrick Irvin Summers, Duane Michael Godling, Benjamin Ward Kaufman, Brian Ward Kaufman, Dylan Jackson Bonzo, Kathleen Sue Moore, Dawson Andrew Carter, James Nathan Austin, William Raymond Viviano Jr., Kenneth David Gray and James Ray Murphy III have been arrested. Similarly, a citizen of the Indian state of West Bengal, Basant Lama has also been arrested.
They have been taken into custody at the District Police Office, Sunsari, and their passports have been sent to the Immigration Department for investigation. According to the police, the investigation process was initiated against them after it was learned that they had reached Dharan for construction on Magh 22. An official said, “When their passports were checked, they were found to have entered Nepal on a tourist visa, but they violated their visa and build a church building. Therefore, further investigation is underway by taking their passports into custody.”
The arrested American citizens entered Nepal only on a 15-day visa, an official involved in the investigation said. According to immigration sources, an investigation is underway to determine what action to take against them based on the severity of their offense. The Immigration Act-2049 provides for the possibility of deporting them, preventing them from entering Nepal for a certain period.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has vowed to continue its judicial work after US President Donald Trump signed an order to impose sanctions on its staff.
The ICC said it “stands firmly” by its personnel and the order seeks to harm its “independent and impartial” work.
Trump’s order accuses it of “illegitimate and baseless actions”, after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu over alleged war crimes in Gaza, which Israel denies. The ICC also issued a warrant for a Hamas commander.
The ICC is a global court, although the US and Israel are not members, with the power to bring prosecutions for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
In recent years, it has also issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin over alleged war crimes in Ukraine, Taliban leaders for “persecuting Afghan girls and women” and Myanmar’s military leader for crimes against the Rohingya Muslims.
The sanctions place financial and visa restrictions on individuals and their families who assist in ICC investigations of American citizens or allies.
Reacting to Trump’s order, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, said on X that the ICC “must be able to freely pursue the fight against global impunity”.”Europe will always stand for justice and the respect of international law,” she said.The Netherlands, which hosts the court, said it “regrets” Trump’s order.
The US has repeatedly rejected any jurisdiction by the body over American officials or citizens, and has accused the ICC of placing constraints on Israel’s right to self-defence, while ignoring Iran and anti-Israel groups.
While the US is not a member of the ICC, the former clerk to the court’s first chief prosecutor warned the sanctions could have “a profound practical impact” on its operations.
“The sanctions… do have the potential of freezing property and assets, as well as suspending entry into the United States of ICC officials and their immediate family members,” said Zachary Kaufman.
In his first term in office in 2020, Trump imposed sanctions on ICC officials who were investigating whether US forces had committed war crimes in Afghanistan.This included a travel ban and asset freezes against former chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda.Those sanctions were lifted by President Joe Biden’s administration.
Last month, the US House of Representatives voted to sanction the ICC, but the bill foundered in the Senate.
The BRICS congress will be held in June where it is planned to establish the BRICS Agrarian Alliance, told Lyudmila Orlova, president of the National Movement for Conservation Agriculture . The official proposal to join the alliance as a founding member has already been sent to Brazil, the group’s chairing nation in 2025. Other members and observer states have already expressed an interest in the new alliance, for example, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
The new alliance aims to unite the countries’ efforts in the field of agriculture and technologies in the environmental sphere by proposing an alternative to Western cooperation models. Orlova noted that various programs are being developed with separate leaders, not necessarily representing the Russian side. It is possible that the BRICS Agrarian Alliance will function on the basis of a rotating chairmanship.
“We do remember that earlier, both within BRICS and G20, platforms were created precisely to exchange information in the area of agricultural collaboration. Each BRICS country was responsible for a certain track. And it was much better organized precisely in this group,” said Viktoriya Panova, head of the BRICS Expert Council.
The formation of the BRICS Agrarian Alliance in 2025 has been triggered not only by economic but by strategic reasons as well. Amid the growing competition between global centers, the countries in the group aim to bolster food security and lower dependence on Western institutions. An important factor is Washington and Brussels’ tough sanctions pressure on Russia which reverberates on themselves and on global food chains in general. African and Asian developing countries are the ones that suffer the most.
“This is happening amid the escalation of a food crisis across the world as well as a weak regulation of agricultural trade for main supplying countries. The agrarian alliance will allow for organizing controlled tenders, concluding profitable trade contracts and formulating the rules of payment in national currencies in order to control prices on the global agricultural market. The fact that this idea is being promoted by the leaders of the developing world can be viewed as an attempt to influence the global management in the field without the involvement of Western countries,” said associate professor at Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO University) Denis Kuznetsov .
Kathmandu – The Education, Health and Information Technology Committee under the House of Representatives, which met at Singha Durbar on Friday, has directed the government to hold the 10th National Games on the scheduled date.
Committee Chairman Ammar Bahadur Thapa said that the committee meeting has directed the Sports Ministry to hold the National Games to be held in Karnali Province on the scheduled date.
Sports Minister Tejulal Chaudhary said in the meeting that although the National Games were supposed to be held in Falgun, it had to be postponed to Chaitra for various reasons. Due to legal problems, preparations for infrastructure and other things could not be made on time and there was no coordination between the ministry and the National Sports Council.
In the meeting, the committee members suggested that the government should coordinate among sports bodies and hold the competition on time. The committee held discussions with the Ministry of Youth and Sports regarding the current status of the National Games to be held in the coming days, the activities done, the problems and the future direction.
Kathmandu- Resident doctors studying in private medical colleges will receive a maintenance allowance equivalent to the government level (8th level).
The 16th meeting of the Medical Education Commission held on Friday has taken this decision, informed the Secretariat of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
In the meeting of the commission held at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Singha Durbar, it was decided to maintain the same facilities for resident doctors at 48,700 per month based on discussions with the concerned parties and reports received. Currently, private medical colleges are providing a maintenance allowance of 20,000 per month.
The secretariat has said that a decision will be taken soon from the commission meeting after further discussions on other issues. The meeting also discussed the issue of charging an annual fee of 2.3 million from students who do not agree to work after study in the concerned college for two years.
In the meeting, Private Medical College Association Chairman Prof. Dr. Gyanendra Man Singh Karki had urged a decision to be made after the working procedures were finalized. However, the secretariat said that Prime Minister Oli, co-chairmen Minister for Health and Population Pradeep Poudel and Minister for Education, Science and Technology Bidya Bhattarai had made it clear that they could not back down from their commitment to providing equal facilities to resident doctors.
Kathmandu – Dalit rights activists have protested at the Nepali Congress central office in Sanepa, demanding the resignation of Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak and action against him, saying that Satyandra Kumar Ram (Chamar) and Neha Rauniyar, who had an inter-caste marriage were arrested on the instructions of the Home Minister.
A team led by Dalit rights activist Khagendra Sunar reached the central office, Sanepa and protested, demanding the resignation of the Home Minister and action against him. The team has submitted a letter of attention to the Secretary of the Central Office, Dr. Pradeep Parajuli.
They reached the Congress office carrying placards with slogans such as ‘Take action against the Home Minister who commits violence against Dalits, dismiss the Home Minister involved in caste violence’.
Pokhara – Britain’s Prince Edward, who is on a visit to Nepal, has administered the oath of office and secrecy to 274 Nepali new recruits in the British Army.
After reciting the Swastishanti mantra according to Hindu scriptures, the duke and duchess of Edinburgh administered the oath to the Nepali soldiers at a ceremony organized at the British Camp in Pokhara. They also presented medals to British ex-servicemen who had served for a long time. Prince Edward and his wife arrived in Kathmandu last Tuesday on a private visit. They will return home on Magh 27.
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), the White House said.
“I, Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America, find that the International Criminal Court (ICC), as established by the Rome Statute, has engaged in illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel. The ICC has, without a legitimate basis, asserted jurisdiction over and opened preliminary investigations concerning personnel of the United States and certain of its allies, including Israel, and has further abused its power by issuing baseless arrest warrants targeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant,” the document said.
“The United States unequivocally opposes and expects our allies to oppose any ICC actions against the United States, Israel, or any other ally of the United States that has not consented to ICC jurisdiction. The United States remains committed to accountability and to the peaceful cultivation of international order, but the ICC and parties to the Rome Statute must respect the decisions of the United States and other countries not to subject their personnel to the ICC’s jurisdiction, consistent with their respective sovereign prerogatives,” the executive order said.
“The United States will impose tangible and significant consequences on those responsible for the ICC’s transgressions, some of which may include the blocking of property and assets, as well as the suspension of entry into the United States of ICC officials, employees, and agents, as well as their immediate family members, as their entry into our nation would be detrimental to the interests of the United States,” the document said.
“I therefore determine that any effort by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute protected persons <…> constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, and I hereby declare a national emergency to address that threat,” Trump said in his executive order.
On November 21, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the Palestinian territories, including the Gaza Strip, between at least October 8, 2023 and May 20, 2024. Both men could be criminally liable for murder, persecution and other inhumane acts, as well as for deliberately inflicting starvation on civilians as a method of warfare, the judges said.
In June 2020, Trump had already signed a similar executive order during his first term as US president, which also allowed for the introduction of restrictions on ICC members. Then the next US administration, led by Joe Biden, lifted the sanctions against the ICC that Trump had imposed during his first term in the White House from 2017-2021.
Kathmandu – Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is scheduled to hold a virtual dialogue with the Chief Ministers of all seven provinces from the Action Room of the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers at 1 pm today.
Even as the seven months of the current fiscal year are about to end, the capital expenditure situation of the provincial governments is not satisfactory, and on the other hand, the work done by the provincial governments is not seen to be effective due to the frequent changes of provincial secretaries, lack of necessary laws, etc., so Prime Minister Oli is scheduled to hold a dialogue with the Chief Ministers of all seven provinces regarding the progress of development and construction projects, according to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat.
After discussing with the Chief Ministers for about an hour, Prime Minister Oli will participate in the preparatory meeting for the Sagarmatha Sambad at 2 pm, according to his Secretariat.
Kathmandu- The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed another corruption case against Sunil Poudel, former Managing Director of Nepal Telecom and then Executive Director of the National Information Technology Center, on charges of accepting bribe by supplying goods in collusion with a contractor company.
The charge sheet of the authority states that Poudel, the then Executive Director of the center, prepared the bid in collusion and even accepted the proposal for the procurement of supply, delivery, and installation of security appliances and network equipment called for in the fiscal year 2074/75, and that he accepted a bribe of Rs 30 million, 850 thousand, 400 while purchasing goods worth Rs 124 million, 280 thousand. The CIAA has also made Deepak Anand, the owner of the supplier company Actors Computers Nepal Pvt. Ltd., a defendant.
The charge sheet states that the bribe was received in bank accounts in the US, Singapore, and India. The Commission has filed a case after analyzing the technical tests conducted on the mobile and laptop recovered from Poudel and verifying the conversations regarding the house setting and bribery transactions from the beginning. There was a series of conversations between them on WhatsApp and email regarding this. The Commission has also filed a case based on that as evidence.
Corruption cases have been filed against Poudel, who is currently in Dillibazaar Jail. He has even been found guilty in some cases.
Kathmandu- The Nepal LP Gas Industry Association has announced a protest program with various 19-point demands, saying that the industry cannot continue to operate if the government’s strategy is to unilaterally discourage investment instead of protecting it.
The association has announced the protest programs, demanding that the government should effectively conduct a public awareness program on gas safety to prevent LP gas accidents, tighten the use of substandard pipes and regulators, implement legal provisions to ensure compliance with safety rules, dealer commission, transportation, and overhead expenses should be increased immediately as there has been no increase for the past 6 years and that arrangements should be made to adjust them according to the inflation rate every year.
Association President Shiva Ghimire has also said that since Nepal does not have an explosives law and regulatory body, it had to obtain a license from India as per Indian laws and regulations and that billions of rupees are being sent to foreign country annually due to the lack of Nepali transportation vehicles.
The association has said that from Wednesday, Magh 30, all 59 LP gas industries across the country will not purchase Product Delivery Orders (PDOs) from Nepal Oil Corporation, from Thursday, Falgun 1 to Monday, Falgun 5, 2081, all gas industries will publicize the protest programs through all local organizations and media and the Nepal LP Gas Industry Association at the center, from Tuesday, Falgun 6, no gas bullets of LP gas loaded for Nepal from Indian Oil of India will be loaded, from Monday, Falgun 2, no gas bullets loaded for Nepal will be released from any customs checkpoint, from Sunday, Falgun 18, all 59 gas industries in Nepal will be closed indefinitely, and from Saturday, Falgun 22, gas sales depots across the country will be requested to close completely.
Chitwan- The Chitwan District Court has ordered the release of Rastriya Swatantra Party President Rabi Lamichhane on bail of Rs 5.4 million.
After closed arguments in the Sahara Chitwan cooperative fraud case, the bench of Judge Dayaram Dhakal ordered his release on bail of Rs 5.4 million. Although cases of organized crime have been registered against Rabi in Kaski, Kathmandu and Rupandehi, only a case of fraud has been filed in Chitwan.
The Government Attorney’s Office, Chitwan, has registered a case against Lamichhane and 15 other individuals and six organizations for embezzling funds from the cooperative.
Rabi has been registered only for cooperative fraud, while 12 others have also been registered for organized crime, according to the Government Attorney’s Office. The police investigation report states that 389 million 79 thousand rupees were embezzled from this cooperative.
Kathmandu: Home Minister Ramesh Lekhek has said that his serious attention has been drawn to the issues raised regarding the inter-caste marriage of Satyandra Kumar Ram Chamar and Neha Rauniyar of Barhathawa in Sarlahi. In a meeting of the House of Representatives on Thursday, Home Minister Lekhek also said that it is a fabrication to say that atrocities were committed on the instructions of the Home Minister in inter-caste marriage.
He said that he is against caste discrimination and being prejudiced against inter-caste marriage is a devaluing of his ideals. He mentioned that he has been fighting for the guarantee of individual freedom and human rights since his student days. Home Minister Lakhek said that inter-caste marriage is recognized by law and he believed that it is his duty to ensure that the law is followed.
He said, ‘The Ministry of Home Affairs is active in protecting the right against discrimination and the natural human rights of individuals guaranteed by the Constitution of Nepal and creating an environment where they can enjoy them.’
He clarified that he had already made his views on the incident clear and had made the report public as instructed by the police. He pledged to ensure full security for Satyendra Kumar and Neha and to investigate and take action if any wrongdoing is found.
Kathmandu – Addressing a meeting of the federal parliament, the chairman of the main opposition party, Maoist, Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, has accused the government of trying to circumvent the parliament by belittling and insulting it.
He has expressed his displeasure over the government’s failure to appear responsible even when they urged the parliament to convene, but has unilaterally passed the ordinance by bypassing the parliament.
He has said that the ordinance was brought through a wrong path overnight and trying to run the government through the ordinance is an act of belittling the parliament.
Kathmandu – Seventeen protesters of the “No Cable Car” campaign who were arrested while protesting against the construction of a cable car in the Pathibhara area of Taplejung have been released.
During the protest police arrested 3 people from Taplejung, 8 from Jhapa Damak and 6 from Dharan and filed a case for indecent behavior. Those in custody have been released as per the decision of the District Administration Office, according to the Koshi Province Police Office.
Earlier, after a six-point agreement was reached between the government and the protesting parties, the cable car construction process has also been suspended for the time being.
Kathmandu – The government has already submitted 6 ordinances to the National Assembly and the House of Representatives. These ordinances will be submitted for decision in today’s meeting of the House of Representatives. The meeting of the House of Representatives will be held at 1 pm and the meeting of the National Assembly will be held at 1:15 pm.
Even though the ruling party has a majority in the House of Representatives, the government will not have a majority to get the ordinance approved by the National Assembly. Therefore, the top leaders of the ruling party, Congress President Deuba and UML President and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, have been urging the JASAPA Nepal to support the ordinance.In the meantime, discussions are going on between Yadav and the top leaders of the ruling party.
In fact, the JASAPA had formed a task force under the leadership of Rajkishore Yadav to study the ordinance. However, while the JASAPA has not yet decided whether to support the ordinance brought by the government or not, top leaders of the ruling party are making strenuous efforts to bring the JASAPA Nepal to their fold.
Before taking a decision on the ordinance, Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal Chairman Upendra Yadav is meeting with Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, Congress leaders, and Prime Minister and UML Chairman Oli for discussions.
Kathmandu- A gas cylinder explosion has occurred at a Sandar Mo:Mo shop in Kamalpokhari, Kathmandu.
At least 14 people have been injured in the explosion that took place at 8:45 am this morning. 11 of the injured have been taken to the hospital while three are in a normal condition.
Police have said that one of the injured, Sanjog Magar, 24, of Udayapur, is seriously injured. Five of the injured have been taken to the Burn Hospital in Kirtipur.
The ceiling of the house collapsed after the cylinder explosion. Police have said that search operations are ongoing there. The Nepal Police Disaster Management Team and Maligaun Police Team have been deployed at the scene.
Kathmandu – The Nepali Congress parliamentary party meeting is being held today.
The parliamentary party meeting is to be held again today as the ministers and party officials from the Congress party are yet to speak in the meeting held on Magh 18. In the previous meeting, the party central committee had urged the lawmakers to speak unitedly on the issue of the ordinance. However, the lawmakers are seen divided on the issue of the ordinance.
It is said that the ordinance brought by the government and other issues will be discussed in the meeting.
Kathmandu- The government has decided not to pay meeting allowances from now on. The criteria for public expenditure austerity have decided not to pay meeting allowances for regular work. The Council of Ministers meeting has passed the ‘Criteria for Making Public Expenditure Economical and Effective’ and has made arrangements for cutting such facilities.
It is mentioned that no incentive allowance, overtime allowance, risk allowance, special allowance, etc. will be provided except as per the law. However, the Ministry of Finance will be allowed to distribute risk allowances based on resource availability. There is a provision that meeting allowances cannot be paid for committees or task forces formed under the law if they work before or after office hours. The officials of an investigation or investigation committee, task force or commission formed for a specific work will not receive meeting allowances for predetermined work. Regular work cannot be carried out under program expenses. Expenses such as maintenance, fuel, meeting allowances cannot be written off from program expenses.
There is a provision that government expenditure cannot be spent on banquets except for hospitality for foreign guests.
Similarly, provisions have been made to reduce government expenditure by including provisions such as those using government housing will not receive housing allowance, financial assistance and grants will be given only with the consent of the government, electrical equipment must be used for at least 5 years, external consulting services cannot be used for government work, additional fuel will not be given to employees who use transportation facilities, residential seminars cannot be held from government sources and foreign loans, domestic goods must be used in government works and offices, and the purchase of medicines must be placed on the website.
Kathmandu: The second meeting of the House of Representatives under the winter session is being held today. The meeting will begin at 1 pm at the Federal Parliament Building in New Baneshwor.
The agenda for today’s meeting is to submit a proposal to pass the ordinance. Similarly, the agenda for today’s meeting of the House of Representatives includes submitting proposals to reject the ordinance.
Opposition party lawmakers have registered 50 proposals in the House of Representatives and 16 in the National Assembly to reject the ordinance.
Since the ruling party has a majority in the House of Representatives, it is seen that the ordinance will be easily passed there. However, since the ruling parties don’t have a majority in the National Assembly, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba have sought the support of JASAPA Nepal. For that, top leaders of the ruling party are trying their best to bring Upendra Yadav in favor of the ordinance.
Chitwan- A wild elephant named Makuna has died after being shot by a Natioanl park security personnel, the Chitwan National Park has said.
The park said that Makuna died after being shot to scare the elephant as it was spreading fear in the settlements around Sauraha in Chitwan.
The park said in a statement that it had taken various measures to prevent the wild elephant from causing damage to people and property at various stages, but while the elephant sweep patrol team was on a sweeping patrol, Makuna was suddenly found in the Lamital area of the Kumroj Intermediate Community Forest and came to attack a domesticated elephant (Churegaj) and had no other option. In a situation where there was no other option, the park said that two rounds of warning air fire were fired for self-defense as per the provisions of Section 21 of the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act, 2029.
“When the elephant did not run away even after firing in the air, Ranger Shyam Tamang, riding the small elephant Khagendra Prasad, fell from the elephant, making it extremely difficult to protect his life. After firing three rounds, he ran away and returned to attack again. When the security personnel fired one more round, Mukuna ran away and was later found lying about 1 km away while searching for him ,” the statement said.
The park confirmed that the elephant died from a single bullet wound to the right side of the neck during the post-mortem.
Kathmandu- According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Weather Forecasting Division, the country is currently experiencing a general effect of westerly winds. Currently, the weather is partly cloudy in the hilly areas of Koshi Province and mainly clear in the rest of the country. There is a misty/foggy situation in the Terai areas.
Weather forecast for the next three days:
2081 Magh 24 (Thursday)
In the afternoon: The weather will be partly cloudy in the hilly areas of Koshi Province and Gandaki Province and mainly clear in the rest of the country. There is a possibility of light snowfall in one or two places in the high hilly and mountainous areas of Koshi Province and Gandaki Province.
At night: The weather will be partly cloudy in the hilly areas of Koshi Province and Gandaki Province and mainly clear in the rest of the country.
2081 Magh 25 (Friday)
In the afternoon: The weather will be mainly clear across the country.
At night: Partly cloudy in the hilly areas of Koshi Province and Sudur Paschim Province, while the weather will remain mainly clear in the rest of the country.
2081 Magh 26 (Saturday)
In the afternoon: Partly cloudy in the hilly areas of Koshi Province, Gandaki Province, Karnali Province and Sudur Paschim Province, while the weather will remain mainly clear in the rest of the country.
At night: Partly cloudy in the hilly areas of the country, while the weather will remain mainly clear in the rest of the country. There is a possibility of light snowfall at one or two places in the high hilly and mountainous areas of Gandaki Province.
Warnings and advisories for the next 24 hours:
There is a possibility of light snowfall at one or two places in the high hilly and mountainous areas of Koshi Province and Gandaki Province, and there is a possibility of mist/fog in the Terai areas in the morning. As its impact may affect daily life, health, road and air traffic, it is requested to take necessary measures and precautions to avoid possible impacts.
Chitwan- An order has been issued to send Rastriya Swatantra Party President Rabi Lamichhane, who is accused of fraud in the Sahara Multipurpose Cooperative, to judicial custody.
The bench of District Judge Dayaram Dhakal has handed Lamichhane over to security personnel and sent him to the District Police Office as the hearing was not completed.
After the final hearing, an order will be issued either to send Lamichhane to custody, release him on bail, or release him on a regular date.
District Attorney Rabi Neupane and Assistant Attorney Buddha Bahadur Thapa will argue on behalf of the government. On the other hand, 10 legal practitioners will argue on behalf of the defendant in the case.
A case was registered against Lamichhane and 15 others, including Ram Bahadur Khanal, Rabina Rimal, Bishal Tamang, Navin Achhami, Kabita Tamang, Deepak Lama, Asraf Ali Siddiqui, Bhagwati Bamjan, Laxmi Prasad Poudel, Vigyan Rai, Netrapani Bastola, Shiv Bahadur Gurung and Pragati Shrestha, on charges of embezzling funds from Sahara Multipurpose Cooperative.
Earlier, Lamichhane has been released on bail by the Kaski, Rupandehi and Kathmandu District Courts in the case of embezzlement of the cooperative’s funds.
Kathmandu – Speaker of the House of Representatives Devraj Ghimire has called a meeting of the chief whips of the major parties today to discuss issues including the ordinance.
The second parliament meeting of the winter session is being held on Thursday, amid strong opposition from opposition parties to the ordinance brought by the government. Therefore, discussions are being held with the party chief whips to discuss the controversial issues.
The meeting is scheduled to be held at Singha Durbar at 3 pm today, according to the Speaker’s secretariat.
Kathmandu: The construction of the cable car in Mukkumlung Pathibhara in Taplejung district has been suspended. The construction work has been stopped after an agreement was reached on the dispute over the construction of the cable car.
On Tuesday night, talks were held between the Home Ministry’s negotiation team and representatives of the team opposing the construction of the cable car. A six-point agreement was reached in the talks.
The agreement states that the construction work on the Pathibhara cable car station will be suspended and detailed discussions will be held in the talks to be held on Magh 27.
The agreement includes issues such as providing free and effective medical treatment to those injured during the protest, investigating the incident on Magh 12 and taking legal action, initiating the process of unconditionally releasing those detained during the protest, and suspending the indefinite transport shutdown by the Mukkumlung protectors.
A detailed discussion on the disagreements and other issues related to the construction of the Pathibhara Cable Car Project has been scheduled for 11 am on Magh 27.
Kathmandu- The government has prepared a draft of the ‘National Artificial Intelligence Policy 2081’ for the development and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Nepal. The draft mentions the establishment of an AI Regulatory Council, AI Center, and AI Excellence Center.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology made the draft ‘National Artificial Intelligence Policy 2081’ public through its website and sought suggestions.
The draft mentions that the government has proposed the formation of an ‘AI Regulatory Council’ to work in a manner that is consistent with policy guidelines and international norms for the development and use of AI. It mentions the establishment of a ‘National AI Center’ as the main body related to AI, the establishment of coordination and collaboration related to AI at the provincial and local levels, and the establishment of an ‘AI Excellence Center’ for the study, research, and development of AI.
Strategies 8.2 and 8.3 of the draft state that institutional structures such as councils, centers, and hubs will be created to research, develop, use, regulate, and promote AI, and that the necessary digital infrastructure will be created for the development and use of AI.
Kathmandu-The Cabinet meeting held on Monday has made 18 decisions public. Minister for Communications and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung made the decisions of the meeting public at a press conference on Tuesday.
The decisions of the Cabinet meeting are as follows:
To approve the Electricity Authority to purchase 29,73,163 promoter shares of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) in the Cross Border Power Transmission Company established for the construction of a transmission line from the Nepal-India border to Muzaffarpur, India
To form a consumer court with jurisdiction to adjudicate related cases within Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur districts with the headquarters in Kathmandu Valley
To delegate the authority to perform the work referred to in Section 3 of the National Directives Act, 2018 to the Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs
To grant permission to Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Devendra Dahal to participate in the program on the theme of ‘Fourth Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety’ to be held in Morocco from 2081 Falgun 6 to 8.
To extend the period of the agreement between the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens and the Educational Program for Children Without Minimum Facilities for the operation and management of the Children’s Reformatory Homes in Bhaktapur, Morang, Kaski Banke until mid-Asad 2082 BS.
To grant permission to Sainamaina Municipality Rupandehi to use 3.5 hectares of land in the National Forest in Ward No. 10 of Sainamaina Municipality, Rupandehi District, for the construction of the Sainamaina Waste Management Center.
To organize ‘Sagarmatha Samvad’ in Kathmandu on the topic of ‘Climate Change, Mountains and Future of Humanity’ on 2082 Jestha 2, 3 and 4.
Approval to use 3.2 hectares of land in the national forest located in Wards 8, 11 and 12 of Birendranagar Municipality and Ward 10 of Lekhbesi Municipality of Surkhet district for the construction of the Bheri Pumping Sub-Project
Approval to Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Security Sharad Singh Bhandari to participate in the World Government Summit 2025 to be held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from 29th Magh to 1st Falgun 2081
Approval to establish new Land Revenue and Survey Offices in Pokhariya of Birgunj, Bodgaun of Kapilvastu and Narakota Sinja of Jumla
Approval of 10 additional temporary officer-level positions for the fiscal year 081-82 for programs to be operated under the Ministry of Urban Development
Approval of the University Grants Commission Financial Procedures-Regulations 2081
Approval of the Internal Control System Guidelines 2081
To approve the criteria for making public expenditure economical and effective, 2081
To approve the Eighth Amendment Regulation of Government of Nepal Performance, 2081
To approve the Third Amendment Regulation of Good Governance, Management and Operation, 2081
To approve the Second Amendment Regulation of Special Economic Zone, 2081
To promote and appoint seven officers of the Gazetted Second Class of various service groups and subgroups of the civil service to the post of Gazetted First Class Joint Secretary or equivalent of the relevant service, group and subgroup.
Kathmandu – The Attorney General’s Office has decided not to prosecute those involved in the land forgery incident of the Bansbari leather shoe factory.
Attorney General Ramesh Badal has approved the opinion prepared by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of the police that those involved in registering government land in the name of individuals should not be prosecuted.
Based on the report submitted by the CIB, the District Attorney’s Office had prepared an opinion that there should be no prosecution. The file was approved by the Office of the High Attorney and reached the Attorney General’s Office.
At a press conference organized at the Attorney General’s Office on earlier , Attorney General Ramesh Badal said that there was no point in prosecuting cases when state property has already been returned, and that it would be appropriate to conclude the investigation without prosecuting them.
Since the promulgation of the 2072 BS Constitution, Nepal adopted a federal structure, dividing the country into seven provinces. This system was introduced with the aim of decentralizing power, ensuring regional development, and fostering inclusivity. However, nearly a decade into its implementation, the provincial system has largely failed to deliver on its promises, leading to widespread dissatisfaction and calls for reform. Nepal, with a population of around 30 million and a land area of 147,516 square kilometers, is relatively small compared to other federal nations. The complexities of a provincial system are better suited for larger, more diverse countries with significant regional disparities. But in Nepal’s case, the provincial system has been proved nothing more than a burden to the country.
The introduction of provincial governments has added an extra layer of bureaucracy, creating redundancies in governance. Instead of streamlining decision-making, it has led to confusion and inefficiencies, with overlapping responsibilities between federal, provincial, and local bodies.Establishing and maintaining provincial governments has placed a significant financial strain on the national budget. The costs associated with running provincial assemblies, paying salaries to ministers and staff, and building infrastructure have diverted funds from essential sectors like health, education, and infrastructure development.The unclear delineation of powers between federal and provincial governments has led to frequent conflicts. Provinces often find themselves at odds with the central government, leading to political instability and a lack of coherent policy implementation.Rather than improving access to public services, the provincial system has often complicated it. Citizens face delays and inconsistencies in service delivery due to the added bureaucratic layers and coordination challenges among different levels of government.The federal system has exacerbated political fragmentation, with regional parties gaining prominence and contributing to frequent government changes and policy inconsistencies. This has hindered long-term planning and sustainable development.
Before federalism, Nepal operated under a centralized system that, despite its flaws, managed to maintain national unity and governance without the administrative complexities now faced. Nepal’s compact geography and population can be effectively managed through a centralized system complemented by empowered local governments. The distances and population sizes do not warrant a separate provincial tier. Strengthening local municipalities and rural municipalities (gaunpalikas) can ensure grassroots development without the need for an intermediate provincial level, leading to more direct and efficient governance.
To address the shortcomings of the provincial system and promote sustainable political and economic development, Nepal should consider eliminating the provincial level of government which can reduce administrative costs . This would allow for a more efficient allocation of resources directly to local governments, which are closer to the people and better understand their needs. Empowering local governments with greater autonomy, resources, and decision-making power can enhance service delivery and foster regional development. Local bodies should have the authority to plan and implement development projects tailored to their specific needs.The central government should focus on creating a more transparent, accountable, and efficient governance structure. Simplifying administrative procedures and reducing corruption will be key to restoring public trust and ensuring effective governance.
The provincial system in Nepal has proven to be an inefficient and costly experiment. Given the country’s size and administrative needs, a more streamlined governance model focusing on strong local governments and efficient central administration offers a more sustainable path forward. By adopting these reforms, Nepal can foster political stability, drive development, and ensure a better future for its citizens.
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum and her United States counterpart Donald Trump have announced a month-long pause to the sweeping US tariffs that were threatened for exports from Mexico.
Both leaders confirmed the agreement in social media posts on Monday, a day before the tariffs were supposed to come into effect. Sheinbaum was the first to reveal the pause, writing on the platform X.
“We had a good conversation with President Trump with great respect for our relationship and sovereignty,” she said.She explained that, as a result of their discussion, Mexico would send 10,000 National Guard troops to its northern border to “prevent drug trafficking from Mexico to the United States”.Sheinbaum added that the US was, in return, working to prevent the trafficking of high-powered firearms to Mexico, which has long strengthened organised crime in the country.
Trump followed with his own announcement, describing the conversation with Sheinbaum as “very friendly” and praising the deployment of Mexico’s National Guard.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said that Ukraine will disappear if it suffers defeat in the conflict with Russia .
Addressing the event organized by the Europa Press agency he said,”Nothing can be decided about Ukraine without Ukraine and nothing can be decided about European security without Europeans”.
“If Russia loses this war, <…> then Russia simply lost the war, but if Ukraine loses this war, Ukraine will disappear,” he said.
The European Union is preparing for a possible trade war with the US, but the winner in this situation will be China, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters upon arrival at the informal summit of the community in Brussels.
“We were listening carefully to those words and, of course, we are preparing on our side. But what is clear is that there are no winners in trade wars. If the EU and the United States start a trade war than the one who is laughing on the side is China,” she said.
According to her, introduction of tariffs on European goods by US would lead to higher prices and other negative consequences for both sides. In addition, such a decision will negatively affect jobs.
“We are very interlinked. We need America and America needs us as well,” she added.
On February 2, US President Donald Trump said that the United States is determined to impose additional customs duties on imports from the European Union. According to him, this will happen “very soon.” He complained that EU member countries do not buy products from the American automobile industry and agriculture.
Kathmandu – The Council of Ministers meeting held at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar on Monday evening has passed various implementation regulations made for the ordinances.
On the first day of the winter session held on the 18th Magh, the government had submitted various bills and ordinances to the parliament to amend the laws. The Council of Ministers meeting has passed the implementation regulations prepared by the government for the implementation of the same laws and ordinances.
Taplejung — The ‘No Cable Car Group’ has formed a four-member negotiation facilitation committee to hold talks with the negotiation committee formed by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The negotiation committee formed by the No Cable Car Group, coordinated by Amar Tumyahang, has four members, including Ram Maden, Shankar Limbu, and Saru Singh.
Khagendra Phembu Limbu, coordinator of the Cable Car Abolition Joint Struggle Committee, said that this committee will create an environment for coordination for negotiations, but they have also said that decisions made by the government at the level of joint secretary may not be implemented.
The group has taken a stand that construction work should be suspended before sitting for talks, three people including the arrested Pradeep Maden should be released, and that security personnel should be withdrawn from the construction area.
Kathmandu- Prince Edward and his wife Sophie from the British Royal family will be arriving Nepal tomorrow , kicking off their first international tour of 2025.
As per the Royal Family’s official website, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will visit Nepal to mark a state visit to the South Asian nation.Prince Edward, the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip will be in Nepal for five days.
According to a Home Ministry source, they will arrive on Tuesday afternoon and return on Saturday. The Home Ministry has instructed the police to make security arrangements for the visit of the prince and his team. The Police Headquarters is preparing to deploy PSOs for their security.
According to the source, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will attend the attestation parade for new Gurkha recruits at British Gurkha Camp in Pokhara on February 7. The prince and his team are scheduled to visit Maiti Nepal, Kirtipur Eye Hospital, and SOS Children’s Village in Bhaktapur.During their five-day visit, the royal family members are scheduled to meet the high-level government officials and families of Gurkha veterans and they will also inspect the United Kingdom-funded development projects in Nepal.According to sources, preparations are under way to take Edward and Sophie for mountain flight in the Mt Everest region. “They will also trek to the Ghandruk area exploring the Annapurna foothills,” sources added.
In recent times, British Gurkhas have not only served in the UK but also been deployed in Cyprus, Macedonia, Romania, Germany, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand. The Gurkhas have served in the British army for over 200 years and have a reputation for being brave and tenacious fighters.
Earlier, Prince Harry had visited Nepal in March 2016 for 11 days and travelled to Kathmandu, Bardiya and Pokhara. Prince Philip had also visited Nepal in 2000.
Kathmandu- The ‘No Cable Car Group’, which has been protesting to stop the construction of the Pathibhara Cable Car, has today demonstrated in Maitighar Mandala, Kathmandu, demanding the resignation of the Home Minister.
The Mukkumlung Conservation and Cable Car Abolition Struggle Committee has been intensifying its agitation in various parts of the country after two people were shot during a clash with the police during the ‘No Cable Car Group’ demonstration on Magh 2.
They demonstrated in Maitighar Mandala today, displaying placards with slogans such as ‘Water, land, forest are our life’, ‘Return the Armed Police Force from Mundhumi Mukkumsung’, and ‘Stop state terror’. The protesting parties who took out the demonstration in Maitighar Mandala have also demanded the resignation of Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak.
Established in 2006, BRICS is an influential group of five major emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Initially formed as “BRIC” with Brazil, Russia, India, and China, the group expanded to include South Africa in 2010, becoming BRICS. This coalition aims to foster economic growth, political collaboration, and advocate for reforms in international financial institutions.
The formation of BRICS marked a significant shift in global economic dynamics. These nations, each with unique economic strengths, collectively represent over 40% of the world’s population and about 25% of the global GDP. Brazil, known for its rich natural resources and agricultural exports, pairs with Russia, a global energy powerhouse abundant in oil and natural gas. India brings rapid economic growth and a robust technology sector, while China, the world’s second-largest economy, dominates in manufacturing and exports. South Africa, the continent’s most developed economy, serves as a crucial gateway to Africa, rich in minerals and resources.
The objectives of BRICS are ambitious and multifaceted. The group seeks to promote peace, security, and development within its member states, while also pushing for a more equitable representation of emerging economies in global financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank. Enhancing trade and investment among the members, fostering cooperation in science, technology, education, and health, and advocating for a multipolar world order are central to BRICS’ mission.
Over the years, BRICS has made notable achievements. The establishment of the New Development Bank (NDB) in 2014 stands out as a major milestone. This institution finances infrastructure and sustainable development projects within BRICS nations and other emerging economies, providing a credible alternative to Western-dominated financial bodies. The Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) was also created to offer financial support to members facing balance of payments crises. Regular annual summits facilitate discussions on global and regional issues, with the presidency rotating among member countries, ensuring equal representation and influence.
In terms of trade, BRICS nations have initiated agreements aimed at boosting intra-BRICS commerce and reducing reliance on Western currencies. This move towards de-dollarization reflects the group’s broader strategy to diversify global economic power and reduce dependency on the US dollar.
The rise of BRICS is significantly impacting the global economy. By diversifying economic power away from traditional Western economies, the group is reshaping global financial structures. The creation of alternative institutions like the NDB and CRA challenges the dominance of entities such as the IMF and World Bank. Furthermore, BRICS’ push to use local currencies in trade could diminish the global demand for the US dollar, potentially weakening its status as the world’s primary reserve currency.
For the US economy, the implications are profound. The de-dollarization efforts by BRICS could reduce the dollar’s global dominance, affecting its value and influence. Increased economic competition from BRICS nations could challenge US markets, resources, and geopolitical standing. Additionally, BRICS’ advocacy for reforming international institutions might lead to a diminished US role in global decision-making bodies.
In conclusion, BRICS is not just a coalition of emerging economies; it is a powerful force driving the shift towards a multipolar world order. Its efforts to promote economic cooperation and reform global governance challenge the traditional dominance of Western powers. While the full extent of its impact on the global economy and the US remains to be seen, BRICS undoubtedly plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of international relations and economic policies.
Kathmandu – Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has called a cabinet meeting today. The meeting has been called to be held at 4 pm today at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in Singha Durbar.
The meeting will discuss the regular work of the government. It is said that some decisions including appointments and promotions will be made from the meeting.
Kathmandu: Although the country’s domestic economy is sluggish, there has been a good improvement in the external sector of the economy. According to the 6-month data published by the National Bank, more foreign exchange is entering the country than leaving it.
That is why the balance of payments situation is continuously in surplus. The size of remittances is increasing . The size of the country’s foreign exchange reserves has also increased significantly to 2316.84 billion. This has made it possible for the country to meet the import of goods and services for 14 months.
Especially, despite the government spending billions and holding an investment conference, it is a reality that foreign direct investment (FDI) has not been able to inflow. However, the latest data shows a slight improvement in FDI. As of December of the current fiscal year, 6.5 billion rupees of direct foreign investment (equity only) have been inflow. This is 43.14 percent or 1.96 billion rupees more than the same period of the last fiscal year. In the same period of the previous year, such direct foreign investment (equity only) had inflows of Rs 4.54 billion.
The country’s total foreign exchange reserves have increased by 13.5 percent to Rs 2.3 trillion 16 billion 84 million. This is the data up to Poush of the current fiscal year. In US dollars, such reserves have increased by 10.3 percent compared to Ashar and have reached Rs 16.84 billion. Of which, Nepal Rastra Bank has foreign exchange reserves of Rs 2.0 trillion 72.34 billion and banks and financial institutions (excluding Nepal Rastra Bank) have foreign exchange reserves of Rs 2.4 trillion 44.5 billion. The share of Indian currency in such reserves is 24.3 percent.
Overall, based on the six months of imports in the fiscal year 2081/82, the foreign exchange reserves held by the banking sector are sufficient to cover 17.3 months of goods imports and 14.4 months of goods and services imports, the Rastra Bank has said.
As foreign exchange inflows are more than outflows, the balance of payments position is in surplus of Rs 249 billion 260 million in the first six months. In the same period last year, the balance of payments position was in surplus of Rs 273 billion 520 million. In US dollar terms, the balance of payments position, which was in surplus of Rs 260 million in the same period last year, is in surplus of Rs 1.82 billion in the review period. Along with this, the country’s current account is in surplus of Rs 148 billion 170 million.
In the same period last year, it was in surplus of Rs 162 billion 560 million. In US dollar terms, it is in surplus of Rs 1.88 billion. Similarly, net capital transfer is Rs 4.29 billion.
Kathmandu – The hearing on the writ petition against Kulman Ghising, the Executive Director of Nepal Electricity Authority, is being held today.
Hitendra Man Shakya had filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court alleging that he was removed from his position and Kulman was appointed as the Executive Director of the Authority.
After the initial hearing of the writ petition filed three and a half years ago was on pending and the case scheduled for presentation was postponed several times, but after the Supreme Court issued a priority order to give priority to that case the hearing has been moved forward.
He has demanded an order to remove Ghising from the post and reinstate him in the same post.
Kathmandu – Protesting resident doctors have boycotted OPD services for three hours today, demanding government-level wages.
The protesting resident doctors, under the name of the ‘Sangharsh Samiti for a Safe Workplace for Healthcare Workers’, have announced to demonstrate with banners/placards and boycott OPD services at health institutions other than medical colleges and institutes across the country from 9 am to 12 pm. They have also announced that they will continue the protest at Maitighar Mandala.
The resident doctors had earlier protested with ‘pen down’ and aprons at their respective institutions.
The Sangharsh Samiti has been demanding that the minimum wage for interns and doctors studying MD, MS, MDS, DM and MCH be maintained at the same level as the government. They have also demanded that all PG programs be made completely fee-free .
The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education have decided to make a legal provision to provide a living allowance of Rs 25,000 for the first year, Rs 30,000 for the second year and Rs 35,000 for the third year to resident doctors studying in private medical colleges.
Coordinator of the Sangharsh Samiti, Dr. Sheshraj Ghimire, said that the agitation will continue until the four-point demands, including getting government-like service facilities, are met. Stating that they have boycotted OPD services for only three hours so that patients do not suffer much, he warned that if their demands are ignored, all services except emergency services will be completely stopped.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced retaliatory 25% tariffs on American goods, hours after US President Donald Trump imposed sweeping trade restrictions on Canadian imports.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has accused the US of fueling cartel violence by allowing powerful firearms to flow south, pushing back against President Donald Trump’s claims that Mexico is failing to stop illegal migration and drug trafficking.
“Tonight, I am announcing Canada will be responding to the US trade action with 25% trade tariffs against $155 billion worth of American goods,” Trudeau said at a news conference on Saturday.
The first wave of tariffs, covering $30 billion worth of US goods, will take effect on Tuesday, with broader measures following in 21 days to allow Canadian companies to adjust.
“These tariffs will be far-reaching and include everyday items,” the Canadian leader said, listing alcohol, fruits, vegetables, clothing, and shoes. In addition to direct tariffs, Ottawa is exploring “several non-tariff measures,” which could include restrictions on critical minerals, energy procurement, and other trade partnerships.
“We will stand strong for Canada,” Trudeau said. “We will stand strong to ensure our countries continue to be the best neighbors in the world,” he added, urging citizens to support domestic businesses.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s has ordered retaliatory tariffs on US goods in response to Trump’s sweeping 25% duties on imports from Mexico and Canada.
“We categorically reject the slander made by the White House against the Government of Mexico, accusing it of having alliances with criminal organizations,” Sheinbaum wrote in a fiery post on X. “If such an alliance exists anywhere, it is in the armories of the United States that sell high-powered weapons to these criminal groups – as demonstrated by the US Department of Justice itself.”
Kathmandu – The government has registered a bill in the parliament on air services and civil aviation authorities to differentiate between the two functions of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, which has been performing both regulatory and service provider functions.
Now, the construction, operation and management of airports will be done through the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, and this body will be responsible for the construction, upgrading, operation and management of airports.
According to this bill, the authority has opened the way for the private sector to be able to hand over the responsibility of operation and management of airports under its jurisdiction to any government or non-government agency or through a competitive process, with the approval of the Government of Nepal.
The authority will be able to give necessary instructions to all government or non-government organizations, individuals or stakeholders working at the airport, keeping in mind passenger service, safety and facilities, and airport security.
Kathmandu- Nepal has suffered its third consecutive defeat in the ongoing women’s T20I series at the Tribhuvan University Kirtipur Cricket Ground.
Nepal, who lost in the first match against the Netherlands, has also lost in today’s second match.
Nepal, who played against the Netherlands after being given a target of 141 runs, managed to score only 125 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in 20 overs.
Nepal has lost three consecutive matches in the tri-nation series including Thailand and the Netherlands along with today’s match.
Kathmandu – Nepali Congress MP Narayan Dutta Bhatta, who arrived at the National Assembly meeting while it was in progress, collapsed during the meeting.
Bhatta, who suffers from high blood pressure and diabetes, had also registered to speak in today’s meeting. After he fell unwell, National Assembly Speaker Narayan Prasad Dahal gave time to Congress MP Bishnukumari Sapkota to speak in his place.
He is currently undergoing treatment at the National Assembly’s health room inside the parliament building.
Kathmandu – Separate bills on Air Services and Civil Aviation Authority have been registered in Parliament.
The Federal Parliament Secretariat has filed a Bill-2081 to amend the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Act and a Bill-2081 to establish and manage the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Badri Prasad Pandey has said.
The Bill has been brought to differentiate the two functions of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, which is performing both regulatory and service provider functions.
Kathmandu- Police have arrested District Coordination Committee Myagdi chief Rajkumar Thapa, who is accused of embezzling Rs 10.5 million from Kumari Cooperative Society in Beni, Myagdi.
An investigation report conducted by the Office of the Cooperative Registrar, Pokhara a year ago stated that Rs 10.5 million was embezzled from Kumari Cooperative Society on Thapa’s plan and that Thapa and his team misused the money by using it to purchase private schools and houses and land.
On 28th Magh 2079, the chairman of the cooperative, Yama Bahadur Rokka, had submitted a written application to the Office of the Cooperative Registrar, demanding an investigation into the matter of Kumari Multi-Purpose Cooperative, but Thapa had not been arrested yet. He was elected as the District coordiantion committee chief from UML.
Janakpur – A contempt case has been registered against Prabhu Sah, a member of the House of Representatives elected from Rautahat Constituency No. 3 and Aam Janata Party Chairman, at the Rautahat District Court.
Mayor of Boudhimai Municipality Pradeep Kumar Yadav has registered a case against him saying that he has insulted the judiciary system and the court. Earlier Shah wrote some ill statement on his facebook wall about the Rautahat district court judge.
Shah is also accused of threatening to kill mayor yadav in the court premises. Earlier, an order was issued to send Gangaram Baitha to remand for trial, who attacked and misbehaved Mayor Yadav while clearing the road, and Mayor Yadav had said that Shah threatened to kill him in the court premises before the court order came in the matter. The hearing in the case is going on today.
Pokhara- The preparations for the 24th Aaha Rara Gold Cup football tournament, which will start in Pokhara from next Tuesday, have been completed.
The organizers, Sahara Club, informed that the preparations for the tournament have been completed in a press conference in Pokhara on Sunday morning.The tournament trophy and jersey have been unveiled at the event. The tournament will start at the Pokhara Stadium from Tuesday.The tournament opening match will be held between the organizers, Sahara Club and Nepal Police Club.
The tournament, which will feature 12 teams, includes the Black Bulls of Uzbekistan, the former winners of the ‘A’ division team, Tribhuvan Army Football Club, Three Star Club, Machhindra, NRT, Church Boys, Sankata Club, and Nepal Police Club.
In addition, the organizers, Sahara, APF, Brigade Boys UK, and Thunderbolt North United of Sikkim are also competing.Manang Marsyangdi Club will not participate in this edition of the tournament. Manang is a 7-time title winner.
The winner of the competition will receive Rs. 1,201,000 and the runner-up will receive Rs. 601,000. The ticket price for the pre-quarterfinal matches in the competition is Rs. 100 for general and Rs. 200 for VIP.The semi-finals ticket will cost Rs. 200 for general and Rs. 400 for VIP.
The organizers have stated that the money saved from the competition will be spent on orphaned children at the Surya Bahadur KC Academy run by the club.The competition will be held from Magh 22 to Falgun 3.
Strike impact on East-West Highway and Mechi Highway
The Biratnagar-Mukumlung Protection Inter-Party Struggle Committee has called for General strike( Banda) in Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Tehrathum, Sankhuwasabha, Taplejung, Ilam and Panchthar districts for today and tomorrow to protest the construction of the Pathibhara Cable Car. The first day of the strike seems to have had a general effect.
Passenger vehicles are not seen on the highways in the areas where the strike has been called on Sunday morning, while protesters can be seen taking to the streets and squares. The strike seems to have had the most impact on the East-West Highway and Mechi Highway. Traffic on the East-West Highway and Mechi Highway is almost at a standstill.
The strike has been called by the supporters of the “no cablecar movement”, demanding that the decision to build the cable car be revoked, leaders and cadres arrested during the “No Cable Car movement” be released, a judicial investigation be conducted into the shooting incident in Mukumlung be conducted, and the security forces be withdrawn from the Kafle Party.
Kathmandu — Nepal and Saudi Arabia have agreed to sign a bilateral labor agreement during a meeting held in Riyadh between Minister for Labor, Employment and Social Security Sharat Singh Bhandari and his Saudi counterpart Ahmed bin Salman bin Abdullah Al Rajhi.
The final draft will be finalized after both sides complete the legal process and the date for signing the agreement. Saudi Arabia has proposed to Nepal to sign agreements related to general labor, domestic labor and the skills certification program. Out of these three, the draft of the labor agreement related to the recruitment of general labor has been finalized.
Currently, around 400 thousands Nepalese workers are working in Saudi Arabia, excluding domestic workers.
Janakpur- A prisoner has died in Jaleshwor Prison in Mahottari. The death has been recorded for 56-year-old Jogendra Mahara of Bateshwor Rural Municipality-1, Dhanusha, who was in the prison.
Mahara, who was already taking medication, was admitted to the Jaleshwor Provincial Hospital at midnight after suffering from severe stomach pain and died at 2:30 am on Saturday during treatment, said Ashok Chhetri, head of the prison administration.
The District Court in Dhanusha had convicted him of an arson incident in a village field in 2038 BS and sentenced him to imprisonment. Since then, he had been on the list of fugitives and was arrested by the police two years ago and sent to prison to serve his sentence.
According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Weather Forecasting Division, there is a general influence of westerly winds in the country. Currently, the weather is partly cloudy in the hilly areas of Koshi Province, including Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province, and mainly clear in the rest of the country. There is fog in many places in the Terai.
2081 Magh 20 (Sunday)
In the afternoon: the hilly areas of Koshi Province will be partly cloudy, while the weather will be mainly clear in the rest of the country.
At night: the hilly areas of Koshi Province will be partly cloudy, while the weather will be mainly clear in the rest of the country.
2081 Magh 21 (Monday)
In the afternoon: the hilly areas of Koshi Province will be partly cloudy, while the weather will be mainly clear in the rest of the country.
At night: The weather will be partly cloudy in the hilly areas of Sudurpaschim Province, Karnali Province, Lumbini Province and Koshi Province, while the rest of the region will be mainly clear.
2081 Magh 22 (Tuesday)
In the afternoon: The weather will be partly to generally cloudy in the hilly areas of Sudurpaschim Province, Karnali Province, Lumbini Province and Gandaki Province, while the rest of the region will be partly cloudy to mainly clear. There is a possibility of light rain in the hilly areas of Sudurpaschim Province and Karnali Province, including Lumbini Province and Gandaki Province. There is a possibility of light snowfall in the high hilly and mountainous areas of Sudurpaschim Province, Karnali Province and Gandaki Province.
At night: The weather will be partly to generally cloudy in the hilly areas of Sudurpaschim Province, Karnali Province and Gandaki Province, while the rest of the region will be partly cloudy to mainly clear. There is a possibility of light rain in the hilly areas of Sudurpaschim Province and Karnali Province, including Gandaki Province. There is a possibility of light snowfall in the high hilly and mountainous areas of Sudurpaschim Province, Karnali Province, including Gandaki Province.
Warning/Advisory for next 24 hours:
There is a possibility of mist/fog in some places in the Terai and Valley of the country in the morning, which may affect daily life, agriculture, health, transport and air flights, so it is requested to take necessary precautions.
Kathmandu- The Maoist Center is going to start a postal highway-focused campaign from Kachanakawal Rural Municipality of Jhapa from Falgun 3.
The campaign starting from Kachanakawal will last for 6 months. The Maoists have stated that this postal highway-focused campaign will be nationwide.
The campaign starting from Kachanakawal will reach Mahakali and then focus on Madan Bhandari Highway again. After that, the Maoists are preparing to reach the foothills of Mount Everest in Solukhumbu and conclude the campaign.
The fifth plenary meeting of the Maoist Center Jhapa has also divided the work for the postal highway-focused campaign. Currently, programs ranging from mobilizing party workers to holding village-town conventions are underway, informed the party’s District Secretary Mohan Tudu.
The party’s Deputy General Secretary Haribol Gajurel said that the campaign is going to start from Jhapa as per the party’s central program.
He also claimed that this campaign will strengthen the party by removing contradictions within the party. “The weakness of the leaders is not the only reason for the party’s weakness,” he said. “The party has become weak due to political errors. We will now correct them and move forward.”
In the meeting, party central members Dharmashila Chapagain and Indra Bahadur Angbo claimed that the Maoist party has been gaining popularity in recent times. They stressed that the party should work in the areas of production and employment.
Central member and Jhapa in-charge Jhalak Singh Darlami said that a special campaign is being launched to strengthen the party.
Washington wants Kiev to have presidential and parliamentary elections, potentially by this year’s end, Reuters reported on Saturday, citing President Donald Trump’s special envoy for the Ukraine conflict, Keith Kellogg.
According to the report, Kellogg and other White House officials have discussed asking Kiev to hold the votes as part of a potential truce deal with Moscow. Speaking to the agency, Kellogg said that both the presidential and parliamentary elections “need to be done.”
“Most democratic nations have elections in their time of war. I think it is important they do so,” the special envoy said. “I think it is good for democracy. That’s the beauty of a solid democracy, you have more than one person potentially running.”
Parliamentary and presidential elections in Ukraine scheduled for October 2023 and March 2024 were not held after Vladimir Zelensky announced in December 2023 that they would not take place while martial law imposed during the conflict with Russia remains in force.
Martial law was declared after the escalation of hostilities between Kiev and Moscow in February 2022 and has been repeatedly extended ever since. In November 2024, it was prolonged once again and is now expected to continue at least until February 7, 2025.
US President Doland Trump has repeatedly vowed to swiftly end the Ukraine conflict. On Friday, he claimed that the US was “having very serious discussions about that war” with Russia – something that Moscow has not confirmed so far.
The American president also stated on multiple occasions that he was ready to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as possible to negotiate an end to the fighting. Moscow has repeatedly stated it its ready for dialogue at any time, but has received no specific signals from the US. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, no such talks are currently planned and all communications are being conducted at the embassy level.
If the US plan eventually involves a temporary ceasefire deal prior to a more permanent agreement, the winner of the Ukrainian presidential election could be responsible for negotiating the terms of the final treaty, Reuters reported on Saturday, citing discussions in the White House.
Moscow has questioned Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s legitimacy and said that he is no longer qualified to sign international agreements on behalf of Ukraine as his presidential term officially expired in May 2024.
Earlier this week, Putin said that although Zelensky could take part in any potential negotiations, he could not be part of a final deal. “It’s possible to negotiate with anyone,” the Russian leader said, adding that any agreement would be a “very serious question” and must “guarantee the security of both Ukraine and Russia” for a “serious” period of time.
Putin had previously stated on multiple occasions that the Ukrainian constitution does not envisage any extensions of the president’s term, only authorizing this for the parliament. Moscow has also said it will not agree to a temporary truce and that a settlement must include “reliable, legally binding agreements eliminating the root causes of the conflict.”RT
Kathmandu: Nepal is playing its third match against Netherlands in the triangular women’s T20 international series. The match will be held at Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground at 12:15 pm today.
Nepal has already suffered its second consecutive defeat. On Saturday, Nepal lost to Thailand by 4 wickets. In the previous match, Nepal lost to Netherlands by 20 runs.
The series features Nepal, Thailand and Netherlands.
NATO is trying to turn the Baltic Sea into internal waters of the alliance but Russia will do everything to protect its interests, Russian Ambassador to Denmark Vladimir Barbin told TASS, commenting on the decision of NATO member-countries to launch patrols in the Baltic Sea with the use of warships and aviation.
“This is an attempt to turn the Baltic Sea into internal waters of NATO, limit the freedom of navigation and put observation of sanctions introduced by the West against our country under the NATO’s stringent control. Russia will do everything needed to protect its interests with reliance on international law. Our opponents should not have any illusions in this regard,” the diplomat said.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said earlier that the alliance would launch a patrol operation in the Baltic Sea to protect the subsea infrastructure of member-countries, with frigates and marine aviation to be involved. He did not detail the number of warships and aircraft to take part in the operation.
Kathmandu — The Central Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Department of the CPN-UML and the National Cooperative Federation Limited Nepal have suggested to the Prime Minister and UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli to amend some provisions of the ordinance brought to amend some Nepal Acts related to cooperatives through a replacement bill.
Khagaraj Adhikari, Chief of the Central Cooperatives Department of the UML and Chairman of the Federation Omdevi Malla have reached the Prime Minister’s residence and submitted separate suggestions to the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Oli has said that the issues presented through the replacement bill will be discussed and that the ruling party should also be consulted on the issues that have been drawn to the government’s attention.
Kathmandu – While some leaders of the party have been saying that the general convention will be held only after the upcoming elections, Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Thapa has said that the party’s 15th general convention will be held before the 2084 elections.
Addressing the ward meeting of the Congress’s Kathmandu Metropolitan City-7, he said that the Congress general convention should be held on time as per the scheduled date and there is no alternative to it.
He also said that i have heard some leaders have been talking about the general convention to be held only after the 2084 elections but i would like to remind all of you that even the constitution won’t allow this and i want you to be sure that the party’s general convention will be held before the 2084 elections.
Taplejung — The Ministry of Home Affairs has written to the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration to resolve the cable car construction dispute in the Pathibhara area.
Since the issue of cable car regulation falls under federal affairs, the Ministry of Home Affairs has written a letter to the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration to coordinate and facilitate the issues and concerns of the locals and take immediate steps to resolve the issue.
The letter states that immediate steps should be taken to resolve the issue by coordinating and facilitating the issues and concerns raised locally, taking into account the issues and concerns raised locally.
Earlier, on Magh 12, five people, including two from the protesting group, and 21 people on the police side were injured when police opened fire on them. The police have arrested three people in the incident.
Achham — Police have released details of the incident through a press conference, concluding that the two teenage girls, 14-year-old Ishara Khadka and 15-year-old Saraswati Khadka, found dead in Achham, were murdered.
Police have arrested two teenagers, aged 17 and 15, studying in grades 10 and 8 at Gurukul Secondary School in Dhakari, on charges of murder. According to the police, Ishara and Saraswati were talking to the teenagers on phone and social media and had planned to meet in the forest two days ago. During the meeting, a 15 year old teenage boy among arrested proposed to Saraswati for love and sex, and when she refused, he hit her on the head with a stone.
After Saraswati died of a stone, it has been revealed that Ishara was also killed to cover up the murder.
Police have said that the two teenagers have confessed to the murder and that an investigation is underway to determine the involvement of others, but the investigation is ongoing as the final post-mortem report and technical reports are yet to come. The police also stated that the juveniles in police custody are being investigated after being remanded for five days by the Achham District Court.
Kathmandu- The Supreme Court has issued a three-point directive order in the name of the government, dismissing the writ petition filed against the government’s decision to make the national identity card mandatory in a phased manner.
On 24 Jestha, 2081, the government had decided to make the national identity card mandatory for renewal of social security allowance in 28 districts from 1st Shrawan in the first phase. In the second phase, it had decided to make the national identity card mandatory in 38 districts from 1st Magh and in all the remaining districts from 1st Shrawan in the second phase. Five writ petitions were filed in the Supreme Court against that decision. The Supreme Court, putting all the writ petitions together, issued the order by a full bench of Chief Justice Prakash Man Singh Raut, Justice Abdul Aziz Musalman and Nripadhwaj Niraula.
The Supreme Court has ordered the government to expedite the distribution of national identity cards at points near the citizens’ residences. In the directive order, the Supreme Court said, “The hassle, inconvenience and difficulty faced in the delivery of public services due to the lack of a national identity card should be ended.”
Court has ordered the establishment of stations for the collection and distribution of national identity card details in public service delivery bodies.
The Supreme Court has ordered the scientific recording of national identity card details to prevent unauthorized use or misuse of personal information. The Supreme Court has also ordered the National Identity Card Management Information System and other bodies that provide services using the National Identity Card or Identity Card number to conduct a security audit and secure the electronic details of individuals. The Supreme Court has also ordered the development of policy, legal, and structural arrangements to ensure the protection of privacy.
Kathmandu – Nepal Oil Corporation has increased the price of petroleum products. Effective from midnight last night, the Corporation has increased the price of petrol by Rs 2, diesel and kerosene by Rs 4.
Similarly, the Corporation has also increased the price of aviation fuel. According to the Corporation, aviation fuel has increased by Rs 6 per liter domestically and by US$ 43 for international flights to Kathmandu.
According to the new price, the price of petrol will now be Rs 167 per liter in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Dipayal areas. It will be Rs 166 in Surkhet and Dang areas and Rs 164.50 in other areas.
Similarly, the price of diesel and kerosene will be Rs 160 per liter in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Dipayal areas. It will be Rs 159 in Surkhet and Dang areas and Rs 157.50 in other areas.
US President Donald Trump has reiterated plans to hold a conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Reuters reported.
According to the report, Trump said on Friday that he would be speaking to Putin and they would perhaps do something he described as significant. However, the US president did not elaborate.
Trump also said that Washington was having serious discussions with Moscow, Reuters added.
Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier that Moscow remained open to communication with the US at the level of the two countries’ presidents but had not received any requests on the matter from Washington.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has told that any attack by Israel or the United States on Iran’s nuclear facilities would plunge the region into an “all-out war”.In an interview with during a visit to Qatar, Araghchi warned that launching a military attack on Iranian nuclear facilities would be “one of the biggest historical mistakes the US could make”.He said Iran would respond “immediately and decisively” to any attack and that it would lead to an “all-out war in the region”.
“We highly commend Qatar’s mediation role in reaching the ceasefire in Gaza,” Araghchi said in an interview broadcast on Friday. “I hope all other issues will be ironed out.”He also met Hamas officials while in Qatar and said Palestinians had achieved “victory” in Gaza, despite the devastation of Israel’s war on the enclave.“Despite all the killings and destruction the whole world witnessed, the Palestinian people held their ground and upheld their values and principles. I believe this stands as a victory,” he said.“The Israeli occupation forces did all in their power to eliminate Hamas and free their captives, but they were forced at the end of the day to sit and negotiate with Hamas. This represents victory for Hamas,” he added.
Regarding developments in Syria, Araghchi said Iran supports the formation of a government in which all segments of Syrian society can participate following the toppling of former President Bashar al-Assad, who was a strong ally of Iran.Araghchi said Iran’s goals are for stability in Syria and to preserve the unity of the country’s territory.
“We endorse any government chosen and supported by the Syrian people. We want peace and security for Syrian, which is a precursor to the same in the region,” he said.“We don’t wish to see Syria as the epicentre of endless tension or ethnic conflicts, which may turn it into a safe haven for terrorists. Instability in Syria would spill over the region.”
Iran had supported al-Assad since Syria’s war broke out in 2011, providing him with fighters, weapons and other military support that aimed to keep him in power, as well as to maintain Tehran’s regional “axis of resistance” to Israel and the US.Regarding the re-election of Trump, Araghchi said the history of Iranian-American relations was “full of hostility and mistrust”.He pointed out that the US under the last Trump administration withdrew from the nuclear agreement and assassinated Qaseem Solieimani, the head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC’s) Quds Force.He called on the new Trump administration to take practical steps to restore confidence, such as returning frozen Iranian funds, and said Iran does not object to direct dialogue with the US, but insists on limiting negotiations to the nuclear issue.
Kathmandu — The opposition party RSP has started protesting immediately after the fifth session of the House of Representatives began.
As Speaker Ghimire was about to move forward with the agenda of the meeting, RSP MPs are standing up and protesting. Amidst the RSP obstruction, Speaker Devraj Ghimire read out letters received from the President’s Office and the Prime Minister’s Office.
As the Speaker proceeded with the meeting amid obstruction, RSP MPs boycotted the meeting and walked out.
RSP President Rabi Lamichhane has also requested Speaker Ghimire to lift his suspension.
At the beginning of today’s meeting, there is an agenda to inform about the letter calling the session, read out the letter from the President’s Office, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Council of Ministers’ Office, and nominate the members to preside. Similarly, at the beginning of the session, speeches will be made on a party-based basis, and the agenda includes the presentation of ordinances brought by the government in the House.
Kathmandu – The Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party meeting has been postponed. The next meeting has been postponed to 8:00 am on the 24th due to lack of time after the members did not finish speaking in the meeting.
According to Ghimire, the lawmakers have finished speaking in the meeting and ministers, office bearers and leaders will speak in the next meeting.
He also said that various issues including the ordinances brought by the government were discussed in today’s meeting.
Kathmandu – President of the Rastriya swatantra party Rabi Lamichhane has reached the Parliament Secretariat with a petition to lift his suspension from the post of MP.
Lamichhane is expected to meet Speaker Devraj Ghimire and request his suspension lifting, claiming that the suspension is illegal and against the rules of the House of Representatives.
The Parliament Secretariat suspended Lamichhane from his post as MP on Poush 8 after a case of money laundering was registered along with cooperative fraud.
RSP has already decided to protest the suspension of his post as MP in the House of Representatives meeting to be held today, saying that it was politically motivated.
Kathmandu – The winter session of Parliament has been scheduled for 1 pm today. While opposition parties are saying that they will protest in Parliament today regarding the bill and ordinance to be presented by the government in Parliament, MPs from the ruling party Nepali Congress are seen opposing the ordinance.
A meeting of the Nepali Congress parliamentary party is currently being held after their own MPs were seen opposing it. Congress leaders have said that the meeting may have been called to discuss the winter session starting today and to urge the MPs not to speak against the ordinance and to move forward with unity in Parliament. It is understood that apart three of the Congress MPs all are against the ordinance brought by the government.
In fact, Nepali Congress General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwaprakash Sharma have openly opposed the social media bill introduced by the government in the media and said that it should be corrected, while other lawmakers have also criticized the government’s move, saying that the government introduced the bill in a way that was favorable to them without discussing it in a parliamentary committee and that running the government through ordinances is a wrong practice in democracy.
Kathmandu- The Nepal Bar’s executive committee meeting has decided to hold elections for the new leadership of the Nepal Bar Association, the umbrella organization of legal professionals across the country, on Chaitra 23.
According to President Gopal Krishna Ghimire, the meeting has also formed a 5-member election committee under the chairmanship of senior advocate Ram Krishna Nirala, and the Nepal Bar will elect its 27th executive committee from the upcoming election.
Since the Nepali Congress and organizations close to the CPN-UML have been the main contenders for leadership and as the current government is a joint government of the Congress and the UML, it is expected that the upcoming election of the bar may proceed according to the equation of the alliance.
Recently, in the election competition between the Congress and the organizations close to the UML in the Supreme Court Bar Association, Meghraj Pokharel, a candidate of the Democratic Lawyers Association, an organization close to the Congress, was elected as the president.
Earlier, in the Bar elections held in Chaitra 2078, the panel of current President Gopal Krishna Ghimire from the alliance of Nepali Congress, Maoists and Unified Socialists won.
Elections are held every 3 years to select leadership in the Nepal Bar.
Kathmandu: Minister for Health and Population Pradeep Poudel has presented the action plan related to health insurance reform to the Prime Minister.
The insurance reform action plan prepared based on the report of the Health Insurance Reform Suggestions Task Force will now be decided by the Council of Ministers and the process of amending the Health Insurance Act will be taken forward through the winter session of the Federal Parliament, according to Minister Poudel’s secretariat.
The Health Minister Poudel’s secretariat has stated that the eight main issues to be addressed for insurance reform has been submitted to the Prime Minister .
The action plan mentions how all the previous suggestions given by the Dr. Shambhu Acharya Task Force can be implemented, and it includes the issue of making arrangements so that all insured persons will receive treatment services worth Rs. 500,000 within the next 6 years, but for now, only kidney patients among the insured will receive services worth Rs. 500,000.
Similarly, the health insurance reform action plan includes issues such as mandatory coverage of all government employees, higher tax payers paying higher premiums, direct allocation of money from taxes on tobacco, sweets and confectionery products to insurance, and more services in treatment and medicine than laboratory tests.
Kathmandu – The third plenary national meeting of the Nepal Teachers Federation held on Magh 16 and 17 has announced the protest.
As part of the protest program, the federation has said that on Magh 20, all teachers and employees will use rectangular red stickers to write ‘School Education Act should be issued from the winter session of 2081’ on their Facebook walls, they will submit attention and information letters to all municipalities at 1 pm on Magh 25, they will form a protest mobilization committee at the local level on Magh 25 and will hold an interaction program between students, parents and school management committees in every school on Magh 29 and inform them about the demands of teachers and employees and the need for the protest, and on Magh 30, they will gather at the local municipality office and hold a protest rally with black armbands with the slogan ‘School Education Act should be issued from this winter session of parliament so that our demands are addressed’.
Similarly, the Federation has stated that under the district level program, a movement mobilization committee will be formed in each district on Magh 26 and a letter of attention and information will be submitted to the Education Development and Coordination Units of all 77 districts of the country on Falgun 2 and on Falgun 11, the district movement mobilization committee will submit a letter of attention to the federal parliamentarians elected from all constituencies of the district, including all the past agreements between the government and the Federation.
Similarly, under the provincial level, a provincial level movement mobilization committee will be formed on Falgun 7 and a letter of attention and information will be submitted to the Chief Ministers/Ministers of Social Development of all 7 provinces of the country on Falgun 9 and a meeting with various stakeholders will be held under the national level program.
The Federation has also stated that it will meet the Chief Whips of the Parliamentary Parties of all political parties, heads of political parties, Speakers, Chairs of the Education, Health and Information Technology Committees, and Ministers of Education to provide written information about the movement and its objectives and submit a letter of attention and information to the Prime Minister.
The federation has said that if its demands are not addressed, it will make the second phase of the program public on Falgun 19 and that the second phase of the movement will include a demonstration of organizational power, non-cooperation, disobedience (boycott), and obstruction programs in the capital.
Kathmandu – Former Education Minister and Rastriya Swatantra Party leader Sumana Shrestha has demanded the immediate release of social activist Ashika Tamang.
Shrestha met Tamang at Jagati Police Station in Bhaktapur on Thursday.
Expressing that her behavior may be chaotic, her style may be wrong, I agree, but what she did reflects the anger of the common people, Shrestha questioned the government’s authoritarian attitude and ability. The intellectual class may disagree with Ashika’s method, but punishment should be according to the mistake, is it right to torture her like this? She also questioned.
She also accused the Home Minister of silently supporting Tamang’s suffering, saying who is registering these complaints in various districts against a person who has already been released on bail and whether action is being taken as quickly in other cases.
“Isn’t this government trying to threat that”you oppose us! I will show you the truth”? We have seen more serious incidents like not doing anything to the student leaders from governing poltical parties who vandalized schools and colleges, allowing those who beat up professors to go abroad, and culprit participating in the police’s program at night while absconding.What could have happened if instead of Ashikaji, someone close to a party had been brought up?The intention was to suppress only those who do not have access to the power center”, she said.
Tamang, who was arrested on charges of indecent behavior, is currently at the Jagati police station.
Kathmandu- The winter session of the federal parliament is set to convene at the International Convention Centre, New Baneshwor, at 1:00 PM today.
This session is also regarded as the “bill session.”The Federal Parliament Secretariat has released the tentative agenda for both Houses. According to Secretariat Spokesperson Ekram Giri, the agenda includes the Speaker reading various letters from the President, including one regarding the commencement of the session.Additionally, as per Rule 10 of the House of Representatives Regulation, 2079, the Speaker will nominate a member to chair the meeting. Lawmakers will also deliver statements on behalf of their respective parties, following established practice.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will present the Ordinance to Amend Certain Nepal Acts Related to Promoting Good Governance and Public Service Delivery, 2081. Similarly, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Poudel will introduce the Ordinance on Financial Procedure and Fiscal Responsibility (First Amendment), 2081, the Ordinance on Privatization (First Amendment), 2081, and the Ordinance to Amend Certain Nepal Acts Related to Improving the Economic and Business Environment and Investment Promotion, 2081.
Meanwhile, Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives, and Poverty Alleviation Bal Ram Adhikari is scheduled to present the Ordinance to Amend Certain Nepal Acts Related to Cooperatives, 2081 and the Ordinance to Amend Certain Nepal Acts Related to Land Management, 2081.The Speaker will also table various condolence motions. Additionally, the National Assembly agenda includes the presentation of the Media Council Bill and the report of the Committee on the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Bill, 2081.
Kathmandu: An agreement has been reached on cooperation among 8 Madhes-centric parties. The meeting of Madhes-centric parties held in Singha Darabr decided to move forward by cooperating, said Janata Samajwadi Party leader Manish Suman.
According to him, a task force has also been formed with representation from 8 parties with the goal of unification. The task force includes Manish Suman, Laxman Lal Karna, Dr. Sarad Singh Yadav, Mohammad Istiyak Rai, Gangaram Chaudhary, Shivji Yadav and Braj Kishore Singh. Leader Suman said that a name is yet to be announced from Rajendra Mahato’s party.
He said that the recent political situation in the country and the agenda of the constitution amendment were discussed. He said that detailed discussions were held on the issue of agreement and cooperation to form a common view of the 8 parties on the same issue.
He said that the 8-member task force will discuss issues including creating an environment of unity, strengthening cooperation and coordination in the upcoming meeting. ‘The task force will first name itself. Then it will work on the code of conduct, drafting a document of common ideas, coordinating upcoming meetings, etc. Unity is our goal. We cannot say anything right now,’ said leader Suman.
He said that there was also discussion on the ordinance brought by the government. He said that more attention was paid to the ordinance related to land of Madhesh-centric parties. A detailed study is being done on this bill. Our statement is that the Mahendra ideology has displaced Madheshi and indigenous people from their own land,’ he said.
Kathmandu – The home team Nepal has been defeated by 20 runs in the first match of the tri-nation T20 series against the Netherlands at the TU Cricket Ground in Kirtipur.
Chasing a target of 158 runs given by the Netherlands for the loss of four wickets in 20 overs, the Nepali team managed to score 137 runs for the loss of only seven wickets in 20 overs.
For Nepal, Sita Rana Magar scored the highest score of 28 runs in 45 balls with three fours, while Kavita Joshi contributed 27 runs with one four and two sixes in 17 balls. Similarly, Pooja Mahato managed to add 24 runs, while Pooja hit two fours and a six in 14 balls. Samjhana Khadka scored 9 runs with one four in 11 balls, captain Indu Verma scored seven runs in 10 balls, Kavita Kunwar scored 8 and former captain Rubina Chhetri scored a total of 11 runs.
Kathmandu – A joint meeting of opposition parties held at the parliamentary party office of the main opposition party, the CPN-Maoist Center, has warned that they will reject the ordinances brought by the government and will hold a protest against it if necessary.
Maoist Center Chief Whip Hitraj Pandey has said that the government has brought the ordinance through wrong methods and procedures, which is unacceptable, and that they will hold street struggles if the government tries to pass bills through ordinances forcibly.
Stating that the bills under discussion in the parliamentary committees should be passed after discussion in the parliamentary committees, but the government is trying to pass the bills by bringing an ordinance and violating legal values, he said that issues of public concern, including the ordinance, will be raised unanimously in the parliament session starting Friday.
Kathmandu- Nepali team has taken a ground to chase down a target of 158 runs against the Netherlands in the first match of the ongoing women’s T20 International series involving Thailand, Nepal and the Netherlands at the Tribhuvan University Ground, Kirtipur.
Batting first after losing the toss, the Netherlands managed to score 157 runs for the loss of 4 wickets in 20 overs. For the Netherlands, Robin Rizki scored 59 runs in 48 balls with 8 fours, Sterie Kallis scored 29 runs in 35 balls with 4 fours, Iris Zwilling scored 31 and Heather Scissors scored 23 runs. For Nepal, Kavita Kunwar, Pooja Mahato, Ishwori Bista and Sita Rana Magar took 1 wicket each in the match.
All the teams will play 3-3 matches with each team in the series. Nepal will play the second match against Thailand on Saturday. They will play against the Netherlands on Magh 20, Thailand on Magh 22, Netherlands on Magh 23 and Thailand on Magh 25.
Since there will be no finals in the match, the team that wins the most matches and gets the highest points by the end of all match will be the winner of the series.
Kathmandu- Nepali Congress General Secretary and Federal Parliament Member Gagan Thapa has said that the social media bill registered by the government in the parliament is flawed and should be corrected.
Since the core of democracy is freedom of expression, democracy has no meaning if no one is able to express their views without fear, but he said that the bill brought by the government should not harm others while exercising the right to freedom of expression, and the right to freedom granted by the constitution should not be narrowed under any circumstances while trying to regulate those who abuse freedom.
‘There are many positive and necessary things in the bill, but since the definition of most of the issues that have been kept as criminal offenses is vague and ambiguous, the government may interpret it arbitrarily and present it in a manner that suits it, and since the government can use it as a weapon at any time, the citizens are now being afraid of the government with the bill moving forward in the parliament, so that those provisions should be corrected and moved forward, he said.
He said that although he had no role in the drafting of the bill, he will now try his best with the government to correct it and make it right. He said that the bill related to social media needs extensive revisions and that the bill will be allowed to move forward as a law only if it is made in accordance with the spirit of the constitution.
Kathmandu – Expressing best wishes on the occasion of Sonamalhosar, the festival of the Tamang community, President Ram Chandra Poudel has expressed his belief that festivals will help further strengthen national unity and that festivals like Sonamalhosar will enhance the spirit of mutual harmony, tolerance and brotherhood among all Nepalese.
‘I wish that the Sonamalhosar festival will further strengthen unity among all Nepalese and provide energy to everyone to move forward to build an economically and socially prosperous country,’ President Poudel said.
The Sonamalhosar festival is celebrated every year on the day of Magh Shukla Pratipada as the new year of the Tamang community. During this festival, the Tamang community observes family worship, nature worship and remembers the messages of Buddha, as well as gathers with relatives and entertains them and shares happiness with each other.
A regional passenger plane collided midair with a US military helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) on Wednesday night, prompting the suspension of all flights from the airport and a large-scale emergency response.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that a Bombardier CRJ700 aircraft operated by PSA Airlines, a subsidiary of American Airlines, flying in from Kansas, was approaching Reagan National when it collided with a Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter around 9pm local time.
There were 60 passengers and four crew members on board the civilian aircraft, according to American Airlines. The US Army helicopter had a crew of three and was not carrying any VIPs, a US defense official told CNN. The number of fatalities remains unclear, as emergency personnel from multiple agencies continue the search for possible survivors.
DC Fire and EMS previously said that fireboats and other emergency personnel were responding after a “small aircraft” had gone down in the Potomac River. The airport announced that all takeoffs and landings were halted due to an “aircraft emergency”. However, the terminal remained open to passengers.
Authorities are urging the public to avoid the area to allow emergency personnel to perform their duties.
Kathmandu – The Federation of Nepali Journalists has expressed serious concerns over some provisions of the bill on the operation, use and regulation of social media that the government has registered in the federal parliament.
Issuing a statement, the federation expressed serious disagreement and objection to the government’s move forward with the bill without even normal consultation and discussion with stakeholders, including some provisions that will undermine the freedom of the press and expression.
Citizens have warned the government that serious questions have been raised about the bill registered in the parliament by the government, and that if fundamental changes are not made to the bill, conscious citizens understand that it will not regulate social media but will control the constitutional right of citizens to speak.
The statement issued by the Federation states that the bill should be moved forward only by correcting the provisions that restrict freedom of the press and expression in a manner that is consistent with global human rights, values of freedom of the press and expression, constitutional provisions, and prevailing practices through in-depth dialogue with stakeholders including the Federation, and that any law that restricts and controls freedom of the press and expression will not be acceptable.
Kathmandu- The Passport Department has revised the passport printing tender after a complaint was filed with the Public Procurement Monitoring Office and the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority against the global tender called by the Passport Department for passport printing.
The complainant alleges that the document was prepared to award the tender to a specific company and that the specifications were prepared under the influence of the company currently printing e-passports. The contract was revised after complaints were received from all agencies that the Passport Department had previously sought a bid to award the contract to IDEMIA, which is currently printing passports. The Passport Department extended the deadline to February 11 after a dispute arose over the fact that the bid was called by January 12. Six companies had filed complaints with the Public Procurement Monitoring Office against the Passport Department. The Procurement Monitoring Office had also sent a letter to the Passport Department to address the complaint.
The department revised the bid document on January 20 only after the complaint. The amendment to the current system that does not allow companies participating in joint ventures to participate in the competition has been changed so that three companies can apply jointly. The department has also amended the system that gives priority to the same company applying for Package 1 and Package 2. According to the amended system, the annual turnover of the company participating in Package 1 in the last 3 years must be 12 million US dollars, for Package 2 40 million, and for companies participating in both packages 52 million US dollars annually. The requirement of 5 years of technical experience and 3 years of experience in production and operation has been amended to 3 years of experience in evaluation of bids.
It is alleged that even after the Passport Department amended the tender document, some provisions that would benefit IDEMIA remain same and that IDEMIA itself could win the tender even after the document amendment. The complainant claims that even though the Passport Department amended some issues, only the company that has been printing the passport is going to be eligible as the provisions has been ammended accordingly to benifit the company.
The Passport Department has called a meeting of companies interested in participating in the tender on January 31. The department has informed that it will hold online or physical discussions with companies interested in participating in the tender on Friday regarding the amendments made on January 20.
A complaint has also been filed with the State Administration Committee alleging that IDEMIA has arbitrarily misappropriated billions of state funds and citizen data, but despite the complaint being registered with the committee, the investigation has not been progressed yet.
The Passport Department first awarded the MRP passport contract to a French company named Oberthur Technology in 2010 at a cost of 200 million. Based on the 200 million contract, the Passport Department later awarded billions of rupees to the Oberthur company directly through variation without competition. The Oberthur company was later purchased by another French company, IDEMIA. In 2020, the Passport Department again awarded a contract worth about 2.5 billion rupees to IDEMIA. The contract included IDEMIA supplying the Passport Department with electronic equipment, systems and printing 2 million e-passport booklets.
IDEMIA banned by the World Bank
IDEMIA was banned by the World Bank for 2.5 years eight years ago. Before IDEMIA was formed, it was a French digital security company, Aberthar Technologies. The World Bank had banned it for engaging in corrupt activities and practices in connection with a project related to the National Identity Card System of Bangladesh.
Even then, the company made illegal payments to subcontractors to customize the tender specifications, according to a statement issued by the World Bank on November 30, 2017. With this, the company was excluded from the contract funded by the World Bank.
Kathmandu — The tenth meeting of the Central Coordination Committee of the Socialist Front, held at the central office of the CPN (Unified Socialist), Aloknagar, is set to hold a public demonstration in Kathmandu on Chaitra 24.
The meeting also said that it has decided to hold a program including a public demonstration in Madhesh in the first week of Chaitra. The Socialist Front has also decided to publish the Socialist Front by the end of Falgun with the aim of informing about the Socialist Front.
It has been decided to move forward with discussions to include Mohan Bikram Singh’s party and other parties in the Socialist Front, and the meeting has also concluded that the current government is anti-republican.
The meeting has decided to strengthen the Socialist Front, give the responsibility of reorganizing the Socialist Front to all four political parties participating in the Front in Madhesh Province, and form the Socialist Front by involving the Nepal Socialist Party in places where the Front is yet to be formed across the country.
The meeting also decided to put pressure on the government to implement the agreements reached with the Netra Bikram Chand-led NCP, the Chandra Kanta Raut-led Janamat Party, and the Resham Chaudhary-led Nagarik Unmukti Party.
Kathmandu- The Tamang community is celebrating Sonam Lhosar, the New Year festival celebrated on the first day of the first full moon of Magh, today by organizing various programs. This festival is celebrated in various districts of Bagmati Province, where the Tamang community is in the majority.
The word ‘Lhosar’ is made up of two words ‘Lho’ meaning year and ‘Chhar’ or ‘Sar’ meaning new. The Tamang community celebrates Lhosar on this day with special traditional and cultural significance. Thus, the Tamang community living in the high mountainous regions of Nepal and the hilly regions, as well as in areas where there is a high density of Buddhists, including the northern neighbor China, celebrate the New Year with great joy. This festival, which is celebrated with much pomp and show, is celebrated every year in Nepal as the beginning of the Tibetan New Year.
Background of the Tamang Community
When studying various books and researches written about the Tamang community, ‘Ta’ means horse and ‘Maang’ means fighters. In this sense, the community of brave people, the Tamangs, are indeed famous not only in Nepal but also all over the world for their courage, bravery and fighting skills. The Tamangs are known as a nature-loving community, especially in Nepal, the Tamang caste worships Kul Puja and nature on the occasion of Sonam Lhosar. In this community, today, daughters and girls are invited and given tika. In the community that celebrates Lhosar, there are twelve ‘Lho’ or years. The names of those years are found to be named after animals and birds such as rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, eagle, snake, horse, goat/sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig, these years starting with the rat and ending with the year of the wild boar. The year 2025 has been called the year of the rabbit. The twelve-year cycle is also considered as the twelve zodiac signs.
The custom of celebrating Lhosar in Nepal
The custom of celebrating Lhosar in Nepal is believed to have come from China and the Chinese-administered states, because in the Chinese calendar, the new year is also called by the names of various animals and birds. In addition, the Tamang community uses its own calendar, which is different from the Chinese calendar, which is called ‘Chandra Patro’. According to Buddhism, the Tamang caste belongs to the Mahayana sect. Apart from the Tamangs, the Lhosar festival is celebrated by Sherpa, Gurung, Magar, Thakali, Jirel, Nesyangwa, Bhote, Dura and Lepcha castes.
3 types of Lhosar
The Lhosar celebrated by the Gurungs is called Tola Lhosar, the Lhosar celebrated by the Tamangs and other castes is called Sonam Lhosar, and the Lhosar celebrated by the Sherpa and Bhote castes is called Gyalpo Lhosar.
Sonam Lhosar celebrated worldwide
Sonam Lhosar festival is celebrated in Nepal and other countries where Tamang people have reached, including Singapore, Mongolia, Malaysia, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Bhutan, Laos, Myanmar, Japan and other countries. Today, most of the Buddhist monasteries in these countries are decorated with colorful flags, banners, flower gates and other attractive decorating items. Such decorations made in Nepali Buddhist monasteries, mainly in the hills, attract the eye from afar, and create a feeling of immense joy.
On the occasion of Sonam Lhosar, houses and settlements are cleaned and Buddha images are hung and Buddha is worshipped. In some places, everyone gathers in one place in the presence of the village lamas and chiefs according to caste and dance. The songs sung and danced in this way are called ‘Tamang Selo’. Sung slowly but very melodiously, such Selo includes feelings of love and affection, including mountain peaks and daily life. Damphu is the signature instrument of this community. The melodious combination of damphu and Selo is enchanting. Most such community programs are held under the open sky, and people of the Tamang community dressed in traditional attire, including people of all other communities and religions, are welcomed with an open heart by this community.
Various tantric rituals and masked dances are also performed today to remove negative elements and to invoke positive elements and powers that inspire hope.
On this day, blessings from the lamas are sought and auspicious events are expected for the whole year. In this way, by organizing various programs and fairs and exchanging greetings, the Tamang community has successfully maintained its centuries-old culture and identity for generations.
On this special occasion, it is customary to make various sweet sweets and have a feast at home and meet relatives. As a community, all the people of the community gather together to celebrate the festival and give the culture and message of friendly attitude in a simple and civilized manner. The Tamang community is truly an exemplary community. Article translated from hamro patro.
At least 20 people have been killed in a plane crash in the north of South Sudan, Unity state’s minister for information said.
The aircraft came down near the oil fields in Unity state at about 10:30am (08:30 GMT) shortly after taking off for the capital, Juba, on Wednesday.
The plane crashed 500 metres from the airport. Among 21 people on board there’s only one survivor .
All of the passengers – 16 South Sudanese, two Chinese nationals and 1 Indian – are employees of he Greater Pioneer Operating Company (GPOC).The aircraft was on a routine mission to the area.
Slovakia’s pro-Western opposition has again failed to gather sufficient lawmakers to call an extraordinary meeting of the National Council, the country’s unicameral parliament, on a no-confidence motion seeking to dismiss Prime Minister Robert Fico’s cabinet.
At the first call, just 58 opposition legislators arrived this morning, while at least 76 members of the 150-seat legislature are required for a vote to take place. An even smaller number of MPs—56—turned up as the opposition made a second attempt to hold a vote.
Yesterday, the opposition failed two attempts to do so. Now, pro-Western political parties will try to vote against Fico on February 4.
On January 22, representatives of Slovakia’s pro-Western opposition parties again introduced a proposal for a vote of no confidence in Fico’s government.
Earlier, the prime minister accused the Progressive Slovakia opposition party of plotting a coup in the country, similar to what happened in Ukraine. The prime minister also noted that its representatives prioritize Kiev’s interests over national ones. In their January 17 meeting with Vladimir Zelensky, they vowed that, if victorious, the party would support Ukraine’s membership in NATO and send Slovak troops to its territory.
Kathmandu – Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has paid tribute to the martyrs.
On the occasion of Martyrs’ Day, he visited the Martyrs’ Memorial and Martyrs’ Gate in Lainchaur and offered wreaths at the statues of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the cause of democracy and sovereignty of the country.
Along with Prime Minister Oli, Deputy Prime Ministers, ministers, MPs of various political parties, Chief Secretary of the Government of Nepal, Chief of Security Agencies and others have also paid tribute to the martyrs.
Today, Martyrs’ Day is being celebrated across the country by organizing various programs in memory of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the establishment and restoration of democracy and freedom in various periods.
Martyrs’ Day has been celebrated every year on 16 Magh with various programs since 2007 BS.
Kathmandu – Trump led US government has made public the number of 1,445,549 illegal immigrants from various countries in its policy of deporting illegal immigrants under its election slogan of “Make America Great Again” immediately after Donald Trump elected president.
The list of 1,445,549 illegal immigrants from various countries has been made public by the US Immigration Office which includes 1,365 Nepalese.
After the US government launched the largest mass deportation campaign of immigrants living in the US illegally, the US has already started a campaign to return illegal citizens from countries such as Colombia, Mexico and Guatemala to their countries. The largest number of those to be deported from the US are citizens of Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico and El Salvador.
The largest number of people to be deported are from Honduras (261,651), Guatemala (253,413), Mexico (252,044) and El Salvador (238,822). Similarly, 37,908 people from China and 17,940 people from India are also on the list to be deported from the US.
Martyrs’ Day is being observed in Nepal today in memory of the great martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the establishment of democracy in the country. Martyrs’ Day is observed in Nepal every year as a solemn remembrance of the struggle and sacrifices made by the martyrs of Nepal against the autocratic Rana regime for freedom, justice and democratic rule. Among the many who sacrificed their lives, four prominent figures – Shukraraj Shastri, Dharmabhakta Mathema, Dashrath Chand and Gangalal Shrestha – are especially remembered on this day for their unwavering commitment to the democratic movement of Nepal.
While remembering these four martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country, we should not forget the many other martyrs including Lakhan Thapa, Bhakti Thapa, Balabhadra Kunwar and Amar Singh Thapa who sacrificed their lives for the democracy and sovereignty of this country at some point in history.
Shukraraj Shastri (1894 – January 23, 1941)
Shukraraj Shastri was a scholar, philosopher, and social reformer who played a significant role in spreading political consciousness among Nepali citizens. He was one of the pioneers in opposing the oppressive Rana regime and advocating democratic principles. His efforts to educate the public about democracy and governance made him a target of autocratic rulers.
On January 23, 1941 (Magh 10, 1997), he was publicly hanged in Pachali, Kathmandu, on the orders of the then Rana government. His execution marked a turning point in Nepal’s democratic struggle, inspiring many to continue the fight for independence, democracy and sovereignty.
Dharmabhakta Mathema (1909 – January 25, 1941)
Dharmabhakta Mathema was a national hero and a famous sportsman who used his influence to encourage nationalist sentiments against the Rana rulers. He played a significant role in mobilizing the public and spreading awareness about the need for political change in Nepal.
Recognizing his potential threat, the Rana regime arrested him and sentenced him to death. He was hanged on January 25, 1941 (Magh 12, 1997) at Siphal in Kathmandu. His sacrifice has been a source of inspiration for generations of Nepalese who cherish democratic values and freedom.
Dasharath Chand (1916 – January 28, 1941)
Dasarath Chand was a fearless journalist and political activist who worked tirelessly to expose the injustices of the Rana government. Together with his close associates, he sought to establish democracy in Nepal through active political engagement and resistance.
Due to his revolutionary activities, he was arrested and sentenced to death by the Rana rulers. On January 28, 1941 (Magh 14, 1997), he was shot dead at Shobha Bhagwati in Kathmandu. His martyrdom keeps the sacrifices he made for democracy and justice alive.
Gangalal Shrestha (1919 – January 28, 1941)
Gangalal Shrestha was a young and passionate revolutionary who dedicated his life to the democratic movement. From a young age, he actively opposed the authoritarian rule of the Ranas and worked closely with others to promote freedom and equality in Nepal.
He was arrested along with Dashrath Chand and sentenced to death for his involvement in anti-Rana activities. He too was shot dead at Shobha Bhagwati in Kathmandu on January 28, 1941. His courage and determination have left an indelible mark on Nepal’s history.
Martyr’s Day is celebrated with great respect and devotion throughout Nepal. The government, political leaders, civil society, and the general public pay tribute to these great martyrs by holding rallies, programs, and laying wreaths at their statues and memorials. The primary site of remembrance is the Shaheed Gate in Kathmandu, where the statues of these four martyrs stand as a symbol of their sacrifice.
Their sacrifices ultimately paved the way for Nepal to transform from an autocracy to a democratic nation. Martyrs’ Day celebrations serve as a constant reminder of the value of freedom and the responsibility of every citizen to uphold democratic values. Schools, colleges, and government institutions often organize special programs, discussions, and seminars to educate the younger generation about the history of Nepal’s democratic struggle.
Celebrating Martyrs’ Day is not just about paying tribute; it is also about advancing the spirit of patriotism, justice, and equality. Nepal’s progress towards a democratic system has been fraught with difficulties, but the foundation laid by these martyrs continues to inspire Nepali citizens to strive for a more just and equitable society.
The sacrifices of Shukraraj Shastri, Dharmabhakta Mathema, Dashrath Chand, and Gangalal Shrestha have become a source of inspiration for all Nepalese. Their unwavering dedication to justice and democracy changed the course of Nepali history. As we celebrate Martyrs’ Day, it is our duty today to honor their legacy by protecting the democratic rights and freedoms they fought so hard to achieve. The true tribute to these great martyrs is to uphold their values and ensure that Nepal continues to progress as a democratic nation free from oppression and injustice.
Nepal’s political landscape has been shaped by the sacrifices of these martyrs.Their legacy continues to influence modern-day political movements and democratic practices. Despite the challenges Nepal faces in governance, the principles fought for by these martyrs are still relevant today. The self-respect and sovereign Nepal shown by the martyrs is the duty of the common Nepali citizen to move forward on the path of nation-building with awareness that every citizen should do something for the country from their own area for the right to live independently on the path of democratic and sovereign Nepal.
More than 15 people have been killed, and many more injured, in a crowd crush at the world’s largest religious festival in northern India.
Witnesses counted several bodies, and a doctor at the festival site in the city of Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh told that 15 people were killed in the crush near a river bank early on Wednesday morning.
The final death toll is yet to be confirmed and relatives of injured victims were anxiously waiting for news outside a large tent serving as a purpose-built hospital for the festival approximately a kilometre (half a mile) from the accident site.
A Rapid Action Force (RAF) – a special unit called in during crises – had been deployed to the area to bring the situation under control, and rescue efforts were under way, officials said.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and gave “directions for normalisation of the situation and relief”. The Mahakumbh Mela, or Great Pitcher Festival, is the single biggest milestone on the Hindu religious calendar, and up to 400 million pilgrims were expected to visit before the festival’s final day on February 26.
The festival is being held on a 10,000-acre site (4,046 hectares) where makeshift tents have been constructed to accommodate pilgrims. Wednesday marks one of the holiest days in the six-week festival, with holy men due to lead pilgrims in a procession of sin-cleansing bathing at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers in Prayagraj.
Held every 12 years in four locations – Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik and Ujjain – Hindus believe the festival is an opportunity for them to wash their sins away as they gather on the banks of sacred rivers to take part in a day of ritual bathing.
Deadly crowd crushes regularly occur at Indian religious festivals, and the Mahakumbh – often called simply the Kumbh – boasts a grim track record for deadly incidents.
More than 400 people died on a single day of the festival in 1954 after being trampled or drowned, in what remains one of the deadliest incidents of its kind.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky can participate in possible talks with Moscow if he wishes to, but he lacks the legitimacy to actually sign a peace deal.
Asked whether Moscow would actually talk to Zelensky if he expresses the desire to do so, Putin said the Ukrainian leader lacks any authority to actually strike any sort of deal with Russia.
Negotiating with the de-facto Ukrainian leadership will not have any legal meaning, given that Kiev explicitly banned itself from engaging in talks with Moscow, according to Putin.
In 2022, Zelensky, whose presidential term officially ended in May 2024, issued a decree prohibiting negotiations with Russia, and President Vladimir Putin specifically, a measure that remains in effect. Last week, Zelensky claimed the ban applies to all Ukrainian officials except himself, although the original decree did not specify a list of entities barred from talking to Russia, stating only that such negotiations were “impossible.”
“If we start negotiations now, they will be illegitimate… Because when the current head of the regime, that’s the only way to call [Zelensky] today, signed this decree, he was a somewhat legitimate president. But now he can’t cancel it, because he is illegitimate. That’s the trick, the catch, the trap,” Putin explained.
However, the Ukrainian leadership could find a way out of this situation and circumvent the ban, Putin said, suggesting that the country’s parliament could do that. “According to Ukraine’s constitution, the president of Ukraine, even under martial law, cannot extend his term. Only the representative branch can have its term extended, that’s the Ukrainian parliament, while the president only has a five-year term, that’s it,” he said.
“It’s possible to negotiate with anyone. However, due to his illegitimacy, [Zelensky] has no right to sign anything. If he wishes to participate in talks, I will deploy people who will conduct such negotiations,” Putin said. He stressed that signing any deal would be a “very serious question” and the agreement must “guarantee the security of both Ukraine and Russia” for a “serious” period of time.
Any potential peace agreement must be flawless from the legal standpoint, Putin emphasized, adding that the authority and legitimacy of Kiev’s negotiating team would be subjected to intense scrutiny and assessed by a whole team of legal experts.
A US judge temporarily halted President Donald Trump’s order to freeze hundreds of billions of dollars in federal grants and loans, minutes before it was set to come into effect on Tuesday.
Judge Loren AliKhan’s order to pause the plan until next Monday at 17:00 EST (22:00 GMT) came in response to a lawsuit filed earlier in the day by a group of organisations representing grant recipients.
The lawsuit claims the White House’s temporary freezing of already approved funding violates the law.In the hours before the order was due to take effect, there was widespread confusion about which agencies and programmes would be impacted.The acting head of the White House budget office had instructed agencies to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligations or disbursement of all federal financial assistance”.It said the move was intended to give the new administration time to assess what grants and loans were in step with their agenda.
On Tuesday, several states reported issues accessing funds through Medicaid, a government health insurance programme for low-income people. The White House later said the programme would not be affected and that the problem would be resolved soon.It also said Social Security benefits would not be affected, nor would any programme “that provides direct benefits to individuals”, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP or food stamps.
Karnali- The Karnali Provincial Assembly meeting has been postponed until Magh 25 after the main opposition party, the CPN-Maoist Center, obstructed the meeting, saying that the Karnali Prosperity Program was not being implemented.
The Karnali Provincial Assembly Secretariat issued a notice informing that the meeting has been postponed until Magh 25.
The Karnali Provincial Assembly meeting on Sunday was adjourned for half an hour after the main opposition party, the CPN-Maoist Center, obstructed the parliament, and on Tuesday, the meeting was adjourned after no agreement could be reached between the government and the Maoist Center. Immediately, the Karnali Provincial Assembly Secretariat postponed the meeting to Friday, Magh 25 at 3 pm.
Kathmandu- The Ministry of Home Affairs has made extensive changes to the Police Bill registered in Parliament. The Police Bill, which includes a provision to provide pension to lower-level police officers at 16 years, removing the 30-year service requirement, has been registered in Parliament. Similarly, the bill has reduced the marks given by the promotion committee and increased the marks for performance evaluation and seniority.
As per the demand of lower-level police employees, it is mentioned that ASI, SI and senior SI will get monthly pension for life after completing 18 years of service and senior constables and police officers below that will get the pension after16 years of service. However, Section 57 of the bill states that pension will be provided only after completing 20 years of service from the date of appointment to the service.
Similarly, the bill proposes to increase the retirement age of Inspector General of Police to 60 years, Additional Inspector General of Police and Deputy Inspector General of Police to 59 years, Senior Superintendent of Police and Superintendent of Police to 58 years, Deputy Superintendent of Police and Police Inspector to 57 years, Senior Deputy Inspector of Police, Deputy Inspector of Police and Police Assistant Inspector to 54 years, Senior Constable of Police, Police Constable, Police Assistant Constable and Police Constable to 51 years and Police Attendant to 55 years.
Similarly, under the provision of tenure, IGP and AIG have been given three years, DIG has five years, SSP has eight years and SP has ten years, while the tenure limit has not been specified for other posts.
Similarly, the bill has increased the marks given by the promotion committee by reducing the marks for performance evaluation and seniority.
Earlier, there was a provision that the promotion committee could give a maximum of 7.5 marks out of a hundred whole marks in promotion. It has been reduced to 3 points. The police have proposed that the score be reduced on the grounds that there was manipulation in the promotion as the promotion committee has too much discretionary power. Similarly, the performance evaluation has been given 50 out of 100 marks. Earlier, it was mentioned that a maximum of 40 marks could be given for performance. While there were 22 marks for seniority, it has been increased to 27. The score for educational qualification has been reduced. Previously, there were 10 marks, now 5 marks are given to non-gazetted employees and 7 marks are given to gazetted employees. The score for training has also been changed, and instead of 7.5 marks, 10 marks are given to non-gazetted employees and 5 marks are given to gazetted employees. The 8 marks for experience working in a geographical area have been removed, while the 5 marks for challenging or special responsibilities have been retained.
Kathmandu- Two people, including the chairman of Chandragiri Municipality Ward No. 2, have been found guilty in a corruption case.
The special court sentenced ward chairman Bhai Krishna Tamang and Dhurba Bahadur Kadayat, who arranged the bribe.The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) had accused him of accepting a bribe from Lalitpur Sub-Metropolitan City Ward No. 22 to move an industry to Chandragiri. A complaint was filed against Urmila Pandey and her partner that Ward Chairman Tamang had demanded a bribe of Rs 400,000 to recommend the transfer of the business.
Kadayat was arrested after he had already taken Rs 200,000 in cash from the service recipient and had drawn a check for the remaining Rs 200,000 in his own name. During the investigation, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) confirmed that Ward Chairman Tamang had demanded the amount. The decision was made by a bench of Special Committee Chairman Tek Narayan Kunwar and members Ram Bahadur Thapa and Ritendra Thapa.
According to the special report, Tamang has been sentenced to six months in prison and a fine of Rs 400,000. The special report also states that the person who arranged the bribe was also sentenced to the same amount of imprisonment and fine.
Kathmandu- The cabinet meeting held on Tuesday said that it is preparing to pass the ordinances brought by the government through fast track.
Minister for Communications Prithvi Subba Gurung has said that the ordinances issued by the President on the recommendation of the Government of Nepal during the winter session have been registered with the Parliament Secretariat and that it has been decided to pass those ordinances through fast track during this winter session.
Gurung said that it has been decided to make the regulations for the implementation of the ordinances quickly and said that it has been decided to make the regulations for the implementation of the ordinances promptly.
Kathmandu- The Business Advisory Committee of the House of Representatives has approved the calendar of the House of Representatives for the winter session.
The committee meeting held at Singha Durbar on Tuesday approved the calendar prepared by the Parliament Secretariat with changes. UML Chief Whip Mahesh Bartaula informed that top leaders will address the first meeting of the parliament on Magh 18 and the ordinance will be presented for decision in the meeting on Magh 24.
He said that the replacement bill will be presented by the government within a few weeks. He said that the ruling party is serious about presenting as many bills as possible in the upcoming session of the parliament and achieving a quorum in the house.
Similarly, Maoist Chief Whip Hitraj Pandey informed that the agenda has been prepared to move the house forward smoothly. He said that in the meeting, they raised the issue of bringing the ordinance of the bill that is under discussion in the parliamentary committee.
He also informed that they protested after the Congress said that the country would now be run through an ordinance in the meeting.
Similarly, Congress Chief Whip Shyam Ghimire clarified that they did not say that the country would be run through an ordinance, but rather that an ordinance would be an option if the law could not be made in time.
He said that the Maoist whip had exaggerated the issue that the delay in making the law prompted the government to bring an ordinance.He said that the Congress is of the opinion that the law-making process should be followed by making a schedule.
He said that the ordinance brought by the government is not political in nature and has been brought for the economy and good governance based on the needs of the country. Ghimire mentioned that there is no reason to oppose the ordinance.
Kathmandu- Nepal, which is at risk of money laundering, is finally in danger of going to ‘listing’. The third round of mutual evaluation of Nepal on money laundering prevention is currently underway. This evaluation has passed the monitoring stage and has now reached the stage of deciding whether to list or not. It will be finalized next month. High-ranking officials participating in the evaluation processes have pointed out the risk of Nepal being listed. If it is listed for money laundering, the country’s international image and assistance will be affected.
Countries that do not formulate and implement adequate policies and laws on money laundering prevention are placed on the medium-level monitoring list (grey list) of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). In 2002, Nepal became a member of the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG), a part of the international mechanism on money laundering, FATF. Since then, Nepal has issued the Money Laundering Prevention Act in 2008. However, even after so many years, Nepal has not been able to show its work in line with international commitments regarding the prevention of money laundering. Due to which, the risk of Nepal being placed on the grey list is increasing.
There are various stages of the ‘listing’ of anti-money laundering. In the first stage, countries that are seen as weak in terms of preventing money laundering are listed on the grey list. This is the first stage of ‘listing’. If there is no improvement even after this, the FATF will take steps up to the blacklist. Experts say that if it is listed for money laundering, it will have a negative impact on foreign investment, the country’s international image and the economy.
17 years ago, on the day the Anti-Money Laundering Act was promulgated in 2064, the Department of Money Laundering Investigation organized the first National Anti-Money Laundering Day at the Nepal Administrative Training Institute (Staff College) on Monday. At the event, Nepal Rastra Bank Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari also said that Nepal’s monitoring period for mutual evaluation has ended and it is now in the listing stage. According to him, Nepal’s monitoring period report will be submitted at the upcoming Financial Action Task Force (FATF) conference. He indicated that Nepal is at risk of listing. “Even if the listing is done, there is a lot of groundwork ready to come out of it,” he said while speaking at the program. “We have the law. It is a matter of us stakeholders implementing it effectively.”
Kathmandu – The government has registered a bill for regulating social media. The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology registered the bill in the National Assembly Bills Branch on Tuesday morning, informed Ananta Koirala, Assistant Spokesperson of the Parliament Secretariat.
The bill, which was brought to tighten the social media ‘platform’ and its users, has strict provisions for a fine of up to 10 million rupees and imprisonment up to five years.
Users will not be allowed to broadcast offensive words, audio and video, trolling photos, insulting or hate speech with the intention of harming someone’s honor and reputation through their ID. Network users will not be allowed to post, share, like, repost, live streaming, subscribe, comment, tag, hashtag or mention on social media with wrong intentions. If they do so, the Information and Broadcasting Department under the government can impose a fine of up to 500,000 rupees against them. Sub-sections 2 and 3 of Section 16 of the Bill state, ‘No unlawful act shall be posted, shared, liked, reposted, live-streamed, subscribed, commented, tagged, hashtagged or mentioned on social media with wrong intentions. The Department may impose a fine of up to five hundred thousand rupees on a social media user who commits an act contrary to Sub-section (2).’
It has been stated that anyone who disseminates false or misleading information in a manner that undermines the sovereignty, geographical integrity of the country or is detrimental to national interest shall be punished with imprisonment for a term of five years or a fine of up to 1.5 million rupees or both. Sub-sections 1, 2, 3 and 4 of Section 27 of the Bill state, ‘Anonymous or pseudonymous identities shall not be created or used. The offender shall be punished with imprisonment for a term of three months or a fine of up to 50,000 rupees or both. False or misleading information should not be disseminated by creating a pseudonym, permanent or temporary group, page or any other type of ID that undermines the sovereignty, geographical integrity of Nepal or is detrimental to national interests. The offender will be punished according to the prevailing law, and if the punishment is not mentioned in the prevailing law, he will be punished with imprisonment for up to five years or a fine of up to 1.5 million rupees, or both.
Similarly, according to the bill, any social media platform operating in Nepal must be registered. It has been stated that no social media platform can be operated without registration. If a registered social media platform disseminates or causes content that undermines the peace, security, stability, sovereignty, geographical integrity, national security, national unity, independence, or self-respect of the country, not only will the license be revoked, but it is also mentioned that such platforms will be fined from 2.5 million to 10 million rupees.
Nvidia’s stock plummeted 17% on Monday, erasing approximately $589 billion from its market capitalization and marking the largest single-day loss in US corporate history. The sharp decline follows concerns over mounting competition from the Chinese artificial intelligence firm DeepSeek.
The selloff was part of a broader tech downturn that saw the Nasdaq Composite fall 3.1%, its worst day since December. Nvidia shares closed at $118.58, marking their most significant drop since March 2020 during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. Monday’s plunge also dethroned Nvidia as the world’s most valuable publicly traded company, at $2.9 trillion, pushing it back to third place behind Apple and Microsoft.
The downturn was triggered by DeepSeek’s launch of an open-source R1 model, which the company claims was trained in just two months at a fraction of the cost required by US-based firms like OpenAI. This development has raised questions about the sustainability of high AI-related spending, particularly on Nvidia’s graphics processing units (GPUs) that dominate the AI chip market.
Nvidia itself described DeepSeek’s innovation as “an excellent AI advancement,” but argued that it expects demand for its chips to increase rather than diminish. “Inference requires significant numbers of Nvidia GPUs and high-performance networking,” a company spokesperson said in a statement on Monday.
Beyond Nvidia, the selloff extended to other tech and semiconductor companies. Broadcom saw its stock drop 17%, wiping out $200 billion in market value. Data center companies heavily reliant on Nvidia’s chips, such as Oracle, Dell, and Super Micro Computer, also experienced sharp declines of at least 8.7%.
Oracle’s chairman, Larry Ellison, saw his net worth fall by $27.6 billion, the most among affected billionaires, according to Forbes. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s personal fortune dropped by $21 billion, ranking as the second-largest personal loss.
The AI-fueled stock surge of the past two years has made companies like Nvidia central to market confidence. Nvidia’s shares soared 239% in 2023 alone, driven by demand from tech giants like Alphabet, Meta, and Amazon.
The latest development comes amid growing tensions in the AI race between the US and China. Despite US export restrictions on high-end chips, DeepSeek has managed to deliver competitive performance compared to OpenAI’s o1, relying on lower-spec GPUs.
US policymakers have taken note of the competition. Venture capitalist David Sacks, who was appointed as the White House’s AI and crypto advisor under President Donald Trump, called for renewed focus on innovation to counteract China’s advancements.
The explosion at the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines by the United States may lead to the collapse of the European Union and NATO, journalist Tucker Carlson said in an interview with his colleague Matt Taibbi.
“That could have started a German economy. It will destroy the EU. Ultimately, when people wake up from their dream state, it will destroy NATO, because it was an attack by one NATO power on a NATO ally, another NATO member was attacked by the United States on Germany, and it wrecked the German economy,” Carlson said.
In turn, Taibbi called the Nord Stream incident one of the most absurd events of recent years. “You’re making a list of the 10 weirdest things that happened in the last eight years, it [Nord Stream] is probably at the bottom,” he said.
On September 27, 2022, Nord Stream AG reported unprecedented damage to three Nord Stream pipeline pipelines. On September 26, Swedish seismologists recorded two explosions on the offshore sections of the pipelines. The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office opened a case on an act of international terrorism after the damage to the Nord Stream pipelines.
Biratnagar: Speaking at a press conference organized in Biratnagar, former President Bidhya Devi Bhandari said that if the nation feels the need, she can also return to party politics, but she is currently not a party member and is doing national politics.
Talking to reporters, she also said that she has not yet decided to join any party.
‘The presidency is not a non-political position. I am active in national politics. I am holding discussions with all parties on the overall agenda of national politics. I am holding discussions to solve problems such as education, health, drinking water, climate change, and the compulsion of youth to go for foreign employment. I support all national parties. I support parties that are on a specific agenda. If I have to join any party to fulfill those agendas, I will decide at that time,’ Bhandari said.
Kathmandu- The Ministry of Finance has informed that grants for four projects run by the US aid agency USAID have been suspended for 90 days.
Spokesperson Mahesh Bhattarai informed that the grants received under the USAID Health Direct Financing Project, USAID Agricultural Direct Finance Project, USAID Education Direct Financing Project, and USAID Inclusive Policy Direct Financing Project have been suspended for the said period.
He also said that these projects are of the nature of being paid from the Consolidated Fund through the budget system out of the grant assistance received by Nepal through the Development Objective Advance (DOAG) between USAID and the Government of Nepal on 05 May 2022.
“USAID Nepal has informed through a letter that grant support for these projects has been suspended for an immediate period of 90 days,” he said. “All relevant agencies have been informed not to create any liability towards USAID resources under the suspended projects during this 90-day period.”
After Trumps’ sworn in as a president of th united states he has declared to stop the funding to various countries and projects that has only been burden to the US financial system and the economy of the country.
Kathmandu: The government has established the National Cooperative Regulatory Authority to regulate savings and credit cooperatives.
The National Cooperative Regulatory Authority established in Pulchowk, Lalitpur was inaugurated by Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Balram Adhikari. Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Minister Adhikari said that the authority should do its work based on the current needs and demands, and that cooperatives will be regulated and irregularities will be investigated once the authority is formed.
Since the authority is autonomous and empowered, there will be no interference from anywhere, and the office of the authority was established for the reform of the cooperative sector through an ordinance made to amend some Nepal Acts related to cooperatives.
The authority will regulate cooperatives that conduct savings and credit transactions within the jurisdiction of the federal, provincial and local levels. The authority has been given the power to take action against cooperatives that do not comply with the rules.
Kathmandu – As the issue of constitutional amendment is ongoing and the winter session of Parliament is about to begin on March 18, eight different Madhesh political parties are being active in forming a front to unite on the issue of constitutional amendment and are engaged in discussions.
The leaders of Ashok Rai-led JASAPA, Upendra Yadav-led JASAPA Nepal, CK Raut-led Janamat Party, Mahantha Thakur-led LOSAPA, Ranjita Shrestha-led Nagarik Unmukti, Rajendra Mahato-led Rastriya Mukti Party Nepal, Hridayash Tripathi-led Janata Pragatisheel Party and Brushesh Chandra Lal-led Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party (Tamalopa) are holding discussions.
They said that discussions are underway on how to make the presence of Madhesh parties in Parliament and how to take forward the activities of the front.
Kathmandu – In the context of effectively implementing the calendar prepared by the Federal Parliament Secretariat, Speaker of the House of Representatives Devraj Ghimire is holding discussions with the chief whips and whips of various parties regarding the winter session of the parliament.
The secretariat has prepared a calendar from Magh 18 to 30. It has been decided that the ordinances will be tabled in the first meeting to be held on Magh 18 and top leaders including the Prime Minister will address them, said Congress Chief Whip Shyam Ghimire. Similarly, he said that the Speaker has urged to make this session a success as a bill session. Ghimire also said that preparations are being made to discuss the issues raised by the opposition regarding the ordinance in the House itself.
Similarly, UML Chief Whip Mahesh Bartaula informed that the parliament session will be starting on the 18th . He said that the ordinance will be presented in the meeting to be held on the 18th and will be presented for decision on the 22nd. He informed that the parliamentary committee meetings will be held on Magh 25, 26 and 27 and the parliament meeting will be held on Magh 28, 29 and 30.
Bartaula expressed confidence that an atmosphere of trust will be created when top leaders address the parliament on the first day. The parliament secretariat has stated that the business management advisory committee will meet on Tuesday, Magh 15 to set the agenda before the parliament meeting on Magh 18.
Kavre – The massive fire that broke out in Thamalek in Mahabharat area of Bethanchok rural municipality from last Tuesday has been brought under control after a week.
The forest fire has been completely brought under control after a week. Although the area where the fire could spread has been completely controlled, the fire in the ravines and in some places, the stumps of old big trees are still burning, said Bhagwan Adhikari, chairman of Bethanchok rural municipality.
Similarly, according to the District Forest Office, Kavre, nearly 100 hectares of forest in 5 community forests of Khanikhola rural municipality and Bethanchok rural municipality have been destroyed by the fire.
Similarly, the fire in Dharapani and Chapanigadhi community forests in Bhumlu-4 Chaubas has also been completely brought under control, according to the District Forest Office, Kavre.
Lalitpur- A youth has been found dead in a toilet inside Kist Hospital in Lalitpur.
The Central Police News Room has informed that a person was found dead in a toilet behind the emergency room inside Kist Hospital in Mahalaxmi Municipality-1 Imadol on Monday.
The police have also identified the deceased youth as 31-year-old Sandeep Rawal of Bishundol, 8, of the same municipality.
His friend’s father was admitted to the hospital due to a stroke. He was found dead inside the toilet after reaching the hospital to meet the patient. Lalitpur Police Chief SSP Shyam Krishna Adhikari informed that the body has been handed over to his relatives after a postmortem.
The police have started an investigation into the incident.
Kathmandu – Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that he is receiving full support from the ruling party Nepali Congress and that he will also fully support the Congress-led government.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the main administrative building of Suryabinayak Municipality in Bhaktapur, he said, “Now, after 17/18 months, Sher Bahadur Deuba will be the Prime Minister and he will run the government. And when it comes I will support him. The CPN-UML will provide full support and we will make it successful.”
Now, I have received full support from the Nepali Congress without any reservation. Saying that the Nepali Congress will receive full support from us , he said that if the country cannot take the path of development even if the major parties form a government together, there will be no other option left.
He said that the government will develop 753 municipalities and no one can stop this pace of development even if they want to.
Kathmandu — Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that coordinated efforts among relevant bodies related to the money laundering prevention system are essential for reducing financial crimes.
Giving a message of best wishes on the occasion of the First National Money Laundering Prevention Day, 2081, Prime Minister Oli emphasized on coordination among the indicator organizations, regulatory bodies, law enforcement agencies and judicial bodies affiliated with this system.
‘The money laundering prevention system must work effectively to maintain financial cleanliness by preventing the entry of assets obtained from criminal activities into the financial system,’ Prime Minister Oli’s message said. ‘As the criminal use of assets poses a challenge to the economy as well as the integrity of governance, I express my best wishes that it will further increase its effectiveness in preventing it and provide further encouragement to maintain financial cleanliness in the coming days.’
He also urged all those who do their profession, trade and business with good intentions to work confidently in their professional and professional lives without being distracted.
This day was celebrated for the first time under the organization of the Money Laundering Investigation Department with the main slogan ‘Transparency in Financial Activities, Commitment to Preventing Money Laundering’. The Government of Nepal has decided to celebrate this day on Magh 14 every year from this year, on the occasion of the promulgation of the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2064 BS.
Kathmandu- The government has prepared to raise 10 billion rupees in internal debt. The Public Debt Management Office under the Ministry of Finance is going to raise 10 billion rupees by selling and issuing 10-year development bonds 2091.
According to a notice issued by the Public Debt Management Office, the bonds will be sold through auction on Magh 15 and issued on Magh 18.
The office has stated that banks and financial institutions, non-bank financial institutions, insurance companies and Nepali citizens can participate in the auction of the bonds.
Pokhara – Rastriya Swatantra Party President Rabi Lamichhane has approached the Pokhara High Court against the Kaski District Court’s decision to release Rabi on a bail of Rs 6.5 million on Poush 10, saying he is not satisfied with the court’s order in the Surya Darshan Cooperative fraud case in Pokhara.
On the one hand, the Office of the High Government Attorney has filed a petition in the Pokhara High Court against the District Court’s order to release Rabi on bail, demanding that Rabi be kept in custody and investigated, while on the other hand, Lamichhane has approached the High Court saying he is not satisfied with the District Court’s order.
Arrested from Kathmandu on Kartik 2 and brought to Pokhara, Lamichhane was released on a bail of Rs 6.5 million on Poush 10 after an indictment was filed for cooperative fraud, organized crime and money laundering in the Surya Darshan Cooperative fraud case.
Kathmandu – The Parliament Secretariat has moved forward discussions with political parties with the preparation of forming a House of Representatives Rules Amendment Drafting Committee to amend the House of Representatives Rules.
It is said that the rules are being amended to end the tendency of bills registered in the Parliament to be held for a long time. The rules are being amended in an effort to make lawmaking and the process within the Parliament within a time limit.
In the discussion organized by Speaker Devraj Ghimire on Monday with the chief whips and whips of the five major parties, the issue of forming a Rules Amendment Drafting Committee was also discussed and it is understood that preparations are underway to announce the Rules Drafting Committee from the House of Representatives after taking a decision in the Business Advisory Committee meeting with political consensus.
The Parliament session is starting from Magh 18. The parties are preparing to form a Rules Amendment Drafting Committee immediately after the session begins.
The Congress and the UML have concluded that the regulations should be amended to set a three-month deadline for the creation of laws within the parliament, and a proposal is being put forward that the relevant thematic committee should finalize it within a maximum of 90 days when a new bill reaches a committee of the House of Representatives. If a bill is made to amend an act, the committee should finalize it within 60 days, otherwise the House of Representatives will automatically proceed with it without any obstacles.
The relevant thematic committee can request additional time with a satisfactory reason and the proposal requesting such time must be approved by the meeting of the House of Representatives itself.
Earlier, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had also said that it is inconvenient to work when bills are stuck in the parliament for a long time.
Incumbent Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has won the presidential election with 86.82% of votes, according to preliminary results, Central Election Commission Chairman Igor Karpenko said at a press conference.
“You can congratulate the Republic of Belarus, we have elected a president,” he said.
In the 2020 presidential election, Lukashenko won 80.10% of the vote.
Liberal Democratic Party Chairman Oleg Gaidukevich garnered 2.02% of the vote, entrepreneur Anna Kanopatskaya received 1.86%, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Belarusian Communist Party Sergey Syrankov was backed by 3.21% of the voters, while Republican Party of Labor and Justice Chairman Alexander Khizhnyak had 1.74% of the vote. A total of 3.6% of voters voted against all candidates.
The Belarusian Central Election Commission traditionally announces the results of the preliminary count of all votes in the country at once. The final results will be announced on February 3.
Colombia has backed down from a looming trade war with the United States hours after US President Donald Trump threatened Bogota with tariffs and visa restrictions for turning away US military aircraft carrying deported migrants.
The climbdown late on Sunday came after Colombian President Gustavo Petro had announced retaliatory tariffs on US imports and insisted he would not accept migrants who were not treated with “dignity and respect”.
Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo said officials had “overcome the impasse” and would accept citizens deported from the US.
A White House statement said Colombia had agreed to all of Trump’s terms, including “unrestricted acceptance of all illegal aliens from Colombia returned from the United States, including on US military aircraft, without limitation or delay”.
At the same time White House says that US will not go ahead with tariffs on Colombia, after Bogota agreed to accept deported migrants without restrictions .
Kathmandu – Addressing a program organized in Bhaktapur, Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa has said that he can do better than the current Prime Minister.
Stating that the new Prime Minister or the Prime Ministers from the younger generation can do better than the previous Prime Ministers, Thapa said, “I still believe that we can run as a better Prime Minister than the current Prime Minister or the future Prime Minister or the Prime Minister who was recently elected.”
Thapa said that he took the initiative to run the Congress parliamentary party leader because he believed that he would run the country better than the current one and that the results of those efforts should be accepted, saying that this decade should not be wasted again.
South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol has been charged with insurrection after he attempted to declare martial law in December.
He becomes the first sitting president in South Korean history to be charged with a crime.The indictment comes after a court in Seoul rejected a request to extend Yoon’s detention on Saturday, which meant prosecutors had to make a decision on whether to charge or release him before Monday.
Separately, the Constitutional Court has begun deliberations on whether to formally dismiss Yoon as president or reinstate him.
Yoon is set to stand trial along with his former defence minister and senior military commanders, who are accused of helping him plan and carry out the attempt to seize total power.
Yoon was was impeached by parliament and suspended from his duties on 14 December.The affair has triggered South Korea’s worst political crisis in decades and has polarised the country.
Many of his hard-line supporters have rallied around him. On Friday, tens of thousands gathered to protest, demanding he be released and returned to office.If Yoon is removed from office, a presidential election would be held within 60 days.
Kathmandu – A bench of Supreme Court Justices Saranga Subedi and Nityanand Pandey has issued an order to summon documents of Bechan Jha, who is in custody in the Bhutanese refugee case.
Jha had filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court demanding that the decision to detain him for trial be quashed. Hearing the writ, the bench of Subedi and Pandey ordered to summon the documents.
Jha was accused of extorting money by promising to get a decision on Bhutanese refugees from the Council of Ministers. He was arrested and brought back by the police from India. He is currently in the Central Jail in Sundhara.
Kathmandu – The Nepal Securities Board is preparing not to open new applications for the new stock exchange, but to grant a license to one of the companies that had previously applied.
The board has moved forward with the licensing process after the Cabinet’s decision on 5 Poush to proceed with the licensing process for the new stock exchange reached the Securities Board.
Earlier, a case was filed in the Supreme Court alleging that there was ‘fraud’ for the license when Himalayan Stock Exchange, National Stock Exchange and Annapurna Stock Exchange applied for the new stock exchange at the board. After that, the Cabinet meeting led by the then Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda directed to stop the process for the time being on 26 Baisakh 2080, and the new stock exchange process was stopped.
The Himalayan Stock Exchange, which has applied, has investments from industrialist Shankar Group Chairman Shankarlal Agrawal, Golchha Organization’s Shekhar Golchha, industrialists Pashupati Murarka, Bhawani Rana, Rajendra Khetan, Satishlal Mor, Bivek Dugad and Saurabh Jyoti. Ashish Shrestha, Juni Gurung and Deepak Bhatta also have investmented in the company.
Similarly, the National Stock Exchange has investments from non-resident Nepalese Upendra Mahato, Jiva Lamichhane, Kul Acharya, Badri KC and industrialist Manoj Kedia.
Similarly, Ganesh Kumar Shrestha, Surendra Raj Wagle, Muktibodh Neupane, Anil Sapkota, Prakash Kumar Shrestha, Shekhar Subedi, and Balram Upreti are as directors in the Annapurna Stock Exchange.
US President Donald Trump has said he wants Egypt and Jordan to take in Palestinians from Gaza.Trump said he had made the request to Jordan’s King Abdullah and planned to ask Egypt’s president too.
Describing Gaza as a “demolition site”, Trump said: “You’re talking about probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing”. He added that the move “could be temporary” or “could be long-term”.
Meanwhile, Hamas has vowed to oppose any such action, and the comments will likely outrage Palestinians in Gaza, for whom it is their home. Jordan’s foreign minister said the kingdom was “firm and unwavering” in its rejection of displacing Palestinians.
Most of Gaza’s two million residents have been displaced in the 15 months of war with Israel, which has flattened much of Gaza’s infrastructure.
The United Nations has previously estimated that 60% of structures across Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, and it could take decades to rebuild.
More than two million Palestinian refugees, most of whom have been granted citizenship, live in Jordan, according to the UN. They are descendants of some of the approximately 750,000 Palestinians who fled or were forced from their homes in the conflicts surrounding the formation of Israel in 1948.
Thousands of Palestinians have fled to Egypt since the war with Israel began, but they are not recognised there as refugees.
In October 2023, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said he rejected any forced displacement of Palestinians into the Sinai peninsula, and that the only solution was an independent state for Palestinians.
Kathmandu – Four members, including ANFA Senior Vice President Bir Bahadur Khadka and two Vice Presidents Dirgha Bahadur KC and Birat Jung Shahi, have demanded to convene an working committee meeting of the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA).
According to Article 39 of the ANFA statute, there is a provision that the working committee must held a meeting four times in a year, but they have submitted a letter demanding to convene the meeting, saying that the meeting has not been held for a long time and that arbitrary and unconstitutional activities are being carried out in the conduct of business.
In the letter, they have requested to convene a meeting to discuss and decide on eight different points by exercising their legal authority.
Kathmandu – Nepali Congress central member Shankar Bhandari has raised the demand for Hindu Rashtra in the party’s parliamentary party meeting.
Although there was no agenda for lawmakers to express their views today in the meeting called with the aim of informing them about the contents of the ordinance, President Sher Bahadur Deuba granted time for him to express his views after MP Bhandari requested time to speak.
He said that if the issue of Hindu Rashtra is ignored during the constitutional amendment process, the party will not be in a good status.
US President Donald Trump has said that he will impose emergency tariffs on Colombia and sanction its officials after Colombian President Gustavo Petro refused to allow American planes carrying deported illegal immigrants to land in the country.
“I was just informed that two repatriation flights from the United States, with a large number of Illegal Criminals, were not allowed to land in Colombia,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social app on Sunday, adding that he has directed his administration to take “urgent and decisive retaliatory measures.”
Trump went on to explain that he will place a 25% emergency tariff on all Colombian goods entering the US, which will be doubled in a week.
Trump said that all Colombian government officials along with their “allies and supporters” would have their visas revoked and be subject to a travel ban, while visa sanctions would be applied to all members of Petro’s left-wing Human Colombia party and their families.
Colombian visitors to the US will be subject to enhanced inspections by Customs and Border Protection agents, he continued, adding that financial sanctions will also be imposed on Bogota.
“These measures are just the beginning,” he concluded. “We will not allow the Colombian Government to violate its legal obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of the Criminals they forced into the United States!”
Earlier on Sunday, Petro said that he would not allow any deportation flights to land in Colombia until the US guarantees the “dignified treatment” of deported migrants.
Earlier this week Mexico too refused to allow a US military plane carrying deportees to land on its territory .
Kathmandu – Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, in a meeting with CPN-UML Chief Whip Mahesh Bartaula on the eve of the winter session of the federal parliament, has said that it is inconvenient and tough for the government to work when the bills are held in the parliamentary committee.
Bartaula who had a meeting earlier with Prime Minister Oli, who is also the leader of the UML parliamentary party,informed that the issue of moving forward the bills under consideration in the parliament was discussed during the meeting.
Bartaula said that Prime Minister Oli has said that when the government sends a bill to the parliament, it intends to convert it into an act soon, but in practice, that is not happening. Bartaula said that Prime Minister Oli has also instructed him to play a role in preventing the bill from being held in the parliament in the coming days.
The winter session of the federal parliament is starting from Magh 18. He said that Prime Minister Oli also wants the current session to be amicable.
Kathmandu – Rastriya Swatantra Party President Rabi Lamichhane has been released from the Rupandehi District Court in the cooperative fraud, organized crime and money laundering case after posting a bail of Rs 10 million. Along with the order to release him on bail, the Rupandehi District Court has ordered to freeze the assets of Lamichhane and others who have been made defendants in the Supreme Cooperative Fraud case.
After the closed argument, the bench of Judge Pralhad Kumar Yogi ordered to freeze the assets in the order seeking a bail of Rs 10 million from Lamichhane.
The order states, ‘The assets in the names of the defendants mentioned in the indictment shall be frozen in their current status so that they cannot be transferred in any way in accordance with Rule 92 of the Civil Criminal Procedure Rules, 2075 BS, and a letter shall be sent to the concerned Land Revenue Offices requesting them to send a reply.’
US President Donald Trump has vowed to no longer let Canada “take advantage” of the US, once again stating that he wants to make the neighboring country America’s 51st state. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday, Trump said Canada would not even exist without US subsidies and business cooperation.
Trump made similar remarks in the run-up to his inauguration earlier this month, suggesting that his administration could make Canada part of the US. Ottawa has dismissed these suggestions.
“Canada’s been taking advantage of the US for years. We’re not going to let that happen,” Trump told reporters.
“Without our subsidy, Canada doesn’t exist really. Canada is totally reliant on us, therefore they should be a state,” he said. Trump accused Canada of “treating us very unfairly on trade,” claiming that the US has been losing $250 billion a year to the neighboring state in trade deficits, while Canada does “almost 90% of their business with the United States.”
“I could stop that in one day, and if I stopped that, Canada wouldn’t exist as a country… I don’t want to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on supporting a country unless that country is a state,” he said.
According to Trump, Canada would benefit from becoming part of the US.
“If it is a state, the people of Canada would pay a much lower tax. Their taxes would be cut in half… They’ll get much better treatment, much better care,” he stated, adding that Canadians would also “have no military problems” and “would be much more secure in every way.”
“I think it’s a great thing for Canada… I view it as, honestly, a country that should be a state,” Trump said.
Rupandehi — Rastriya Swatantra Party President Rabi Lamichhane has been released on bail of Rs 10 million in the cooperative fraud, organized crime and money laundering case at the Rupandehi District Court.
After the arguments of the defense lawyer, the counter arguments of the public prosecutor and the government lawyer on Sunday, Rupandehi District Court Judge Pralhad Kumar Yogi ordered the bail of Rs 10 million.
The District Government Attorney’s Office had registered a case against 22 people, including Lamichhane, in the Rupandehi District Court on Magh 22 for Supreme cooperative fraud and organized crime.
Lamichhane, who was arrested in connection with the investigation into the Surya Darshan Cooperative fraud case in Pokhara, was released on bail of Rs 6.5 million by the Kaski District Court on and on bail of Rs 6 million by the Kathmandu District Court in the Swarna Lakshmi Cooperative fraud case .
The Palestinian movement Hamas has accused Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip by continuing to prevent displaced persons from returning to the northern part of the enclave.
“Hamas and mediators are monitoring Israel’s actions, which prohibit displaced persons from returning from southern Gaza to their homes in the north – this constitutes a violation of the ceasefire agreement,” the movement said in a statement on its Telegram channel.
Hamas also noted that it hopes, along with mediators, “to reach a solution that would allow displaced persons to return” to the northern regions of Gaza.
One Russia-made Oreshnik missile systems will be enough for Belarus to ensure its security, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said.
“One Oreshnik system is enough for us to ensure Belarus’ security,” he said. “If anything extraordinary happens and the Oreshnik is needed, we will have them supplied from Russia.”
He said that the system will be deployed to Belarus as soon as it is manufactured in Russia.
According to Lukashenko, Belarus’ plans to deploy Oreshnik came in response to the potential deployment of American intermediate-range missiles in Europe. “So, it they drop these plans, I will tell the elder brother, ‘Let us take time.’ It doesn’t matter for us where it is deployed, either in Smolensk or Orsha. What matters for us is that no American intermediate-ranges missiles are deployed in Europe because they may be equipped with nuclear warheads,” he stressed.
Butwal- The District Court, Rupandehi, has also ordered the release of Rabi Lamichhane on bail on charges of cooperative fraud.
The court has ordered the release of Lamichhane, who is accused of being involved in irregularities in the money deposited by savers in the Supreme Cooperative in Butwal, on a bail of Rs 10 million.
In the detention argument before Judge Pralhad Kumar Yogi, government lawyers had argued that Lamichhane should be sent to detention, saying that the justice of the victims would be affected if he remain outside. However, lawyers for Lamichhane’s side had argued that the state is taking revenge trying to put him in the custody.
Lamichhane had earlier been ordered to be released on a bail of Rs 6.5 million in the Surya Darshan Cooperative case in Pokhara and on a bail of Rs 6 million in the Kathmandu District Court in the Swarna Lakshmi Cooperative case in Kalimati.
A case was registered against Rabi in the District Court, Rupandehi based on the investigation conducted by the Area Police Office, Butwal.
The government prosecutor had claimed in the indictment that his involvement in the cooperative fraud was confirmed based on the check signed by Lamichhane used to pay the amount to the cooperative, the payment made to Mrs. Nikita Poudel, and the transfer of ownership of the company based on false statements.
Kathmandu-The court has found Madan Rai guilty of sexual abuse. The bench of District Judge Narayan Prasad Dahal found Rai guilty on Thursday and ordered him to be presented in another hearing for sentencing.
The hearing on Magh 25 will decide what will be the sentence for him.
A case was registered against him on charges of sexual abuse on Jestha 21, 2080. At that time, he was released on a bail of 400,000.
Madan Rai, known as an agricultural expert, is accused of committing an offense under Sub-section 3 (a), (c) (e) of Section 66 of the Children’s Act 2075.
Rai was arrested and investigated by the District Police Office, Khotang on Baisakh 29.
A girl who studied at the Subhadra Madan Foundation run by Rai had filed a complaint against him for child sexual abuse.
Earlier, the police and the government attorney’s office had recorded a statement from him on Jestha 3. During his statement, he admitted to engaging in sexual activity.However, he stated that he engaged in such activities not with the intention of sexual abuse but with the aim of providing sex education.
Kathmandu – Fire incidents have increased due to the dry winter. According to the data of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, fire incidents have occurred in 15 districts in a period of 24 hours.
Fires have broken out in Solukhumbu, Bhojpur and Kavre. The fire that broke out in the Naransthan Community Forest and Janajagruti Community Forest of Bethanchowk Rural Municipality-3 and Chisapani Community Forest of Ward No. 5 of Kavre is spreading. The fire towards Khanikhola was brought under control with the help of helicopters.
Efforts are being made to extinguish the fire in the Bhalukhop Community Forest of Bhojpur Municipality-3.
The fire that broke out in a private forest in Surke of Solu Dudhkunda Municipality-4 of Solukhumbu has been extinguished by the city police, airport security guards, and locals.
According to the records of the Disaster Management Authority, fire incidents have occurred in Bajura, Salyan, Dailekh, Palpa, Rupandehi, Baglung, Kavre, Makawanpur, Parsa, Dhanusha, Siraha, Sunsari, Solukhumbu, Tehrathum and Morang. There has been no human loss due to the fire.
Fires occur mainly during the summer and dry season. The period from Mangsir to mid-Jeshtha is known as the dry season. Fires begin initially from Mangsir and peak in mid-Baishakh. They also decrease after the onset of monsoon.
According to fire expert and Deputy Secretary of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, Sundar Prasad Sharma, 74 percent of fires occur between mid-Falgun and mid-Baishakh. Similarly, 51 percent of fires occur between Chaitra and mid-Baishakh.
It has been found that fire incidents increase due to prolonged drought and carelessness. It is estimated that there are an average of 3,098 forest fires in Nepal annually, destroying 172,040 hectares of forest. However, the government’s efforts to control the fires have not been effective.
It is estimated that the number of forest fires and fires may increase this year as well, as the winter is expected to be dry and the pre-monsoon season is expected to be hot.
Biratnagar – Four protesters and some police officers were injured when police opened fire to control the situation during a protest against the construction of a cable car in the Pathibhara area of Phungling Municipality-11 in Taplejung. The condition of three of the people who were shot is serious.
The ‘No Cable Car’ group, which is protesting against the construction of a cable car, had prepared to protest from Sunday. Nepal Police and Armed Police Force were deployed on Saturday to stop the protest. After the police reached Baludada in Pathibhara area at around 6 pm on Saturday, the protesters pelted stones. After that, the police opened fire.
According to DSP Rabi Rawal of the District Police Office, Taplejung, four protesters were injured in the clash. Yam Bahadur Limbu, Sagun Lawati, Dharman Palungwa and Mangal Lawati were injured in the clash with the police. Yam Bahadur, Dharman and Sagun Lawati were shot by the police. Their condition is serious. DSP Rawal said that the three injured were sent to Nobel Medical College Biratnagar for further treatment after treatment at the District Hospital Taplejung was not possible. Mangal Lawati’s condition is normal.
According to DSP Rawal, 12 people have been injured on the Nepal Police side. Taplejung Chief District Officer Netra Prasad Sharma said that security personnel opened fire after the protesting party hurled slingshots and stones from the sand dunes.
There was a clash between the police and the No Cable Car party on Saturday afternoon. The police fired 12 tear gas shells in the clash. Some were also injured in that clash.
The tension arose after the construction company started work on the cable car to Pathibhara in Taplejung from Tuesday. The identity supporters are running the ‘No Cable Car Movement’, saying that the identity of the Pathibhara area will be destroyed if the cable car is built.
They were preparing to hold more protests from Sunday. Niranti Tumbapo, general secretary of Kirat Yakthung Chumlung, said that the state opened fire on people while they were preparing for a peaceful protest. Civil society and political party leaders have protested, saying that the police have used excessive force against the protesters.
Kathmandu – The government has issued a cyber security advisory for employees.
The government has issued a cyber security advisory for employees after the threat of cyber attacks on official websites and other systems of government bodies has increased in recent times.
In the advisory issued for users of government information technology systems, it has been directed to make arrangements to change passwords every three months and not to use passwords that cannot be easily guessed.
It has also been directed to use only the cyber security tools used in their bodies with proper configuration and security hardening, and to make arrangements to mandatorily conduct security checks of the systems at least once a year and to maintain audit logs of the same.
Kailali – Former Chief Minister of Sudurpaschim Province and leader of the CPN (UML) Sudurpaschim Province Assembly Parliamentary Party Rajendra Singh Rawal has been abused by RSP cadres.
On Saturday, while he was coming from Mahendranagar in Kanchanpur to Dhangadhi, RSP cadres stopped the vehicle in which Rawal was travelling at Daiji Chowk and abused him, accusing him of misusing a government vehicle.
He said that even though he had a pass and permission to travel on that day, the vehicle was deliberately stopped and abused .
Rawal’s personal secretary Raj Bahadur Chand issued a statement saying that RSP cadres stopped the vehicle and abused the driver, attempted to assault him and vandalized the vehicle. He also condemned the incident and demanded action against the culprits. Chand has demanded an investigation into the incident, saying that such abuse took place while he was travelling with permission from the Provincial Assembly Secretariat on a holiday.
Achham- The bodies of two teenage girls have been found in Dhakari Rural Municipality-1, Achham.
According to the District Police Office, Achham, 14-year-old Ishwori Khadka and 14-year-old Saraswati Khadka of Dhakari Rural Municipality-8 were found dead.
They had left their home for the forest to graze goats at 11 am on Friday. When they did not return home by evening, their relatives searched for them and informed the police.Later on they found the bodies of both the teenage girls in Sisne Odhar in Dhakari Rural Municipality-1on Saturday evening.
The police have said that the incident is being investigated. The cause of their death has not yet been revealed.
Kathmandu- A meeting of top leaders of the Nepali Congress held at Singha Durbar has concluded that the party’s presence in the government should be strongly increased.
Spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat said that the ministers should continue to work according to their capacity and that the office bearers have given suggestions and advice in this regard. The Prime Minister is also receiving some suggestions. He said that the meeting came to the view that the party should have a strong presence in the government and that party-related issues should be more involved in government mechanisms.
Spokesperson Mahat said that the Prime Minister should also take the lead to increase the speed of the government.
The European Union should deploy military forces in Greenland, the chairman of the EU Military Committee (EUMC), Gen. Robert Brieger, said in an interview published Saturday. He cited Greenland’s geopolitical importance and “tensions” with Russia and China as the reason for his suggestion. It comes as US President Donald Trump has been laying claim to the island.
”It would make perfect sense not only to station US forces in Greenland, as has been the case to date, but also to consider stationing EU soldiers there in the future,” Brieger told Die Welt, referring to a major US military base that has been there since the early 1940s.
Such a deployment would “send a strong signal and could contribute to stability in the region,” believes the former Austrian chief of staff, who currently leads a body that includes the chiefs of staff of EU member states. Brieger said that although the autonomous Danish territory is not legally a part of the bloc, “the Europeans – just like the USA – have interests in Greenland.”
Brussels responded to Trump’s comments by describing a potential US attack as a “highly theoretical issue.” Trump’s desire to acquire the island has reportedly sparked concern in Copenhagen.
On Friday, Financial Times reported that the US president’s aggressive way of pushing the idea in a phone call with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen earlier this month triggered panic in the Nordic nation’s capital. The paper’s sources described the 45-minute-long conversation as “horrendous” and compared it to “a cold shower.”
Frederiksen reportedly reiterated Denmark’s stance that the island is not for sale. Earlier this week, a Danish politician, Anders Vistisen, took the floor of the EU parliament in Strasbourg and told Trump to “f**k off,” voicing his opposition to the idea of the US acquiring Greenland.
Some Republicans in Congress have at least entertained the idea. GOP Congressman Andy Ogles introduced a bill to allow Trump to acquire Greenland, saying the US should be the “dominant predator.” He dubbed the bill ‘Make Greenland Great Again’. Carla Sands, Trump’s former ambassador to Denmark, has also publicly backed the proposal, arguing that Denmark cannot adequately defend the island and suggesting that US control would be a “common-sense solution.”
Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians trying to return to their homes in the north of the Gaza Strip, killing at least one person, as Hamas accused Israel of delaying the implementation of the terms of the ceasefire deal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was blocking the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza over a delay by Hamas in releasing a female civilian captive. The dispute came as a ceasefire between the two sides entered its second week, with the exchange of four Israeli soldiers and 200 Palestinians earlier on Saturday.
In the occupied West Bank, Israeli soldiers continued a large-scale military operation launched in and near the city of Jenin, killing at least two people, including a two-year old girl.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 47,283 Palestinians and wounded 111,472 since October 7, 2023. At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks that day and more than 200 taken captive.
Kathmandu – A protest has been held at Maitighar in Kathmandu under the leadership of the Nepal Information Technology Society against the decision to make national identity card mandatory.
The participants in the protest said that the national identity card should be stopped making mandatory as it is the national identity card that is destroying the future of Nepalese providing all information about its citizens to foreigners.
They said that it is time for all Nepalese to unite and speak out against the national identity card, and they displayed placards including “Abolish the national identity card, Establish cyberspace sovereignty “.
Hamas has released four female Israeli soldiers held in Gaza as part of the ceasefire agreement, handing them over to Red Cross officials in Palestine Square in Gaza City.
In exchange for the second release of the captives on Saturday, Israel is expected to release 200 Palestinians held in Israeli jails.
Ahead of the release, scores of masked Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters gathered at the square where a large crowd of Palestinians also congregated. In addition to hundreds of Hamas members, other Palestinian factions, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad, are also present at the site.
Representatives of the Red Cross and a Hamas fighter were seen signing documents ahead of the release.
Hamas identified the four female Israeli soldiers as Karina Riev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag. The four captives, who were in Israeli military uniforms, waved to the crowd as they were released.
Ibrahim Al Khaliji, reporting for Al Jazeera from Palestine Square, described the release as a “historic moment”.Later on Saturday, Israeli army confirmed it received the released soldiers from the Red Cross, adding that they will undergo a medical assessment.
“The four returning hostages are currently being accompanied by IDF [Israeli army] special forces and ISA [security agency] forces on their return to Israeli territory, where they will undergo an initial medical assessment,” the army said in a statement.
As part of the deal, Israeli forces are also expected to withdraw from the Netzarim Corridor, allowing hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to return to their homes in northern Gaza.
Israel is also expected to open the Rafah border crossing in the south for more humanitarian aid and other commercial supplies to enter.
President Donald Trump travelled to California on Friday to survey the destruction from deadly wildfires that devastated several communities in the Los Angeles area earlier this month.
The visit, coming at the end of Trump’s first week back in office, took place as he continued to denounce the state emergency response being led by Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom – one of Trump’s fiercest critics – and worries the president might withhold aid over policies in the liberal state.
Despite the political rivalry, Newsom greeted Trump on the tarmac as he emerged from Air Force One, arriving from North Carolina where he toured damage from Hurricane Helene, which rocked the western part of the state in September.
Trump’s visit came as new fires ignited in southern California, and local officials continue to contend with dry and windy weather conditions that favour fire growth.
Firefighters have made progress in bringing the 10,000-acre Hughes Fire in Los Angeles under control, containing it by 79% since it broke out on Wednesday, forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate.
Fires have devastated the US state over the last few weeks, with the Palisades and Eaton fires scorching a combined total of more than 37,000 acres and killing at least 28 people. Multiple neighbourhoods have been levelled, leaving more than 10,000 homes and businesses in ashes.
Kathmandu – CPN-Maoist Center Chairman Prachanda has said that Maoists will now contest elections alone and will not rely on anyone’s crutches.
Speaking to journalists at a program organized in Dang, he said that while forming an alliance with other parties, he was criticized by cadres and decided to contest elections alone after reviewing it. He also said that there is no possibility of collaborating with UML until 2084, saying that cooperation and party unification had also failed.
He also said that Maoists should get majority to provide good governance to the country and that Maoists are returning to the situation of 2064, and people should now give a majority to Maoists.
Kathmandu – Speaking at a program organized by the Buddhanagar Toll Improvement Committee on Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister and Urban Development Minister Prakash Man Singh has said that the government will return encroached public land.
The government has made a policy. There is also a law. Public land should remain public, right!'' Deputy Prime Minister Singh said,If someone encroaches on public land, the government will return the land and land in some places has already been returned, he said.
After the Supreme Court’s verdict, 1.5/1.6 million citizens were seen to be in trouble due to the 20-meter standard on the banks of rivers in the valley, including the Bagmati, and the government went to court seeking a review based on the report of a committee formed under the leadership of the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Urban Development, and for that reason, the problem has been resolved for the time being, he said, adding that the government has given high priority to passing the bills in the winter session starting from Magh 18 and enacting the necessary new laws.
25 Jan, Kathmandu – Departmental team APF has won the title by defeating Sudurpaschim in the final of the Prime Minister’s Cup women’s national cricket on Saturday. With this, APF has been able to win the women’s PM Cup for the seventh time.
APF defeated Sudurpaschim by 9 wickets in the final. Batting first after winning the toss, Sudurpaschim was all out for 67 runs in 18.1 overs. APF managed to achieve the target of 68 runs set by Sudurpaschim in the 13th over with the loss of 1 wicket.
For APF, Mamta Chaudhary and Indu Verma remained unbeaten and scored 43 and 18 runs respectively, while Kavita Joshi took 3 wickets for 18 runs in 4 overs. Sabnam Rai took 2 wickets for 8 runs in 3 overs. Indu Verma took 2 wickets for 14 runs in 4 overs. Karuna Bhandari took 1 wicket. .
Previously, APF won the title consecutively from 2016 to 2019 and then in 2021 and 2023/24.
Kathmandu – The Nepal Police Headquarters has announced that 18 Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) have been transferred.
According to the office, the SSPs of the District Police Range, Kathmandu and the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office have also been changed. Bishwa Adhikari has been brought to the range, while Ramesh Kumar Basnet has been brought to the Crime Investigation Office. Binod Ghimire has been brought to the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office.
The details of the others who have been transferred are as follows:
Kathmandu- The government is going to vaccinate 1.6 million 88 thousand 688 girls against cervical cancer at school and local levels nationwide from 22 Magh to 6 Falgun 2081 BS. Girls aged 10 to 14 are going to be vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV).
The Ministry of Health and Population has brought 1.7 million 70 thousand 20 doses of vaccine worth 700 million 500 thousand with the support of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI). The Nepal government has spent a budget of about 120 million and the rest has been borne by GAVI.
Currently, this vaccine is being used regularly in 144 countries of the world. This vaccine, recognized by the World Health Organization, was introduced in 2006.
It is said that the number of cervical cancer cases may increase in Nepal in the future, and a vaccination program is now being planned to be carried out by specifying an age group to prevent it.
The Department of Health Services has coordinated the vaccination program from the center, while the vaccine is being distributed through schools through municipalities in each district. The Ministry of Education and the Department of Health Services have already issued circulars to private and government schools across the country to bring the target group to access the vaccine. According to the department, the vaccine is being administered in 18,900 private and government schools across the country. The government is mobilizing 54,160 volunteers for the vaccination campaign, while 15,675 supervisors will be deployed. It is estimated that more than 30 million rupees will be spent on the management of this campaign alone.
Although 1.688 million girls aged 10 to 14 years are expected to be vaccinated against cervical cancer, the government estimates that some of them are out of school. Vaccination centers will be set up in wards with no or few schools as needed. Vaccination services will also be operated in health institutions on the last day of the campaign, on 6th Falgun 2081 BS. Out-of-school girls can go to the school or health institution designated as the vaccination center and get vaccinated.
The manufacturer claims that this vaccine prevents 16 to 18 types of cervical cancer viruses.
Mexico has refused to allow a US military plane carrying deportees to land on its territory .
After taking office on Monday, US President Donald Trump declared an emergency at the southern border and vowed to ramp up deportations of illegal migrants.
NBC News cited two US defense officials and a third source as saying that a C-17 military transport plane carrying an unspecified number of migrants was scheduled to land in Mexico, but never took off.
Two similar flights to Guatemala with around 80 migrants aboard each proceeded as planned on Friday.
A Mexican official confirmed that the US plane was not granted permission to land in the country. He did not provide a reason for the denial .
The Mexican Foreign Ministry did not explain why the plane was barred from landing in the country in a statement on Friday. It only said that “Mexico has a very good relationship with the US government and we cooperate with respect for our sovereignty on a wide range of issues, including migration.”
“When it comes to repatriations, we will always welcome the arrival of Mexicans to our territory with open arms,” the ministry stated.
Under Trump’s order, the Pentagon earlier dispatched 1,500 more soldiers to help southern border agents to monitor and process migrants. The new administration also said it is re-launching the ‘Remain in Mexico’ program, according to which non-Mexican asylum seekers should wait in Mexico while their cases are being processed in the US.
The new US president has also declared Mexican drug cartels terrorist organizations, renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, and threatened to slap 25% tariffs on Mexican goods starting from next month.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has frozen nearly all aid grants to Ukraine for 90 days, Politico reported on Friday. The move comes after President Donald Trump ordered a full review of all foreign assistance.
Rubio instructed diplomatic and consular posts to issue “stop-work orders” on nearly all “existing foreign assistance awards,” Politico said, citing an internal document.
Trump, who took office on Monday, has ordered a 90-day suspension of all “foreign development assistance for assessment of programmatic efficiencies and consistency with United States foreign policy.”
Since February 2022, USAID has provided $2.6 billion in humanitarian aid, $5 billion in development assistance, and more than $30 billion in “direct budget support,” according to its website.
The US has provided nearly $66 billion in military aid to Ukraine since February 2022, according to the Pentagon.
Trump has repeatedly criticized his predecessor, Joe Biden, for approving unconditional aid to Ukraine and has vowed to implement cost-cutting measures. He also promised to quickly negotiate a peace deal between Moscow and Kiev.
Kathmandu – Presenting a political report on the current political situation and future course of action at the party’s central committee meeting that began in Dhumbarahi, Kathmandu on Friday, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Chairman Rajendra Lingden has mentioned that the country is at risk of falling into a geopolitical trap.
Stating that the government’s style of expanding and conducting foreign relations poses a risk of the country falling into a geopolitical maze, he said that the idea of forming a government with the first and second parties of the parliament together is not possible in a parliamentary system, but a unique idea is being developed in Nepal.
In the report, he accused the Congress-UML of conspiring to destroy the multi-party system and establish a two-party system, criticizing the government’s attitude of bypassing the convention and running the government through ordinances.
Janakpur- After widespread protests, the Madhesh provincial government has withdrawn the bill 2081 made to make provisions for language.
Speaking in the provincial assembly on Friday, Education and Culture Minister Rani Sharma Tiwari proposed to withdraw the bill.
Minister Tiwari said that there was an error in the bill and that she felt that the Tharu language should also be included .
Earlier, while presenting the language bill proposal in the parliament on Wednesday, Minister Tiwari bypass the Tharu language and proposed the Hindi and English to be made the official working languages.
A federal judge has blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order curtailing birthright citizenship, a constitutionally enshrined right granting automatic citizenship to anyone born in the United States.
District Court Judge John Coughenour issued the temporary restraining order on Thursday in Seattle, Washington, preventing the government from implementing what he called a “blatantly unconstitutional” measure.
The executive order threatened to affect not just children born in the US to undocumented parents but also children of immigrants legally in the country.
As many as five lawsuits have been filed against Trump’s attack on birthright citizenship, encompassing officials from 22 states and several civil rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union.
Temporary restraining order came as the result of a complaint filed by four Democrat-led states: Arizona, Illinois, Oregon and Washington. It was the first of the suits to reach the hearing stage.
The Trump administration, however, has maintained that birthright citizenship encourages irregular migration into the US.
It also has argued that the 14th Amendment was not meant to apply to people with undocumented parents because they are not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the US.
Trump’s Department of Justice described Monday’s executive order as an “integral part” of the government’s efforts to address the “ongoing crisis at the southern border”.
The order instructs the Social Security Administration to not issue Social Security cards or numbers to children born after February 19 if either of their parents are not citizens or legal permanent residents.The US is one of about 30 countries in the world with birthright citizenship. The 14th Amendment was implemented after the Civil War to extend citizenship to Black people who had previously been enslaved.
Kathmandu – Thousands of loan Shark victims from various districts across the country are currently waiting for justice. Despite the formation of two commissions and a committee by the federal government to resolve the problem of loan Shark victims, the problem of victims is still ongoing.
So far, out of 2,716 applications from loan Shark victims in Saptari, 2,244 are pending. 448 applications have been settled, while only 24 cases have been registered.
loan Shark victims have protested twice, centered in Kathmandu. Both times, agreements were reached with the government, but the government has not yet implemented the agreements. Demanding justice, victims On 2 Chaitra 079, after walking from Bardibas in Mahottari and reaching Kathmandu on the 12th day of the protest, a five-point agreement was reached between the government and the victims. The government had also formed a commission under the leadership of former judge Gauri Bahadur Karki to understand the problems of victims. In 2079, the Karki-led inquiry commission on loan Shark victims for 6 months. Out of 28,000 complaints received by the commission from 67 districts, 5,188 complaints were settled. 218 bighas and 10 kattas of land were returned to the victims from the moneylenders.
However, after the Karki-led inquiry commission did not completely resolve the problem, the victims again walked for 23 days from the Mechi Bridge in Kakadbhitta on the eastern border and Gaddachauki in Kanchanpur on the west to Kathmandu and protested for 19 consecutive days. After the protest, another four-point agreement was reached between the government and the victims. After the agreement with the victims, the government formed a commission under the chairmanship of former judge Tej Bahadur Karki as the second commission in 2080 Chaitra and after the deadline of 15 Ashoj has ended there has been no more progress in addressing the issues of victims.
In Madhesh Province alone, out of more than 24,000 complaints filed by victims, only 6,700 have been settled. According to the Madhesh Province Police Office, 24,235 complaints have been filed so far. Of these, 6,707 have been settled and 17,339 are yet to be heard, informed Madhesh Province Police Spokesperson Subash Chandra Bohara. According to Bohara, the police have returned 248 bighas 61 kattas 49 dhurs of land through settlement. He said that a settlement of Rs 1.65 billion 69 lakh 88 thousand 863 has been made. He also said that 189 cases have been registered out of the remaining cases.
However, despite the formation of committees and commissions repeatedly to resolve the problem, the problem has not been resolved.
Kathmandu- Addressing a program organized in Kathmandu on the occasion of the inauguration of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and China and the Chinese New Year celebrations, Speaker Devraj Ghimire has said that Nepal wants to benefit from China’s unique development and prosperity.
Praising the cooperation provided by China so far, he expressed that Nepal will receive support for smooth upgrading and its sustainability in the context of upgrading from the list of least developed countries by 2026.
He expressed confidence that a large number of Chinese tourists will visit Nepal in the context of declaring 2025 as the Visit Nepal Year in China, which will provide significant support in promoting tourism, and called for utilizing the immense opportunities for economic, social and cultural development between Nepal and China and moving forward hand in hand for a prosperous and golden future.
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to publish classified files on the assassination of the 35th President of the United States John Kennedy.
The document also provides for the publication of previously inaccessible documents on the assassination of the brother of the assassinated president Robert Kennedy and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Martin Luther King.
“That’s a big one, huh? A lot of people are waiting for this for a long – for years, for decades,” he said when signing the document.
Kathmandu – The Nepal Cricket Association (CAN) is going to organize the Youth Cup in preparation for the ICC U-19 World Cup Asia qualifiers to be held in Nepal next April.
The Youth Cup will be held at the Extratech Oval Cricket Ground in Bhairahawa from Magh15 to 22. For this, 36 U-19 players who were initially included in the closed camp will be included in three teams.
The three teams have been named Nepal U-19 Red, Nepal U-19 Green and Nepal U-19 Blue. A double round robin league will be played between these teams.
The Asia qualifiers for the U-19 Men’s World Cup are being held in Nepal from April 12 to 21. The top team in the qualifiers, which will include Nepal, Afghanistan, Oman, UAE and Hong Kong, will qualify for the U-19 World Cup in 2026.
Among the U-19 male players selected in the first round are Abhishek Tiwari, Dilsad Ali, Sohail Kunwar, Naren Bhatt, Suryansu Koirala, Roshan Vishwakarma, Santosh Yadav, Dayanand Mandal, Aparajit Paudel, Sibrin Shrestha, Rajesh Bohra, Neeraj Kumar Yadav, Afrudin Ren, Saujan Prasad Ghimire, Deepak Serla, Yuvraj Khatri, Ashish Luhar, Sachin Bhatt, Ruhul Haque, Chandan Ram, Kritik Kamat, Bipin Prasad Sharma, Prateek Pokharel, Sahil Patel, Rohan Shah, Arabin Gharti, Rohit Chand, Sudip Aryal, Darsh Sonar, Kshitij Thapa Magar, Amar Mishra, Bhopal Dangal, Ashok Dhami, Nitis Patel, Asik Rana Magar and Nitesh Kumar.
Kathmandu- As Nepal announces a sharp mark-up in permit fees price to climb Mount Everest will soon increase for the first time in nearly a decade.
From September, those seeking to summit the world’s tallest mountain during peak season will have to pay $15,000 (£12,180), a 36% rise on the longstanding fee of $11,000.
Fees for those wanting to climb outside the peak April to May period will also increase by the same percentage – meaning it will cost $7,500 during September to November, and $3,750 during December to February.
Mountain climbing and trekking contributes more than 4% to the country’s economy.Mountaineering experts often criticise Nepal’s government for allowing too many climbers on Everest, however, with about 300 permits to the mountain issued per year.
In April 2024, Nepal’s Supreme Court ordered the government to limit the number of mountaineering permits issued for Everest and other peaks, saying that the mountains’ capacity “must be respected”.The preliminary order did not set a maximum number, though.
Amid concerns about overcrowding on Everest and climbers queuing in dangerous conditions to reach the summit, the Nepalese army in 2019 began conducting an annual clean-up of the mountain, which is often described as the world’s highest garbage dump.
In that time at least five clean-ups have collected 119 tonnes of rubbish, 14 human corpses and some skeletons, according to the army – but it is estimated that a further 200 bodies remain on the mountain.
Nepal is home to eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains, including Everest.
Kathmandu- Nearly 68 percent of the candidates have failed in the medical registration certificate (licensing) examination for undergraduate level MBBS and BDS in medical education.
More than two-thirds of the candidates who participated in the licensing examination conducted by the Nepal Medical Council have failed. The medical registration certificate examination was held on Tuesday and Wednesday.
According to the council’s registrar Dr. Satish Kumar Dev, a total of 844 candidates participated in the MBBS and BDS examination. Out of which, only 262 (31.04 percent) passed. A total of 582 (68.96 percent) failed, the council said. 67.99 percent of the candidates for MBBS and 76.92 percent of the candidates for BDS failed the licensing examination.
770 candidates for medical had filled the form for the licensing examination. Out of which 17 were absent. Out of 753 candidates who appeared in the exam, only 241 (32.01 percent) passed. The results of 7 candidates in the medical stream have been withheld. 512 candidates have failed.
Out of 91 candidates who appeared in the dental (BDS) stream, only 21 (23.08 percent) passed. 70 candidates failed. The failure of most of the candidates in the exam confirms the poor quality of education in medical and dental colleges.
Medical education activists say that it is a matter of shame for students as well as professors, medical college administrators, and officials in regulatory bodies.
According to Nepal Medical Council Chairman Prof. Dr. Choplal Bhusal, old candidates who have appeared in the exam repeatedly in the past have failed the licensing exam this time too. They are allowed to participate until they pass the licensing exam.
Nepal Medical Association Chairman Dr. Anil Bikram Karki says that students who have studied outside Nepal have failed more. ‘Is the investment in medical education right or not? Along with the state, parents should also be serious,’ says Dr. Karki, ‘What should be done with those who repeatedly fail the licensing exam? This is a matter of concern.’ Dr. Bhusal informed that the council does not have exact details of where and in which medical/dental college the students who fail the licensing exam studied.
According to medical education professors, it has been found that average students who have studied medicine fail the licensing exam due to pressure from their parents. The question paper in the exam is prepared by professors and associate professors. According to the council officials, objective questions are asked from the syllabus. If 50 percent of the questions are correct, they pass the exam.
Former Dean of the Institute of Medical Studies (IOM) Prof. Dr. Jagdish Agarwal says that average students are also studying medical education. ‘Parents are eager to make their children doctors regardless of whether they are qualified or not,’ says Prof. Dr. Agrawal. ‘The results of admitting even weak students are being seen in the licensing examination.’ After passing MBBS or BDS, one has to get a license to work as a doctor. However, many people fail the licensing examination. Some do not pass even after writing the examination repeatedly. This shows the weak state of our medical education.
According to the Council Chairman Prof. Dr. Bhusal, it is time to be serious about what to do with the examinees who have failed the licensing examination repeatedly. Until they obtain a license, the qualification of a person who has studied MBBS (BDS) is equivalent to Plus Two.
‘It is time for the concerned bodies to seriously discuss what to do with students who fail no matter how many times they are given,’ says Dr. Bhusal. ‘Were there any shortcomings in the selection of students? Are there shortcomings in the teaching and learning? It is time for the concerned bodies to review this.’
Rupandehi – Speaking at a press conference organized in Rupandehi, Minister for Communications and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung has said that the constitution can be amended only with national consensus.
He has also said that the Congress-UML will prepare an agenda for the amendment and take it to a national discussion. Meanwhile, the government is trying to amend old laws through an ordinance to maintain good governance for the country and citizens. Saying that opposition has made unnecessary propaganda on the issue of constitutional amendment, he said that the opposition should pay attention to its content rather than opposing the ordinance.
He said that there is no point in opposing the ordinance brought by the government.
Kathmandu- The Madhesh Province government has proposed to keep Hindi and English as official languages in the Official Languages Bill, 2081.
The bill presented by Education and Culture Minister Rani Kumari Sharma Tiwari on Wednesday proposes to make Maithili, Bhojpuri, Bajjika, Hindi and English as official languages in addition to Nepali. However, Tharu, the mother tongue recommended by the Language Commission as the official language, has not been included in the bill.
The list of official languages recommended by the Language Commission in Madhesh Province shows that Maithili is the top language spoken by 41.73 percent. It is followed by Bhojpuri by 18.81 percent, Bajjika by 18.44 percent, Nepali by 5.76 percent, Tharu by 4.17 percent, Urdu by 4.8 percent, Magahi by 3.52 percent, Tamang by 1.65 percent, Magar Dhut by 0.73 percent and Hindi by 0.23 percent. However, some MPs have also objected to the bill saying that the bill does not include Tharu, which is in the fifth place, and proposes to keep Hindi, which is in the last place, and English, which was not even included in the recommendation, as the official languages.
While recommending the official languages to the provincial government, it was decided to recommend 2 languages based on linguistic preference and 3 languages based on more than 6 percent or majority, but the MPs of political parties are doing whatever they like,said Language Commission Chairman Gopal Thakur.
Ministers and MPs from the ruling party of Madhesh Province have also expressed their objection to the bill brought by the government and have warned that they will not allow the parliament to function if the Tharu language is not included in the bill.
Kathmandu- The decision to lift suspension of Nepali Congress MP Tek Bahadur Gurung is to be reviewed. The Supreme Court, issuing an order on the petition of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, has allowed a review of the decision to lift Gurung’s suspension.
Earlier, a bench of Supreme Court Justices Dr. Manoj Kumar Sharma and Binod Sharma had quashed the suspension decision, saying that Gurung’s suspension was flawed. The full bench of Justices Sapana Pradhan Malla, Bal Krishna Dhakal and Nripadhwaj Niraula allowed the review, saying that the decision was contrary to the legal principles enunciated by the Supreme Court.
Gurung was elected as a member of the House of Representatives from Manang in the 2079 BS general election. Gurung was found guilty by a special court in the land rent case of BhriKutimandap.
Kathmandu – The newly appointed ambassadors of Japan, Turkmenistan, the People’s Democratic Republic of Laos and the Islamic Republic of Iran to Nepal have presented their credentials to President Ram Chandra Poudel.
In separate special ceremonies organized at Shital Niwas, the newly appointed ambassadors Meda Toru of Japan, Shalar Geldinazarov of Turkmenistan, Baummi Vanmani of Laos and Dr. Iraj Elahi of Iran presented their credentials to President Poudel.
High-ranking officials of the Nepal government were also present on the occasion, said Shailaja Regmi Bhattarai, spokesperson for the Office of the President.
The Lebanese group Hezbollah has demanded that Israeli forces complete a withdrawal from the country’s south in line with terms of the ceasefire deal agreed by the two sides, as the Israeli government said the agreement was not being implemented fast enough.
Israel and the Iran-aligned group agreed in November to a ceasefire mediated by France and the United States, bringing an end to more than a year of fighting.
Under the deal, Israeli forces were to withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah forces were to withdraw from southern Lebanon over a 60-day period ending on Monday.
But it has come to light that Israel is in discussions with the administration of President Donald Trump to convince the US to extend the deadline for at least another month.
The Russian army’s operations are the best response to Vladimir Zelensky’s “ultimatums” and demands for a return to the 2022 borders, Russian Security Council’s Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said at a meeting of the special group of the Russian Military-Industrial Commission.
“Our adversaries do not stop. Attacks continue and various verbal ultimatums are being issued. Some Ukrainian politicians have gone as far as calls for the restoration of the 2022 borders, in defiance of our country’s Constitution. It is obvious that the best response to an ultimatum will be the operations of our armed forces and eventual victory,” Medvedev said.
President Vladimir Putin said earlier that Moscow was ready to conduct a dialogue without preconditions, but on the basis of the 2022 Istanbul agreements and “the realities on the ground.”.
Kanchanpur- Four Indian nationals have been arrested from the East-West Highway near Aithpur, Bhimdatta Municipality-6. The District Police Office found a pistol while checking a car with Indian registration number UK 06 AR 0846 .
Deputy Superintendent of Police at the District Police Office, Umesh Raj Joshi, informed that a pistol was found behind the driver’s seat of the car.
After the pistol was found, the Indian nationals Sanjay Jethi, Komal Bista, Jeevan Singh and Umed Singh Adhikari who were in the car were arrested. Police said that they have been arrested and the investigation is underway.
Kathmandu- Only about 42 percent of the Sustainable Development Goals have been achieved by 2024.
The National Planning Commission has stated that while preparing the implementation action plan for the 16th Development Plan, it has given priority to the localization of Sustainable Development Goals and the process of upgrading from least developed countries.
The Commission has stated that the 16th Development Plan, SDGs, and LDC graduation will not be implemented separately, but are interactive and have been developed to support each other.
The focus has been on ensuring resource utilization and technical efficiency in the implementation of the 16th Plan. The plan aims to contribute to the successful implementation of the plan by strengthening coordination between the federal, provincial, and local governments.
To implement the 16th Plan, an action plan is being prepared based on coordination and collaboration between the three levels of government, integration and interrelationship of plans, and ensuring equality and justice.
Hours after Israel released 90 Palestinians as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal, Israeli settlers rampaged through two occupied West Bank villages north of Jerusalem, where Palestinian homes, a nursery and a local business were burned.
The Palestinian news agency Wafa reports that Israeli forces supported settlers during the overnight violence and dozens of Palestinians have been arrested in military raids in the West Bank, A young child was among at least three Palestinians shot and killed by Israeli forces in Rafah, in southern Gaza, since the ceasefire took hold on Sunday.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said 915 aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip on Monday, the second day of the ceasefire deal.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 47,035 Palestinians and wounded 111,091 since October 7, 2023. At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks that day and more than 200 were taken captive.
Russia congratulates Donald Trump on taking office as US president and welcomes his proclaimed intent to resume contacts between the two countries, Vladimir Putin has said, during a meeting of the country’s National Security Council on Monday.
“We’re hearing the statements of the newly elected US president and members of his team about the desire to restore direct contacts with Russia, which were halted by the outgoing administration. We also hear his statement about the need to do everything to prevent world war three,” Putin said.
“Of course, we welcome such an attitude and congratulate the elected US president on taking office,” he added.
Moscow has never “refused dialogue” with Washington and has always expressed readiness to deal with any US administration, the president noted. Russia remains committed to its principles and believes the dialogue must be built upon “equal and mutually respectful basis,” Putin emphasized.
Trump has repeatedly signaled his intent to engage in talks with Putin, particularly with the aim of bringing the conflict between Russia and Ukraine to an end. Last week, the incoming US president announced he planned to meet with Putin “very quickly” after getting sworn in.
“I know he [Putin] wants to meet, and I’m going to meet very quickly,” Trump said last Monday. “I would have done it sooner, but … you have to get into the office.”
Any potential in-person meeting between the two leaders is expected to be preceded by a phone talk. Moscow has repeatedly signaled its readiness to communicate with the incoming administration. According to the Kremlin, however, no exact details on when or where a potential meeting would take place have been ironed out.
Donald Trump has been sworn in as the United States’ 47th president. The inauguration ceremony was held inside the Capitol Rotunda, for the first time in the past 40 years.
“I, Donald John Trump, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, so help me God,” he pronounced the presidential oath.
Trump has become the second US president after Grover Cleveland (the 22nd and 24th US president in 1885-1889 and 1893-1897), to take office with a four-year break.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by foreign leaders, Argentinian President Xavier Milei, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Ecuadoran President Daniel Noboa. China was represented by Vice President Han Zheng, India – by Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Japan – by Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya. Russian officials did not take part.
Minutes before Trump’s oath, James David Vance, 40, was sworn in as vice president.
Pardons January 6 rioters
Trump signed an executive order granting pardons in the Oval Office on Monday, hours after he was sworn in for his second term.US President Donald Trump has pardoned around 1,500 people involved in the storming of the Capitol building in 2021.
The president granted “a full, complete and unconditional pardon to all other individuals convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021,” the order said. Additionally, 14 people got their sentences commuted. “We hope that they come out tonight, frankly,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Trump instructed the attorney general to dismiss “all pending indictments” related to the riot. He described the pardons as a measure to rectify “a grave national injustice” and a step towards “national reconciliation.”
Incoming first lady Melania Trump has launched a cryptocurrency on the eve of her husband’s inauguration as US president.
The announcement comes after President-elect Donald Trump launched the $Trump cryptocurrency. Both coins have risen but have seen volatile trade.
“The Official Melania Meme is live! You can buy $MELANIA now,” she posted on the social platform X on Sunday.
The website for the “Official Melania Meme” says it is a crypto asset created and tracked on the Solana blockchain.
Disclaimers on the websites of both the $Trump and $Melania coins said they were “not intended to be, or the subject of” an investment opportunity or a security.
According to the CoinMarketCap website, $Trump has a total market valuation of about $12bn (£9.8bn), while $Melania’s stands at around $1.7bn.
Trump had previously called crypto a “scam” but during the 2024 election campaign became the first presidential candidate to accept digital assets as donations.
On the campaign trail, Trump also said he would create a strategic bitcoin stockpile and appoint financial regulators that take a more positive stance towards digital assets.
That spurred expectations that he would strip back regulations on the crypto industry.
In the wake of Trump’s victory, bitcoin jumped to a record high and is currently trading at around $107,000, according to crypto trading platform Coinbase.
On Friday, the incoming artificial intelligence (AI) and crypto tsar David Sacks held a “Crypto Ball” in Washington, DC.
Other cryptocurrencies, including dogecoin – which has been promoted by high-profile Trump supporter Elon Musk – have also risen sharply this year.
Under President Joe Biden, regulators cited concerns about fraud and money laundering as they cracked down on crypto companies by suing exchanges.
Donald Trump is set to be sworn in for a second term as president of the United States.
The Republican’s inauguration in Washington, DC at noon local time (17:00 GMT) was originally scheduled to take place outdoors on the marble steps of the Capitol, as usual but it was relocated indoors due to frigid weather.The 78-year-old’s return to the White House comes four years after his previous re-election attempt ended in defeat .
Trump, the first person convicted of criminal charges to serve as US president, will replace incumbent Democrat Joe Biden following his victory over outgoing Vice President Kamala Harris in November’s presidential election.Vice President-elect JD Vance will also take the oath of office in Monday’s ceremony.
President-elect Donald Trump has directed his team to arrange a phone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in the first days after his inauguration set for January 20, CNN reports, citing sources.
“Trump has directed his aides to arrange a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the days after he’s sworn in,” the report reads.
According to the broadcaster, one goal of the conversation will be “to discuss an in-person meeting in the coming months” to try to end the conflict in Ukraine.
Trump did not rule out on January 7 that resolving the Ukraine issue could take more than 24 hours, a timeframe he had set during his election campaign. Trump announced plans to hold talks with Putin on the Ukraine crisis within six months after his inauguration. Keith Kellogg, the US president-elect’s special envoy on Ukraine, said that he would like to meet a 100-day deadline.
Kathmandu — Nepal lost to Scotland by one wicket in the ongoing ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup cricket tournament held at the UKM Oval Cricket Ground in Malaysia today.
Chasing a target of 74 runs set by Nepal, Scotland achieved the victory in 18.4 overs for the loss of nine wickets.
This is Nepal’s second consecutive defeat in the tournament. Nepal had lost to Bangladesh in the previous match. With the win, Scotland has strengthened its chances of reaching the Super Six. Scotland had lost to Australia in the first match.
In today’s match Pippa Sproul scored 35 runs in 47 balls with the help of three fours. Similarly, Gabriella Fontenella added 12 runs.
Nepal’s Simana KC and Rachana Chaudhary took two wickets each, while captain Pooja Mahato and Krishna Gurung took one wicket each. For Nepal, captain Pooja Mahato scored 27 runs in 43 balls with the help of three fours.
Similarly, except for Savitri Dhami who scored 10 runs, no other batsman could score double figures. For Scotland, Maisie McKira took five wickets alone, while Ami Baldi and Naima Sheikh took two wickets each.Similarly, Christy Myacol took one wicket.
US President-elect Donald Trump has announced sweeping plans to repeal outgoing President Joe Biden’s final executive actions.
Speaking to a rally crowd in Washington DC on Sunday, Trump reiterated his key reelection campaign promises, vowing once more to launch a massive crackdown on illegal immigration in the US, stop the Ukraine conflict, and “prevent World War III.”
“Every radical, foolish executive order of the Biden administration will be repealed within hours of when I take the oath of office,” Trump stated.
“By the time the sun sets tomorrow, the invasion of our country will have come to a halt,” he added. “The border security measures I will outline in my inaugural address tomorrow will be the most aggressive, sweeping effort to restore our borders that the world has ever seen.”
Trump echoed his campaign promise to launch an unprecedented deportation of illegal immigrants, while pledging to take immediate action on education and military policies.
“We will get radical woke ideologies the hell out of our military,” he stated. “We will get critical race theory and transgender insanity the hell out of schools… We will keep men out of women’s sports.”
Additionally, Trump hinted at an upcoming announcement regarding individuals detained for their roles in the January 6, 2021 Capitol riots. His supporters “will be very happy with my decision on the J6 hostages,” he told the crowd.
The president-elect further promised to stop the Ukraine conflict, which he has long criticized for claiming too many lives and costing US taxpayers billions in perpetual military aid to Kiev. “I will end the war in Ukraine, I will stop the chaos in the Middle East and I will prevent WWIII from happening,” Trump said.
Biden has signed dozens of executive orders in the last months of his presidency, in what Time Magazine has described as an effort to polish his legacy. These have included providing clemency to death row inmates, barring offshore drilling, providing deportation protection to nearly 1 million migrants, and fast-tracking military aid to Ukraine.
Trump has promised to sign a slew of his own executive orders upon taking office on Monday afternoon. He plans to take more than 200 executive actions the day he’s sworn in, according to a source familiar with the planning efforts cited by Reuters. Despite objections from his team about the time frame, “we’re doing them tomorrow,” Trump told the cheering crowd on Sunday.
Celebrations have erupted across the Gaza Strip after a much-awaited ceasefire came into effect following 15 months of war that turned much of the coastal Palestinian enclave to rubble.
The ceasefire came into effect at 11:15am local time (09:15 GMT) on Sunday after Hamas handed over a list of three female captives to be released as part of the deal to Israel through mediators.
Ninety Palestinian prisoners have been released as part of the first phase of a long-awaited ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
Earlier, on Sunday, three Israeli hostages were released by Hamas to the Red Cross in Gaza City hours after a ceasefire began, before being handed to the Israeli military.
Palestinians in Gaza are returning to their homes and awaiting the delivery of much-needed food and medical assistance after Israeli forces finally ended their 15-month-long bombardment of the besieged enclave.
The first of a promised 600 aid trucks that will enter Gaza each day has arrived, as part of the first phase of the ceasefire. Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 46,913 Palestinians and wounded 110,750 since October 7, 2023. At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks that day and more than 200 were taken captive.
The Israel-Palestine conflict is one of the most enduring and contentious disputes in modern history. Rooted in religious, political, and historical complexities, this conflict has been a flashpoint for broader regional and international tensions in the Middle East for more than a century. While the broader Middle Eastern conflicts have evolved and changed over time, the Israel-Palestine dispute remains a central issue.
During the recent Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 45,805 Palestinians and wounded 109,064 since October 7, 2023. At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks that day and more than 200 were taken captive and Both sides have already released prisoners under the first ceasefire agreement since the January 19, 2025, date, although doubts and questions remain about whether the war in Gaza will ever end completely or not.
One of the most significant developments in the current phase of the Israel-Palestine conflict is the involvement of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The court has been investigating alleged war crimes committed by both Israel and Hamas during the ongoing conflict. Of particular note is the ICC’s issuance of an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as other senior Israeli military and political figures, in connection with accusations of mass civilian killings.
The ICC’s inquiry centers on Israel’s conduct in Gaza, where airstrikes and ground operations have reportedly resulted in large numbers of civilian casualties. The Israeli military insists that its actions are aimed at neutralizing Hamas fighters and infrastructure, with strict rules of engagement intended to minimize civilian harm. However, the scale of the destruction in Gaza has led to widespread criticism from international human rights organizations, who argue that Israel’s actions may amount to disproportionate use of force and violations of international humanitarian law.
The allegations against Hamas are similarly grave, with the group accused of intentionally targeting Israeli civilians through rocket fire and other indiscriminate tactics. Human rights groups have condemned Hamas for using civilian areas in Gaza as bases for operations, thus endangering the lives of non-combatants.
The ICC investigation is ongoing, but it is a highly contentious issue. Israel does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction, arguing that the ICC is politically motivated and biased against it. The Israeli government has stated that it will not cooperate with the investigation, calling it a “war on the Jewish state.”
Taking a fact to all the current scenario of war let’s explore the key facts surrounding the conflict and examine its broader implications in the Middle East.
Historical Context of the Conflict
The origins of the Israel-Palestine conflict date back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when Jewish and Arab nationalist movements began to emerge in the Middle East. After the fall of the Ottoman Empire following World War I, Britain took control of Palestine under a League of Nations mandate, a region already home to both Arab and Jewish populations.
The situation became increasingly complex as Jewish immigration to Palestine grew, largely driven by the Zionist movement, which sought to establish a national homeland for Jews in their historic land of origin. This, however, clashed with the aspirations of the Arab population, who sought independence and self-determination in the same land.
In 1947, the United Nations proposed a partition plan to divide Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states. While the Jewish community accepted the plan, the Arab states and Palestinian leaders rejected it, leading to the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Following the war, Israel declared its independence, but the resulting territorial changes left hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced, creating a massive refugee crisis.
Key Events and Escalations
Over the decades, several wars and uprisings (intifadas) have occurred, with cycles of violence and peace attempts. Some key events include:
The 1967 Six-Day War: Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem, territories which Palestinians claim for their future state. This event greatly intensified the conflict and led to ongoing disputes over the status of these territories.
The Oslo Accords (1993-1995): A historic agreement between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) aimed at achieving a two-state solution. While it marked a moment of hope, implementation stalled, and violence persisted.
The Second Intifada (2000-2005): A more violent uprising by Palestinians against Israeli occupation. The conflict resulted in significant casualties on both sides and a hardening of positions.
Recent Escalations: In recent years, flare-ups of violence, such as in Gaza, have continued. Tensions in Jerusalem, particularly around the status of holy sites, have also played a critical role in the periodic escalations.
Key Players in the Conflict
Israel: Founded as a Jewish state in 1948, Israel’s primary concern is ensuring its security while maintaining its identity as a Jewish homeland. The Israeli government is divided between those advocating for territorial concessions and those who believe in securing all of the land.
Palestinians: The Palestinian population, divided between those living in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and the broader diaspora, seeks self-determination and the establishment of a Palestinian state. However, the leadership is split between Fatah, the governing party in the West Bank, and Hamas, which controls Gaza and is considered a terrorist organization by Israel and others.
International Influence: The United States has traditionally been one of Israel’s closest allies, while many Arab nations and organizations, including the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, have supported the Palestinian cause. Over time, shifts in global power dynamics and regional alliances (e.g., the Abraham Accords between Israel and several Arab nations in 2020) have added layers of complexity.
Underlying Issues
Several core issues lie at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict:
Borders and Territory: The primary disagreement centers on the borders of Israel and a potential Palestinian state. The 1967 borders, which encompass the West Bank and Gaza, are often cited as a basis for negotiations, but Israeli settlement activity in these areas has complicated the situation.
Jerusalem: Both Israel and Palestine claim Jerusalem as their capital. The city’s status is one of the most sensitive issues, as it holds deep religious significance for Jews, Muslims, and Christians.
Refugees: Millions of Palestinian refugees, who were displaced in 1948 and subsequent conflicts, remain in camps across the Middle East, with a significant number in Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. They demand the right to return to their homes, which Israel rejects, fearing it would undermine the Jewish character of the state.
Security: Israel is primarily concerned with its security, especially given the history of violence from militant groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. Palestinians, on the other hand, face widespread displacement, military occupation, and restrictions on movement, which they view as an ongoing form of repression.
Humanitarian Impact
The conflict has resulted in profound humanitarian suffering. In Gaza, where Hamas governs, and in the West Bank, Palestinians live under difficult conditions, with limited access to basic services, high unemployment rates, and an inability to move freely. The cycle of violence has led to significant loss of life, especially among civilians, and left deep psychological scars. The blockade on Gaza, the expansion of Israeli settlements, and periodic military operations exacerbate the humanitarian crisis.
Israel, while experiencing security challenges such as rocket attacks from Gaza, also has to contend with international criticism regarding its military actions and settlement policies. Israel’s military responses, including airstrikes and ground operations in Gaza, often result in significant civilian casualties, leading to calls for accountability.
International Perspectives and Peace Efforts
Efforts to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict have been ongoing for decades, with multiple peace initiatives attempting to find a two-state solution. Despite numerous UN resolutions, the intervention of international organizations, and peace talks, including the famous Camp David Accords (1978) and the Oslo Accords, a final resolution has not been reached.
The international community remains divided. Many Western countries, especially the United States, continue to support Israel’s right to defend itself, while also advocating for peace. On the other hand, much of the Arab world and several Muslim-majority countries support the Palestinians, sometimes through diplomatic means and at other times through direct support to militant groups. The broader Middle East is also affected by the conflict, with countries like Iran providing backing to groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, while other Arab nations have increasingly moved toward normalization of relations with Israel, as seen with the Abraham Accords.
Recent Developments and the Future
Recent developments have indicated a shift in dynamics, both regionally and internationally. The normalization of ties between Israel and several Arab nations has altered the diplomatic landscape. However, the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians remains unresolved.
There is growing international pressure to address the humanitarian crisis and move toward a viable peace process. The challenge lies in bridging the gaps between the security concerns of Israel and the political aspirations of the Palestinian people, while navigating the regional geopolitics that often fuel tensions.
Conclusion
The Israel-Palestine conflict is a multifaceted and deeply entrenched dispute with no simple solution. Overlapping claims to land, deeply rooted national identities, and competing religious and historical narratives create significant barriers to peace. However, international engagement and efforts toward diplomacy continue to shape the future of the region. A lasting peace, though elusive, remains a critical goal for the Middle East and for global stability.
TikTok is resuming services to its 170 million users in US after President-elect Donald Trump said he would issue an executive order to give the app a reprieve when he takes office on Monday.
On Saturday evening, the Chinese-owned app stopped working for American users, after a law banning it on national security grounds came into effect.
Trump, who had previously backed a ban of the platform, promised on Sunday to delay implementation of the law and allow more time for a deal to be made. TikTok then said that it was in the process of “restoring service”.
Soon after, the app started working again and a popup message to its millions of users thanked Trump by name. In a statement, the company thanked the incoming president for “providing the necessary clarity and assurance” and said it would work with Trump “on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States”.
TikTok CEO Shou Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration Monday.
Posting on Truth Social, a social media platform he owns, Trump said on Sunday: “I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark! I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.”
TikTok’s parent company, Bytedance, previously ignored a law requiring it to sell its US operations to avoid a ban. The law was upheld by Supreme Court on Friday and went into effect on Sunday.
It is unclear what legal authority Trump will have to delay the implementation of a law that is already in effect. But it expected that his government will not enforce the ban if he issues an executive order.
It’s an about-face from his previous position. Trump had backed a TikTok ban, but has more recently professed a “warm spot” for the app, touting the billions of views he says his videos attracted on the platform during last year’s presidential campaign.
For its part, President Joe Biden’s administration had already said that it would not enforce the law in its last hours in office and instead allow the process to play out under the incoming Trump administration.
But TikTok had pulled its services anyway on Saturday evening, before the swift restoration of access on Sunday.
The short-form video platform is wildly popular among its many millions of US users. It has also proved a valuable tool for American political campaigns to reach younger voters.
Under the law passed last April, the US version of the app had to be removed from app stores and web-hosting services if its Chinese owner ByteDance did not sell its US operations.
TikTok had argued before the Supreme Court that the law violated free speech protections for its users in the country.
The law was passed with support from both Republicans and Democrats in Congress and was upheld unanimously by Supreme Court justices earlier this week.
The issue exposes a rift on a key national security issues between the president-elect and members of his own party. His pick for Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, had vocally supported the ban.
“TikTok extended the Chinese Communist Party’s power and influence into our own nation, right under our noses,” he said last April. But he seemed to defer to the president-elect when a journalist asked if he supported Trump’s efforts to restore the ban.
After Trump intervened on Sunday morning, Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Tom Cotton, a Republican senator from Arkansas, broke with Trump by saying that any company that helps TikTok stay online would be breaking the law.
“Any company that hosts, distributes, services, or otherwise facilitates communist-controlled TikTok could face hundreds of billions of dollars of ruinous liability under the law, not just from DOJ, but also under securities law, shareholder lawsuits, and state AGs,” he wrote on social media.
Kathmandu- As the size of public debt increases, the expenditure on debt service is also increasing. However, the situation of capital expenditure is seen to be weak compared to the increase in expenditure on debt and debt service. In the first six months of the current fiscal year, the government’s debt service expenditure has been three times higher than capital expenditure.
According to the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General, the government has been able to spend Rs 56.935 billion on capital expenditure by the end of the current fiscal year. While the Public Debt Management Office shows that Rs 182.40 billion was spent on debt service during the same period.
The government has allocated Rs 50.50 billion more budget for debt service than capital expenditure for the current fiscal year. The government has targeted Rs 352.35 billion on capital expenditure in the current fiscal year. Whereas, Rs 402.85 billion had been allocated for debt service.
By mid-December, the government has spent 45.28 percent of the target, or Rs 182.4 billion, on debt service. Now, Rs 220.4 billion is yet to be spent under debt service. During this period, the government has spent Rs 149.67 billion on principal repayment and Rs 32.73 billion on interest payment.
The government has paid Rs 127.24 billion in principal repayment and Rs 27.95 billion in interest payment on internal debt. Similarly, Rs 22.42 billion in principal repayment and Rs 4.77 billion in interest payment on external debt. The amount spent on debt service is equivalent to 3.20 percent of the gross domestic product.
The government’s outstanding public debt has reached Rs 2.5 trillion. At the beginning of the current fiscal year, the total public debt was Rs 2.44 billion. By mid-December, the total public debt liability has increased by Rs 122.3 billion, reaching Rs 2.5 trillion. 36.13 billion, according to the office. Which is equivalent to 44.46 percent of the gross domestic product. The change in the exchange rate as of mid-December of this fiscal year has affected the increase in public debt by 11.61 billion rupees.
The target for mobilizing a total of 547 billion rupees of public debt was set in the current fiscal year. 240 billion rupees have been received as of mid-December. This is 43.89 percent compared to the annual target. This year, the target for mobilizing internal debt of 330 billion rupees has been raised as of mid-December, 54.86 percent or 181 billion rupees.
Similarly, the target for mobilizing external debt of 217 billion rupees has been raised by 27.20 percent or 59 billion rupees. According to the annual target, the government will be able to mobilize a total of 366 billion rupees, including 148 billion rupees of internal debt and 157 billion rupees of external debt, in the remaining 6 months.
Gulmi – Air service has been suspended at Resunga Airport in Gulmi for a month. Air service in the district has been suspended for a month after two twin-otter aircraft of Nepal Airlines were grounded.
Nepal Airlines Resunga Station Chief Suman Thapa said that passengers here have been facing problems after the air service suspended.
Air service in the district came into operation after the Corporation started commercial flights in Gulmi on 29 Baisakh 2080 BS. The Corporation had been operating three times a week since it started commercial flights in the district.
Due to the increasing pressure of passengers, the Corporation had increased the number of flights at that time and was operating four times a week. After the Corporation’s aircraft started being grounded from time to time, it has now completely suspended air service in the district.
Thapa, the station chief of the airport, said that the Corporation has only a few twin-otter aircraft and the service was disrupted after the engines of the aircraft ran out.
He said that it will take some time for the service to be resume in the district as two Twin Otter aircraft have been grounded and the grounded aircraft are undergoing maintenance.
Recently, the corporation had been operating flights from Resunga Airport only once a week on Thursday. An 18-seat Twin Otter aircraft of Nepal Airlines Corporation was operating from Kathmandu at 6:30 am at Resunga Airport in Gulmi and from Resunga Airport at 7:30 am.
The corporation has fixed the fare at 7,500 for Resunga from Kathmandu and 7,300 for Resunga to Kathmandu.
The airport office has stated that flights are being operated only in the morning due to high air pressure during the day.
90 one-way flights have been operated from here to Kathmandu in the past 21 months. So far, 2,253 passengers have taken air services from both directions, informed Station Chief Thapa.
With the start of air services in the recent past, the number of domestic and foreign tourists visiting the district has also increased.
Thapa said that despite the high demand for air services, the corporation has not been able to operate regular services due to a shortage of aircraft.
Kathmandu – Discussions have begun on convening the federal parliament session from january 31st. According to ruling party leaders, the date for convening the session was also discussed in the previous cabinet meeting.
“The upcoming cabinet meeting can decide to convene the session and recommend it to the President, or it can decide on the basis of the discussions held in the previous cabinet and recommend it to the President,” said a leader of the ruling party.
The annual session of parliament ended on August 29 2024. Opposition parties are warning the government, saying that the government has not convened the winter session even after five months.
There is a legal provision that the period between one session and the next should not exceed six months. There is a constitutional provision that the President can end and convene a parliament session on the recommendation of the government.
Kathmandu – There are 97 Nepalese wanted by the International Police Organization (Interpol), of whom 72 have been issued red corner notices and 25 have been issued diffusion notice. Nepal Police has stated that 5 foreigners have been issued red corner notice and 11 have been issued diffusion notice in Nepal.
According to the police, 66 people have been brought to Nepal through Interpol in the past 10 years. The largest number of people, 25, have been brought to Nepal with the help of Interpol. Similarly, 10 have been brought to Nepal from Qatar, 5 from Kuwait, 3 each from Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, and 2 each from India, Macau, China and Cambodia. One person each was brought from the US, Portugal, Bahrain, Romania and the UK.
Out of the 66 people brought to Nepal since 2015, 53 have been issued red notice. 13 have been issued diffusion notice. Among them, 15 were arrested for murder, 9 for rape, 8 for gold smuggling, 7 for fraud, 6 for human trafficking, 5 each for kidnapping, cybercrime and foreign employment fraud, and 2 each for wildlife crime, corporate and banking fraud.
According to the police, 7 foreigners have been arrested during this period and sent to their respective countries. 4 from China, 1 each from Sweden, Korea and India, who were issued red notice, have been searched in Nepal and sent back. In cases pending in the court, a diffusion notice is issued to find out the hiding place of the accused, and if the place is found, a red notice is issued for arrest. And, searches are conducted in member countries through Interpol.
Kathmandu — Lawmakers have expressed concerns about the security of the details of the National Identity Card, which has been made mandatory for various services. At a meeting of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee of the House of Representatives, lawmakers expressed serious concerns about the delays, security challenges, and management weaknesses of the National Identity Card system.
The lawmakers had asked the government questions about who has access to the biometric and other details of millions of citizens that the government has been collecting for identity cards, what to do in case of hacking, and what the security arrangements are. After Yubaraj Kattel, Director General of the National Identity Card and Registration Department, said that it is difficult to retain skilled human resources such as information technology engineers in the department, the lawmakers became even more skeptical about data security.
“It is not good that the department that collects all the details of citizens lacks skilled manpower and resources, and if 10 engineers out of 15 posts leave their jobs and only 5 are working, how can we provide the details with confidence, it was heard that ‘all our details are being taken and put on the identity card and the resources are not enough for this”, said the lawmakers.
Stating that the government built a national identity card system through a French company in 2017 and that 7 billion rupees have been spent on it so far, the question has also been raised as to who is taking responsibility for the security of the citizens’ personal data. ‘The country’s data should not go outside the country, if all the details are kept in one place, what will happen to the country if it is hacked?’ The MPs have said that the government should be committed to ensuring data security when going through the new tender process.
Expressing doubts about the security of the data when contracting a foreign company to establish and operate such sensitive systems, they have said that it cannot be assumed that the data is secure if the contract is given to a foreign company.
They have also said that the government should pay attention to practical aspects such as the process of filling out the form for the identity card and the inconvenience faced by the disabled and that it is difficult to get the card even after two years of filling the form for the identity card, and that citizens in remote areas are facing difficulties due to the card.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has said that the national identity card has been made mandatory to provide easy and simple services to the people, control crime and effectively implement the issue of money laundering, and that important personal details collected for the national identity card are safe and not misused.
The department has stated that details of more than 16.5 million citizens have been collected through the National Identity Management Information System so far, and more than 6 million identity cards have been printed so far and 5.5 million cards have been sent to various districts.
The TikTok short videos service halted its operations in the US.
“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now,” the notice indicates. The service is not displayed also in search results in the App Store.
The TikTok short videos creation and viewing service sent notices to its US users that the platform suspends its operations in that country because of the ban of US authorities.
A warning from the service appears when entering the app in the US. “We regret that a US law banning TikTok will take effect on January 19 and forces us to make our services temporarily unavailable,” TikTok said. “We’re working to restore our services in the US as soon as possible and we appreciate your support,” the service added.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has ordered the Israeli military not to begin the ceasefire in Gaza, scheduled to start at 8:30 am (0630 GMT) until Hamas issues the names of the captives to be released, his office said.
“The prime minister instructed the IDF that the ceasefire, which is supposed to go into effect at 8:30 am, will not begin until Israel has the list of released abductees that Hamas has pledged to provide,” his office said in a statement on Sunday.
In a statement shortly afterwards, Hamas blamed the delay in handing over the names on “technical field reasons.” It said that it is committed to the ceasefire deal announced last week.And Hamas has reiterated it is committed to the cease fire, and then it will hand these names over as soon as they can.”
Two senior Iranian judges have been shot dead in an apparent assassination in the country’s supreme court.
Ali Razini and Mohammad Moghiseh were killed after a gunman entered the court, in the capital Tehran, on Saturday morning.The attacker killed himself while fleeing the scene, according to the judiciary’s news website, Mizan. A bodyguard was also injured in the attack.The motive for the attack is unclear, but both judges are said to have played a role in the crackdown on opponents of the Islamic government since the 1980s.
In a statement, the judiciary’s media office described the attack as premeditated assassination.It also said that, according to initial findings, the attacker had not been involved in any case considered by the supreme court. Officials are investigating whether anyone else is involved in the attack.Both victims have been in the judiciary for decades. In the supreme court, their responsibilities would have included confirming death sentences.
Razini, 71, was one of Iran’s most senior judges and survived an assassination attempt in 1998.Moghiseh, 68, has been sanctioned by the EU, the US and Canada over alleged human rights abuses.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said that the China will actively support Sri Lanka in focusing on economic development and the two countries should jointly foster new highlights in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, as well as cooperation in modern agriculture, digital economy and marine economy.
China’s efforts in further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization will bring new opportunities for Sri Lanka’s development, Xi said when holding talks with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who is in China for a state visit.
Noting that China and Sri Lanka enjoy a traditional friendship, Xi said bilateral relations have maintained healthy and stable development over the past 68 years, setting an example of friendly coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation between different countries.
With joint efforts, China and Sri Lanka have continuously promoted strategic cooperative partnership featuring mutual assistance and ever-lasting friendship. High-quality Belt and Road cooperation and cooperation in various fields have achieved fruitful results, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples, Xi said.
The two countries should have a keen grasp of bilateral relations from a strategic perspective and jointly build a China-Sri Lanka community with a shared future, he said.
Dissanayake kicked off a four-day state visit to China on Tuesday, according to Sri Lanka local media Sunday Times. This marks the leader’s first visit to China after taking office.
China and Sri Lanka have long been each other’s friend and close neighbor. Since our two countries established diplomatic ties in 1957, the bilateral relationship has stood the test of the changing international landscape, always maintained sound and steady growth, and set up a fine example of friendly relations and mutually beneficial cooperation between countries different in size, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun briefed on January 10.
China stands ready to work with Sri Lanka through the upcoming visit to carry forward our time-honored friendship, deepen political mutual trust, and expand high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and practical cooperation in various fields for continuous new progress in advancing the China-Sri Lanka strategic cooperative partnership featuring sincerity, mutual support and ever-lasting friendship as well as more benefit for the two peoples, the spokesperson also said.
Israel and Hamas have agreed a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal following 15 months of war, mediators Qatar and the US say.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani said the agreement would come into effect on Sunday so long as it was approved by the Israeli cabinet.
US President Joe Biden said it would “halt the fighting in Gaza, surge much needed-humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians, and reunite the hostages with their families after more than 15 months in captivity”.
The Israeli prime minister’s office said earlier there were “several unresolved clauses” but it hoped details could be finalised on Wednesday night. A Hamas official said it had approved the draft from mediators.
Palestinians in Gaza and Israeli hostages’ families celebrated the news, which will see 33 of the almost 100 hostages held by Hamas exchanged for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails over the first six-week phase of the ceasefire.
Israeli forces will pull back from populated areas of Gaza, displaced Palestinians will be allowed to begin returning to their homes, and hundreds of aid lorries will be allowed into the territory each day.
Negotiations for the second phase – which should see the remaining hostages released, a full Israeli troop withdrawal and a “sustainable calm” – would start on the 16th day of the ceasefire.
The third and final stage would involve the reconstruction of Gaza – something which could take years – and the return of any remaining hostages’ bodies.
The deal is expected to be approved by the Israeli cabinet, possibly as soon as Thursday morning, although the far-right national security minister has said he will vote against it.
Then the names of all the Palestinian prisoners due for release will be made public by the Israeli government, and the families of any victims will be given 48 hours to appeal.
The Israeli military launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to the group’s unprecedented attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
More than 46,700 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry. Most of the 2.3 million population has also been displaced, there is widespread destruction, and there are severe shortages of food, fuel, medicine and shelter due to a struggle to get aid to those in need.
Israel says 94 of the hostages are still being held by Hamas, of whom 34 are presumed dead. In addition, there are four Israelis who were abducted before the war, two of whom are dead.
Israeli forces will pull back from populated areas of Gaza, displaced Palestinians will be allowed to begin returning to their homes, and there will be a surge in humanitarian aid.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has confirmed he will not attend Donald Trump’s inauguration, his government announced on Wednesday. A spokesperson stated that Orban’s schedule is dominated by domestic commitments, making it impossible for him to participate in the ceremony in Washington on January 20.
Orban, a vocal Trump supporter, has previously expressed his belief that the former US president’s return to office could foster peace in Ukraine. He has criticized the EU’s support of continuing the Ukraine conflict and emphasized the importance of strong international leadership to facilitate negotiations aimed at resolving the crisis.
Domestically, Orban is focused on implementing a series of economic and social reforms for 2025. His government has introduced a “peace budget” that aims to revitalize Hungary’s economy. Key initiatives include doubling family tax benefits, tackling inflation through wage negotiations, and expanding housing support for young citizens under 35. These measures are part of the prime minister’s broader ambition to achieve economic growth that outpaces other European nations.
The Hungarian prime minister was an early backer of Trump, endorsing him in his successful run for the White House in 2016.During his first term in office, Trump hosted Orban at the White House in 2019.
The prime minister traveled to the US last July to meet Trump at Mar-a-Lago, his home in Florida. Afterward, Orban praised the Republican leader, saying he would end the conflict in Ukraine if elected president.
The day after the US presidential election in November, Orban took to X to express his delight at what he called Trump’s “beautiful victory.”
“It’s in the bag,” he wrote on X, while votes were still being counted.
The Hungarian premier is not the only EU leader skipping the event. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has also stated she will not be attending. Instead, she plans to prioritize early diplomatic engagement with the new US administration to address shared challenges such as the Ukraine conflict and transatlantic relations.
Kathmandu: Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba also spoke to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar this evening to discuss the release of Nepali youth Bipin Joshi, who is being held by the Hamas extremist group.
After news came that Hamas was going to release some of those held by it, Foreign Minister Dr. Rana has urged the Israeli government through Foreign Minister Saar to take the initiative for Bipin’s release.
In the phone call, Minister Dr. Rana thanked the Israeli government for the role it is playing in favor of all the prisoners, including Bipin, and specifically requested them to take the initiative to free Nepali youth Bipin from Hamas control.
On that occasion, Minister Saar informed Minister Dr. Rana that the Israeli government is making maximum efforts for the safe release of Bipin. Foreign Minister Saar also expressed happiness that Foreign Minister Dr. Rana had spoken to the Qatari minister this morning.
The Israeli Foreign Minister said that the Qatari minister’s role is important as he is the main negotiator and mediator in the peace talks with Hamas. This morning, Minister Dr. Rana had made the same request in a phone call with Qatari Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulayifi.
Following the news that Hamas is about to release some prisoners, Minister Dr. Rana has been contacting Qatar and Egypt, which are mediating a ceasefire with the Israeli government and Hamas, to appeal for Bipin’s release. Just last week, she had also made the same request to the Egyptian government.
The Government of Nepal has continued its diplomatic efforts for Bipin’s release. Minister Dr. Rana has been urging Bipin’s release through the United Nations, international and regional forums and meetings.
Kathmandu. The Nepal-India Joint Technical Committee (JTT) and Joint Working Group (JWG) meetings on energy, which have not been held for a year, are scheduled to be held in New Delhi, India on January 21 and 22 .
Earlier, the JWG meeting was held on January 2 last year, while the Joint Steering Committee (JSC) meeting led by the Secretary was held on January 3, 2024.Although the meetings of these mechanisms between Nepal and India are supposed to be held every six months, they are going to be held only after a year.
Senior energy expert Prabal Adhikari of the Ministry of Energy informed that the current meeting will mainly discuss the construction of two high-voltage transmission lines to be built between Nepal and India and the finalization of the investment format.
On 21 Poush last year, the Nepal and India Energy Secretary-level Steering Committee held in Chitwan agreed to complete the third largest Inaruwa-Purnia 400 kV cross-border transmission line between the two countries in 2027/28.
Similarly, it was agreed to complete another cross-border transmission line of the same capacity, the Lamki (Dododhara)-Bareilly transmission line, in 2028/29. However, in that meeting, there was no agreement on the construction format and investment format for these two transmission lines.
In the meeting, Nepal had proposed to construct these two transmission lines in the same modality as the Butwal-Gorakhpur 400 kV cross-border transmission line. The Nepalese side of the transmission line is being constructed by Nepal itself, while the Indian side is being constructed by a company that is jointly owned by the Nepal Electricity Authority and the Transmission Grid Company of India.
The use and rental (wheeling charge) of this transmission line has been fully paid by the Electricity Authority under a 25-year Implementation and Transmission Service Agreement (ITSA).India, however, had proposed a modality in which India would build the section on the Indian side and Nepal would build the section on the Nepal side.
Nepal had informed that if the transmission line is not built in the model proposed by it, the wheeling charge authority would pay only the amount of electricity flowing in the transmission line, and it would not be possible to book it in a way that it would bear the entire cost for 25 years. The committee meeting to be held in New Delhi on the 22nd will focus on finalizing this modality.
Before that, the joint technical committee meeting to be held in India on the 21st will discuss the issue of increasing the import and export volume of electricity through the Nepal-India Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur transmission line, the issue of electricity that can be exchanged through the Dhalkebar-Sitamarhi 400 kV transmission line being built by the Indian company SJVN, and the issue of import and export of electricity through the Tanakpur-Mahendranagar 132 kV line.
Since Nepal did not accept India’s proposal, the Indian side has said that it can proceed with some amendments to the modality proposed by Nepal.
According to the recent proposal made by India, companies will be established in both countries to build the cross-border transmission line. The company established in India will have 51 percent shares of the Indian Power Grid Corporation and 49 percent of the Nepal Electricity Authority, which will build the Indian section of the line.
Similarly, a company established in Nepal will build the Nepalese portion of the transmission line, in which the Electricity Authority will own 51 percent of the shares and the Indian corporation will own 49 percent.
“Since it is sometimes difficult to make decisions in a company with equal shares, Nepal has also positively accepted the 51-49 proposal made by the Indian side,” said the source. “There is a possibility that its modalities will be finalized in that case.”The source also said that there is a possibility of an agreement being reached to have 20 percent equity in the companies established on both sides and provide 80 percent loan.“There is an agreement to give priority to concessional loans even when taking loans and only go for commercial loans if that is not available,” he said.
Currently, only the 400 kV Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur transmission line is operational between Nepal and India, through which Nepal is importing 600 MW.
The Butwal-Gorakhpur transmission line of the same capacity is under construction. The target is to complete the construction of this transmission line by 2025. Out of this, the 18-kilometer transmission line on the Nepal side is being constructed with a grant from MCC, while the one on the Indian side is being constructed by a joint venture company of the two countries.
Apart from these two transmission lines, which are planned to be completed in 2028 and 29, the agenda of this meeting is to study the feasibility of transmission lines including Lucknow-Lamahi, Kisaganj/Purnia-Anarmani, Nijgadh-Motihari.Similarly, the meeting will also discuss the progress of the work being done on the construction of the Butwal-Gorakhpur transmission line.In addition, the meeting will also discuss how the 400 kV Dhalkebar-Sitamarhi transmission line being constructed by the Arun III Project can be used for Nepal-India electricity import and export.
Kathmandu – Police have rescued a Chinese national who was kidnapped from Thamel, Kathmandu.
The Valley Crime Investigation Office began an investigation after receiving reports that a Chinese national was kidnapped from Thamel on Tuesday and four Indian nationals were taken into custody from Bhimphedi, Makawanpur while they were found involved in the kidnapping , according to the Valley Police Office, Ranipokhari.
“We set up checkpoints at possible locations where they could go after the chinese national was being taken away in a vehicle with an Indian number plate,” said SSP Sanuram Bhattarai of the office.
According to Bhattarai, although the police took control of the driver and an Indian national, the others initially fled. Later, Bhattarai informed that four Indian nationals were arrested in coordination with the District Police Office, Makawanpur.
The police have not yet revealed the names of the arrested and rescued person.
Kathmandu — Madhesh-centric parties, which have been divided into many parties are once again trying to unite on the issue of constitutional amendment.
With the Nepali Congress and CPN (UML)-led government discussing amending the constitution, Madhesh-centric parties are trying to unite. Currently, there are 28 Madhesh-led MPs in the parliament, while 10 Madhesh-centric political parties are active both inside and outside the parliament. Stating that constitutional amendment is also on the agenda of Madhesh-based parties, Dr. Surendra Jha, General Secretary of the LOSAPA, has said that a committee has been formed among Madhesh-centric parties to formulate a common view. He mentioned that he has found that all parties and leaders feel the need for cooperation, considering the potential danger of losing the achievements made under the constitution.
He also said that after the collaboration between Madhesh-centric parties in the first phase, efforts will be made to expand it further and collaborate with other identity-based indigenous and oppressed Dalit-centric parties and forces.
Independent MP Amresh Kumar Singh was also present at the five-party Madhesh-centric dialogue committee coordinated by Janata Pragatisheel Party Chairman Hridayash Tripathi. The meeting was attended by Surendra Jha and Manish Mishra from Mahant Thakur-led Loktantrik Samajwadi Party, Dr. Sharad Singh Yadav from CK Raut-led Janamat Party, Renu Yadav from Ashok Rai-led Janata Samajwadi Party, Keshav Jha and Anil Mahaseth from Rajendra Mahato-led Rastriya Mukti Morcha. Similarly, Chairman Tripathi, leaders Ishwar Dayal Mishra, Sabir Hussain and other leaders from Janata Pragatisheel Party, which coordinated the meeting, participated. No one was present from Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal led by Upendra Yadav. The party has formed a task force consisting of Vice-Chairman Rajkishore Yadav, Ram Kumar Sharma and Manish Suman. However, there was no representation from the task force.
European members in NATO should either drastically increase their military spending or start studying Russian, the US-led bloc’s new secretary-general, Mark Rutte, has claimed, in a warning to EU lawmakers.
Rutte’s remarks came during a question and answer period at the end of the joint meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) on Monday.
While two thirds of NATO members are now meeting the bloc’s 2014 target of spending 2% of their gross domestic product (GDP) on the military, it is not enough to protect them from Moscow, Rutte alleged.
”We are safe now, but not in 4-5 years,” Rutte said. “So, if you don’t do it, get out your Russian language courses or go to New Zealand. Or decide now to spend more.”
“I just want you to spend more money!” Rutte added. “I’ve not committed to a new number, just saying that 2% is not nearly enough.”
US President-elect Donald Trump has floated the idea of boosting the spending to 5%, but no NATO member – Washington included – is anywhere near that number at present.
Rutte, a former Dutch prime minister who took over the military bloc’s top job in 2024, has constantly demanded bloc members spend more on the military since taking office. Last month, he suggested that EU countries cannibalize some of their healthcare, pension and other social services to find the money, and repeated that call on Monday.
The Western European military industrial complex has ramped up production to supply Ukraine, but its best has not been enough, he claimed.
“We are not where we need to be, not yet. Our industry is still too small, it is too fragmented, and – to be honest – it is too slow,” Rutte lamented.
The US currently accounts for 60% of NATO’s military spending. Without Washington, the European NATO members would need to boost their expenditures up to 10% of their GDP, which is simply unrealistic, Rutte acknowledged.
He pointed out that it takes all of NATO a year to make the amount of weapons and ammunition that Russia can produce in just three months. Moscow has an easier time because “they don’t have our bureaucracy,” Rutte said. He also claimed that Russia is spending up to 9% of its GDP on the military.
At a meeting with top defense officials last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin put that number at 6.3% and urged the military to use the money responsibly.RT
President-elect Donald Trump would have been convicted of illegally trying to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election – which he lost – if he had not successfully been re-elected in 2024, according to the man who led US government investigations into him.
The evidence against Trump was “sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction at trial,” Special Counsel Jack Smith wrote in a partially released report.
Trump hit back, saying Smith was “deranged” and his findings were “fake”.Trump, who was president at the time of the alleged crimes, subsequently spent four years out of office – but was successfully re-elected to the White House in November. He will return to the presidency next week.
After his success in the 2024 vote, the various legal issues that he had been battling have largely evaporated. The interference case has now been dismissed.
Smith says in the report he “stands fully behind” the merits of bringing the prosecution and the strength of the case.
He went on to say it was only the fact the US Constitution forbids the prosecution of a sitting president that ended it.
“But for Mr Trump’s election [in 2024] and imminent return to the presidency, the office assessed that the admissible evidence was sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction at trial.”
Some of the material in Smith’s report was already known thanks to a public filing in October, which gave details of Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn his defeat.
But the report, which was released by the Department of Justice (DoJ) to Congress, gives further detail on why Smith pursued the case, and ultimately closed it.
It justifies the case against Trump by accusing him of “unprecedented efforts to unlawfully retain power” through “threats and encouragement of violence against his perceived opponents” Running through Mr Trump’s “criminal efforts” were election fraud claims he knew to be false, it says The report details “significant challenges” faced by investigators, including Trump’s use of social media to target witnesses, courts, and justice department employees Denying the case was politically motivated, Smith says: “The claim from Mr Trump that my decisions as a prosecutor were influenced or directed by the [President Joe] Biden administration or other political actors is, in a word, laughable” Smith further reflects in the accompanying letter: “While we were not able to bring the cases we charged to trial, I believe the fact that our team stood up for the rule of law matters”
Trump was accused of pressurising officials to reverse the 2020 result, knowingly spreading lies about election fraud and seeking to exploit the riot at the US Capitol on 6 January 2021. He denied any wrongdoing.
The 137-page document was sent to Congress after midnight on Tuesday, after a period of legal jostling that culminated in a judge clearing the way for the first part of Smith’s report to be released.
The judge, Aileen Cannon, ordered a hearing later in the week on whether to release the second part of the report – which focuses on separate allegations that Trump illegally kept classified government documents at his home in Florida.
Posting on his Truth Social website, Trump maintained his innocence, taunting Smith by writing that the prosecutor “was unable to get his case tried before the election, which I won in a landslide”.
Smith was appointed in 2022 to oversee the US government investigations into Trump. Special counsels are chosen by the DoJ in cases where there is a potential conflict of interest.
In the interference case, Trump was accused of conspiring to overturn the result of the 2020 election, which he lost to Joe Biden.
Both this case and the separate classified documents case resulted in criminal charges against Trump, who pleaded not guilty and sought to cast the prosecutions as politically motivated.
But Smith closed the cases after Trump’s election in November, in accordance with DoJ regulations that forbid the prosecution of a sitting president.
The report explains: “The department’s view that the [US] Constitution prohibits the continued indictment and prosecution of a president is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the government’s proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the office stands fully behind.”
It adds that prosecutors found themselves at a crossroads: “The [2024] election results raised for the first time the question of the lawful course when a private citizen who has already been indicted is then elected president.”
Tuesday’s release comes after a period of legal back-and-forth, during which Judge Cannon put a temporary stop on releasing the whole Smith report, over concerns that it could affect the cases of two Trump associates charged with him in the separate classified documents case.
Walt Nauta, Trump’s personal aide, and Carlos De Oliveira, the property manager at Mar-a-Lago, are accused of helping Trump hide the documents.
Unlike Trump’s, their cases are still pending – and their lawyers argued that the release of Smith’s report could prejudice a future jury and trial.BBC
The US has authorized terrorist attacks on energy infrastructure and plans to make the TurkStream inoperative, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference reviewing the results of Russian diplomacy in 2024.
“The US wants no rivals in any field, starting with energy, where they unabashedly approve terrorist activities aimed at destroying the foundation of EU energy security, and where they stir up their Ukrainian clients to now target the TurkStream following the Nord Stream pipelines,” Russia’s top diplomat noted.
The minister pointed out that the abandonment of fair competition and the use of unscrupulous and aggressive methods of suppressing it can be seen in the sanction policy, which the US and its allies have made the “basis of their actions on the global stage” against Russia, China, and others. “And the sports sphere is a complete saga of turning fair competitions, fair tournaments into something serving the interests of the country, which has announced itself the winner in everything,” the minister concluded.
Kathmandu – A target has been set to reach a total electricity installed capacity of 28,500 MW by 2035 to supply and export the projected domestic electricity demand for energy production. By Kartik of the current fiscal year 2081/82, the total installed capacity of projects including hydropower and solar co-generation has reached 3,243 MW.
As projected in the Sixteenth Plan (2081/82-2085/86) issued by the National Planning Commission, it is found that a total of 11,739 MW of electricity installed capacity is targeted to be generated by 2085/86. To achieve this target, an Energy Development Roadmap, 2081, has also been prepared. The Roadmap has been approved by the Council of Ministers .
A roadmap has been prepared to maximize the development of internal sources of energy production that can make a significant contribution to the national economy, to increase the state’s internal electricity consumption, to achieve the potential returns of internal electricity trade, and to develop the state’s energy sector in a planned and timely manner.
Towards the electricity transmission line, a target has been set to complete the construction of 6,431 circuit km of 132 kV, 4,61 circuit km of 220 kV, and 6,440 circuit km of 400 kV transmission lines and increase the capacity of substations to 40,000 MVA.
Similarly, towards the electricity trade, a target has been set to export up to 10,000 MW of electricity to neighboring countries, India, and 5,000 to 15,000 MW of electricity to Bangladesh and China. To achieve these goals, a total investment of 46.5 billion US dollars is required for electricity generation, transmission, and distribution structures.
This investment will be managed through the mobilization of capital from the government, private sector, general public, and foreign investment, as well as non-resident Nepalis and Nepalis working abroad. A time-bound 81-point action plan has also been prepared for the effective implementation of the roadmap.
Kathmandu – Since the Congress-UML coalition government has taken the issue of constitutional amendment forward, opposition parties have also started discussing the agenda of constitutional amendment.
Top leaders of the main opposition party, the CPN-Maoist Center, and the CPN-Unified Socialist Party held a dialogue at Singha Durbar on Thursday regarding the issue of constitutional amendment.
The recently concluded central committee meeting of the CPN-Maoist Center has put forward three agendas for constitutional amendment. In which, it is said that a directly elected executive president or directly elected executive chief, a fully proportional electoral system, and a provision for members outside the parliament to become ministers should be included in the constitution.
The issue of constitutional amendment has already been raised between the coalition parties in the agreement reached during the formation of the government, which stated that “the government will review the strengths, weaknesses and complexities that have emerged in practice after the constitution came into effect and prioritize the necessary amendments to the constitution and the formulation of laws accordingly for political stability.”
Jevan Ram Shrestha, leader of the Unified Socialist Party of Nepal, says that it is natural for the opposition parties to hold internal discussions as the government moves forward with its preparations. He also said that the party is forming a committee to discuss the constitutional amendment. The Unified Socialist Party had formed a constitutional amendment suggestion task force already.
Another opposition party, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), is also working on forming a suggestion task force for constitutional amendment. The central committee meeting of the RSP also formed the task force under the coordination of Chief Whip Santosh Pariyar on Sunday.
Kathmandu — Nepal Police has said that there is a growing trend of people posting attractive photos and videos on social media to encourage customers to order various goods and then defrauding them without delivering the goods. The police have urged citizens to be aware of such frauds in the name of online business. The police have mentioned that one way to avoid such frauds is to choose the ‘cash on delivery’ option.
According to a notice issued by the police on Thursday, various sites are opened on social media to present attractive schemes to customers and after the customer orders the goods, they are asked to transfer the amount to a bank account or scan the QR code to pay the amount. According to the police, the trend of fraudsters closing contact and not sending the goods has increased after receiving the amount.
‘There is an increasing trend of demanding money in various QR and bank accounts when ordering goods and defrauding them by not delivering the goods after receiving the amount,’ the police said in a notice. ‘We request everyone to be aware of this.’ The police have given some suggestions to avoid such incidents. It states that the ‘cash on delivery’ option can be adopted, which allows cash payment only after receiving the ordered goods. Similarly, it has been said that goods should be ordered only after confirming the official seller. The police suggest ‘looking at the feedback of other customers, comparing prices with other sellers.’
The police have also suggested what to do if you fall victim to fraud. The police have requested that if you fall victim to such fraud, you should register a complaint with the police’s cyber bureau along with a screenshot and link. The notice states that for those outside the Kathmandu Valley, you can file a complaint with the concerned district police office.
Moscow would be willing to talk to US President-elect Donald Trump if he sticks to his plan of restoring contacts, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Thursday. It has not received any specific requests from Washington in this regard, he added.
Trump has promised on several occasions that he could achieve a negotiated settlement of the Ukraine conflict in just one day. In December, he also said that he would wait for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to bring an end to the hostilities.
Moscow has repeatedly said that it is ready for a dialogue about a potential peace settlement and accused Kiev of refusing to engage in negotiations.
On Thursday, Peskov said that Putin “would only welcome” a situation in which Trump would “retain his political will to restore contacts at the highest level” after his inauguration on January 20. The Russian president “has repeatedly spoken about his readiness for a dialogue” and the need for it, the spokesman added.
According to Peskov, Moscow has not received any specific requests from the US on the issue.
He suggested that “for obvious reasons” it would be prudent to wait until Trump assumes office.
Speaking to journalists at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida earlier this week, Trump said that he might need up to six months after taking office to help Moscow and Kiev reach a deal. His special envoy on the Ukraine conflict, retired US Army Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, told Fox News that he would like to set a 100-day timeline to end the conflict.
According to some media reports, Trump’s team is considering a freeze of the conflict along the current front line. Moscow has repeatedly stated that it seeks to end the conflict, not freeze it.
In December, Putin told a press conference that he was ready to meet and talk with Trump. Earlier, he also outlined conditions for a peaceful resolution, including an immediate ceasefire and readiness for negotiations, if Ukrainian forces withdraw from all Russian territory, including the regions that joined the country following referendums in autumn 2022. Putin has also called on Kiev to abandon its NATO ambitions and adopt a neutral and nuclear weapon-free status.
US President-elect Donald Trump has urged California Governor Gavin Newsom to resign over the state’s devastating wildfires, alleging his water policies caused the disaster.
The wildfires, which started earlier this week, have wreaked havoc across California, killing at least five people and forcing more than 100,000 to evacuate. The fires have consumed over 20,000 acres, including parts of affluent areas in Los Angeles County, damaging or destroying more than 2,000 homes, businesses, and other buildings, according to officials. Some firefighters have reportedly been hindered by a lack of water in fire hydrants.
Trump took to Truth Social to lash out at Newsom, urging him to resign. “Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snowmelt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way,” he wrote.
He further accused Newsom of prioritizing environmental policies over human lives: “He wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt, by giving it less water (it didn’t work!), but didn’t care about the people of California. Now the ultimate price is being paid.”
Trump also criticized US President Joe Biden over the crisis: “NO WATER IN THE FIRE HYDRANTS, NO MONEY IN FEMA. THIS IS WHAT JOE BIDEN IS LEAVING ME. THANKS JOE!”, referring to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Meanwhile,Newsom’s director of communications, Izzy Gardon, dismissed the criticism, accusing Trump of “playing politics” during a crisis. “The Governor is focused on protecting people, not playing politics, and making sure firefighters have all the resources they need,” Gardon said.RT
Slovakia will impose tough measures against Ukraine if problems related to gas transit are not resolved, Reuters quoted Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico as saying.
According to the PM, the measures may include halting humanitarian aid as well as stopping or reducing support for refugees. In addition, Slovakia might stop emergency supplies of power for Ukraine, the agency said.
Fico added that Slovakia could also use its veto power in the EU on Ukraine-related issues.
Slovak prime minister said that a new round of EU consultations on gas, which was scheduled for January 7, had been disrupted as the Ukrainian delegation did not show up.
On January 1, transit of Russian gas to Europe through Ukraine was completely stopped due to Kiev’s refusal to extend a previous agreement, which provided for pumping 40 billion cubic meters annually. Earlier, Gazprom reported that this refusal by Kiev deprived the Russian holding of the technical and legal ability to supply fuel via this route. Meanwhile, data from European gas transportation operators confirm that supplies to Austria, Italy, Moldova, Slovakia and the Czech Republic have been stopped in this direction.
Kathmandu — The Ministry of Health and Population has stated that it is a common virus of the ‘Human Metapneumovirus’ (HMPV) that was said to have been seen in China. The ministry issued a statement drawing attention to the misleading propaganda being spread on various media and social media, and urged people not to follow such rumors.
‘It is natural for the rate of respiratory infections to increase during the winter months, Human Metapneumovirus is not a new virus, which is a virus that causes common cold that has been seen in Nepal in the past, for which Nepal has already made the necessary capacity and preparations for testing, monitoring and response,’ the statement said.
The ministry also informed that the risk of serious problems from this virus is low and that its infection is generally only likely to occur in people with weak immune systems, young children and the elderly. However, the ministry stated that surveillance and awareness have been increased by the ministry, Department of Health Services, Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, hospitals and laboratories.
The Ministry has requested everyone to adopt personal safety measures (wearing masks, avoiding crowds) as it is appropriate to follow public health standards for infectious diseases including HMPV and Ampux.
Similarly, the Ministry has also requested everyone to avoid close contact with patients, wash hands with soap and water, and seek proper medical advice from a doctor if they experience health problems, and to contact the Ministry’s Hello Health Call Center 1115 for consultation.
Kathmandu — The government is preparing to increase the minimum vote percentage (threshold) required for representation in the House of Representatives or Provincial Assembly through the proportional election system.
The government is amending the current legal provision that political parties that get at least three percent of the votes in the House of Representatives and 1.5 percent of the votes in the Provincial Assemblies will get seats under the proportional system, and has moved forward with the law amendment process by making a provision that political parties must get at least five percent of the votes in the House of Representatives and three percent of the votes in the Provincial Assembly to get proportional seats.
The draft of the bill has been sent by the Ministry of Home Affairs to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs for consensus. The ‘threshold’ for proportional representation was kept unchanged in the draft bill sent by the Election Commission to the Ministry of Home Affairs on 18 Ashad 2080. However, the percentage of ‘threshold’ was increased while the Ministry of Home Affairs was modifying the draft.
A Home Ministry official said that the ‘threshold’ of the proportional electoral system has been increased in line with the seven-point agreement reached by the Congress and the UML on Ashad 17 for power sharing, which stated that ‘necessary amendments to the constitution for political stability and the formulation of laws accordingly will be given priority.’
Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, however, said that there was no consultation with the Commission on the issue of changing the provision related to the ‘threshold’. ‘The Commission had sent the draft to the Home Ministry keeping the provision of the threshold unchanged,’ he said. The Commission had prepared a draft of the ‘Election Management Bill’ by integrating seven scattered laws related to elections and sent it to the Home Ministry.
Kathmandu — More than 5,500 absconding defendants have been arrested in the five months from Shrawan to Mangsir of the current fiscal year. According to the Police Headquarters, 5,846 absconding defendants have been arrested from across the country during this period.
Police spokesperson Senior Superintendent of Police Bishwa Adhikari informed that 5,846 absconding defendants who were convicted and sentenced for various crimes have been arrested and presented before the court for execution of the verdict.
According to him, the court had imposed a total imprisonment sentence of 1,968 years, 9 months and 8 days on those defendants. Similarly, the court had ordered a total fine of Rs 430 million, 542 thousand and 54 rupees from them.
According to the spokesperson, the highest number of absconding defendants, 1,594, have been arrested in Madhesh Province. 735 people have been arrested in Koshi, 265 in Bagmati, 506 in Gandaki, 1,035 in Lumbini, 169 in Karnali Province, and 235 in Sudurpaschim Province.
Similarly, 1,253 people have been arrested in Kathmandu Valley and the Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested 54 absconding defendants.
Kathmandu – CPN-Maoist Center Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda has said that although the remaining work of the peace process should be completed with everyone’s consent, it has been used as the last resort to weaken the Maoists.
Prachanda said this while speaking at a program on ‘The issue of peace process and publicizing disappeared citizens’ organized by the family on the occasion of the 26th commemoration day of Rajendra Dhakal, who was disappeared by the state during maoist insurgency..
Prachanda said that there was a problem in completing the remaining work of the peace process because some political forces considered it as a weapon to be used against the Maoists. It has not been completed because the peace process was considered the last weapon to weaken the Maoists. Now, I think we should take this issue to the streets and the parliament to gradually increase the pressure. Our party is ready to lead from the side of the victims.’
Kathmandu – An agreement has been reached between the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation and the Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Committee regarding the use of land in the protected area for the construction of the Dodhara Chandani Integrated Checkpoint and Dry Port and the removal of trees from that location.
42.36 hectares of land in the national forest area located in the buffer zone of the Shuklaphanta National Park is being used for the structure. The Government of Nepal had approved this in a meeting of the Council of Ministers on 2 Asho 2081. The committee has stated that an agreement has been reached between the department and the committee to implement the decision.
With this agreement, the National Park Office will now evaluate the trees at the construction site of the structure and send it to the department. After being certified by the department, the park office will provide a tree felling order. The committee has also stated that upon receiving the order, the committee will carry out the tree felling and pruning work at its own expense.
The project was unable to provide land of the same area for the trees to be cut, so the department was given Rs 148.2 million as compensation.
Along with this, the committee’s executive director Ashish Gajurel informed that the tree cutting order is now awaited. According to him, the tree cutting process will begin as soon as the order is received.
This port is being built with the financial and technical assistance of the Government of India. The total cost of the project is Rs 5.76 billion. The committee has stated that the tender has been prepared to select a company from the Indian side for the construction of this structure.
The committee has also stated that the Indian side has informed that the tender will be published after the tree cutting work is completed.
A port with state-of-the-art trade infrastructure will be constructed there. Under the project, roads, parking areas, platforms, warehouses, weighbridges, container yards, passenger terminals, customs, banks, animal feed laboratories (quarantine), administrative buildings and other structures will be built.
The government has recently accelerated the construction of well-equipped dry ports at the border crossings connecting India and China.
Kathmandu – Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Badri Prasad Pandey and Secretary General of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Indramani Pandey had a courtesy call.
A delegation led by Secretary General Pandey met Minister Pandey at the Ministry of Tourism. During the meeting, issues including visa facilitation between BIMSTEC countries, development of tourism infrastructure in religious, cultural and tourism circuits were discussed.
During the meeting, Minister Pandey stressed on making Nepal’s aviation sector dynamic and promoting tourism to the international community through affiliation and mutual exchange among tourism boards of BIMSTEC member countries.
Minister Pandey also urged the BIMSTEC Secretariat to be made active and effective, stating that SAARC is inactive due to the various reason.
Secretary General Pandey stated that an important agenda of BIMSTEC is ‘connectivity’ and expressed his commitment to support the development of Nepal’s tourism sector. He also said that Nepal’s tourism and other potential sectors will be raised institutionally at the upcoming BIMSTEC summit.
Kathmandu – The South Asian Football Confederation (SAFF) Executive Committee meeting held in Kathmandu has decided to hold the SAFF Championship 2025 from July 15 to 25.
The SAFF Executive Committee meeting approved the awarding of the marketing rights of SAFF competitions to commercial partner SportFive, and also stated that there is a possibility of extending the collaboration until 2029.
The meeting also decided to hold the SAFF Championship in a home-and-away format. Similarly, the meeting also decided to hold the first SAFF Club Championship in 2026. It will include 8 clubs from South Asia. Out of the eight teams, the country ranked top in the AFC club rankings will get two places.
Similarly, preparations are underway to hold a women’s competition in 2025. The decision to hold the SAFF U-23 Championship in 2026 has also been approved.
SAFF Youth Tournaments Approved by the Meeting:
SAFF U-19 Championship, : 8-18 May 2025
SAFF U-20 Women’s Championship, : 11-21 July 2025
SAFF U-17 Women’s Championship, : 14-24 September 2025
Kathmandu: Sports Minister Tejulal Chaudhary has inaugurated the secretariat at the NSC building in Tripureshwor, Kathmandu, for the preparations for the 10th National Games to be held in Karnali Province.
The 10th National Games 2081 are being organized in Karnali from Chaitra 23 to 30 with the slogan “Sports for Health, Sports for the Nation”.
The National Sports Council (NSC) has stated that a secretariat has been established in Kathmandu to facilitate the necessary work to make the National Games a success. Inaugurating the secretariat, Sports Minister Chaudhary informed that a meeting of the NSC Board has been called on Magh 30 and that detailed discussions will be held on the issues of the 10th National Games.
He said that there will be no shortage of budget to hold the National Games and that it will be held in a grander manner than before.
Similarly, NSC Member Secretary Tanklal Ghising informed that the province has completed the selection process for sports and that the necessary budget will be provided to the various teams participating in the competition and they will also be given the responsibility of team management.
Kathmandu – Speaking at the inauguration program of the Congress’s Kachankawal-Sagarmatha Jagran Abhiyan organized in Jhapa on Wednesday, ruling Congress General Secretary Bishwo Prakash Sharma has objected to the statement made by Prime Minister and UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli that the constitution amendment will be done only in 2087 BS.
He objected to the Prime Minister’s statement, saying that a seven-point agreement was made to amend the constitution while the current ruling coalition of Congress and UML was formed.
Addressing the program, Sharma, who objected to Prime Minister Oli’s statement, said, “There has been a consultation to open the door to constitutional amendment. It is written in the seven-point agreement. When the constitution is being amended, what are the expectations of the citizens? What are the expectations of party friends? What are the expectations of the villages? We should study and bring this issue. “It is not a big deal to limit the number of 165 to 100 or 125 as is being discussed, but when we amend the constitution, these issues must be amended,” Sharma said. “Managing proportional representation is a matter that must be discussed in depth. But the most important issue that needs to be discussed is that after the current constitutional amendment, this country has a duty to find a system where the same prime minister can serve for five consecutive years in a country where the same prime minister has not ruled for five consecutive years once in 70 years.”
Biratnagar – The District Court, Morang, has ordered the release of Anjala Koirala, accused of cooperative fraud, on a bail of Rs 1 million. After a closed hearing , a bench of Justice Uddhav Prasad Bhattarai ordered her release on a bail of Rs 1 million.
Koirala is the wife of Rishikesh Pokharel, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives. Koirala, who is absconding in the cooperative fraud case, appeared at the Morang District Court on wednesday morning.
Koirala, who was involved in the embezzlement of funds from the Umagauri Agricultural Cooperative in Dhanpalthan-4, Morang, was absconding after the court issued an arrest warrant. The court had issued arrest warrants against 26 people, including Koirala, the chairman of the cooperative, Shambhu Rauniyar, and Rangali 2 ward chairman Santalal Khawas.
Based on the report submitted by the Area Police Office, Rangeli, the Government Attorney’s Office, Morang, had registered a case against 26 people, including Anjala and the cooperative’s chairman, Rauniyar, demanding a compensation of Rs 26 crore 48 lakh 27 thousand.
Kathmandu — Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba has urged the Israeli government, through Israeli Ambassador to Nepal Samulik Ari Bass, to release Nepali student Bipin Joshi, who is being held captive by Hamas.
During a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Rana at the ministry today, she asked Ambassador Bass about Bipin’s condition and urged the Israeli government to take the initiative to free him from Hamas control.
Minister Rana had urged the Israeli government, through Ambassador Bass, to give special priority to Joshi’s release as news emerged that Hamas was planning to release 34 of its captives.
In October 2023, the Palestinian Hamas group killed more than a thousand people, including 10 Nepalese, in an attack on Israeli territory. Bipin Joshi is also among those who were kidnapped by them. The Nepal government is continuing its diplomatic efforts for Bipin’s release.
Kathmandu – Speaking at the ongoing Central Committee meeting in Kathmandu , CPN-Maoist Center Deputy General Secretary Janardhan Sharma has expressed that the party chairman should be elected through the electoral process.
Sharma said that since the party’s statutory conference had decided that all party committees would be elected through the electoral process, now the chairman should also be elected through the same process.
“When the statutory conference has established the method of forming all party committees through the electoral process, why shouldn’t it be implemented in the case of the chairman?” Why should he be afraid of being elected through the election, he said.
Discussing the criticism that Prachanda is always running the party like a private company and becoming the chairman, he expressed the view that the chairman should be elected through the election to overcome such criticism.
Kathmandu: Speaking at a program organized in Kathmandu, CPN-UML Deputy General Secretary Pradeep Gyawali has said that the solution to all the problems seen in the country should not be sought in constitutional amendment, saying that problems may have arisen due to characters, institutions and tendencies in the implementation of the constitution.
He has mentioned that it would be appropriate to move forward only after identifying the challenges seen in the implementation of the constitution. Gyawali said that the idea of solving all problems through constitutional amendment and changing the constitution if they cannot be solved should be abandoned, and that the constitution should be amended for political stability.
Kathmandu- Nepal Majdur Kisan Party’s lawmaker Prem Suwal has demanded that Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Foreign Minister Arju Rana be called to the parliamentary committee.
He said that the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister should be called to discuss foreign visits.In the committee meeting held on Tuesday, lawmaker Suwal said, “Let’s call the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister and discuss foreign visits.”
He said that the committee should be informed about the agreements and initiatives made during the foreign visits. “This committee should be informed about what agreements were made and what initiatives were taken during the foreign visits.”
Kathmandu – Speaking at the International Relations and Tourism Committee of the House of Representatives, RSP MP Shishir Khanal has demanded the formation of a parliamentary inquiry committee on the alleged irregularities in the widebody aircraft.
British citizens of Nepali origin have admitted to giving 330 million Nepali officials in the US, he said. “Meanwhile, the Authority has filed a case in Nepal and the Special Court has already given its verdict, but the court has raised questions about the Authority officials and the investigation itself,” MP Khanal said. He demanded that the parliamentary committee form an inquiry committee and look into it independently.
“The Special Court has raised questions about the issue that should be investigated, so questions have arisen about an independent investigation,” he said. “That is why let’s form an inquiry committee.”
According to the leaders, there was a discussion within the RSP about making such a demand.
Kathmandu- A writ has been filed in the Supreme Court over the government’s decision to proceed with the process to open a new stock exchange.
On Tuesday, Krishna Bahadur Thapa filed a writ in the Supreme Court alleging that permission to open a new stock exchange is being granted based solely on the guidelines, rather than the provisions of the law and regulations.
In accordance with the Guidelines on Providing Recommendations by the Board to Establish a Corporate Entity for the Operation of the Securities Market, 2079, the Nepal Securities Board had published a notice on Asoj 2, 2079, inviting applications for a new stock exchange. The writ has demanded that all activities carried out pursuant to the said notice be cancelled and the guidelines also be revoked.
The Cabinet meeting had decided to move forward with the process of the new stock exchange on Poush 20. The work of distributing new licenses had moved forward after the Cabinet meeting decided to send the report prepared by the study committee formed under the coordination of Nepal Rastra Bank Deputy Governor Chintamani Shiwakoti to the Ministry of Finance.
Petitioner Thapa has filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court alleging that permission for the new stock exchange is being granted based solely on the procedure. According to the Supreme Court administration, the writ petition will be heard in the Constitutional Bench.
Beijing – President Xi Jinping has ordered all-out rescue efforts after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck southwest China’s Xinjiang Autonomous Region on Tuesday morning.
Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, gave important instructions and urged all efforts to rescue and treat the injured. He also called for proper rehabilitation of affected residents.
Premier Li Keqiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, called for rescue operations on Tuesday.
He said that since the earthquake-hit area is located on a cold plateau, all possible measures should be taken to ensure the basic livelihood of the affected people and keep them warm in the winter.
Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, led a team to the site of the earthquake.
Fifty-three people have been confirmed dead, and 62 others injured as of Tuesday noon, after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake jolted Dingri County in the city of Xigaze in Southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region on Tuesday (Beijing Time), Xinhua reported.
The epicenter was monitored at 28.5 degrees north latitude and 87.45 degrees east longitude. The quake struck at a depth of 10 km, according to a report issued by the China Earthquake Networks Center.
Xizang Military Command’s Xigaze Military Sub-command have been mobilized to head toward the epicenter.The sub-command is rapidly deploying personnel to the affected area to participate in rescue efforts.
As of 11:25 am Tuesday, a regiment of 160 personnel from the sub-command has reached Jijiao Bridge in Dinggye County, while a company of 40 personnel has been dispatched to areas near Dingri Airport.
Kathmandu: The government has increased public transport fares.
The Department of Transport Management has issued a press release informing that public transport fares have been increased by 3.30 percent. Similarly, the fares of goods vehicles have also been increased. The fares have been increased by 0.81 percent for vehicles operating on hilly roads and 0.05 percent for vehicles operating in the Terai.
In the past, while determining the fares of public vehicles, the fuel share has been determined as 35 percent and the share of other indicators as 65 percent. The department has informed that the fares of public transport vehicles have been adjusted based on the price increases seen in the wages of transport workers, fuel, tires, interest, operating expenses and profits, which were identified based on the market study and analysis conducted by the Department of Transport regarding the investment and expenditure related to public transport operations and consultations with stakeholders.
‘Based on the work done by the Government of Nepal on the basis of point no. 20 of Schedule 5 and point no. 15 of Schedule 9 of the Constitution of Nepal 2072 and in exercise of the powers granted by clause (d) of section 153 of section 96 of the Vehicle and Transport Management Act 2049, the fares of public transport vehicles operating in two or more provinces (operating on national-level public transport routes) have been adjusted as follows, effective from the same date, as per the decision of this department dated 2081.09.22 BS,’ the statement said.
Kathmandu: The government has transferred 12 officials including the Chief District Officer (CDO) of seven districts. The Ministry of Home Affairs has transferred CDOs of Kathmandu, Kailali, Sunsari and other districts.
Kathmandu CDO Jayanarayan Acharya has been transferred to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Kailali CDO Dharmendra Kumar Mishra to Sunsari, Sunsari CDO Ramchandra Tiwari to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Morang CDO Prem Prasad Bhattarai to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Jhapa CDO Bandhu Prasad Bastola to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Sarlahi CDO Gopal Kumar Adhikari to Jhapa and Salyan CDO Shambhu Prasad Regmi has been transferred to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Similarly, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Gogan Bahadur Hamal has been transferred to the CDO of Kailali, Tulsi Bahadur Shrestha to the CDO of Sarlahi, Indradev Yadav to the CDO of Morang and Rishi Ram Tiwari to the CDO of Kathmandu. Similarly, Dang Assistant CDO Shabitra Pun has been transferred to Salyan .
Biratnagar — A bench of Jhapa District Court Judge Navin Kumar Joshi has ordered the remand of former Birtamod Municipality Mayor and UML leader Dhruv Kumar Shiwakoti on charges of raping a minor.
Police arrested Shiwakoti on Mangsir 24,2081.BS on charges of raping a 16-year-old domestic worker. He was kept at B&C Hospital after his arrest. A complaint has also been filed against Shiwakoti with the National Human Rights Commission. The victim’s family had filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission last Sunday against former Birtamod Municipality Mayor Dhruv Kumar Shiwakoti, who is accused of raping a girl working at home.
According to the complaint registered with the commission, Shiwakoti has been raping the 16-year-old victim for the past three years. The girl, who was from a poor financial background, was hired as a domestic worker by Siwakoti 8 years ago on the condition that she would be allowed to continue her school and help with household chores. She was studying in the 11th grade and was leaving for India in her school uniform on the morning of Mangsir 24,2081.BS . During that time, when she was stopped and questioned by “AAFANTA Nepal”, who was stationed at the border to control the trafficking of girls, Siwakoti’s actions came to light.
Kathmandu — Tribhuvan International Airport handled 9.423 million 725 passengers, both domestic and international, in 2024, the highest ever.
According to Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) Joint Spokesperson Gyanendra Bhul, Kathmandu Airport has an annual capacity to serve 8 million passengers, but in 2024, 9.423 million 725 passengers used domestic and international flights.
In 2023, 8.654 million passengers took domestic and international flights from Kathmandu Airport. The increase in passenger traffic in 2024 is almost 9 percent more. In 2024, 4.460 million 361 passengers flew domestically, while 4.963 million 364 passengers flew internationally.
The domestic terminal of Kathmandu Airport has a capacity to serve around 700 passengers per hour, while the international terminal has a capacity to serve 1,500 passengers per hour. In terms of flights, Kathmandu Airport can operate 33 flights per hour in clear weather.
Trudeau being under growing pressure from within his party to step down, he resigns as leader of Canada’s governing party and prime minister.Trudeau says in a news conference in Ottawa that he will stay on as PM until a new Liberal Party leader is chosen.
Trudeau has faced growing pressure to step down since the December resignation of one of his closest cabinet allies, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.Trudeau, who has been Liberal chief since 2013 and prime minister since 2015, has also borne the brunt of public anger over a housing crisis and lack of affordability in recent years.
His resignation leaves the Liberals scrambling to select a permanent head at a time when polls show the party will badly lose to the opposition Conservatives in an election that must be held by late October.
The Gaza-based Palestinian radical group Hamas has agreed to free 34 hostages from the list provided by the Israeli side within the framework of the first stage of a ceasefire deal on Gaza, the Asharq TV channel said, quoting a source in the movement.
According to the media outlet, the list, submitted by Israel and approved by Hamas, meets the criteria coordinated during the latest round of talks. It includes women, children and those in poor health being held hostage in the Gaza Strip. It was specified that the movement agreed to release these hostages but it needs about a week to determine whether they are alive.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that the list was not prepared by Hamas but handed over by Israel last summer.
On January 5, Reuters said, quoting a Hamas representative, that the movement approved the list of 24 hostages it was ready to release within the framework of the agreement on Gaza. Later, Dmitry Gendelman, an adviser to the Israeli prime minister’s office, told that no such list was received by Israel from Hamas during talks.
At the end of November 2023, Hamas reported reaching an agreement with Israel, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, on a humanitarian truce which lasted a week. Israel managed to liberate 110 hostages during this time. On December 1, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire and announced renewed fighting in the Gaza Strip, which continues to this day. After several rounds of talks held in 2024 with the participation of Egypt, Qatar and the US, the parties to the conflict could not reach an agreement on the deal.
On January 2, Netanyahu’s office said that an Israeli delegation will soon travel to Qatar to resume the negotiations. The latest round of dialogue with Israeli representatives was held in Doha at the end of 2024.
Kathmandu – Janmat Party has formed a task force to form alliances among Madhesh-centric parties.
Janmat Party’s secretariat meeting has assigned Vice President Abdul Khan and Spokesperson Dr. Sharad Singh Yadav the responsibility of holding talks with Madhesh-centric parties. Spokesperson Yadav informed that the task force has been formed to initiate dialogue and cooperation.
Spokesperson Yadav said that the task force will hold talks on constitutional amendment, functional unity, party unification, among others.
Kathmandu — Conflict victims have filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court against the amendment to the Commission for Investigation of Enforced Disappearances, Truth and Reconciliation Act.
Forty-eight people representing victims from both the state and the then rebels filed a writ petition on Sunday, alleging that the act was amended to provide amnesty to those guilty of serious human rights violations . The writ petition demands that some sections of the amended act be repealed.
The Supreme Court had issued a mandate to amend the section that was against international conventions after the government introduced an act in 2071 that included a provision that allowed for amnesty to be granted to those guilty of serious human rights violations. However, the transitional justice process had been hampered for a long time because the act was not amended in accordance with the mandate. The dissatisfaction of conflict victims was also seen in the amendment made last Bhadra after a long tug-of-war.
Some of the recent amendments were also victim-friendly, and the victims had ‘critically accepted’ them, saying that they would support them if qualified officials were selected impartially and the commission worked in a transparent manner.
However, the victims approached the court after the committee formed by the government under the coordination of former Chief Justice Om Prakash Mishra failed to recommend officials to both the commissions due to interference from political parties. This has increased the possibility of prolonging the transitional justice process.
The conflict victims are demanding that the investigation of previous complaints filed with the Commission on Investigation of Disappeared Persons and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission should be conducted in accordance with the original act.
‘Investigations conducted in accordance with the current act will go against the right to equality, as well as the rights of crime victims,’ the writ filed against the government and the National Human Rights Commission states. ‘The amendments made to the original act are flawed, unconstitutional, illegal and void.’
Kathmandu- Presenting a political report at the central committee meeting that began on Sunday, CPN-Maoist Center Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has said that joining the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML was a mistake and said that he will contest the upcoming lection alone.
Stating that democracy cannot be improved through parliamentary power, he also said that a high-level unity dialogue committee will be formed to unite with like-minded parties and groups. ‘Now, we should not unite with the Congress-UML in the upcoming elections under any circumstances. We should move forward with our own election symbols and the strength of our own power,’ he said.
He said that although cooperation with old parties was natural and essential for the people’s movement, the peace process, constitution writing and its implementation, it was a mistake to contest the election together with those parties.
“Cooperation was essential when it came to the war and the implementation of the constitution,” the report says. “However, we must introspect that somehow it was a mistake to contest elections together with the Congress-UML in the past.”
Seven US states Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Arkansas and parts of New Jersey has declared a state of emergency as huge winter storm hit the states.
More than 60 million Americans across more than 30 states are in the grips of a huge winter storm that could bring the heaviest snowfall and coldest temperatures in over a decade.As the US reels from Storm Blair, hundreds of flights have been cancelled and thousands more delayed. There are also road closures and downed power lines in several states.
As the storm moves east, cities like Washington DC and Philadelphia are bracing for the snow and wind. Philadelphia’s mayor has announced the state is closing all its public schools and government offices on Monday because of the impending storm.
A Russian fighter jet has taken down a Ukrainian MiG-29, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
“Combat aviation of Russia’s Aerospace Forces has taken down a MiG-29 jet of the Ukrainian air force,” the ministry said.
The ministry also reported that Kiev’s forces have lost several Western-made armor pieces, including a Bradley fighting vehicle.
“Seventeen counterattacks by the Ukrainian armed forces have been repelled. The enemy has lost more than 410 soldiers, two Leopard tanks manufactured in Germany, an infantry fighting vehicle, and three armored personnel carriers, including an M113 made in the United States” in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), the statement read.
In the DPR, Ukraine lost a total of 230 service personnel during two counterattacks that were repelled by Moscow’s forces, the ministry said.
A large number of Soviet-era MiG-29 warplanes have been delivered to Kiev by its EU backers since February 2022, when Moscow launched its military operation.
Rebel forces backed by Rwanda have captured the town of Masisi in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to various reports.
This is the second town seized by the M23 group in as many days in the mineral-rich North Kivu province.
The group has taken control of vast swathes of eastern DR Congo since 2021, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes.
Angola has been attempting to mediate talks between President Félix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame. But these broke down last month.The Congolese authorities have not yet commented on the loss of the town.
Masisi, which has a population of about 40,000, is the capital of the territory of the same name.It is about 80km (50 miles) north of the North Kivu provincial capital Goma, which the M23 briefly occupied in 2012.
On Friday, the M23 captured the nearby town of Katale. Last year, there were fears that the M23 would once again march on Goma, a city of about two million people. However, there was then a lull in fighting until early December when fighting resumed.In July, Rwanda did not deny a UN report saying it had about 4,000 soldiers fighting alongside the M23 in DR Congo.
It accused the Congolese government of not doing enough to tackle decades of conflict in the east of the country. Rwanda has previously said the authorities in DR Congo were working with some of those responsible for the 1994 Rwandan genocide against ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
The M23, formed as an offshoot of another rebel group, began operating in 2012 ostensibly to protect the Tutsi population in the east of DR Congo which had long complained of persecution and discrimination.
However, Rwanda’s critics accuse it of using the M23 to loot eastern DR Congo’s minerals such as gold, cobalt and tantalum, which are used to make mobile phones and batteries for electric cars.
Last month, DR Congo said it was suing Apple over the use of such “blood minerals”, prompting the tech giant to say it had stopped getting supplies from both countries.
Kathmandu: The CPN-UML has stated that the BRI is important to fulfill the aspirations of the Nepalese people for development and prosperity. The political report presented at the eighth meeting of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Nepal (UML) has mentioned the special importance of the BRI cooperation framework signed between the two countries during Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s visit to China.
The CPN (UML) believes that it is not in the national interest to unnecessarily politicize and make controversial the issues of any aid project based on its specific political demands or geopolitical interests, rather than on the basis of merit or demerit.
‘The signed BRI cooperation framework is of special importance. It is believed that it will help overcome the difficulties created by Nepal’s landlockedness by supporting connectivity and infrastructure construction, and will help diversify Nepal’s transit facilities, facilitate trade, and increase investment. We lack the resources to fulfill the people’s desire for development and prosperity, to upgrade the developing country through rapid economic development, to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, and to elevate Nepal to a middle-income country as soon as possible.’
The UML has provided information through the report that the UML and the Congress have reached a common position on the BRI and signed it. The UML claims that the plan of those who want to cultivate instability again by creating divisions in the power partnership on sensitive issues has been thwarted. ‘This agreement is important in itself, but the fact that a common concept has been created between the two main parties of the country on this issue, breaking through all the confusion, misinformation and discomfort, is equally important. It has helped to create a single voice of the entire nation in foreign relations and mobilization of foreign aid and to strengthen the national stance at the negotiating table.’ The political report states, ‘It has also thwarted the plans of those who want to cultivate instability again by creating divisions in power cooperation on sensitive issues.’
UML Chairman Oli, who is also the Prime Minister, has mentioned in the report that he wants to develop reliable relations and economic partnerships with all friendly countries, including neighbors, keeping national interests at the center.
‘The CPN (UML) wants the country’s foreign relations to be mobilized on the basis of a balanced, non-aligned, reliable, sustainable and mutual trust and benefit-based foreign policy. No independent country should be compelled to work for the orders, instructions or interests of others. We want to emphasize the true exercise of independence.’ The political report states, ‘We want to develop trustworthy relations and economic partnerships with all friendly countries, including our neighbors, keeping national interests at the center. Nepal is sensitive to the legitimate interests and concerns of its neighbors, including its friends. Similarly, Nepal wants its neighbors and all friendly countries to be sensitive, cooperative and positive towards Nepal’s national interests, its independent foreign policy, conduct of external relations and sensitivity. ‘Friendship with all, enmity with none’ will remain the basic tenet of Nepal’s external relations as always.’
Ukraine has launched a fresh offensive in Russia’s Kursk region, the Russian Defence Ministry says.
In a statement, the military said efforts to destroy the Ukrainian attack groups are ongoing. Officials in Ukraine have also suggested an operation is under way.
Ukraine first launched its incursion into Russia’s Kursk region in August last year, seizing a large chunk of territory.
In recent months, Russian forces have made big gains in the area, pushing the Ukrainians back, but failing to eject them entirely.
In a statement posted on Telegram on Sunday, Russia’s defence ministry said: “At around 9am Moscow time, in order to stop the offensive by the Russian troops in the Kursk direction, the enemy launched a counter-attack by an assault detachment consisting of two tanks, one counter-obstacle vehicle, and 12 armoured fighting vehicles.”
The head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Andriy Yermak, said there “was good news from Kursk Region” and that Russia was “getting what it deserves”.
Ukraine’s top counter-disinformation official Andriy Kovalenko said in a Telegram post on Sunday: “The Russians in Kursk are experiencing great anxiety because they were attacked from several directions and it came as a surprise to them.”
It’s unclear whether the offensive is sufficiently large-scale to lead to any significant changes on the frontline.
Kyiv’s forces are reportedly suffering from manpower shortages and have been losing ground in the east of Ukraine in recent months, as Russian troops advance.
It comes as the Ukrainian Air Force said Russia launched another drone attack on Ukraine overnight.
It said it had shot down 61 drones over Kyiv, Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, and Khmelnytskyy regions
There were no direct hits, but a few houses were damaged in Kharkiv Region by an intercepted drone, the air force said.In November, Ukraine reported its troops had engaged in combat with North Korean troops in the Kursk region.
The appearance of North Korean soldiers was in response to a surprise attack launched across the border by Ukrainian troops in August, advancing up to 18 miles (30km) into Russian land.
Moscow evacuated almost 200,000 people from areas along the border and President Vladimir Putin condemned the Ukrainian offensive as a “major provocation”.
After a fortnight, Ukraine’s top commander claimed to control more than 1,200 sq km of Russian territory and 93 villages.
Some of that territory has been regained by Russia but Ukraine still has troops in the Kursk region.
Israeli forces have killed at least 88 Palestinians in a day across Gaza. They bombed the enclave more than 100 times in just three days, killing more than 200 Palestinians, with women and children making up a majority of the victims.
Meanwhile, another baby in Gaza has died of hypothermia – the eighth such death amid the Israeli genocide in the enclave.
US President Joe Biden proposes an $8bn arms sale for Israel, just two weeks before leaving office, ignoring widespread criticism over the mounting death toll in Gaza.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz confirms that indirect negotiations with Hamas have resumed in Qatar for the return of captives held in Gaza.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 45,805 Palestinians and wounded 109,064 since October 7, 2023. At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks that day and more than 200 were taken captive.Aljazeera
MOSCOW – Moscow has demanded that UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay respond to the killing of a Russian journalist by Ukrainian forces.
International human rights officials must hold those responsible for the killings accountable, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has demanded Azoulay’s response to the death of Russian war correspondent Alexander Martemanov, who was killed in Donetsk.
On January 4, a drone strike by Ukrainian forces killed Izvestia freelance correspondent Alexander Martemanov and seriously injured four other employees of the Russian media outlet.
Survivors of the attack said that the Ukrainian military had targeted journalists with drone strikes.
She said international human rights organizations have also deliberately ignored the Zelensky regime’s atrocities in the killings of journalists.
She also said that the deliberate killing of Russian journalists, openly using terrorist methods to eliminate their ideological opponents, is another heinous crime and a series of bloody atrocities committed by the Zelensky regime.
She said that so far, UNESCO’s leadership and its head have not personally taken any steps to signal a radical revision of this deeply flawed and evil practice, and that all perpetrators of crimes against Russian journalists will be identified and punished to the fullest extent.
The US began supplying weapons to Ukraine well before Russia started its special military operation, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the New York Times.
“We made sure that well before [the special military operation] happened, starting in September and then again in December, we quietly got a lot of weapons to Ukraine,” he said in an interview published on Saturday. “Things like Stingers, Javelins.”
Russia has repeatedly said that funneling weapons into Ukraine will not reduce Moscow’s resolve or change the course of the special military operation. US President-elect Donald Trump is expected to make good on his promises to significantly cut support for Kiev after he is sworn in on January 20, 2025.
Kathmandu – Unity has been announced between the Communist Party of Nepal and the Revolutionary Communist Party Rebels.
Announcing the unity during a program organized in Kathmandu, they have said that this unity and polarization will give a positive message to the friendly classes, forces and communities of the unified people’s revolution to unite one step ahead.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Nepal Netra Bikram Chand Biplav said that if we look at what the three major parties of the country gave to the country and the people while leading Nepal, there is nothing but questions, and the Congress, UML and Maoists have not been able to do anything for the country despite being in government repeatedly.
“We are clear and ready to fight, but there must be change among the people, we must fight for change and we are determined in this,” Revolutionary Communist Party Rebel Coordinator Jitendra Si said that they will launch a campaign across the country to change the situation of the people and will take this campaign forward across the country within a month.
Kathmandu: Dev Bahadur Thapa, the accused in the Sushmita Khadka murder case has been found dead.
Thapa, who was said to be absconding after the murder, was found hanging in his home district of Okhaldhunga, police have informed. Thapa was found hanging in a forest in Sisneri, Sunkoshi.
On Wednesday, Poush 17, Sushmita Khadka was found dead in room number 308 of the Bagmati Hotel in Gaushala, Kathmandu. Investigation revealed that Thapa had also stayed at the hotel with Khadka. Initial investigations had revealed that Thapa had locked the room from outside after the murder and fled .
Mahottari – Addressing a cadres’ meeting organized by the Nepali Congress Mahottari District Committee in Bardibas on Saturday, leader Prakash Man Singh has said that the Congress will contest the upcoming elections alone.
‘The Congress meeting has decided that it will contest the upcoming elections alone and the central committee has approved it,’ Singh said, ‘The main strength of the party is the organization. Therefore, we should all work to strengthen the organization.’
Prakash Man Singh, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister and Urban Development Minister, emphasized that the constitution should be amended with the consent of all parties and claimed that the work to be done through the Ministry of Urban Development is being carried out effectively.
Stating that politics is the best medium for social service, he stressed that one should be active in politics with a sense of service.
Kathmandu – Rasstriya Prajatantra party(RPP) Nepal has decided to unite with like-minded parties.
The two-day party central committee meeting decided to hold a general convention in Kathmandu on Mangsir 13, 14 and 15, 2082 BS, and approved the party’s political working paper, the report of the Organization Department, the action plan related to the Tarai Madhes Utthan Campaign, the financial report and the report of the secretariat with amendments.
The party has also decided to unite with like-minded parties and groups, and if unity is not possible, move forward by forming a collaboration or front.
Kathmandu – Nepali Congress leader Dr Shekhar Koirala is set to address the UK Parliament (Westminster). He will address a special program to be held inside the Parliament House on January 13.
The program will be attended by the UK Minister of State for Asia, Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce, as well as members of the British Parliament. Leader Koirala is going to the UK at the invitation of Minister of State for Asia Catherine West and Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce Gareth Thomas.
Koirala will become the first Nepali leader to address ministers and MPs in the UK Parliament.
Kathmandu — The Revenue Investigation Department has filed a case against nine people, including five Indians, in the Patan High Court on charges of illegally smuggling gold. Two cases have been filed with a demand of Rs 260 million.
The Revenue Investigation Office, Bara Pathlaiya, has filed the case based on a police report during the investigation into the incident in which gold was seized while being smuggled illegally by the District Police Office, Makawanpur. Pathlaiya has filed the case in the Patan High Court with the permission of the Investigation Department.
According to the information released by the department’s spokesperson and Deputy Director General, Krishna Kumari Shrestha, the report states that the Makawanpur police have seized more than 8 kg (8243.970 grams) of gold.
A case has been filed against Ayush Sapkota of Kavrepalanchok Mandan Deupur Municipality-9, Rabindra Waiba Tamang of Panauti Municipality-1, Binod Pun of Parbat Jaljala Rural Municipality-5, Indian citizens Ajinath Kute, Rahul Vitthal Bad, Rahul Gorakh Dagde and Hanmant Vitthal for transporting the gold.
A total of 242.5 million 87 thousand including the fine have been demanded from them.
Similarly, a charge sheet has been registered against Soni Kumari Shah of Saptari Rajbiraj Municipality-1 and Sujit Saraf of Bihar, India, for illegally transporting 491.13 grams (less than half a kilo) of gold in the Hetauda Bench of the Patan High Court.
Sujit has also been produced before the court. Jewelry and some small pieces of gold were seized in the night while they were being taken to Kathmandu on a scooter. All the seized gold has been handed over to the Nepal Rastra Bank.
According to Hari Prasad Sharma, Chief of the Revenue Office Pathalaiya, the charge sheet has been registered based on the report of the Makawanpur Police, which investigated both incidents. It has been demanded that 13.468 million rupees be recovered from them as compensation and fine.
Kathmandu – Speaking at the discussion on the Shaheed Dasharath Chand Health Sciences University Bill, 2080 at the Education, Health and Information Technology Committee meeting held at Singha Durbar on Friday, Minister for Education, Science and Technology Bidya Bhattarai said that it is necessary to end party influence within the university.
Now, a bill should be made to determine what kind of university it will be and a bill should be brought to end party influence and pressure within the university, she said.
Kathmandu- The meeting of the Nepali Congress Membership Management Committee has decided to complete the renewal of active membership by the end of the year.
Committee member Prakash Snehi Rasaili has said that it has been decided to make an action plan to complete the renewal of active membership and complete it by the end of the year.
He also said that the management committee has decided to conduct further studies with the help of technicians to make the process of granting active membership systematic, including addressing caste, population, and party vote percentage.
The Membership Management Committee, led by General Secretary Gagan Thapa, includes central members Snehi, Sita Gurung, and Yogendra Chaudhary.
Kathmandu: Record-breaking mountaineer Mingma Ji Sherpa has been given a grand welcome in Kathmandu. The Sherpa, who returned home after scaling all the the mountains above the height of eight thousand meters of the world without the aid of oxygen, was given a grand welcome at the Tribhuvan International Airport on Friday.
The Sherpa has also climbed the highest peaks of all seven continents. After returning home, he said that he felt happy that his dream of climbing the highest mountains of all seven continents had come true.
He mentioned that he would feel even happier if he could bring world awards related to mountaineering to Nepal. The Sherpa was taken on a city tour.
Kathmandu – Anil Kumar Pokharel, the personal secretary of Public Accounts Committee Chairman Rishikesh Pokharel, has been dismissed from his post. After the matter of Pokharel’s involvement in a fraud case came to light, Chairman Pokharel dismissed him from his position as personal secretary.
Chairman Pokharel wrote a letter to the General Secretary of the Federal Parliament on Friday, informing him of the dismissal of Anil from his position as personal secretary.
Chairman Pokharel said that he was dismissed from his position as personal secretary to cooperate in the investigation of the allegations against him. He is accused of taking money from the students to allocate their seats for MBBS.
An arrest warrant has been issued against Personal Secretary Anil. The Morang High Court has already given permission to the police to arrest him.
Kathmandu- Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli met with former President Bidya Devi Bhandari at her residence in Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu.
In the meeting, which lasted for about two hours, PM Oli and former president Bhandari discussed about the latest political activities of the CPN-UML and contemporary issues, the Prime Minister’s Secretariat has stated.
Kathmandu – Speaking at the standing committee meeting of the main opposition CPN-Maoist Center, Maoist leader Agni Sapkota has accused the government of supporting and shielding corruption.
Stating that the current government has failed and is moving in the opposite direction, he said, “The government is working against good governance, protecting those who commit corruption, and protecting the mafia and the middlemen.”
He also said that trying to remove the leadership of the Electricity Authority while it is doing good work, and accepting donations from people who have been convicted by the court, are prima facie things that support corruption.
He also said that the government is selectively taking action against the leaders from the opposition party while protecting their own leaders.
Kathmandu: The police have filed a report with the District Attorney’s Office demanding punishment for cooperative fraud and organized crime against 44 people, including Rastriya Swatantra party President Rabi Lamichhane, on charges of embezzlement of funds from the Swarnalakshmi Multipurpose Cooperative Organization in Kalimati.
In the report with opinion submitted by the police to the Office of the Government Attorney, the police have demanded a compensation of Rs 1.19 billion 49 million 21 thousand 270 including the amount embezzled from the cooperative.
Police have stated that 44 people including Lamichhane, GB Rai, former DIG Chhabilal Joshi, GB’s brother-in-law Deepak Lama, treasurer Kumar Ramtel and manager Navin Achhami involved in embezzlement of funds from Swarnalakshmi Cooperative have been filed as defendants.
690 people have filed 93 reports in the cooperative fraud case. Police investigations have revealed that Rs 2.65 billion 95 million 59 thousand 58 were misappropriated from 5,669 savers in the cooperative.
Similarly, Sabina Ale Magar, wife of student leader Dipesh Pun, has been made a defendant in the case. Police have also made a dozen other organizations that took loans from the cooperative as defendants. Police investigations have revealed that Rs 648 million 338 thousand 465 were transacted in Gorkha Media Network Pvt. Ltd. from the cooperative where the money was misappropriated.
Similarly, in the Surya Darshan cooperative fraud case in Pokhara, closed arguments are ongoing in the Kaski District Court in the case including former Managing Director of Gorkha Media Network Pvt. Ltd. Lamichhane, former Vice President of Gorkha Media and former DIG Chhabilal Joshi. Kaski Police is of the opinion that they should be prosecuted for cooperative fraud, organized crime and money laundering.
Kathmandu – The State Affairs and Good Governance Committee under the House of Representatives has passed a bill to amend the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2059 BS.
The bill was passed unanimously after the Chairman of the State Affairs Committee, Ramhari Khatiwada, presented the bill to the committee.
A subcommittee was formed under the coordination of committee member Hridayram Thani to finalize the issues raised during the discussion on the bill.
Kathmandu – The writ petition against 52 constitutional office bearers who were appointed through an ordinance has been postponed for another hearing.
The term of office of the office bearers, whose appointment was questioned as unconstitutional, has reached four years, however, the writ petition pending in the Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court has not been decided for four years.
The writ petition pending in the Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court has been postponed for 11 times. The Supreme Court has fixed 15th january for hearing the writ petition.
Kathmandu- Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Kuber Kadayat and Rabindra KC have been recommended for promotion to Additional Inspector General (AIG) of Nepal Police.
The names of Kadayat and KC were recommended by the Promotion Committee meeting . It is said that the recommendation was made in accordance with Sub-rule (4) of Rule 27 of the Police Regulations, 2071 BS.
Kadayat, who has been recommended for promotion, is working at the Secretariat of the Inspector General of Police, Naxal, and KC is working at the Directorate of Investigation, Planning and Development, Naxal, at the Nepal Police Headquarters.
Former UML Vice Chairman Bhim Rawal has accused Prime Minister Oli of promoting corruption and tyranny.
Addressing a press conference in Kathmandu on Wednesday, Rawal criticized Oli for directing the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority not to file a case against Supreme Court Judge Kumar Regmi and UML Vice Chairman Bishnu Poudel’s son Navin Poudel in the Lalita Niwas land corruption case.
“Did the Commission decide on Oli’s instructions that there should be no case against Regmi and Poudel after the illegally acquired land is returned? Is there a law that pardons theft just because the stolen property is returned?” Rawal asked. Rawal claims that such actions weaken accountability and are abuse of power.
Rawal said that Oli has adopted a policy of arrogance and exclusion, which has led to conflict within the UML. “I became a victim of Oli’s prejudice. “Was this an explanation or a charge sheet?” Rawal asked, saying he had been expelled from the party.
Also, Rawal accused major political parties of causing corruption and foreign interference. Power-hungry leaders are misusing good governance to serve their own interests, he added.
The UML secretariat had expelled leader Rawal from the party, making him no longer even an ordinary member of the party, and suspended two others from party responsibilities for six months, accusing of weakening the party.
Kathmandu- According to data released by the Nepal Tourism Board, 1,147,024 foreign tourists visited Nepal in 2024.
According to the Nepal Tourism Board, this number is the highest since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and is an important milestone for the country’s tourism sector, the board said.
According to the tourism board, an average of 3,000 tourists visit Nepal daily. Tourist arrivals in 2024 increased by 14 percent compared to 2023.
According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, tourism has shown a 96 percent recovery after COVID. The board said that the Nepal Premier League, Global Buddhist Summit, International Balloon Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and other cultural festivals held in Nepal in the past six months have increased the number of tourists.
A court issued a detention and search warrant for impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials said.
“The office confirms that the detention and search warrant for Yoon Suk Yeol was issued on the 31st in response to a request from the office,” the agency said in a statement.
According to the agency, it has not yet made a decision about its next moves regarding the president who was impeached by parliament on December 14.
“Further schedule hasn’t been determined yet,” the statement said.
The Corruption Investigation Office is looking into the circumstances of the announcement of martial law by the president who has been accused of insurrection following the move. A CIO team filed for a detention warrant on December 30, a day after Yoon Suk Yeol failed to report for questioning for a third straight time. South Korean law allows prosecuting a sitting president in cases of treason or insurrection. The president’s defense lawyer insisted the agency has no authority to investigate an insurrection case.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has once again stressed the importance of the One-China policy regarding Taiwan, saying reunification with the island is an unstoppable process.
Self-rule was established in Taiwan by nationalist forces after their defeat in the Chinese Civil War in 1949. Only a handful of nations currently recognize it as independent, and most, including Russia, share Beijing’s stance that the territory is part of China.
“The compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family. No one can break our family bonds, and no one can stop the historical trend of national reunification of the motherland,” Xi said in a televised speech.
The head of state stressed that the process is inevitable, and that people on both sides “should be bound by a common sense of purpose and share in the glory of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.”
While the US officially adheres to the One-China policy, recognizing Taiwan as part of China, it simultaneously engages in military cooperation with the government in Taipei, provoking indignation from Beijing.
The Chinese government has repeatedly denounced US arms sales to Taipei, accusing Washington of fomenting tensions over the region.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for the nation to remain confident in the coming year, saying the world’s second largest economy can overcome its challenges and pressure through hard work.
Xi made the remarks in his New Year message for 2025 delivered through China Media Group and the internet.
Set to fully complete its 14th Five-Year Plan in 2025, China will implement more proactive and effective policies, prioritize high-quality development, promote greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology, and maintain sound momentum in economic and social development, Xi said.
He said the Chinese economy “now faces some new conditions, including challenges of uncertainties in the external environment and pressure of transformation from old growth drivers into new ones.”
“But we can prevail with our hard work. As always, we grow in the wind and rain, and we get stronger through hard times. We must be confident,” Xi said.
Reviewing China’s footprint in 2024, Xi said the economy has rebounded and is on an upward trajectory, with the national GDP expected to pass the mark of 130 trillion yuan (about 18.08 trillion U.S. dollars) and the country’s grain output surpassing 700 million tonnes.
He also noted that China has fostered new quality productive forces, and new business sectors, forms and models have kept emerging. For the first time, China has produced more than 10 million new energy vehicles in a year, and breakthroughs have been made in fields including integrated circuit, artificial intelligence and quantum communications.
Kathmandu – Nepal Oil Corporation has increased the price of petrol by Rs 1 per liter and diesel by Rs 2 per liter. With this adjustment, the price of petrol in the Kathmandu Valley is now Rs 163 per liter and diesel by Rs 153.
Corporation spokesperson Manoj Thakur informed that the price of domestic aviation fuel has been reduced by Rs 2 per liter to Rs 126 per liter. In addition, the price of international aviation fuel (for Kathmandu) has been reduced by US $ 15 per kiloliter.
The corporation has increased the price of petroleum products with effect from 12 midnight on Tuesday. However, the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) remains unchanged.
The corporation has stated that the price has been adjusted according to the latest price list of Indian Oil Corporation, which supplies fuel to Nepal.
Kathmandu- According to the Gregorian calendar, the English New Year, or the year 2025, has begun today. It is believed that the current english calendar(AD) began after the death of Jesus Christ .
Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar in 1582 to replace the Julian calendar, which had been in use since 46 BCE. The Gregorian calendar was intended to correct inaccuracies in the Julian calendar, such as the vernal equinox moving 10 days from its proper date.
The Gregorian calendar was quickly adopted by much of Catholic Europe, but not Protestant Europe. Even England didn’t adopt the Gregorian calendar until 1752. Despite the controversy, this calendar was imposed in various places during the colonial period, and therefore it is currently popular worldwide.
Although this calendar is not in use in Nepal, Nepalese across various places in Nepal celebrate the begining of the english new year. English new year is celebrated in the name of ‘New Year’s Eve’ in places like Thamel, Bouddha, Pokhara, Sauraha, Lumbini and other places in Kathmandu, which are crowded with foreign tourists. Since Tuesday evening, special hustle and bustle was seen in capital Kathmandu.
Kathmandu. According to the exchange rates fixed by the Nepal Rastra Bank for today, the prices of the UK pound sterling, Australian dollar, Singapore dollar, Saudi Arabian riyal, South Korean won, Kuwaiti dinar, and Bahraini dinar have increased.
Similarly, the prices of the European euro, Swiss franc, Canadian dollar, Japanese yen, Qatari riyal, Thai baht, and Swedish kronor have decreased, while the exchange rates of some foreign currencies have remained stable.
According to the fixed rates, the buying rate of one US dollar has been fixed at 136 rupees 56 paisa and the selling rate at 137 rupees 16 paisa.
The buying rate of one European Euro is 142.40 paisa and the selling rate is 143.03 paisa, the buying rate of one UK Pound Sterling is 171.80 paisa and the selling rate is 172.55 paisa, the buying rate of one Swiss Franc is 151.42 paisa and the selling rate is 152.09 paisa.
The buying rate of one Australian Dollar is 84.91 paisa and the selling rate is 85.29 paisa, the buying rate of one Canadian Dollar is 94.77 paisa and the selling rate is 95.19 paisa, the buying rate of one Singapore Dollar is 100.51 paisa and the selling rate is 100.95 paisa.
The buying rate of 10 Japanese yen is 8 rupees 65 paise and the selling rate is 8 rupees 69 paise, the buying rate of 1 Chinese yuan is 18 rupees 71 paise and the selling rate is 18 rupees 79 paise, the buying rate of 1 Saudi Arabian riyal is 36 rupees 37 paise and the selling rate is 36 rupees 53 paise, the buying rate of 1 Qatari riyal is 37 rupees 45 paise and the selling rate is 37 rupees 62 paise.
According to the central bank, the buying rate of 1 Thai baht is 4 rupees 01 paise and the selling rate is 4 rupees 02 paise, the buying rate of 1 UAE dirham is 37 rupees 18 paise and the selling rate is 37 rupees 34 paise, the buying rate of 1 Malaysian ringgit is 30 rupees 54 paise and the selling rate is 30 rupees 67 paise.
The buying rate of 100 South Korean won is 9 rupees 27 paise and the selling rate is 9 rupees 31 paise, the buying rate of 1 Swedish kronor is 12 rupees 41 paise and the selling rate is 12 rupees 46 paise, and the buying rate of 19 rupees 09 paise and the selling rate is 19 rupees 18 paise.
The National Bank has set the buying rate of one Hong Kong dollar at Rs 17.59 and the selling rate at Rs 17.67, the buying rate of one Kuwaiti dinar at Rs 443.16 and the selling rate at Rs 445.11, the buying rate of one Bahraini dinar at Rs 362.23 and the selling rate at Rs 363.82, the buying rate of one Omani rial at Rs 354.68 and the selling rate at Rs 356.24. Similarly, the buying rate of one Indian rupee has been set at Rs 160 and the selling rate at Rs 160.15.
The National Bank has stated that this exchange rate can be revised at any time as needed. The exchange rate set by commercial banks may differ and the updated exchange rate will be available on the central bank’s website.
Kathmandu- The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has increased its grant to Nepal by 50 million US dollars (about 6.85 billion rupees).
The MCC is increasing the grant to cover the increased costs due to delays in the implementation of projects funded by the MCC .
The MCC has already informed the US Congress on December 18 about its intention to increase grant assistance to Nepal.
The MCC has informed the US Congress about amending the agreement (compact) between the US and Nepal to provide additional funds not exceeding 50 million dollars to meet the resource shortage for the construction of transmission lines and to support the achievement of the goals of the MCC Compact.
The Finance Ministry source also said that the MCC is going to increase grant assistance. “In view of the increased cost of the projects to be built under the grant, the MCC has initiated the process of providing an additional grant of up to $50 million,” said a senior official of the Ministry of Finance. “Once they approve it, we will initiate the process for the Nepalese government to accept the grant.”
After the MCC increased the grant by $50 million, a total of $747 million will be invested in the implementation of the projects under this.
On 29 Bhadra 2074 BS, an agreement (compact) was signed between the Nepalese government and the MCC to build transmission lines and road infrastructure.
At that time, it was mentioned that the MCC would provide a grant of $500 million to Nepal. However, due to a long-standing political dispute in Nepal over the implementation of that agreement, it took more than 4 and a half years for the Nepalese Parliament to approve the compact.
The MCC Compact was approved by the Nepalese Parliament with an explanatory declaration only on 15 Falgun 2078. And, 6 years after the agreement was signed, the MCC project has been implemented since 13 Bhadra 2080.
MCA Nepal had started the contract process for the transmission line on November 28, 2022. However, after the lowest bid was 60 percent more expensive than the cost estimate, MCA Nepal canceled the contract process and invited bids again for the second time.
However, the government of Nepal, MCA Nepal and MCC have accepted that the project cost may increase due to major obstacles in the global situation during the 6 years between the MCC agreement and the start of implementation (entry into force), and the government of Nepal, MCA Nepal and MCC have accepted that the project cost may increase, so the grant had to be increased, according to the notification submitted by MCC to Congress.
After canceling the old contract for the transmission line, MCC has invited new bids by changing the design and adopting other measures to reduce the cost. MCC has stated that the grant has been increased so that the bids invited this time do not have to be cancelled again due to cost and so that MCA Nepal can sign the contract on time and proceed with the project implementation without further delay.
The MCC said the additional grant will also help adjust for cost fluctuations and meet incidental expenses during the implementation of the compact.
The Nepalese government had initially agreed to contribute $130 million to implement the MCC project. However, as the cost of the MCC project increased, Nepal has committed to increase the investment by an additional $67 million in May 2023. This brings the total contribution by Nepal to $197 million.
315 kilometers of 400 kV transmission lines and three 400 kV substations will be constructed according to the MCC project plan.
Among the projects to be built under the MCC, three substations and an 18-kilometer transmission line from New Butwal to the Indian border have been taken forward.
The remaining 297 kilometers of transmission line have been re-bid, while the 77-kilometer road repair project from Bhaluwang to Shivakhola in Dang is yet to be bid.
Kathmandu — Kathmandu Metropolitan City has started the budget revision process ahead of the half-yearly review of the current fiscal year 2081/82. Deputy Mayor Sunita Dangol has submitted the budget program and budget revision proposal for the current fiscal year at the 16th session of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City Municipal Assembly.
‘According to the annual procurement plan of the metropolis and the quarterly progress report, it is necessary to change some programs to achieve the goals as per the approved policies and programs of the current fiscal year,’ Deputy Mayor Dangol said, ‘This revision proposal has to be submitted because some plans cannot be operated within the allocated budget, some will take time according to the financial procedures, some have to be operated under a multi-year plan, so some of the allocated amounts will be saved and some will not be enough, and it is seen that budget needs to be allocated for some essential plans and programs.’
Deputy Mayor Dangol said that while proposing the revised budget, it was unanimously passed by the Budget and Program Formulation Committee and the Executive Committee after discussion and analysis by subject experts, thematic committees of the metropolis and various other committees and submitted to the Municipal Assembly. She clarified in the Municipal Assembly that the proposal for amendment was submitted only in the activities without any increase or decrease in the total budget amount allocated for the fiscal year, current and capital expenditure amounts.
According to the revised proposal, the budget for the economic development sector is being reduced to Rs 72,43,71,000 . Earlier, Rs 72,99,71,000 was allocated in that sector.
It is proposed to increase the allocation of Rs Three billion seven hundred five million three hundred eight thousand to the office operation and administrative sector to Rs Three billion seven hundred twenty-six million eight hundred forty-two thousand.
Similarly, the annual allocation of Rs 12 billion 193 million 91 thousand 500 In the field of infrastructure development has been proposed to be reduced to Rs 11 billion 875 million 138 thousand 5 hundred.
It is proposed to reduce the allocation of Rs Five billion 488 million 669 thousand five hundred for the social development sector to Rs Five billion 353 million 3388 thousand 500.
Similarly, the metropolis has proposed to increase the budget to Rs 2.22 billion 6.585 million for the current fiscal year in the good governance and interrelated sectors. The budget allocated for the area previously was Rs Two billion 960 million 2985 thousand
The Metropolitan City has so far spent 23.58 percent on current headings and 10.92 percent on capital expenditure.
‘So far, 12.13 percent has been spent on infrastructure development, 24.18 percent on economic development, and 12.23 percent on social development,’ said Deputy Mayor Dangol. ‘Similarly, 7.92 percent has been spent on good governance and interrelated areas. The highest expenditure of 36.54 percent has been spent on office operations and administrative areas.’
The Metropolitan City had set a target of collecting revenue of Rs 12.9 billion 6.3 million 25 thousand in the current fiscal year. The total revenue collection so far is 31.07 percent of the annual target, while there has been a progress of 32.55 percent of the total target from internal revenue.
Deputy Mayor Dangol also said that Kathmandu Metropolitan City has scored 82.75 points in the preliminary results of the local level institutional capacity self-assessment. This score is the highest score received by Kathmandu Metropolitan City so far.
Former US President Jimmy Carter has died aged 100, the centre he founded has confirmed.
The former peanut farmer lived longer than any president in history and celebrated his 100th birthday in October.
The Carter Center, which advocates for democracy and human rights around the world, said he died on Sunday afternoon at his home in Plains, Georgia.
The Democrat served as president from 1977 to 1981, a period beset by economic and diplomatic crises.
After leaving the White House with low approval ratings, his reputation was restored through humanitarian work which earned him the Nobel Peace Prize.
Carter – who prior to becoming president was governor of Georgia, a lieutenant in the US navy and a farmer – is survived by his four children, 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
His wife, Rosalynn, who he was married to for 77 years, died in November 2023.
Since 2018 and the death of George HW Bush, he was the oldest surviving US president.
Kathmandu — Monkeypox (MPox) has been confirmed in another Nepali who returned from Saudi Arabia. A PCR test conducted at the National Public Health Laboratory on Sunday confirmed MPox in a 44-year-old man.
After MPox was confirmed, the man was kept in isolation at the Shahid Shukraraj Tropical and Infectious Diseases Hospital and treatment was started. Earlier, MPox was found in a person who returned from Saudi Arabia. His health condition, which is being treated in Teku, has improved.
The hospital has said that preparations are underway to discharge him in a few days. This is the third time MPox has been found in Nepal.
Senegal will close all foreign military bases on its territory as part of the government’s efforts to review defense policy and strengthen national sovereignty, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko announced on Friday.
The Senegalese premier announced the decision in the National Assembly during a general policy presentation, in which he outlined a strategy for the West African nation’s transformation over the coming 25 years.
“The President of the Republic has decided to close all foreign military bases in the very near future,” Sonko stated.
The prime minister did not name any specific countries, but France is the only foreign power with troops stationed in Senegal.
France has suffered setbacks in several of its former African colonies amid a wave of anti-French sentiment sparked by perceived failures to counter militant insurgencies, and accusations of meddling and aggression.
The former colonial power had over 5,000 troops in the Sahel region as part of Operation Barkhane, a decade-long counter-insurgency mission that ended in late 2022 when Paris withdrew its army from Mali due to a breakdown in relations following Bamako’s May 2021 coup.
Kaski – Inaugurating the Nanamohan Senior Citizen Service Center building constructed in Machhapuchhre Rural Municipality-1, Minister for Communications and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung has said that the constitution will be amended with the consent of the major parties. He also said that the constitution will be reviewed for amendment.
A high-level political mechanism of the two major parties in the government has been formed and the first task of this mechanism is to initiate procedural work for the constitution amendment. He also clarified that the government plans to approve the bills under consideration in the committees of the House of Representatives and the National Assembly soon and finalize the stalled bills by preparing criteria as soon as possible.
Stating that the government has taken forward the procedural work to quickly formulate the necessary laws for the provinces and local levels and that the establishment of a service center for senior citizens is positive, he said that the government is committed to protecting the rights and interests of senior citizens.
During the program, the Day Care Center building, built with financial assistance of Rs 50 million from the Ehmann Stiftung of Switzerland, was handed over to the Amasmriti Pratisthan. Local Karna Bahadur Gurung had donated four ropanis of land for the construction of the building in memory of his late mother Nana and father Mohan.
Kathmandu — The construction of the petroleum pipeline from Motihari, India, to Amlekhgunj, Bara has been completed. With the completion of the pipeline expansion work, testing for the import of petroleum products has also begun, said Pralayankar Acharya, Chief of the Madhesh Provincial Office of Nepal Oil Corporation, Amlekhgunj.
He said that 5,500 kiloliters of petrol and 1,000 kiloliters of kerosene have been imported through the pipeline that was expanded for the time being to test the pipeline, and the petroleum products brought through the pipeline are being tested. He informed that necessary preparations are also being made for the regular import of petroleum products through the pipeline.
Although it is said that regular import of petroleum products through the pipeline will begin from January 2025, he said that there will be a delay of a few days as the necessary preparations have not been completed.
Under the pipeline expansion project, Indian Oil Corporation has constructed two petrol tanks with a capacity of 4,100 kiloliters, two transmix tanks with a capacity of 250 kiloliters, 24 fully automatic loading way-refillers for transporting petrol, a pump house and a laboratory at the depot in Amlekhgunj.Under the same project, the fire fighting system has been upgraded, an OWS system for separating water and oil, and a PMCC chamber have also been constructed.
Similarly, Indian Oil Corporation has constructed two transmix tanks to store mixed fuels that can be both petrol and diesel, and a firewater tank with a capacity of 3,000 kiloliters for security inside the depot.
The first phase of the project has been completed and diesel has been imported through the pipeline since Bhadra 25, 2076 BS. It has been stated that petrol and kerosene will also be imported through the pipeline after the completion of the second phase of the project.
Office Chief Acharya says that importing petroleum products through the pipeline will result in zero technical losses, save on transportation costs, and help reduce environmental pollution.
With the completion of this project, the storage capacity of diesel at the Amlekhgunj depot will reach 24,840 kiloliters and the storage capacity of petrol will reach 16,630 kiloliters.
Rukum – Deputy General Secretary of the CPN-Maoist Center, Barshaman Pun has said that,fed up with the government led by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli Nepali Congress is looking for an alternative to the current government,
Inaugurating the Maoist convention in Rukum East, he said,”Congress leaders have brought a proposal to discuss an alternative to the current government”. However, he said that maoist center is not ready to form a government and will not join the government until the elections to be held in 2084 BS.
He said that the Maoists are moving forward after learning lessons from the political changes in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, and he also said that there is a risk of a Bangladesh-like situation in the country at any time due to the government.
Kathmandu – CPN-UML Secretary Yogesh Bhattarai has said that Pokhara International Airport is not under the BRI project.
Bhattarai, who is also the former Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Speaking at the Aviation Meet-2024 organized by the Nepal Civil Aviation Authority on Friday, he said it is wrong to explain that Pokhara International Airport is under the BRI project.
Birendra B Basnet
Buddha Air Executive Chairman Birendra Bahadur Basnet had said that India had not granted flight permission to Pokhara International Airport because it was a project under the BRI project agreed upon with China, and that India could grant flight permission if the government said that Pokhara International Airport was not under the BRI.
‘Pokhara International Airport is not a BRI project. When the BRI framework was signed during the Prime Minister’s visit to China, everyone knows which projects were undertaken,’ he said, ‘. The 10 projects mentioned in the agreement are under the BRI project. There are projects for railways, roads, education and transmission lines.’ He also mentioned that there is no need to discuss with India when talking about the BRI.
Prime Minister Robert Fico said that Slovakia is ready to host the peace talks on Ukraine.
“If anyone wants to organize the peace talks [on Ukraine] in Slovakia, then we will be ready and hospitable,” Fico said.
Later, in his video address to the people, the prime minister underscored that, during his foreign trips and speeches at international summits, he spoke about ending the conflict in Ukraine. He will continue discussing this issue during the upcoming visit in Turkey in January and the meeting with the Pope in Vatican in February.
“I do not belong and I don’t want to belong to Western politicians that openly support the war. I will never agree to Slavs killing each other in the name of any geopolitical interests. […] I do not understand why the Ukrainian president rejects a ceasefire. I do not understand why the Ukrainian leadership drags the entire country to a catastrophe, because Ukraine’s position at the [potential] negotiations becomes worse every day,” the prime minister said.
“In addition to promoting a ceasefire and the beginning of peace talks, I also offer Slovakia as a suitable country for organization of negotiations at any level at whatsoever,” Fico said.
Israeli army burns and destroys Kamal Adwan Hospital, putting it out of service. Hospital staff and the injured were taken to an unknown location.
Report says that the Israeli army sent “booby-trapped robots” to bomb the area.
“The [Israeli] occupation army carried out a barbaric raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital and blew up large parts of the building … complete disconnection from Kamal Adwan Hospital administration and staff for many hours,”says the local news agency.
The Israeli army issued a statement confirming it launched a raid on the Kamal Adwan Hospital. It claimed that Hamas uses the hospital as a command center without providing any evidence.
The spokesperson for the World Health Organization expressed concern about the deteriorating health situation in Gaza, after Israeli troops stormed the hospital.
The United Nations and other organizations have repeatedly decried the worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza, particularly in the north, since Israel began its latest military offensive in early October.
Kamal Adwan hospital has been under a tight siege by the Israeli military. It has been attacking the facility with bombs and drones for weeks.
Kathmandu- The National Sports Council (NSC) has directed the NOC to comply with the Supreme Court’s order not to postpone the Nepal Olympic Committee (NOC) election scheduled for Dec 28.
In a letter to the NOC on Friday, the NSC has directed it to comply with the order of the Supreme Court as the Supreme Court has issued an interim order not to postpone the Nepal Olympic Committee election . NSC has also conveyed the letter to the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
A single bench of Justice Saranga Subedi issued the interim order on a writ petition filed by Kamal Bahadur Chitrakar seeking to stop the NOC election. The interim order of the Supreme Court had stayed the NOC election.
The leadership of NOC Chairman Jeevan Ram Shrestha had defied the Patan High Court’s order by organizing a special general meeting of the NOC on Dec 3, amending the statute and announcing the election on Dec 28.
In the elections announced on Dec 28 after forcibly amending the statute, the remaining posts except for the chairman have been declared unopposed.
The current NOC leadership, however, is in favor of holding the remaining chairmanship elections online on Saturday.
Nepal Olympic Committee General Secretary Nilendra Raj Shrestha wrote a status on Facebook on Friday night, urging NOC representatives not to go against the Supreme Court’s directive.
Similarly, the Patan High Court has also stated that the Supreme Court has issued an interim order and that the issue of whether or not to hold activities including the election of the Olympic Committee has been addressed in the same order, so there is no need to issue a new order on the matter.
China has approved the construction of the world’s largest hydropower dam in Tibet.
The dam, which will be located in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo river, could generate three times more energy than the Three Gorges Dam, currently the world’s largest hydropower plant.
Chinese state media has described the development as “a safe project that prioritises ecological protection”, saying it will boost local prosperity and contribute to Beijing’s climate neutrality goals.
Human rights groups and experts, however, have raised concerns about the development’s knock-on effects.Meanwhile,Tibetan protestors are on fears that the dam could displace local communities, as well as significantly alter the natural landscape and damage local ecosystems, which are among the richest and most diverse on the Tibetan Plateau.
Bejing, however, said it had relocated and compensated locals, and moved the anicent murals to safety.
Reports indicate that the colossal development would require at least four 20km-long tunnels to be drilled through the Namcha Barwa mountain, diverting the flow of the Yarlung Tsangpo, Tibet’s longest river.
Experts and officials have also flagged concerns that the dam would empower China to control or divert the flow of the trans-border river, which flows south into India’s Arunachal Pradesh and Assam states and onwards into Bangladesh.A 2020 report published by the Lowy Institute, an Australian-based think tank, noted that “control over these rivers [in the Tibetan Plateau] effectively gives China a chokehold on India’s economy”.
Shortly after China announced its plans for the Yarlung Tsangpo dam project in 2020, a senior Indian government official told that India’s government was exploring the development of a large hydropower dam and reservoir “to mitigate the adverse impact of the Chinese dam projects”.
Kathmandu – The newly appointed Vice Chancellors of three different universities took the oath of office and secrecy before Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli today.
In a program held at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Singha Durbar, Prime Minister Oli administered the oath to Nepal Sanskrit University Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Dhaneshwor Nepal, Pokhara University Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Bedraj KC, and Nepal Sanskrit UniversityVice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Sharada Thapaliya.
Prime Minister Oli wished the newly appointed Vice Chancellors success in their tenure.
Pro-Chancellor and Minister for Education, Science and Technology Bidya Bhattarai, high-ranking officials of the Government of Nepal and others were present on the occasion.
Kathmandu – Nepali Congress and CPN-UML have proposed a three-month deadline for parliamentary committees in lawmaking.
Since bills have been stuck in parliamentary committees for a long time, the task force formed by the Congress and the UML has proposed to break the trend and speed up lawmaking, and once a new bill reaches the House of Representatives committee, the concerned thematic committee should finalize it within a maximum of 90 days.
In order to set a deadline for lawmaking, the House of Representatives Rules, the National Assembly Rules, and the Joint Working Procedures of the Federal Parliament will have to be amended. It has been decided to discuss with the opposition parties to take forward the homework of amending the rules.
If a bill is made to amend an act, the committee should finalize it within 60 days, otherwise the House of Representatives will automatically proceed without any obstacles. The attempt is made to set a deadline in the rules so that the concerned thematic committee can request additional time with a satisfactory reason and the proposal to request such time must be approved by the House of Representatives meeting itself.
Kathmandu: The Supreme Court has issued a directive order in the name of the Telecommunications Authority to regulate all persons, including companies licensed as telecommunications service providers, effectively in accordance with the law.
On the writ petition filed by House of Representatives member Amaresh Kumar Singh claiming that Ncell did not obtain the permission or approval of the Nepal Telecommunications Authority before buying, selling or transferring five percent of the paid-up capital shares as per the Telecommunications Regulations, a joint bench of Justices Sapana Pradhan Malla and Tek Prasad Dhungana issued the summary order in the name of the authority. The writ petition made Ncell Agency, Nepal Telecommunications Authority, Spectrolite, a British company owned by Shatislal Acharya, Sunivera Capital Ventures, the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, among others, as respondents.
The Supreme Court has issued a directive order stating that the share structure of ncell, which has foreign investment, has changed repeatedly, and some serious problems and trends have emerged regarding the conditions and procedures to be followed by the licensed person and the regulation of the regulatory body when buying and selling shares in the country and abroad. The order states that it is necessary to issue some instructions to the concerned parties to enhance clarity and effectiveness in the operation and regulation of companies with foreign investment in the coming days.
Businessman Acharya’s company had earlier purchased 80 percent of ncell’s shares. Similarly, 20 percent of ncell’s shares were purchased and sold in the name of Sunivera Capital Ventures, which is in the name of Acharya’s wife Bhavana Singh. A writ was filed demanding that the agreement to sell shares at a low price with the intention of evading taxes without complying with the laws of Nepal be rejected while buying and selling the shares. The Supreme Court has issued a directive order despite ruling to dismiss the writ petition. The order states, “Ncell Axiata Limited has been issued a directive order to operate the service in a transparent and lawful manner by strictly complying with the Telecommunications Act, 2053, Telecommunications Regulations, 2054, and the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (Purchase and Sale of Shares by Licensees) Regulations, 2076, and the terms and conditions of the license,” the order states, “A directive order has been issued in the name of the Telecommunications Authority to effectively regulate all licensees, including Ncell, as per the law.” It was also decided that the share sale agreement between Axiata Investments, (UK), and Spectralite (UK) Limited was not submitted for prior approval, the Authority had even sent repeated correspondence and that approval could not be given as it was. In a writ petition filed against Ncell, including the Large Taxpayers’ Office, the Supreme Court’s full bench had held that Ncell had acted contrary to the principle of full disclosure and had not submitted the required documents.
Kathmandu: Addressing the review program of the 29th World Climate Conference organized by the Ministry of Forest and Environment, Prime Minister Oli said, “We have not made any such contribution to global warming, but we have been forced to bear its consequences .” He said that he had also raised the issue of climate compensation for Nepal at the 79th UN General Assembly.
He said that all national and international organizations and individuals should unite to solve the challenges of climate change. Oli informed that Nepal has protected 17 percent of the land area to protect the environment of this earth. Prime Minister Oli also urged to start preparations for COP 30 from now, including the review of COP 29.
The 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was held in Baku, Azerbaijan from . The conference reviewed Nepal’s participation in the steps that Nepal should take in the field of climate change in the coming days.
Stating that the government will take the lead in addressing the challenges of climate change , he stressed that the Ministry of Forests and the Ministry of Communications should spread awareness to prevent forest fires and that every community should be aware of preventing man-made environmental pollution, as drying up the land will adversely affect the agricultural sector.
Kathmandu- The government is preparing to enact a law to provide facilities to former distinguished officials.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has started drafting the law after the Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday decided to give in-principle approval to formulate a bill to provide facilities to former distinguished officials.
Although the Supreme Court has given a mandate to determine the service facilities of former distinguished officials only by enacting a law, the government has been providing facilities such as vehicles, fuel and others to former distinguished officials without a law.
Even before this, the government had taken a bill in this regard to the parliament, but it could not be passed. Recently, the government has again initiated the process of enacting a new law to provide facilities to former distinguished officials.
According to an official of the Ministry of Home Affairs, a law is being made to determine the facilities for former presidents, former vice presidents, former prime ministers, former chief justices, former speakers and former presidents of the National Assembly.
Kathmandu — The ruling coalition’s joint parliamentary task force has decided to hold discussions with opposition party chief whips on the issue of passing bills under consideration in parliament within the deadline.
The parliamentary task force of the Nepali Congress and the UML has decided to work to get the bills under consideration in the federal parliament passed in the upcoming session. After the meeting, Nepali Congress Joint General Secretary and MP Jeevan Pariyar said that it has been decided to consult with the party chief whips in the federal parliament for the necessary discussions to pass the bills in the committees of the House of Representatives and the National Assembly.
He said that the authority to hold discussions with the opposition party chief whips has been given to Congress Chief Whip Shyam Ghimire and CPN-UML Chief Whip Mahesh Bartaula. He also said that it has been decided to hold necessary discussions with party-based committee members on the bills in various committees of the federal parliament.
“In terms of the bills under consideration in the committees of the House of Representatives and the National Assembly, the bills must be passed by the committees in order to pass all the bills in the upcoming parliament session. We have decided to authorize Nepali Congress Whip Shyam Kumar Ghimire and CPN-UML Chief Whip Mahesh Bartaula to hold necessary discussions with the chief whips of other parties to hold necessary discussions with them,” Pariyar said. “The bills are under discussion in five committees of the House of Representatives.
Pariyar said that some bills have been under discussion in the committees for the past 16 months. He said that it is not a good thing for the bills to remain in the House of Representatives and the National Assembly for a long time.
Pariyar said that the bills under consideration in the committee should be passed immediately as per the instructions given by the two-party mechanism. Pariyar said that it has been decided to discuss with the chief whips of other parties regarding amendments to the rules and procedures of both houses so that the bills in the committee are passed within the time limit.
The meeting of the task force included UML Chief Whip Mahesh Bartaula, Whip Sunita Baral, Congress Chief Whip Shyam Kumar Ghimire, UML MP Yogesh Bhattarai, Congress MP Jeevan Pariyar, and National Assembly member Bhagwati Neupane.
On December 8, Israel launched a military campaign targeting sites across Syria and advancing into Quneitra under the pretext of searching for weapons and collaborators with the Lebanese group Hezbollah and Iran.
Israeli forces set up checkpoints, uprooted trees, and destroyed the village’s only military post, which was merely a small station housing a few officers.
Israeli forces have also fired stun grenades, tear gas and live bullets at demonstrators unhappy at their encroachment into Syria.
The most recent incident came on Wednesday when Israeli forces fired on a protest against their destruction of several structures in two Quneitra villages and injured three people.
Israel’s incursion comes after Syria’s longtime autocratic president, Bashar al-Assad, was toppled by a lightning opposition offensive earlier in December.
Days later, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s presence in Syria would be “temporary”, yet he later clarified that Israel would illegally remain on Syrian soil until a new security arrangement is reached with Syria’s new authority.
Quneitra sits in the Golan Heights, a Syrian territory that Israel invaded and occupied during the 1967 war.After Israel’s withdrawal in 1974 from most of the territory it had occupied – while illegally retaining some of the Golan Heights – and the declaration of a demilitarised zone under UN supervision, the area remained largely neglected.
Today, many inhabitants continue to face uncertainty despite expressing hope that the country will recover from the devastation of the conflict. But Israel’s expanding and seemingly indefinite occupation of Syrian territory is already crushing some people’s optimism. “There is fear, and a lack of water, electricity, and food [in Quneitra’s villages]. Schools are closed, unlike in other provinces.
Those who have chosen to stay fear Israel’s aggression, especially if they protest its ongoing assault on the country.Many Syrians, worry Israel will find a new pretext to confiscate more Syrian land in the name of “security”.
Kathmandu – Former Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has passed away at the age of 92.
Congress veteran leader Singh, who was the Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, passed away at 9:51 pm while undergoing treatment at AIIMS Hospital in India.
Dr. Manmohan Singh was born on 26 September 1932 in a village in the Punjab province of undivided India. Coming from a humble background, Dr. Singh achieved extraordinary achievements in education, economics and politics in his life. Dr. Manmohan Singh passed his matriculation examination from Punjab University in 1948. After that, he obtained a degree in economics from Cambridge University (UK) in 1957. He obtained a D.Phil degree in economics from Nuffield College, Oxford University in 1962.
Kathmandu: Leaders of various parties have suggested that it is not appropriate to have party-based trade unions in the civil service at the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee meeting under the House of Representatives.
During a discussion with the chief whips and whips of various parties regarding the bill to make provisions regarding the formation, operation and conditions of service of the federal civil service at the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee meeting under the House of Representatives, Nepali Congress Chief Whip Shyam Kumar Ghimire has suggested that trade unions should not be kept in a party-based manner.
He said that the party is of the opinion that trade unions should not be kept in a party-based manner as Nepali law states that government employees should not take institutional membership of any party. He also said that only one official trade union should be kept and employees above the officer level should not be involved. He suggested that a provision should be made that the Constitutional Commission should not have more than 50 percent former employees as it looks like a club for former employees.
In the meeting, UML Chief Whip Mahesh Bartaula said that there should be a single trade union in the civil service instead of different trade unions of different parties. He said that a discussion should be held on the issue of not having employees above the officer level in the same trade union.
Similarly, Rastriya Prajatantra Party Whip Bina Lama said that trade unions should be abolished in the bureaucracy to allow the bureaucracy to work. She said that there is a party-based recruitment center in the bureaucracy in the name of trade unions and that a law should be made to prohibit civil servants from joining political parties and not engaging in politics.
In the meeting, the chief whips of the major parties expressed their party-based commitment to moving the bills forward on time. They suggested that everyone should be serious as there is a problem of the bill not becoming a law on time when it is in the committee for a long time.
Air strikes have been reported in two cities in Yemen.
Witnesses and governing Houthi rebels said the country’s main international airport and a military base were targeted in the capital Sanaa, while a power station in the western port city of Hudaydah was also hit.
Israel said it carried out the strikes and that its air force had targeted Houthi “military infrastructure”.Yemen’s Houthi-run broadcaster Al Masirah reported that three people were killed in the strikes, and a further 11 were wounded.
Two of those were reportedly killed at the airport in Sanaa, with the other at the Ras Issa port.It is unclear whether they were civilians or Houthi rebels.
“[Israeli] fighter jets conducted intelligence-based strikes on military targets belonging to the Houthi terrorist regime on the western coast and inland Yemen,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was in Sanaa airport at the time of the attack.
“As we were about to board our flight from Sanaa, about two hours ago, the airport came under aerial bombardment,” he wrote on X.
“One of our plane’s crew members was injured. At least two people were reported killed at the airport.”
Iran described the strikes as a “clear violation of international peace and security”.
Earlier this week, Israel’s defence minister said the country was preparing to “strike hard” at the Houthis, warning it would “decapitate” the group’s leadership.
Kathmandu: The CPN-UML has removed leader Bhim Rawal from party membership. The UML secretariat meeting held on Wednesday has removed him from organized membership.
‘He became a candidate for president in the last general convention. Even when he was asked to become vice president, he did not accept it. He did not become a central member either. Even when he was given an advisor, he did not fulfill his responsibilities. That is why the party has decided to remove him from organized membership,’ said Deputy General Secretary Gyawali.
Meanwhile, leader Rawal has said that the action against him is the result of Oli’s autocratic, arbitrary and dictatorial mindset.
Similarly, Standing Committee member Binda Pandey and central member Usha Kiran Timalsena have been removed from their responsibilities for 6 months.
A passenger plane has crashed with 67 people on board in Kazakhstan, local authorities say.Preliminary reports suggest there are 25 survivors, 22 of whom have been taken to hospital, Kazakhstan’s emergency ministry said.
The plane, operated by Azerbaijan Airlines, caught fire as it went down near the city of Aktau but the fire has since been put out, officials said.
It is not yet known what caused the crash.There were 62 passengers and 5 crew members on board the Embraer 190 aircraft, the transport ministry reported.
Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 was en-route from Azerbaijani capital Baku to Grozny in Russia. Reports say it was diverted because of fog.
Kathmandu- Five months after the formation of the KP Sharma Oli-led government, coalition partners Nepali Congress and CPN-UML are in the final stages of building a mechanism to identify areas for constitutional amendment.
The main agreement reached between the Congress and UML when forming the government in mid-July was to review the provisions that were difficult to amend the constitution and implement. The Congress and UML held bilateral talks on constitutional amendment on Tuesday. The meeting of the eight-member task force formed between the two parties discussed the issue of moving the amendment process forward.
According to the meeting, a cross-party task force will be led by senior politicians to identify the issues of constitutional amendment and will include members of various political parties. If a non-political task force is formed for that purpose, it will be led by a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court or another respected legal figure acceptable to all stakeholders.
Stating that it may be difficult to form a political mechanism, some leaders of the Congress and UML have suggested forming a non-political mechanism or task force that can include legal experts, constitutional experts, human rights activists, etc., to move forward, the task force members said.
The agreement reached between the two major parties to amend the constitution has sparked debate within and outside political circles. The parties are divided on whether this is the right time to amend the constitution or not.
However, Home Minister Lekhak said that the ruling and opposition parties will first review the 10-year journey of the constitution and identify its strengths and weaknesses. Second, the ruling party will identify the issues that need to be amended and for that, the ruling and opposition parties will sit together. Finally, the Congress and UML will table the amendment in the House after reaching an agreement on the subject matter.
Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to Bangladesh’s interim government chief Mohammad Yunus, has said that bringing Sheikh Hasina back from India is the government’s priority.
According to BBC Bangla, Shafiqul Alam said, “The government is working to bring Sheikh Hasina back as soon as possible in accordance with Bangladeshi law.”
Bangladesh has demanded that India extradite Sheikh Hasina.
Bangladesh’s foreign ministry adviser Mohammad Tohed Hossain said that India had recently been informed that Sheikh Hasina should be sent back to face the judicial process.
She fled Bangladesh on August 5 after student protests escalated. She has been living in India since then.
A spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs confirmed this, saying, “We have received an extradition request from the Bangladesh High Commission.”
In the north of the Gaza Strip, there are three barely functioning hospitals.One is the Indonesian Hospital, which has been completely evacuated yesterday. The other two include al-Awda Hospital and the Kamal Adwan Hospital.
Medical teams in al-Awda Hospital have confirmed the Israeli attack on the third floor of the facility that caused significant destruction. The medical teams are still there and operating within their capacity to provide medical treatment.In the Kamal Adwan Hospital, 65 patients are waiting for evacuation. They are completely besieged, and Israeli bombardment continues there.Victims are treated inside the Kamal Adwan hospital in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, following Israeli strikes around the medical complex .Patients alongside the medical teams were forced to leave the besieged area through military checkpoints to Gaza City.
Israeli artillery has shelled the third floor of the al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza’s besieged Jabalia refugee camp.The Israeli army has detonated remote-controlled explosives in the barely functioning Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Beit Lahiya, injuring at least 20 patients and medical staff.Also in Beit Lahiya, Israeli soldiers are forcing wounded and sick people to leave the Indonesian Hospital, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.At least 21 people have been killed and 51 injured across Gaza in the past 24 hours, according to the Ministry.A Civil Defence statement on Telegram says another rescue worker has been injured in a direct attack on the centre of the rescue service in the Daraj area of Gaza City.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 45,338 Palestinians and wounded 107,764 since October 7, 2023. At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks that day, and more than 200 were taken captive.
Kathmandu – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a travel advisory urging Nepalese not to travel on visit visa for foreign employment. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a travel advisory for Nepali citizens planning to travel to Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.
The ministry has also advised potential travelers to verify the legitimacy of business firms, companies and employers through Nepal’s diplomatic missions or their official websites.
The advisory comes after cases of trafficking of Nepali citizens for illegal work in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar have increased. It has also urged to be vigilant as cases of confiscation of passports of victims living in those countries and forced to work in harsh conditions, including physical torture, have increased.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also reported an increase in rescue requests from Nepali citizens at the Nepali embassies in Yangon and Bangkok. The ministry also urged people to beware of falling prey to deceptive foreign employment offers, online casino schemes, call center fraud, cryptocurrency scams, and dubious job offers from dubious IT firms in Bangkok.
The government has urged all Nepalese to be vigilant and report any illegal activities or fraudulent schemes to the relevant authorities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be arrested if he attends next month’s ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in Poland, the EU country’s deputy foreign minister, Wladyslaw Bartoszewski, told newspaper Rzeczpospolita on Friday.
Warsaw’s top diplomat stated that Poland, as a signatory of the Rome Statute, is obligated to comply with the directives of the International Criminal Court (ICC). In November, ICC issued warrants for the arrests of Netanyahu and former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant, citing alleged war crimes related to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The court accused Netanyahu and Gallant of using starvation as a method of warfare, alleging they deliberately deprived civilians in Gaza of food, water, and medicine. There was “no obvious military necessity” for such actions, which amount to violations of international law, according to prosecutors.
Israel’s Education Minister Yoav Kisch is expected to be the only government representative at the Auschwitz commemoration, Jerusalem Post reports. The participation of President Isaac Herzog “seems unlikely.”
While all 27 European Union member states are parties to the Rome Statute and thus required to enforce ICC arrest warrants, responses to the court’s decision have varied. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has openly invited Netanyahu to visit, assuring him that Hungary would not enforce the arrest warrant.Conversely, countries like Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Lithuania, and Slovenia have indicated their intent to comply with the ICC’s directives, regardless of diplomatic immunity.France initially expressed its intention to adhere to the arrest warrant but later cited diplomatic immunity protections for Netanyahu.
The ICC’s actions have elicited strong reactions from Israeli officials. Prime Minister Netanyahu has likened the arrest warrants to a “modern-day Dreyfus affair,” asserting that they are politically motivated.Auschwitz was a Nazi concentration and extermination camp in occupied Poland during World War II. Over 1.1 million Jews were murdered there, alongside tens of thousands of others, including Poles and Soviet prisoners of war.
Kathmandu — It has been seen that Rastriya Swatantra Party President and former Home Minister Ravi Lamichhane is involved in the financial transactions of the Gorkha Media Group even after he left it.
The charge sheet filed by the District Attorney’s Office, Kaski, in the District Court, Kaski, states that Lamichhane made payments to various individuals and cooperatives through checks even after leaving the Gorkha Media Group. The charge sheet states that Lamichhane made payments through checks from the Global IME Bank account of Gorkha Media Network Pvt. Ltd. to various individuals, companies and cooperatives while he was in the company and even after he sold the shares of the company and left.
The indictment also states that Lamichhane conspired with the cooperative’s chairman, Gitendra Babu Rai, to embezzle the funds of the cooperative’s savers in a manner that harmed the cooperative’s savers and benefited himself and the company, and obtained financial benefits by embezzling funds in violation of the cooperative’s laws, rules, and regulations, using artificial transactions, artificial individuals, and fictitious addresses to evade the crime.
Damage to the building of Portugal’s Embassy in Kiev has been caused by Ukrainian air defense systems while accusations directed at Moscow distort the facts, the Russian Embassy in Portugal said.
“We noted that Portuguese media outlets of all kinds have been actively spreading reports of damage caused to the Portuguese Embassy in Kiev as a result of a strike by the Russian Armed Forces on the city’s military facilities on December 20. Reporters are ramping up Russophobia, distorting the facts when writing on this matter,” the embassy noted.
“Damage to the building where the Portuguese diplomatic mission is located was caused by Ukrainian air defense systems which have proved their ‘efficiency’ time and again,” the diplomats pointed out.
The Russian diplomatic mission stressed that the Kiev regime is deliberately placing military facilities and decision-making centers, as well as air defense systems, in urban areas, using civilians as a human shield.
The embassy noted that the Russian Armed Forces are exclusively targeting military facilities and military industrial infrastructure.
KATHMANDU- The government has decided to open a new stock exchange market amid ongoing controversy.
The cabinet meeting held on Thursday gave the go ahead to the Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON) to issue a license to the new stock exchange market. With the government’s decision, Nepal will soon be getting a second stock trading platform.
Currently, the Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) that started its secondary market operation on January 13, 1994, has been working as an entity and a frontline regulator in the segment. The NEPSE upgraded share trading through an online system on November 6, 2018. There have been calls for a second institution to carry out stock trading citing a growing prospect of the secondary market inside the country, according to an official at the SEBON.
The issue of opening the new stock trading has courted controversy since the SEBON on September 18, 2022, announced to issue a new stock exchange. The sector’s regulator had to halt the process after a case was filed at the Supreme Court against the SEBON’s decision.
Likewise, the then Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal in April 2023 also halted the process of giving license to the new stock exchange. Earlier in January 2023, the government formed a panel headed by Former Deputy Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank Chinta Mani Siwakoti to study the rationale behind the second stock exchange in the country’s secondary market. The committee suggested the government restructure NEPSE along with keeping the option open to set up a new stock exchange.
The committee also stated that the opening of a new stock exchange will protect the interests of investors who invest in securities by making the secondary market more competitive, efficient, investor-friendly, and compatible with international level technology. It also recommended the possibility of incorporating foreign strategic partners in the country’s stock exchange.
The controversy erupted after the government showed interest to issue license to the aspirant who had close connections to the ruling parties. As a result, the government failed to appoint the chairperson of SEBON on time as the vital post remained vacant for about 11 months.
The government stepped up efforts to open the new stock exchange after the parliamentary Finance Committee gave the green signal to the government on November 9 to take forward the process.
The earthquake that struck Bajura on Saturday morning with its epicenter in Jagannath Rural Municipality-5, Gotri Darjitol, completely damaged about 15 houses, while about 150 houses are partially damaged.
A 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck near Gotri in Bajura at 4:14 am on Saturday morning.
The most damage was caused in Jagannath Rural Municipality-5, Gotri Darjitol, where the epicenter of the earthquake was located, according to the District Administration Office, Bajura. The earthquake completely damaged about 15 houses and partially damaged more than 150 houses.
Although the area is remote and the details of the on-site study of all the places have not been received, the ward, municipality, police administration and other agencies are deployed for rescue work and necessary post-earthquake work is underway, the District Administration Office, Bajura, stated.
Kathmandu: Janakpur Bolts have won the first season of the Nepal Premier League. Janakpur defeated Sudurpaschim Royals by 5 wickets at the TU Cricket Ground to clinch the NPL title.
Chasing a target of 185 runs set by Sudurpaschim Royals in the final at the TU Cricket Ground, Janakpur achieved the target in 19.2 overs, losing 5 wickets.
Janakpur, the winner of the first edition of the NPL, will receive a prize of Rs 11 million. Similarly, the runner-up Sudurpaschim Royals settled for Rs 5.1 million. Similarly, the third-placed Karnali Yaks received a prize of Rs 2.5 million and the fourth-placed Chitwan Rhinos received a prize of Rs 1.5 million. Lumbini Lions has been successful in winning the Fair Play Award in the competition.
The winners were presented with awards by former Prime Ministers Sher Bahadur Deuba, Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, Youth and Sports Minister Tejulal Chaudhary, and Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) President Chatur Bahadur Chand, among others.
Sudurpaschim Royals captain Dipendra Singh Airi has been declared the best player of the Nepal Premier League. Dipendra scored 227 runs in eight matches, including one half-century. He played a key role in taking Sudurpaschim Royals to the final and was presented with an Omoda E-5 EV car by Omoda. The organizer CAN had announced that the best Nepali player would be presented with an Omoda E-5 EV car worth 6.2 million.
Similarly, Janakpur’s Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi was declared the best bowler of the NPL. He received a motorcycle award. Lalit and Sudurpaschim Royals’ Scott Kegulein jointly became the highest wicket-taker.
Sudurpaschim’s Saif Ali Zaib was awarded the Player of the Series. He received a cash prize of Rs 500,000. Sudurpaschim’s opening batsman Saif had scored 275 runs in nine NPL matches. Karnali Yaks’ Bipin Prasad Sharma won the Emerging Player title. He received a cash prize of Rs 50,000 and a scholarship worth Rs 100,000. 16-year-old Bipin had proven his ability by showing the way to the pavilion to world-renowned players.
Germans have gathered in Magdeburg to mourn the victims of a car-ramming attack in the eastern city that killed at least five people and injured 200.
Authorities said a doctor drove into the busy outdoor Christmas market on Friday evening, killing four adults and a nine-year-old child, and wounding 41 people badly enough that the death toll could rise.
Church bells rang out in the city at 7:04pm (18:04 GMT) on Saturday, the exact time of the attack the evening prior.
A memorial service took place in the city’s cathedral, intended mainly for relatives of the victims, as well as emergency responders and invited guests, including German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Those who were not allowed to attend the service gathered outside the church to watch it on a large screen.Several hundred people also gathered on the city’s central square, some laying flowers and lighting candles.
It led several other places in Germany to cancel their weekend Christmas markets as a precaution and out of solidarity with Magdeburg’s loss.Berlin kept its many markets open but increased its police presence at them.
The suspect is a 50-year-old immigrant from Saudi Arabia who described himself as an Islam-critical activist and who surrendered to police at the scene.The suspect is being investigated for five counts of suspected murder and 205 counts of suspected attempted murder, prosecutor Horst Walter Nopens said at a news conference.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday morning administered the oath of office to Sam Hou Fai, the new Chief Executive of the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR).
At a ceremony held at the Macau East Asian Games Dome, other principal officials serving in the sixth-term administration of the Macau SAR were also sworn in.
After taking office, Sam Hou Fai emphasised the need to address Macau’s “economic imbalances” and tackle key issues affecting residents, including social security, healthcare, elderly care, and urban redevelopment.
Following the swearing-in, Xi Jinping delivered a speech in which he praised the enormous transformation Macau has undergone since its return to Chinese administration in 1999. He said, Macao will surely open up new horizons for development and keep creating new glories, as long as the policy of “one country, two systems” is comprehensively, accurately and unwaveringly implemented.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at a gathering celebrating the 25th anniversary of Macao’s return to the motherland.
The decision by outgoing US President Joe Biden to pardon his son Hunter shows he is more of a human than a politician, Vladimir Putin has said, noting that he would not condemn the outgoing leader for this.
Putin made the remarks on Thursday during his annual end-of-year press conference in Moscow, which was combined with a ‘Direct Line’ question-and-answer session.
It’s “such a subtle issue,” he replied, when asked to comment on Biden’s pardoning of his son, Hunter.
“He is a politician. And it is always important what is more in you – a politician or a human being. It turned out that Biden is more of a human being, I would not condemn him for this.”
Putin noted examples in Russian history, mentioning Soviet leader Joseph Stalin’s eldest son Yakov, who died in 1943 in a German concentration camp for political prisoners after his father refused to exchange him for German Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus.
Stalin allegedly said “I will not exchange a field marshal for a soldier.”
Things were different then, Putin emphasised. Surrender at that time was considered treason, since the country was “on the brink of total destruction.” It was about the survival of the entire nation, and the measures taken to fight for victory were “tough, if not brutal,” he said.
Hunter Biden was convicted in June of lying about his long-standing drug addiction when buying a handgun. In a separate case, he pleaded guilty in September to three felonies and six misdemeanor tax offenses, with the sentencing scheduled for this month.
Joe Biden pardoned his son on December 1, despite having repeatedly pledged not to, claiming that his son was prosecuted “selectively and unfairly” because of his familial ties.
Bed Thapa Magar, the chairman of Kaligandaki Rural Municipality in Gulmi, has smashed the scanner at the passport branch of the District Administration Office.
Kaligandaki Rural Municipality Chairman Bed Bahadur Thapa Magar vandalized the scanner at the passport branch of the District Administration Office, Gulmi, claiming that service recipients from his municipality were not getting services, resulting in a halt to passport-related services on Thursday. Magar was taken into custody by the police after the vandalism and released in the evening.
Chief District Officer Janardan Gautam accused the municipality chairman of vandalizing the scanner on impulse even though the distribution of passports is organized under the token system. He said that he was released from police control after agreeing to pay compensation along with a written apology.
Syria’s new rulers have pledged to create special tribunals for those who have “committed crimes against Syrians” under deposed President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, according to the interim government’s spokesman.
In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, Obaid Arnaut said a key part of the new government’s mission as they usher in a “new era” is to re-establish people’s trust in the rule of law and the country’s judicial system.
This can only happen when those who have detained and tortured hundreds of thousands of Syrians across al-Assad’s notorious prisons are brought to justice, he said.
“By holding criminals accountable, we aim to heal the deep wounds inflicted upon our society and pave the way for a more just and equitable future,” Arnaut said.
The government’s top priorities include reforming state institutions that have been tainted with corruption. Employees who have “committed crimes and harmed the Syrian population will be dismissed and held accountable” as well, Arnaut said.
Kathmandu- Sisneri-Dakshinkali and Kulekhani-Fakhel-Matatirtha road sections have been closed for nine days.
Shyam Aryal, Deputy Superintendent of Police at the District Police Office, Makawanpur, informed that vehicle operation has been banned on both road sections leading from Dakshinkali to Kulekhani from today (Wednesday) to 11th Poush for road upgrading.
Traffic has been stopped for blacktopping on the Dakshinkali-Chaimle section. Similarly, traffic operation has been stopped on the Kulekhani-Fakhel-Matatirtha road for road upgrading.
During the closure of these roads, vehicles are advised to travel via alternative routes such as the Kanti Lokpath connecting Hetauda to Kathmandu, the Tribhuvan Rajpath, and the Narayangadh-Muglin road, the District Police Office, Makawanpur has also urged everyone to travel via alternative routes.
Russia has developed its own mRNA vaccine against cancer, it will be distributed to patients free of charge, General Director of the Radiology Medical Research Center of the Russian Ministry of Health Andrey Kaprin has told Radio Rossiya.
The vaccine was developed in collaboration with several research centers. It is planned to launch it in general circulation in early 2025.
Earlier, Director of the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology Alexander Gintsburg told that the vaccine’s pre-clinical trials had shown that it suppresses tumor development and potential metastases.
Kathmandu- Addressing the 30th convocation ceremony of Kathmandu University, Prime Minister and University Chancellor KP Sharma Oli has said that the government is now focused on job-providing education rather than job-seeking education.
‘There is a concern now whether the youth will get employment or not,’ he said, ‘We have now moved forward with job-providing education, not job-seeking education. We will collaborate and coordinate with the country’s model universities to connect students with employment along with their studies and make them self-reliant.’
Prime Minister Oli said that students need practical education as well as theoretical education. “It is time to put the knowledge acquired in the university into practice,” he said. “After studying so far, we will learn a lot from our own behavior. Students will also be able to learn practical knowledge through internships.”
Similarly, Kathmandu University Vice Chancellor Bhola Thapa informed that the university has launched various innovative programs and has been leading Nepal’s environmental and climate change campaign.
A total of 1,256 students were inducted in the convocation ceremony of Kathmandu University.
1,256 students of Kathmandu University were awarded degrees on Saturday. 3 PhD students, 51 PGD students, 33 MPhil students, 385 Masters students and 784 Bachelor students were conferred degrees.
Among those 111 are from the Faculty of Humanities, 253 from Education, 77 from Engineering, 39 from Law, 465 from Management, 181 from Medical Sciences and 130 from Science. similarly there were 75 students from 9 countries including India, China, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, UK, USA, France, Iran and Bhutan.
Kathmandu University has conferred degrees for the first time to 5 students in the Master in Urban Studies, 1 in Master in Media Studies and 21 in Master of Fine Arts. 19 students have also received degrees for the first time in Master in Indigenous Education and Development and 12 students in the Master in Training and Development.
Similarly, 2 students have been awarded degree for the first time in the Master in Health Informatics and 4 students in the M Tech in Energy Systems.
8 students have received degrees for the first time in the ‘ Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging Technology and 10 students in the Bachelor of Science in Laboratory Medicine. As of Saturday’s 30th convocation (first phase), 46,693 people have graduated from Kathmandu University. Of these, 5,542 are from 57 countries other than Nepal.
Kathmandu — With the upcoming Congress general convention still undecided, efforts are underway to increase polarization within the party for leadership.
Party President Sher Bahadur Deuba is retiring from the executive role from the upcoming general convention due to the provision in the constitution that a leader cannot serve more than two terms. With his retirement, there is a possibility that the traditional faction within the Congress will break down and a new polarization will begin.
President Deuba has not yet prepared his successor. Party leadership aspirants are trying to get his support and endorsement. Within the establishment faction, Congress Vice President Purna Bahadur Khadka, Krishna Prasad Sitaula, Bimalendra Nidhi, Prakash Man Singh, and Shashank Koirala are in the race to get Deuba’s support. However, there is rumor in Congress circles that Deuba is leaning towards other party leaders Shekhar Koirala and General Secretary Gagan Thapa, who have a hold on the organization.
On the establishment side, leaders including Balkrishna Khand, NP Saud, Prakash Sharan Mahat, Mohan Bahadur Basnet have started showing positive goodwill towards Shekhar Koirala. Deuba, on the other hand, is putting forward General Secretary Thapa for the decisive role in national politics and in discussions.
It is not clear who his choice is between Koirala and Thapa. But the clash between these two leaders has also started advocating for a new polarization within the party. The main clash between Koirala and Thapa was seen in Koshi Province recently.
Party leaders Hridayram Thani claims that there will be a new kind of polarization in the party after Deuba retires from the 15th general convention. ‘Yesterday’s group may disintegrate. New types of factions will form. The noise of the old group will no longer exist. The scars of that are starting to appear,’ Thani said, ‘It is not certain who will be Deuba’s successor from the establishment side. Anything can happen in politics. Therefore, we suggest that Shekhar koirala should move forward wisely.’
Koirala has already publicly announced that he will be the presidential candidate in the 15th General Convention. General Secretary Thapa has been saying that his claim to leadership will be natural even if he has not announced it publicly.
While there is a clash between Koirala and Thapa for leadership, some leaders say that it is not clear whether Deuba’s initial push for Koirala and recent push for Thapa is for the party’s successor or a strategy to secure the path to power after 18 months as agreed with the UML.
However,Deuba seems to have become more comfortable within the party as the relationship between Koirala and Thapa has deteriorated. The ongoing internal tug-of-war between these two leaders is certain to lead to a new polarization in the party.
Kathmandu — The CPN (Unified Socialists) has submitted a report with the opinion that it is not necessary to unite with the Maoist Center.
Although Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Unified Socialist Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal said that they will discuss with their respective teams for party unity and form a unity coordination committee, General Secretary Ghanashyam Bhusal has stated in the standing committee meeting that such unity is not practically possible.
Giving an example of UML-Maoist unity, Bhusal has said that “unity will fail if it is only at the top level.”
‘The unity and division between the UML and the Maoists in 2075 BS has shown that unity is not reliable within top leaders,’ and ‘we have to learn a lot from that incident,’ he said.
Speaking at the meeting, socialist leaders have said that uniting with the Maoists will lead to party collapse. They have also said that the organization is weakening in the name of unity with the Maoists.
Kathmandu- The Newar community is celebrating Yomari Purnima festival today in the joy of bring in of the newly harvested rice to home.
Yomari Purnima, celebrated on the full moon day of Margashirsha Shukla Purnima, is also called Yomari Punhi. This festival, which is celebrated as a major festival of the Newar community, is considered a delicious festival of food. Yomari is made from rice flour made from new rice, chaku (melted gajjery) and sesame seeds.
The women of the house are busy making Yomari from early morning today. After bathing and washing, it is customary to cook Yomari at home by wrapping it in a cloth. According to cultural expert the Newar community celebrates this festival as a new meal. Yomari is made with milk and is made into a ball with chaku(melted gajjery) and sesame seeds.
The Newar community celebrates Yomari Purnima by worshipping in the barn or kothi where rice is kept. It is also a tradition among the Newar community to send gifts of sesame seeds and knives to their homes as auspicious gifts while a girl is pregnant, wishing for the complete health of the child.
Dhanya Purnima being celebrated by worshipping rice
Dhanya Purnima is also being celebrated today by worshipping and donating rice in a ritualistic manner. After the rice is brought in in Mangsir, on Shukla Purnima, there is a tradition of worshipping rice, Ganesh, Kuldevata, Gaidu Devata, Goth Devata, Maharudra, Mahalakshmi and other deities.
Since Navannaprashan has not been done before, it should be done today, informed religious scholar Prof. Dr. Ramchandra Gautam. On this occasion, fairs are held at places such as Dhaneshwor in Kavrepalanchok, Anantalingeshwor in Bhaktapur, Champadevi in Kathmandu, Shikharbesi in Nuwakot, and Dupcheshwor.
South Korean lawmakers have voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed attempt to impose martial law.
He was suspended after some members of Yoon’s own People Power Party (PPP) voted with the opposition – though the decision still needs be ratified by the constitutional court.
Thousands of anti-Yoon protesters celebrated outside the National Assembly on Saturday evening after the impeachment motion passed, with the crowd singing as fireworks broke out overhead.
Yoon has vowed to fight on and said he “will never give up”, describing the vote as a temporary pause to his presidency.
Yoon attempted to impose military rule after months of political deadlock, saying it was necessary to block supposed North Korean efforts to undermine his government – but the declaration was overturned after a matter of hours by MPs.
There has been strong public support for Yoon’s impeachment, with recent polls finding three-quarters of South Koreans wanted to see him go.
Following days of public pressure the PPP had decided to let its lawmakers vote on the motion, after an effort to impeach Yoon last week failed when its lawmakers boycotted the hearing.
On Saturday, the impeachment motion reached the two thirds threshold needed to pass after 12 members of Yoon’s party voted in favour.
“To the people, we hope your end of year will be a little happier now, and all your cancelled year-end celebrations to be restored,” said National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, as he announced the result.
“The future of the Republic of Korea and our hope is in the hands of the people, our hope is strong,” Woo, a member of the main opposition Democratic Party, added.
The constitutional court now has 180 days to rule on whether Yoon’s impeachment should be upheld or whether he can return to office. If it rules in favour of impeachment, an election for the next president must be called within 60 days.
Yoon has been suspended while Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has taken over as acting president.
Han said his focus is to “stabilise the situation” and “bring back normalcy for the people”.
US President-elect Donald Trump has said that he will abolish the birthright citizenship rule on the day he takes office.
The rule that gives US citizenship by birth on American soil will no longer exist. With Trump’s decision, concerns have increased among immigrants in the US.
Trump is taking the oath of office on January 20, 2025. The number of legal and illegal immigrants to the US has long been a topic of debate. Trump had raised this issue during his election campaign.
There are different rules for obtaining citizenship in the world. There is a law that automatically considers a person born on American soil to be an American citizen. After the Civil War, the US Congress enacted this rule in 1868. The rule was introduced to grant citizenship to everyone, including black people, who arrived in the US.
At that time, a provision was implemented to automatically grant citizenship to children born in the US. The rule does not matter whether the parents of such children are legal or illegal in the US.
This rule was originally introduced to make it easier for people who were brought to the United States as slaves.
Donald Trump and his supporters have been saying that the law that made it easier to grant citizenship to slaves is being misused. Therefore, they have been demanding new and strict laws for becoming American citizens.
Kathmandu- The top 3 political parties have reached an agreement on the bill (TRC) to amend the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act 2071.
Deputy Secretary General of CPN Maoist Center Janardan Sharma has informed that in the discussions held at the Ministry of Home Affairs at Singhadurbar, agreement has been reached on all the issues that are yet to be finalized.
It is said that the committee to work on the issue, including Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, CPN-UML Chief Whip Mahesh Bartaula, and Deputy General Secretary of Maoist Janardan Sharma as members, will submit the agreed matter to the three top leaders of the party by tomorrow evening and pass the law after completing the necessary procedures.
He said that the agreement was finalized based on that the victims demand should be addressed.
Kathmandu – The government has made the national identity card mandatory to receive the social security allowance starting in January.
According to the National Identity Card and Registration Department, the National Identity Card and Registration Department have revised the decision to require an identity card from July to receive social security allowance and increase it to be implemented from January .
To implement the decision, the department has sent correspondence to the respective local levels of 66 districts to renew the social security card by January and the biometric of the identity card should be submitted.
Those who have already received an identity card or its number will have to compulsorily apply biometrics while renewing their Social Security Allowance card.
If there is no identity card or its number, the concerned person should self-declare that he did not take a photo and give biometrics for the identity card or that the number is lost. According to the department, self-declaration has been made mandatory because there is a possibility that they can get double benefits by deceiving the local authorities even if they do not have an identity card number.
According to the department, identity card details of 1 crore 51 lakh 79 thousand 515 people have been collected. Regular information is being collected from the district administration office, area administration office and some local levels of 77 districts. More than 47 lakh identity cards have been distributed.
More than five billion has already been spent on the purchase of ID card software, ID card printing, staff mobilization, and machine purchase. The Department said that despite spending a huge amount of money every year in the name of identity card, it is not being implemented, but now they are trying to make it mandatory by publishing a notice in the gazette.
There have been signs that Iran will take tougher measures in retaliation for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Israel has not commented directly on the attack that killed Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday morning. Still, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel had succeeded in hitting back at its enemies in recent days, pointing to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and the killing of a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon shortly before the Tehran attack. A few hours before Hanieh’s murder, Israel also killed senior Hezbollah operative Fuad Shukr in Beirut.
Meanwhile, Hamas’ armed wing said the death of Haniyeh, seen as the overall leader of the Hamas group, would “take the fight to a new dimension” and have far-reaching consequences. However, it has not been decided how Iran will respond to the killing, and it is indicated that it may further promote the war in the Middle east countries. Haniyeh, who played a key role in negotiating a cease-fire in Gaza, was killed hours after attending the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s new president, Massoud Pezheshkian.
Thus, in the middle of the growing conflict in the Middle east, the United States has advised its citizens not to travel to Lebanon, while the British Foreign Secretary has asked citizens to leave the country. Also, many international airlines have canceled their flights in that area.
On October 7, attack on Israel killed about 1,200 people. Since the conflict , Israel started the war to destroy Hamas.
KAthmandu: Chief Minister of Bagmati Province and leader of the Nepali Congress (NC) parliamentary party for the province, Bahadur Singh Lama has received the vote of confidence.
With the support of the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, the votes favored Lama. Including 37 votes from Congress and 27 from UML lama got a total of 64 votes while 35 votes were against.
CPN-Maoist Center, CPN United Socialists, and RAPRAPA, the main opposition parties, voted against the vote of confidence, while Nemkipa remained silent.
Lama, who was appointed as the Chief Minister last Tuesday, took the vote of confidence as per the constitutional provision to take the vote of confidence from the House within 30 days.
In the 110-member Bagmati state assembly, the government needs the support of 56 MPs to get a majority.
Dang: CPN-UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel has said that the farce of left-wing unity will not be repeated.
Speaking at a press conference organized by Press Chautari Dang, Pokharel said that the farce of left-wing unity will not be repeated and the unity among the left wings has now become a story of the past.
He also said that since small political parties are gaining power through unnecessary bargaining and creating constant instability in the country, it is necessary to polarize those who hold communist views towards UML and those who hold views towards the capitalist socialism system towards Congress.
He said that questions had been raised after the two major parties moved forward together, but strong political power and stability are necessary for stability and development and that is the only reason behind the Congress and cpn-uml coalition government.
Kailali – The opposition parties searched for the government by lighting torches on their mobile phones saying that the government was not present in the parliament (symbolically, the government disappeared) in Far West Province.
Parliamentarians of CPN-UML, Nepali Congress, and Nagarik unmukti party lit torches and searched for the government at the main entrance of the state assembly building in Dhangadhi in protest of the government for circumventing the parliament.
“The government was not seen during the disaster,” Rajendra Singh Rawal, the leader of the CPN-UML parliamentary party, said that the government was not found even in the parliament where people’s issues could be raised.
The provincial assembly meeting called for 2 o’clock today has been adjourned after the ministers from the government been absent.
After the UML withdrew its support, the Far West government fell into a minority. However, the opposition has also demanded that Chief Minister Sodari should resign on the basis of ethics, saying that Chief Minister Sodari has not fixed the date for taking the vote of confidence.
Kathmandu: The resignation of the Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority Pradeep Adhikari has been demanded for seriously weakening air safety.
Earlier, A voice in the parliamentary committee was raised that he should resign due to frequent air accidents during his tenure. On the same issue, Nepali Congress MP Uday Shamsher Rana, while speaking at the House of Representatives meeting, demanded the resignation of the director general of the authority today.
Since the officer became the director general of the authority, there have been 7 air accidents in which more than 118 people lost their lives and moral questions have been raised, so he should resign immediately, and if he does not resign, the government should bring the director general under investigation, said rana. In the committee meeting, most of the MPs also raised questions about the ability and working style of the CAAN leadership.
“The reports of the commission made after the accident always blame the pilot, airplane and maintenance team just to clear the authority from the incident. Is the authority responsible for the air accident or not? , Why is the authority not to blame for an air accident? When should the authority take responsibility?” He said.
According to him, there have been 72 air accidents in Nepal since 1962 and 935 people lost their lives. Last Wednesday, 18 people lost their lives when a Saurya Airlines plane that was going from Kathmandu to Pokhara for maintenance crashed at Tribhuvan International Airport.
KATHMANDU – Krishnaman Pradhan, who has raised widespread questions about his moral character, has applied to withdraw his name as the Election Commissioner.
The meeting of the parliamentary hearing committee, which was convened at 11 am today, was postponed, and the meeting will be convened at 5 pm. It is understood that if Krishnaman does not withdraw his name by 5 o’clock, the hearing committee has decided not to approve it and since his name is rejected by the parliamentary committee, the question raised about his character will be legitimate, so Pradhan has decided to withdraw his name.
Earlier, a woman had filed a complaint against Pradhan in the parliamentary committee. After the complainant said that Pradhan sexually abused her, the committee postponed the approval date indefinitely.
After receiving a complaint against Krishnaman Pradhan proposed to the Election Commissioner by Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, the two largest parties in the Parliament, the parties engaged in internal discussions time and again regarding his appointment in the parliamentary hearing committee.
RAPRAPA MP Pashupati Shamsher Jabara has been chairing the hearing committee as a senior member. Shyam Kumar Ghimire, Anand Prasad Dhungana, Ishwaridevi Neupane, Jeevan Pariyar and Gyanendra Bahadur Karki are members of the hearing committee.
Mahesh Kumar Bartaula, Sunita Baral, Ishwari Gharti and Leelanath Shrestha are from UML. Jagprasad Sharma and Janardan Sharma are members from the Maoist Center. Dol Prasad Aryal is from the RASWAPA and Prakash Adhikari from Janata Samajwadi Party, Nepal.
KATHMANDU – The Parliamentary Inquiry Special Committee formed to investigate the misappropriation of the savings of cooperatives has instructed the Home Minister to bring those involved in cooperative fraud to Nepal.
In discussions with the Home Minister, Home Secretary, and Chief of Police, the committee found that 18 people involved in cooperative fraud were outside the country and instructed them to bring them to Nepal.
It is said that the committee has also provided the names of those outside the country to the Home Minister.
Kathmandu – The working group meeting to finalize the transitional justice bill ended without a conclusion.
In the meeting held at the home minister’s office, Ramesh Lekhak from Nepali Congress, Mahesh Bertaula from UML, Deputy Secretary General Jarnadan Sharma from Maoist Center, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ajay Kumar Chaurasia, Bimala Subedi, Chairman of Parliament’s Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee, Attorney General Ramesh Badal and others were present.
UML’s Chief Whip Mahesh Bertaula has informed that the draft of the discussions so far has been prepared and the working group meeting will be held next Thursday.
The members of the working group, which has the responsibility of reaching a consensus on four issues between the parties, are currently stuck on only one issue and that is, “What to do if there is no free consent of the victims for reconciliation in cases of human rights violations?”
CPN-UML is in favor of writing clearly in the law that if the victim does not have free consent, it should be written clearly in the law, but the Maoist center has the argument that the court should bring discretion to it. He argues that there is no need to write in the law because the victim is automatically entitled to go to court if there is no free consent of the victim.
UML has been maintaining a position that it should be clearly stated because it can be interpreted as not being written in the law and conveying the message that it will not be allowed to go in the future.
The members of the working group say that there is a theoretical agreement on using the language to address both of these arguments. However, no proposal has been presented as to what language to write.
The remaining three subjects where the agreement has been reached so far: “Inscription of Arbitrary Killing into Definition of Serious Violation of Human Rights”
“Building a legal system that can punish those involved in serious violations of human rights during armed conflict up to 75 percent less than the current law”
A consensus has been reached among the members of the working group on the issue of “providing financial assistance to the unqualified fighters and the families of the then royal army who were dissatisfied with the compensation and those who were involved and affected during the armed conflict”.
The bill to amend the Commission for Investigation, Truth and Reconciliation Act of Disappeared Persons has been pending in the Law Committee of the House of Representatives for a long time.
The Chief Ministers of Lumbini Province and Bagmati Province, who were in the minority after the change in the central equation, have resigned today.
Bagmati Chief Minister Shalikram Jamkattel and Lumbini Province Jokh Bahadur Mahara have resigned from their posts today.
After UML withdrew its support, the Chief Minister of Lumbini Province Mahara resigned from the post while addressing the Provincial Assembly after it was confirmed that the vote of confidence would not be passed even though there was an agenda to take the vote of confidence today. After his resignation, CPN-UML is preparing to submit a claim for the Chief Ministership. UML chief whip Tulsi Prasad Chaudhary has informed us that there has been an agreement between the two parties to advance the leader of the UML parliamentary party, Leela Giri, to the position of Chief Minister.
Similarly, in Bagmati Province, Chief Minister Shalikram Jamkattel filed a proposal in the Provincial Assembly Secretariat for the purpose of obtaining a vote of confidence, but the Maoist Center Bagmati Province Parliamentary Party meeting suggested him to resign as Congress and UML have a clear majority to form the government. Bahadur Sinlama from Congress is becoming the chief minister in Bagmati province. Signatures of MPs of Congress and UML have been collected to submit claims for government formation.
Kathmandu – The Supreme Court has ordered that the decision of the writ petition against the appointment of UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli as the Prime Minister according to Article 76 (2) of the Constitution should be decided by the Constitutional Council and the dispute over the appointment of the Prime Minister should be sent to the Constitutional Bench.
The bench of Supreme Court Judge Balkrishna Dhakal has ordered that the writ to appoint Oli as the Prime Minister should be decided by the constitutional bench.
Three writs were filed claiming that the appointment of Oli as the Prime Minister according to Article 2 was unconstitutional. After the Prime Minister made by Article 76 (2) of the Constitution of Nepal failed to receive a vote of confidence the selection of a new PM should have been automatically moved according to Article 3.
Judge Dhakal’s bench said that Oli was appointed as the Prime Minister and the writ filed against him has a serious constitutional interpretation, so it was ordered to send the writ to the constitutional bench.
Kathmandu – Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli while addressing the parliament while asking for a vote of confidence said that the national constitution is not an unamendable subject and the constitution will be amended after gathering consensus.
He also said that the constitution is a tool for the welfare of the country and the people, not the end, and the constitution and laws are amended and modified by necessity. He also said, that there is a surprising negative tendency among a few parties and the leaders when the matter of constitutional amendment is not addressed according to what they said.
Oli said that the generation after 2046 seems to be in extreme despair for the first time, and said that the current government was formed to remove despair, communicate hope, and move the country forward in a fast economic direction.
Addressing the Parliament, Prime Minister Oli has said that the stock market is the proof of the trust and confidence shown by the people towards our government and now not only the stock market but the entire market of the country will run. In addition, the government has also said that it will study the changes brought about in the components of the economy due to foreign employment.
Similarly, he also said that action will be taken regardless of who the co-operative victim is.
In addition, Prime Minister Oli also disclosed the 5-point priority of the government and the 7-point agreement reached between the Congress-UML in the parliament.
KATHMANDU – Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli announced the 7-point agreement reached between the Congress-UML while seeking a vote of confidence in the House of Representatives meeting.
This is the 7-point agreement between Congress and UML.
To protect the national interest according to the wishes of the common people, to maintain good governance in the country by controlling corruption, and to speed up the nation’s development campaign, a government of national consensus will be built under Article 76 (2) of the Constitution by involving other political parties for political stability.
The National Consensus Government will review the strengths, weaknesses, and complexities that have emerged in practice after the Constitution’s commencement, and prioritize the necessary amendments to the Constitution and the creation of appropriate laws for political permanence.
To put an end to the existing laxity in the economy and create a reliable business environment to make the economic activities sustainable. Encourage internal and external investment and create sufficient and dignified employment within the country.
The government of national consensus will be led by CPN-UML president KP Sharma Oli for two years from the date of formation of the government and then by Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba until the general election in November 2084.
To protect the national interest, to maintain good governance in the country by controlling corruption and to speed up the campaign for the development of the nation, form the basis of government operation of national consensus and the minimum common program and run the government on the same basis.
For a government of national consensus, on the basis of the leadership role and equality of the two major political parties, they will participate in the government on an equal basis and include other political parties in the government as well.
Establishing and operating the provincial government in accordance with the spirit of the government of national consensus and speeding up the work of development and construction at the provincial and local levels in accordance with the people’s sentiments.
After the Israeli government accused Bella Hadid of “anti-Semitism” for her pro-Palestinian stance, German sportswear Adidas pulled Hadid from an Adidas ad.
Recently, German sportswear Adidas relaunched the SL-72 in retro-inspired classic looks that were first showcased during the 1972 Munich Olympics, where the Palestinian Black September group killed eleven Israeli athletes and a German police officer.
Regarding the recently relaunched ad for the shoe, the Israeli Foreign Ministry posted on X (formerly Twitter), “Guess who’s the face of their campaign? Bella Hadid, a half-Palestinian model who has a history of spreading anti-Semitism and calling for violence against Israelis and Jews,”.After the post Adidas has decided to change the advertisement made by Bella and remove her from the Ad.
Hadid’s father is Palestinian and she was born in Nazareth. She has been raising her voice for Palestinian rights, calling for an end to the bloodshed in Gaza. She has also criticized the Israeli government after more than 38,000 civilians have died in the ongoing conflict in Palestine. Publicly accusing Israel of “genocide”, Bella, who has been voicing her support for Palestine through social media, has also donated 1 million dollars for the relief of those in the war.
With the move to remove Bella Hadid from the ad, many on social media expressed their anger against Adidas’ move.
Adidas also removed American rapper Kanye West from its ads in 2022 due to comments he made against Jews.
A Milan court has ruled that journalist Giulia Cortese must pay €5,000 ($5,465) in damages to Italy’s Giorgia Meloni over an online insult about her height. The judge said the comments on X (formerly Twitter) were “defamatory” in nature and “body-shamed” the Italian prime minister.
The case dates to October 2021, when Cortese posted a mocked-up photo of Meloni with a picture of the late fascist leader Benito Mussolini in the background. The politician, who was then in opposition, confronted the journalist online over the picture. The reporter replied with a string of messages, one of which said: “You don’t scare me, Giorgia Meloni. After all, you’re only 1.2 meters (4 feet) tall. I can’t even see you.”
In a post on Facebook, Meloni wrote at the time that “this falsified photo is of unique gravity.” She added that she had “already instructed my lawyer to take legal action against this despicable hoax.”
While the judge eventually concluded that the Mussolini post did not violate the law, the court ruled in Meloni’s favor concerning Cortese’s comments on her stature.
According to media reports, the Italian prime minister’s height is between 1.58 and 1.63 meters.
Commenting on X on Thursday, Cortese claimed that “Italy’s government has a serious problem with freedom of expression and journalistic dissent.”
This is not the first time Meloni has taken a journalist to court. Last October, a court in Rome fined anti-mafia reporter and author Roberto Saviano €1,000 plus legal expenses for insulting the right-wing politician over her hardline anti-immigration stance on a TV show in 2021.
In its 2024 World Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders ranked Italy five points lower than last year, relegating it to 46th place. The organization cited a growing number of lawsuits against journalists as one of the reasons.
Last month, Vera Jourova, Vice-President of the EU Commission and commissioner in charge of values and transparency, said that Brussels was seeing “negative trends in the media in Italy.”RT
It is revealed that a new alliance has been formed on the condition that any major parties in the upcoming elections will not support the Maoists.
CPN-UML Senior Vice President Ishwor Pokharel has said that the Congress-UML alliance was formed on the condition that it would not support the Maoists in the upcoming elections.
Addressing the seventh session of the overseas Nepali forum held in Doha, Qatar, Pokharel revealed the symmetry of the new alliance, saying that the Congress-UML government was formed for political stability.
During the speech, he also said the government collapsed due to Prachanda’s dishonesty.
Kathmandu – Nepal won the opening match of the ACC Women’s Asia Cup by defeating UAE by 6 wickets on Friday. This is Nepal’s first win in the ACC Women’s Asia Cup.
The target of 116 runs was given by UAE in the match in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Nepal won by losing 4 wickets in 16.1 overs.
Earlier, Nepal won the toss and decided to bowl first. For UAE, Khushi Sharma scored 36 runs and Kavisa Godag added 22 runs.
Captain Indu Burma took 3 wickets for Nepal while Kritika Marasini and Sabnam Rai took one wicket each.
Nepal in Group A will compete against Pakistan on July 21 and India on July 23. Group ‘B’ consists of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Thailand. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals.
Kathmandu – Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that a new government has been formed to solve the problems in the country and make some changes.
Today, in a discussion with the Confederation of Nepal Industry officials, he clarified that he had already become the prime minister, so he did not return just for the position.
“The main goal of the present government is to solve the existing problems and strengthen the economy. I did not come only to become the Prime Minister, I came with the determination to solve the problems in the country and work for change. Therefore, the private sector should have hope and trust in this government and work together,” he said.
Taking the view that tax rates should not be changed blindly and the private sector should be able to protest when wrong policies are adopted, Prime Minister Oli emphasized that monetary policy should not be rigid to keep the economy running.
On that occasion, President Rajesh Kumar Agarwal asked the government to work with high priority to boost the sluggish economy. Chairman Agarwal said that the sluggish economy should be made viable through monetary policy.
Kathmandu- The Chief Minister of Bagmati Province, Shalikram Jamkattel, is going to take the vote of confidence in the Provincial Assembly on Sunday 6th.
Chief Minister Jamkattel has made a formal request to the Provincial Assembly Secretariat to arrange the voting.
Chief Whip of Nepal Communist Party (Maoist Center) Ratna Prasad Dhakal informed that after discussions with the leaders of the ruling party, it was decided to take the vote of confidence on the 6th.
After the change of federal government, five ministers of CPN-UML resigned from the provincial government and the provincial government lost its majority. Speaker Bhuvan Kumar Pathak has announced that a meeting of the state assembly will be convened on the 6th at 1 pm for a vote of confidence.
Jamkattel, the leader of the Maoist center, became the Chief Minister with the support of CPN (UML), Rashtriya Prajatantra Party and Nepal Communist Party (Unified Socialist).
China has suspended arms control talks with the US in response to Washington’s continued arms sales to Taiwan, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.
The US and China held long-awaited nuclear non-proliferation talks in November, the first such meeting since 2018. Although the talks did not produce any concrete results, they were seen as an important step towards easing tensions between the two superpowers. Beijing cut off almost all military communications with Washington a year ago following then-US Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
At a press conference held in Beijing on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said China would not discuss a new round of consultations with the US.
“The responsibility rests entirely with America,” Lin said. “Over the past weeks and months, despite China’s strong protests and repeated protests, the US has continued to sell arms to Taiwan and has seriously undermined China’s core interests and mutual trust between China and the US.”
This has seriously compromised the political environment for the continuation of arms control consultations,” he said.
China considers Taiwan to be part of its sovereign territory, under the so-called ‘One China’ policy. The US recognizes this policy but does not support it. Beijing sees U.S. arms sales to Taipei, expressions of support for Taiwan independence, and promises of military aid to Taiwan as violations of the “One China” policy.
China has said it will peacefully reunify Taiwan with the Chinese mainland and reserves the right to use military force if necessary.
Lin did not rule out returning to nuclear talks in the future. “China is ready to maintain communication with the US on international arms control, but the US must respect China’s core interests and create the necessary conditions for dialogue and exchange,” he said at a briefing on Wednesday.
The President of the United Nations Security Council, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, said in a meeting on the Middle East, including the Palestine issue, that the American diplomatic cover-up of Israel’s attack on Palestine made Washington directly involved in the Middle East and the Ukraine conflict.
“By offering diplomatic cover for Israel’s actions and by sending arms and ammunition, Washington has become directly involved in this conflict, as in the case of the Ukraine situation,” he said. He also said that the bloodshed in the Middle East will stop after America’s support for Israel ends.
He also said that the United States, by resorting to veto rights, is blocking the UN Security Council’s call for a lasting and comprehensive ceasefire.
Kathmandu: President Ramchandra Paudel has appointed senior advocate Ramesh Badal as the new Attorney General of Nepal. Badal has been appointed as the Attorney General on the recommendation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
According to the constitutional provision, the President appoints the Attorney General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. During the previous tenure of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Badal was the Attorney General for about four months.
Kathmandu – Prime Minister Oli will take the vote of confidence in Parliament on Sunday.
There is a legal provision that the Prime Minister should take a vote of confidence within 30 days of his appointment. But getting a vote of confidence sooner is better said Mahesh Bartaula, the ruling party’s chief whip, as it could be easier for the Prime Minister to get into the Parliament immediately and proceed with the work.
Nepali Congress, the largest party in the parliament, supports Oli, who became the prime minister by replacing the Prachanda-led government. Oli, who lost the Prime Minister by the Supreme Court’s order last time, might have to face the court’s decision again, as this time too a writ has been filed in the Supreme Court demanding the cancellation of his appointment.
Amidst the discussion that the court may pave the way for the formation of the government of the largest party under 76.3 of the constitution, Oli is going to take the vote of confidence on Sunday, keeping all these things aside.
Chitwan – Locals set fire to the vehicle of the team that came to Chitwan to survey the proposed railway.
Locals attacked the team that came to the city plotting of Bharatpur Metropolitan City – 7 to study the proposed railway and set fire to the Bagmati Province 01-030-CHA 7190 vehicle in which they were traveling.
The locals protested against the construction of the railway line in dense settlements and have been demanding the relocation of the railway line for a long time.
Kathmandu: Passengers boarding the Chandragiri cable car were stranded after the cable car was shut down around 1:30 pm on Wednesday due to a power cut.
The police are trying to rescue the passengers trapped in the cable car.8 passengers near the station were rescued using a ladder, Metropolitan Police Circle Thankot said. However, according to the police, it is difficult to rescue passengers from the box in the middle of the forest.
According to the police, efforts are being made to get the stuck passengers to the lower station by alternative means. Since they were unable to run the generator, now police are trying to pull the passengers out who are stuck in the compartment of the cablecar to the lower station by using a rope.
KATHMANDU – After the High Court cleared the way for widening the footpath, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City has resumed the work of widening the footpath in the New Road area.
Earlier, the road division office intervened in the work started by the Kathmandu Metropolitan City and confiscated the goods.
After the intervention of the Road Division Office, while hearing the petition filed by the Kathmandu Metropolitan City in the High Court Patan, the High Court issued an interim order not to stop the work of expanding the footpath on New Road saying that the urban roads will be under the local level.
After the joint bench of Judge Dhruvraj Nand and Prakash Kharel of the Patan High Court ordered not to implement the letter written by the Roads Division Office to the Kathmandu Metropolitan City to stop the expansion of the footpath in the New Road area, the Metropolitan City has resumed the work of footpath expansion.
KATHMANDU – The meeting of the Central Working Committee of the Congress made criteria for selecting the ministers, taking into account inclusion and regional balance on the main basis of contribution and competence. But the Congress leaders have expressed their displeasure by saying that the criteria made by the performance committee were forgotten and the ministers were sent to the government, neglecting inclusiveness and regional balance.
Leaders within the Congress party have also alleged that they made ministers from their pockets by picking loyal and favorable people close to them in the old style.
Congress is said to have neglected inclusiveness and regional balance by not considering the criteria for selecting ministers, with zero Dalit representation in the ten ministers sent by the Congress and not even one from Gandaki state.
Congress MP Rajendra Bajgain has expressed his displeasure saying that the Congress leadership has neglected the state and inclusiveness in the meeting which was attended by Congress Vice Chairman Dhanraj Gurung, Joint General Minister Jeevan Pariyar, Central Member Shankar Bhandari, Kamala Pant, Raju Thapa and other MPs.
Kathmandu- The Supreme Court has ruled on the issue of squatter settlements along the banks of rivers in Kathmandu Valley, which has been disputed for a long time, and has ordered the removal of the settlements built by encroaching government land along the river banks.
Supreme Court Judge The bench of Dr. Anand Mohan Bhattarai and Binod Sharma gave a decision to remove the settlements built by encroaching government land on the banks of the river.
The full text of the Supreme Court’s decision on the writ filed by, Advocates Prakashmani Sharma, Narayan Prasad Belbase, Rama Pant Kharel Kavita Pandey, Sharmila Shrestha, and Alok Pokharel on 9th Baisakh 2068 BS on behalf of the Public Interest Protection Forum has been published. Writ was filed against the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, the Chief Secretary, the Empowered Bagmati Civilization Integrated Development Committee, the Ministry of Physical Planning and Construction, the Ministry of Local Development and the Chief District Officers of Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur .
In the judgement, it has been directed to identify the real homeless and remove the encroached settlements in a phased manner. Real homeless residents who are forced to live without alternatives should be identified and transferred to the housing currently built in Ichangunarayan, if it cannot be managed there, arrangements must be made elsewhere and in the case of real homeless people who do not have an immediate alternative arrangement, taking into consideration the right to residence guaranteed by Article 37(1) of the Constitution of Nepal, Court has issued an order to remove the encroachment by providing cash as immediate relief to facilitate the relocation.
Similarly, for the protection of river areas, it has been ordered to allow construction of structures only by leaving 40 meters of land in the case of large rivers and streams in the valley such as Bagmati and Bishnumati. Earlier in the year 2065, the Council of Ministers decided to leave only 20 meters area in the big rivers. It has been said that 20 meters more should be left in the river where it was said that 20 meters should be left earlier.
There is also an order of the Supreme Court to leave 20 meters in the rivers and streams which had not been demarcated before. It has also ordered not to allow the construction of any structure on the land within the river boundary.
Kathmandu: On the same day of taking oath, the first cabinet meeting of the Oli government, which expanded the cabinet to 22 members, made various decisions for the government and the state.
In the first meeting of the Council of Ministers led by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, it has been decided that the decisions of the Council of Ministers will be kept secret for 24 hours. According to government spokesperson Prithvisubba Gurung, it has been decided to keep the decision secret for 24 hours as some decisions may need to be corrected.
The government has decided to provide relief to the families of those who died due to the floods and landslides.
The meeting has decided to return all the proposals which are in the process or not in the process in the Council of Ministers and various committees of the Council of Ministers, to the respective ministries.
Similarly, the meeting has decided to make Nepal a children free(homeless kids on the street) street by the end of 2082 .
Government spokesperson Prithvisubba Gurung informed that it has been decided to complete the installation of floodlights and parafit construction of the Kirtipur cricket ground in accordance with international standards within 300 days.
Similarly, it has been decided to provide the second and third installments to the Jajarkot earthquake victims, and it has been decided to give the permanent chief secretary’s charge to Liladevi Gartaula, the secretary to the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers.
In the meeting, Prime Minister KP Oli instructed to move forward with coordination between the ministries and also instructed the ministers to show result-oriented work within a month.
Kathmandu – Nepal Oil Corporation has increased the price of petroleum products. According to the price adjustment made after the increase in price from the Indian Oil Corporation, the corporation has said that the price of petroleum products has increased.
According to the price adjustment, the price of petrol has now increased by Rs. 4 per liter and diesel and kerosene by Rs. 3 per liter.
According to the corporation, after the price increase, the price of petrol in Kathmandu has now reached 171 rupees per liter, while the price of diesel and kerosene has reached 160 rupees.
Kathmandu – Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has formed a 22-member cabinet. The newly appointed ministers have taken the oath of office and secrecy immediately after the swearing in of the Prime Minister.
The division of duties of ministers in the new 22-member cabinet of the Oli government is as follows-
KP Sharma Oli, Prime Minister
Prakashman Singh, Deputy Prime Minister, and Urban Development
Bishnu Paudel, Vice President and Finance
Prithvisubba Gurung, Ministry of Communications and Information
Ramesh Lekhak, Home ministry
Sarat Singh Bhandari, Labor and Employment
Arju Rana Deuba, Foreign Affairs
Navalkishore Sah Sudi, Female Children
Balaram Adhikari, Land Management and Cooperatives
Damodar Bhandari, Industries, Commerce and Supplies
Devendra Dahal, Physical Infrastructure and Transport
Tejulal Chaudhary, Youth and Sports
Pradeep Yadav, Water
Pradeep Paudel, Health
Ajay Chaurasia, Law Justice and Parliamentary Affairs
Kathmandu – Lawyers have reached the Supreme Court claiming that the appointment of KP Sharma Oli as Prime Minister is not legal.
After President Ramchandra Paudel appointed UML President Oli as the Prime Minister on Sunday according to Article 76 (2) of the Constitution, advocates Deepak Adhikari, Khagendra Prasad Chapagain, and Shailendra Kumar Gupta have approached the Supreme Court to file a petition demanding the cancellation of the appointment of Prime Minister Oli.
It is said in the writ, ‘After one article fails, it is the provision of the constitution to go to another article. According to Article 76 (2) of the Constitution, Prachanda was appointed as a member of the House of Representatives with the support of more than two parties represented in the House of Representatives and if he did not receive a vote of confidence, It is a constitutional arrangement that the government of 76 (3)should be made .’
It is mentioned in the writ that if two parties agree, it cannot go against the constitution,and according to the constitution, the president should go to the government formation process from the largest party in the parliament.
Assassination attempt was made on former US president Donald Trump. Shots were fired during a public speech of former US President Donald Trump before his supporters in Pennsylvania.
In a post to his Truth Social network, Trump said a bullet pierced the “upper part” of his right ear and thanked the Secret Service. He left the hospital shortly after receiving treatment.
The gunman has been shot dead by Secret Service agents. In a statement released on Saturday night, the FBI said that it had “identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the subject involved in the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump.”
The shooting also killed one bystander and injured two others. Authorities say all three victims are adult males.
President Joe Biden has strongly condemned the “sick” attack, adding, “There’s no place in America for this kind of violence”.
Spain has won the European Cup 2024. Defeating England by 2-1 in the finals held in Berlin, Germany, Spain set the record for winning the Euro Cup for the fourth time.
Nico Williams (47th minute) and Mikel Oyarzbal scored for Spain in the 86th minute. Cole Palmer scored for England in the 73rd minute of the game.
Spain has now become the national team that has won the most UEFA Euro Cup titles having won the title in 1964, 2008, 2012, and 2024. Germany then won the Euro Cup in 1972, 1980, and 1996.
This is England’s second defeat in a row in the final of the Euro Cup. England also reached the final at the previous Euro Cup 2020, where they lost to Italy in a penalty shootout (1-1; 2-3). The English team has not yet won the UEFA Euro Cup.
Spain, which is in Group B, won all three matches by defeating Croatia 3-0, Italy 1-0 and Albania 1-0. In the playoffs, the team continued its winning streak by defeating Georgia (4-1), Germany (2-1 in overtime) and France (2-1).
The 2024 Euro Cup was played between June 14 and July 14 in Germany. Games were held in the German cities of Berlin, Dortmund, Munich, Cologne, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Leipzig, Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen and Düsseldorf.
Kathmandu- CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has been appointed as the Prime Minister. President Ramchandra Paudel has appointed Oli as Prime Minister according to Article 76(2) of the Constitution.
After Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda did not receive a vote of confidence in the House of Representatives meeting on Friday, Oli, on the call of President Paudel, submitted his claim to the Prime Ministership with the support of the UML and Nepali Congress along with other small parties.
According to the President’s Office, the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has been scheduled for 11 am on Monday.
Janakpur – It has been decided to form a high-level investigation committee to investigate the errors in the Madhesh state government’s budget.
At the beginning of the meeting of the Madhesh Pradesh Assembly held on Sunday, Speaker Ramchandra Mandal informed that it has been decided to form a high-level investigation committee.
Chief Minister Satish Kumar Singh and outgoing Chief Minister Saroj Kumar Yadav have been assigned to form a high-level inquiry committee and determine the responsibilities, the Speaker said.
JASAPA Nepal had been demanding the formation of a high-level investigation committee as well as budget revision and balanced budget allocation in all sectors.
Assassination attempt was made on former US president Donald Trump. Shots were fired during a public speech of former US President Donald Trump before his supporters in Pennsylvania.
In a post to his Truth Social network, Trump said a bullet pierced the “upper part” of his right ear and thanked the Secret Service. He left the hospital shortly after receiving treatment.
The gunman has been shot dead by Secret Service agents. At a news conference, the FBI said that they were waiting for DNA results to come in before naming him – this is expected to happen in the coming hours The shooting also killed one bystander and injured two others. Authorities say all three victims are adult males.
President Joe Biden has strongly condemned the “sick” attack, adding, “There’s no place in America for this kind of violence”. He has also spoken to Trump
Kathmandu – The meeting held on Saturday of the Nepali Congress Working Committee has made the criteria for the selection of ministers. With the decision of government formation under the leadership of KP Sharma Oli, Nepali Congress decided the criteria for selecting ministers from the working committee meeting.
The committee meeting on Saturday decided that the minister will be selected based on contributions and qualifications, inclusiveness, and regional balance, spokesperson Prakasharan Mahat has informed.
Congress and UML have agreed to form a government under the leadership of KP Sharma Oli. A meeting of the Congress was held on Saturday to prepare the criteria for the selection of ministers to participate in the government.
Lalitpur – Metropolitan Mayor Chiribabu Maharjan has said that he will not take financial support from the federal government for the construction of archaeological heritage within the Lalitpur metropolis.
Mayor Maharjan while inaugurating the Sankalpasabha of Srimad Bhagavat Gyan Mahayagya (Spiritual Festival) which will be held from Kartik 6th to 13th 2081 BS. to build Bhringareshwar Dham in the premises of Bhringareshwar Mahadev Temple located in Sunakothi, said that the expenditure will be made from the internal resources of the metropolis for the construction of monasteries, temples, and other archaeological heritage.
He said that the Maha Yagya to be conducted in Sunakothi will play an important role in promoting the religious and touristic importance of this region as well as in economic collection.
Pandit Deenbandu Pokharel, the storyteller of the Maha Yagya, said that Nepal is the best place to practice spiritualism and that the religious and historical places here should be propagated to the world to give a message of peace to the world through spirituality.
Similarly, Lalitpur-27 Ward President Krishnahari Maharjan said that the identity of Sunakothi Maha Yagya will be revealed and the historical significance will be further publicized.
Bhringareshwar, which was built in ancient time was not built in its old form, after it was destroyed by the earthquake of 1990 . A detailed project report (DPR) process has been started with the help of the metropolis to build the temple in old style.
US President Joe Biden and his administration are complicit in Israeli war crimes in Gaza, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has argued, while calling for sanctions against West Jerusalem.
In an interview with Newsweek on Thursday during the annual NATO summit in Washington, the Turkish leader said that Israel’s “deliberate” attacks on civilian infrastructure in Gaza constituted war crimes, something Israel has fiercely denied.
“The brutal murder of innocent people in hospitals where they go for treatment, in ambulances, in marketplaces, in centers where humanitarian aid is distributed, and in areas defined as safe is the gravest violation of human rights,” Erdogan stated.
However, according to the Turkish president, the Biden administration “disregards these violations and provides Israel with the most support.”
“They do so at the expense of being complicit in these violations,” Erdogan added.
NATO member Türkiye has repeatedly condemned Israel’s assault on Gaza and criticized Western governments for their continued backing of Israel. Ankara halted trade with West Jerusalem soon after the conflict began last October. Speaking to Newsweek, Erdogan also reiterated his call to sanction Israel.
“At this juncture, who will impose what kind of sanction against Israel for violating international law? That is the real question and no one is answering that,” he said.
The death toll from the eight-month offensive by Israel in Gaza has surpassed 38,000 people, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry.
Erdogan also reaffirmed his stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, saying that Western leaders were taking potentially dangerous approaches to both conflicts which could escalate into larger confrontations.
“The attitude of some of our Western allies towards Russia has only fuelled the fire,” he argued. “This has resulted in more harm than good for Ukraine.”
Kathmandu: The 211th birth anniversary of Bhanubhakta Acharya, the first poet of Nepali literature, is being celebrated today with various programs at home and abroad.
Bhanubhakta, who translated the biography of King Ram of Ayodhya from Sanskrit into Nepali in his famous ‘Ramayan’ and recited it in Nepalese households in a melodious rhythm, is still remembered with great respect. It is said that Nepal which was geographically united by Prithvi Narayan Shah was united by Bhanubhakta through language, literature, and culture.
Bhanubhakta, who was born in Chundi Ramgha village of Tanahun on Ashad 21 1871 BS., was inspired by a grass cutter and translated the Ramayan into Nepali. Apart from ‘Ramayan’, his other famous works include ‘Badhushiksha’, ‘Prashnottar’, ‘Bhaktamala’, ‘Ram Gita’ and few other books.
Pokhara – Due to continuous rain since Thursday night, 11 people died in Kaski, including 7 from the same house.
7 members of the same family were buried inside their house after a landslide in Pokhara Metropolitan City-19 Tallakot. Three people have died after being buried in a landslide in Chainpur.
When a landslide came from above the house in Pokhara-19 Purunchaur Tallakot, destroyed a one-storied house with a mud and tin roof, around 10:30 on Thursday night . 47-year-old Kul Bahadur Pariyar, his wife 43-year-old Mankumari, 85-year-old mother Laxima, 15-year-old daughter Prashana, 20-year-old daughter Prabha, son-in-law. 25-year-old Asmeet Pariyar and her relative Radhika Pariyar, a resident of Tallakot, died in the landslide reported Kaski Police. According to police, among the dead, Prabha came from Chitwan with her husband Asmit. Neighbour Radhika Pariyar died while trying to rescue those buried in the landslide.
Aarti Ojha’s daughter, 18-year-old Anita Ojha, 11-year-old Anushka Ojha and 9-year-old Prateek Subedi died when a landslide destroyed the house of Aarti Ojha in Chainpur in Pokhara-32, police said.
Similarly, 80-year-old Maitikumari Gurung died after being buried in a landslide in Madi Rural Municipality Ward No. 11 Lower Saple. 55-year-old son Om Bahadur Gurung was rescued safely, police said. The bodies of all the deceased have been kept at the Pokhara Institute of Health Sciences for post-mortem.
Russia’s foreign intelligence agency SVR has claimed that Ukraine’s Western backers have stepped up efforts to find a replacement for Volodymyr Zelensky.
According to an SVR operative who goes by the pseudonym ‘Stone’, the US and the EU are “extremely concerned” and “growing discontent” over the protracted conflict in Ukraine and the current leadership’s inability to end it, particularly after Zelensky’s presidency ends.
While they have stepped up efforts to find a suitable replacement, Western powers are said to be supporting Zelensky so far because the Ukraine war is bringing huge profits to Western arms manufacturers.
According to Stone, the West has already contacted former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko, as well as Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak, who the Times described as Ukraine’s de facto ruler. The country’s former top military commander, General Valery Zaluzhny, and former speaker of the Ukrainian parliament, Dmitriy Razumkov, are also on the list of potential Zelensky replacements, Stone said.
“It is assumed that these people may be in demand when the situation in the front line is deteriorating sharply and there is an urgent need for leadership change. Then it will be possible to choose one of them, blaming Zelensky for all the failures,” he said.
Zelensky’s legal claim to office has been in dispute since late May, when he refused to hold presidential elections, citing martial law. Russian President Vladimir Putin predicted last month that Ukraine’s Western backers would oust Zelensky after pushing through all the necessary “unpopular decisions”, which could happen as early as next year.
KATHMANDU – The Department of Industry has confirmed the commitment of investment worth more than Rs 250 billion in 11 months of the current financial year from various industries.
According to the department, 383 industries have been registered during this period. According to the data released by the department on Wednesday, among the newly registered industries, there are 49 large industries, 50 medium industries, and 284 small industries.
According to the department, 59 industries have been registered with an investment commitment of 32 billion 20 million from mid-May to the mid-June.
According to the department, nine large industries were registered from April to mid-June after the investment conference held by the government with the aim of bringing domestic and foreign investment.
Similarly, a total of 355 companies have been approved for foreign direct investment (FDI) this year.
According to the department, newly registered industries and domestic investments approved by the government will provide employment to 26,027 people. Similarly, industries registered with foreign investment are expected to provide employment to 17,642 people.
During this period, two patent registrations, 5,494 trademark registrations, 45 initial environmental assessments and 89 trademark related cases were registered in the department’s statistics.
Colombia has entered the Copa America final after defeating Uruguay.
Colombia entered the Copa America final after defeating Uruguay by 1-0 in the second semi-final on Thursday morning. The goal scored by Lerma in the 39th minute of the first half became the deciding goal of the game.
After defeating Canada 2-0 in the first semi-final match on Wednesday morning, Argentina has entered the final. Canada and Uruguay, defeated in the semi-finals, will compete for the third place on Sunday morning, while the final match will be held on Monday morning.
Argentina entered the finals of the Copa America with a comfortable 2-0 win against Canada in the match on Wednesday.
Argentina, who took the lead with Junior Alvarez’s goal in the 23rd minute of the first half secured the victory after Captain Messi scored the second goal in the 51st minute of the game.
Argentina will now play the winner of Uruguay and Colombia for the title, while the second semi-final match will be played on Thursday morning.
With this, Messi has risen to second place in the list of the most goals scored in international football. This is his 109th goal for Argentina. Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo is at the top with 130 goals.
Kathmandu – The Abuse of Authority Investigation Commission has filed corruption cases against 1,520 people in 1 year. The Authority has filed a corruption case in a special court against the Minister/MP of the Provincial Government, the Chief Secretary of the Government of Nepal, the Secretary, the Head/Deputy Head of the local level, businessmen/intermediaries, and others in the accusation of abuse of public office, damage to government property and acquisition of illegal assets.
According to Narahari Ghimire, the spokesperson of the authority, about 8.5 billion 45 million rupees have been claimed from the defendants. Spokesman Ghimire said that during this period, the Authority filed 211 indictments in the special court.
According to the indictment filed by the Authority in the special court, among the defendants there are 100 people’s representatives, including provincial government ministers/MPs, heads of municipalities and rural villages, deputy heads, and ward presidents. Similarly, there are 181 government officials.
16 mayors, 11 deputy mayors, 7 village presidents, 8 vice presidents, 42 ward presidents, 7 members of the executive committee and 7 ward members of the municipality have been charged with corruption.
Similarly, the chief secretary of Nepal government, Baikunth Aryal and secretary Madhu Marasini, from high-ranking employees to the procurement level, have also become defendants in the corruption case. Out of the corruption cases filed, 40 people were arrested with bribes. Out of which there are 29 employees.
According to the records of the authority, during this period, 12 people of special category including the chief secretary, 25 people of the joint secretary level, 72 people of the deputy secretary level, 167 people of the branch officer level, 54 accountants, 144 people of the NASU level, 31 people of the procurement level and 2 office assistants and 520 national service employees has been filed against.
Some public representatives and employees who were made defendants have also been acquitted in a special court. However, most of the cases are currently pending in the special court.
After the suspension of both the head and deputy head of the same municipality on charges of damage to public property and illegal acquisition of wealth, political and administrative work has also been hindered since the last time the budget was brought.
According to the authority, the Mayor Ajay Prakash and Deputy Mayor Rita Devi of Rautahat’s Katharia Municipality have been suspended after a case of illegal damage was filed against them. Sarlahi Mayor Bharat Kumar Thapa and Deputy Mayor Leelakumari Moktan, Sarlahi District Coordination Committee Chief Methur Chaudhary, Sirha Navrajpur Rural Municipality Bishwamohan Prasad and Vice President Shobhakumari Yadav, Sirha Mayor Gajendra Maharjan and Lalitpur Godawari Municipality Deputy Mayor Muna Adhikari, Mahottari Jaleshwar Municipality Mayor Suresh Sah Sonar and Deputy Mayor Roshan Khatun, Chairman of Chankheli Rural Municipality of Humla, Dhanlal Chaulagai are currently under suspension after corruption cases.
In the case of corruption cases, most of them have been accused of abusing their public positions and making irregularities in purchases, abusing their positions and amassing illegal wealth. People’s representatives have become defendants in crimes such as exploitation of river products and selling them at low prices, damage to public property, irregularities in the construction of roads and other infrastructures, especially in local level corruption. Only a few weeks ago, a case was filed against Chief Secretary Baikunth Aryal in a special court on charges of corruption in the purchase of alcohol stickers. Aryal is under suspension with the filing of the case.
Kathmandu-Malekhu road section under Prithvi highway is going to be closed at night for 15 days.
Nagadhunga-Mugling Road Project (Eastern Section) has informed that Naubise-Malekhu road section will be closed from 10 pm to 3 am on 10th July onwards. According to the notice issued, the road is going to be closed to work on the structure of the bridge of Ganesh river, Dangdung river, Kheste river and Pokhara river in the said road section.
During this period, the vehicles of essential services (ambulance, security agencies, etc.) will be able to run.
The project has also requested that the Galchi-Bidur-Chhare-Tokha road can be used as an alternative to the road while maintaining lane discipline on this road section.
Kathmandu: President Ramchandra Paudel has approved the ‘Bill to amend some Nepal Acts related to investment facilitation’.
According to the statement issued by the spokesperson of the President’s Office, Shailaja Regmi Bhattarai, the bill, which was passed by both houses of the Federal Parliament in accordance with Article 113 (2) of the Constitution, was approved by President Paudel on Monday.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday. During the meeting, both leaders discussed the Ukraine crisis.
While various political experts are describing Orban’s visit to Beijing as a “sudden” and “surprising” trip after his trip to Moscow and Kiev, he has described these trips as a “peace campaign”.
Some Chinese experts say Orbán’s diplomacy could help amplify some pragmatic voices within the European Union.
Orban’s visit to China came after Hungary assumed the presidency of the EU. Experts noted that the visit reflects a rational and pragmatic voice in Europe amid existing differences between China and the EU in areas such as electric vehicles.
Orban briefed Xi on recent visits to Ukraine and Russia. In addition to praising Orbán’s efforts to promote a political solution to the Ukraine crisis, President Xi expressed China’s relevant ideas and proposals in detail.
Xi emphasized that a ceasefire and a political solution are in the interest of all parties and said that the priority is to calm the situation by taking into account the principle of not expanding the war zone and not escalating the fighting.
Xi called on the international community to create a comfortable environment and support direct talks and resumption of dialogue between the two sides, saying that only if all major countries bring positive energy instead of negative energy, the conflict can be truceed as soon as possible.
“China is actively promoting peace talks in its own way and is encouraging and supporting all efforts for a peaceful resolution of the crisis,” Xi said, adding that China and Hungary have the same basic proposals and the direction of their efforts, and that China and Hungary are willing to stay in touch with all relevant parties.
Despite Hungary’s dual membership of both the EU and NATO, Orbán has positioned himself against proposals to provide military aid to Ukraine and integrate Ukraine into NATO and the EU.
Kathmandu – The Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC) reported that more than 9,000 people were subjected to human rights violations and abuses in 2023. In the Human Rights Year Book-2024 published by INSEC on Monday, it is mentioned that 9 thousand 388 people were victims of human rights violations and abuses in 2023.
In the one year period from december 2022 to december 2023 a total of 988 victims of human rights violations including 146 women and 842 men have been mentioned in the INSEC report.
Similarly, the report mentions that 7,716 women, 2 LGBTIQ and 682 men were victims of abuse. INSEC mentioned that 7 thousand 376 people were victims of human rights violations and excesses in 2022 and said that in 2023 this number was 2 thousand 12 more than in 2022.
In 2023, 6 people were killed by the state side. Similarly, INSEC records that 2 people were victims of torture, 240 people were arrested, 62 people were victims of racial discrimination, 414 people were beaten, 31 people were subjected to inhuman treatment, and 555 people were victims of the right to assemble and organize.
According to INSEC records, 2 people died in police custody and 51 people died in prison. It is also mentioned that 2 prisoners died due to police torture and beating in Sankhuwasabha prison. Similarly, the report of INSEC has mentioned that one person has gone missing from the state side and 2 people have gone missing by unknown groups.
Lalitpur: Chairman of Nepali Congress Sher Bahadur Deuba has expressed his belief that the general committee meeting of the party will strengthen and unite the party.
Speaking at the general committee meeting of the party which started at Godawari in Lalitpur on Monday, he said that the program is eagerly being observed with the hope of making the Congress stronger and more united.
Deuba said that the party’s policy issues will be discussed in the meeting of the general committee and a document will be prepared including the suggestions made in the meeting. Nepali Congress has a long history of struggle for the establishment, restoration and protection of democracy in the country. Whenever there is a crisis in the country, the Congress has shown the way of leadership and solution. On the basis of democratic values, this party has succeeded in keeping its name at the national and international level,” he said.
Former Prime Minister and Congress President Deuba said that the most importanat thing to to do in the present scenario is the protection and effective implementation of the Constitution.
He clarified that the coalition government was formed not only for the formation of the government, but also to neutralize the attempts made by the previous government to dissolve the House of Representatives and lead the country towards political instability and to protect the constitution. He also said that competition between political parties is natural, but Congress is always in favor of dialogue, understanding and cooperation.
Kathmandu – Former President Bidya Devi Bhandari has expressed doubt that the victims of the armed conflict will get justice as those who pushed the country into violence are leading the power.
Speaking at the unveling ceremony of the book, ‘Nepal Human Rights 2024’ organized by the Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC) in Kathmandu on Monday, she said, “It is important to focus on completing the rest of the peace process as soon as possible, keeping the victims at the center.” But, what is ironic is that the people who led the country to the violence once, is now ruling the country, which undoubtly raise a serious question on serving justice to the country and the innocent victims.
Noting that even after 18 years of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the victims have not been able to get justice, she clarified that the sensitive issue of transitional justice should not be used by anyone as a means to achieve their own interests.
Parsa – District Administration Office Parsa has issued an indefinite curfew order in Birgunj.
District Administration Office Parsa has issued a curfew order in some places of Birgunj Metropolitan City from 5 pm today. The administration has issued an indefinite curfew order in the border areas of Nagwachok in the east of Bara, Tilawe bridge in the west, Parwanipur in the north and Miteri bridge in the south.
Chief District Officer of Parsa Dinesh Sagar Bhushal has informed that the local administration has imposed a curfew after clashes between the two different communities in Birgunj on Monday. Due to the dispute between the Hindu and Muslim communities that has been going on for five days in Bara district, Parsa has implemented a curfew order, aiming to uphold peace and harmony as a preventive measure to mitigate the potential repercussions of the demonstration spilling over Parsa.
Kathmandu – The Department of Mines and Geology has given permission to 156 mining companies of Nepal for mineral extraction.
According to the information provided by the Department of Mines and Geology, these mining companies have been given approval for mining after research and exploration of minerals across the country.
According to the Mines and Minerals Act 2042 and the Mines and Minerals Rules 2056, the department has given permission to 17 different types of 156 mining companies for mineral extraction, said Jayaraj Ghimire, the head of the Mineral Resources Division.
According to him, the department has given permission to three companies to extract termine, 13 companies to extract talc talc, two companies quartz, five companies kyanite, one company marble, two companies red oxide and one company iron, one company to extract zinc, 13 companies to extract quartzite, two companies to extract magnesite, three companies to extract dolomite and two companies h to extract copper.
Ghimire said that there have been many requests for limestone mining recently and accordingly 96 mining companies have been given permission to mine limestone.
The department has also been revoking the permits of some companies that could not operate mines immediately and did not meet the standards.
Jhapa – Finance Minister Dr. Prakasharan Mahat inspected Mechi Customs Office Kakadvita, Bhadrapur Customs Office and Internal Revenue Office in Bhadrapur of Jhapa and asked them to focus on fulfilling the target of revenue collection.
Minister Mahat, who came to participate in the opening session of the 15-day Fifth Damak Festival organized by the Damak Industry and Commerce Association, inspected the office and discussed with the local traders. After the inspection, he instructed the Customs Office to give priority to meeting its monthly revenue targets and emphasized the need for cooperation between the Customs Office, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and the Revenue Office to control smuggling of goods across the border.
A decrease in revenue collection will result in a decrease in the nation’s income and will hinder government investment in public service sectors including education and health,” he said, urging everyone to contribute to prevent revenue leakage. In a program held at the Mechi Customs Office, he said that the importance of the office will increase further with the expansion of the Asian Highway.
KATHMANDU- President Ram Chandra Paudel has called for political resolution to curb corruption.
Addressing a program organized on the occasion of the 33rd establishment day of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Sunday, President Paudel said that corruption and corrupt attitudes are hurdles to a nation’s development and progress. He added that corruption and a corrupt mentality have eroded moral values, weakening the foundation of the nation.
“The level of transparency and accountability of the government will have a role in the prevention of corruption. The more transparency and a sense of accountability in the governance, there are higher possibilities of corruption control,” said President Paudel. He drew the attention of all public entities to maintain transparency in each of their actions and decisions.Similarly, he urged the CIAA to ensure impartiality in its investigations and subsequent prosecutions.
Considering good governance as the lifeline of democracy, he expressed his belief that achieving economic prosperity and social justice is essential for preventing corruption. He urged the CIAA to address the public’s interest, ensuring that high-profile individuals are not exempt from accountability for abuse of authority and corruption.
An official of the Electricity Authority has said that India does not want to involve Nepal in the construction of two new international transmission lines.
As Nepal has proposed to construct 400 kV Inaruwa (Duhabi-Purnia, Bihar) and 400 kV New Lamki (Dodhara-Bareli, Uttar Pradesh) cross-border lines through joint investment between the two countries, Indian side has proposed to construct the Indian section by India itself and Nepal’s section by Nepal itself. The head of the Broadcasting Directorate of the Electricity Authority, Dirghayu kumar Shrestha said.
In the 11th meeting of the Joint Secretary-level Joint Working Group (JWG) and Joint Secretary-level Steering Committee (JSC), the discussions held by both sides ended without any concrete conclusion. It has been agreed between the two countries to complete the construction of Duhavi-Purnia by 2027-2028 and Dodhara-Bareli power lines by 2028-2029.
Authority officials said that it was not immediately clear why the Indian side did not want to jointly build the project.
400 KV Butwal-Gorakhpur transmission line has been established in collaboration with the Authority and the Indian Power Grid Corporation of India to construct the Indian section.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the 400 KV inter-country power line during their visit to Delhi.
The two countries have agreed to build a 120-km power line by March 2025, but authority officials say it will be challenging to complete the task within the deadline. The Nepal section of this line, which is about 20 kilometers long, will be invested by Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Nepal Compact.
Nepal also proposed the same modality for the construction of two other transmission lines.
After the Indian side rejected the proposal, Nepal informed the Indian side that it will not unilaterally book the capacity of this transmission line for 25 years as in the case of Butwal-Gorakhpur transmission line.
Capacity booking forces Nepal to pay the minimum fee even if there is no power flow on the transmission line. “We proposed to the Indian side to pay the wheeling charge based on the power flow only if they do not adopt the Butwal-Gorakhpur power line modality,” said Shrestha.
Nepal had agreed to book capacity on the Butwal-Gorakhpur transmission line as it needed this cross-border line to sell more electricity to its southern neighbour.
“Despite bearing certain financial burden due to capacity booking, in the case of Butwal-Gorakhpur transmission line, the profit of the joint venture will also be shared with the Authority as a partner”, said Shrestha.
Rautahat – District Court Rautat has ordered to presnet the witnesses in the case filed against Nepali Congress leader and former minister Mohammad Aftab Alam, who is accused of the bomb blast incident in Rajpur village of Rautahat.
In the final hearing of the 16-year-old case,court ordered the witness to be present in the court along with the forensic examination report.
The court has set a deadline for the final hearing against 11 people including Alam in the case .
The Supreme Court has put a full stop to the attempt to sell the land worth billions of Giribandhu Tea Estate in Jhapa .
Supreme Court ordere to stopped the selling process of the land of the tea state, stating that the ammendment of the land reform acts made by the then KP Oli-led government were not favorable to the legal provisions.
In this case, which is considered to be political corruption, the Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court has given an order to confiscate more land than the limit. The writs filed by Advocate Omprakash Aryal, Bhaktaraj Bharti and Omprakash Mishra on different dates were heard simultaneously by the Constitutional Bench and gave the verdict.
The bench headed by Chief Justice Vishwambhar Prasad Shrestha has quashed the government’s decision and all the actions taken in accordance with it. In the summary order issued by the bench of Justices Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada, Prakashmansingh Raut, Sapna Pradhan Malla and Sushmalta Mathema, it is said that, ‘Controversial decision granting approval to Giribandhu Tea Estate Pvt. Ltd. to sell 343-19-12 bigha of land under Land Act, 2021 will be invalidated as it does not appear to be in accordance with the legal provisions including Section 12(c) and is of an immature nature.’
Kathmandu-According to the order of the Kathmandu District Court, the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Police has released 3 people including businessman Arun Chaudhary.
CIB has said that according to the order of the Kathmandu District Court, the three person have been released on remand, but the investigation against them in the fraud case will continue.
The district court in Kathmandu allowed three people, including industrialist Arun Kumar Chaudhary, who were arrested on charges of misappropriating the land of the Bansbari Leather Shoe Company, to be detained for two more days for investigation.
The CIB arrested Ajit Narayan Singh Thapa, the then president of Bansbari Leather Shoe Company Limited, along with Chaudhary, and Sanjay Thakur, chairman of the board of directors, from Kathmandu on Thursday.
KATHMANDU – The Election Commission has requested Nepali citizens who missed out on registering their names in the voter list due to various reasons to register their names before the date of the by-election is announced.
The commission has requested the eligible citizens who missed out on registering their names in the voter list for various reasons to register their names in the voter list under the relevant local level, state assembly constituencies and HoR constituencies before the date of the by-election.
The Election Commission has mentioned that the by-election will be held by the mid-may as there are currently 25 vacant positions including one in the House of Representatives, one in the Far West Provincial Assembly, two heads of the District Coordination Committee, one municipal deputy mayor, one rural municipality chairman, two rural village vice chairman and 17 ward chairman of various local levels. .
Kathmandu- A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court against the ordinance issued to provide various facilities to the leaders of the ruling party and opposition parties in Koshi province.
Advocates Kapildev Dhakal and Rajendra Prasad Dangal filed a writ in the Supreme Court . They have demanded the repeal of the anti-constitutional ordinance.
The Chief Minister of Koshi Province, Kedar Karki, issued an ordinance on January 20 to provide facilities including vehicles to the officials of the Provincial Assembly.
KATHMANDU – The government has presented an ordinance related to economic procedures and an order to remove difficulties in the meeting of the House of Representatives .
Finance Minister Dr Prakasharan Mahat presented the ‘Financial Procedures and Financial Accountability (First Amendment) Ordinance, 2080’ in the meeting. The ordinance includes provisions such as extending the time period for pre-discussion of the government’s policies and programs and budget.
Likewise, the Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Dhanraj Gurung has submitted an order to remove the discomfort caused by the extension of two commissions related to transitional justice according to Section 42 of the Commission of Inquiry into Disappeared Persons, Truth and Reconciliation Act, 2071
KATHMANDU- Only 56 percent of those who have passed MBBS have passed the license examination conducted by Nepal Medical Council (NMC).
Under the 68th license examination conducted by NMC, only 56.68 percent of doctors have passed, including 55.96 percent in medical and 61.05 percent in dental.
A total of 1,737 medical candidates and 2,285 dental candidates participated in the examination. Only 46 percent of the examinees passed the 67th license examination held last year.
Candidates who are not satisfied with the results of the examination can apply for re-registration in the email of NMC by clearly mentioning their name and roll number within 35 days from the date of publication of the notice and such candidates have to pay a fee of Rs 1,500, NMC said.
Candidates who have passed the examination have to apply online to get registration certificate within 35 days from the date of publication of this notification. According to NMC, the certificate will be prepared after 15 days from the date of application.
The NMC said that the concerned examinees should be present to get the certificate as they have to submit biometric attendance, photo check and signature verification.
KATHMANDU – The Kathmandu District Court has extended the judicial remand of two days to three people arrested in the case of Bansbari leather and shoe factory land scam.However,the court has also ordered to release them on bail if the investigation is not completed within the extended period of time. Earlier, the court allowed them to be detained for four days.
The Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police arrested two people including the Chairman and Managing Director of CG Holdings Chaudhary involved in the land scam on Thursday.
Arun Kumar Chaudhary is accused of illegally converting 10 ropani public land of a government-owned shoe factory into private property.
Along with Arun Chaudhary, the CIB has also arrested Ajitnarayan Singh Thapa, the former executive chairman of the leather and footwear factory, and Sanjay Thakur, the director of the CG Chandbagh Residency and Champion Footwear Company established by the Chaudhary family on the said 10-ropani land.
King Charles III of Great Britain has been diagnosed with cancer, Buckingham Palace said in a statement.The type of cancer has not been revealed yet but was discovered during his recent treatment for an enlarged prostate.
“Throughout this period, His Majesty will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual”, said the statement.
King Charles, 75, had spent three nights in hospital last month after undergoing a corrective procedure for an enlarged prostate, when a separate issue of concern was noted. The palace said that tests had identified a form of cancer.
The royal family usually does not share details about illnesses as they regard all medical issues as private matters.But the palace said Charles was eager to share his details “to assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer”.
The announcement from Buckingham Palace comes a day after World Cancer Day, when Queen Camilla opened Maggie’s Royal Free, a new cancer support centre at the Royal Free Hospital in the United Kingdom, seeking to raise awareness and provide expert care and support, for free.
Kathmandu: The Nepal office of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has refused to recognize both the working committees of the Nepal Red Cross . IFRC has said that it will conduct all the humanitarian aid projects on its own until the legal ambiguity seen in the working committee dispute of Nepal Red Cross is resolved.
Currently in Nepal Red Cross there are two separate working committees under the leadership of Netraprasad Timilsina and Sudarshan Prasad Nepal . While both of them are claiming that they are official, the issue regarding officiality is pending in the Supreme Court.
IFRC’s office in Nepal has clarified that it will stop signing the project agreement with any group until the working committee of Nepal Red Cross gets the authorization and it will only bear the cost of the necessary human resources, monitoring and utilization in the office of Nepal Red Cross as well as the agreed national level activities.
IFRC and its members will approve and transfer only a certain amount of funds by setting a time limit and while transferring money to the branches of the Red Cross, full coordination with the technical staff of the central office will be ensured.
Kathmandu – The winter session of the Federal Parliament is starting today. Seven possible agendas have been set for the meeting of the House of Representatives, which is scheduled for 4 pm.
At the beginning of the meeting, Speaker Devraj Ghimire will read out the details of the letter received from the President. After that, he will read out the letter regarding assignment of duties received from the office of the President and the letter regarding assignment of duties received from the office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.
According to the Parliament Secretariat, the agenda for the Speaker to nominate the members who will preside over the meeting according to the House of Representatives Rules 2079 has been decided. Likewise, the Electronic Business Bill, 2080 and the National Dignity Bill, 2079 will be tabled in the National Assembly.
Finance Minister Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat will introduce the Financial Procedure and Fiscal Responsibility (First Amendment) Ordinance, 2080 and Law Minister Dhanraj Gurung has issued an agenda to submit an order to remove obstacles according to section 42 of the Investigation, Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act, 2071 issued by the decision of the Council of Ministers.
KATHMANDU – The Special Court has sentenced former member of the Constituent Assembly and founder of Civil Savings and Loan Cooperative Limited, Ichcharaj Tamang, to three years in prison and a fine of 1.73 billion rupees.
The court also sentenced Tamang’s wife to one year and six months in prison and a fine of 1.36 billion. The court sentenced Keshavalal Shrestha, the then president of Civil Savings and Loan Cooperative Limited, to one and a half years in prison along with a fine of Rs 256.5 million.
The full bench of Special Court Chairman and Judge Teknarayan Kunwar, Judge Tejnarayan Singh Rai and Murari Babu Shrestha found them guilty and sentenced them. Three people including Tamang and his wife have been found guilty in the case.
The court decided to confiscate their property and said that the property will be used to return the money of the savers of the cooperative . A fraud case was filed against them on the charge of billions of rupees scam of the savers of the cooperative.
The United States and the United Kingdom have carried out strikes on Houthi-controlled positions in Yemen in a new wave of attacks against the Iran-aligned Yemeni group, which has been targeting US and Israeli interests in solidarity with Palestinians.
In addition to Saturday’s strikes, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) also hit a Houthi antiship missile that was “prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea” early on Sunday. Houthi attacks on Israel-linked ships in the narrow strait of Bab al-Mandeb in the Red Sea have disrupted global trade, drawing in the US and the UK response.
Since mid-November, the Houthis have launched dozens of missile, drone and boat attacks on commercial ships linked with Israel, in addition to US and UK military warships, with the stated goal of stopping Israel’s devastating war on Gaza. Houthis have also demanded that Israel allow delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, where nearly the entire population of 2.3 million faces hunger.
The wave of new strikes followed a US air assault in Iraq and Syria on Friday that targeted armed groups linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in retaliation for the killing of three US soldiers in Jordan last week. The US has blamed the Jordan attack on the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of Iranian-linked armed groups. Tehran has tried to distance itself from the drone strike.
The CENTCOM said it launched “proportionate” attacks with “support” from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. Thirty-six targets were hit “across 13 locations around midnight Saturday”, the US, the UK and supporting countries said in a joint statement.
“These strikes are intended to degrade Houthi capabilities used to continue their reckless and unlawful attacks on US and UK ships as well as international commercial shipping in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden,” it said.BBC
KATHMANDU- Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya held discussions with Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka over the issue of the by-election to be held for 25 various posts that have fallen vacant.
During the meeting held at the Ministry of Defence in Singha Durbar Thapaliya and Khadka discussed the recently conducted National Assembly election and the upcoming by-election, according to the DPM’s Secretariat.There is a constitutional provision under which the Election Commission can consult with the government regarding the election to the Member of the House of Representatives and the Province Assembly as well as the by-election for the vacant posts in the local levels.The EC has already suggested to the government to hold the by-election within mid-May this year. It is conducting the election to fill up the posts that have fallen vacant due to various reasons.
The by-election will be held in Ilam constituency-2 for one member of the House of Representatives and in Bajhang constituency-1 for a member of the Sudur Paschim Province Assembly. The Ilam constituency-2 seat had fallen vacant following the death of Subas Chandra Nembang . Nembang was elected to the House of Representatives from the CPN-UML . Meanwhile, the Sudur Paschim Provincial Assembly seat of Bajhang constituency-1 had fallen vacant after the death of Nepali Congress Province Assembly member Prithvi Bahadur Singh in a road accident.
The EC stated that currently 25 posts have fallen vacant, including one in the House of Representatives, one in the Sudur Paschim Province Assembly, two chiefs of the District Coordination Committee, one deputy-mayor of a municipality, one chair of a rural municipality, two vice-chairs of rural municipalities and 17 ward chairs of various local levels.
Kathmandu- The election of the Speaker of the National Assembly will be held on March 12. The detailed schedule of the election prepared by the National Assembly Executive Committee will be announced on March 10.
The term of office of 20 MPs including Speaker Ganesh Prasad Timilsina of the 59-member National Assembly is expiring on the 3rd of March. 19 members have been elected from the election of National Assembly members held on January 25, while the President will nominate one member on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers.
In terms of numbers, the coalition government currently has a clear majority in the National Assembly . As per the coalition leaders, Nepali Congress leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula might be the candidate for the Speaker of the National Assembly on behalf of the coalition.
KATHMANDU, Feb 3: Businessman Arun Chaudhary, who was arrested in connection with the embezzlement of land belonging to the Bansbari Leather and Shoes Factory, has vowed to return the land if the land acquisition is found to be illegal.
An investigation officer involved in recording the statement of detained businessperson Chaudhary made this revelation.
The statement is being recorded in the presence of the chief of the District Attorney Office, Kathmandu, Sandesh Shrestha, according to Superintendent of Police from the Central Bureau of Investigation, Nabaraj Adhikari.
Police had arrested Chaudhary; the then executive chair of Bansbari Shoe Factory, Ajit Narayan Singh Thapa; and proprietor of Champion Footwear Pvt and CG Chandbag Residency, Sanjay Thakur, in the same case.
SSP Dinesh Raj Acharya of the CIB, said, “The arrest was made after a long investigation. So, it is not a hasty action.”
Dhangadhi. CPN-UML leader Bhim Rawal has said that development and prosperity cannot be achieved in the country if politics is focused on self-interest.
At the closing ceremony of the Chief Minister’s Cup volleyball tournament at Mahendranagar in Kanchanpur , he commented that leaders should not focus only on changing the government, who will become the prime minister and minister.
He believes that while neighboring India and China are developing rapidly, Nepal is lagging behind in geopolitics due to its own reasons.
If Nepal, which has a very sensitive geopolitics between the two countries, becomes weak, if the governance system is focused on personal interests, when will we develop sports, agriculture, health and economy? When will we give jobs to the youth?’ Rawal said, ‘If we only decide when the government will change, who will be the minister, and who will be the prime minister, we will not be able to develop the country.’
Rawal said that improving the economy of the country, returning the encroached borders, developing the agricultural sector and employment are the main needs of the present time.
Kathmandu – UML President and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that the bill related to transitional justice should be passed with the consent of all.
He expressed this opinion while talking to mediapersons after a meeting with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal at the office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers at Singhdurbar today.
He informed that there was a discussion with the Prime Minister regarding current issues and finalizing the rest of the peace process. President Oli said that he talked to the Prime Minister about finalizing the bill properly and quickly.
The bill is currently being discussed in the committee regarding the completion of the rest of the peace process. It was discussed that we should settle it well and finish it soon. UML’s stance on TRC remains the same. If it is done well, it will be passed by consensus,” said President Oli. President Oli also informed that UML’s position that the bill related to TRC should be victim-friendly remains the same.
Kathmandu: CPN-UML President KP Sharma Oli has said that the current government is undemocratic and corrupt. Inaugurating the National Convention of Bank, Insurance and Financial Sector Employees Association of Nepal in Kathmandu on Friday, Oli said that the current government is illegal, undemocratic and corrupt.
He claimed that the political, cultural, economic and social sectors were devastated because of the government. Likewise, Oli said that Pm Dahal intervened and instructed to stop the scout conference after being sure about the alliance will be defeated.He alleged that Congress is looting Scout’s property by force.
He says that the coalition government has also interfered in organizations such as Red Cross, Non-residential Nepal Association. Oli mentioned that the financial institutions have caused problems to the borrowers by unilaterally increasing the interest rates.
Kathmandu: A case has been registered against people involved in human trafficking in the name of visit visa f . Based on the police report, District Public Prosecutor’s Office Kathmandu has registered a case against 22 people, including 9 immigration officers, in Kathmandu District Court for offenses related to organized crime.
A case has been registered against 22 people, including immigration officers Tara Bahadur Kunwar, Kushal Baral, Shailendra Dhakal, Bimal Paudel, Bishnu Prasad Aryal, Vikas Dangol, Pitambar Rimal, Sujan Fago Limbu and Narvir Khadka, for illegally smuggling people on visit visas by using government documents.
Similarly, a case has been registered against Geeta Shah, Saroj Kumar Yadav, Padam Lama, Manoj Tamang, Ram Prasad Bhandari, Dinesh Gyawali, Ravin Aryal, Vinod Karki, Kaushila Magar, Lakshmi Rai and Rita Damai.
The police investigation revealed the involvement of the immigration staff in the process of taking money through the travel agency and making fake documents and sending them out of the airport. Earlier, Immigration officer Narveer Khadka was arrested by CIB on the same case.
Kathmandu – Managing Director of CG Holdings, Arun Chaudhary, has been arrested by the police from Lazimpat on Thursday afternoon.
He is the brother of Nepal’s only billionaire, Vinod Chaudhary, who is also a member of the federal parliament. Arun Chaudhary is accused of illegally converting 10 acres of public land of Bansbari leather and shoe factory into private property.
Chaudhary was arrested by the CIB on Thursday and brought to the Kathmandu District Court for permission to keep him in custody. According to Chandra Prasad Panthi, Information Officer of Kathmandu District Court, the bench of District Court Judge Madhav Prasad Ghimire has extended the deadline to keep Chaudhary in custody for four days.
The police also arrested Ajit Narayan Singh Thapa on the charge of misappropriating the land of Bansbari leather shoe company. Thapa was the then chairman of leather shoe company.
The Bansbari Leather and Shoe Factory was established in the 1960s as a state-owned enterprise with the support of the Chinese government. However, later the public company sold the factory to a private company saying that it was incurring regular losses.
Kathmandu – The Nepal government has started the final process of exporting 40 megawatts of electricity to Bangladesh from the coming monsoon.
The Economic Affairs Committee of the Bangladesh Council of Ministers decided to purchase 40 megawatts of electricity from Nepal on last December. According to the said decision, Bangladesh had sent a letter to Nepal to send a proposal for sale by prioritizing the price. After the correspondence from Bangladesh, the official of Nepal Electricity Authority has gone to Bangladesh with the tariff rate.”Bangladesh will send a reply based on our proposal,” Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Shakti Bahadur Basnet said.
Kulman Ghisingh, Executive Director of Electricity Authority, said that since the business is going to be done with Bangladesh for the first time, the reasonable price has been offered. “We have sent a proposal that is close to the rate we are doing with India,” he said. Ghising says that an engineer from the Electricity Trade Department sent from Nepal will register the sealed file with the price in the Power Development Board of Bangladesh within 4 days. If something has to be arranged, we will arrange it, otherwise there will be an agreement,” he said.
Bangladesh will take Nepal’s electricity using Indian transmission lines. In the Nepal-India secretary level meeting held last February, India has already said that it will send the name of the project and allow it. According to the authority, the power trading with Bangladesh will be done through the Indian power trading company NTPC Vidyut Vyar Nigam. Ghisingh, executive director of the authority, said that the necessary understanding for a tripartite agreement has been reached with NTPC Electricity Trading Corporation, Nepal Electricity Authority and Power Development Board of Bangladesh.
‘After the tripartite agreement, Nepal will export electricity to Bangladesh via India,’ he said, ‘Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Nepal’s electricity will reach Bangladesh from the coming monsoon.’ Electricity will be sold to Bangladesh by paying a ‘billing charge’ to India. The fee paid for using the transmission line is the ‘Billing Charge and the billing charge will be paid by Bangladesh. Recently, a long-term electricity trade agreement has been signed with India to export 10,000 megawatts of electricity in 10 years.
Kathmandu – Supreme Court has ordered to present the order passed by the Patan High Court in the marital rape case filed against the suspended District Judge Bhuvan Giri.
The bench of Chief Justice Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada and Judge Sunil Kumar Pokharel has ordered to present the documents in the case . The then judge of Rupandehi District Court, Bhuvan Giri, was ordered not to be detained by the High Court in the marital rape case.
Giri was ordered to be released on bail in the rape case filed in the Kathmandu District Court in that dispute. Against the same order, his wife filed a petition in the Patan High Court.Giri’s wife approached the Supreme Court after the Patan High Court upheld the order of the Kathmandu District Court.
Kathmandu – The Supreme Court has demanded a reason for entering into a long-term electricity trade agreement with India.
The petitioner Suryanath Upadhyay, the former Secretary of the Government of Nepal and a member of the Nepal-India Enlightened Persons Group (EPG), filed a petition demanding that the implementation of the agreement signed by the Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar during his visit to Nepal be stopped and that the agreement with India be taken to the Parliament and implemented only after the approval of the Parliament. . Judge Nahkul Subedi’s bench issued a show cause order on Upadhyaya’s writ.
The court also asked the government to clarify whether this agreement is a matter of distribution of natural resources and its use according to article 279 sub-section 2 of the Constitution of Nepal, and whether it should be approved by a two-thirds majority of the total number of members in both houses of the federal parliament. In Article 920 of Article 279 of the Constitution, there is a condition that if there is a treaty or agreement related to peace and friendship, security and strategic relations, the borders of the state of Nepal and the distribution of natural resources and its use, it must be approved by a two-thirds majority of the total number of members immediately existing in both houses of the Federal Parliament.
The Supreme Court has said that since the writ petition claims that the power trade agreement should only deal with the sale of produced electricity, the nature of an agreement claims from the construction of structures to production and even water.
Kathmandu – Nepal Oil Corporation has increased the price of petroleum products. The corporation has increased the price of petrol, diesel,Kerosene and LP gas.
According to the decision of the board of directors meeting of the corporation, the price of petrol, diesel, kerosene and LP gas has been increased so that the new price will be effective from 1 am on february 1st.
According to the corporation, per liter petrol has been increased by Rs.4, diesel-kerosene by Rs.2 and LP gas by Rs.15.
According to the new purchase price received from Indian Oil Corporation, the price of petroleum products has been increased.
Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi have been sentenced to 14 years in prison, the second sentence in two days. Khan, who was ousted as prime minister by the opposition in 2022, is already serving a three-year prison sentence on corruption charges. He has said that all these cases are politically motivated against him.
Wednesday’s court case was about gifts he and his wife received while in office, while Tuesday’s trial saw him sentenced to 10 years in prison for leaking classified state documents. The court also ordered the couple to pay a fine of around 1.5 billion Pakistani rupees (£4.2 million; $5.3 million). Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party also said the sentence banned Khan from holding public office for 10 years.
Khan’s lawyers said they would be launching an appeal to Pakistan’s High Court in both cases.His wife Bushra Bibi, who had been out on remand, surrendered at the jail on Wednesday. She has typically kept a low profile during their period in office. The two married in 2018, months before Khan was elected prime minister.
In the so-called Toshakhana (state treasury) case, both had strongly denied the accusations brought against them by Pakistan’s anti-corruption watchdog that they had sold or kept state gifts received in office for personal profit. Such gifts included a jewellery set from the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged the largest number of prisoners since the start of the war.
According to the Ministry of Defense of Russia, 195 Russian soldiers have returned home from the Ukrainian-controlled territory under the prisoner exchange, while 195 Ukrainian soldiers have been transferred to Kiev.The released Russian soldiers will be taken to Moscow for treatment and rehabilitation, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also confirmed the transfer of prisoners and said that 207 soldiers have returned home. However, as the Russian Ministry of Defense said that only 195 Ukrainian soldiers were returned, there was no confirmation about how the other 12 prisoners were added.
The prisoner exchange, which was scheduled to take place last week, was postponed after a Russian Il-76 plane carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners was attacked. Russia has been demanding an investigation saying that the plane was attacked by Kiev.
Kathmandu – United Nepali Diaspora Organization (UNDO) has been registered as a parallel organization of Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA).
According to the decision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on 14th Jan 2024, UNDO has been registered and granted a certificate in accordance with the Non-Resident Nepalese Act 2064 and the Non-Resident Nepalese Regulations 2066.
Sonam Lama, who is also the former vice-president of NRNA, applied to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to register the United Nepali Diaspora organization after the dispute in the NRNA election of 2078 Chait. After Ministry of Foreign Affairs refused to register the organization, Lama filed a writ in the Supreme Court on 31 July 2023. Accordingly, the joint bench of Supreme Court Justices Anand Mohan Bhattarai and Teel Prasad Shrestha ordered the registration of UNDO.
58 non-resident Nepalese from 28 countries jointly applied to register the United Nepali Diaspora Organization in accordance with the provision of non-resident Nepali association 2066 where it has been mentioned that 50 non-resident Nepalese in 25 countries should jointly applied for the registration of new organization related to Non resident Nepalese.
Kathmandu- According to the verdict of the Supreme Court, Bhatbhateni has to pay one billion 53 million 25 lakh rupees in the case of VAT evasion.
The full bench of the Supreme Court upheld the decision it had made earlier and held that Bhatbhateni had evaded taxes by creating a fake VAT bill.
The full bench of judges Kumar Chudal, Tek Prasad Dhungana and Balkrishna Dhakal has issued the final judgment on the issue of tax evasion by issuing fake VAT bills.
Bhatbhateni had issued a fake bill of tax VAT from July 064 to January 067 and the tax office had assessed taxes and fines on Bhatbhateni for evading VAT and income tax. Which was approved by the Internal Revenue Department’s Administrative Review and Revenue Tribunal Office.
According to the decision of the Department and Revenue Tribunal Office, Bhatbhateni appealed against it to the Supreme Court after having to pay tax and fines of more than one billion rupees. After many arguments and long debates, the joint bench of the then Chief Justice Cholendra Shamsher Jabara and Judge Prakash Kumar Dhungana upheld the decision of the department and the tribunal office saying that Bhatbhateni’s plea was not enough .
Kathmandu – The government has prepared for the re-operation of the Hetauda textile industry. During the high-level discussion held at the Prime Minister’s and Council of Ministers’ office, Singh Durbar, Prime Minister Dahal advanced the discussion on the feasibility study conducted by the Nepal Army for the re-operation of the textile industry.
According to the policy and program of the Government of Nepal for the financial year 2080/081, the Nepali Army has studied the feasibility of re-opening the industries.
Hetauda Textile Industry Established in 2032 with the financial and technical support of the Chinese Government and the investment of the Government of Nepal stopped its production since 2056. The then royal government decided to close the industry in 2059. According to the study report presented by the Nepali Army after the government included the subject in the policy and program, It is estimated that the initial cost will be 1.93 billion to re-start the industry. In addition, annual operating expenses of Rs. 78 crore has been estimated in the report. The conclusion of the task force is that when the industry is re-operated, after 9 years the cost will be replaced and the industry will become profitable.
In the study report, it has been concluded that the industry has closed in the past due to lack of market management, timely modernization of technology, load shedding, financial burden due to excess manpower and lack of managerial capacity.
In the study report, some of the existing structures and machines of the industry can be repaired and put into operation and the budget of Nepal Army’s military welfare fund is sufficient for the operation of the industry. 166 ropani land is available in the ownership of the industry, the minimum infrastructure required for the industry is in place, most of the raw materials for the operation of the industry are available. It is mentioned that there is no problem for the market as the demand of clothing for government employees including the Nepali Army will be available within the country and the industry meets the demand.
The report has also determined the necessity and justification of the re-operation of the industry. According to which, re-operation of the industry will maintain the industrial sector of the past and will contribute significantly to the development of the country’s industrial sector and gross domestic product. It will also contribute significantly to job creation, so it is concluded that youth migration can be stopped.
Jhapa – The Struggle Committee of interest rate Victims is going to start “Mechi Mahakali Justice March” from today to put pressure on the government.
The Kisan Labor Struggle Committee Against high interest rate and Fraud is going to start a peaceful walk “Justice March” together from Mechi Bridge at Kakadvitta in East Jhapa and Mahakali in the West. The Committee said that the Justice March is a fight against the state power and money lender , saying that the law regarding high interest rate made by the government was not for the victim side but in favor of the money lender. It is said that the justice march, which will start simultaneously from Mechi and Mahakali in the west at 7 am on Tuesday, will reach Narayangadh in Chitwan and then depart for the capital Kathmandu.
The Committee has said that it started the justice march with 6 point demands where they have mentioned that, all fake documents related to high interest rate(Tamsuk, Drishti Bandhak ) should be declared illegal and compensation should be arranged for the victims by canceling the transfer of property rights of the victims at any level, registration of cases filed against the victims by the money lenders in different levels of courts should be brought to the Commission for review and the victims who are being punished based on fake documents (check bounces) should be released, the fines should be waived and since the government data of the applications related to high interest rate is incomplete, the registration of new applications should be opened immediately and the victims should be recorded.
Kathmandu – The committee formed to investigate the purchase and sale of shares of Ncell has submitted a report to the Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. The 5-member investigation committee formed under the coordination of former Auditor General Tankamani Sharma Dangal concluded that the purchase and sale agreement of Ncell cannot be accepted as it is.
Taking the report of the inquiry committee formed under the coordination of former Auditor General Tankamani Sharma Dangal, the Prime Minister said that the report will help the government to take the right decision.
It has been mentioned in the committee’s report that since Ncell started its business in Nepal, it has made 80 million foreign investments and 20 million domestic investments, and has earned more than one billion in profit annually and has taken more than 68 billion abroad under various headings. Similarly, it has been seen that the matter of more than 85 billion rupees that Ncell has to pay to the government of Nepal in taxes and non-taxes form is pending in different levels of courts.
The report says that the transaction mentioned in the Ncell Axiata share purchase and sale agreement between Axiata Group and Spectralite UK on 1 December 2023 is not based on the principle of equal commercial behavior and the seller side is dominant and has placed more than normal conditions on the buyer side. It has been mentioned in the report submitted by the investigation committee that the agreement cannot be considered as a favourable agreement as it is seen that conditions such as the right to sue, the company’s debt and liability are not on the seller.
The Secretary of the Government of Nepal Phanindra Gautam, Joint Secretary Baburam Bhandari, Joint Secretary Hrides Kumar Shakya, President of ICAN Sujan Kumar Kafle were in the investigation committee.
Lalitpur – The country’s oldest university, marking its 74th anniversary had launched the online services.Tribhuvan University (TU) has started providing exam-related services through the online system from Monday.
Prof Shivalal Bhusal, acting vice-chancellor of TU, launched the online service by clicking the mouse of the computer at the Office of the Controller of Examinations at Balkhu, Kathmandu.
Acting Chancellor Bhusal said that the university digitalized its services for every examination related process and expressed his confidence that it would be a success.
Earlier, students were compelled to visit the Balkhu-based office for obtaining mark-sheets. With the launch of the service, students can apply for admit cards, transcripts, provisional certificates, correction in the mark sheets among others from their home.
For that, students need to log onto www.tuexam.edu.np and apply for the services attaching the specified certificates and thereafter pay the prescribed fee via Nepal Bank or Global IME Bank.
Students will be notified in office hours whether their applications have been accepted or rejected. Acting Vice-chancellor Bhusal said that in case of rejection, the students will be asked to re-apply by correcting the errors or filling the missing details.
Kathmandu – The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has given permission to Himalaya Airlines to perform ground handling of its aircraft by itself .
With the Supreme Court granting the mandate, Himalaya will get the ground handling it demanded. The Bench of Justices Dr. Manoj Kumar Sharma and Binod Sharma has issued an injunction to allow Himalaya Airlines to carry out self-ground handling.
The authority decided to provide ground handling services to Himalaya Airlines in 2077 but later on the authority did not allow Himalaya Airlines to do self-ground handling saying that there is insufficient space.Himalaya Airlines Pvt. Ltd and Vice Chairman of the company Bijay Bahadur Shrestha later on filed a case against the Civil Aviation Authority and Tribhuvan Airport Office on a basis of a provision in the ground handling and ground service operation guidelines.According to the provision,companies with 35 regular flights per week can do ground handling by themselves.
At Tribhuvan Airport, Nepal Airlines Corporation is currently handling the ground handling of the entire airport. Air India too has its self ground handling .
In ground handling, you can do things such as putting up ladders for boarding and disembarking passengers, taking and bringing passengers from the terminal to the ship, managing passenger baggage, etc.
Kathmandu – Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that there will be an investigation into the Durbar massacre in 2058. He said this while talking to journalists during a program held in Simara.
Mentioning that the former king is saying things that should not be said, Prime Minister Dahal said in a conversation with the media that the government will once again move towards an investigation into the Durbar massacre.
The Prime Minister has also said that although the Federal Democratic Republic gives freedom to everyone, no one has the right to stand against the system and do conspiratorial activities.
Kathmandu – Today onwards all the government offices across the country will be open till 5 pm. The government published a notice in the Nepal Gazette on 16th march 2023 and said that from 16th of magh the office hours will be from 10 am to 5 pm.
The government has said that from Kartik 16th to Magh15th, office hours will be from 10am to 4pm and from Magh 16th toKartik 15th, office hours will be open until 5pm.
On Friday, the office will be open from 10 am to 3 pm, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs. The government has fixed lunch time from 1:30 pm to 2 pm.
Kathmandu – Foreign Minister NP Saud has said that the border issue between Nepal and India should be resolved on the basis of political consensus.
Speaking at a program organized in Kathmandu on the occasion of India’s 75th Republic Day on Monday, he said that the administrative mechanism created to solve the border problem should find a political solution after technical work.
“When solving the border problem, there should be consensus politically, we also have a mechanism administratively. That mechanism should be active. After it is active, both the neighbors should solve this problem diplomatically, based on the facts. This matter has already started between the two countries, he said.
During the visit of Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar to Nepal, the representatives of both countries promised to solve the border problem through dialogue and discussion, Foreign Minister Saud said.
Biratnagar – The CPN-UML has asked the Koshi state government to withdraw the ordinance brought to make the leaders of the alliance happy. The Koshi Parliamentary Party of the UML held a press conference and warned that the Ordinance would be withdrawn and failed in the Parliament itself.
Rebathiraman Bhandari, chief whip of UML, has said that it is objectionable to amend the law so that even a party with only one MP in the state can be given vehicle facilities.
UML has objected to the fact that Chief Minister Kedar Karki has increased the number of officials of the Provincial Assembly through an ordinance to provide vehicle facilities to the leaders of the ruling party, and that the state government has opened the way for the additional officials to provide vehicles and other facilities.
Iran has denied any involvement in the drone attack on the US military base in Jordan. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said that Tehran was not involved in the drone attack on the American base in Jordan.
A drone attack on a US military base in Jordan killed 3 US soldiers and injured 34 others.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq – an umbrella group for Islamist Shia militias, has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Iranian Foreign Ministry has stated that Iran has no connection and concern with the attack.
In the attack on the American military base in the Middle East, 3 American soldiers died and the number of injured in the attack reached 34.
Al Jazeera reported that 3 people were killed and 34 injured in the attack on the American military base in Jordan. According to sources, Washington is working to identify the armed group that carried out the attack.
Earlier, in a statement by the US President Joe Biden published by the White House Press, it was mentioned that there was a drone attack on US troops stationed near the border of northeastern Jordan. The US has said the attacks were carried out by Iran-backed radical armed groups active in Syria and Iraq.
On the other hand, Iran has denied its involvement in the drone attack in Jordan. The Iranian Foreign Ministry has stated that Iran has no connection and concern with the attack.
Kathmandu: The Supreme Court acquitted Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda in the contempt of court case and clarified that the court will not act with any prejudice or revenge.
After the Supreme Court acquitted the writ petition filed by senior advocate Dinesh Tripathi, the full text of the verdict has been made public. A joint bench of Judge Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada and Kumar Regmi acquitted Prime Minister Dahal in the contempt case .
Dahal, who is also the chairman of the CPN Maoist Center, iexpressed that “the court made a terrible conspiracy against the peace agreement while making the decision on the case regarding the maoist insurgency “. Aiming at Dahal’s statement, the full text of the Supreme Court says, “The court does not become reactive by nature, the court does not act with any bias or revenge.” It works to guide the darkness existing in the society towards the light by showing the light of justice.’
“It is not reasonable to automatically consider someone’s expression as a matter of contempt of court on the basis that it is indecent or provocative,” the full text says, “it needs to be viewed according to the subject and context.” It did not seem sensible to consider it as a contempt of court and make it a subject of punishment. It does not seem reasonable to form a judicial opinion by considering the news published in a certain newspaper as the decisive reliable basis.
It is mentioned in the full text of the judgment that there is no credible, factual basis or evidence regarding Dahal’s statement, so that it can not be considered as contempt of court.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” has said that Nepal should be made a “hub” of higher education. The Prime Minister said this while addressing the ninth meeting of the Karnali Academy of Health Sciences.
I have a clear belief that Nepal should be made a hub of higher education. This is not only our aspiration, but also an area of significant potential,” he said. “I am very happy to learn that students from abroad have started coming to study at the Karnali Institute of Health Sciences.”
Expressing his belief that the establishment will make more progress in the future, Prime Minister Prachanda said that the establishment is providing direct services to the people of Karnali Province and the backward areas of Sudurpaschim Province as well as producing skilled manpower.
The Prime Minister said, “The institution is not only providing services to the poor, it is also producing skilled and hardworking health workers.”
Mentioning that the foundation has played an important role when the country and the people are in trouble, Prime Minister Prachanda said that whether it is in the tragic situation of the Covid epidemic or during the recent devastating earthquake, the foundation has done very important work in the fields of preparedness, necessary vigilance, rescue and treatment with full sense of responsibility.
Stating that it is the responsibility of the establishment to make the service delivery more simple, convenient and quality in the future, Prime Minister Prachanda stressed that for a competitive society, the nation and the world, qualified, efficient, honest and full of patriotic spirit should be produced.
He felt that the establishment has made significant progress in recent years, and expressed his belief that the establishment will take serious initiatives in innovation-based studies, research and inventions.
Biratnagar – The Chief Minister of Koshi Province, Kedar Karki, has issued an ordinance to increase the office bearers of the Provincial Assembly.
Chief Minister Karki issued Ordinance 2080 to amend some provincial laws 10 days after ending the session of the Provincial Assembly to provide additional facilities to the leaders of the ruling party.
The new ordinance has amended Section 2 of the Act 2075 on the Service of Officials and Members of the Provincial Assembly and increased the number of officers of the Provincial Assembly. The government will provide vehicles, drivers and fuel to the additional officials through the State Assembly Secretariat.
In the Act, only the speaker, deputy speaker, leader of the main opposition party, chief whip of the ruling party, chief whip of the main opposition party, leader of the opposition party, whip of the ruling party and the chairman of the provincial assembly committee were kept as office bearers of the provincial assembly. By bringing the ordinance, the former chief minister who is a member of the provincial assembly and the leader of the parliamentary party of the party participating in the government and the leader of the parliamentary party of the opposition party have also been placed in office.
Chief Minister Kedar Karki has also taken away the authority of the heads of District Coordination Committees through an ordinance. By amending the Koshi State Public Health Act 2077 through an ordinance, Chief Minister Karki took away the authority of the District Coordination Committee chief.
Earlier in the act, there was a provision that the chairman of the management committee of the government hospital under the province would be the head of the district coordination committee. But Chief Minister Karki has issued an ordinance to appoint the state government as the chairman of the government hospital management committee.
Kathmandu – Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka has suggested to use the money accumulated in the Military Welfare Fund for the purpose of getting maximum return. While inspecting the military welfare directorate on Sunday, he opined that the funds should be invested in plans and programs to provide more economic and social security to the beneficiaries.
The assets of the Soldier Welfare Fund have reached over 82 billion 66 million rupees. According to the headquarters of the Nepal Army, the fund has a cash balance of 75 billion 905 million rupees and has invested 6 billion 750 million rupees in various programs till the end of last December.
Jangi Adda also informed that more than 3 thousand people got direct employment from the educational institutions, health treatment facilities and other activities run under the Directorate of Military Welfare. The fund has given the data that more than 1 billion 250 million is directly contributing to the country’s revenue.
“I would like to draw attention to be careful to prevent the funds from being invested in risky areas and to mobilize them in more profitable and productive activities that contribute to the economic and social development of the country,” he said.
Deputy Prime Minister Khadka also suggested that the funds should be used to expand quality health and education services to Nepali soldiers and dependent families in the future.
Various welfare and income-generating programs are being coordinated and operated from the funds established for the greater welfare of the Nepali Army and dependent families.
Established in the year 2032, the fund is a contribution-based non-profit welfare program organization.
At the call of the United Nations, a part of the money received for deployment as a peacekeeping force in various conflict-affected countries of the world is also deposited in the fund.
Officers including Chief of Army Staff Prabhuram Sharma, Defense Secretary Kiran Sharma also participated in the inspection and discussion program.
Kathmandu- The Election Commission has submitted the report with the results of the National Assembly elections to the President Ramchandra Paudel.
Chief Election Commissioner of the Election Commission Dinesh Kumar Thapalia presented the report to President Paudel at a program held on Sunday at Rashtrapati Bhawan Sheetal Niwas.
According to Section 60 of the National Assembly Member Election Act, 2075, the report with the election results of the National Assembly Member Election, 2080 has been submitted to the President’s Office.
Elections were held in all the seven provinces for 19 seats. The remaining 1 seat will be nominated by the President on the recommendation of the government.
Sun Haiyan, Deputy Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC), said that other countries are trying to play the game in relation to Nepal and China.
While interacting with the leaders of various political parties in Kathmandu during her three-day visit to Nepal, Haiyan said that the political relations between the two countries are good and that some other countries do not want to see this.She said that the reason for visiting Nepal and holding joint consultations with political parties is to improve the relationship between the two countries.She said that the heads of state of both the countries are trying to strengthen the relationship and the signing of the memorandum of agreement has also strengthened the relationship between the two countries.”We need to work on how to improve China-Nepal relations and cooperate in the new era”, she said.
She also pointed out the need to do homework on the role of political parties to strengthen the relationship between Nepal and China. A lot of Chinese tourists have come to Nepal. Nepal must also have felt this,” she said, “but we should not rely only on one area. Before I came to Nepal, when I discussed with the Chinese entrepreneur, I mentioned the need to invest in Nepal. But for that, there is a need for policy reform here.In addition, she said that not only because of the Covid-19, but also because of various reasons, the projects in Nepal with Chinese investment are being delayed.
“We have to sit down and solve it. We should have more cultural exchanges. We are working in accordance with the desire to give more scholarships to Nepali students,” she said. “We understand that projects are necessary in Nepal for livelihood as well. We are working for that too. But for that, policy reform is necessary. The people here should get that.’We have to work together to face the difficulties. Cooperation should be made more practical, she said.
She emphasized on building Chinese-style development and implementing BRI.Similarly, Chinese ambassador to Nepal Chhan Sang said that it is necessary to consult on how to further advance the relationship between Nepal and China.In addition, he said that China is ready to help Nepal and Nepal should work to solve the policy problems.
Kathmandu: CPN Unified Samajwadi Party President Madhav Kumar Nepal has accused the main opposition party CPN UML of playing a negative role in a very irresponsible manner. Speaking at the party’s second national council meeting that began on Sunday, President Nepal said that UML is determined to destroy the current coalition government.
‘The CPN-UML, which has become the main opposition after being overthrown, is playing a negative role in a very irresponsible manner. There is an audacity to break the current alliance that is being operated by the government in various ways,’ he said. He said that the parties in the opposition have been blocking the House on any issue.
Nepal, who is also a former Prime Minister, said that recently questions are being raised about the stability of the government and political stability in the country. He claimed that due to various opposing forces in the House, instability was being created in the country.
He emphasized that since the coalition government has been formed in the union and all the seven provinces, they should work with understanding among the coalition parties.
He said that the economic crisis and recession that appeared in the country after the Covid-19 is still ongoing. He said, ‘Economic crisis and recession are the same. Although there have been some improvements, the revenue raised has not been enough to cover current expenses. Price rise and inflation have increased. Although it was said to replace imports and promote exports, it has not been done accordingly.’
Saudi Arabia has deported 10,000 migrant workers who violated residency, labor and border laws. The number of Nepalese workers to be deported has not been revealed yet. According to the Saudi officials most of them are Yemeni and Ethiopian citizens.
Saudi Arabia has intensified the work of arresting and deporting illegal (undocumented) immigrants. 19,000 people have been arrested in the last one week alone. In which 11 thousand 427 people have violated the housing law. 4,697 people have violated the Border Security Law and 3,197 people have violated the Labor Law.
According to the information issued by the Ministry of Interior of Saudi Arabia, 55 thousand 756 people have been arrested till January. In order to deport 43,000 people, a letter has been sent to the embassies of the relevant countries to issue travel documents.
According to the Nepal Embassy in Riyadh Nepalese have been facing legal problems as the Saudi employers do not renew the visas of Nepali workers on time and employ them without a visa.
Kathmandu- Kathmandu district court has issued arrest warrants against seven immigration officials involved in setting up visit visas. The police investigation has shown that the setting up of visit visas is done in an organized manner at the immigration office at Tribhuvan International Airport.
According to the police, arrest warrants have been issued against immigration officers Kushal Baral, Shailendra Dhakal, Bimal Paudel, Vishnu Aryal, Vikas Dangol, Pitambar Rimal and Sujan Fago.
The police said that after the involvement of more employees was confirmed in the investigation of detained immigration officer Narveer Khadka and the middleman, the search for other employees has been started.
After the police investigation revealed the setting, the Ministry of Home Affairs has recently canceled the 17-point criteria regarding visit visas that have been in force for two years and implemented a new 6-point procedure.
Kathmandu – A diffusion notice has been issued requesting Interpol’s help in arresting GB Rai, who has been charged of co-operative fraud.
District Police Office Kaski had earlier requested the Police Head Office to issue a diffusion notice in the case of fraud in Suryadarshan Cooperative. In response, Central Police Spokesperson DIG Bhim Prasad Dhakal informed that Interpol’s National Central Bureau Kathmandu has requested the Secretary General of Interpol to issue the notice.
The Kaski District Court earlier ordered the arrest of treasurer Kumar Ramtel on charges of misappropriation of depositors’ money. In the same incident, Vice President Kailash Kumar Darlami, member Shiv Bahadur Gurung and Bhagishwar Aryal were also arrested and are currently being detained and investigated, according to the Kaski Police.
An arrest warrant has been issued against 19 people including JB Rai in the Suryadarshan Cooperative fraud case. 15 of them are absconding now.
In the complaint, it is alleged that the employees of Suryadarshan embezzled 1.12 billion rupees from the depositors. Under the Cooperative Act, they can be jailed for 8 to 10 years and fined.
According to the police report, the GB Rai group embezzled the funds of Suryadarshan by creating fake shareholders and various companies. The police have concluded that the directors and officials of the cooperative opened fake share member accounts and misappropriated the funds without placing the assets in the name of the cooperative or individuals.
North Korea has fired several cruise missiles in waters off its east coast. launch took place near the port of Sinpo.Neither the number nor type of missiles is clear yet says South Korea’s military.
Reporting the new launch, which took place at 08:00 (23:00 GMT Saturday), South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said “our military has been closely coordinating with the United States to monitor additional signs of North Korea’s provocations”.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been increasingly aggressive in his policy direction and rhetoric in recent months, ending several agreements aimed at peace-keeping and ramping up military action.
Pyongyang claims to have tested a new solid-fueled missile and its underwater attack drone, which can carry nuclear warheads.
Earlier this month, Kim Jong Un named South Korea as a “main enemy,” announcing that the former primary goal of reunification with South Korea had ended. This raised concerns that North Korea was preparing for war, South Korea said.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has said that if the North increases its provocations, it will respond strongly.
Kathmandu- Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda has said that health insurance should be made more effective with the aim of improving the access and use of quality health services.
In the 12th meeting of Patan Institute of Health Sciences, the Prime Minister and Chancellor ‘Prachanda’ emphasized on the need to support the aim of ensuring health services for all on the basis of social health insurance.
Pointing out that the local levels are making positive efforts to make the health insurance program successful, Prime Minister Prachanda said, ‘I believe that the agreement signed with the Lalitpur Metropolitan Municipality to provide health services with experts to make the national health insurance program a success will become a model program for the country.’
Prime Minister Prachanda expressed his belief that the health services provided by the institution to the general public will be made more standard and agile in the future and expand the access of more and more people to the hospital services.
Mentioning that the hospital has expanded its services according to the needs of the citizens by adding various services and technologies in time, Prachanda recalled that it has made a significant contribution to the testing and treatment of those infected with the global epidemic of Covid-19.
The Prime Minister pointed out that it is equally necessary to promote international level study and research in the field of health science and to emphasize the production of skilled and quality health manpower required for the country and instructed the institute to go in that direction.
Kathmandu – Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Narayankaji Shrestha has said that Nepal and China will sign the implementation plan of the ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ ‘soon’. However, he did not say anything about when and how to do this.
Nepal and China signed a memorandum of understanding on BRI in 2017, but no project under it has been implemented for nearly seven years.
Addressing a program of the Silk Road Youth Forum and the South Asian Cooperation Conference, Shrestha said that only after signing the implementation plan, they will proceed to the implementation phase.
Stating that the Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to enhance connectivity and promote economic cooperation, has opened new avenues of cooperation between the two countries, he said that infrastructure development is the cornerstone of Nepal-China cooperation.
“China’s assistance in building important infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and energy projects has played an important role in leading Nepal towards economic growth and stability, and the increased connectivity through these projects will not only strengthen bilateral relations but also contribute to the broader vision of regional cooperation and integration,” he said.
The signing of the BRI implementation plan between Nepal and China has been one of the main agendas since the beginning of 2020, but due to differences between the two sides on the modality of investment, an agreement has not been reached.
“China’s BRI has emerged as a transformative force to shape the economic landscape of South Asia,” Shrestha said. “BRI’s emphasis on connectivity, infrastructure development and financial support is seamlessly aligned with the development aspirations of nations in the region.”
Shrestha said, “The Belt and Road Initiative is not just about building roads and bridges. It is also about creating pathways to shared prosperity. The economic corridor envisioned by the BRI has the potential to open up new markets, facilitate trade and spur economic growth. For nations like Nepal that reside in the heart of the Himalayas, these initiatives open up possibilities for expanded connectivity that can transform the economic landscape.
Silk Road Youth Forum Vice President and Secretary General Yan Dongping, Madhyapur Thimi Municipality Deputy Mayor Vijaykrishna Shrestha, Chinese Embassy Commercial Counselor Xie yu, Matrika Poudyal, Foreign Affairs Institute Spokesperson Tsetan Namgyal and others were present in the program. Aneka Rebecca Rajbhandari, Assistant Professor of Jawaharlal Nehru University’s Center for Inner Asian Studies, Raunab Singh Khatri and Hou Shixin, among others, shed light on various aspects of Nepal-China relations.
Dhangadhi- CPN (Maoist Center) Sudurpaschim has instructed to immediately correct the decision to change the leader of the provincial parliamentary party.
The official meeting chaired by the state president Hariram Chaudhary (Utsav) decided to instruct the parliamentary party to correct the decision.
A meeting of majority MPs of the Maoist Center Sudurpaschim Parliamentary Party decided to remove Bhatt and appoint Man Bahadur Dhami as the leader of the party.
According to the Maoist Center, the meeting chaired by deputy leader Akkal Bahadur Rawal without the knowledge of Khagraj Bhatt, the leader of the parliamentary party, drew attention to the matter of changing the leader of the party and changing the government.
It has also been requested to take the problem within the parliamentary party seriously and take the initiative to resolve the dispute in the presence of the central office.
Showing the reasons why the performance of the parliamentary party and the provincial government is not satisfactory, they submitted a memorandum to the party president Prachanda, who is also the prime minister.
At the same time, a controversy has arisen in the Maoist Sudurschim after the majority of the MPs, who warned that if they do not proceed according to the sentiments of the majority of MPs, they will take a decision according to the constitution of the parliamentary party.
kathmandu – Free parking service has started from today (Sunday) on the first floor of the parking building in Dharahara, Kathmandu.
According to the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, free parking services will be provided from today on the first floor of the parking building built along with Dharahara.
After the Metropolitan city has prohibited vehicle parking on the black-paved roads in the New Road area, free parking arrangements have been made in Dharahara with the aim of providing easy parking space to motorists.
Kathmandu Metropolitan’s Chief Senior Superintendent of Police Rajunath Pandey informed that free parking service will be available in the parking building in Dharahara area from today in coordination with stakeholders.
Earlier, the Metropolitan Corporation had also arranged free parking at Kathmandu view Tower (formerly the old bus park).
According to Pandey, 50,000 square feet area will be available for free parking in Dharahara area from today. Going towards New Road from Shaheed Gate, you will reach the parking place from the road leading to Khichapokhri from Kathmandu Mall on the left.
Lumbini -World famous Hollywood actor Jet Li has arrived at Lumbini praying for world peace. Li , who came to Lumbini for the Bumchok Puja that began on Thursday, will stay in Lumbini till Monday. Li himself is a Buddhist follower and a practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism.
During the puja in lumbini he recites various mantras, prays, counts rosaries and meditates.The 61-year-old actor Li has said that he would not say anything as he came on a religious pilgrimage. Li is also a Chinese martial artist, actor and a film producer. He made his film debut with the 1982 film Shaolin Temple and In 1998, he made his international film debut in Lethal Weapon 4 . Once upon a time in china,fist of legend and romeo must die are few of his superhit movie.
Kathmandu – Deputy Minister of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party, Sun Haiyan, had a courtesy meeting with the Chairman of CPN (UML) KP Sharma Oli.
The meeting between UML Chairman Oli and Chinese Deputy Minister Haiyan was held at the UML party headquarters in Chaisal, Lalitalpur on Saturday. During a talk between two leaders Nepal-China relations and relations between UML and the Chinese Communist Party were discussed.
According to Rajan Bhattarai, head of UML’s foreign department, during the meeting, Chairman Oli asked to implement the agreement made in the past with the Chinese Communist Party when the UML was in government. Deputy Minister Sun Haiyan also expressed her commitment to implement the agreements reached at the highest political level between the two countries.
CPN-Maoist Center Deputy Secretary General Barshman Pun has said that after the results of the National Assembly election in Koshi Province, there is a need to seriously review the alliance with the Congress.
While training the Maoist representatives and district level leaders in home district Rolpa, Pun commented that the Congress has lost their trust.
He said that in every election, they vote for the Congress honestly, but the process of being cheated by the Congress is repeating.
A new turn has come in national politics with the results of the National Assembly election of Koshi province. We have reached the point where we have to seriously review the alliance with the Congress”, Pun said, “what is the loss or profit for us politically from the alliance with the Congress? How long will it last if we continue to vote for Congress honestly in every election and Congress keeps betraying.
Earlier, in various cases, the Congress leadership used to point to factionalism and power struggle within the party as the reason. Pun recalled that two years ago, the Congress was dishonest by not voting for the candidate in the National Assembly from Koshi. Pun also said that the Congress betrayed Kedar Karki by making him the Chief Minister of Koshi in an alliance with the UML, contrary to the agreement reached at the top leadership level.
Deputy General Secretary Pun has also demanded the Congress leadership to review the anarchy and apolitical tendencies within them. He said that the Congress’s betrayal in Koshi will be discussed in the power alliance meeting.
In the National Assembly elections held on Thursday, the ruling coalition nominated Congress LLeader Krishna Prasad Sitaula and Maoist Champadevi Karki as candidates. Although Sitaula won, Karki lost to UML’s Rukmini Koirala.
A New York jury has decided Donald Trump should pay $83.3m for defaming columnist E Jean Carroll in 2019 while he was US president.
The penalty in the civil trial is made up of $18.3m for compensatory damages and $65m in punitive damages. The compensatory damages are meant to account for the harm that the jury found his comments had done to her reputation and emotional wellbeing. It took the jury of seven men and two women less than three hours to reach a verdict .
Mr Trump was found in a previous civil case to have defamed Ms Carroll and sexually assaulted her in the 1990s.
Mr. Trump, who looks likely to be the Republican candidate in November’s presidential election, also faces four criminal cases for a total of 91 felony counts. He is the first president in US history to be charged with a crime, but has pleaded not guilty and denied all the charges.
Meanwhile, Trump said, “I fully disagree with both verdicts and will be appealing this whole Biden Directed Witch Hunt focused on me and the Republican Party.
He also said,”Our Legal System is out of control, and being used as a Political Weapon. They have taken away all First Amendment Rights. THIS IS NOT AMERICA!”
A British national was sentenced to five years in jail for spying in 2022, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Mofa) has now revealed.
The defendant – named as Ian J Stones – committed the “crime of illegally obtaining intelligence for overseas actors”, a Mofa spokesman said.
The spokesman added that he had appealed against the sentencing but the case was upheld last September.
This was only revealed in a Mofa briefing on Friday.
According to an article by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Stones worked in China for four decades with big US firms like General Motors and Pfizer and is believed to be aged around 70.
He set up a Beijing-based investment management consulting firm some 15 years ago, said the WSJ, citing corporate records, online profiles and people who know him.
Mofa spokesman Wang Wenbin said the court had “tried the case strictly in accordance with the law”, adding that Beijing had “fully guaranteed the various legitimate rights” and arranged for British officials to visit him and attend his trial.
Stones’ daughter told the WSJ that embassy officials and one family member were permitted to witness one hearing but not the actual trial, adding that none of them had been permitted to see any of the legal documents related to the case.
She also claimed her father was healthy at the beginning of his detention but had received “inconsistent medical care and poor nutrition leading to severe and life-threatening injuries”.
Ms Stones said British Embassy staff have been able to visit Stones every four to six weeks to check on him, but that there have been long periods where they received no news and were not permitted any consular visits.
In a statement, Mr Wang added that Stones was accused of “being bribed into providing intelligence by external forces” .
“The judicial organs strictly promote the handling of cases in accordance with the law, safeguarding the rights and legitimate interests of both Chinese nationals and foreigners,” he said.
This latest reveal comes as China increasingly publicises cases of alleged espionage by Western countries.
Beijing has also launched public campaigns to raise awareness of foreign spying and has been calling on people to report any suspicious activity.
Earlier this month, Chinese authorities said they had detained an individual alleged to be spying for Britain’s foreign intelligence service, MI6.BBC
KATHMANDU – Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has emphasized dialogue between the warring parties for upholding world peace.
During the meeting with a high-level delegation of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs, led by Izumi Nakamitsu, Prime Minister Dahal said Nepal is always in favor of world peace, adding Nepal’s peace process has become an example for other countries in the world.
He stressed that dialogue is the only option for world peace, adding, “Many areas of the world are still in very sensitive condition. Incidents including the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel and Hamas war have added challenges to global peace. But we stress on seeking the solution to conflicts through dialogue.”
The PM recalled Nepal’s remarkable role in different international forums for the establishment of peace in the world.
Talking about the role played by Nepal from the position of leader of the least developed countries in the UN General Assembly, PM Dahal underscored that Nepal would always support the UN’s efforts to establish peace and play a leading role in world peace.
“The role the United Nations has played for world peace and disarmament is laudable. We are with the United Nations in its every step and express our commitment to remain so in the future as well,” he said.
Under-Secretary-General and the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Nakamitsu, said the office of the South Asia Centre on Disarmament Affairs has been set up in Nepal and the expectation is that Nepal will become a center of peace in the South Asia region.
“The Centre has been established with the expectation that Nepal will become a peace center amongst its nuclear-armed neighbors. It is expected that like in the past Nepal will play its role in support of regional and world peace in an effective manner,”
On the occasion, Izumi also praised the role Nepal has been playing in the UN peacekeeping missions as the second-largest troops-contributing nation.
UN Resident Coordinator in Nepal, Hanna Singer, the foreign affairs advisor to the Prime Minister, Rupak Sapkota, and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, among other officials were present on the occasion.
Kathmandu- The police of Tribhuvan International Airport assaulted the immigration officer along with the head of the airport immigration office when a dispute arose over the issue of security.
It is said that while checking(frisk search) immigration officer Chhayanlal Moktan on , the police attacked him in a heated dispute over the issue of checking the immigration staff but not the police.
Moktan told Gogan Bahadur Hamal, the head of the immigration office, about the mistreatment by the police, and when Hamal looked at the CC camera to understand the reality of the incident, he clearly saw that the police had punched the immigration officer Moktan. It is said that as soon as he responded to the incident, the police stationed there attacked Hamal too.
After the incident, the immigration officials complained that if the DSP of police and the deputy secretary of immigration enter together, the police will search the deputy secretary of immigration, but not the DSP, and leave him .
After the incident, the immigration officials said that police collusion is seen in most of the smuggling from the airport and they should not be exempted from security.
Baglung – The Police has issued a ‘Red Corner Notice’ to arrest Image Savings and Credit Cooperative Society President Dev Kumar Nepali, who is also the mayor of Baglung’s Dhorpatan and is missing after embezzling almost Rs2 billion from depositors and banks.
A case is going on against 8 people including Nepali and his wife for misappropriating the funds of the cooperative. In order to arrest Nepali and his wife Chela Nepali, the Police Headquarters has issued a ‘Red Corner Notice’ through the International Police Network (Interpol) of police around the world.
Suspecting that the Nepali is hiding abroad, the victims of the cooperative demanded that a red corner notice be issued. DSP Madan KC of Baglung said that Interpol has issued a red corner notice to arrest the couple. “Now, if it is known in which country he is, the police of that country will search and hand him over to Nepal,” DSP KC said, “It is necessary to track his location.”
1,550 people filed a police complaint against him. Based on the complaint, the public prosecutor’s office has filed a case of organized fraud in the district court. The court had issued an arrest warrant against him in may.
Nepalis have embezzled 1 billion 60 million rupees from the savers of the cooperative. Apart from that, it has been seen that couple have taken almost 350 million loans from Global IME Bank, National Cooperative Bank and Garima Bikas Bank.
Based on the case, other officers of the cooperative, Chitra Bahadur Bhandari, Narmati Budha, Shakti Kisan, Dor Bahadur Pariyar and Anita Budhamgar have been arrested.
They have been sent to pre-trial detention by the order of District Court Baglung .The treasurer of the organization, Lakshmi Sen Sunar, was also arrested by the police from Lalitpur on Thursday.
Sun Heyan, Deputy Minister of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party, has arrived in Kathmandu.
The delegation led by Sun Haiyan arrived in Nepal via neighboring Bangladesh for a four-day visit to Nepal.The team reached Bangladesh last Tuesday after visiting the Maldives. During her visit to Bangladesh, Haiyan met with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday.This is the first high-level visit by the Chinese side after the formation of a new government in Bangladesh.
Before that, she had a meeting with the President of the Maldives last Monday, Mohammed Maizu. Some bilateral agreements have also been made in that regard.After visiting Dhaka, the team led by Deputy Minister Haiyan landed in Nepal on Friday afternoon.
During their visit to Nepal, the Chinese team is scheduled to meet with the top leaders of various parties including President Ram Chandra Paudel, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda.Deputy Minister Sun is also scheduled to hold a group discussion with leaders of various parties at Hotel Solti this Sunday.
Kathmandu – The Supreme Court has recently released the full text of the instructions given to the government to amend the National Human Rights Commission Act.
The bench of Justice Sushma Lata Mathema and Hariprasad Phuyal gave this order. Along with the order, the government has been asked to amend the National Human Rights Commission Act to make the activities of the National Human Rights Commission effective.
In the order, the government has been requested to stop recommending and appointing people who violate public human rights to constitutional bodies. It directed that action be taken against the human rights violators directly by the Attorney General as per the recommendations of the NHRC.
The directive was issued in September in response to a writ petition filed five years ago regarding non-effective implementation of the recommendations of the National Human Rights Commission. The petitioner claimed that Section 13 (3) of the Enforced Disappeared Persons Investigation, Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act, 2014 was in conflict with the constitutional provisions providing the functions and powers of the NHC in Article 249 of the Constitution of Nepal.
Petitioner Advocate Birendra Thapalia demanded the jurisdiction of the National Human Rights Commission to investigate the cases of human rights violations during the armed conflict.
Kathmandu – A five-year memorandum of understanding has been signed between Tribhuvan University (TU) and University of Electronics Science and Technology of China (USTC).
Acting Vice-Chancellor of Tribhuvan University Dr Shivalal Bhusal and UEFA Vice-Chancellor Zheng Yong signed the agreement at Tribhuvan University Kirtipur. Prof. Chiranjeevi Khanal, head of Tribhuvan University’s Department of Mass Communication and Journalism and Professor Hong of UEFA signed the agreement.
Bhusal, Acting Vice-Chancellor of TU, expressed his belief that there will be a close cooperation between the two universities in the coming days. The representative of USTC, Prof. Hang Hong, said that he will provide his best support in the field of study and research.
Prof. Khanal, who initiated the agreement, said that there is an agreement between the two universities for long-term cooperation and this agreement will be useful for enabling mutual benefit and academic cooperation based on the principle of mutual equality. According to the agreement, scholars, researchers and teaching staff and students will be exchanged whil Workshops and seminars will be organized jointly.
The US state of Alabama has executed 58-year-old Kenneth Eugene Smith, who was convicted of murder, by using nitrogen gas. The BBC has mentioned that nitrogen gas was used for the first time in the United States during executions. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, Smith is the first person in the world to be executed using pure nitrogen gas.
Smith was sentenced to death after losing appeals to the Supreme Court and the Federal Court of Appeals, arguing that the death penalty was cruel and unusual punishment. Attempts to execute him by lethal injection in 2022 failed.
Smith was convicted in 1989 for the murder of Elizabeth Sennett, the wife of a preacher.
Alabama and two other US states have approved the use of nitrogen hypoxia as an alternative method after lethal injections have become increasingly difficult to find. Under that policy, death penalty was given for the first time using nitrogen. In different states of America, the death penalty is given by lethal injection.
Breathing only pure nitrogen gas deprives the brain of oxygen, a process known as nitrogen hypoxia. Breathing nitrogen without oxygen causes body cells to break down and die.According to prison officials, pure nitrogen gas was circulated over Smith’s face with a mask.
Before being executed, Smith said: ‘Tonight Alabama takes humanity a step back, thank you for supporting me. Love everyone’. According to eyewitnesses to the incident, Smith was agitated for two to four minutes and breathing heavily for about five minutes before being pronounced dead.
The Attorney General of Alabama, Steve Marshall, refuted the comments in the media saying that nitrogen use is scary and said that it has been proven to be an effective and humane method of execution.
KATHMANDU, Jan 26: Patan High Court has upheld the District Court Kathmandu’s order to keep Rahul Mahara in custody for investigation.
A division bench of judges Anju Upreti Dhakal and Dipendra Adhikari on Thursday upheld the verdict of the District Court, Kathmandu. Rahul Mahara, son of CPN (Maoist) leader Krishna Prasad Mahara, is in custody for investigation of a gold scam.
The Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police had arrested Rahul on the charge of his involvement in the scam. The District Court Kathmandu had issued the order to keep Rahul in custody, rejecting to release him on bail. Rahul had moved the High Court against the decision of the District Court Kathmandu, but in vain.
Kathmandu: The amicus curiae of the court is giving its opinion in the case related to the decision to remove the word “OM” from the Nepali dictionary. The argument of the amicus curiae is going to start today as the argument of the lawyer for the petitioner and the lawyer of the government side has finished.
Writ petitioner and lawyer Swagat Nepal has informed that since the arguments of the petitioner, witness and the government lawyer in the writ against the removal of the word “OM” have been completed, the amicus curiae will be debated from today.The writ is being debated in the joint bench of Judge Sapna Malla Pradhan and Saranga Subedi .
The then Minister of Education, Dinanath Sharma forced to remove the word”OM”from the cabinet meeting on 6th August 2012 and implemented it. Advocate Swagat Nepal, Tapendra Bahadur Karki and others filed a writ in the Supreme Court on 9th September 2016 against the government’s decision.
They filed a writ saying that the word ‘om’ has been removed from the dictionary with the aim of ending Nepali, language, culture and tradition under foreign influence.
Earlier, the joint bench of Supreme Court Justices Kumar Chudal and Vinod Sharma had ordered to summon ‘Amicus Curiae’ to hear the writ. An order was made in the name of Nepal Bar to send an amicus curiae including a person with language and legal competence.
The petitioner has demanded that the amendment approved by the Ministry of Education on the proposal of the Curriculum Development Center should be cancelled. The word ‘om’ has been removed from the comprehensive Nepali dictionary of the 10th edition published in 2018.
Kathmandu: The government is going to conduct a vaccination campaign against measles-rubella across the country from February 25th to March 20. Considering the risk of measles-rubella infection, the target is to vaccinate about 5.7 million children across the country.
The Ministry of Health and Population is going to give measles-rubella vaccine to all children between the ages of nine months and 15 years. According to Dr. Abhiyaan Gautam, Head of Child Health and Vaccination Branch of the Department of Health Services, all the children of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur in Kathmandu valley and 21 districts highly infected with Measles-Ruella bordering India will be given the vaccine.
“The children of the remaining 51 districts will also be made to participate in the vaccination campaign,” said Chief Dr. Gautam. Director of Family Welfare Division Dr. Vivek Kumar Lal said that the government is going to conduct a vaccination campaign with the goal of eliminating measles-rubella by 2026. Measles-rubella is the most contagious disease. One person can spread this disease to 18 people. ‘Measles-rubella is more contagious’, Dr. Gautam, Head of Vaccination Branch, said, ‘That’s why we have started conducting vaccination campaigns across the country this year.’
Kathmandu – With the results of today’s election of the National Assembly, the CPN Maoist Center has succeeded in becoming the largest party in the National Assembly. According to today’s vote results, the Maoist Center has become the largest party in the National Assembly with 17 seats, while the Congress is in second place with 16 seats.
In the National Assembly elections held for 19 seats, 10 people were elected from the Congress, 5 from the Maoist Center, 2 from the United Socialist Party and 1 each from the Janata Samajwadi Party and the CPN-UML. With today’s voting results, the party equation in the National Assembly has changed.
Who won the National Assembly member election?
In the election for National Assembly members, Krishna Sitaula of Congress and Rukmini Koirala of UML were elected from Koshi Province, while Anand Prasad Dhungana of Congress and Pooja Chaudhary of Jaspa were elected from Madhesh Province.
In Bagmati, Jeetjung Basnet and Vishnudevi Pudasaini of Nepali Congress, Srikrishna Adhikari of CPN Maoist Center and Ghanshyam Rizal of CPN Unified Socialist were elected, while in Gandaki, Kiran Babu Shrestha of Congress, Padma Bahadur Pariyar and Manrupa Sharma of Maoist were elected.
Similarly, Bishnu Kumari Sapkota of the Congress and Jhakkuprasad Subedi of the Maoist Center were elected from Lumbini Province, while Savitri Malla of the United Socialist Party, Vishnu BK of the Maoist and Krishna Bahadur Rokaya of the Congress were elected in Karnali.
Similarly, Maoist’s Renu Chand from the women’s side, Congress’s Narayan Bhatt from the disability side and Baldev Bohra from the Congress have been elected from Far West Province.
Janakpur- Vote count for the National Assembly member election has started in Janakpur. Voting started at 9 am and ended at 3 pm in all the 14 polling stations of seven provinces.
According to the Election Commission, 99.32 percent votes were cast in the election. Commission spokesperson Shaligram Sharma Poudel informed that the voting was peaceful and all the results will be available by 8 pm.
According to Paudel, counting of votes has already started in Janakpur of Madhesh province. All-party meetings have also started in other states. Counting of votes will begin in all provinces in the next hour.
Elections were held today for 19 seats in the National Assembly and one will be nominated by the President. 51 candidates from eight teams are competing for 19 seats .
Mugu- Three people have died due to viral fever in Soru Rural Municipality-6 Purumuru of Mugu.Locals said that 72-year-old Hari Bahadur Shahi, 75-year-old Kriti Chatyal and 24-year-old Kusum Dholi of Purumuru died due to viral fever.
Local people of Purumuru, Jima, VA, Natharpu, Khawalcha and other villages of the district have suffered from viral fever and the district hospital is full of such patients.
Local said that even though the whole village is suffering from viral fever, no help has been provided so far from the local government. The poor people of the area are suffering because of lack of treatment and the Locals are complaining that they do not even get paracetamol at the health post.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the District Health Office conducted a health examination of more than 150 people from Soru rural municipality, Purumuru and Jima villages with a team of doctors.
Kamal Dhungana, a doctor at the district hospital, said that due to the increase in the number of patients due to cold, it will take some time to control the viral fever. Frequent sweating, headache, muscle pain, loss of appetite, feeling weak are symptoms of viral fever.
Kathmandu- The Abuse of Authority Investigation Commission has filed a case against 5 people on the charge of corruption in the program of distributing free pads to female students of public schools.
A case has been filed in a special court against the then Chief Administrative Officer Arvind Kumar Chaudhary, Accounts Officer Shyam Sundar Yadav, teacher Shyam Prasad Yadav, Naib Subba Sujan Dahal and the proprietor of Shree Lakshmi Traders and Suppliers Lalita Kumari Shah.
In the financial year 2077/078, the rural municipality purchased sanitary pads worth Rs.17,85,928/- to be distributed free of cost to the girl students of public schools. According to the authority, according to the Public Procurement Act and regulations, the cost estimate had to be prepared based on prevailing prices. But the then Chief Administrative Officer Chaudhary and others colluded with Lalita kumari of Sri Lakshmi Traders bought sanitary pads worth 9 lakh 11 thousand 925 rupees for 17 lakh 85 thousand 928 rupees.
According to sub-section (1) of section 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2059, four employees including the then chief administrative officer Chaudhary have been ordered to be imprisoned and fined Rs.874,003.
In the charge sheet filed in the special court in Kathmandu, Lalitha kumari of Lakshmi Traders has also been asked to be punished like the main culprits and charged with the crime, Narahari Ghimire, spokesperson of the Authority, informed.
Officials said that the Ministry of Health and Population has started consultation with vaccine experts to dispose 4 million doses of Sinovac-Coronavac Covid-19 vaccine that expired in December last year.
The vaccine was provided by China two years ago. When China sent the vaccine as a support, other vaccines were also available in Nepal . When the vaccine arrived, most of the Nepalese were already vaccinated and due to the less number of Nepalese remain to be vaccinated, the vaccine was not used and got expired.
Dr. Prakash Budhathoki, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Health, has said that he has started taking expert’s advice to dispose 4 million doses of the vaccine . “We have consulted experts from the World Health Organization, vaccine experts of the country and the National Vaccine Advisory Committee on cost-effective and easy ways to dispose the vaccine .” Officials said they have also consulted with experts from China’s vaccine manufacturing companies to dispose the vaccine doses.
Nepal used various brand of coronavirus vaccines such as AstraZeneca, Vero Cell, Pfizer-Biotech, and Moderna manufactured in several countries.
The United States and Iraq will soon begin talks on the withdrawal of US troops from this Middle Eastern country, CNN reported.
According to the report, “the US and Iraq are close to agreement on starting the Higher Military Commission dialogue that was announced back in August.” The dialogue is aimed at determining concrete steps for the future withdrawal.
The report says that Washington wants the troop schedule to reflect the current situation in Iraq and the stability of its government and law enforcement agencies. In turn, the Iraqi leadership believes that the timeframe of the withdrawal should not be affected by any circumstances.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani said on January 5 that the international coalition has run out of justifications for its presence on the Iraqi soil, and Baghdad is set to take concrete measures to end foreign military presence in the country.
He also said that the Iraqi government was in the process of setting the date for the start of talks within the framework of a bilateral commission established to tackle the issue of foreign troops’ withdrawal.
The statement came after reports that a leader of the Harakat al-Nujaba movement, Abu Taqwa, was killed during a US drone strike on Baghdad.
In turn, the Pentagon said on January 8 that it was not planning to withdraw its troops from Iraq at this point. Currently, around 2,500 US servicemen are deployed at various bases in Iraq. Department of Defense spokesman Pat Ryder said he was not aware of any requests on the issue filed by the government of Iraq. He added that US forces were staying in the country on a request from the legitimate government of Iraq.
Swasthani brata kath (A baidik sanatan hindu ritual) has started from today. From Paush Shukla Purnima to Magh Shukla Purnima, Hindus recite and listen to Shri Swasthani brata Katha every day in their homes.
Nepalese, especially the Hindu women, observe the month-long festival worshiping four-handed deity Swasthani with Chakra, Trishul, Sword and Lotus in each hand at the center while Astha Matrika or eight deities of power Mahakali, Vaishnavi, Brahmi Maheshwari, Kaumeshwari, Barahi, Indrayani, and Chamunda painted around her and reciting Swasthani Brata Katha (story) everyday.
The rituals associated with the Swasthani Katha take place on the banks of rivers at various Hindu shrines across the country.On this occasion, there is a crowd of worshipers and bathers at Shalinadi in Sankhu, Kathmandu. It is believed that in the month of Magha, if you take a bath in Shalinadi and visit Madhavnarayan, you will get merit.
Kathmandu – National Assembly elections are being held today in all seven provinces. Out of the 20 vacant seats in the National Assembly, elections are going to be held for 19 seats. One person will be nominated by the President on the recommendation of the government.
The Election Commission has said that voting will be held from 9 am to 3 pm and counting of votes will start immediately after the polling and the results will be announced today. Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapalia has informed that the election results will be announced within 3-4 hours.
According to the Election Commission, there are 51 candidates from eight political parties in the election. There are 5 candidates in Koshi province, 5 in Madhes, 15 in Bagmati, 8 in Gandaki and 6 each in Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces. There are a total of 51 candidates in all the seven provinces, 18 for the women group, 5 for the Dalit group, 8 for persons with disabilities or minority communities and 20 for other groups.
In the election of members of the National Assembly, the electors are the members of the provincial assembly, the chairman and vice-chairman of the rural municipality, and the head and deputy chief of the municipality. There are a total of 2 thousand 47 voters for the election of the member of the national assembly .
Houthi rebels from Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement announced a military operation against US warships in the Gulf of Aden and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the movement’s military spokesman Yahya Saria said on Telegram.
A clash with several destroyers and US warships, who tried to protect two US commercial vessels, occurred in the Gulf of Aden and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The result was a direct hit of a US warship. The two US commercial vessels were forced to retreat and return,” he said.
According to the statement, the clash “lasted more than two hours.” The Houthis used “several ballistic missiles,” and some of them “reached their targets” despite US attempts to intercept them.TASS
The UK is sending some of Ghana’s “crown jewels” back home, 150 years after looting them from the court of the Asante king.
A gold peace pipe is among 32 items returning under long-term loan deals according to BBC.The Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) is lending 17 pieces and 15 are from the British Museum.Ghana’s chief negotiator said he hoped for “a new sense of cultural co-operation” after generations of anger.
Some national museums in the UK – including the V&A and the British Museum – are banned by law from permanently giving back contested items in their collections, and loan deals such as this are seen as a way to allow objects to return to their countries of origin.But some countries laying claim to disputed artefacts fear that loans may be used to imply they accept the UK’s ownership.
The items to be loaned, most of which were taken during 19th-Century wars between the British and the Asante, include a sword of state and gold badges worn by officials charged with cleansing the soul of the king.
Russia requested an emergency session of the UN Security Council to discuss the shooting down of a military plane carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a press conference in New York on Wednesday afternoon, hours after the incident.
The IL-76 cargo plane crashed in Belgorod Region on Wednesday morning, claiming the lives of 65 Ukrainian POWs, as well as six crew members and three Russian soldiers, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. The prisoners were being transported to Belgorod, a city near the Ukrainian border, to be exchanged for captured Russian troops.
The ministry accused Ukrainian forces of shooting the plane down with air-defense missiles. “By committing this terrorist act, the Ukrainian leadership showed its true face, disregarding the lives of its citizens,” the ministry said.
Speaking to reporters at UN headquarters, Lavrov said that he had urged the Security Council’s French chairmanship to grant the meeting without delay.
”We do not want to repeat the situation of April 2022 after the staging of Bucha,” he added, referring to the supposed massacre of Ukrainians by Russian forces, which Moscow insists was staged by Kiev to draw international support. At the time, the British chairmanship of the Security Council refused Russia’s request for an emergency sitting for 72 hours.
The General Staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said that military transport aircraft approaching Belgorod often carry weapons, and that Ukrainian forces “take measures to destroy delivery means and control the airspace to eliminate the terrorist threat.” However, the military command did not explicitly accept responsibility for shooting down the IL-76.
Nepal Airlines Corporation is going to take a low interest loan of 1 trillion 35 billion rupees . According to the corporation, a loan will be taken to buy widebody and narrow body ships for international flights.
According to the report submitted by the corporation management, it was decided to submit the decision to the government at the meeting of the board of directors held on June 8 under the chairmanship of Yuvraj Adhikari, the chairman of the board of directors of the corporation, for the in-principle agreement to take the concessional loan.
Accordingly, according to the instructions received in coordination with the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, the Ministry of Finance and the National Bank, and according to the decision of the board of directors of the corporation an international letter of intent was called on Tuesday to take the loan.
Among the loans received, the corporation plans to pay the existing debt with the approval of the government of Nepal and related agencies, to purchase ships for domestic and international flights and to invest in the construction of hangars for maintenance of international ships.
The corporation hopes that the loan will not be taken once, but several times according to the needs of the corporation’s commercial investment, and after receiving the loan, the annual interest expense of about three and a half billion will be significantly reduced.
The corporation says that the letter of intent has been called with the expectation that the corporation’s profit will increase.
Kathmandu – The then managing director of Nepal Telecom, Sunil Paudel, and the then executive director of Surakshan Mudran Kendra, Vikal Paudel, have been arrested in connection with the security printing and payment gateway case.
It is said that they were arrested by the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority in the National Payment Gateway and security printing press case. The authority has filed a case against Sunil poudel in a special court with a demand of Rs 23,27,58,0 77 and 13 years imprisonment.
Similarly, the authority’s team arrested Vikal Paudel for allegedly corrupting around 700 million in the purchase of electrical infrastructure needed for Security Press. The authority has demanded a fine of 698 million rupees and three years imprisonment against Poudel.
Kathmandu- The government has formed a three-member committee to study the new stock exchange. The Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday formed a study committee chaired by former Deputy Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank Chintamani Siwakoti.
Government Spokesperson and Minister of Communications and Information Rekha Sharma has informed that a three-member study committee has been formed under the chairmanship of Nepal Rastra Bank’s former Deputy Governor Sivakoti to study the organized sector that operates the securities market.
The committee will have to submit recommendations to the government within 45 days .After the proposal to license the new stock exchange reached the cabinet, the government formed a study committee to study it. The Securities Board has already accepted applications for new stock exchanges.
Three applications have been received for the new stock exchange. Himalayan Stock Exchange, National Stock Exchange and Annapurna Exchange have applied for the new stock exchange.
KATHMANDU – The government is preparing to operate the national flag-carrier Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) under management contract.
Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Sudan Kirati said that processes have been advanced for the management contract of the NAC for its restructuring.
At a meeting of the International Relations and Tourism Committee of the House of Representatives (HoR) on Tuesday, Minister Kirati said, “We are preparing to go for this system as we are required to embrace the management contract of the Corporation’s restructuring.” The Ministry has already sent a proposal for a management contract to the cabinet. “A decision will be made soon on this agenda,” he shared.
Minister Kirati argued that reforms in the NAC were inevitable through management contracts based on the studies and recommendations of the stakeholders. Since the management contract modality has generated good results in different countries, this model could be appropriate in Nepal too, he claimed.
On the occasion, Minister Kirati shared that the ministry has drawn the conclusion that the NAC cannot be run in the existing situation and that plans were being prepared to run the organization by bringing about structural reforms. On the occasion, lawmaker Udaya SJB Rana said that the NAC’s presence should be made robust in the international market even by adding more aircraft.
Likewise, lawmaker Dr Dhawal SJB Rana said that the NAC’s management contract was appropriate but it should advance only on the basis of relevance. However, lawmaker Prem Suwal opposed the idea of operating the NAC through a management contract and called for all to become responsible for reforms in the NAC.
The local businessmen of the New Road area are protesting against the Kathmandu Metropolitan City’s decision on parking banin the New Road area.
After the Metropolitan Corporation banned parking on black paved roads around Dharmapath, Juddha Shalik to Indrachok, Khichapokhari, Mahabauddha, Bir Hospital, the businessmen of that area have started protesting for the second day today.
The businessmen have closed the shutters of their businesses and have embarked on street protests demanding to withdraw the unilateral decision of metropolis to remove the parking lot without any coordination with the businessmen and the option of parking.
The businessmen have started the street movement by forming a struggle committee consisting of local social associations, business associations and stakeholders.
Naresh Katuwal, founder president of Nepal National Federation of Businessmen, has said that the decision to remove the parking lot in the area has caused injustice to businessmen, locals and customers and the business future of New Road is in crisis. He has also alleged that prohibition of parking without giving an alternative may caused the businessmen of the New Road area to collapse and flee.
KATHMANDU – With the conclusion that the budget of the federal parliament is insufficient, the officials of the federal parliament will demand to increase the budget of the parliament.
Speaker’s press adviser Shekhar Adhikari has said that preparations are being made to meet the Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda and Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat demanding to increase the budget of the Parliament.
According to Dashrath Dhamala, the Information Officer of the Parliament Secretariat, the government has only given Rs 1.22 Billion for the budget request of Rs 1.82 billion in the last financial year, and the parliament secretariat has estimated that one billion 87 million budget will be required for the next financial year.
In the meeting held at the Speaker’s office in Singhdurbar on Tuesday, it was agreed to jointly request the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister to increase the budget of the Parliament.
UK businesses are in financial crisis due to the negative economic conditions triggered by a series of interest rate hikes. The latest ‘Red Flag Alert’ issued by the Begbies Group found that 47,477 UK firms were in severe financial distress in the last quarter of last year and were struggling with inflation and borrowing costs.
The surge marked the second consecutive quarter of a period in which critical financial crises increased by 25%, the report noted. A significant percentage of businesses facing these conditions are predicted to enter financial distress and bankruptcy over the course of the next year.
According to Julie Palmer, partner at Begbies Trainer, weak consumer confidence amid rising interest rates, rising inflation and rising and “unexpected” input costs has created an economic storm for British businesses.
The Bank of England has continued to raise interest rates from 0.1% at the end of 2021 to the current 5.25% in an effort to control inflation.
Palmer said the macroeconomic turmoil was affecting “every corner” of the UK economy, noting that the most serious concerns were in the construction and real estate sectors. According to the report, around 540,000 British companies were in significant distress in the final quarter of last year, up 12.9% from the third quarter.
Kathmandu – The Nepali U-19 cricket team is playing against Pakistan today in the ICC U-19 World Cup. The match to be played at the Buffalo Park Cricket Ground against pakistan in South Africa will start at 1:45 PM Nepali time .
In the first match earlier, Nepal was defeated by New Zealand by 64 runs and today’s second match will be against Pakistan. The team of Nepali players playing in today’s match are Dev Khanal (Captain), Akash Chand, Arjun Kumal, Deepak Prasad Dumre, Durgesh Gupta, Gulsan Jha, Dipesh Prasad Kandel, Vishalvikram KC, Deepak Bohora, Deepak Bohora, Subas Bhandari, Uttam Thapamgar, Bipin Rawal, Tilakraj Bhandari and Akash Tripathi .
Turkey’s Grand National Assembly (the parliament) has passed a bill on the ratification of Sweden’s accession to NATO.
Thus, Hungary remains the only NATO country, which has not yet ratified Sweden’s membership bid.
Some 346 deputies took part in the voting, with 287 of them supporting the bill, 55 casting negative votes, and another four refraining from voting.
Finland and Sweden submitted their applications to join the alliance on May 18, 2022, saying that the step had been prompted by what was happening in Ukraine. Finland officially joined the alliance on April 4, 2023.
Kathmandu- The government has made a new arrangement for going abroad on a visit visa.
The Department of Immigration has stated in its travel advisory that the new system will be implemented for Nepali travelers from Wednesday. Earlier, 17 criteria were set for visiting foreign countries, including knowing English and passing class 12.
From Wednesday, passengers going abroad on a visit visa will have to carry a passport with a validity of 6 months, a two-way air ticket and hotel booking, and proof of exchange of USD 500.
Hotel booking is not required if the traveler is staying at his/her relative’s accommodation. Such travelers must submit documents revealing their relationship with relatives.
Similarly, if someone is invited by a government or non-government organization, no US dollar is required and such organizations will bear the travel expenses. According to the provisions, the passenger has to submit the invitation letter.
Likewise, travelers traveling to the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia on a visit visa must fill out a self-declaration form stating that they will not engage in activities other than travel. It has requested everyone not to fall for the false assurances of middlemen saying that there will be no additional fee for travelling on visit visa.
Kathmandu: The government has decided to send a recommendation to President Ramchandra Paudel to convene a session of both houses of the Federal Parliament on 5th of February
Communication and Information Technology Minister Rekha Sharma informed that a decision has been taken to recommend to the President to convene a session of both Houses on February 5 at 4:00 PM.
Earlier, the session of the Federal Parliament ended on November 2.
Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council and leader of the ruling United Russia party Dmitry Medvedev said that the Russia is paying major attention to developing cooperation with countries in Southeast Asia, a region which is essential in terms of forming a new architecture of international relations.
“Indeed, Russia is paying great attention to strengthening cooperation with Southeast Asian countries. This region is playing a more active role in the formation of a new architecture of international relations,” he said at a roundtable meeting with delegates from political parties of ASEAN countries, adding that Russia has been “the association’s reliable and predictable partner” for more than 30 years.
He noted that despite the growing global turbulence, cooperation between Russia and ASEAN is going well because it is based on “their close positions on global and regional problems.” “It is important that both Russia and ASEAN are determined to continue strengthening these ties. We are determined to expand non-politicized equal cooperation within ASEAN associations,” Medvedev said.
He stressed that Russia is committed to the principles of “consensus and equality” and will develop “applied cooperation” within the East Asia Summit, ASEAN Regional Forum, and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus.
Kathmandu – The Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security has released a national action plan on business and human rights to promote decent labor through the implementation of workers’ rights.
Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Security Sharatsingh Bhandari said that the action plan for the implementation of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights has been created and the issues of the Guiding Principles are mainly included in the action plan.
Subjects included in the existing constitutional and legal system, long-term and periodic plans, human rights conventions approved by Nepal, International Labor Organization conventions, national and regional policies of the Government of Nepal, subjects included in the fifth national action plan on human rights, sustainable development goals and upgrading in developing countries. Related activities have been included in the action plan,’ he said.
The action plan includes the activities related to the observance of human rights, the prevention of the impact of commercial activities on human rights. The right to an adequate standard of living, fair and favorable working conditions, the right to water and sanitation, the right to education, the right to access to information, the right to development, the rights of workers, the rights of consumers, the rights of women and children, the rights of foreign workers, the rights of environmental and indigenous peoples, gender Issues related to equality and rights against caste discrimination and the rights of minority communities have also been included in the action plan, he said.
More than five dozen countries in the world have adopted the concept of responsible and accountable business and have formulated and implemented a national action plan on the implementation of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
In 1977, the International Labor Organization (ILO) also issued principles on multinational enterprise and social policy through tripartite discussions between the government, entrepreneurs and workers. As interest in human rights in the commercial sector increased rapidly, the United Nations launched a campaign on the responsibility of the commercial sector for the respect and observance of human rights in 2000. After that, the concept that businessmen should not be portrayed as human rights violators but should always be responsible for the respect and assurance of human rights has been advancing. In this context, in 2011, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Labor Secretary Kewal Prasad Bhandari said that due to the successful and effective implementation of the national plan, in case of violation of human rights, remedies and compensation will be easily obtained through judicial and non-judicial mechanisms. This ensures policy coherence between the government and the private sector in relation to business and human rights. Maintains professional competition and sustainability,” he said, ‘The purpose of protecting and empowering economically and socially backward classes and communities is to implement the commitments made by Nepal at the international level.’
Trade unions and private sector businessmen have pledged to support the effective implementation of this action plan. Jotsan Shrestha, vice president of the Federation of Nepalese Industries and Commerce, said that she played a role in creating this action plan with the involvement of the private sector. It is the private sector that ensures the most employment. The private sector has an obligation to respect the human rights of workers,” she said. “The private sector does not only look for profit. It is also fulfilling social responsibility.
Joint Trade Union Coordinating Committee (JTUC) Chairman Yogendra Kumar Kunwar said that Trade unions do not get their rights without human rights. This action plan is very important,” he said. “It can become a basis for creating decent work for economic change.”
The Ministry of Labor said that monitoring committees have been arranged at all three levels to implement the action plan.
Janakpur – The Janmat Party, which is participating in the Madhesh state government, has left the state government. Janamat Party has also recalled two of its ministers from the government and withdrawn its support to the government.
Sanjay Yadav, state MP of Janmaat Party, has said that he has submitted a letter to state chief Harishankar Mishra to notify that the party has left Madhesh state government. Janmaat Party has recalled Education and Social Welfare Minister Mahesh Prasad Yadav and Labor and Transport Minister Chandan Singh from the government. It is understood that Janmat Party left the government due to internal differences with JASAPA.
The death toll from a landslide in China’s Yunnan province has risen to 20, while 24 people remain missing.
The landslide in Zhaotong occurred at 05:51 local time (21:51 GMT) on Monday, trapping dozens of people.
Rescuers are racing against time and working through sub-zero temperatures to find those still missing, state news agency Xinhua said.
Preliminary investigations show the landslide resulted from a collapse in a steep cliff, it reported.
The collapsed mass measured approximately 100m (328ft) in width, 60m in height, with an average thickness of around 6m, Xinhua said, citing city authorities.
More than 500 people were evacuated from their homes and nearly 1,000 rescue workers dispatched to the site. President Xi Jinping has ordered an “all-out” rescue in the area, while Chinese vice-premier Zhang Guoqing reportedly led a group to the site to guide rescue operations.
“Search and rescue efforts persisted through the night,” firefighter Li Shenglong told state news outlet Xinhua.
One of the villagers told local media that most of the residents were either elderly or children. Another resident told local news outlet Jimu News that the landslide happened while many people were still asleep on Monday morning.
“It was very loud, and there was also a shake, it felt like a big earthquake,” she said.
Video clips shared on social media showed rescuers walking on piles of rubble against a backdrop of snow-covered mountains. Personal belongings are seen scattered among the collapsed masonry.
The remote, mountainous region in southwest China is prone to landslides. In January 2013, at least 18 people were killed in a landslide in the same county.
Separately, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Wushi county in China’s Xinjiang at about 02:00 local time on Tuesday. State broadcaster CCTV said no casualties have been reported, but some homes have been damaged and some areas had their power supplies cut.BBC
Australia’s former Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced he will quit parliament to join the private sector.
Mr Morrison, a conservative who was first elected in 2007, was the country’s leader from 2018 to 2022.He oversaw Australia’s pandemic response, the Aukus defence pact, and was embroiled in a historic scandal for secretly appointing himself to several ministerial positions while PM.
“The time has come for me to return to private life,” he said on Tuesday.
In a statement Mr Morrison, 55, said he would now take on “strategic advisory roles” across Asia to focus on security matters in the Indo-Pacific.A devout Christian, he said he was “looking forward to being more active” in his church and spending time with his family.
Mr Morrison’s retirement has long been expected following a shattering election loss to Labor’s Anthony Albanese in 2022, which left the Liberal-National coalition with its lowest ever number of seats.Australia’s reputation as a climate laggard was a major factor in his government’s demise – with voters favouring candidates committed to more ambitious emissions cuts.
Mr Morrison’s initial response to Covid – which included border closures, lockdowns and test and trace protocols – is credited with helping to contain early outbreaks, although a delayed vaccine rollout later drew criticism.
During his time in office, the prime minister had a particularly rocky relationship with China, Australia’s largest trading partner.
His government led calls for an international investigation into the origins of Covid, prompting a tit-for-tat trade dispute and a years-long diplomatic freeze.
In a strategic pivot, Mr Morrison instead focused on bolstering regional security alliances, helping to set up the Quad partnership with India, Japan and the US, and signing the Aukus nuclear submarine deal with the UK and US.
But public support for him had begun deteriorating rapidly following his decision to holiday in Hawaii during Australia’s deadly 2019-2020 bushfires.Later, he apologised after being widely criticised for his initial muted response to a string of sexual misconduct allegations which rocked parliament.After his 2022 election defeat – described by an internal review as the “most serious” loss in coalition history – Mr Morrison returned to the opposition backbench.He became the first former prime minister to be censured by parliament – over secret powers he had given himself during the pandemic.
Mr Morrison said his decision to make himself the joint minister for health, finance, treasury, and home affairs while leader had been in keeping with the “extraordinary times” the country was facing.Ultimately, an investigation found his appointments were legal, and that he used his extra powers only once.Mr Morrison first garnered national attention in 2013 when he was appointed to cabinet as immigration minister and oversaw Operation Sovereign Borders – which hardened Australia’s controversial asylum seeker policies.He then served as social services minister and treasurer, before succeeding Malcolm Turnbull as Liberal Party leader and prime minister.
Mr Morrison famously defied polls to win the 2019 federal election, having pitched himself to voters as an everyday family man the nation could trust, and adopting the nickname “ScoMo”.After a decade of political leadership challenges in both major parties which upended governments, he became the first prime minister to serve a full term since John Howard in 2007.
Kathmandu: A total of 43 applicants including 2 women and 41 men, have applied for the post of Vice-Chancellor of Tribhuvan University .
After Chancellor and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda instructed to proceed with the Vice-Chancellor selection process on the basis of open competition, the recommendation committee led by Education Minister Ashok Kumar Rai, who is also the Vice-Chancellor, asked for the applications for the post.
Among the applicants who expressed their desire to become the vice-chancellor are , Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Shivlal Bhusal, Vice-Chancellor of Midwest University Prof. Dr. Nanda Bahadur Singh, former Vice-Chancellor of TU Prof. Dr. Tirtharaj Khanian, former vice-chancellor of Open University Prof. Dr. Lekhnath Sharma, former vice-chancellor of Pokhara University Prof. Dr. Kesharjung Baral,former vice-chancellor Prof. Dr. Kusum Shakya, the former registrar of TU Prof.Dr. Chandramani Paudel, former rector of TU Gunanidhi Neupane, Acting Vice-Chancellor of Open University, Prof. Dr. Indra Karki, former head of the History Department of the University Prof. Dr. Rajkumar Pokhrel.
Likewise Prof. Dr. Tankanath Dhamala, Prof. Dr. Anandaballabh Joshi, Prof.Dr. Akkaljev Mishra, Prof. Dr. Ridish Kumar Pokharel, Prof. Dr. Gyanendra Prasad Paudel, Prof. Dr. Mahendra Chalise, Prof.Dr. Bhojraj Aryal, Prof. Dr. Narayan Prasad Belbase, Prof. Dr. Hemraj Sharma, Prof. Dr. Vedanath Sharma, Prof. Dr. Prakash Ghimire (Kathmandu), Prof. Dr. Prakash Ghimire (Gorkha) ,Prof. Dr. Kedarnath Ghimire, Prof. Dr. Mahendra Prasad Sharma, Prof. Dr. Vinod Parajuli, Prof. Dr. Dev Bahadur Khadka, Prof. Dr. Krishnaraj Tiwari, Prof. Dr. Govinda Subedi, Prof.Dr. Navraj Devkota, Prof. Dr. Ram Prasad Regmi, Prof. Dr. Chitra Bahadur Budhathoki, Prof. Dr. Triratna Bajracharya, Prof. Dr. Ekraj Ojha and Prof.Dr. Pramod Kumar Jha has also submitted an application.
Similarly, Dr. Ramchandra Basnet, Dr. Vinay Kumar Jha, Dr. Narayan Shubh Pathak, Narayan Prasad Pathak, Sangeeta Rayamazhi, Sanjay Acharya, Surya Bahadur Thapa, Bhimsen Devkota and Balamukunda Regmi have also applied for the post of Vice Chancellor of the University.
After evaluating the presentation and interviewing the applicants, the recommendation committee led by the Minister of Education will submit the names of the three applicants who get the best marks to the Chancellor and the Prime Minister. Among those three candidate, one person will be appointed by the Chancellor as the Vice-Chancellor.
KATHMANDU – The main opposition party CPN-UML has submitted a letter with 751 demands to the government. UML submitted a letter to Prime Minister Prachanda demanding to address the suggestions received from the locals during the Sankalp Yatra held from November 29 th to December 17 .
A delegation led by UML President KP Sharma Oli reached the Prime Minister’s residence Baluwatar to deliver the attention letter. CPN-UML Deputy General Secretary Pradeep Gyawali has said that they have submitted 751 demands and suggestions related to 46 areas and it is the duty of the government to implement them.
Deputy Secretary General Pradeep Gyawali also said that Prime Minister Prachanda said that those suggestions should not remain in the drawer and that he would direct the relevant agencies for implementation.
KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration(MoFAGA) has requested all local levels to provide details of internal employment.
Issuing a notice on Monday, the MoFAGA requested the local levels to provide the details of the projects and programs related to job creation implemented in the previous financial year. The details are to be provided within seven days.
The MoFAGA has sought details from the local level to establish legal and policy framework to conduct ‘Domestic Employment Promotion Decade’ campaign from fiscal year 2081/82, make domestic employment promotion agencies fully accountable and expand employment-related activities in an integrated manner, for the delivery of integrated labor and employment services from employment service centers under the local level.(RSS)
KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has directed to immediately provide driver’s license to service users who have been waiting for their turn for a long time.
In a joint meeting with officials working on the distribution of driving licenses, national identity cards and passports, the Prime Minister directed the immediate distribution of driver’s licenses to the 1.4 million applicants who applied for driver’s licenses.
Stating that not being able to get a driver’s license even after passing the driving license test is a serious matter, Prime Minister Dahal warned the Department of Transportation to be sure about the distribution of driver’s licenses. “Nowadays, information technology is important, results based on integrated technology should be given, for that coordination between the state mechanisms is necessary”, Prime Minister Prachanda said.
On this occasion, the Prime Minister reminded of his commitment to end the long queues at the government offices, and also asked the officials to pay serious attention to quality service delivery while enhancing the efficiency of the office.
Kathmandu: The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has banned the parking of vehicles on the roads around the New Road area from today.
Senior Superintendent of Police Rajunath Pandey, the head of the Metropolitan Police Force, has informed that the metropolis has prohibited parking on the black paved roads around Dharmapath, Juddha Salik to Indrachowk, Khichapokhari, Mahabouddha, Veer Hospital, with effect from Tuesday.
According to Pandey, the metropolis has arranged for free parking at the Kathmandu View Tower (formerly the old bus park) and 300 four-wheelers and 700 two-wheelers can be parked there.
The metropolis has also said that special cleaning will be done around the streets of New Road area, where parking is prohibited from Tuesday, to facilitate traffic.
Earlier, the metropolis has implemented ban on vehicle parking in various areas including Durbar Marg and Jhonche.
The US and UK have conducted a fresh series of joint air strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.
The Pentagon said Monday’s strikes hit eight targets, including an underground storage site and Houthi missile and surveillance capability.
The Iran-backed Houthis have been targeting ships they say are linked to Israel and the West that travel through the important Red Sea trade route.
The US and UK said they were trying to protect the “free flow of commerce”.
A joint statement issued by the Pentagon confirmed “an additional round of proportionate and necessary strikes” against the Houthis.
The statement added: “Our aim remains to de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea, but let us reiterate our warning to Houthi leadership: we will not hesitate to defend lives and the free flow of commerce in one of the world’s most critical waterways in the face of continued threats.”
This is the eighth strike by the US against Houthi targets in Yemen. It is the second joint operation with the UK, after joint strikes were carried out on 11 January.
The joint statement said the strikes were carried out with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands.
US fighter jets from the carrier USS Eisenhower were involved in Monday’s strikes.
Four RAF Typhoons, supported by a pair of Voyager tankers, joined the US forces, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.
UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps described the strikes as “self defence” against the Houthis’ “intolerable attacks” on merchant shipping.
It is understood that neither UK Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle nor opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer were briefed in advance about the new strikes.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated a grand temple to Hindu god Ram in Ayodhya.
The temple replaces a 16th-Century mosque torn down by Hindu followers in 1992, sparking riots in which nearly 2,000 people died.
Some of the Hindu seers and most of the opposition boycotted it, saying Mr Modi was using it for political gain.General elections are due in India in the next few months and Mr Modi’s political rivals say the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will be seeking votes in the temple’s name in a country where 80% of the population is Hindu.
Critics have also accused the government of exploiting a religious celebration in a country which – according to its constitution – is secular. For Muslims, India’s biggest minority, the event evoked fear and painful memories, members of the community in Ayodhya told in the run-up to Monday’s ceremony.
The temple has been constructed at a cost of $217m (£170m), funded from private donations. Only the ground floor was opened – the rest is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The construction work is part of a revamp for the city, estimated to cost more than $3bn.
Hindu devotees chant religious slogans as they watch the inauguration of the Hindu Lord Ram temple on a big screen.January 22, 2024
The building of the Ram temple in Ayodhya fulfils a decades-long Hindu nationalist pledge. Many Hindus believe the Babri mosque was built by Muslim invaders on the ruins of a temple where the Hindu god was born.The movement to build the temple helped propel the BJP into political prominence in the 1990s. In 2019, the Supreme Court gave the disputed land to Hindus after a protracted legal battle followed the mosque’s demolition. Muslims were given a plot outside the city for a mosque but have yet to build one.
After the formation of a new government in collaboration with the Koirala party of Congress and UML against the ruling coalition in Koshi, it seems that the main opposition party UML has gone ahead with the strategy of breaking the alliance of the current coalition in the center and other states as well.
A leader of the Koirala party has said that after the appointment of Kedar Karki as the chief minister in Koshi with the support of 39 UML and 8 MPs from other Congress , the UML has proposed to discuss various options of power-sharing from the center to other provinces.
UML’s chairman KP Sharma Oli and Shekhar Koirala agreed to move forward together in the formation of the national government, MP Sanjay Gautam has informed. He also said that Congress should lead the government by taking UML along with it saying that this government will not develop the country.
Biratnagar – The newly appointed Chief Minister of Koshi Province, Kedar Karki, has taken the oath of office and secrecy before the Chief Minister Parshuram Khapung.
Karki, who was appointed the Chief Minister of Koshi with the support of MPs from UML and Shekhar Koirala faction of Congress, was supported by 39 members of UML and 8 members of Congress .
After taking the oath of the Chief Minister, he expanded the 3-member cabinet, including Shamsher Rai of Congress and Ram Rana of UML. Rai and Rana also took oath on Sunday, but their ministry has not yet been specified.
Even though the Central Alliance decided to make Indra Bahadur Angbo of Maoist as the Chief Minister, Karki, another supporter of the Congress establishment, rebelled and claimed the Chief Ministership with the support of UML MPs.
In the second match under the ACC U-19 Premier Cup, Nepal defeated Bahrain by 7 wickets.
Nepal won by seven wickets against Bahrain, who set a modest target of 78 runs in the tournament in Malaysia. Nepal won by losing three wickets in 11.3 overs.
In the first match earlier, Nepal defeated Iran by a wide margin of 274 runs. Nepal has been at the top of the group so far. Nepal will play the last match of the group stage against Saudi Arabia on October 19.
If Nepal win the game against Saudi, Nepal will reach the semi-finals. The top three teams in the tournament will get to play in the ACC Asia Cup to be held in Pakistan next December.
Kathmandu: Finance Minister Dr. Prakasharan Mahat has said that it will take some time to completely solve the problems seen in the economy. Economist Mahat, who returned home on Sunday after participating in the joint annual meeting of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) held in Morocco, said in a press conference held at the Tribhuvan Airport that it will take some time to restore the long-standing problems in the economy.
He said that signs of improvement in the country’s economy have already started. Finance Minister Mahat said that on the sidelines of Morocco’s annual meetings, the participants discussed issues of collective and bilateral interest and also got the opportunity to network with the international community.
He said that there was also a discussion on the issues of financial governance, transparency and the need for reforms according to Nepali context and environment.
There is an arrangement that the finance minister will be the ex-officio governor of the World Bank and the governor of the National Bank of the IMF. Similarly, there is an arrangement that the Finance Secretary will be the alternate governor of the World Bank and the Joint Secretary of the International Financial Assistance Coordination Division will be the alternate governor of the IMF.
Kathmandu- The protesting local level employees have withdrawn the protest after 19 points deal with the government.
Government negotiation team formed under the coordination of Kamal Prasad Bhattarai, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration had mad a deal with the local level employees who were opposing the government and the Federal Civil Service Act .
In the agreement, it has been mentioned that instead of the Federal Civil Service Act, a Unified Civil Service Act should be made, and the minimum standard of service and condition of the employees working in the state and local services should be included.
The agreement also mentions that the employees will be upgraded every five years and if the service period reaches 12 years in the same position, they will be promoted.
According to the provisions of the Staff Adjustment Act, 2075, the agreement has ensured that the employees who have been adjusted will have the opportunity to be promoted in the federal civil service. In addition, based on the recommendation of Public Service Commission’s 2076 advertisement, it is mentioned in the agreement that the sixth grade employees working at the local level will be promoted to the seventh grade in accordance with the law in all provinces. Efforts for level matching and adjustment will also be initiated as part of the agreement.
Full text of the 19-point agreement with the government:
Kathmandu- The government has been instructed to return the security officers, drivers and cooks given to VVIPs and VIPs against the norms within 15 days.
The State Order and Good Governance Committee of the House of Representatives has instructed the ministers and officials of the government to return vehicles and security personnel who have used more vehicles than they are entitled to according to the rules.
Chairman of the committee Ramhari Khatiwada has said that he has decided to instruct the Government of Nepal, the Prime Minister and Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Home Affairs to return the PSOs provided against the standards to the VVIPs and other VIPs as per the rules and send them to their places of employment within 15 days.
The committee has instructed to implement the decision to open essential service offices even on public holidays in order to maintain good governance according to the decision of the Government of Nepal and the office of the Prime Minister, Council of Ministers.
According to Hindu culture and traditions, Rishi Panchami, which falls on the day of Bhadra Shukla Panchami, is celebrated by Nepalese women worshipping Sapta Rishi. There is a special crowd of female devotees in the country’s sacred religious places and Risheshwar Temples today. Rishi Panchami is celebrated as a part of Teej and today Teej is considered to be over with the completion of Rishi Panchami rituals.
According to ancient beliefs, Rishi Panchami is celebrated as a day for women (who have started menstruating) to perform puja to make their bodies clean and pure. Since life is not possible without the creator, the women, there is a custom in the scriptures to respect women and compare the days of women’s menstruation according to the four goddesses. Chandalini on the first day of menstruation, Brahmadhatini on the second day, Dhobini on the third day and bath on the fourth day are the customs of purification.
Today, women brush their teeth using upamarga (Dativan) i.e. a plant with special natural herbal properties. After chewing the pieces of 108 sub-routes (Dativan) , women go to a nearby river or pond and bathe using mud. Upamarga in Sanskrit means disease killer. It is believed that it will not cause various types of diseases in the body; even if it is present, it will be cured. In this way, after bathing in the morning and purifying the body and soul, the women worship the seven sages including Kashyapa, Bhargadoj, Vishwamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni and Vashishta by installing Kalash and Ganesha. Finally, after the Brahmin worships according to the custom, the ritual of Rishi Panchami is considered to be complete.
Speaking to the parliament on monday, Canadian Prime minister Justin Trudeau has made it clear that Indian government agents are behind the death of a prominent Sikh-Canadian activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Speaking in Parliament on Monday afternoon, Justin Trudeau said he personally conveyed “deep concerns” to his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, at the Group of 20 summit in New Delhi earlier this month.
“Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty,” he said. Meanwhile,Ottawa expelled an Indian diplomat in an escalating rift over the killing of a Nijjar.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed in the compound of the Guru Nanak Sikh temple on 18 June in British Columbia.He was shot dead in his vehicle by two masked gunmen on a mid-June evening in the busy car park of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, a city about 30km east of Vancouver.
45-year-old Mr Nijjar, a prominent Sikh leader in the western-most province of British Columbia publicly campaigned for Khalistan – the creation of an independent Sikh homeland in the Punjab region of India. His supporters have said that he was a target of threats in the past because of his activism.
India has previously described him as a terrorist who led a militant separatist group – accusations his supporters call “unfounded”.
KATHMANDU – District Administration Office Kathmandu has banned meat and alcohol around the Pashupatinath Temple premises.
In order to maintain sanctity within the Pashupati area, District Administration Office Kathmandu has declared a designated perimeter and prohibited meat, alcohol and other intoxicants in those places.
The district administration office Kathmandu has established four designated perimeters from Gaushala Mitrapark road in the east, from the eastern border of Pashupati area in the west, from Gaushala Tilganga ring road in the north and Mitrapark in the north and in the south, from Umakunda Gaurighat to Bagmati to the south.
Producing, consuming,selling, transporting and storing meat, alcohol and narcotic substances in that area has been forbidden.
Kathmandu-: The Nepal Medical Association has today stopped all services except for emergencies in hospitals across the country. The union has announced today that it will stop all non-emergency services in all hospitals across the country saying that no legal action has been taken against the culprits involved in the physical abuse of the doctors of Sancho Hospital in Hetauda.
The Nepal Medical Association issued a statement saying that all health services except emergency services will be completely closed today in all government health institutions, hospitals, medical colleges, private hospitals and clinics across the country.
The union has also given the government a 72-hour ultimatum to take legal action against those involved in the attack on Dr. Vikas Thapa and Dr. Prashant Bidari of Sancho Hospital.
The association has demanded that all the culprits involved in the incident should be immediately investigated and criminal charges should be filed and legal action should be taken according to the Ordinance on Safety of Health Workers and Health Institutions (First Amendment) 2079.
Instead of arresting the culprits and taking legal action, the association has alleged that the local security agency, district administration office, and district police office is try to suppress the incident.
he military governments of three African states, which all deposed their Western-backed leaders in recent years, have agreed to assist each other, individually or collectively, in case of any external aggression or internal threat to their sovereignty.
Mali’s interim president, Assimi Goita, said on Saturday night that he signed the so-called Liptako-Gourma Charter with the leaders of Burkina Faso and Niger “with the aim of establishing a collective defense and mutual assistance framework.”
“Any attack on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of one or more contracted parties will be considered an aggression against the other parties.
he charter establishes an Alliance of Sahel States, which comprises three countries which had previously been members of the Paris-supported G5 Sahel pact with Chad and Mauritania, that has fallen apart following a series of military coups.
The Defence Minister of Mali, Abdoulaye Diop, explained that this new “alliance will be a combination of military and economic efforts between the three countries” with a priority on the fight against terrorism, particularly in the Liptako-Gourma region where the borders of the three neighbours meet.
Mali and Burkina Faso previously stated that any attack on Niger would be a “declaration of war” against them as well, after several of Niger’s neighbors from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) threatened to send troops to restore deposed President Mohamed Bazoum.
Paris was forced to withdraw troops from Mali following tensions with the military government in 2020. Earlier this year, it also pulled out of Burkina Faso after the country’s military rulers ordered them to leave.RT
The Nepal Electricity Authority has informed that electricity service will be interrupted for three consecutive days in some places of Kathmandu and Lalitpur from Friday.
According to the authority, the Teku substation is going to be shut down for three days as work is being done to upgrade the Teku substation and charge it on the Teku-Suchatar 66 KV line. According to the authority, the 66 KV Suchatar-Teku transmission line will be blocked for three days from 8 am on Friday to 8 am on Monday.
According to the authority, the Suchatar-Teku line will be ‘shutdown’ for three days from Friday 8 am to Monday 8 am, while the 66 KV Suchatar-Patan transmission line will be shut down from 9 am to 5 pm on Saturday and the 66 KV Suchatar line will be shut down from 3 pm to 5 pm on Saturday. .
According to the authority, Ring Road Main, Tahachal, Chamti Feeder under Kuleshwar Distribution Center and 66 KV under Pulchok Distribution Center, Pulchok, Bagmati, Ring Road, Bhainsepati Feeder as well as Teku Substation, K3 Substation and related switching stations Thapathali, Sundhara and K20 The feeders under the Ratnapark distribution center being supplied from will be affected and there may be power cuts for some time during peak load.
Similarly, the feeders under Pulchok and Lagankhel Distribution Center which are being supplied from Patan Substation under 66 KV Suchatar Patan transmission line will be affected and there may be power cut for some time during peak load.
Kathmandu- Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is leaving for New York on Saturday leading a 10-member Nepali delegation to participate in the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly to be held at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
Prime Minister Dahal is scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly on September 21. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Prime Minister Dahal will participate in the opening session of the 78th General Assembly of the United Nations and will participate in the reception organized by US President Joe Biden.
During his stay in New York, Prime Minister Dahal is also scheduled to address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Summit and the Climate Ambition Summit.
Prime Minister Dahal is scheduled to meet United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres and hold bilateral meetings with counterparts from various countries.
Along with Prime Minister Dahal, daughter Ganga Dahal, Foreign Minister NP Saud, Foreign Secretary Bharatraj Paudyal and other senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will participate.
Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Amur region of Russia. Video shared by the Kremlin showed the two leaders shaking hands as they greeted each other on Wednesday.
Putin arrived in Vostochny after a two-day visit to the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. The North Korean leader continued his journey in his armored train after entering Russian territory on Tuesday morning.
Noting that this year marks North Korea’s 75th founding anniversary and the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice, as well as 75 years of diplomatic relations with Russia, Putin said he was very happy to meet Kim .Kim also thanked Putin for the invitation and his warm welcome.
Commenting on the agenda for the Russian-North Korean summit, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov said the upcoming talks would focus on a number of “sensitive issues” as well as bilateral economic and cultural cooperation and the overall situation in the region.
Kim’s visit to Russia has been of great interest to the West amid the Russia-Ukraine war and rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Kathmandu- CIB is submitting the investigation report on gold smuggling to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, Kathmandu today. In a press conference held before submitting the gold smuggling investigation report to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, CIB has informed that they had made 50 defendants in the gold smuggling case and concluded that 302.62 kg of gold was smuggled by hiding it in brake pad. CIB concluded that 302.62 kg more gold was smuggled after checking the weight of the brake pad.
According to the CIB, out of the 50 accused in the gold smuggling case, 32 have been arrested so far and 18 are at large. 23 Nepalese and 9 foreign nationals are among the arrested. 14 foreigners and 4 Nepalese are among the fugitives.
The CIB has given an opinion to file a case against the accused in organized crime, gold theft and other offenses under the NRB Act. Earlier, the amount of gold that was said to be 155 kg with brake pad weighed 60 kg, 716 grams only after being melt.
Parsa-11 children and three police officers were injured in a clash between children in Birgunj’s Children’s Correctional Home.
On Tuesday night, there was a conflict between the 18 children who were brought from the Children’s Reform Home in Bhaktapur and the children who were already living in the Birta Children’s Reform Home in Birgunj. During the clash, 11 children including 10 brought from Bhaktapur and 1 from Birta Children’s Correctional Home were injured.
The police said that 11 children from the correctional home who were injured were treated at Narayani Hospital on Tuesday night and brought back to the district police office.
It is said that the clash started after the children who were brought from Bhaktapur started argument with the leader of Birta reform home. Police said that Nepal Police and Armed Police reached the reform house in large numbers to control the situation and few rounds of tear gas wear also fired during the incident .
The children protesting in the correctional home have alleged that, the correctional home does not serve good food ,the toilets are not good, they charge 100 rupees per telephone call , keeps too many children in the same room and the head of the correctional home has been torturing them.
Dhangadhi – After ruling that the leaders of the ruling parliamentary party have taken vehicles facility against the law and instructed them to return the vehicles within three days, the Far West Province government has prepared to amend the Act on Service Facilities for Officials and Members of the Provincial Assembly to continue the vehicle facility.
As the deadline given by the Accounts Committee to return the three vehicles being used by the ruling party leaders contrary to the law to the Provincial Assembly Secretariat within three days is about to expire, the Sudurpaschim Province government has taken up the homework to amend the law itself to get the vehicle facility.
It is said that Chief Minister Kamal Bahadur Shah has initiated discussions for the amendment of the Act so that the vehicle facility does not have to be returned and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law is preparing to draft the amendment and register the proposal in the Provincial Assembly Secretariat.
Khagraj Bhatt, the leader of the Maoist Center Parliamentary Party, Ghanshyam Chaudhary, the leader of the Samajwadi Party, and Ghanshyam Chaudhary, the leader of the Nagarik unmukti Party, are among those who have taken the vehicle facility against the law.
Kathmandu – An emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers has been called after the death of former Speaker Subash Chandra Nemwang.
An emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers is going to be held at the office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers at Singhadurbar. It is said that the meeting is preparing to decide on giving national honor to the late Subas Nemwang.
Nemwang died this morning of a heart attack. His body is currently kept at the TU Teaching Hospital, Maharajgunj. From there, his body will be taken to the UML party office for homage.
There is a provision that the Council of Ministers has to decide on national honors in the case of others, except those specified in the procedures related to final honors.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has arrived in Russia for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin.
South Korea’s defense ministry confirmed that Kim’s armored train entered Russia on Tuesday morning. Kim’s tour team includes North Korean military personnel and high-ranking government officials.
With Kim Jong Un’s visit to Russia, there is a possibility that Russia and North Korea could discuss an arms deal, US officials said.
The meeting between Kim and Putin amid the Ukraine conflict seems to have been taken with great interest by the West.
Chitwan- Narayangadh-Muglin road section has been blocked due to the landslide.
A dry landslide occurred in Topekhola located in Ichchakamana rural municipality-6 of Chitwan on Tuesday morning.
Muglin Narayangarh road section has been blocked after the landslide, according to the area police office Muglin.
Preparations are now being made to remove the landslide. As the road is blocked in both directions, the vehicles going to the destination are stopped on the road.
Police from the area has said that ‘Loader’ and ‘Excavator’ are ready to remove the landslide.
Kathmandu- CPN-UML vice president and former Speaker Subash Chandra Nembang passed away.
Nembang, who was in his own residence, had a heart attack at around 1 o’clock in the night, and his family members took him to the Teaching Hospital, Maharajganj. The doctors declared that Nemwang had passed away as soon as he was taken to the hospital.
After the news of his death, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, UML President KP Sharma Oli, Speaker Devraj Ghimire and other leaders reached the hospital. Now there is a heavy presence of leaders in the hospital premises.
Nemwang’s body will be kept at UML party office for paying homage. Since Neemwang’s two sons are abroad, it is said that the funeral will be held only after their arrival.
Nemwang is an elected Member of Parliament from Ilam-2.
A new study has revealed that the vast majority of Ukrainians believe that President Vladimir Zelensky is at fault for widespread corruption in the country’s government and military,
The poll, released on Monday, found that 78% of Ukrainian adults see Zelensky as “directly responsible” for Kiev’s corruption problem. It was conducted by the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Charitable Foundation and the Kiev International Institute of Sociology.
Prior to the launch of Russia’s military offensive in February 2022, Ukraine consistently ranked among the world’s most corrupt nations, but it was touted as a bastion of freedom and democracy as the US and its NATO allies rallied public support for massive aid to Kiev. However, Ukrainian corruption remains a concern and could hinder the country’s bid to join the European Union, an unidentified Western diplomat told Politico on Monday.
Ukraine is a “very corrupt country,” the diplomat said, adding that Zelensky’s plan to use the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) to prosecute graft cases could “send the wrong message.” Upon landing in Kiev for a surprise visit on Monday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock reportedly said Ukraine needed to step up its efforts to fight corruption.
The Ukrainian poll was conducted from July 3 to July 17 in face-to-face interviews with thousands of citizens across the country. There were no major differences in findings based on region or socioeconomic factors. Respondents aged 60 and older took a harsher view, with 81% saying Zelensky was responsible for government corruption. The rate was 70% in the youngest segment, ages 17 to 29. Overall, only 18% of Ukrainian adults disagreed with the statement that Zelensky bears responsibility.
Documents obtained by the International Association of Investigative Journalists in 2021 showed that Zelensky and his business partners set up offshore companies to purchase lavish properties in central London. Zelensky transferred his stake in one of the companies to an aide just before he was elected president in 2019. Supporters of former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko accused Zelensky and his associates of using their offshore accounts to evade taxes.RT
KATHMANDU – The National Human Rights Commission has requested the government to address the demands of Shah’s relatives, who have been on hunger strike for nearly two months with the demand that the culprits should be prosecuted in the death of Aarti Shah of Dhanusha.
Being sensitive to the risk to their health due to the hunger strike, the commission has issued a statement and urged the government to protect the human rights of Shah’s family by addressing their demands.
The commission also informed that according to the victim’s family,the demands of the victim’s family have been neglected by the government to punish the culprits in the case of Aarti Shah’s death.
Russia and Belarus may go into direct conflict with NATO in the future, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin has said.
At the international security conference held in Moscow, he warned that the conflict in Ukraine has turned into a global conflict between the West and the East, and that the possibility of direct war with NATO is increasing in the future.
While questions and doubts are being raised about the weapons deployed by Moscow in Belarus, Russia has said that it will remove its weapons deployed in Belarus only if the US removes its nuclear missiles and their related infrastructure from Europe.
On the other hand, Western supporters of Ukraine have claimed that they are not directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine, however, the warplanes and long-range missiles provided by Europe and the United States are helping Ukraine to provoke a direct conflict with Russia. Ignoring Moscow’s repeated warnings, Moscow has said that the arms package provided to Ukraine has brought the US and NATO closer to active participation in the conflict.
Khrenin says that the war between Russia and Ukraine has turned into a global confrontation between West and East on the territory of Ukraine, and that the Ukraine proxy war has actually brought the entire planet to the brink of World War III.
KATHMANDU- The discussion held between the top leaders of the ruling coalition at Baluwatar, the official residence of the Prime Minister, has decided to communicate with all the parties represented in the Parliament, including the main opposition parties, to end the deadlock in the House.
The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal who is also the Chairman of CPN Maoist Center, Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN United Socialists Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal, Deputy Prime Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka, Narayan Kaji Shrestha and other leaders.
The meeting of both the Houses of the Federal Parliament has been postponed due to the obstruction of the main opposition party CPN-UML, saying that the government has protected the gold smugglers and does not want to form a high-level investigation committee to investigate .
Kathmandu- Chinese high military team has arrived in Kathmandu.
A team led by the Tibet Military Commander of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, Major General Yui , has landed at the Tribhuvan International Airport on Air China flight number 437.
The team was welcomed at the Tribhuvan International Airport Major General Sagar Bahadur Thapa and Brigadier General Sunil Shrestha.
According to Information Officer and Assistant Rathi Krishna Prasad Bhandari of the Nepali Army, the Chinese military team, which is on an official visit, is scheduled to meet with Chief of Army Staff Prabhuram Sharma and others. Border security, military relations between the two countries will be discussed during the meeting. The 8-member military team led by Major yui will return to the country on the 3rd of Bhadra 2080 BS.
Kathmandu- The grade increase (supplementary examination) of class 12 will be held on September 23 and 24.
The National Examination Board has issued a notice and requested the students to fill the application form for the supplementary examination by 17th of September.
According to the notice issued by the board, all the candidates who took the compulsory English and any one subject will be allowed to take the exam on September 23 , while the candidates giving exam on two subjects on the second day,September 24, will be allowed to take the remaining subject exam.
Students who want to participate in the grade increase examination must pay the exam fee of Rs 600 to the board’s account within september 8 and if they miss the payment within that period, they must submit the application form with the receipt of the double fee of Rs 1,200 withinSeptember 17.
According to the board, the examination center will be decided later and even if there is an emergency holiday on the scheduled date of the examination, the examination will not be stopped without prior notification of the examination control office.
Kathmandu- The Human Rights Commission, expressing its serious attention, has urged the government to fill the vacancies of judges immediately and move the judiciary forward competently.
Even though there is a provision that the Chief Justice can be recommended for appointment one month prior the vacancy, the government and the Constitutional Council have not done any homework regarding the recommendation of the Chief Justice and due to the failure on appointing judges in the courts for a long time, the commission is concerned about the impact on the constitutional right of the citizens on getting speedy justice.
In a statement issued by the National Human Rights Commission, the spokesperson of the commission, Dr. Tikaram Pokharel has drawn the attention of the government saying that due to the failure to appoint judges on time , it has created an obstacle in the judicial rights of all the citizens.
Currently, 53 judges in the High Court and 38 in the District Court are vacant, according to the Judicial Council. The number of pending cases in the Supreme Court, High Court and District Court is increasing when the post is vacant. Due to the lack of judges, the hearing of the case could not be done on time. There are currently 30,104 pending cases in the Supreme Court. More than 26,000 cases are yet to be heard in the High Court. Similarly 102,542 cases are pending in the district court.
According to the constitution , there is a provision to recommend the Chief Justice one month before the post of Chief Justice becomes vacant, but until now, even the meeting of the Constitutional Council has not been held regarding the matter of the recommendation of the Chief Justice. Chief Justice Karki, Speaker of the House of Representatives Devraj Ghimire, Speaker of the National Assembly Ganesh Timalsena, Leader of the Opposition KP Sharma Oli, Deputy Speaker Indira Rana are members of the Constitutional Council chaired by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’.
Chief Justice Harikrishna Karki is compulsorily retiring on 20th of Shrawan, 2080 BS. According to Article 284 (3) of the Constitution, there is a provision that the Constitutional Council can make a recommendation for the appointment of the Chief Justice one month before the post becomes vacant.
Fewer Americans are confident in their military than at any point since 1997, according to a Gallup poll published on Monday. With trust in the armed forces dropping ten points in the last two years, the services are currently grappling with a historic recruitment crisis.
Conducted in June, the poll found 60% of respondents expressing “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in the military, down from 64% last year. Public confidence in the military last dipped to 60% in 1997, and has not been lower since 1988, when it sat at 58%.
Public support for the US services soared following the 9/11 attacks in 2001, with the armed forces enjoying 82% approval when President George W. Bush invaded Iraq in 2003. While the surge of post-9/11 patriotism receded as the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan dragged on, approval sat in the mid-70s until 2020, when it began to steadily decline year after year.
Republicans are traditionally more likely to back the military than Democrats, however their confidence has plummeted from 91% in 2020 to 68% today.
Republican politicians and pundits have been some of the Pentagon’s fiercest critics since Biden took office in 2021, and have lambasted the military for its vaccine mandates and its embrace of ‘woke’ politics – exemplified by its provision of ‘sex reassignment’ surgery to transgender troops, its teaching of ‘critical race theory,’ and its efforts to scrap gendered language in the barracks.
Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 – which saw 13 US troops killed in a suicide bombing and tens of billions of dollars worth of US equipment fall into Taliban hands – also earned scathing condemnation from both sides of the political spectrum.
With public support falling, the armed forces are struggling to fill their ranks. Leaders from the army, navy, and air force told a Congressional hearing in March that they all expect to fall short of their recruitment targets this year, after the army experienced its worst year for recruitment last year since the abolition of the draft in 1973.
Of the 17-24-year-olds typically targeted by military recruiters, 80% are physically unfit for service due to obesity, drug use, or poor mental health, according to a Pentagon study published in March. Furthermore, only 9% of this age group are interested in joining in the first place, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth told CNBC News in October.RT
Islamic State-Khorasan terrorists have claimed responsibility for Sunday’s suicide bombing in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which targeted a campaign rally of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) party.
The group, also known as ISIS-K, made a statement taking responsibility for the blast on Monday.
An estimated 1,000 people were inside a tent in the town of Khar when a bomber detonated his suicide vest stuffed with ball bearings near the stage where JUI leader Fazal-ur-Rehman was scheduled to speak.
As of Monday evening, the death toll stood at 54, of which 23 were under the age of 18.
ISIS-K was also behind the August 2021 suicide bombing at Kabul airport, which killed 13 US military personnel and dozens of Afghan civilians, during the American pullout from Afghanistan.
CPN-UML whip Mahesh Bartaula has accused the government of direct participation in the activities of importing gold from China into Nepal and exporting it elsewhere.
Speaking to reporters at Parliament House on Monday, he also said that the government is not in favor of forming a high-level inquiry committee in fear of high-ranking figures in the government.
Bartaula said that the government is trying to defame the country by making Nepal a transit point for gold smuggling.
In the first-ever joint communique on Monday, the military governments in Mali and Burkina Faso warned the West and other African states against intervening in the neighboring Niger. Bamako and Ouagadougou would consider any such move as an attack on their own countries, they said.
“Any military intervention against Niger would amount to a declaration of war against Burkina Faso and Mali,” said point four of the joint communique, which a Burkinabe military spokesman deliberately repeated three times during a state television broadcast.
In case of such an intervention, the two countries would withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and “adopt self-defense measures in support of the armed forces and the people of Niger,” according to the statement.
A military intervention against Niger “could destabilize the entire region, as had the unilateral NATO intervention in Libya, which was at the root of the expansion of the terrorism in the Sahel and West Africa,” the two governments said.
France currently has 1,500 troops and a drone base in Niger, while the US has 1,100 troops and two drone bases, according to Financial Times.
Nigerien soldiers, led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani, ousted President Mohamed Bazoum last Wednesday. The African Union denounced the coup on Friday and gave the junta in Niamey 15 days to stand down or face “punitive measures.” ECOWAS issued its own ultimatum on Sunday, at the emergency meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, saying that it would “take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger,” including the use of force, if Bazoum is not restored within a week.
Mali and Burkina Faso condemned the sanctions ECOWAS announced on Saturday as “illegal, illegitimate and inhumane.” They also expressed “fraternal solidarity” with the Nigerien people, “who have decided to take their destiny into their own hands and to assume before history the fullness of their sovereignty,” according to their joint communique.
The military governments of the two former French colonies have sought to sever their ties to Paris and rebuild their statehood with Russian assistance. Moscow has denounced the coup in Niger as an “anti-constitutional act,” however, and the Russian Foreign Ministry called on all parties to refrain from using force.
On Sunday, General Tchiani’s government announced it would suspend the export of uranium and gold to France, to the accolades of some of the local population.
“We have uranium, diamonds, gold, oil, and we live like slaves? We don’t need the French to keep us safe,” one pro-government demonstrator told the local news portal Wazobia Reporters.
Niger is the world’s seventh-largest producer of uranium, accounting for 4% of the global output. A French company controls about two thirds of the country’s output.
July 4, Kathmandu- Singer and actor Robin Tamang has passed away.
Robin , the main vocalist of Robin and the Revolution Band, passed away on Tuesday evening at his residence in Budhanilkanth.
Now, Robin’s body has been kept at the Teaching Hospital Maharajgunj for post-mortem. On Tuesday evening, after Robin’s sister Bhagwati informed the police about the death of singer Tamang, the police reached his residence. However, no information has been received so far about the cause of his death.
Born in Singapore, Robin started his musical journey in Nepal as the main vocalist of a musical band called “Robin and the New Revolution”. His songs ‘Dum Maro Dum’ and ‘Ketaketi’ had become very popular among Nepalese youth. He has also acted in about a dozen Nepali movies including Mukhauta and Chadke. He has made a special contribution to the field of Nepali rock singing.
July 4,Kathmandu – Kathmandu Metropolitan City has banned the entry of vehicles into Hanumandhoka premises. The metropolis has taken this decision to preserve the originality of the heritage.
Emphasizing on the need to protect the old heritage of the city, Mayor Balendra Shah has said that we can proudly show these heritages and their ancient originality to the world.
Mentioning that thousands of tourists come to Basantpur area every day, he said that there is a possibility of millions of tourists coming in the future and that the originality, beauty and atmosphere of the premises should be calm, clean and pleasant and that driving of vehicles is prohibited in Hanumandhoka premises.
Nepal has won the title of ACC U-16 East Zone Cup by winning over Malaysia.
In the final match, Nepal won the tournament by defeating the home team Malaysia by 221 runs. Chasing a huge target of 253 runs, Malaysia was bowled out for 31 runs in 14.5 overs.
Nepal, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Maldives, Indonesia and Thailand participated in the cricket competition. In the competition, Nepal defeated Thailand along with Malaysia in the group stage and Singapore in the semi-finals.
Nepal also won the ACC U-16 Eastern Region tournament in 2017 and 2019.
Nepal Oil Corporation has reduced the price of petrol, diesel and kerosene by five rupees per liter.
The board meeting held on Monday evening decided to reduce the price. Manoj Thakur, spokesperson of the corporation said that this time, the corporation has determined the price using a scientific system. The price of fuel has been reduced for the third category (Kathmandu, Pokhara and Dipayal) with effect from 12 midnight on Monday.
The new price of petrol in Kathmandu will be Rs 170, diesel and kerosene will be Rs 150.
For the second category (Surkhet and Dang) Rs.6 per liter has been decreased and for the first category (Charali, Birgunj, Janakpur, Amlekhganj, Bhalwari, Nepalgunj and Dhangadhi) Rs.7.5 per liter has been decreased.
Keeping the price of LP gas unchanged, the corporation has reduced the price of aviation fuel by Rs 14 per liter domestically and by USD 115 per thousand liters internationally.
A meeting of the ruling coalition held at the Prime Minister’s residence, Baluwatar, has decided to make Uddhav Thapa, the leader of the Congress Koshi Province Parliamentary Party, the Chief Minister of Koshi Province.
The alliance meeting decided to promote Thapa as the chief minister of Koshi province and it has been informed that Congress has been given the responsibility to fill the remaining number of seats. It is said that the meeting has also decided the members to be placed in the cabinet in different provinces and it has been agreed that Janmaat Party will also be brought in the government and draw appropriate conclusions about the ministries.
July 3, Kathmandu – Nepal has entered the ACC U-16 East Zone Cup final by defeating Singapore in the ongoing ACC U-16 East Zone Cup cricket match in Malaysia.
After winning the toss and batting first, Nepal scored 184 runs losing 9 wickets in the scheduled 35 overs. Chasing a target of 185 runs, Singapore was bowled out for 87 runs in 31.3 overs and Nepal entered the final with a 97 run victory.
Nepal will compete against home team Malaysia in the final match on Tuesday.
July 3, Kathmandu – Lawyers from all over the country have left the court work and are protesting on the streets .
Lawyers has started a legal protest on the issue of the dispute between the two colleague PremikaTamang and advocate Amir Lamichhane of Lalitpur district court.
It is said that Lamichhane attacked Tamang while she was working at District Court Lalitpur.However, the lawyers has been denying it and saying it as a false accusation of Tamang.
Lawyers have protested with the demand that the incident should be investigated, the guilty should be punished and the false case against Lamichhane should be withdrawn. They said that they are on the protest as a false cases were filed against lamichhane and that there are distortions and inconsistencies in the court.
After the dispute reached the bar and bench level, the administration had already released advocate Lamichhane on Sunday.
Speaking in the discussion on Economic Bill 2080 in the House of Representatives meeting, Prem Suwal, a member of the House of Representatives, said that tax was imposed on sugar import in a collusion.
According to the government policy as there is a tax on sugar import,businesses are importing sugar illegally declaring it as a rice, as there is no tax in rice import and the finance minister pretends not to know about it, Suwal said.
Objecting to the imposition of infrastructure development tax on public transport used by the poor, Suwal has also demanded a 10 percent airport infrastructure development tax on aviation fuel.
Speaking in a meeting, Suwal said private telecom providers should be brought under state ownership and he also drew the attention of the government to arrange for no 2 percent charge on SIM card recharge up to Rs.300.
July 3, Kathmandu-The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has decided to put a fence on about 143 ropani land in the Lalita Niwas area and remove the temporary or unauthorized structures built on the land.
As it is the responsibility of the metropolis to protect the government property, the metropolis has prepared to put a fence on the government land in Lalitaniwas area, said Rajunath Pandey, the city police chief.
Under the leadership of Rajunath Pandey, the city police reached the area and ordered the removal of the old temporary structures built on the government land as it was found that people had built shelters in some places. The metropolis has said that the map details have been requested from the Surveyors and Lands Office to determine the government and private land and that they will protect the government land by putting up a fence to separate the government and private land and that no building or any structure will be allowed to be built on that land.
The metropolis has given a 24-hour verbal ultimatum to remove temporary or unauthorized structures built on government land.
The UK authorities continue to conceal the information about Russian nationals Sergey and Yulia Skripal, whose fate remains unknown to date, the Russian Embasy in London said in a statement.
“Still no news from two Russian nationals – Sergei and Yulia Skripal. It has been more than five years now since Yulia’s most recent public appearance. Her brief pre-recorded message in 2018, apparently translated from English, raises many questions,” the embassy said.
“Our nationals have not been forgotten. Five years on, we continue to demand that the British authorities allow us to ascertain they are safe and sound. London carries full responsibility for their well-being,” the statement says.
If the British version of the incident involving the Skripals is to be believed, on March 4, 2018, former GRU Colonel Sergey Skripal, convicted in Russia of espionage for Britain, and his daughter Yulia were exposed to the Novichok nerve agent in Salisbury. London later claimed that the substance had allegedly been developed in Russia and accused Moscow of being involved in the incident. Russia categorically rejected all speculation in this regard. Experts at Britain’s laboratory in Porton Down have not been able to establish the origin of the substance with which the Skripals were allegedly poisoned.
On September 5, 2018, the then British prime minister, Theresa May, briefed parliament on the findings of the investigation. She said that two Russians with passports issued in the names of Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov were suspects in the attempt on the Skripals’ lives. The British intelligence services consider both as “GRU agents.” Both men agreed to grant an interview to the RT television channel, in which they denied these charges. Later, Scotland Yard said another man, Denis Sergeyev, allegedly a “GRU agent”, too, was also charged in the Skripal case.tass
Both the United States and the EU have ruled out deploying troops from individual NATO members against Russia.
US President Joe Biden has no intention of sending US troops to Ukraine, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said. However, while NATO forces may not be openly fighting the Russians, an unknown number of US military personnel are said to be active in the war-torn region of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the EU has rejected the idea of any such military mission. The Director General of the European Union Military Staff, Vice Admiral Hervé Blazian, has said that neither Europe nor NATO can send their troops to Ukraine, saying that sending troops to Ukraine means being a party to the war, going to war with Russia.
However, the Pentagon acknowledged in November that a “small number” of US forces were guarding and monitoring the US embassy in Kiev. In April, leaked Pentagon documents also revealed that as of mid-March, 14 US special forces personnel had been deployed to Ukraine and 50 military special forces had been deployed from Britain.
Meanwhile, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, a missile attack on a temporary Ukrainian armed forces base in the city of Donbass killed “20 foreign mercenaries and military advisers,” and photos and videos circulated on social media after the attack allegedly showed English-speaking military personnel in US uniforms dead and wounded at the base.
Moscow considers the US and NATO complicit in the conflict, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused the West of not wanting to end the war against Russia “until the last Ukrainian remains alive”.
The Supreme Court has issued an interim order not to immediately implement the Citizenship Bill approved by the President.
A single bench of Judge Manoj Kumar Sharma heard the case and issued a short-term interim order to the government not to immediately implement the Citizenship Act, which was approved by President Ramchandra Paudel.
The Supreme Court has called both sides for further discussion. The government has already published the Citizenship Act in the Gazette.
Last Thursday, senior advocates Dr. Surendra Bhandari and Balkrishna Neupane filed separate writs in the Supreme Court. After President Paudel certified the ‘controversial’ citizenship bill on Wednesday, a writ was filed in the court. In the writ, President Paudel and Sheetal Niwas have been made opponents.
Earlier, the then President Bidhya Devi Bhandari returned the bill, which was passed by both houses of the Federal Parliament and sent for verification, with a 15-point message. But after that, the then Congress-Maoist coalition decided to pass it through the Parliament without amending any of the points, and after it was passed by the majority, the bill was stuck in the President’s office.
After President Poudel approved the bill that was returned to the previous federal parliament, major opposition parties are protesting against the bill.
A military conflict between China and the US would have terrible consequences not only for the two countries, but for the whole world, Beijing’s Defense Minister Li Shangfu has said.
“China and the US have different systems and are different in many other ways. However, this shouldn’t keep the two sides from seeking common ground and common interests to grow bilateral ties and deepen cooperation,” Li suggested during his speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Sunday.
“It’s undeniable that a severe conflict or confrontation between China and the US will be an unbearable disaster for the world,” he added.
The Chinese defense minister also warned that “a Cold War mentality is now resurgent, greatly increasing security risks.” He didn’t mention Washington and its allies directly, but said “some countries” had been intensifying the arms race and interfering in the internal affairs of other nations.
According to the minister, those trying to create “NATO-like” military blocs in the Indo-Pacific are looking “to hold countries in the region hostage and play up conflict and confrontation.” He was apparently referring to the AUKUS pact agreed between the US, UK and Australia in 2021.
Li also reiterated Beijing’s stance that “Taiwan is China’s Taiwan, and how to resolve the Taiwan question is a matter for the Chinese to decide.”
US President Joe Biden has pledged on several occasions that Washington would defend Taiwan militarily if Beijing decided to use force to take control over the self-governed island. Earlier this year, the media got hold of a memo from the head of US Air Mobility Command, General Mike Minihan, who speculated that Washington and Beijing could go to war over Taiwan by 2025.
During his speech at the summit on Saturday, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin criticized his Chinese counterpart for refusing to hold a meeting with him in Singapore. “The more that we talk, the more that we can avoid the misunderstandings and miscalculations that could lead to crisis or conflict,” he argued.
Two Chinese military officers told Reuters that, before military contacts could resume, Beijing wanted to see clear signs of a less confrontational approach in Asia from Washington, including the revocation of sanctions against Li.RT
The controversial Citizenship Bill has been passed by President Paudel. Controversy has increased between the political parties because the bill returned by the former president was passed by bypassing the parliament. UML has said that it is not natural for the bill to be passed in violation of parliamentary dignity during the Prime Minister’s visit to India by including outdated and erroneous provision.
According to the Citizenship Bill passed by President Paudel, the children of the first born will get the citizenship of the descendants.
In the same way, the bill also includes provisions for citizenship in the mother’s name after self-declaration and for non-resident Nepalese to obtain citizenship.
With the approval of this bill, now the children of the birth parents will get the citizenship of the descendants. Now, a person who was born in Nepal to a Nepali mother and settled here, but whose father is not identified, will get citizenship under mother’s name if he declared.
The bill also provides for foreign women who marry Nepali men to get naturalized citizenship immediately.
In the same way, the path has been opened for non-resident Nepalese to get citizenship, so that they can exercise rights other than political and administrative.
The main opposition CPN-UML expressed its disagreement with the certification of the Citizenship Bill.
CPN-UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel has given an explanation after a confusion been created on the UML’s objection about the citizenship bill and about the ordinance that UML was trying to put forward .
While giving an explanation, he said that his party believes that at least the same system should be maintained between India and Nepal in terms of Matrimonial adoption. He said that the current provision in India is that citizenship is acquired within 7 years of marriage and in Nepal, citizenship is acquired immediately after marriage.
Similarly, he said that the constitution provides for the citizenship system to reveal the territorial identity, but it is not included in the current bill. Similarly, he has said that his party disagrees with the bill because it has ignored the parliamentary process.
He also said that it is not a natural process to prove the flawed and incomplete bill without entering into the parliament and without entering into the serious questions raised constitutionally by the former president. He also said that the old inactive bill passed through the backdoor on the event of PM’s visit to India is not a naturally driven process.
Through the Economic Bill 2080, the government has put forward a policy that Nepalese going abroad in tourist visas or visits must pay a tax of 5 percent to the government.
According to the Economic Bill 2080, a tax of 5 percent will be levied on the total amount paid by Nepalese traveling abroad. The amount equal to the said tax will be levied by the foreign tour package seller at the time of selling the package.
In the same way, any firm or company sending their staffs abroad for visit in the course of business promotion will be taxed by the government during the accounting of the expenses incurred and the said amount should be sent to the revenue office by the 25th of the next month.
According to the economic bill, if the foreign tourism fee is not deposited, interest will be charged at the rate of 15 percent per annum.
Similarly, if the return statement is not submitted, such person will be charged an annual fee of 2.5% from the date the statement is to be submitted to the date such statement is not filed.
Rashtriya Yuva Sangh, a youth organization close to CPN-UML, has burnt the map of Akhand Bharat in protest against placing the map of Akhand Bharat in the Indian Parliament, which placed the Nepalese territory in the map.
Yuva Sangh, a sister organization of UML, staged a procession in New Baneshwor of Kathmandu and burnt the map of India, claiming that Nepalese territory was placed on the map.
They burnt the map of a Akhanda Bharat with slogans like ‘Hey Modi bro, take Prachanda and Ramchandra away but Lumbini and Kapil Vastu can never be given.
May 31 , Kathmandu: President Ramchandra Paudel has approved the bill to amend the Nepal Citizenship Act, 2063.
Earlier, the Citizenship Bill, which was passed by both houses of the Federal Parliament and sent to President Bidya Devi Bhandari for verification, was returned without verification.
Although there is a dispute between the ruling party and the opposition regarding the Citizenship Bill, the Council of Ministers meeting held on May 26 decided to request President Paudel to certify the Citizenship Bill, which has been passed by both houses of Parliament.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is leaving for a four-day visit to India on Wednesday. This is Dahal’s first foreign visit after becoming the Prime Minister for the third time.
According to Foreign Minister NP Saud, during the Prime Minister’s visit to India, homework has been done for agreements and cooperation on issues including long-term energy trade, electricity trade through India to Bangladesh, transmission lines, air routes, connectivity and cooperation in agriculture.
Saud said that ensuring the sale of electricity produced in Nepal is Nepal’s priority and accordingly, efforts will be made to reach a long-term agreement with India to increase investment in the electricity sector and ensure the market.
Similarly, during the Prime Minister’s visit to India, Nepal has given importance to air connectivity and said that apart from the Simra route, other routes including Mahendranagar, Nepalgunj, Bhairahwa and Biratnagar will be discussed.
Similarly, the border issue will be discussed at the Prime Minister level, investment, trade, technology development, construction of development projects, cooperation in crime investigation and other issues will be agreed at the delegation level, according to the foreign ministry.
Prime Minister Dahal is landing at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on a regular flight of Nepal Airlines at 2:50 pm on Wednesday. 47 government officials, 41 private industry business sector personnel, media representatives, 5 ministers, one and a half dozen secretaries and joint secretaries will participate in the team.
On Saturday, the fourth day of the visit, Prime Minister Dahal is scheduled to depart for Kathmandu on a Nepal Airlines plane at 4:20 PM.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won re-election, in a tense run-off after he failed to secure more than 50 percent of votes required for an outright victory in the first round on May 14.
With 97 percent of ballot boxes opened, Erdogan reportedly received 52.1 percent of votes in the second round on Sunday, beating his challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who won 47.9 percent.
The official Supreme Election Council has yet to confirm the results.
The vote seals Erdogan’s place in history as he extends his 20-year rule for a further five years.
He had already outstripped the 15-year presidency of the Republic of Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
As Erdogan’s victory seemed complete, crowds headed to the presidential palace in Ankara to wait for his celebratory speech.
Prior to that, Erdogan appeared outside his residence in Istanbul’s Uskudar, where he sang before thanking an adoring crowd.
“We have completed the second round of the presidential elections with the favour of our people,” Erdogan said. “God willing we will be worthy of your trust as we have been for the last 21 years.”
He added that all 85 million citizens of the country were the “victors” of the two rounds of voting on May 14 and May 28.
May 28, Kathmandu. In the current financial year (FY) 2079/80, the government is going to raise domestic debt 23 billion rupees more than the budget target. This year, the government has set a target of raising 2 trillion 40 billion rupees in domestic debt, but it is expected to raise 2 trillion 63 billion rupees by the end of June.
At a time when liquidity in the financial system is low and interest rates are high, the government is going to raise more loans than expected. The government’s preparations will put more pressure on liquidity and interest rates. Through the mid-term review of the budget, the government had set a revised target of raising domestic debt of 2 trillion 40 billion rupees. Prior to that, the budget of this financial year initially aimed to raise 2 trillion 56 billion domestic debt.
The National Natural Resources and Finance Commission recommends the domestic debt limit that the government can raise every year. The commission has recommended raising internal debt not to exceed 5 percent of the gross domestic product this year. In that way, the government has the facility to raise 2 trillion 69 billion in debt.
Due to the lack of liquidity in the market and the increase in interest rates, credit has not gone to the private sector as expected. The monetary policy of the current year aims to expand the credit flow to the private sector by 12.6 percent, but it has only expanded by 3.5 percent by mid April. In other words, from june last year to mid-April, 1 trillion 62 billion loans have gone from the financial system. Bankers say that loans to the private sector will not increase by more than 6 percent by mid July. According to the data of Nepal Rastra Bank, deposits have increased by 3.56 trillion till mid April,which is an increase of 7 percent compared to last FY
Although there is no large amount of credit in the private sector, there is no more liquidity in the market when the government increases the amount of internal credit. According to the data of Rastra Bank on May 23, the average loan-to-deposit ratio (CD) ratio of banks is 84.83 percent. Sunil KC, president of Nepal Bankers Association, says that although the average CD ratio of banks looks easy, there is no high liquidity situation. This week, banks had an average of 26 to 30 billion in liquidity.
The government has so far raised 2 trillion 4 billion 70 crores of internal debt. According to the National Debt Mobilization Schedule of the Rastra Bank Monetary Management Department, there will be talk of various tools to raise domestic debt worth 59.3 billion rupees.
May 28 , Kathmandu – The Nepal Cricket Association (CAN) has announced the 16-member Nepali team for the ICC World Cup qualifiers to be held in Zimbabwe.
The Nepal Cricket Association (CAN) has announced the 16-member Nepali team for the ICC World Cup qualifiers under the captaincy of Rohit Paudel. CAN have announced their ICC World Cup qualifiers, adding two players to their 14-man squad from the ACC Premier Cup.
Dev Khanal, Abhinash Bohra, Kamalsingh Airi, Surya Tamang, Mausam Dhakal and Sandeep Zora have been dropped out of the 22-member squad that was announced earlier.
In Zimbabwe, Nepal will play practice matches against UAE on June 13 and Oman on June 15 .
Nepal is in Group A along with West Indies, Zimbabwe, America and Netherlands while in Group B are Ireland, Sri Lanka, UAE, Scotland and Oman.
The competition will be held from June 18 to July 9.Selected Nepalese players for world cup qualifier are, Rohit Paudel (captain), Kushal Bhurtel, Asif Sheikh (wicketkeeper), Gyanendra Mall, Kushal Mall, Arif Sheikh, Dipendra Singh Airi, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, Bhim Sarki, Pratish GC, Lalit Rajvanshi, Arjun Saud and Kishore Mahato will .
May 28, Kathmandu – On the occasion of the Republic Day, President Ramchandra Paudel has pardoned the prison sentence of Resham Chaudhary, who has been serving life imprisonment in Dillibazar prison.
The Council of Ministers had recommended to the President to waive the prison sentences of 19 people, including Chaudhary, who were found guilty by the Supreme Court in the Tikapur mass murder incident.
According to Article 276 of the Constitution of Nepal and Article 159 of the Code of Criminal Procedure 2074, they were pardoned by the President’s Office.
Similarly, according to Article 276 of the Constitution and Article 37 of the Criminal Offenses (Determining and Execution of Punishment) Act and Article 12 of the Senior Citizens Act, the rest of the prison sentences of 482 people have also been waived.
May 28, Kathmandu: Tikapur massacre accused Resham Chaudhary, who was sentenced for life imprisonment by supreme court has been pardoned by the government, on the occasion of Republic Day.
Meanwhile, Sharda Kadayat, the wife of police inspector Keshav Bohra, who was killed in the Tikapur incident, has filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the government’s decision to grant amnesty to Resham Chaudhary.
After the government tried to free Chaudhary, who was found guilty by the court and was serving his prison sentence, Sharda had submitted a petition to the President’s Office and demanded that Chaudhary should not be released from prison.
On Bhadra 7, 2072 BS., during the Tharuhat movement in Tikapur of Kailali, seven security personnel and one minor were killed along with SSP Laxman Neupane of Nepal Police.
North Korea’s Foreign Ministry has claimed NATO is seeking to increase its influence in Asia, citing growing “military collusion” with Japan, which hosted a delegation from the military bloc last month to discuss ways to step up cooperation.
In comments carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Monday, an official with the Foreign Ministry’s Japan Research Center, Kim Seol-hwa, said Washington is gradually pushing NATO into Asia through partnerships with regional powers.
It is an open secret that the United States… has been trying to create a military alliance like this in the Asia-Pacific region,” he said, adding that the “recent unprecedented military collusion between Japan and NATO is arousing great concern and alertness in the international community.”
Kim went on to cite recent reports that NATO is now in talks to open a “liaison office” in Japan, its first such facility in Asia. The office would be used to “conduct periodic consultations with Japan and key partners in the region such as South Korea, Australia and New Zealand,” according to the Nikkei Asia news website.
All facts clearly show that NATO’s attempt to advance into the Asia-Pacific region through military collusion with Japan has entered a dangerous implementation phase,” the Foreign Ministry official continued, also pointing to other “confrontational alliances” such as the ‘Quad’ bloc – which Beijing has described as an “Asian NATO” – and AUKUS pact between Australia, the UK and the US.
Last month, Japan hosted a delegation from NATO’s Cooperative Security Division, which met with senior military leaders to “discuss the current military cooperation and opportunities to foster a stronger partnership,” as well as future joint drills with Japan’s armed forces.
Further highlighting the increased cooperation, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg sat down with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels on April 4, where the two officials vowed to further strengthen their partnership. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also met with NATO chief earlier this year, after attending an alliance summit in 2022, a first for a Japanese premier.
Kim argued that NATO’s overtures to countries like Japan and South Korea were part of plans to “build a huge anti-China and anti-Russia encirclement” in the broader region, claiming the US-led alliance hopes to “keep neighboring countries in check” while expanding its military footprint across the continent.RT
France will not withdraw from a contract with Russian nuclear corporation Rosatom for reprocessing uranium, as doing so would be beneficial for Moscow, the French energy transition minister has claimed.
Under the 2018 deal, regenerated uranium from France is delivered to Russia, where it is enriched and then sent back. The recycled uranium is used to run France’s nuclear power plants.
Terminating the contract would generate higher compensation for the Russian government than merely continuing imports at a minimum level, Agnes Pannier-Runacher told the BFM Business channel on Tuesday.
In March, Greenpeace reported that France had tripled imports of Russian enriched uranium in 2022. According to the organization, the deliveries confirmed France’s dependence on the Russian nuclear industry, which has not been targeted by Western sanctions.
Pannier-Runacher later denied that the operation of France’s nuclear power plants depended on Russia, noting that France resorted only “to a very modest extent to natural uranium enrichment services in Russia, as well as conversion and re-enrichment services for reprocessed uranium to improve cycle efficiency.”
France “could totally do without it as this last activity can be entirely substituted by natural uranium,” the energy minister told Montel News at the time.
Statistics showed that last year the French energy corporation EDF purchased 153 tons of uranium enriched in Russia, the same level as in 2021. Russia accounts for 15% of enrichment activities for EDF.RT
May 16, Kathmandu – Nepal Oil Corporation has reduced the price of diesel and kerosene by Rs. 10 per liter.
After the price of petroleum products reduced by IOC on Tuesday, the meeting of the board of directors of the Nepal Oil corporation decided to reduce the price for consumers. According to the new price list sent by the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the price of diesel has decreased by 8 rupees per liter and the price of petrol by 9 rupees. Earlier, diesel and kerosene, which were sold at 165 rupees per liter, have remained at 155 rupees.
The corporation has kept the prices of petrol, jet fuel and cooking gas unchanged.
May 16,Kathmandu – The Supreme Court has upheld the life imprisonment sentence of Reshlamal Chaudhary, who was sentenced to life imprisonment by the District Court Kailali and the High Court Dipayal for his involvement in the Tikapur incident in Kailali.
With this order of the Supreme Court, Chaudhary has been sentenced to life imprisonment. The joint bench of Supreme Court Justices Anand Mohan Bhattarai and Nahkul Subedi upheld the sentence of life imprisonment imposed on Chaudhary by the District and High Courts.
Sitaram Chaudhary and Gangaram Chaudhary, accused in the same case, have been acquitted. Sitaram and Gangaram were in jail for the term of life imprisonment as per the orders of the District and High Courts. Supreme Court has ordered to release them from prison today.
In the case of Laxman Tharu, As decided by the district court, who has served three years of imprisonment, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the high court. But Laxman tharu will not have to spend more time in prison as the Supreme Court upheld the decision of the district court.
May 15, Kathmandu – The Melamchi water supply project is going to stop the water being distributed from the Melamchi tunnel for 10 days from the 19th of May to the 29.
According to the Melamchi Water Development Committee, Melamchi Water Development Committee is going to close the Melamchi Tunnel for 10 days for the construction and improvement of structures including Gate No. 1 and 9 at the Ambathan Status Headwalk and the connection of the mechanical part in the tunnel.
It is also said that the equipment is going to be installed to prevent further damage to the project due to the possible natural disaster that may occur during the rainy season and the schedule of water distribution in Kathmandu Valley will be changed during the period of 10 days. The water distribution schedule has been published through the Kathmandu Valley Water Supply website and the Facebook page of the branch offices.
Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, who was on the run after an arrest warrant was issued on the charge of fraud by creating fake Bhutanese refugees, has been finally arrested .
After the arrest warrant was issued, Top Bahadur absconded, saying that he would come himself to assist the police in the investigation. UML Secretary and former Deputy Prime Minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi was arrested from BudhanilKanth in Kathmandu on the 11th day after the arrest warrant was issued, police said.
It has been mentioned in the police statement that Rayamajhi, who has been hiding in India till now and returned to Kathmandu from New Delhi via Pokhara, was arrested from Narayan Paudel’s house in Budhanilkanth. The police claim that Rayamajhi came to Nepal only on Friday after receiving information that a police team had come to India to arrest him.
He was in Arghakhanchi when District Court Kathmandu issued an arrest warrant against him , but he absconded soon after learning that the arrest warrant had been issued. Rayamajhi’s son Sandeep was arrested by the police on 20 Baisakh 2080 BS.
May 14, Kathmandu – The district court in Kathmandu has allowed the police to detain former home minister Balkrishna Khad for four more days, who was arrested in the fake Bhutanese refugee case.
District Police Kathmandu, submitted an appeal to the District Court requesting permission to detain 12 other people including Khad for more time, saying that the investigation has not been completed. The Kathmandu District Court allowed the police to keep them in custody for 4 more days and investigate.
Former Home Minister Khan, the then Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa’s advisor Indrajit Rai, Nepal Government Secretary Teknarayan Pandey, Sandeep Rayamajhi, son of UML leader and former minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, Keshav Dulal, Sanu Bhandari, Tank Gurung, Sagar Thulung Rai are under investigation in the case of fake Bhutanese refugees.
Former Deputy Prime Minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi and former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa Badal’s son Pratik Thapa has absconded after the arrest warrant was issued in the case of fake Bhutanese refugees.
May 14, Kathmandu – The Customs Department has further explained the decision of the cabinet meeting that , “Nepalese returning from abroad will be allowed to bring 2 mobile phones with them”.
With this decision of the customs department, now only those who have gone for foreign employment with a work permit will be allowed to bring one more mobile phone for free, while students who have gone to study abroad and Nepalese who have gone abroad on a tourist visa will have to pay tax as specified by the customs department if they bring more than one mobile phone.
The Customs Department has stated that any passenger returning from abroad can bring one mobile phone without paying duty and does not have to declare the mobile phone set he or she is using at the customs office.MDMS Registration of such mobile phones can be done online.
According to the Department of Customs, one additional mobile phone, which is allowed to be brought free of charge by the Nepali citizens who have gone to work abroad for at least 6 months with a work permit, must obtain a customs declaration form and based on the same declaration form, the phone can be registered in the MDMS.
However, according to the Customs Department, customs duty will be charged on the second phone brought by those who have returned from abroad on a tourist visa and who have returned from studying abroad, and after completing the customs process of the second phone, they will receive a notification letter and on the basis of the declaration letter those phone can be registered in MDMS.
The Customs Department also said that if the mobile phone brought from abroad is not registered in MDMS within 15 days of using the SIM of the Nepali mobile service provider, the mobile phone will not work in Nepal.
May 14, Kathmandu – The meeting between the top leaders of the three major political parties at the Prime Minister’s residence, Baluwatar, has concluded the discussion to advance the bill related to transitional justice and constitutional council.
The meeting held in the presence of the Prime Minister and Chairman of Maoist Center Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, Chairman of Nepali Congress Sher Bahadur Deuba, Chairman of the main opposition party UML KP Sharma Oli, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Purna Bahadur Khadka, Deputy Leader of UML Parliamentary Party Subas Nemwang, Chief Whip of Congress Ramesh lekhak and Chief Whip of Maoist Center Hitraj Pandey has decided to proceed with the bill by forming a sub-committee under the subject committee of the House of Representatives.
Similarly, after the top leaders of the three major parties left their position on the Constitutional Council Bill, the process of passing the Constitutional Council Bill will be taken forward.
Regarding the constitutional council bill, after the two ruling parties, Nepali Congress and CPN Maoist Center backed away from the stance, the main opposition CPN-UML has also backed away from its position .
Among the 10 thematic committees in the House of Representatives, it has been agreed between the top leaders that UML will get the leadership of one more committee, including the Public Accounts Committee and also among the two joint committees UML will get the Chairman of the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Committee of the Director Principles, Policies and Responsibilities of the State.
May 14, Kathmandu – Teachers Service Commission has opened the application for secondary teaching permit (licence).
According to the decision of May 12th, the Teachers Service Commission has published a notice and said that the application for secondary teaching permit has been opened.
According to the Commission, interested persons who have completed the qualification and training can apply through official website https://license.tsc.gov.np online .
According to the commission, no details can be modified or added to the personal details and submitted documents in the online application after submitting the revenue tax.
The CPN-UML Central Committee meeting has demanded an investigation into the scam in the name of Maoist militant and other corruption issues.
CPN-UML has demanded an impartial investigation of all the scandals that have come to the fore including the combatant camp scam scandal, saying that the corruption and irregularity in the Nepalese society remain as contagious diseases and due to the fact that such incidents are not impartially investigated and the culprits are not brought to justice, the democratic system, political leadership and parties themselves are being questioned, . The party has said that it will fully cooperate in the investigation of all the incidents.
Saying that the case of fake Bhutanese refugees raises serious questions about the reputation of the country, it has demanded that the case be investigated impartially without any political bias or pressure and prosecute the culprits. The CPN-UML also stated that during the investigation of the incident, the detained persons are being forced to have illegal meetings with persons who may come under the investigation and are trying to settle the case by bribing and forcing to take make favorable statements.
The UML said that the country has been pushed towards an extreme economic crisis as a result of placing businessmen’s representatives in the Ministry of Finance and changing the tax rates to suit their interests and giving the economy contracts to certain business houses.
The police arrested three people who arrived in Kathmandu from Dubai on Saturday with about 175gm of gold in a Himalayan Airlines flight.
The police stationed at Tribhuvan International Airport customs arrested Suman Magar of Madhyapur Thimi, Bimala Darzi of Jhapa and Sarjan Rayamazhi of Butwal along with gold during investigation.
During the interrogation, it was discovered that the gold did not belong to them and they were only used as porters.However, Police used them as a bait and was successful to arrest Suren Shrestha of Ramechhap who came to collect the gold .
May 9, Kathmandu- When returning from foreign employment, Nepali citizens will now be allowed to bring two mobile phones with them.
Before this, the Tribhuvan Airport Customs Office was confiscating all the mobile phones apart from the one carried by Nepalese returning from foreign employment. The Council of Ministers meeting held on Tuesday, by revising the regulations has decided to arrange to bring a maximum of two mobile phones for Nepalese returning from foreign employment.
Earlier,after Tribhuvan Airport Customs Office confiscated the mobile phones of Nepalese returning from foreign employmnet, they started a no remittance campaign against the government.
The Minister of Communication, Information and Technology Rekha Sharma has informed that the Ministry of Communication and Labor will do the necessary coordination and homework and implement this system soon.
China has ordered the removal of Jennifer Lynn Lalonde, Canada’s diplomat in its Shanghai Consulate.
As Canada ordered China’s diplomat Zhao Wei to leave the country on monday, in accusation for trying to intimidate a Canadian MP, China in retaliation ordered the removal of Canadian diplomat.
After the removal order of Canadian diplomat, China has issued a statement saying,”China reserves the right to further react”.
Both diplomats have five days to exit the countries.
Canada had accused China of targeting its opposition lawmaker Michael Chong and his relatives in Hong Kong after Mr Chong accused China of human rights abuses.
Protests have erupted in Pakistani cities after former Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested as he appeared in a court in the capital, Islamabad, to face corruption allegations.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party urged supporters to take to the streets and thousands of Khan’s supporters took to the streets in the capital Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and other cities to protest against his arrest.Since his removal from power last year, Khan has been slapped with dozens of charges, which he denies and says are politically motivated.
“Imran Khan has been arrested in the Qadir Trust case,” the Islamabad police said on its official Twitter account, referring to a corruption case.
April 7,Kathmandu- The government has prepared to proceed with the law amendment process to free the leader of the Nagarik Unmukty Party, Resham Chaudhary, accused of the Tikapur murder case, who was found guilty by the court.
Earlier the Council of Ministers meeting held on May 2 has already decided to take some bills related to the amendment of Nepal Act to the Parliament,and the same bill is being prepared to be presented in today’s Parliament session. Some parliamentarians have also said that the Bill is being advanced under the pressure of the Nagarik Unmukty Party under the condition of supporting the government.
The ordinance brought by the government led by Sher Bahadur Deuba on the 11th of December to release Chaudhary could not be implemented due to the controversy and now it is said that the same bill is going to be amended by keeping the provisions of the same ordinance.
Section 116 of the Code of Criminal Procedure lists non-returnable cases. In the Civil Code of Criminal Offenses ,negative and positive list cases has been classified and there is a provision that even now the cases in the positive list can be withdrawn with the consent of the court.In the provision it has been clearly mentioned that the negative list cases cannot be withdrawn.According to which the case of chaudhary could not be withdrawn. But now in the bill,a provision is going to be added that the ‘political nature cases can be withdrawn’. and which seems clearly to be in favour of chaudhary to get him released out of the prison.
In the case of the Tikapur incident, Chaudhary was found guilty by two levels of courts on the charge of killing seven policemen and a child. Chaudhary’s wife Ranjita Shrestha is the Minister of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation in the current government.
May 7-Kathmandu — The budget session of the Federal Parliament is starting today. Today, Finance Minister Prakasharan Mahat will submit a proposal to discuss the principles and priorities of the appropriation bill for the next financial year.
According to the constitutional provision, the budget for the next financial year should be submitted by 29th of May. Before that, the annual policy and program will be submitted. According to the Parliament Secretariat, an ordinance to amend some laws related to the Civil Code will also be submitted on today’s session.
In the 92-hour and 30-minute meeting of the first parliamentary session that lasted for 110 days, no significant work was done, nor was any bill passed, except for passing the rules of the House of Representatives and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal taking a vote of confidence twice.
The parliamentarians said that the government did not answer the questions raised by the parliamentarians in the previous session, and the government should address the questions raised by the people’s representatives in the next session. The government is also under pressure to move forward the Citizenship Bill, which was not implemented due to non-certification by the President, in this session.
The arrest of anti-monarchy protesters on the day of the Coronation has been labelled “alarming” by human rights groups.
Human rights groups and MPs have criticised the Metropolitan Police over arrests of anti-monarchy group in London on the day of the Coronation.
However, responding to the criticism, Police had said that ” it’s their duty to intervene when protest becomes criminal and may cause serious disruption”. Scotland Yard also respond saying”it had acted in a proportionate manner” siting the situation.Police said the 52 arrests were made for offences including affray, public order offences, breach of the peace and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance around the coronation.
While campaigners insisted their protests were peaceful the police said they had intelligence that groups were “determined to disrupt” the occasion.
Several Labour MPs criticised the Met’s response, with senior backbencher Sir Chris Bryant writing on Twitter that “freedom of speech is the silver thread that runs through a parliamentary constitutional monarchy”.
Shadow minister Jess Philips also used social media to say that “our nation and our King is not so fragile as to not be able to take harmless protest of a different view”.
Labour MP Richard Burgon said he was ”deeply concerned” by the arrests, while MP Zarah Sultana said: “Whatever you think of the monarchy, the right to peaceful protest is fundamental to democracy.”
UK director of Human Rights Watch, Yasmine Ahmed, said “the police action is like something you would expect to see in Moscow, not inLondon”.
Protesters wearing “Not My King” T-shirts were being detained during the coronation.
Kathmandu, May 7 – After Kathmandu, Nepal Telecom has started 5G trial in Pokhara and Birgunj. The government had initially planned to test 5G in four cities Kathmandu, Pokhara, Birgunj and Biratnagar. However, due to American pressure on the use of Chinese technology in 5G, Nepal Telecom has not been able to speed up the trial process.
Nepal Telecom, which is testing 5G in Babarmahal and Sundhara areas of Kathmandu, has now started the testing process in Pokhara and Birgunj. Telecom is preparing to start 5G trial in the remaining four provinces after Kathmandu (Bagmati), Pokhara (Gandaki) and Birgunj (Madhesh Province).
After the success of the current trial, Nepal Telecom said that it will expand 5G commercially.
May-6: King Charles III of Great Britain was crowned at Westminster Abbey in London on Saturday. At the climax of the two-hour ceremony, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby placed the crown of St. Edward the Confessor on the sovereign’s head.
It was made in the 17th century from pure gold, weighs 2.2 kg. The crown is decorated with more than 400 precious stones . It has been used for the coronation of all British monarchs since Charles II (1630-1685). Putting it on the head of the monarch, the Archbishop of Canterbury uttered the words “God save the king”, which were repeated by all 2,200 guests in the abbey.
Shortly before the coronation King Charles III was anointed to reign. The sacrament was performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby in Westminster Abbey in London.
During the sacrament, the archbishop pours oil from an ampule – a golden vessel in the shape of an eagle – into a coronation spoon made of gilded silver, which was made back in the 12th century. This is the only medieval royal regalia of the British monarchs, preserved after the English Revolution of the mid-17th century. The archbishop applied oil to the head, chest and arms of the 74-year-old king, who was seated in the oak coronation chair of King Edward facing the altar. Before this, the sovereign took off his mantle, ornaments, and all other symbols of his status in the face of a higher divine power. Then Charles III changed into royal clothes.
Before the coronation, Charles III accepted the royal regalia, which carry a deep symbolic meaning, like all the details of the ceremony. A precious sacrificial sword is an attribute of the king as a defender of the faith, and golden bracelets are a symbol of sincerity and wisdom. The power of the monarch – a golden ball with a cross – symbolizes the Christian world, and the scepter is a symbol of royal power and justice.
Then Queen Camilla, the wife of the monarch, was anointed, crowned and enthroned. After this procedure, she will be referred to simply as the queen.
After that the ceremony comes to an end, the crowned couple will head back to Buckingham Palace in an 18th-century gilded carriage.
Former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa’s security advisor Dr. Indrajit Rai has been arrested by the police.
The security advisor Indrajit Rai, of the then Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa “Badal” has been arrested by police and said that the involvement of the Ministry of Home Affairs was confirmed in the case of making fake Bhutanese refugees and sending them to America.
After the victims lodged a complaint against Rai, he was arrested by the police from his residence and kept in custody at Teku. According to the police Dr. Rai has been charged with organized crime and fraud.
The police said that they have collected evidence against Rai and other people of the Ministry of Home Affairs and that the investigation has also started against the then officials of the Home Ministry and some high-ranking employees. Police have issued an arrest warrant against Rai’s son Neeraj in the case and, former home minister Badal’s son Prateek Thapa is also said to be involved in the incident. Police have also arrested Keshav Dulal, Sanu Bhandari, Sagar Thulung Rai, Sandesh Sharma, and Tank Gurung involved in the incident. Among those arrested, Dulal was a personal assistant of former foreign minister Sujata Koirala, while Sharma and Bhandari were aides of former energy minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi.
April 30, Kathmandu – The government has advanced talks with Mahabir Pun, the founder of the National Innovation Center, who started a sit-in at Maitighar on Friday, saying that the government has neglected research and innovation in the country.
Negotiations between Mahavir Pun and the government have started with 4 points including research, and innovation. In the talks started under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense and Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Purna Bahadur Khadka, both sides agreed to form a formal negotiation team and seek agreement to meet the demands of the movement.
Stating that the parliamentarians were neglecting to enact laws to advance the country in the field of innovation, Earlier Pun announced that he would lie down on the streets and stage a protest until his demands were met.
The Ministry of Finance has formed a working group to study the merger between Nepal Bank Limited and National Commercial Bank.
After Nepal Rastra Bank instructed private sector banks to increase their paid-up capital or go for the merger, the government has also advanced the process of merger between the two government banks, Nepal Bank Limited and Rashtriya Commercial Bank.
Bhupal Baral, head of the financial sector management division of the ministry, has been assigned as the coordinator of the merger-related task force.
Currently, Nepal Bank’s paid-up capital is 14.69 billion rupees, while National Commercial Bank’s paid-up capital is 15.63 billion rupees. By the third quarter of the financial year, Nepal Bank has managed to collect deposits of 229 billion rupees and extended loans of 173 billion rupees.
Nepal Bank has made a profit of 1.78 billion 2.3 million rupees by the end of March, while the bank made a profit of 2.19 billion rupees during the same period last year. Bank’s bad loans are 4.16 percent. As the profit has decreased, the distributable profit of the bank has also decreased. In the middle of March, the distributable profit of the bank has been limited to 180 million. During the same period last year, the bank’s distributable profit was Rs 2.70 billion.
On the other hand, the National Commercial Bank has made a profit of 3.57 billion rupees in the third quarter of the current financial year. In the same period last year, the bank made a profit of Rs 2.61 billion. By the end of March, the bank has collected 302 billion deposits and disbursed loans of 225 billion rupees. Bank’s bad loans are 3.88 percent.
Government struggling to afford food for prisoners
The government is now in a situation where it is unable to provide regular salaries, allowances, and pensions to employees.
Salaries, allowances and pensions of thousands of employees have been stopped in the current financial year. Some of the existing employees have not received the salary and allowances since February and the retired employees have not received the amount due to pension. Due to a lack of finances, the state has not been able to provide even the funds for regular food expenses to the prisoners.
At present, according to government statistics, the number of teachers receiving pensions is 51,308. Among them, more than 30,000 teachers have not received their pension for the month of March. Bishnu Prasad Kharel, Head of the Pension Management Office, has informed us that the teachers’ pensions have been stopped as the Ministry of Finance has not disbursed the funds.
Similarly, the spokesperson of Nepal Police, Dipendra GC, has informed that there is insufficient fund to pay salaries to 131 units out of the total 486 units of Nepal Police.
Not only that, the government has not been able to provide expenses even for regular foods to about 27,000 prisoners across the country. According to Chakrapani Pandey, Director General of the Prison Management Department, the government has not provided the required funds for the food expenses to the inmates in the country.
According to the spokesperson of the Financial Comptroller General’s Office, Shambhu Prasad Marasini, a total of 7 trillion 2 billion 120 million revenue has been collected by Wednesday. While during this period 7 trillion 21 billion 20 million rupees have been spent on salary and allowances of employees and other administrative expenses. According to this calculation, nearly 19 billion rupees more than the income of the state has been spent only on salary allowances and pensions of the employees.
It seems that the government, which has set a target of collecting revenue of 14 trillion 58 billion 600 million in the current financial year, has collected only about 50 percent of the total estimated amount even after 9 months of the current financial year. The country has reached a situation where the revenue collected by the government cannot even cover the salaries and administrative expenses of the employees.
The Nepali Congress leaders have opposed the government’s move saying that the government is going to distribute relief to unqualified fighters after 18 years of the peace process.
They said that the government’s decision to distribute large sums of money to unqualified fighters is wrong at a time when the transitional justice bill is under consideration and the country is having a serious economic crisis.” Instead of all this, the focus should be on the speedy completion of transitional justice by making a victim-friendly law,” they said.
The leader of the Nepali Congress, Shekhar Koirala, has said that it is not acceptable to distribute money in the name of unqualified fighters while the Maoist leaders themselves are not being able to account for the money taken for the fighters of the cantonment earlier. He also said that giving relief to unqualified fighters while the government not even being able to pay the salaries and pensions of the government employees due to the lack of money in the treasury is wrong. Saying that we should oppose, stop, and be aware of such actions of the Maoist-led government, he said that it would be appropriate to employ unqualified fighters instead of relief.
Similarly, Congress General Secretary Gagan Thapa has also said that the government’s decision to distribute large amounts of money from the state fund to unqualified fighters is wrong and should be stopped at a time when there is extensive pressure on the resources of the state fund.
He said that while the bill on transitional justice is under consideration, the government should focus on ending the work of transitional justice quickly by creating a victim-friendly law rather than just distributing funds.
The Transport Management Department has amended the Transport Management Procedures Guideline 2060 and has made arrangements for the registration of vehicles made in Nepal and manufactured in Nepal. The Department of Transportation has issued a notification and informed that the procedural guidelines have been amended and from now on, vehicles made in Nepal and produced in Nepal can be registered.
In the revised traffic management procedure manual, new vehicles made in Nepal, registration, auction registration, naming, etc. are covered.
In the procedure manual it is mentioned that ‘regardless of what is written in this manual, the customs declaration of such vehicles will not be required for purposes such as new registration, transfer registration, modification registration, auction registration, re-registration and name transfer of vehicles assembled in Nepal or manufactured in Nepal.
Similarly, in the second point of the directive it is mentioned that, for the registration, transfer registration, alteration registration, auction registration, re-registration and naming of vehicles assembled or produced in Nepal, the assembly or manufacturing company shall submit the value added tax declaration instead of the customs declaration and the vehicle attracting excise duty provisions according to the prevailing law. It has been mentioned that it has been arranged to submit the excise duty clearance form as well.
After this amendment made by the Department of Transport Management in the Transport Management Procedures Guide 2060, the way for registration, re-registration, auction registration of vehicles made in Nepal has become easier.
After 18 years of the peace process, the government has decided to give two lakh rupees to the unqualified Maoist fighters.
According to the decision of the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued the ‘Procedures for Providing Relief to Unqualified Fighters of Armed Conflict, 2079’ to distribute relief to unqualified combatants.
4 thousand 8 fighters of the Maoist camp were declared disqualified during the peace process agreement. According to the procedures prepared by the government, the unqualified fighters who have passed the process will get a relief amount of two lakh rupees per fighter.
In the procedure made by the Ministry, it is mentioned that after the detailed peace agreement, those unqualified fighters identified by United Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) and whose names and details are included in the report will be able to receive the relief amount.
Based on the names and details mentioned in the report, the district administration offices will identify the ineligible fighters. It is mentioned in the procedure that the details of the militants identified through the administration in the district will be prepared by the ministry and provided to them through the district administration office at the rate of two lakh rupees. After preparing the list of ineligible fighters, the Ministry of Home Affairs has prepared to send the details to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Finance has prepared to release the budget in the name of Home Ministry.
The ministry has arranged in the procedure that if an ineligible fighter has died, relief will be provided to his next of kin according to the law, and if he is not currently in Nepal, he will get it when he returns to Nepal. Earlier,the government had decided to provide relief at the rate of two lakhs in the budget for the financial year 073/074. However, after a writ petition was filedin the Supreme Court, the amount was not distributed.
The government has allocated one billion 4 million rupees for the rest of the peace process in the budget of the current fiscal year 2079/80.
Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party Leader Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary has been appointed as the Chief Minister of Lumbini Province.
With the support of 53 MPs from 8 parties, the governor of Lumbini province, Amik Sherchan has appointed Chaudhary as the Chief Minister according to Article 168 of the Constitution.
Earlier, after the Chief Minister of Lumbini Province, Lila Giri of CPN-UML failed to get the vote of confidence, Chaudhary submitted his claim at the call of the Chief Minister of the Province, Amik Sherchan according to Clause 2 of Article 168 of the Constitution.
In the 87-member Lumbini Provincial Assembly, Chaudhary got the support of 27 MPs from the Nepali Congress, 11 from the Maoists, 4 from the Nagarik unmukti party, 3 from the Janamat Party, 3 from the Janata Samajwadi Party, 3 from the Loktantrik samjbadiParty, 1 from the Rashtriya Janamorcha and 1 from the NEKAPA ekikrit Samajbadi Party.
Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party leader Surendra Pandey has been appointed as the Chief Minister of Gandaki Province.
According to Article 168 of the Constitution, Chief Minister Prithviman Gurung has appointed Pandey as the Chief Minister.
According to the new balance of power created for the presidential election, Khagraj Adhikari-led government was in a minority in Gandaki after the Maoist exit from the government and Adhikari could not get the vote of confidence. After Adhikari could not get the vote of confidence, the provincial chief Gurung gave a deadline and called for the formation of a government according to Article 168, Clause 2 of the Constitution. Accordingly, with the support of 35 MPs, Pandey submitted a claim for the Chief Ministership.
According to clause 2 of Article 168 of the Constitution, Pandey became the Chief Minister in accordance with the provision that the government can be formed with the support of two or more parties.
There are 27 MPs from Congress, 22 from UML, 8 from Maoist, 2 from RPP and 1 independent MP in Gandaki province.
April 26- President of China, Xi Jinping held a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Zelensky for the first time since Moscow launched its military operation in Ukraine.
It is said that Chinese President Xi Jinping has told his Ukrainian counterpart Zelensky that China will push for an early ceasefire in Ukraine and China is determined to facilitate the peace process and a ceasefire as soon as possible.
“Chinese authorities have no intention to quietly observe the escalation of the Ukrainian crisis, but at the same time will not fuel the flame,” President Xi said during a phone call with Ukrainian President Zelensky.He aslo said that “dialogue and negotiations are the only viable way out.”
President Zelensky also tweeted that the dialogue was “long and meaningful.” He said the call, along with the appointment of an ambassador to China, will “give a powerful impetus to the development of our bilateral relations.”
April 26 – Demonstrators pelted stones while showing black flags at the event attended by UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli.
In opposition to the naming of Koshi province, protesters threw stones and displayed black flags to obstruct the program attended by leader Oli in the home district Jhapa. The police have arrested two people who threw stones at the event.
Protesters have been demanding that the name of the koshi province should be canceled and the name of the province should be kept on the basis of identity.
April 26-Kathmandu: The Supreme Court has ordered the government not to increase the tax on electric vehicles (EVs) in the financial bill for the next financial year.
The joint bench of Supreme Court Justice Sapna Pradhan Malla and Sushma Lata Mathema issued the order in the name of the government and directed the government to properly implement the laws and policies designed to promote the use of electric vehicles and control air pollution from the transport sector.
In order, it is mentioned that the people have the right to live in a clean and pollution-free environment, demanding to promote the production and use of clean renewable, and green energy while gradually reducing dependence on fossil fuels such as petrol and diesel. In the order, it is also mentioned that the tax rate should be set only after taking necessary precautions.
April 26- Kathmandu- Due to the lack of charging stations, 37 electric buses of sajha yatayat have been stuck for 4 months without any service.
Even though 3 out of the 40 buses purchased by Sajha Yatayat are operating with chargers in their own premises, 37 buses are still stuck without service.
Kanakmani Dixit, Chairman of Sajha Yatayat Cooperative, has said that charging depots are necessary for running all buses, and despite repeated requests to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, and the Ministry of Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, the land has not been available for bus charging depots.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport has been blaming the Sajha Yatayat mismanagement saying that, ‘Why didn’t they make a plan on how to operate those buses before they buy ?’
Responding to President Joe Biden’s announcement for re-election , former President Donald Trump accused Biden of a litany of failures, from opening the US border with Mexico to leading the world “to the brink of World War III.”
Biden formally entered the 2024 race on Tuesday, saying in a campaign video that he needs four more years to “finish the job” and restore “the soul of America.” Within hours, Trump issued a response.
“You could take the five worst presidents in American history and put them together and they would not have done the damage Joe Biden has done to our nation,” Trump declared.
The former president cited the “worst inflation in half a century,” a 24-month streak of declining real wages, and rising gasoline prices, homelessness and crime as examples of Biden’s “calamitous and failed presidency.”
Trump accused Biden of “weaponizing” law enforcement to punish his supporters, and claimed that the president’s deference to transgender activists has led to children being “indoctrinated and mutilated by left-wing freaks and zealots.”
Trump has hammered Biden on these issues before, and on matters of foreign policy, his latest video contained no surprises either. Declaring that “Russia is teaming up with China, Iran is days away from a nuclear bomb, [and] Ukraine has been devastated by an invasion that would never ever have happened if I was president,” Trump proclaimed that Biden “has led us to the very brink of World War III.”
“It is almost inconceivable that Biden would even think of running for re-election,” Trump said in conclusion. “There has never been a greater contrast between two successive administrations in all of American history; ours being greatness and theirs being failure.”
April 24, Kathmandu – The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has given a 15-days deadline to the service providers to remove the unnecessary and useless wires hanging from the poles.
The city head-level decision of the metropolis has set a time to remove unnecessary and unused wires and manage them by tagging the wires that are in use. Metropolis had also sent a letter to the telephone, cable, and internet service provider offices and associations, Nepal Telecom, Ncell, Nepal Electricity Authority, and Cable Broadcasters Association regarding the matter.
Facilitation and coordination have been requested with service providers, regulatory and coordinating offices and associations, Telecommunication Authority, Kathmandu Valley Police Office which operates CCTV cameras and communication system, Department of Information and Broadcasting which allows television operation, Internet Service Provider Association Nepal (ISPAN) in the work of removing wires.
If the wires are not removed within the specified period, the metropolis will form a working group and start the work of removing the unnecessary wire, and if the beneficiary is inconvenienced by this, the service provider should take the responsibility.
The metropolis has said that a team will be formed under the leadership of the City Police Superintendent, consisting of representatives from Nepal Telecommunication Authority, Nepal Police, Ncell, Internet Service Provider Association of Nepal, and the monitoring of the work of wire removal will be coordinated by the deputy chief of the metropolis, and representatives of relevant offices and organizations .
April 24-Kathmandu – After the order of the Supreme Court, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City has started to collect the garbage piled up in Singha Darbar.
While hearing the petition filed by advocate Padam Bahadur Shrestha, the bench of Judge Prakashmansingh Raut directed the Kathmandu Metropolitan City to remove the garbage from the Singha Darbar within three days.
Balendra Shah, the Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City earlier instructed the concerned authority of waste management not to collect the waste from Singha Durbar, saying that the federal government did not support and coordinate with the metropolitan city in the work of development and construction.
Kathmandu, April 24: The Nepal Securities Board has received three applications for the operation of the new stock exchange market and four applications for opening the commodity exchange market.
According to Sebon, Himalaya Stock Exchange, National Stock Exchange and Annapurna Stock Exchange have applied for the approval of the regulator to start stock exchange business.
Similarly, Nepal Multi Commodity Exchange, Himalayan Commodity and Derivative Exchange, Multi Assets Derivative Exchange and Multi Derivative Exchange are willing to operate the commodity exchange market.
Although the stock exchange will be a parallel institution with the existing Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE), the commodity exchange market will be the first and new institution within the country.
Kathmandu, April 24: Nepal Electricity Authority has said that the power cuts in the industrial sector is only a short-term problem.
Kulman Ghising, managing director of the authority, said that the problem in power supply has badly affected the industrial corridors in eastern Nepal. According to him, due to the weak transmission capacity of the cross-border transmission line during the dry season, it has become a problem to import enough electricity.
After the decline in domestic production, the Authority has been importing an average of 500 MW of electricity from India every day. Ghising said that about 400 MW of electricity is being imported from the transmission lines of Dhalkebar and Tanakpur and another 100 MW of electricity is being supplied from the infrastructure in Raxaul, Ramnagar and Kataiya.
After the decline in electricity supply, industrialists of Biratnagar have also protested against the state-owned electricity authority. Morang Traders Association, an umbrella organization of the private sector, has alleged that the irresponsible action of the authority has caused a huge financial loss.
On the other hand, the authority has said that due to a significant decrease in domestic electricity production, the electricity supply had to be stopped. According to Ghisingh, the power generation has reached only 30.35 percent of the actual installed capacity. The local power house has been supplying only 700 megawatts of electricity, while we are importing about 500 megawatts from India.
The authority’s records show that currently the maximum demand for electricity is 1,700 MW, while the average demand is 1,300 MW. Ghising said that the demand for industrial units has increased this year after the authority approved an additional 800 MW this year.
Meanwhile, the authority aims to export up to 1,000 megawatts of electricity to India in the coming year.
Several countries have evacuated diplomats and citizens from Sudan’s capital as fierce fighting continues to rage in Khartoum.
The US and UK announced on Sunday they had flown diplomats out of the country.
France, Germany, Italy and Spain are among other countries also organising evacuations, starting on Sunday.
A vicious power struggle between the regular army and a powerful paramilitary force has led to violence across the country.
US authorities said they had airlifted fewer than 100 people with three Chinook helicopters on Sunday morning in a “fast and clean” operation.
The US embassy in Khartoum is now closed, and a tweet on its official feed says it is not safe enough for the government to evacuate private US citizens.
The UK government managed to airlift British diplomats and their families out of the country in what was described as a “complex and rapid” operation. Foreign Minister James Cleverly said options to evacuate the remaining British nationals in Sudan were “severely limited”.
Several other countries were conducting evacuation operations on Sunday:
French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that a plane had arrived in Djibouti carrying French citizens and others on Sunday A handful of Dutch citizens left Khartoum on the French plane, and the Netherlands hoped to airlift more citizens out on Sunday evening Germany’s army said the first of three planes had left Sudan, bound for Jordan, with 101 people on board Italy and Spain have evacuated citizens – the Spanish mission included citizens from Argentina, Colombia, Ireland, Portugal, Poland, Mexico, Venezuela and Sudan.
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government had evacuated its diplomatic staff.Other countries successfully evacuated people on Saturday. More than 150 people, mostly citizens of Gulf countries, as well as Egypt, Pakistan and Canada were evacuated by sea to the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah.
There have been desperate calls for help from many foreign students – from Africa, Asia and the Middle East – who are also stuck in Khartoum, a city of some six million people.
Meanwhile, there are reports that internet connectivity has almost totally collapsed in Sudan, which could seriously hinder the coordination of help for those trapped in Khartoum and other cities.
The power struggle has seen heavy bombardment in the capital city, with hundreds killed and thousands more injured.
April 24 – Out of the 3 constituencies, Chitwan 2, Bara 2, and Tanahun 1, where the by-elections have been completed, the counting of votes in Tanahun has been going on since midnight, while an all-party meeting is to be held to finalize the issue of the vote count in Bara and Chitwan.
The all-party meeting of Chitwan 2 is scheduled to be held today, which was postponed last night due to the stand of CPN UML and Nepali Congress candidates who were not agreed to count the votes without investigating the code of conduct violation against Ravi Lamichhane .
Similarly, an all-party meeting is to be held today in Bara 2. The parties had agreed to hold an all-party meeting in the morning as there was no condition to count the votes from the night due to the storm.
April 23, Chitwan- A complaint has been lodged at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer against Rabi Lamichhane as Rastriya Swatantra Party violated the election code of conduct during the ongoing by-elections in Chitwan constituency 2.
Nepali Congress candidate Jit Narayan Shrestha’s representative Dhurvaraj Pokharel filed a complaint at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, claiming that RSP President Lamichhane influenced the voters by asking for votes through social media and online during the voting period.
The polling was disrupted for about 2 hours after the RSP activists thronged the polling station shouting slogans. Voting started after RSP apologized for violating the code of conduct and reached a four-point agreement.
It is said in the agreement, ‘It was found that a program violating the code of conduct was being conducted by the RSP during the ongoing elections.
It has also been decided to send a written notice to the Chief Election Office regarding violations of the code of conduct.
It is also mentioned in the complaint that after the dispute at Naya Kiran Mavi Bhojad polling station, the all-party meeting held with the representatives of the RSP admitted that the RSP had violated the code of conduct and recommended for the action to be taken accordingly.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has instructed the relevant agencies to arrange the registration of vehicles produced in Nepal and prepare a draft law for the registration process.
Prime Minister Dahal has instructed Chief Secretary Shankardas Bairagi to prepare a law related to registration and authorize a policy to encourage Nepali production after the issue of non-registration of vehicles made in Nepal including ‘Yatri’ was raised in Parliament.
According to Prime Minister’s press coordinator Surya Kiran Sharma, Chief Secretary Bairagi has instructed Madhu Marasini, secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Supply, to immediately prepare and submit a draft law related to the registration and promotion of vehicles produced in Nepal.
April 23- Palpa- A woman was killed and 10 other passengers were injured in a bus accident at Jordhara in Palpa.
According to the police, bus number LU 1 KHA 5956, which was going from Butwal to Burtibang in Baglung, fell down about 50 meters from the road near Tinau Rural Municipality-5 Jordhara under Siddharth highway in Palpa.
The injured in the accident were rescued and taken to the hospital for treatment. They are being treated at Lumbini Medical College.
Voting has started since morning in Bara 2, Chitwan 2, and Tanahun 1, where by-elections are held.
A total of 65 candidates are competing in three constituencies. 194 polling stations and 427 polling booths have been managed for voting. A public holiday has been given today in all three areas where elections will be held.
Voting started at 7 am and will continue till 5 pm according to the scheduled time.
By-Elections are being held in these three constituencies, as Ravi Lamichhane MP’s post was revoked in the citizenship case,( he was elected from Chitwan 2), Ramchandra Poudel got elected as President (who was elected from Tanahun 1), and Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav elected as a Vice President( who was elected from Bara 2).
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak has said that Russia will now switch to national currencies in energy trade.
According to the official, most transactions are already made in these currencies, mostly in Chinese yuan and Russian rubles, and in the future Moscow intends to abandon the euro and dollar in energy exports altogether.
“The trends have changed greatly toward reducing the use of dollars and euros. Considering the current problems with these currencies, in our settlements we are switching almost exclusively to national currencies,” he said, referring to economic restrictions placed on Russia by Western states due to the Ukraine conflict, which have effectively made it impossible for Russia to conduct transactions in euros and dollars.
“Our partners in China are already paying for gas in yuan, as well as partly for oil. They also pay in rubles. We will continue to improve these mutual settlements in national currencies,” Novak pledged.
Earlier many contries from Asia, Middle east and Latin america including Bricks nation has agreed upon De-dollarisation.
Heavy fighting is continuing in Sudan’s capital Khartoum between warring factions that have plunged the country into chaos with foreign expatriates preparing to flee via military escort.
The Sudanese army said on Saturday it was coordinating efforts to evacuate diplomats from the United States, Britain, China, and France out of the country on military airplanes.
Diplomats and their families from Saudi Arabia had already made it out of Sudan. Jordanian nationals were set to leave later.
Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan spoke to leaders requesting safe evacuations of their citizens and diplomats from Sudan, which has been roiled by bloody fighting for the past week.
Countries have struggled to repatriate their citizens amid deadly clashes that have killed more than 400 people so far. With Sudan’s main international airport closed, foreign countries have ordered their citizens to simply shelter in place until they can figure out evacuation plans.
Al-Burhan said diplomats from Saudi Arabia had already been evacuated from Port Sudan and airlifted back to the kingdom. He said Jordan’s diplomats would soon be evacuated in the same way.
April 22 – As Chief Minister of Pokhara-Gandaki province Khagraj Adhikari failed to get a vote of confidence, UML’s supremacy in the Gandaki province government has also ended. The effect of the change in the power equation due to the presidential election is clearly seen in the provincial government.
After the Maoist Center withdrew its support and called back its ministers, the UML leaders were in the minority in Gandaki. While the 60-member Gandaki provincial assembly took the vote of confidence today, only 24 MPs (22 from UML and 2 from RPP) supported Adhikari. Earlier, 31 MPs gave him a vote of confidence.
A new government will be formed by tomorrow
As the Chief Minister Khagraj Adhikari was relieved of his post after failing to receive a vote of confidence in the Provincial Assembly, the leader of the Gandaki Provincial Assembly Parliamentary Party of the Nepali Congress, Surendra Pandey, has said that a new government will be formed by tomorrow.
However, it remains to be seen whether the leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party, as the leader of a major party, will be appointed the Chief Minister by the state head or a coalition government will be formed as per Article 168 (2) of the Constitution.
North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui said that the G-7 is only a closed group of a handful of egoistic countries that do not represent the international community but serve as a political tool for ensuring US hegemony.
Responding to the G-7’s condemnation of a recent missile test, she said that the group as a political instrument of US world dominance is viciously slandering North Korea’s legitimate exercise of sovereignty but we vow that Pyongyang won’t give up its nuclear weapons program.
Choe made her comments three days after the Group of Seven wealthy democracies issued a communique condemning North Korea’s latest missile launches and calling for the “complete, verifiable and irreversible abandonment” of its nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
Pyongyang test-launched its newly developed Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) last week, triggering air raid warnings in neighboring Japan. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un claimed that the new missile would greatly enhance the country’s “nuclear counterattack posture” and strike “extreme uneasiness and horror” in the country’s enemies.
Choe insisted that North Korea’s strategic weapons are needed to deter threats and cope with a security environment made unstable by “the reckless and provocative military actions of the United States and its allied forces.
April 22- Kathmandu – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced that by 2022, about 4 trillion 20 billion NRS has been invested in Nepal’s energy, transportation, agriculture, drinking water, urban infrastructure, service sector, rural development, and natural resources, health, and education by ADB.
ADB Director General Kenichi Yokoyama has said that the Asian Development Bank has been investing a large amount in various projects in Nepal, but the problems of the Asian Development Bank’s project implementation should be actively addressed and special attention should be paid to that matter.
In a two-day discussion organized to provide information on the field and performance of projects in Nepal (Country Portfolio), Minister of Finance Prakash Sharan Mahat said that the government is committed to improving the capital expenditure to address the challenges of Asian Development Bank project implementation and delivery and to address the people’s desire for development.Projects such as Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Project, Bagmati River Basin Improvement, Rural Enterprise Finance Project and Power Transmission and Distribution Efficiency Enhancement Project were awarded in the program which were supported by ADB.
April 22- The Chief Minister of Gandaki Province Khagraj Adhikari will take the vote of confidence today.
The State Assembly Secretariat said that the Chief Minister’s Office has sent a letter to put the issue of a vote of confidence on the agenda and the Secretariat has prepared accordingly.
After the Maoist Center withdrew its support on Chaitra 10 2079 BS. and recalled its ministers, the UML leaders fell into the minority. The UML parliamentary party leader was appointed as the Chief Minister on Paush 25 2079 BS. with the support of the Maoist Center and the RPP and received a vote of confidence on Paush 29 2079 BS. At that time, 31 MPs were in his support.
According to the constitutional provisions, the Chief Minister must seek a vote of confidence in the state assembly within 30 days of the withdrawal of support from the ruling party.
The 60-member Gandaki Provincial Assembly has 27 MPs from Congress, 22 from UML, 8 from Maoist Center, 2 from RPP and 1 independent.
Hungarian PM Viktor Orban has repeatedly called for “the failed policy of Brussels” to be changed, noting that the sanctions “didn’t fulfill the hopes that were pinned on them,” while Europe is “slowly bleeding.”
The European Union has exhausted its options for further economic restrictions against Russia. But even after the ten rounds of sanctions in response to the Ukraine conflict and currently working on an eleventh package of punitive measures against Moscow, EU officials have admitted that those parts of the Russian economy that were left unsanctioned are parts that one or more EU member states “can’t live without,” and thus measures targeting them would be vetoed.
One of the EU officials told that“We are done, “If we do more sanctions, there will be more exemptions than measures.” Officials have admitted that the embargo harms the EU and West more than Moscow.
Newly planned restrictions could reportedly target Russia’s nuclear fuel and services exports, but those would be opposed by some member-states, such as France, Hungary, and others.
April 20-Surkhet – 2 people were killed and 8 people were injured when the under-construction bridge connecting Tallubagar in Jajarkot and Athabiskot in Rukum West under the Jajarkot-Dolpa road section collapsed.
Surkhet police officials said that after the bridge was broken, two laborers working on the bridge construction died and three people who were walking on the bridge fell into the river and went missing. The police also said that the treatment of 8 other people who were injured in the bridge collapse is ongoing and the search for the three missing people is going on too.
April 20- Kathmandu – Nepal Rastra Bank has prepared to sell development bonds worth 20 billion rupees for the purpose of raising internal debt.
According to the Nepal Rastra Bank, the maturity period of the bond named ‘Development Loan 084 ‘T’ will be four years and the interest rate of the bond will be determined from bidding.
As mentioned in the notice of the Nepal Rastra Bank, the bond can be bid on 20th April until 3:00 in the afternoon, then the Bank will issue the bonds on Friday. The bond can be purchased by banks and financial institutions, insurance companies, organized organizations, and Nepali citizens.
The government, which has set a target of raising 2 trillion 56 billion rupees in domestic debt in the current financial year, has already raised 88 billion rupees in the third quarter of the current financial year .
April 20 -Kathmandu – The Election Commission has informed that for the by-elections to be held on the 10th of Baisakh 2079 BS, the period of prohibition of campaigning will continue from 12 midnight on Thursday.
In order to conduct the election in a clean, free, fair, reliable, transparent, and fear-free environment, the period of prohibition of the campaign will be applied from 48 hours before the polling day until the polling station is closed on the polling day as stipulated in the Election Code of Conduct, 2079 and the Election Commission has requested everyone to act accordingly.
On the 10th of Baisakh election will be held in Bara Constituency No. 2, Tanahun Constituency No. 1, and Chitwan constituency no. 2 for the House of Representatives by-election, 2080. The Commission has issued the Election Code of Conduct, 2079, using the authority given by Section 22 of the Election Commission Act, 2073, to be maintained from Chait 24th to Baisakh 10th 2079 BS.
An Indian climber Anurag Maloo has been rescued alive after three days.
34-year-old Maloo who went missing on Monday on Mt Annapurna was rescued from a deep crevasse below Camp III. A team of six Sherpa climbers led by Chhang Dawa conducted a ground search and found him in some 300m deep crevasse this morning. Anurag has been airlifted to Pokhara and he is now undergoing treatment at Manipal Hospital. Hospital sources confirmed that his condition is very critical at the moment.
He was lost after he fell into a deep crevasse from 5,800m while descending from Camp III on Mt Annapurna.
April 19-Kathmandu – President Ramchandra Puudel has been taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Hospital in New Delhi for further treatment.
President Poudel was taken to India for further treatment at the request of his family. However, according to the doctor involved in the treatment, he was tested by draining the frozen water in his chest and the initial tests showed normal conditions other than infection. His MRI and CT scan reports also said that there were no complications other than infection.
According to President Paudel’s press advisor Kiran Pokharel, Paudel was taken to New Delhi on Wednesday morning by air ambulance of Shree Airlines. Paudel was accompanied by his personal doctor Dr. Niraj Bam, family members, and a team of 7 doctors.
April 19 -Kathmandu – Air service at Tribhuvan International Airport will be closed for 6 hours on Thursday.
General Manager of Tribhuvan International Airport, Pratap Babu Tiwari, has informed that all air services will be suspended from 1:00 am to 7:00 am on Thursday as an online UPS has to be connected to strengthen the power supply system with the aim of enhancing the safety of passengers.
In addition, General Manager Tiwari also said that the passengers traveling at the said time should consult with the relevant air service company and make arrangements according to their needs.
April 18, Kathmandu – The meeting of the National Assembly scheduled to be held on Tuesday afternoon at 2:31 PM has been postponed indefinitely.
The General Secretary of the Federal Parliament Secretariat, Bharatraj Gautam, has published a notice saying that the meeting has been adjourned until further notice.
Earlier, the meeting called for 30 Chaitra 2079 BS.was also postponed on the instructions of the President of the National Assembly, Timilsina.
An agreement has been reached between China and Nepal to open export through the Tatopani border connecting Nepal and China.
It is said that 6 points have been agreed upon to open the border from May 18th in the discussion held between Nepal and Chinese government officials.
According to Chief District Officer of Sindhupalchok, Ramesh Neupane, after a sufficient discussion between the border security regarding ‘cross border crime’, and other management issues, there has been a discussion and oral agreement on the opening of the border crossing from 1st of May.
On the other hand, despite the agreement to open the export through Tatopani, the locals have expressed disappointment that the physical infrastructure in Tatopani is not fully prepared and the 26 km road section of the Kodari highway connecting the border is still damaged. Locals were also not so happy as exports only being allowed through Tatopani been agreed while Kerung is fully operational .
April 17, Kathmandu- A writ has been registered in the Supreme Court against Mayor Balen Shah of Kathmandu Metropolitan City for not removing the garbage of Singha Durbar and Sheetal Niwas.
Advocate Padam Shrestha filed a petition in the Supreme Court on Monday, making Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah (Balen) an opponent.
In the writ filed in the Supreme Court, it has been mentioned that ‘According to Article 30 of the Constitution of Nepal, every citizen has the right to live in a clean and healthy environment. As the matter is of public concern application has been requested according to Article 30, 4 of the Garbage Management Act, 2068, and according to Section 3, 4, Section 15 of the Environment Protection Act 2076.
It is also requested in the petition to maintain a clean environment in accordance with Sections 3 and 4 of the Garbage Management Act, 2068 as the office of Kathmandu Metropolitan City is a local body.
Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Shah ordered not to collect garbage in the area inside Singhdarbar, the President’s office Sheetal Niwas and the Prime Minister’s residence, saying that the Federal Government did not cooperate in the work of Kathmandu Metropolis.
April 17, Kathmandu – Nepal Airlines Corporation is going to buy three planes for domestic flights.
It is said that the report prepared by the sub-committee to purchase the aircraft under the coordination of senior captain Sudhir Shamser Rai has been submitted to the board of directors of the corporation.
The corporation also said that the process of purchasing directly from the aircraft building company from its internal sources has been advanced. It is also said that the purchased planes will fly to remote areas of Nepal.
The aircraft previously owned by the Nepal Airlines Corporation has been kept in a hangar for three years without any use as the corporation claims that those planes are of no use and only increase the expenses.
April 17, Kathmandu – The government has brought the property of Smart Telecom under the control of the government for non-payment of license and service operation arrears.
After Smart Telecom’s license was canceled due to non-payment of arrears, the board meeting of the regulatory body Nepal Telecommunication Authority decided to bring Smart Telecom’s property under the ownership of the government. According to the Telecommunication Authority, Smart Telecom did not pay 4 billion 19 million rupees in arrears until the financial year 2075/76 and did not show any account for the next 3 years.
Earlier, the authority had decided to cancel the license of Smart Telecom on Shrawan 13, 2076 BS for non-payment of dues.
Jack Teixeira, the US airman suspected of leaking hundreds of classified documents online, appeared for the first time in a Boston court on Friday.
The alleged leaker faced formal charges of unauthorized removal, retention, and transmission of classified national defense information.
Teixeira, an enlisted airman first class and member of the 102nd Intelligence Wing based in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, was arrested at his home by the FBI on Thursday.
The leaked Pentagon documents had been circulating online for weeks already before drawing the attention of the media – and of the US government – last week. The documents, which were color-printed and then photographed, ended up being uploaded to a gaming chat server.
A significant part of the trove of documents are related to the US and NATO war-planning effort in Ukraine, and included data on arms deliveries, training schedules, and estimates of losses sustained by both Moscow and Kiev, among other information.
Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has claimed that Poland would cease to exist if a direct war were to occur between Russia and NATO, regardless of the outcome. He was responding to remarks by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who expressed confidence that the Western alliance would win such a conflict.
Morawiecki, who is currently visiting the US, commented on the Ukrainian conflict in an interview with NBC News on Friday. Host Kristen Welker asked whether he was concerned that Ukrainian strikes outside its territory risked “a wider war, drawing Poland… into the conflict.”
The prime minister replied that he was not concerned, as it would be “a war between Russia and NATO, and Russia would lose this war very quickly.”
“They believe that fighting with Ukraine they are fighting with the West and fighting with NATO, whereas the fact of the matter is that we are only supporting a brutally invaded country”, Morawiecki said.
Medvedev, who serves as deputy chair of Russia’s National Security Council, tweeted in response that he was not so certain about which side would win, “but considering Poland’s role as a NATO outpost in Europe, this country is sure to disappear together with its stupid prime minister.”
The Russian official has previously warned against a possible escalation of the Ukraine conflict, which Moscow perceives as a proxy war against it by the US and its allies. If that were to happen, hostilities could go nuclear, Medvedev believes, and all sides would be catastrophically harmed.RT
The new year Bikram Samvat 2080 has begun from today. Nepalese celebrate this day with joy as the beginning of the new year. They exchange good wishes with each other, wishing for happiness and prosperity.
Today is not just the beginning of a new year and a new day, but the newest beginning of an entire decade. Today has begun another new era for Nepal and the Nepalese. But while starting every new day, we should not forget our glorious history. From the past to the present, it seems necessary to review every good and bad activity we have done.
When said and heard, it may sound like empty ideals. But today, we have come to such a time, such a turning point, that now it is time to introspect once again, saying, “Not what the country has given us, but what we have given and done for the country.”
It must be said with sadness that today, most of the youth of the country are leaving for abroad which is a misfortune for the country. For a limited group, leaving home and family and going abroad may be an absolute desire, but for most of them, it is a desire created by compulsion. While spending their entire youth abroad away from home and family, that youth, that generation may or may not have been able to fulfill his responsibility towards his country, but he/she has definitely fulfilled the expenses of their family , children, and parents. The country, which is suffering from corruption and on top of that, trade deficit and is unable to even feed its employees, is supported by remittances. But it is a misfortune for the country that those promising youth of the country, who have flown into the sky in the hope of having delicious meal and standard clothes, are returning in the coffin every next day. Those dreams are now burried along with their coffins.
In the last few decades, a lot many systems have changed in the country. Democracy(Prajatantra) changed to democracy(Loktantra), monarchy changed to republic. Many petty kings born after overthrowing one king and the monarchy. So far, the highways(Rajmarg) have been changed and become (Lokmarg)public roads, but the situation of the country and the people has not yet been changed. The rulers have changed but the system of governance is still the same. The standard of living of those who say they fought for the country and the people has changed. Those who entered Singha Durbar wearing a single shirt and slippers have become the owners of millions of rupees today, but the standard of living of those who sell their bodies just to feed themselves has not been improved. Those who opposed the king, saying the king treated its citizen just as an ordinary people have turned those same people into slaves today.
Politics has become centered on power and self-interest, not service. The country is running in a very miserable situation where employees have to earn their salaries by asking for grants and loans. The constitutional organs of the country have been paralyzed. The judiciary has become a place to recruit party cadres. Even as the pillars of the border are disappearing day by day, the concerned bodies have been sleeping soundly with oil in their ears. Crime incidents are increasing day by day.
What is even more frightening is that it is difficult to find true and devoted citizen in the country now, as easily as party workers are found here. It seems that Nepalese now are becoming less devoted to the country than they are to the political party . What is even more ironic is that the young generation who rose to politics by opposing “Ba”(the older generation leaders), who thought that they would now make some positive changes, has now started humming the same old song with the same rhythm, catching the “Ba” in their stride.
Overall, many changes have taken place in the country since 2047 BS. But those changes have neither addressed the situation of the country nor understood the essence of the people. In the meantime, we have changed many new calendars, many political parties and their leaders too, but could not change the trend. Now, this new year, this new decade, may the thoughtfullness of the common Nepalese also change. May those who do politics gain wisdom. May the common citizen gain the courage to oppose the wrong trend by saying right is right and wrong is wrong, supporting the truth. May corruption and criminal activities end. May good governance continue in the country. May the country become economically strong. May the days of selling one’s body just to feed and survive end. May the day of leaving home and family to go abroad to support oneself never come. May the enthusiasm to protect our religion, our art and culture increase among all Nepalese. May the pillars of the border not disappear and may the country find its own borders. May the faith of every citizen towards the country increase. In this new year, this new decade, lets not only change the calendar, but lets promise to change the future of this country too.
Heartiest greetings for the New Year 2080! Nepal National Daily For the country and the people
Two Bangladeshi nationals have been arrested from Tribhuvan International Airport with 20,000 US dollars.
Mofizul Islam and Devasis Kumar Shah, who were going to Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka from Flight Bangladesh 372, were arrested by the airport police during a security check.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Lalamani Acharya of the Airport Police said that two Bangladeshi citizens were arrested with 20,000 US dollars and during the initial statement, they could not verify the source of the money, so they are preparing to hand it over to the Revenue Investigation Department for further investigation.
Nepal Rastra Bank Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari has said that the condition of Nepal’s banks is safe and a small shock will not affect it.
Announcing the financial data for 8 months of the current fiscal year 2079/80, the governor said that the foreign exchange reserve is in a comfortable state and inflation is in a declining state.
He said that even though the bank’s interest rate is slightly higher, the base rate has been decreasing since February. He said that there is no need to despair as Nepal’s economy is improving, and that capital adequacy is 13 percent instead of 11 percent and non-performing loans are 2.63 percent.
Today’s discussion between the top leaders of the three major parties on the transitional justice bill has ended.
The meeting held at the residence of Speaker Devraj Ghimire has reached an agreement to make the transitional justice bill universally acceptable. The meeting has concluded that the topics to be put in the bill and the process to proceed will be discussed again in the next meeting to be held on April 14 at Singha Durbar.
Leaders also agreed to decide on the leadership and representation of the joint committee and other committees.
April 11, Kathmandu. The meeting of the top leaders of the three major parties started at Baluwatar, the residence of the Speaker. Speaker Devraj Ghimire has called the meeting to discuss the issue of transitional justice.
Speaker Ghimire has called a meeting with the leaders of the three main parties to discuss transitional justice, networking of the House, and contemporary issues, according to the Speaker’s Secretariat. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Chairman of the main opposition party CPN-UML KP Sharma Oli, and Chairman of Nepali Congress Sher Bahadur Deuba are participating in the meeting.
UML Chief Whip Padam Giri, Maoist Center Chief Whip Hitraj Pandey, and Congress MP Ishwari Neupane are also present in the meeting.
Attorney General Deenmani Pokharel and former Attorney General Ramesh Badal are also participating in the meeting, discussing other bills including TRC. In the earlier meeting, Prime Minister Prachanda said that he would proceed with the transitional justice bill through the fast track and choose the middle path, but the leader of the main opposition party, KP Sharma Oli, has taken the stand that the bill should be sent to the committee.
Leaked US intelligence documents paint a bleak picture for a much anticipated Ukrainian counter-offensive, according to the Washington Post, raising doubts about Kiev’s ability to field the manpower and ammunition needed to sustain major combat operations in the coming months.
Part of leaked trove that began circulating online last month, files labeled “top secret” reveal American reservations about the upcoming counter-attack, warning that a lack of troops and ammunition could mean that Ukraine falls “well short” of its ambitious goals to retake lost ground over the spring, the Post reported on Monday.
Enduring Ukrainian deficiencies in training and munitions supplies probably will strain progress and exacerbate casualties during the offensive,” the document says, going on to cite Russia’s sturdy network of defensive installations across the southern Kherson region and Kiev’s ongoing “force generation and sustainment shortfalls.”
The document also suggests Ukrainian forces will aim to capture territory in the south and east, apparently hoping to cut off Russian troops advancing from Crimea. However, the intelligence assessment predicts only “modest” success in those goals.
A separate classified briefing prepared by the National Intelligence Council, seen by only select lawmakers on Capitol Hill, concluded that Kiev’s counter-offensive is “unlikely” to be as successful as operations last fall, which did result in some regained ground, according to sources cited by the Post.
Yet another leaked document cited by the Wall Street Journal on Sunday also warned that Ukraine faces a “looming air defense crisis” which could prevent its military from massing the frontline forces needed for its counteroffensive. The assessment predicts that, at the current rate of consumption, Kiev will have exhausted its supply of Buk air defense missiles sometime this week, and all of its S-300 ammunition by May 3, leaving its skies largely undefended.
During a briefing Pentagon spokesman Chris Meagher has acknowledged that both the Pentagon and Justice Department are probing the matter, and that a criminal investigation was underway to determine the source of the unauthorized disclosures. A previous report in the New York Times indicated “more than 100” pages had been leaked in total.
The document trove contains a wealth of information about US and NATO war planning in Ukraine, including timelines for training and arms deliveries, data on ammunition expenditures, the structure of Ukrainian combat units, estimated Russian and Ukrainian losses, and, apparently, information regarding foreign special forces on the ground. Officials have declined to confirm the accuracy of their contents, however, saying only that they are investigating the leak.
9 April, Rautahat -More than 21 houses have been destroyed by fire in Rautahat’s Madhavnarayan municipality ward no. 4 Manpur today.
Around 2 o’clock in the afternoon on Sunday, the houses were destroyed by a fire that started from the house of Jiut Mukhiya, a local of Manpur. It is said that the fire started while preparing lunch.
More details about the damage caused by the fire are yet to be released.
9 April, Kathmandu. Kathmandu’s Mayor Balendra Sah (Balen) wrote on social media that he will not pick up the garbage of Singha Durbar. After his announcement, the Metropolis stopped collecting waste from the Singha Darbar on Sunday.
Mayor Shah had said that he would not pick up the waste of Singha Durbar, saying that Singha Durbar had not cooperated in the work of the Metropolis.
General Secretary of Garbage Management Association Mitra Prasad Ghimire has said that the garbage was not picked up after Mayor Shah called and instructed him not to pick up the garbage from the Singha Durbar. “We were going to pick up the garbage from Singha Durbar and take it to Bancharedanda, but after Mayor Shah called and told us not to take it to Bancharedanda, we stopped it,” he said.
The audio of Rastriya Swatantra Party MP Dhakakumar Shrestha demanding a bribe of Rs 20 million from a businessman Durga Prasai has been released.
Shrestha has been dismissed by Rastriya Swatantra Party after the audio of him asking for a bribe was released.Rastriya Swatantra Party has informed that it is ready to expel Shrestha from the party as the audio of him asking for a bribe from businessman Durga Prasai has been made public.
MP Shrestha said that he was going to become the health minister and that he had to pay money to the party to become the health minister and that he asked for a bribe from Prasai.
In this conversation that took place before the expansion of the cabinet on January 17, it was revealed that Rastriya Swatantra Party MP Dhakakumar Shrestha, who participated in the Prachanda government, asked for a bribe saying that the health ministry was under his control.
In the audio, he said, ‘ party president Rabi Lamichhane will not be seen but there are 2/3 of his outsider friends. They have said that they will give it to the party.
He asked money with Prasai and also said that they will work together. At that time, the Rastriya Swatantra Party participating in Prachanda’s government was claiming the Ministry of Health and Population. But during the expansion of the Cabinet, the Ministry of Health was taken by UML and Dr. Toshima Karki became the Minister of State for Health.
China has simulated precision strikes against key targets on Taiwan and its surrounding waters during a second day of military drills.
The drills – which Beijing has called a “stern warning” to the self-governing island – are a response to Taiwan’s president visiting the US last week.
As the Chinese military simulated an encirclement of the island, the US urged China to show restraint.
Taiwan said at least 71 Chinese jets flew around the island on Saturday.
Taiwan also said 45 warplanes either crossed the Taiwan Strait median line – the unofficial dividing line between Taiwanese and Chinese territory – or flew into the southwestern part of Taiwan’s air defence identification zone.
Nine Chinese ships were also spotted. The operation, dubbed “Joint Sword” by Beijing, will continue until Monday. Taiwanese officials have been enraged by the operation.
On Saturday defence officials in Taipei accused Beijing of using President Tsai’s US visit as an “excuse to conduct military exercises, which has seriously undermined peace, stability and security in the region”.
A state department spokesperson said the US was “monitoring Beijing’s actions closely” and insisted the US had “sufficient resources and capabilities in the region to ensure peace and stability and to meet our national security commitments”.
US President Joe Biden has said on several occasion that the US would intervene if China attacked the island, but US messaging has been murky.
Taiwan’s status has been ambiguous since 1949, when the Chinese Civil War turned in favour of the Chinese Communist Party and the country’s old ruling government retreated to the island.
Taiwan has since considered itself a sovereign state, with its own constitution and leaders. China sees it as a breakaway province that will eventually be brought under Beijing’s control – by force if necessary.
China’s President Xi Jinping has said “reunification” with Taiwan “must be fulfilled”.
6 Chait, Kathmandu. Kiran Pokharel has been appointed as the press adviser of President Ramchandra Paudel.
Pokharel, the former president of the Nepal Press Union, was appointed as a press adviser by President Paudel on Sunday. Pokharel is also a former commissioner of the Information Commission. Earlier, Khila Karki was appointed as the press coordinator of the President.
The President appointed Sunil Bahadur Thapa as a political advisor, Baburam Kunwar as legal advisor, Dr. Suresh Chandra Chalise as a foreign advisor, Chiranjeevi Paudel as an economic advisor, and Chiranjeevi Adhikari has been appointed as private secretary.
The Israeli military says it has launched artillery attacks on Syria after several rockets were fired from Syrian territory toward northern Israel, none of which caused damage or casualties.
The Israeli Defense Forces carried out cross-border attacks early on Sunday as the country escalated its violence on various fronts, including Gaza, Lebanon, and the West Bank. There was no immediate comment from the Syrian government.
The Israeli military said it had launched artillery attacks and a drone against the rocket launchers in Syria.
There were two rounds of rocket launches from Syrian territory in the early hours of Sunday, it said. The first involved three rockets, one of which landed in a field in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.
The second launch, which also involved three rockets, set off sirens in northern Israel. There were no reports of casualties. Jordan’s army said debris from a rocket fell into its territory but caused no casualties or damage. Lebanon-based Al Mayadeen TV said the rocket launches were claimed by the al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement.
Heli Everest Air’s helicopter crashed near Dhaulagiri base camp on Sunday morning.
The spokesperson of Tribhuvan International Airport, Teknath Sitaula, has informed that the helicopter of Heli Everest Air with the call sign 9NANB overturned today at 11 am while taking goods from the Italian base camp to the Dhaulagiri base camp. According to Nepal Civil Aviation Authority, the helicopter crashed into a mound and overturned.
Pilot Priya Adhikari was slightly injured in the accident and another helicopter has been sent for the rescue operation.
The US Navy has broken with its regular protocol in announcing the deployment to the Middle East of a nuclear submarine capable of launching 154 Tomahawk missiles. The show-of-force move comes amid ongoing tensions with Iran.
“[The submarine] is capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and is deployed to US 5th Fleet to help ensure regional maritime security and stability,” said Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins, a spokesman for the 5th Fleet based in Bahrain, on Saturday.
Hawkins added that that submarine had passed through the Suez Canal on Friday on its route to an undisclosed location in the Middle East. He declined to comment on the specifics of the submarine’s mission or what had led to its deployment.
The US Navy rarely discloses information about the locations or deployments of its submarines. Its 5th Fleet operates in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea and some parts of the Indian Ocean. The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passageway through which around 20% of all oil is transported, is also under the fleet’s remit.
The US and UK, and others, have accused Iran in recent years of attacks on commercial oil tankers, including the 2019 assaults on Norwegian and Japanese vessels, which forced both crews to abandon ship. Tehran has vigorously denied the allegations.
The US has also accused Iran of “dangerous and harassing approaches” towards its navy in recent years in the Persian Gulf. Tensions between the two were renewed last month after the US launched missile attacks on Iran-backed forces in Syria. This was in retaliation for the killing of a US contractor in a rocket attack in the northeast of the country. Seven other Americans were injured in the attack.
The rise in tensions was then fueled after then-President Donald Trump withdrew from a 2015 accord to provide Iran with sanctions relief, and despite the Biden administration’s attempts to seek a diplomatic remedy.
Washington has also expressed concern at Tehran’s support for Russian forces in Ukraine. The US also objects to Iran’s position as it relates to Israel – with whom it has a so-called proxy conflict – and to China, who brokered the restoration of diplomatic ties last month between Iran and Saudi Arabia.RT
Ukraine is a mistake created by the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said that Ukraine will disappear because its Western backers, the rest of the world, and even its own citizens have no need for the troubled country to keep existing.
“Why would Ukraine disappear? Because nobody needs it,” Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, wrote in a post on the VK social network on Saturday.
The EU doesn’t need Ukraine because supporting the country amid the conflict with Russia “on the order of their American mentor, plunged the Europeans into a real financial and political hell,” he insisted. Detrimental anti-Russia sanctions, spiking inflation, high energy prices, and the “decay” of businesses have already led to protests in various parts of the continent, the official pointed out.
“The prospect of decisively planting Ukrainian blood-sucking parasites on the neck of the shriveling EU” is real and, if it happens, it’s going to signal the demise of the bloc, Medvedev warned.
Kiev’s prime backer, the US, doesn’t need Ukraine either, because most ordinary Americans have no idea where it’s located and consider it “some abstract part of Russia,” the post read. They wonder “why the establishment in the US isn’t trying to deal with inflation and [the lack of] jobs or emergencies in their home states, but is instead occupied with this 404 country,” the former president wrote, referring to the “404 error” protocol in network communications.
Former president urges Russians to pirate Western content Only “political demagogues” in Washington, “who have long conceded their impotence and dementia, are trying to make PR gains from military and sanctions campaigns,” he added.
Africa and Latin America reject Ukraine because the “billions that the US is wasting on senseless battles somewhere in Ukraine would’ve been enough to fund many social-development programs” in those regions, Medvedev wrote.
Asian countries don’t need Ukraine because, through the example of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev, “they see how the technologies of ‘color revolutions’ are being developed to eliminate the largest competing powers. They understand what scenario the collective West, led by the US, has prepared for them in case of disobedience,” the official explained. Besides, Russia is much closer to such nations as China and India in a geopolitical sense and has historically proven to be their reliable partner, he added.
Medvedev also claimed that Russia doesn’t need Ukraine because the country is “a mistake created by the collapse of the Soviet Union,” .
Kathmandu, March 26: A team of the US Army’s Asia Pacific Command has arrived in Nepal. According to high military sources, a team from the US Army’s Asia Pacific Command arrived in Nepal on Saturday night from Singapore Airlines.
The team led by Major General Christopher Smith of the Asia Pacific Command came to Kathmandu on Saturday night. Nothing has been disclosed about why the team of the Asia Pacific Command of the US Army, which came to Nepal for the second time in a year, came to Nepal.
It is said that the team of the US Army’s Asia Pacific Command, which came to Nepal on Saturday under the leadership of Smith, will stay in Nepal for five days. Previously, on June 8, 2022, Charles A. Flynn, a senior officer of the US Army’s Pacific Command, visited Nepal for a four-day visit.
A team of the US Army’s Asia Pacific Command came to Kathmandu from Delhi on a special US Army plane.
Kathmandu, March 26: The World Bank is going to provide about 16 billion Nepalese rupees to Nepal.
The meeting of the Board of Directors of the World Bank held on Sunday decided to provide a grant equal to that amount to implement the main school education sector program of the Government of Nepal. This program is based on previous school field programs.
World Bank country director for Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka Faris Hadad Jervos said that investment in quality education is important for the development of human capital.
He said that this will also help the vision of the Nepal government to improve the quality of education and equitable access to fulfill the ambition of the new federal state. According to the World Bank, this grant will be used to address the damage to schools closed due to Covid-19, and help to build suitable classrooms and strengthen digital education. It will also be used in the scholarship program.
The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has instructed to remove the unauthorized structures built in the river bank, and river flow area within seven days.
The metropolis published a notice and instructed all the stakeholders who are illegally occupying the public areas of river flow, river drainage, and river corridor to remove the structures.
The metropolis has mentioned in the notification that the structures that have not been removed despite being informed several times will be removed according to the prevailing law and the expenses incurred during removal will also be collected from the relevant parties.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has warned that any Ukrainian attempt to capture Crimea could be met with a nuclear response by Moscow. He insisted, however, that Kyiv’s claims that it could seize the peninsula are nothing more than hollow threats.
Speaking to journalists on Friday, Medvedev dismissed the likelihood that Ukraine would carry out an attack on Crimea, asserting that “this is propaganda and should be treated that way, during the war it always exists.”
Medvedev, who currently serves as the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, added that “if we talk about some sort of serious offensive that is associated with an attempt to retake Crimea, it is quite obvious that this is the basis for the use of all means of protection, including those provided for by the fundamentals of the Doctrine of Nuclear Deterrence when the use of any types of weapons against Russia threatens the existence of the state itself.”
Crimea became part of Russia in 2014 after the local population voted overwhelmingly in favor of the move following a Western-backed coup in Kiev. Ukraine and its Western supporters have refused to recognize the step, and Kiev has repeatedly vowed to retake the peninsula by force.
Medvedev stressed that any attempt to break off part of Russia would be considered as a threat to the nation’s existence. “Therefore, draw your own conclusions. There are absolutely grounds for using any weapon here. Absolutely any kind. And I hope our ‘friends’ across the ocean understand this,” the former president said.
He also stressed that the prospect of a nuclear conflict has not faded, but instead continues to grow. Every day that Western weapons are delivered to Ukraine, the closer the world moves towards a “nuclear apocalypse,” Medvedev cautioned, adding that “it doesn’t mean that this will happen, but the horsemen of the apocalypse continue to move.”
The former Russian leader also claimed that without military aid and “direct cash injections” from NATO, the “Kiev regime would not have survived even a week” against Russian forces. The greater the supply of weapons, the more difficult the situation becomes, Medvedev added.
He stated that it is “obvious” Kiev is preparing some sort of new offensive, although Russia’s General Staff is making its own assessments and planning a response. Medvedev insisted that Russia would prefer to resolve all issues peacefully, but that the West seems uninterested in such a resolution.RT
Kathmandu, March 24: The government has appointed Basant Bahadur Kunwar as the new Inspector General (IG) of Nepal Police.
The Cabinet meeting held on Friday decided to appoint Basant Bahadur Kunwar as IG. Kunwar has been appointed as the new IGP as Dhiraj Pratap Singh is on compulsory retirement from today.
Kunwar, Tekprasad Rai, Deepak Thapa, Shyamalal Gyawali, and Kiran Bajracharya are senior police officers who were recently promoted from DIG to AIG. All these were contenders for the post of Inspector General of Nepal Police. But the meeting of the Council of Ministers held on Friday appointed Kunwar, who is the first among the five AIGs who were recently promoted from DIG, as the Inspector General of Nepal Police.
American forces have carried out retaliatory strikes in Syria in response to a deadly drone attack on a US-led coalition base in the northeastern part of the country, the Pentagon has said.
One US contractor was killed while five American troops and a contractor were wounded after “a one-way unmanned aerial vehicle” struck a maintenance facility near town of Hasakah around midday on Thursday, the Department of Defense reported. “The intelligence community assesses the UAV to be of Iranian origin,” it added.
In the same statement, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said he had been directed by President Joe Biden to authorize “precision airstrikes tonight in eastern Syria against facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).”
The bombings were carried out “in response to today’s attack as well as a series of recent attacks against Coalition forces in Syria by groups affiliated with the IRGC,” Austin stated.
“No group will strike our troops with impunity,” Austin insisted, adding that the US will “always respond at a time and place of our choosing.”
The US secretary of defense did not reveal the location of the strikes, but footage on social media allegedly showed explosions in Syria’s eastern province of Deir ez-Zor, which borders Iraq.
Local sources told Iranian broadcaster Press TV that the US missiles had not hit any facilities linked to Iranian groups. Instead, a rural development center and a grain facility were struck, they claimed.
“No Iranian was killed in the act of aggression,” the broadcaster stated. It also cited an unnamed military source who vowed that “resistance groups” are planning to respond to the American strikes.
Some 900 US troops remain in oil-rich northeastern Syria after being deployed there in the mid-2010s under the pretext of fighting Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) militants. Damascus considers their presence illegal and has repeatedly complained to the UN. The Syrian government’s stance is shared by Russia and Iran, who have aided the country in fighting terrorism.RT
New Delhi, March 24: The Parliament of India on Friday revoked the parliamentary post of the leader of the opposition Congress party, Rahul Gandhi. Parliament revoked his post after a court sentenced him to two years in prison in a defamation case linked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nickname.
In one of his speeches in 2019, Gandhi said “why all the thief’s caste is Modi” by referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and a defamation case was filed against him on the same subject.
On the other hand, Congress leaders have said that they are preparing to appeal to the High Court and will fight this battle both legally and politically.
Congress party officials have accused the Modi government and its Party (BJP) of being involved to assassinate Gandhi’s political career.
Kathmandu, March 24: According to the data released by the National Statistics Department, the literacy rate of Nepal has increased from 65.9 to 76.3 percent.
According to the detailed report of the National Census 2078 published by the National Statistics Department, the literacy rate of the total population aged five years and above is 76.3 percent.
Among them, the male literacy rate is 83.6 percent while the female literacy rate is 69.4 percent.
In the previous census of 2068, the literacy rate of Nepal was 65.9 percent.
Kathmandu, March 24: Kathmandu Metropolitan City has opened Ranipokhari for the public for the first time after reconstruction.
After the reconstruction, Ranipokhari has been opened to the general public and now the general public can visit Ranipokhari without a ticket, said Naveen Manandhar, spokesperson of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City.
After being damaged in the earthquake of 2072 BS, Ranipokhari was closed for a long time and became ugly due to weeds and lack of maintenance. However, now it has been reconstructed and given an original look.
Kathmandu, March 24 – According to the National Census-2078 data released by the National Statistics Department, the total number of households in Nepal is 7,552,066.
The Department of Statistics has collected the details of all the houses across the country and classified them into 12 different types based on their use.
According to the statistics, among the 75,52,066 house structures in the country, 71.7 percent of houses are mainly used for housing, 10.1 percent of barns/stores, 6.3 percent of empty houses, others (such as separate kitchen houses) 5. 9 percent, business 3.1 percent, educational 1.1 percent, industry/factory and institutional and government 0.4/0.4 percent, hotels and lodges 0.3 percent, healthcare 0.2 percent and banks and financial institutions 0 .1 percent.
Province wise, the highest number of houses in Lumbini province is 75.0 percent and the lowest is 68.0 percent in Sudurpaschim province.
Similarly, out of a total of 66,60,841 families owning houses that are being used as residences, 86.0 percent of the families are living in their own houses, while 12.8 percent of the families are living in rented residential units.
The Department of Statistics has released the final results of the National Census 2078 BS. According to the latest data released by the Department of Statistics, the total population of Nepal has reached 29,164,578.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal announced the final results through a program organized by the Department of Statistics on Friday. According to the data released by the department, Kathmandu has the highest population. According to the department, the population of Kathmandu has reached 2,041,587. In the data released by the department, it has been found that the highest population growth rate is in Bhaktapur and the lowest population growth rate is in Ramechhap. The report says 66.2 percent of the population resides in urban areas (metropolitan cities, sub-metropolitan cities, and municipalities) and 33.8 percent in rural areas (rural municipalities).
As per the report, the annual population growth rate of the country is 0.92 percent whereas the population density per square km is 198.In the new statistics of the department, there are more women than men. According to public statistics, the number of males is 14,253,551(48.98 per cent) and 14,911,027 females (51.02 per cent).
Kathmandu, March 24: Ramadan, the holy festival of Muslims, has started from today.
During this time of Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset without consuming food or water. All Muslims fast during Ramadan, except children and the sick.
The holy month of Ramadan is divided into three parts, with the first ten days known as Barakat, followed by Rahmat – ten days of love and care – and the last ten days known as Magfirat.
Those who fast keep their bodies clean and recite the Holy Quran regularly five times a day. The festival is believed to promote self-discipline, sacrifice, and empathy and believes to encourage acts of generosity and obligatory charity.
Janata Samajwadi Party leader Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav has been elected as the third vice president of Nepal. In today’s election, Yadav was elected as the vice president after defeating UML vice president Ashtalakshmi Shakya and Janamat Party leader Mamta Jha.
Yadav received 14,536 votes from the federal parliament and 15,792 votes from the state assembly, out of a total of 52,628 votes in the House of Representatives, National Assembly, and State Assembly.
His nearest competitor, UML candidate Ashtalakshmi Shakya has received a total of 16 thousand 328 votes, while the vice presidential candidate Mamta Jha has received 2 thousand 537 votes.
Vice President, Yadav is the leader of the parliamentary party of JASAPA and also a member of the House of Representatives elected from Bara-2.
While Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had said earlier that Moscow was still ready for negotiations on Ukraine and ready to listen to the West’s proposals to ease tensions, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that The United States prefers providing weapons and military equipment to the Kyiv government over reconciliation-themed diplomatic contacts with Russia.
In Blinken’s opinion, “there has to be a just and durable peace” in Ukraine. “Just in the sense that it reflects the principles of the United Nations Charter. If it’s a peace that allows Russia to keep all the territory seized by force, that’s not justice,” the secretary of state said. He also explained that by ‘durable,’ he implied “that no one wants to see Russia repeat this a year or two or three years later.”
“With those principles in mind, every day we are looking for ways to see if we can bring the war to an end. I see no evidence that right now Russia is interested in a diplomatic resolution and negotiation that would end this war,” Blinken told reporters during his visit to Niger’s capital Niamey on thursday.
“And so the quickest way to end it is to continue to support Ukraine so that it is strong on the battlefield <…> so that hopefully, at some point, Mr. Putin recognizes the reality that this has to stop, that he’s not going to succeed. And he’s prepared for diplomacy and for negotiation. When that day comes we’ll be the first to engage to try to end things. But as I said, in this moment, at least, I don’t see any evidence of that,” he said.
It is said that Prime Minister Prachanda will take the vote of confidence on March 20.
A letter was sent to the Parliament Secretariat to manage the agenda for the vote of confidence on Thursday and the Parliament Secretariat informed that the agenda is being prepared.
According to Article 100(2) of the Constitution, if a party participating in a coalition government as per 76(2) withdraws its support, the Prime Minister must submit a proposal to the House of Representatives for a vote of confidence within 30 days. According to the provisions, Prime Minister Prachanda will have to get 138 votes to win the vote of confidence.
Earlier in FebruaryRastriya Prajatantra Party and UML withdrew their support from the government formed under the leadership of Maoist Chairman Prachanda, who became the Prime Minister with the support of 169 MPs including UML, Maoists, Raswapa, RPPA, Janmat, Jaspa, Civil Immunity and three independents .
Nepal has entered the 2023 ODI Cricket World Cup Qualifiers.
After winning against UAE in the final match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League-2, Nepal has entered the 2023 ODI World Cup Qualifiers. The Global Qualifier for the ODI World Cup, which will be contested by 10 teams including Nepal, will be held in June-July in Zimbabwe.
According to the Duckworth-Lewis rule, Nepal managed to win by 9 runs in yesterday’s match at the TU Cricket Ground. Nepal got direct entry into the global selection as it is in the top three positions of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2.
Copenhagen has refused to allow Moscow’s participation in the pipeline bombing probe.
Denying Russia access to the investigation of sabotage on the Nord Stream gas pipelines makes a mockery of those probes, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova claimed on Thursday.
“This is such a fraud, a total scam, not even a con but a three penny game, which in my opinion no one has been buying for a very long time,” Zakharova said in an interview.
“They are playing this for themselves, but the story with Nord Stream will not end the same way as many other stories they have buried or covered up, I think, for the simple reason that there’s a lot of money at stake,” Zakharova added.
Earlier in the day, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen said that Moscow won’t be permitted to participate, telling reporters that “Denmark, Sweden and Germany all have rule of law and one can have confidence in our investigations.”
Russia has accused the three countries of lying about keeping Moscow informed of their probes, providing documents to that effect to the UN Security Council on Tuesday. The Russian mission has asked the UN for an impartial international investigation.
Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 were built under the Baltic Sea to deliver Russian natural gas to Germany and on to Western Europe. Both pipelines were severely damaged in a series of explosions in September 2022, near the Danish island of Bornholm. No one has taken responsibility for the bombing.
In early February, American investigative journalist Seymour Hersh published an account of what happened and blamed the US for planning and executing the bombing with the help of Norway. The US government denounced his account as “total fiction.”
Earlier this month, the New York Times quoted unnamed US intelligence officials to claim a rogue “pro-Ukrainian group” may have been behind the attack, and that it was not ordered by the Ukrainian government or involve any US or British nationals. Hersh has laughed off the story as implausible. RT
The general secretary of the Parliament Secretariat, Bharatraj Gautam, has issued a letter stating that the impeachment of the suspended Chief Justice Choldra Shamsher Jabara has become ineffective.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has issued instructions to the security agencies to stop Cholendra Shamsher Jabara, who is about to return to the Supreme Court after Bharatraj Gautam gave a letter that the impeachment was ineffective, and on the other hand, the employees of the Bar Association have staged a protest at the gate of the Supreme Court to stop him. The Supreme Court has questioned General Secretary Gautam about the letter and also asked for an explanation.
Bar Association President Purnaman Shakya and other officials have also submitted a writ petition to the Supreme Court saying that the letter given by the General Secretary of the Federal Parliament Bharatraj Gautam stating that the impeachment proposal against Chief Justice Cholendra Shamsher Jabara is ineffective is illegal.
Regarding the subject , Government Spokesman and Minister of Communication and Information Technology Gyanendra Bahadur Karki has said that the grand indictment against Chief Justice Cholendra Shamsher Jabara is still alive and the matter will be discussed in the upcoming House of Representatives.
Former CIA officer Philip Giraldi said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is looking for ways to directly involve the US and NATO in the conflict, as former CIA officer Philip Giraldi speaks about the recent drone strikes inside Russia’s borders.
On the other hand, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that the US has nothing to do with the Ukrainian drone attack on two air bases within the borders of Russia, but will continue to supply everything that Kyiv needs.
Speaking to reporters, Blinken said, “We have neither encouraged nor enabled the Ukrainians to attack inside Russia. What really matters is how Ukraine responds to the ongoing Russian aggression,” he said. It is determined to provide the equipment it needs to defend its territory, to defend its independence, but when the US first sent HIMARS to Ukraine, it said it received assurances from Kyiv that those weapons would not be used against Russian territory.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, two strategic bomber camps in the Ryazan and Saratov regions were attacked by drones on Monday morning. Moscow said three soldiers were killed and two bombers were lightly damaged by drones shot down by air defenses.
Meanwhile, Moscow has warned that providing heavy weapons to Ukraine has crossed Russia’s “red line” and threatens that it will involve the US and NATO directly in the conflict.
The government has opened the import of goods such as vehicles, mobile phones, alcohol and motorcycles, which were previously banned by classifying them under luxury goods.
Due to the negative impact on revenue collection due to the ban imposed on foreign exchange reserves, the government has decided to open the import of those items from January.
Industry, Commerce and Supply Minister Dilendra Prasad Badu has informed that the Council of Ministers has decided to lift the import ban in accordance with the proposal to open the ban in a meeting with the representatives of the National Bank, the Finance Secretary and the Commerce Secretary under the coordination of the Chief Secretary. The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supply has said that the decision to lift the ban was made because the economy will be affected if the import is banned for a long time.
Industrialists and businessmen have been protesting since the government continued the ban on imports,Saying that they have suffered huge losses due to the government policy.
With the final results of the elections, the parties are engaged in the exercise of government formation. The parties are in dialogue to make their own equation after no party has got the majority. However, it will take at least a week for the formal process of government formation to begin.
According to the result of proportional election, the commission determines the seats on party basis. Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Thapaliya has said that, three days will be given to the parties to send the names to be nominated for proportional seats from the closed list in clusters.
According to the Proportional Election Guidelines, if the names from the parties do not match according to the cluster, two more days should be given to correct them. He said that after preparing all the details from the parties, the report will be submitted to the President in a day or two.
After the final result, the process of convening the session of the Parliament and proceeding with the formation of the government will proceed. Article 93 (1) of the Constitution provides that the President shall convene a session of the Federal Parliament within 30 days from the date of the announcement of the final results of the election. However, there is no clear provision as to which government will make the recommendation. It is a practice that the new government has called a session in the past. However, Parliament Secretariat staff says that any government can make recommendations.
The current government can do it too. Anyone who comes can do it. There is continuity of government. That’s not all it says. The previous government was formed on 5th of Magh. Parliament session was called only on 21st Falgun. However, any government can do it,” said Rojnath Pandey, spokesperson of the Parliament Secretariat.
In 2074, when the result of the election was delayed, the government was formed earlier. With the support of Maoists, the government was formed on Magh 5th under the leadership of UML Chairman KP Oli. The session of Parliament was called on 21st of Falgun. However, spokesperson Pandey admits that this practice of forming the government without taking the oath of the members of the House of Representatives is wrong. The exercise that should not have happened in 2074. When KP Oli became the Prime Minister, the MPs were not sworn in. However, that practice became acceptable. What happens next remains to be seen. However, there should be no further action without taking oath,” he said.
Senior advocate Sunil Pokharel, who is well-versed in constitutional law, says that the practice of becoming the prime minister and forming the government without taking the oath of parliament is wrong. “There is no question of appointing the Prime Minister without appointing a Member of Parliament, it is not valid. Members of the House of Representatives will be appointed. To be a member of the House of Representatives the oath of parliament should be taken. Our practice yesterday was wrong. It should be corrected,” he said.
Pokharel mentioned that they are only elected members of the House of Representatives and have not formally become members of the House of Representatives and said, “From the date of taking the oath, they get benefits including salaries and allowances.” Before that, the House of Representatives does not recognize them. To be a Prime Minister, it is mandatory to be a member of the House of Representatives.
There is a constitutional provision that a new government should be formed within 30 days of the announcement of the final election results. According to Article 76, which deals with government formation, after the announcement of the results, the President must call for the formation of a new government. As no party has a majority at present, according to Article 76 (2), it seems that a coalition government of two or more parties will be formed. The leader of the parliamentary party of a party that has reached the majority must submit a claim to the Prime Minister to the President. After being appointed by the President, the Prime Minister must take a vote of confidence in the House of Representatives within one month. There is a constitutional provision that a motion of no confidence cannot be brought for two years after the vote of confidence.
When and how will MPs take oath?
Article 88 of the Constitution stipulates that members of each House of the Federal Parliament must take an oath in accordance with federal law before participating in the meeting of the House or any of its committees for the first time. Parliament session is called by the President within 30 days after the final result of the election. Members of Parliament are sworn in before the first session of the session. In 2074, the session was convened on 21st Falgun and the MPs were sworn in on 20th of Falgun.
Before taking the oath, the senior members first take the oath from the President. Then the senior member administers the oath of office and secrecy to the other members. After the oath, the MPs get the logo of the member of the House of Representatives. Since LOSAPA President Mahantha Thakur is a senior member in the House of Representatives this year, he will first take the oath from the President and administer the oath to the other members. After that, a joint meeting of the elected House of Representatives and the National Assembly will be held.
Election to elect the Speaker within 15 days of the commencement of the House of Representatives meeting
In the first meeting of the Parliament, the top leaders of the party will speak; the agenda will include the passing of regulations. “There will not be many issues in the first meeting,” says Dashrath Dhamala, Assistant Spokesperson of the Parliament Secretariat, “The election of the Speaker is a priority.” It is taken up in the first or second meeting at the consultation of the parties. After that, according to the regulations, it will proceed to the regular agenda of law making.
In Article 91, members of the House of Representatives within 15 days from the date of commencement of the first meeting of the House of Representatives, There is a provision to elect Speaker and Deputy Speaker from among themselves. Speaker and Deputy Speaker must be from different parties and one must be a woman.
Dec-7, Kathmandu. The FIFA World Cup 2022 quarter-final draw in Qatar has been completed.
In the quarterfinals, the most 5 teams from Europe, Netherlands, England, France, Croatia and Portugal, Brazil and Argentina from South America and Morocco from North Africa have succeeded in entering the quarterfinals. The Quarterfinal match will be held on the 9th and 10th of December.
Quarterfinal match schedule
Friday 9th December Croatia vs Brazil Netherlands vs Argentina
Saturday 10th December Morocco vs Portugal England vs France
The semi-finals will be held on Tuesday, December 13 and Wednesday, 14 December. On Saturday, December 17th, the first semi-final runner-up and the second semi-final runner-up will compete for the third position, while the final match of the World Cup 2022 will be held on Sunday, December 18.
Kathmandu Metropolis has said that the District Police Kathmandu has ignored the complaint filed by the Kathmandu Metropolitan City demanding action against the deadly attack on the city police. Despite registering a complaint with the details of the attacker, the police have not arrested anyone yet.
The details of the eight people who attacked the city police have been revealed in the complaint. However, the metropolis has accused Nepal police of not taking action against the assailant. Nabin Manandhar, spokesperson of the metropolis, said that the Nepal Police did not prosecute those who attacked the city police. “We demanded that immediate action should be taken,” he said, “but the Nepal Police did not take any action on the complaint.”
According to him, the city police was deployed by the metropolis on to demolish the illegall houses and infrastructures built by the homeless at Thapathali. At the same time, people living there assaulted the city police. In the process, 36 city police were injured where some of the seriously injured are undergoing treatment at Norvic Hospital.
Meanwhile,Dineshraj Mainali, spokesperson of the Kathmandu Police, informed that they are working on the complaint. He said, “We are investigating after receiving a complaint, but no one has been arrested.”
However, Kathmandu Metropolitan City Police Chief SP Rajunath Pandey said that “Nepal police did not pay attention to the complaint we gave demanding action.
In the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, 16 nations have managed to reach the knockout stage.
The 32-nation World Cup 2022 group stage match was very unexpected this time. This time, former champions Germany, Uruguay and Belgium have been eliminated from the group stage, while Japan, Morocco and Switzerland unexpectedly managed to secure their place in the knockout stage.
The World Cup 2022 will now have a total of 16 matches including the final. There will be eight matches of 16 nations in the knockout stage. Including Netherlands and Senegal from Group A, England and America from Group B, Argentina and Poland from Group C, France and Australia from Group D, Japan and Spain from Group E, Morocco and Croatia from Group F, Brazil and Switzerland from Group G and Group Portugal and South Korea have entered the last 16 from H.
Schedule of Last 16 Matches: Saturday 3 December
(8:45 p.m.) Netherlands vs. USA (12:45pm) Argentina vs Australia
Sunday 4 December (12:45pm) England vs Senegal (8:45 p.m.) France vs. Poland
CPN UML leader Dr Bhim Rawal has asked about the meeting between Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balen Shah and the American Ambassador.
Rawal said that, as there is a clear provision in the constitution that Nepal’s foreign relation is under the federal government, whether the Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balen Shah informed about the meeting with the American ambassador and obtained permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or not?
Leader Rawal, saying that the constitution and self-respect and dignity of an independent country must be protected, the head of the constitutional body mixing the constitution and the legal system on a sensitive matter like foreign relations will not be allowed and meet with any foreigner whenever he wants.
Kathmandu – The police have started an investigation into the citizenship dispute of Ravi Lamichhane, chairman of Rastriya Swatantra Party.
The police started an investigation on the complaint filed against Lamichhane with a demand for investigation and action regarding his citizenship. It is mentioned in the complaint that Lamichhane, who renounced his American citizenship, registered his party with the Election Commission using his old citizenship and submitted his old citizenship when he was a candidate.
Lamichhane himself, after renouncing his US citizenship, admitted to using his old citizenship without obtaining a new one, according to the complaint.
Kathmandu Police said that they have received a letter from the Kathmandu District Administration to investigate Lamichhane’s citizenship and the investigation has been started based on the letter.
Kathmandu – The Election Commission has announced that seven political parties have been recognized as national parties based on the votes counted so far.
The Election Commission has stated that according to the results of proportional voting, CPN-UML, Nepali Congress, CPN-Maoist Center, National Independent Party, National Democratic Party, Janata Samajwadi Party and Janmat Party have achieved national party recognition by cutting the 3 percent threshold.
When 1 crore 3 lakh 82 thousand 85 votes were counted on the proportional side, UML got the most 27 lakh 73 thousand 999 votes while Congress got 26 lakh 44 thousand 241, Maoist 11 lakh 61 thousand 256, Rashtriya Swatantra Party 11 lakh 19 thousand 996, Rashtriya Prajatantra Party 585 thousand 921 votes, Janata Samajwadi Party got 420 thousand 931 votes and Janamat Party got 394 thousand 345 votes, the commission said.
The conflict between the National Land Commission and the Kathmandu Metropolitan City regarding the problem of homeless people in Kathmandu has started to surface.
After the National Land Commission issued a notice on Friday instructing the landless and homeless not to be removed from any location, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City countered the Commission and issued another notice.
Kathmandu Metropolitan has said that the Local Government Operation Act, 2074 assigns responsibility to the local level to maintain and protect government, community and public property within its geographical area and As this office is responsible for the protection of government, public and community property within the Kathmandu Metropolitan City area, any association, organization, body, group, person or any other person who harms, damages, destroys or encroaches on such property by any means or process, action will be taken according to the law.
DNA of the son of Niharika Rajput, who attempted self-immolation in front of the President’s Office, Shital Niwas on 27 Shrawan 2079 BS, has been matched with accused Shivraj Shrestha.
Janakpur High Court said that the DNA of Rajput’s son matched with Shrestha’s DNA in the test conducted at the National Forensic Science Laboratory in Khumaltar in accordance with the order given by the High Court, Janakpur to test the DNA of Niharika’s son and Shrestha.
Rajput, who was repeatedly on hunger strike demanding DNA tests, broke the strike after agreeing on three points demand in the presence of the then Law Minister Govind Bandika on Bhadra 5th 2079 Bs. Earlier, Shrestha had been claiming that the child was not his even though he had a relationship with Niharika.
Rajput, who came to a press conference today in front of the Prime Minister’s residence saying that Shrestha should be arrested after the DNA test report, was arrested and released by the police . The police said that she was arrested and released as she was going to hold a press conference in a security sensitive area.
Sandeep Lamichhane, accused of raping a minor, has been ordered by the Kathmandu District Court to be sent to prison.
Judge Madhav Prasad Ghimire on Friday ordered the accused Lamichhane to be jailed pending trial. Lamichhane will be sent to Central Jail, Sundhara. On Monday, the Office of the Public Prosecutor in Kathmandu filed a case against Lamichhane in the Kathmandu court demanding imprisonment for 10 to 12 years and reasonable compensation to the victim from the accused.
Lamichhane was arrested from Tribhuvan Airport on Ashwin 20 2079 BS., after a complaint was lodged against Lamichhane on the charge of rape in the Gaushala police station on Bhadra 21 2079 BS. The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) also issued a diffusion notice against Lamichhane.
President Bidya Devi Bhandari has reached Mustang today by helicopter of the Nepalese army.
President Bhandari will visit Muktinath and unveil the statue of Lord Buddha and lay the foundation stone of the Lord Bishnu statue.
The security arrangements of the area have been tightened for the security of the President who reached Mustang to unveil the 35 feet tall statue of Lord Buddha in Ranipauwa.
The Government of India has provided 80 vehicles to the Election Commission as a gift for the House of Representatives and State Assembly elections to be held on November 20.
Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava has handed over a vehicle to the Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya. Commissioner Thapaliya has said that the support provided by the Indian government will help the Election Commission during this election process.
At the request of Nepal, India has been providing vehicles for the use of the Commission in previous years as well, and India has so far provided 214 vehicles to the Election Commission.
The Nepal Electricity Authority has received permission to export 22 MW of electricity to India.
The Nepal Electricity Authority has said that 22 megawatts of electricity produced by Chilime Hydropower Company Limited will be exported to India. According to the authority, 386 megawatts of electricity will be exported to India every day, including Chilime. The Nepal Electricity Authority had already offered to sell an additional 100.9 megawatts of monsoon electricity consumed domestically in the day-ahead market of the Indian Energy Exchange Limited through competition.
The Authority has started selling the excess electricity consumed within the country through competition in the day-ahead market of the Indian Energy Exchange Limited from last 19thJestha 2079 BS. and has also advanced the electricity export process of the hydropower projects built by the private sector.
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has been shot and wounded in the leg, in an attack on his protest march in Wazirabad.
Officials say that one of Khan’s supporters was killed in the shooting in Wazirabad. Several officials of Khan’s PTI party were also injured.
The gunman said he wanted to kill Khan and had acted alone. Pakistani police have released a video of a gunman who was arrested at the scene of Kahn’s shooting.
Fawad Chaudhry, a spokesperson for Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, told that “if the shooter had not been stopped by people there, the entire PTI leadership would have been wiped out.”
Nepal Sambat 1143 has started today. Considered the original sambat of Nepal, this samvat is celebrated as a new year by the Newar community all across the country.
On the occasion of Nepal Sambat (New Year), the Newar community in different parts of the country including the valley presents a cultural rally based on Newari culture with various dances, instruments and tableaux.
Rashtriya Vibhuti(national hero) Shankhadhar Sakhwa started Nepal Sambat in Bikram Sambat 937 (AD 880) by redeeming the debts of poor people. Nepal Sambat, which started during the reign of King Raghavdev of the Licchavi Dynasty, was recognized as a national Sambat until the reign of Prithvi Narayan Shah. The then Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai declared Sakhwa a “Rashtriya Vibhuti”(national hero) on New Year’s Day 2056, highly appreciating the work of providing an excellent model of social service by paying off the debts of the poor people and also running the original Sambat in Nepal.
The Election Commission has removed the names of 550 candidates from the closed list of proportional candidates submitted by various political parties.
The Election Commission has said that the names of ineligible candidates for the proportional election system of the House of Representatives and State Assembly elections have been removed from the proportional list.
369 candidates who did not submit their expenses details as candidates in the local elections, 23 candidates who were underage in the House of Representatives and 29 people in the Provincial Assembly, 66 candidates who were listed as double candidates, 37 candidates whose gender details were different, 18 candidates whose names were not in the voter list and 6 candidates who did not submit the documents requested by the commission have been removed from the closed list of proportional candidates submitted by various political parties.
According to the commission, a total of 550 names have been removed, including people on the blacklist and in positions of benefit.
Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak has become the Prime Minister of Britain. He became the first Hindu Prime Minister of Britain.
Sunak was appointed Prime Minister of the country by British King Charles on Tuesday. Sunak, 42, is the first prime minister to be appointed by King Charles.
Sunak, who replaced Liz Truss, who announced her resignation on October 20 amid growing discontent among her colleagues in the ruling Conservative Party over her failed economic policies, had previously been defeated by Truss in an internal party race for prime minister.
Sunak has become the sole contender for Prime Minister from the Conservative Party after both rivals of the Conservative Party, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and House of Commons leader Penny Mordaunt withdrew from the Prime Minister’s race.
Sunak is a third-generation immigrant whose family moved to Southampton, UK from Kenya and British Tanganyika (modern Tanzania) in the 1960s.
Russia has been warning the West about the alleged plans of Ukraine to use a dirty bomb to frame Russia. The West has also remained largely dismissive of these warnings.
The Defense Ministry of Russia claimed that Ukraine is planning on labeling Moscow as a nuclear terrorist organization in order to launch a powerful anti-Russia campaign. According to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, the West’s refusal to believe that Ukraine is planning on using dirty bombs makes the threat still relevant.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukraine is planning to detonate a “dirty bomb” in a bid to intimidate the local population, trigger a refugee exodus to the European Union and portray Moscow as “a nuclear terrorist,”.
The UN also called on all parties in the conflict to show restraint. During a briefing on Monday, Stephane Dujarric, the spokesperson for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, said that all parties should avoid actions that could trigger further escalation.
In view of the election to be held on November 20, the Nepal-India border crossing will be closed for 72 hours during the election to strengthen the security system.
In the joint meeting of Nepal-India, the discussion between the heads of the security agencies and the officials agreed to increase the security surveillance in their respective areas to prevent any kind of criminal activities at the border crossings and to close the border crossings 72 hours before the elections.
Also, the meeting agreed to control smuggling, stolen export and other criminal activities at the border.
Aston Villa has sacked its head coach Steven Gerrard.
He was sacked by the club after Aston Villa lost 3-0 to Fulham in the English Premier League on Thursday. Aston Villa is in 17th position after the match while Fulham managed its position in 9th.
“We would like to thank Steven for his hard work and commitment and wish him all the best for the future,” a statement on Aston Villa’s webpage read.
Gerrard, who replaced Dean Smith in November 2021, spent three years in his first managerial post with the Scottish club Rangers. A former Liverpool midfielder, Gerrard made 504 Premier League appearances for the Reds during a distinguished 17-year professional career at Anfield and was inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2021.
British Prime Minister Liz Truss issued a statement today and resigned as the leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister.
She resigned saying she could not deliver the mandate she was elected as Tory leader. She also said that the election of the Conservative leadership for the future Prime Minister will be held next week and she will remain in the executive role until the next Prime Minister is elected.
Truss is the shortest-serving prime minister in British history, having completed just 45 days in office.
Meanwhile, After the resignation of two Prime Ministers in four months, the leaders of the British opposition parties have demanded an immediate general election.
She was the last prime minister appointed by the late Queen Elizabeth II and her tenure began with a 10-day mourning period.
Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said the flow of NATO weapons into Ukraine and military support for Kyiv raised the possibility of direct military confrontation between the NATO alliance and Russia.
She said that while NATO countries are moving ahead with planning how to conduct military operations against Russia by supplying arms and ammunition to Kyiv as well as providing intelligence training personnel, it increases the possibility of direct armed conflict between NATO countries and Russia.
Zakharova also drew attention to the fact that according to the latest statistics, Western military aid for Ukraine reached 42.3 billion dollars.
Zakharova said that NATO countries are not only accomplices in the crimes committed by the Kiev regime, but also sponsors of terrorist activities.
According to the Ministry of Defense of Russia, 110 Russian citizens returned to Russia as part of the exchange of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine.
In exchange for 110 Russian citizens under a prisoner exchange, Russia has released 108 Ukrainian female soldiers it had detained. It is said that 2 of the released female soldiers decided not to return to Ukraine because they wanted to stay in Russia.
Kyiv detained dozens of Russian citizens who had been in boats that stopped at Ukrainian ports in late February after the war broke out.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Moscow and Kyiv have frequently exchanged prisoners since the conflict between the two neighbours began in late February. At the end of last September, Ukraine released 55 Russian soldiers from Donbas, and Russia also released Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Medvedchuk.
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, since the war began, Russia has released 215 Ukrainian soldiers under prisoner exchange.
Nissim Thapa, a 26-year-old player of the Nepal Army, who participated in the paragliding cross-country competition under the ninth national sports competition, passed away in an accident during the competition. With Thapa’s death, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has decided to suspend all types of paragliding flights across the country until further notice.
After taking off his flight in the competition, Thapa fell to the ground about 100 meters below. It is assumed that he crashed on the ground because the glider did not open. After falling to the ground, he died while being taken to the hospital for treatment.
Civil aviation authority has said that the lack of adequate arrangements for the safety of drivers and passengers, the issue of paragliding safety has become complicated. The authority has decided to stop all flights, for the time being, saying that there is a need to study the safety of flights, laws and regulations.
Satya Mohan Joshi, a cultural scholar and historian who was being treated in the hospital, passed away at the age of 103 at 7:09 this morning.
103-year-old Joshi, who has been suffering from various health problems including heart for a long time was being treated in ICU after contracting a dengue infection.
During his life, he worked in various fields including the Department of Archaeology, Pragya Pratishthan and Rastriya Samachar Samiti. Joshi was awarded the “Madan Purashkar” three times. His contribution to awakening and upliftment of Nepali tradition and culture will remain with us forever.
In his honour, the government even published a postage stamp with his portrait.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the Russian Federation has no intention of destroying Ukraine.
Speaking to journalists after a summit with regional leaders in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana, President Putin said, “What is happening today is not pleasant, to put things mildly,”. “But at the same time, if Russia hadn’t attacked, Russia would have been in the same situation, only the conditions would have been worse for us. So we’re doing everything correctly and at the right time.”
President Putin also said that if Ukraine had not cut the water supply to Crimea, where 2.4 million people live there would have been no retaliatory actions, but we didn’t have any other options apart from entering the area and reopening the water supply to Crimea.
President Putin said it was not Russia’s intention to destroy Ukraine, but he did not regret the invasion as Ukraine was joining NATO and playing according to the west to weaken Russian Federation.
He said most of the designated targets had been hit, and the recent stike had destroyed 22 out of the 29 targets in Ukraine set by the military and that they are getting the remaining seven.
He also said that the wave of missile strikes on cities across Ukraine recently was the retaliation for a blast which damaged a key bridge between Russia and annexed Crimea.
Meanwhile, Analyst says that all this comes after the Russian forces are retreating where the Ukraine is advancing its attack and Russia’s influence in the region is declining.
Rautahat district committee of CPN-UML has been dissolved.
Rautahat district committee of CPN-UML has been dissolved after CPN-UML standing committee member and Madhesh province co-in-charge Prabhu Sah, UML Rautahat district president Tribhuwan Shah and other district committee members being involved in anti-party activities. UML state committee president Ram Autar Yadav sent a letter to district vice president Deepak Rai Yadav and informed that the district committee has been dissolved.
Prabhu Shah, who is considered to be an influential leader of UML in Madhesh, and the leaders close to him have also been removed from the party for being involved in anti-party activities. Prabhu Shah has been accused of holding the tickets for the upcoming elections till the last moment of nomination and filling an independent candidacy.
Meanwhile, the rulling aliance has agreed to support Prabhu Shah in Rautahat constituency 3, by cancelling the candidate of the coalition.
The cabinet meeting held today has decided to maintain the ban on the import of luxury goods such as vehicles and mobiles until November.
The decision made by the Council of Ministers in a meeting held today has decided to extend the ban as it ends today. As Nepal’s foreign exchange reserves declined, 10 items were banned from Baisakh 2079 BS., defining them as luxury goods. But out of those 10 items, only 4 items are currently banned. On Bhadra 14, 2079 BS., private vehicles except for ambulances, mobile phones above $300, motorcycles above 150 cc and alcohol were banned, and the meeting of the council of ministers held today has decided to extend it till November.
Earlier, the import of Kurkure chips and similar products, prepared liquor, cigarettes and tobacco products, diamonds, mobile phones, televisions above 32 inches, jeeps, cars,vans andmotorcycles above 250 cc, toys and palying cards was banned.
Madhesh Province Chief Minister Lal Babu Raut has dismissed three Nepali Congress ministers in Madhesh Province government.
After the federal government removed 4 ministers of the Janata Samajwadi Party on Thursday, Madhesh Chief Minister Lal Babu Raut dismissed three Nepali Congress ministers in the Madhesh State government. Minister of Physical Infrastructure the Development Ram Saroj Yadav, Minister of Water Supply and Power Development Omprakash Sharma and Minister of Women, Children, Youth and Sports Birendra Prasad Singh who became ministers from the Nepali Congress in the Madhesh state government have been dismissed from the cabinet of the Madhesh government today.
According to the National Sports Council, Vice President Nanda Kishor Pun will officially inaugurate the ninth National Games today at Pokhara Stadium at 4:00 PM.
As part of the 9th National Games, which will be conducted in eight other districts including Pokhara, eight different games are starting today, while some games have already started before the opening. 6,157 players from 11 teams including provincial and departmental teams are participating in the 9th National Games which includes 38 games along with two exhibitions. For the first time, in the 9th National Games, a “National Running Trophy” has been made.
March pass along with a band salute by the Nepal army on the national anthem will be performed at the opening ceremony. Various other cultural programs will also be performed today at the opening ceremony.
The National Games, which started in the capital Kathmandu for the first time on 2038 BS, were to be held every two years, but could not be conducted regularly due to various reasons. The second edition of the National Games was held in Pokhara in 2040 BS.Similarly, the third edition was held in Birgunj in 2042 BS., the fourth edition in Nepalgunj in 2053, the fifth edition in Kathmandu in 2065 BS., the sixth edition in Far West in 2068 BS, the seventh edition in Biratnagar in 2073 BS. and the eighth edition was held in Nepalgunj in 2075 BS.
The Madhesh government has prepared to remove all the ministers of the ruling coalition in the Madhesh province in protest against the dismissal of the JASAPA ministers by the federal government.
Prime Minister Deuba dismissed four ministers of Jaspa today after Jaspa left the alliance and prepared to go to elections in coordination with UML in the House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly elections to be held on November 20. Chief Minister Lal Babu Raut has prepared to dismiss all the ministers of the ruling coalition in the state government opposing the move of the federal government.
Federal Affairs and General Administration Minister Rajendra Prasad Shrestha, Physical Infrastructure and Transport Minister Mohammad Ishtiaq Rai, Forest and Environment Minister Pradeep Yadav and Agriculture and Livestock Development Minister Mrigendra Kumar Singh Yadav were dismissed from the cabinet of the federal government today.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has removed four ministers of the Janata Samajwadi Party from the cabinet.
It is said that Prime Minister Deuba has dismissed the ministers of Jaspa after the Jaspa left the alliance and prepared to go to the election in coordination with the UML in the elections of the House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly to be held on November 20. Deuba, who had previously consulted with the Election Commission and legal experts on the matter of removing the ministers, dismissed all four ministers of the Jaspa today . But since the election code of conduct has been implemented, the commission said that although the minister can be dismissed, political appointments cannot be made.
Federal Affairs and General Administration Minister Rajendra Prasad Shrestha, Physical Infrastructure and Transport Minister Mohammad Istiaq Rai, Forest and Environment Minister Pradeep Yadav and Agriculture and Livestock Development Minister Mrigendra Kumar Singh Yadav were in the cabinet of the coalition government.
Similarly, Govinda Prasad Sharma Koirala, who became the Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, has also been removed from the government after failing to become a member of Parliament within 6 months. The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology Minister Gyanendra Bahadur Karki has been assigned the responsibility of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.
CPN-UML leader Bhim Rawal has said that he will fight within the party against the discriminatory political character and injustice of Chairman KP Sharma Oli.
He said that even though there was a single recommendation from the district, not giving him a ticket from Achham 1 in the House of Representatives was a gross insult to the UML leaders and workers of Far West and harmed the interests and unity of the party. Rawal said that there is no rule and discipline in the party and that there is no practice of consultation on any matter. He also said that Oli has been spreading unnecessary rumours against him.
Saying that UML is not a company or personal property, he said that he will fight till the end to get the party out of the current distorted situation and will end UML’s association with the right wing and reactionaries.
“No matter how many accusations Chairman Oli makes about me, I will try my best on my part to make the party win in the upcoming elections”, he said.
Despite the US opposition, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies have agreed to cut oil production by more than expected. Experts said that this move by OPEC confirms the declining influence of American power in the world order and this move will increase the distance between OPEC member countries and the US.
Experts say that the Biden administration, in the face of inflation, will have to face more political pressure before the upcoming mid-term elections, and the energy prices will increase and will affect the economic situation of Europe. It is estimated that this decision will further weaken the European countries that are supporting American power economically and socially. For this reason, recently, the differences between the European countries on whether to accept the decision of America or not have started to be clearly seen on the surface.
OPEC and its allies have decided to cut oil production by two million barrels a day, which equates to 2 per cent of global oil supplies. After this decision of OPEC, the price of oil has increased in the world market.
Deputy Secretary General of the Digital-Real Economy Integration Forum, said that in the background of the US shifting its strategic focus from the Middle East to the Asia Pacific region, Middle Eastern countries no longer need to rely on the US for geopolitical protection as before.
He also said that American policies are becoming increasingly self-centered and that they are building economic development on the foundations of the collapse of the other countries. Analysts have also said that, although there were many countries around the dominance of American national power in the past, in today’s environment where the world order is shaky, American power is declining due to economic problems such as weak international foreign policy and inflation.
The Election Commission has instructed not to survey or publish opinions on polls on any candidate and political party who have given their candidature in the upcoming elections.
The commission issued a press release today and stated that no survey or announcement of opinion on the results of any candidate or political party will be allowed.
“As the Election Code of Conduct, 2079 has been implemented, action will be taken against those who conduct a survey or publish opinions on polls, contrary to the Code of Conduct”, said the election commission.
In addition, the Commission has warned that action will be taken if it is found that opinions or propaganda are being spread in such a way as to adversely affect or obstruct the election.
Election Commission has dismissed the complaint against the nomination of Prime Minister and Nepali Congress Chairman Sher Bahadur Deuba for the House of Representatives.
As the Election Commission dismissed the complaint against Deuba’s nomination, his candidacy in Dsadeldhura will continue. The election commission said that the date of birth on the voter’s ID card was misprinted and the complaint against Deuba’s nomination was not legal.
Karna Bahadur Malla, the senior vice-chairman of Nepali Congress BP, filed a complaint with the election officer’s office saying that Deuba’s date of birth in the citizenship and date of birth in the voter’s list is different and his candidature should be cancelled.
Today’s meeting of the ruling coalition has issued instructions to the rebel candidates to withdraw their candidature.
In today’s meeting between the top leaders of the alliance, the respective parties have also warned that the candidates of the alliance will be expelled if they do not withdraw their candidacy against candidates of the alliance.
In the statement jointly signed by Sher Bahadur Deuba, Madhav Kumar Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Chitra Bahadur KC on behalf of the alliance, it is mentioned that the candidates should withdraw their candidacy within 1 pm on Ashwin 26th 2079 BS.
As the European Union faces an energy crisis due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the US must not be allowed to dominate the global energy market, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire has said.
Addressing the French National Assembly, he also said that the Russia-Ukraine conflict should not end with US economic dominance and EU weakness. He said that the US took advantage of the energy crisis in Europe caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the EU countries are now forced to purchase the same gas at a price four times higher.
Before the Russia-Ukraine conflict, most of Europe’s energy was imported from Russia. But due to the sanctions imposed by the European Union countries including the United States on Russia and the explosion of the Nord Stream gas pipeline that happened only a short time ago, Russian gas supplies to the European Union have been significantly reduced.
Complaints have been lodged with the Election Commission against dozens of candidates, including the Prime Minister, who have filed their nomination papers for the upcoming elections. According to the election schedule of the commission, complaints were filed against dozens of candidates who had registered their nominations from all over the country by 3 pm yesterday.
According to the election schedule published earlier by the Election Commission, the final list of candidates will be published by 7 pm after investigating the complaints till 5 pm today.
Candidates who want to withdraw their candidature can withdraw their candidature from the concerned election office tomorrow till 1 pm, then at 3 pm the commission will publish the final list of candidates and provide the election symbols to the candidates by 7 pm.
Russian missiles struck several locations in central Kyiv at once on Monday morning.
Mayor Vitaly Klitschko has urged residents of Kyiv to seek shelter and avoid travelling to the capital. He said that the city’s important infrastructures were under attack.
Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to the interior minister, said the attack took place on Vladimirskaya Street, where the headquarters of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) is located.
After Ukraine attacked the bridge connecting Russia and Crimea by detonating a truck on President Putin’s birthday, the Kremlin said that it would act more strongly against Ukraine and that Ukraine’s action encouraged the war.
The district court in Kathmandu has allowed rape accused Sandeep Lamichhane to be held in custody for another 7 days.
According to the order of Kathmandu District Court, Lamichhane, who was arrested last Thursday, will be held in custody for the next seven days for investigation. During the investigation, the police will proceed with the statement process in the presence of the district attorney.
Lamichhane was accused of raping a 17-year-old minor and a case against him was filed at Kathmandu Police Circle Gaushala.
Earlier, a diffusion notice by Interpol was issued against him.
According to the Election Commission, 2,452 candidates for the house of representatives and 3,326 candidates for the state assembly have registered for the election to be held on November 20.
According to the commission, there are 2,223 men and 229 women among the 2,452 people who filed nominations for the House of Representatives between 10:00 am and 5:00 pm today. Similarly, it has been reported that 30,39 men, 286 women and 1 other candidate have filed the nomination for the state assembly, a total of 3,326 candidates.
The Commission has said that in some constituencies, the number of candidates mentioned may change as the registration process of some candidates who are present at the election office is ongoing and communication has not been established in some districts and constituencies.
A massive crowd of protesters marched through the centre of Paris demanding that France change its stance on NATO and the EU.
The demonstrators were holding a large banner reading ‘Resistance’ and ‘Frexit’ – a reference to a demand that France leave the EU.
According to videos published on social media, the crowd was chanting: “Let’s get out of NATO!” They also demanded the ouster of French President Emmanuel Macron as they marched near the parliament building.
The protesters denounced NATO “warmongering,” as well as economic “disruption” and “energy and health restrictions,” linked to the sanctions the EU imposed on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine.
The unrest comes as France increasingly struggles to cope with the ongoing energy crunch, a major cause of which is the EU’s sanctions policy.
President Bidhya Devi Bhandari has contracted corona infection. According to the hospital, President Bhandari, who is being treated at the Maharajgunj University Teaching Hospital, has tested positive for Corona.
President Bhandari was admitted to the teaching hospital on Friday for treatment after suffering from a persistent fever, headache and vomiting. Initially, it was suspected that she was infected with dengue, but the hospital confirmed that she was infected with the coronavirus.
The Crimean Bridge, which connects Russia to Crimea, has been blown in the truck explosion.
According to the Russian investigative committee, three people were killed in the truck explosion on the Crimean bridge.
A truck exploded on the Crimean Bridge on Saturday morning, setting fire to several fuel tanks on the railway line. It is said that two spans of the road bridge have collapsed and the one-way lane leading from Crimea to the Krasnodar region is safe. The traffic on the road and railway part of the bridge is stopped. The Russian government has formed a commission to investigate the incident.
On the other hand, Russia indicated that the incident made the war more aggressive. Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said that Ukraine’s response to the explosion on the Crimean bridge exposed the terrorist nature of the Kyiv regime.
Former Prime Minister and Chairman of Nepal Samajwadi Party Baburam Bhattarai has announced that he will not be a candidate in the upcoming elections. He made an announcement addressing the people of Gorkha through Twitter today.
Addressing through Twitter, Bhattarai wrote the letter:
Dear Gorkha, I express my heartfelt gratitude to all the Gorkhali parents, sisters and brothers for the victory you gave me during the elections of 2064, 2070 and 2074 BS and for the opportunity to serve you.
I would like to politely inform everyone here that I will not be a candidate in the upcoming 2079 election.
During my tenure, basic physical and social infrastructures have been built for the long-term development and prosperity of Gorkha, while some of the started projects are yet to be completed. Even though I am not in the parliament, I will continue to actively contribute to the completion of the remaining projects and to make the historic Gorkha a model development center of the country by bringing production and employment-oriented plans and programs on the foundation of those infrastructures.
From 2065 until now, every month I have been visiting to Gorkha and reaching people’s doorsteps and had the opportunity to learn a lot from you. I will continue to be at your service in the days to come.
Not contesting elections does not mean leaving politics.knowingly or unknowingly, Some people may think or say that . Those who do politics from power to power and from election to election say so. But right and good politics is a means of all-round progressive transformation of the society and serving the people and society. I believe in it and will continue on that path all my life. I will continue to work in party work and public service.
I want to assure all the Gorkhali brothers and sisters, that in my place you will find the leadership of a capable and responsible person and the pace of development of Gorkha will be accelerated. I will be there with you. Best wishes for all upcoming festivals including Badadasain, Tihar, Nepal New Year and more!
The Election Commission has determined the limit of expenses that candidates can incur for the upcoming House of Representatives and State Assembly elections.
The Commission has determined the limit of expenses of the candidates under Section 24 of the Election Commission Act, 2073.
According to the commission, in the case of the election of the House of Representatives, the limit of election expenses in 5 constituencies has been fixed at Rs. 25 lakh, while in 17 constituencies, the limit of election expenses has been fixed at Rs. 27 lakhs. Candidates in 65 constituencies are allowed to spend up to 29 lakh rupees. In 52 constituencies, the election expenditure limit has been fixed at 31 lakh rupees, while in 26 constituencies, the election expenditure limit has been fixed at 33 lakh rupees.
In the case of proportional candidates, the limit of 2 lakh rupees for the election of the House of Representatives candidate and 1 lakh 50 thousand rupees for the candidates of the Provincial Assembly has been fixed.
Thousands of British citizens have burned their energy bills protesting against the soaring energy prices.
Citizens marched in various cities of the UK and protested by burning their energy bills. People were all over the city holding a banner and signs like, “Can’t afford to live,” “Freeze profit, not people,” and “can’t pay won’t pay don’t pay”.
The protest took place as the new energy price increased the bill per average household from £1,971 annually to £2,500. The authorities have predicted that the energy bill could rise as high as £6,500 next year.
With the economic sanctions imposed by NATO countries on Russia , the energy crisis is increasing in European countries and the price of energy has reached a record high in history.
According to the schedule of the election published by the Election Commission, it has been mentioned that candidates can register their nominations from the relevant election office on Ashwin 23rd 2079 BS. The commission has also determined the necessary qualifications, documents and procedures for registering nominations in the elections.
According to the commission, any Nepali citizens not disqualified by federal law, who have reached the age of 25 years can file the nomination from the relevant election office.
Similarly, during the registration of the candidacy, the copy of the candidate’s citizenship and voter ID card, amount deposit receipt for the nomination, property details, personal details and the form filled in according to the election guidelines 2079 should be submitted.
At the time of registration of nomination, two separate persons whose names are included in the voter list of the respective constituencies must support the candidate as proposer and supporter.
The Election Commission has released the schedule of the election.
According to the schedule published by the commission, nominations of candidates can be registered at the relevant election office from 10 am to 5 pm on Ashwin 23rd and the commission will publish the list of candidates on the same day.
According to the Election Commission, complaints can be filed against the candidates on Ashwin 24th, but after investigating the nominations and complaints on the 24th and 25th, the commission will publish the list of candidates by 7 pm on the 25th.
For the candidates who want to withdraw their candidacy, the time has been fixed for the 26th from 10 am to 1 pm. Similarly, the commission will publish the final list of candidates by 3 pm on the 26th and will provide election symbols to the candidates by 7 pm on the 26th .
According to the election schedule published by the commission, the voting process will continue on 4th of the Mangsir 2079 BS. from 7 am to 5 pm.
Dean R. Thompson has been appointed as the US Ambassador to Nepal.
Thompson, who has worked in the foreign department for nearly three decades, has been appointed as ambassador to Nepal. Thompson, sworn in on Friday in Washington DC, will replace former Ambassador Randy Berry.
Thompson worked as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs of the US State Department and served in the role of Acting Assistant Secretary in the region from 2020 to 2021. Thompson also served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Deputy Chief of Mission and Charge d’Affaires at the US Embassy in Bucharest, Romania.
Thompson also served as Consul General at the US Consulate in Kolkata, India. He has also worked at the US Embassy , Economic Counselor in Sri Lanka and also worked as in the US Embassy of Paraguay and Bangladesh.
Thompson, who represented the State Department as a student at the National War College, has also served as the Director of the State Department’s Executive Secretariat Staff, Deputy Director of the State Department Operations Center, Director of the Operations Center Crisis Management Staff and Deputy Director for Information Resource Management for the Executive Secretariat.
It is said that the newly appointed Ambassador Thompson will arrive in Kathmandu in a few days.
The Federation of Nepalese Journalists has objected to the press office established by the Election Commission to monitor the media and social media content by mobilizing the army and the police, In view of the upcoming elections.
Mentioning that the press council of Nepal is the authorized and governing body in monitoring and regulating the content of the media, and the commission has no right to take away the rights guaranteed by the constitution FNJ demands the decision to be repealed immediately.
The Federation of Journalists has strongly criticized the Commission’s decision saying that the Election Commission is trying to control the freedom of expression of the citizens and the constitutional freedom of the press, contrary to what the Constitution envisaged.
Requesting the immediate correction of the Commission’s decision to curb freedom of the press, FNJ has annouced that the Nepali media sector will protest and disobey the decision of the Commission, which seeks to control the ‘full freedom of the press’ and ‘freedom of expression’ guaranteed by the constitution .
The Election Commission has inaugurated a press office in the commission today, saying that the monitoring of social media during elections will be done through the press office of the commission.
On the occasion of Bada Dashain 2079, His Majesty Gyanendra sent a greeting message through a video today.
He wished peace, virtue and mutual harmony to all Nepalese living in the country and abroad.
Speaking about the current political environment of the country, he said that in the multi-party parliamentary system, how loyal and responsive the people’s representatives are to the country and the people have become a burning question these days. He said that there is no enthusiasm among the people due to the disputes and distortions that have arisen in all the organs of the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary and due to these situations, the country and the people have no faith in building their future.
In his greeting message, he also expressed the idea that the country is looking for the right character who will be loyal to the country and work responsibly for the people.
Mentioning that there is a public complaint that Nepal has become a playground for geopolitics, he said that the real citizens are leaving the country, where at the same time the foreigners are being brought in and real Nepalese are being left behind.
He has said that the country’s religion, culture and civilization have been under serious attack and the national interest and security are becoming endangered due to unbalanced foreign policy and rampant corruption,which has led the society and the system to astray.
He also said that it has now been proved that the inevitability of course correction in the country is necessary.
Currently, dengue is spreading like an epidemic across the country. The number of dengue infected and death due to infection is also increasing day by day. Even though dengue has become an epidemic, the government has not been able to take any effective measures to control and prevent it.
So far, the number of people infected with dengue has reached 28 thousand 109 and 38 people have died across the country. According to the Ministry of Health and Population, dengue infection has been confirmed in 540 people in the last 24 hours and 2 people have died.
Dengue infection has been observed in Bagmati province with the highest number of 21 thousand 975 people. Similarly, 3125 people in Lumbini Province, 550 in Far West, 677 in Gandaki Province, 413 in Madhesh, 238 in Karnali Province and 829 in Province 1 have been infected with dengue.
The referendum held by Ukrainians in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions from September 23 to 27 on joining Russia has ended.
A referendum held in these four regions of Ukraine will undoubtedly include those regions in Russia. Despite the opposition of the European Union and the Western countries, this referendum has sent a message to the Western countries and especially the United States that are indirectly fighting with Russia by pushing Ukraine forward, that Russia will not back down from the war under any circumstances. Taking precedent of the fact that the United States and NATO recognized Kosovo as an independent country in 2008, Russia annexed Crimea to its territory in 2014 and again will include four regions of Ukraine in its territory giving an example of Kosovo.
Ukraine’s referendum has become a serious challenge to the US and Western countries, which are indirectly fighting the Ukraine war to weaken Russia. If the Western countries, which are continuously supporting Ukraine with arms and money, wanted to stop the Russia-Ukraine war and move forward with the peace talks, yesterday they could have done so only on the condition that Russia would withdraw its troops and Ukraine would not join NATO. But today the conditions for peace talk might include the four regions of Ukraine annexed by Russia to be returned, which Russia will never agree with.
By promising to help Ukraine to fight the war against Russia, America is prolonging the Russia-Ukraine conflict and now it has reached a situation where the war will not stop even if it wants to. In the meantime, the issue of how to help Ukraine and what to help has become a challenge for America. In this sense, the Ukraine war was a conflict between Russia and America and even today this war is indirectly a war between Russia and America. Because Ukraine did not have the power to fight a war against Russia yesterday and still does not have it today. Therefore, the US wants to prolong the war to weaken Russia on the one hand, and on the other hand to increase its arms sales. But after the referendum, Russia has openly challenged the use of nuclear weapons to protect the territories annexed by Russia. After this incident, Russia has decided to deploy weapons and troops in full capacity, considering the territory as Russia’s border.
Ukraine’s next path is to seek help from Western countries to return the lost territory or to give up the lost territory and negotiate peace. But the US still wants to prolong the Russia-Ukraine conflict and weaken Russia. Therefore, the possibility of peace talks is very low. Also, Europe and America have declared that the referendum and its results are not valid. But that declaration will not make any difference to Russia and Russia will now provide full security to that territory. Now, in this scenario, if the US still wants to prolong this war, the US and NATO countries, which have been fighting the Ukraine war against Russia in the background until now with weapons and financial support, will have to come directly to the war and if that happens, the next direct war will not be Russia vs. Ukraine, but Russia vs. America and NATO nations.
If indeed NATO nations and the US join forces against Russia, Russia will have no choice but to start a nuclear war. But the possibility of direct military intervention against Russia by the NATO countries that understands America’s war policy is very low, and America does not have the ability to fight a war with Russia alone without the support of NATO countries. Another thing is that as the US mid-term elections approach closer, the US itself is less likely to join the war directly. In order for the US to join the war directly or stand up more aggressively in favor of Ukraine, the US Senate and its majority members and the American people will have to approve . In American politics, a unilateral decision by the president can make no big difference. But in the case of President Putin and Russia, this scenario is completely reversed. Therefore, if the Russia-Ukraine war continues, Ukraine will have to face more crisis.
The powerful crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, has been appointed as the prime minister.
Mohammed bin Salman, the 37-year-old son of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, will now serve as head of the government. A royal order announcing his promotion from Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister has given him the responsibility of the chief executive body of the state. Another of his sons, Crown Prince Khalid bin Salman, has been appointed as the new defence minister by royal decree.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was also accused of being involved in the murder of Saudi journalist Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. However, he has been denying his involvement in the murder.
Russia has accused the US of damaging an undersea pipeline supplying Russian gas.
After European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, any disruption to European energy infrastructure was unacceptable and would be met with a strong response, the Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also questioned, who the EU wants to punish as the most likely suspect for damaging the Nord Stream gas pipeline and to whom the warning applies, referring to Sikorsky’s tweet on Tuesday saying “Thank you USA” along with a photo of a large gas leak in the waters of the Baltic Sea.
She also said that former Polish foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski, who has good relations with Washington, had already confirmed that the US was behind the pipeline sabotage.
US President Joe Biden warned in early February, before Russia launched military operations in Ukraine, that if Moscow attacked Kiev, there would be no more Nord Stream 2 and the US will end it.
Criticizing China’s behaviour in the Asia-Pacific region, US Vice President Kamala Harris has said that the US administration will further develop its relationship with Taiwan.
Speaking to US sailors aboard a US warship in Japan, Harris also accused Beijing of undermining key elements of the international rules-based order. She criticized China for challenging the freedom of the seas and coercively threatening its neighbours with a show of military power during US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei.
The US has said it supports Taiwan’s self-defence and will deepen ties with the self-governing island.
Rabindra Mishra, who emerged from media work and entered the direct politics of Nepal through the Sajha Party, today joined the Rastriya Prajatantra Party RPP after resigning from the Bibeksheel Sajha Party a few days ago.
Mishra joined the RPP with the post of Senior Vice President during a program held today at the National Assembly House.
It is said that along with Mishra, more than a dozen leaders and workers, including Bibeksheel Sajha’s spokesperson Sharad Pathak, Bagmati provincial coordinator and executive committee member Ujwalkrishna Shrestha, are also preparing to join RPP.
Leader warns of independent candidacy across the country and “no vote” campaign for coalition candidates
The Congress leaders of the agitating Koirala panel staged a sit-in at the party office Sanepa today demanding equal rights and justice in Congress.
The Congress leaders of the Shekhar Koirala panel, who have been rebelling within the party regarding the issue of seat allocation within the coalition, demanded to correct the closed list of candidates towards a proportional election system saying that they should get 40 per cent seats. They have also warned that the alliance will lose the election if the distribution of the seats and tickets won’t go fair.
The Congress leaders have said that they will boycott the elections and will not vote for the candidates of the alliance if they try to move ahead in an arbitrary manner by weakening the party in the name of the alliance. They have also warned about independent candidacy across the country.
Nepal-India security officials have agreed to operate a passenger assistance service (help desk) to prevent looting and ill-treatment of common people in the southern border area. Nepalese Armed Police Force (APF) and the Indian Armed Forces (SSB) will operate a help desk at the international entry/departure point with a single representative and a joint representative as per the requirement in the border.
Earlier in the meeting held between Inspector General of Armed Police Force Raju Aryal and Chief of Indian Armed Forces Sujoy Lal Thausen and representatives of Home and Foreign Ministries of both countries have agreed to operate the help desk at the international border crossing and required arrangements will be made for the safety and security.
In view of Dasain, Tihar and the upcoming elections, the border security agencies of both countries will operate a help desk to make the border security orderly and secure. In the meeting held between the officials of both the countries,issues of traffic management through international border crossings, prevention of cross-border crime, control of terrorism, joint security patrol in Dasgaja, and control of illegal infiltration by citizens of third countries were discussed.
Acting Assistant Secretary of Global Public Affairs Elizabeth Kennedy Trudeau has arrived in Kathmandu.
During her 12-day international tour from September 28 to October 9, 2022, she will also visit the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic.
It is said that during her visit to Nepal, she will interact on issues such as false information spread by Russia and the People’s Republic of China, social equality, media freedom and the environment.
She is also expected to meet with government officials and civil society organizations, foreign media outlets, press, journalists and US diplomatic missions.
The commission has implemented the election code of conduct from today. Setting the limits on election campaigns commission has said that it would closely monitor the compliance of the code of conduct.
In the code of conduct, it is said that the prime minister, chief minister and the ministers can only campaign in their constituencies. However, after the disagreement of the political parties, preparations are being made to amend this provision so that they will be allowed to go for election campaigns with the permission of the commission, but the use of government resources will be prohibited, according to the commission sources. Campaigning will be allowed only from 7 am to 7 pm. Candidates are required to submit personal details and property details.
More than 25 people will not be allowed to participate in election campaigning. Even during the nomination, only 25 people including supporters and proposers will be allowed. It is mentioned in the code of conduct that no processions should be held during the registration of candidature and campaigning, and the use of bells and whistles should not be used. Parties and candidates will be allowed to use only ten party flags during processions, general meetings, corner meetings, door-to-door meetings or any kind of rally. The use of the national flag has been banned.
When a political party has to use a helicopter, it must be within the limit of the expenses that can be made based on the number of candidates on the closed list according to the proportional election system determined by the commission. It is proposed to limit the expenditure of political parties to a maximum of 3.3 million rupees.
After the implementation of the code of conduct, the program cannot be announced, approved and operated except as mentioned in the annual budget and program.
With the implementation of the code of conduct, foundation laying, inauguration, survey, feasibility study and grant programs can no longer be done. The Code of Conduct also prohibits political appointments, creation of new posts, filling up of posts, increase in allowances and other financial benefits and awards.
Regular post filling work done by Public Service Commission can be done by informing the Commission. Employees cannot be transferred except for election purposes.
Interpol has issued a ‘diffusion notice’ against the suspended captain of the Nepali national cricket team, Sandeep Lamichhane.
The international police organization Interpol has issued a diffusion notice listing Lamichhane as a fugitive. After the ‘diffusion notice issued by Interpol, the countries affiliated with Interpol will investigate whether Sandeep Lamichhane is in that country or not, and if found, he will be arrested and sent to Nepal.
After a police complaint was filed against Sandeep Lamichhane on the charge of rape, Lamichhane didn’t return to Nepal who was abroad to play in the Caribbean league. As his whereabouts have been unknown since the Kathmandu District Court issued an arrest warrant against him, police kept him on the fugitive list and issued a diffusion notice from Interpol.
Kathmandu District Court issued an arrest warrant against Lamichhane on Bhadra 23, 2079 BS.
Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban has said that the EU sanctions on Russia have backfired on Europe. He said that the sanctions had driven up the energy prices in Europe.
Addressing the parliament, PM Orban criticised the EU sanctions on Russia and referring to the election in Italy, he said that the governments are falling apart in Europe amid the crisis.
He also said that the government must be prepared for the worst as there is a chance of prolonging the war.
Congress leader Shekhar Koirala has announced that congress won’t vote for the candidates from the alliance and warned that the alliance will lose the election.
The Congress leaders of the Shekhar Koirala panel, who have been rebelling within the party regarding the issue of seat allocation within the coalition, have become more aggressive after the party president Deuba unilaterally recommended the proportional candidates for the House of Representatives and the Provincial Assembly elections.
The Congress leaders close to Koirala have said that the coalition cannot win the election just by settling the balance of seat distribution in Baluwatar. They have also warned that the alliance will lose the election if the distribution of the seats and tickets won’t go fair.
Dissatisfied Congress leaders have demanded to correct the closed list of candidates for the proportional election system. Congress leader Shekhar Koirala has announced that he will protest if the distribution of tickets is not fair. The leaders of Koirala group have also said that if they do not get 40 percent of the seats, they will sit in the party office and start the agitation.
The Congress leaders have said that if the closure list is not changed by the 16th, they will be forced to take a tough historic decision. The Congress leaders have said that they will boycott the elections and will not vote for the candidates of the alliance if they try to move ahead in an arbitrary manner by weakening the party in the name of alliance.
A shooting at a school in the city of Izhevsk in Russia’s Urals region on Monday killed thirteen people and 21 injured including 14 children.
According to the country’s Investigative Committee, the male suspect was wearing a ski mask and a black T-shirt featuring Nazi symbols. The suspect’s identity has been established, who killed himself after an attack. Two security guards and several teachers were also killed in the attack.
One thousand fifty-one people have been infected with dengue in the last 24 hours.
According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 25,543 people have been infected with dengue till Monday, while 32 people have died due to infection.
The highest number of dengue infections occurred in Bagmati province with 19,910 people. Similarly, 2,887 people in Lumbini Province,804 in Far-west,556 in Gandaki,380 in Madhesh,231 in Karnali and 775 in Province 1 have been infected with dengue.
The Ministry of Finance released one billion rupees on Sunday for the payment of Corona insurance claims.
After the decision of the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Finance released one billion rupees on Sunday for the payment of Corona claims. Even among the insured who have claimed insurance, the insurance committee said that the amount will be paid by prioritizing the claim period after the Corona outbreak. About 15 thousand people will get payment after Dashain.
According to the insurance committee, 1,61,549 people claimed about 15,322,092,000 rupees by the end of last June, and the government’s liability is about 11,822,092,636 rupees. According to the committee, the number of corona-insured persons was 1,758,343 during the insurance period and the company had collected 1,050,527,676 rupees as insurance fees for the policy.
Since it was seen that the insurance company would incur losses due to many people taking corona insurance, the government prepared a procedure to distribute the liability to continue the corona insurance.
An avalanche occurred between the third and fourth base camp of Manaslu mountain on Monday.
After the avalanche, rescue operations are continuing with helicopters for those trapped while climbing the mountain. For rescue, the helicopter from Kathmandu reached Samagaon, the last village of North Gorkha. Although the rescue work of those trapped in the avalanche is continuing, since the weather at the base camp is not clear, no definite information about the injured could be obtained.
The Department of Tourism has stated that there is no way to say anything about the human loss caused by the avalanche as there is no contact with the people in the area where the avalanche hit. It is said that all the climbers who went from Nirmal Purja’s elite expedition are safe. The Department of Tourism has given permission to 38 climbing teams to climb Manaslu. There are 404 climbers including 97 women and 307 men in the climbing team.
Today is Ghatasthapana, marked as the first day of Dashain. Dashain is considered to have officially started today. Navratri also begins today.Methodically, after the installation of Ghat or Ghada, the worship of Durga in the form of Shaktiswarupa is performed which is called Ghatasthapana. On the day of Vijaya Dashami, Prasad of Goddess Durga is accepted by anointing with the water of Purna Kalash installed today.
The auspicious time for Ghatasthapana is 10:23 am today.Ghatasthapana is performed today by worshipping Chitra Nakshatra owner Twashta ( Vishwakarma) and owner of Vaidhriti Yog Aditi, Mother of Gods. At the time of Chitra and Vaidhriti yoga, worship of Rudra, Surya, Soma and Mrityunjaya is performed along with Twashta and Aditi.Today, Sanatan Vedic Hindu religious people across the country keep Jamra(sacredly grown plants) in their houses and temples.
Seeds of barley are sown in the soil mixed with a little sand, inside a pooja room of the house or a clean place inside the house, placing a Diyo, Kalash and Ganesh. Recently, it has been found that rice, corn and wheat are also used along with barley while sowing Jamara. Jamara is worshipped every day until the last day of Navratri.
Seeds are grown in such a way that no light penetrates into them and the sprouts of this grain germinated for 10 days are used as Jamra.Jamara is offered as a blessing by elders on the tenth day of Dashain, which is known as Tika.
During Navratri, the three forms of Goddess Durga, Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati, are ritually invoked and worshipped. Mahakali is the symbol of power, Mahalakshmi is the symbol of wealth and opulence and Mahasaraswati is worshipped as the symbol of learning and wisdom.
The 15 days from Ashwin Shukla Pratipada to Purnima are called Durga Paksha and special worship is done on the occasion of Durga Paksha in the nine forms taken by Durga to kill the demons including Chanda, Mund, Shumbha, Nishumbha and Raktavija.
Shailaputri is worshipped on the first day of Durga Paksha, Brahmacharini on the second day, Chandraghanta on the third day, Kushmanda on the fourth day, Skandamata on the fifth day, Katyayani on the sixth day, Kalaratri on the seventh day, Mahagauri on the eighth day and Siddhidatri on the ninth day. These nine forms of Durga are also called Navadurga. Therefore, Dasai is celebrated as a symbol of the victory of truth over falsehood and divine power over demonic power.
Today onwards, the worship of Goddess Durga in the form of Shaktiswarupa begins according to the Vedic method, in the Dasainghar located in the Hanumandhoka Palace in Kathmandu.The culture of putting Jamra on the head on the day of Tika is considered an important part of Dashain, a great festival of Sanatan Vedic Hindus.
President Bidya Devi Bhandari has approved the deployment of the army for the upcoming elections.
In a statement signed by the spokesperson of the President’s office, Sagar Acharya, it has been mentioned that “The honourable President, Mrs Bidya Devi Bhandari, has requested that the House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly elections to be held in a free, fair and fear-free environment as per the provisions of the “Integrated Security Action Plan, 2079”. Based on the recommendation of the meeting of the National Security Council, the decision of the Council of Ministers and the honourable Prime Minister, the work of providing security in an integrated and coordinated manner between the agencies has been approved. It has been mentioned that approval has been given in accordance with sub-section (2) of Article 66 of the Constitution of Nepal to mobilize the Nepali Army for the election of members of the House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly.
A fire broke out in the Data Center (Disaster Recovery Center) in Hetauda, which stores government information and statistics.
The fire was reportedly caused by a battery explosion in the disaster recovery centre. District Police Office Makwanpur has informed that fire control efforts are continuing.
The police said that efforts to extinguish the fire are ongoing and as the fire has not been fully controlled, it is not possible to estimate how much damage has been caused by the fire.
It is said that the online services and information systems of the government and subordinate agencies may be affected due to the fire.
Acting Chief Justice Deepak Kumar Karki has gone on compulsory retirement from today.
Karki, who held the position of Acting Chief Justice for about 7 months, has gone on compulsory retirement due to the age limit of 65 years.
Due to the suspension of Jabara, Karki got an opportunity to lead the Supreme Court. With the departure of Deepak Karki, Supreme Court will be headed by Harikrishna Karki. Karki will become the Chief Justice on Mangsir 27, 2079 BS.
The Supreme Court has issued a show cause order in the name of the Office of the President while hearing a writ petition against the President’s action registered in the Supreme Court for not validating the Citizenship Bill.
A single bench of Justice Hari Prasad Phuyal ordered the President’s Office to submit reasons for not validating the Citizenship Bill. Five writ petitions against the President’s action were taken up together today.
A writ petition against the President’s action, which was registered in the Supreme Court for not validating the Citizenship Bill, has been submitted to the bench of Justice Hari Phuyal.
Five cases have been filed in the Supreme Court against President Bidya Devi Bhandari for not fulfilling her constitutional obligations. The writs, which have been filed together, have been placed at number 8 of Phuyal’s bench.
The petition filed by Advocate Sunilranjan Singh and Advocate Sagar Baral, Sunil Kumar Yadav, Dev Sharma and Sonu Rauniar has been filed together. In their registered petition, they demanded that a writ should be issued by the Supreme Court in the name of the President to validate the bill.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has warned that by interfering in the Taiwan issue, Washington is trying to weaken China’s sovereignty, which may cause great danger in the near future.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in a meeting with his American counterpart Antony Blinken in New York, said that the United States should change its approach to China in order to unite the two powers on the world stage.
According to Wang, China considers the self-governing island as its territory and will resist any foreign diplomatic and military aid to Taipei. He also said that the US has no right to interfere because the issue of Taiwan is an internal matter of China.
Wang also said he hopes that the US will correct its attitude towards China and stop trying to put pressure on Taiwan matter.
On the other hand, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said that Blinken talked about the need to maintain an open line of communication with Beijing and is committed to maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait in line with the ‘one-China’ policy.
Western media is ignoring Ukraine’s attack on civilians
The Ukrainian strike on the civilians of Donetsk is an act of terrorism.
Head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Denis Pushilin said that the Ukrainian forces killed 16 civilians, including two children on Monday. According to him, Ukrainian forces used 155mm of NATO shells in the attack.
According to the Canadian independent journalist, Eva Bartlett, a Ukrainian attack in the central region of Donetsk on August 4 also killed six people, including an 11-year-old ballerina, her grandmother, and her ballet teacher. She says that the Ukrainian strike on the Donetsk market was an act of terrorism.
Another Ukrainian assault, which took place on Saturday in the centre of Donetsk was hit by around ten bombs over the course of 30 minutes around noon. She said, “at least four civilians were killed, one of whom I saw still on the ground. Some minutes later, her body was taken away. One of the shells hit a car driving along Artema Street, setting it ablaze and killing two civilians. By the time I reached that site, the vehicle had burned out, the dead taken away. Workers were already repaving the roads, sweeping debris and glass from sidewalks.”
Writing on Saturday’s bombings,War correspondent, Christelle Neant says that,“After submitting the photos of the shrapnel I found on the spot to NATO weapons expert for the DPR’s representation in the JCCC (Joint Monitoring and Co-ordination Center on Ukraine’s War Crimes), he confirmed that they were American 155mm shells, some fired from Caesar guns and others from TRF1 guns.The famous TRF1 guns that can fire (banned) 155mm cluster munitions, which France sold to Ukraine.”
But, while the Russian and Donbass speaks against the Ukraine’s attack on Donbass civilians with Western weapons, the west claims that Russia is bombing Donbass .Western media has continuously ignoring the Ukrainian’s attack on civilians, calming that as an attack made by Russian forces. According to her, the Ukrainian army has been blaming Russia for the continuous attacks on the citizens of Donbas, which were actually attacks carried out by Ukrainian forces.
Dozens of people have died after a boat carrying Lebanese migrants and refugees capsized off the coast of Syria.
The Lebanese Minister of Transport has stated that 71 people have died in the incident so far. Based on the information that there were about 120 to 150 people on the boat, he said that the number of dead may increase as rescue and search operations are ongoing.
According to the Syrian government, 20 people who were rescued from the accident are being treated at Basel Hospital in Tartous. Samer Qubrusli, director general of the Syrian port, said that there were difficulties in the rescue operation due to strong winds and rough seas.
Lebanon has a population of six million, including one million Syrian refugees, and has been in the grip of a severe economic recession since late 2019 that has pushed more than three-quarters of the population into poverty. Therefore, thousands of Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians have been illegally entering Europe for the past few months in search of better opportunities in Europe.
Also last April, a boat carrying dozens of Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians by sea to Italy capsized after clashes with the Lebanese navy, killing dozens.
Similarly, on Thursday, Lebanese authorities rescued a boat carrying 55 migrants and refugees from the coast of the northern region of Akkar.
Addressing the UN General Assembly in New York, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic condemned the UN members and the west for the violation of Serbia’s sovereignty.
Referring to the endorsement of Kosovo’s independence by the UN and western countries, he said that the UN and the west have failed to explain why they have different points of view on Ukraine and Serbia’s territorial integrity.
Referring to the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, he said that we want a clear answer that we have been asking for years, “Why is the truth about the violation of Serbia’s territorial integrity unspoken and what is the difference between the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia?”
NATO occupied Kosovo in 1999, after a 78-day bombing campaign against what was then Yugoslavia. The province declared independence in 2008 with Western support and was recognized by the US and most of its allies.
The former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has said that any weapons in Moscow’s arsenal, including strategic nuclear weapons, could be used to defend territories incorporated into Russia from Ukraine.
He also said that referendums being organised in Ukrainian territory will take place and there is no going back and the protection of all the territories would be significantly strengthened by the Russian armed forces.
Earlier, President Vladimir Putin also warned that Moscow would use “all available means” to protect Russia’s “territorial integrity” as he moved to mobilise 300,000 reserve forces to fight in Ukraine.
Russia has announced that not only mobilisation of troops, but also any Russian weapons, including strategic nuclear weapons and weapons based on new principles could be used to defend its territory.
A writ has been registered in the Supreme Court against President Bidya Devi Bhandari, saying that she violated the Constitution by not validating the Citizenship Bill.
Advocate Sunil Ranjan Singh has made the office of the President an opposition in the petition, demanding to verify the citizenship bill.
Stating that President Bhandari did not certify the Citizenship Bill as per the constitutional provision, Singh has demanded to rule out the decision of the President and issue an order to verify the bill.
Five people were killed when a bus ( BA 3 KHA 7858) leaving from Kathmandu to Hetauda met with an accident at Jurikhet in Bhimfedi Rural Municipality of Makwanpur.
Five people travelling on the bus died on the spot when the bus fell off the road in Bhimfedi.
Rescue work is ongoing at the accident site while the injured have been taken to the hospital for treatment. It is estimated that the number of dead and injured may increase as the full details of the incident are not yet available.
The European parliamentary delegation has arrived on a two-day visit to Nepal.
A four-member team led by Evelyn Regner, Vice President of the European Parliament, has arrived in Nepal to inquire about the progress in the implementation of the federal democratic system here since the promulgation of the Constitution of Nepal 2072.
According to the office of the European delegation in Nepal, the visit will contribute to the expansion and enhancement of cooperation between Nepal and the European Union.
The delegation of European parliamentarians will interact with the political leaders, government and civil society on matters of cooperation.
The delegation also said that they will discuss climate change, gender issues and social inclusion with stakeholders.
Advocate Kishore Paudel, Anupam Bhattarai, Jagannath Dulal and others have filed a writ in the Supreme Court, demanding to vacate the posts of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
According to the provisions of Article 91 (6) (a) of the Constitution, the petitioner demands that the posts of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker should be vacated as their posts remain in place until the day before the filing of nominations for the next election to be held for the House of Representatives.
They claim that since the parties have submitted a closed list for proportional MPs, retaining the posts of Speaker and Deputy Speaker is against the constitution. It has been demanded that service facilities should also be stopped until the final decision of the petition is made, as it will be an extreme misuse of resources if they remain in the post .
In order to prevent the Speaker and Deputy Speaker from abusing the resources and services received by the State until the end of the petition, an interim order should be issued in the name of the opponent in accordance with Rule 49 of the Supreme Court Rules, 2074 to prevent them from using the services provided by the State while they are in that position. ‘, the petition demanded.
While the top leaders of the coalition parties are continuing to discuss the Citizenship Bill and the President’s actions with legal experts, the Rastriya Janmorcha has said that they want the Citizenship Bill to be repealed.
Rashtriya Jan Morcha President Chitra Bahadur KC has said that he is more interested in the dismissal of the Citizenship Bill than the steps taken by the President regarding the Citizenship Bill.
KC said that despite joining the alliance, it is not logical that all the steps of the alliance should be followed. “We also opposed the decision of the alliance regarding the MCC and we have a different opinion on the citizenship bill, our party does not agree on this,” KC said.
He said that the Rastriya Janmorcha does not support on giving citizenship to foreigners on the basis of descent.
Earlier, the Rastriya Janmorcha said that their party members did not participate in the meeting of the coalition held at Baluwatar and did not sign the statement signed by the four top leaders of the ruling party.
The Election Commission has started the collection of provisional voter lists from today. Provisional voters can only vote in the proportional election.
The Election Commission has started the collection of temporary voter list for those who cannot reach the municipality where their voter list is located.
According to the Election Commission, government employees, Nepali Army in barracks, Nepal Police, Armed Police, inmates in prisons and security personnel engaged in election work, people living in old age homes approved by the government can vote in the proportional election as temporary voters from their place of residence.
The commission said that the list will be collected so that the temporary voters can vote from the workplace and for the name to be included in the temporary voter list, the name must be included in the final voter list approved by the commission.
Addressing a program organized by the Chinese People’s Association for Peace and Disarmament through video, President Bidhya Devi Bhandari has said that Nepal wants to have friendly relations with all countries equally and will not participate in any military alliance.
President Bidhya Devi Bhandari has stated that Nepal’s foreign policy is based on a non-alignment foreign policy, the principle of Panchsheel and mutual benefit.
President Bhandari wished for world peace and disarmament and said that the international community should help economically weak and poor countries to establish world peace.
According to the President’s Office,President Bhandari also wished peace day to the international community from Nepal, the birthplace of Lord Gautam Buddha.
Three people died in a fire that started at around 7:30 pm in a trekking office near Ram Mandir in Kapan.
According to District Police Kathmandu, it is said that the fire broke out on the ground floor of the trekking office after the explosion of the gas cylinder. The deceased has not yet been identified. However, it is assumed that the deceased may be a worker working in the company.
Fire engines from Kathmandu and Lalitpur have been used to control the fire. In the fire, 2 people died on the spot and one person died in the hospital during treatment. However, the extent of the damage is not yet clear in the preliminary investigation.
The Election Commission has appointed the Chief Electoral Officer and the Electoral Officer for the upcoming elections.
Today, issuing a press release, the commission has appointed the judges of 77 districts as the chief election officers of the same districts, while the gazetted officers of the second class of the judicial service have been appointed as election officers.
Earlier, the Judicial Council and the Judicial Service Commission had recommended the names of the Chief Electoral Officer and the Electoral Officer to the government, and on the same basis, the Election Commission has appointed them today.
Dr KC, who is on hunger strike demanding improvement in medical education and the overall health sector has been admitted to TU Teaching Hospital for treatment.
Dr KC was on a hunger strike with 7-point demands in Krishna Mandir Dharamshala at Dhangadi. Earlier he was admitted to Seti Provincial Hospital after serious health problems. After the Seti Provincial Hospital issued a statement asking the government to take the initiative to transfer him to a specialized hospital for treatment as more complex problems were found in his health, the government tried to bring him to Kathmandu in an army helicopter, which he refused. Later today, on the 10th day of his hunger strike Dr KC came to Kathmandu at his own expense and now he is admitted to TU Teaching Hospital.
Despite being admitted to the hospital, Dr. will continue his hunger strike.
Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun has said that those who are responsible for the observance and protection of the Constitution are not allowed to go beyond the Constitution.
Vice President Pun, issuing a statement, said that the main guardian and the protector of the Constitution have not been consciously following and protecting the Constitution.
The Vice President’s statement has been issued after the President didn’t ratify the citizenship bill.
The top leaders of the ruling coalition party, have said that President Bidhya Devi Bhandari insulted and devalued the federal parliament by not ratifying the Citizenship Bill.
The Unified Socialists, Maoist Center, Congress and Jaspa issued a joint statement saying that the president’s action has seriously affected the basic values of the people’s sovereignty, constitutional supremacy and democratic governance as provided by the constitution.
Coalition party apart Rastriya Janamorcha has asked the people to be aware of the President’s move, In a statement signed by the Prime Minister and Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, Maoist President Prachanda, Unified Socialist Party President Madhav Kumar Nepal and Janata Samajwadi Party President Upendra Yadav.
The Citizenship Bill sent by the Parliament to President Bidhya Devi Bhandari has not been verified for the second time either.
After the bill passed by the Parliament for the second time, the time to verify the Citizenship Bill, submitted to the President through the Speaker, has exceeded 15 days on Tuesday night at 12:00. There is a constitutional provision that the President must verify the bill coming for re-verification within 15 days.
The Citizenship Bill, which was sent for verification for the first time, was returned to Parliament for reconsideration by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari. The returned Citizenship Bill passed without any amendment, was actually sent to the President’s Office for re-certification for the second time and even could not be verified after exceeding the time limit.
A source close to the President said, “According to the Constitution, the President is the protector of the Constitution. So the President should be responsible, even for every full stop and commas of the Constitution. The constitution has not given the right to the top leaders of the alliance to decide on the bill sitting on Baluwatar, which the president actually sent to the parliament for reconsideration and the provisions of the bill were not reconsidered even though they were suggested to be corrected by referring to the clauses that were against the constitution.So, the President might have exercised her rights to protect the Constitution in respect of the Bill.”
Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions to hold a referendum from Sep 23-27
Ukrainians from the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions have said that they will hold referendums on joining Russia from September 23 to 27.
Head of the Luhansk People’s Republic, Leonid Pasechnik was the first to sign a law on “holding a public referendum in the republic on the inclusion of the region into the Russian Federation,” after its parliament unanimously supported the move and set a date for the vote.
LPR’s decision was soon followed by Donetsk People’s Republic leader Denis Pushilin, who declared that his state would also be holding a similar referendum on the same date. Pushilin said he had already introduced the relevant legislation in the DPR’s parliament.
Pushilin also said that,“The long-suffering people of Donbas deserve to be part of the Great Country, which they always considered their Motherland.”
Donbas region was recognised as independent by Russian President Vladimir Putin shortly before sending troops to Ukraine in February.
The referendum will also be held in the southern Kherson region and the partly Russian-controlled Zaporizhia region.
The head of the Kherson region,Vladimir Saldo, said that the entry of the Kherson region into the Russian Federation will secure our territory and restore historical justice.He also said that it was a “necessary decision in the face of constant acts of terror by the armed forces of Ukraine and NATO member countries that supply weapons to kill civilians on our soil”.
The head of the Zaporizhia, Yevgeny Balitsky, also said that he has signed an order on the holding of a referendum on the territorial allegiance of the region from September 23 to 27.
Shortly after these announcement of referendum, the head of Russia’s parliament has also said that Moscow will support the regions joining Russia.
Meanwhile,It is believed that the annexation of Ukrainian regions into Russia would significantly escalate the war between Russia and Ukraine, as Kyiv has announced to use force against the breakaway regions.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk has said that any person who takes part in referendum could be sent to prison for up to 12 years.
Nepal has been defeated in the final match of the SAFF women’s championship today.
Bangladesh won the SAFF women’s championship by defeating Nepal by 3-1 in the final match at the Dashrath stadium today.
Nepal, which came close to the title many times and lost, has maintained its old history this time as well.
On behalf of Bangladesh, Krishna Rani Sarkar scored 2 goals and Samsunahar scored one goal, while on behalf of Nepal, Anita Basnet managed to score a goal in the 70th minute of the game.
The Former prime minister and current leader of the opposition in Greece, Alexis Tsipras has said that the EU has been the second biggest loser apart from Ukraine in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Addressing the press conference he said, “The US is not losing, neither economically nor geostrategically. But the European Union is the one that has lost its position both economically and geostrategically in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
He added, “Economically, Russia is not losing either. The ruble has become one of the strongest currencies now.”
While expressing his solidarity with the people of Ukraine he said that EU must do everything to put an end to the war.Tsipras claimed that apart from innocent civilians the “biggest loser” is the European Union, which is in “turmoil,” and “clearly lacks leadership, vision, strategy.”
He also said that the EU need to re-evaluate the sanctions. He asked,“ Were the measures correct or are we shooting ourselves in the foot ?” “Unless the EU defends its own interests it will face existential problems, he added.”
Nine million people have been told to evacuate their homes as Japan is hit by one of the worst typhoons Nanmadol, the country has ever seen.
The super typhoon Nanmadol killed two people and injured almost 90 people.
It hit Japan’s most southerly island, Kyushu, on Sunday morning, and is forecast to pass over the main island of Honshu in the next few days.
Tens of thousands of people have been staying in emergency shelters. Flights, train services, electricity, transport and business have been disrupted in the area.
A level-five alert, the highest on Japan’s disaster warning scale, has been issued for more than 500,000 people in the Kagoshima, Miyazaki, Oita, Kumamoto and Yamaguchi areas.
The President’s Office has requested not to publish and broadcast any kind of misleading news by linking the name of the President and the Presidential office.
Today, the President’s Office has issued a statement objecting to the publication-broadcasting of various types of misleading news by linking the name of the President and the Presidential office. It has been said that the President’s Office is regularly informing about the actions taken by the President’s Office and requested that the news be published and broadcast only after understanding with the official.
In a statement issued by the spokesperson of the President’s office, Sagar Acharya, it is mentioned that ” various types of misleading news are being published in connection with this office and the Honorable President .”
US President Joe Biden has said the US would defend Taiwan in the event of an attack by China.
The US has been selling arms to Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act, which states that the US will provide the island with the means to defend itself. Earlier this month, the US agreed to sell $1.1bn (£955m) in weaponry and missile defence to Taiwan.
Meanwhile, Taiwan welcomed the US government’s security commitment to Taiwan, saying Taipei would deepen its security partnership with Washington.
Tensions between US and China – especially over Taiwan – have ramped up after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a controversial visit to the island in August.
Taiwan is a self-ruled island off the coast of eastern China that Beijing claims as part of its territory.
Dr Govind KC’s health has reached an alarming state. He is on hunger strike demanding improvement in medical education and the overall health sector.
Dr KC was on a hunger strike in Dhangadhi’s Krishna Mandir Dharamshala before he was admitted to Seti Provincial Hospital after serious health problems. Seti Provincial Hospital has also issued a statement asking the government to take the initiative to transfer him to a specialized hospital for treatment after more complex problems were found in his health.
According to the hospital, KC’s muscles are drying up and bleeding is suspected due to Ulcers, so further complications may arise.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that the government is committed to conduct the elections in a fair, free and fearless environment.
Addressing a special ceremony held at Sainik Manch Tundikhel on Monday on the occasion of Constitution Day, Prime Minister Deuba expressed his hope that the government will get everyone’s support in this task.
The Prime Minister said, ‘the election ensures the peaceful transfer of power in the country through democratic methods and means, on the other hand, it helps to make our constitution viable and increase its vitality. I believe that the government will get everyone’s support in this task.’
Prime Minister Deuba said that the government is moving in the direction of fulfilling the aspirations of the country and the people by maintaining political stability, peace and good governance in the country. He emphasized that the epoch-making political change in the country has been completed and now it should be institutionalized and moved forward
He also said that the responsibility of fulfilling the unfulfilled dreams of our brave martyrs and making Nepal prosperous has now fallen on our shoulders. Using this as an opportunity, there is a need for all of us to work with integrity and honesty to bring prosperity and good governance to the homes of every Nepali as soon as possible .
Rastriya Swatantra Party has published the list of proportional candidates for the House of Representatives elections.
Rastriya Swatantra Party has announced the list of its candidates, which has held open early voting for the selection of candidates.
According to the party, 39 thousand 13 people voted online in the open primary election and the person who got the most votes in that process will be included in the closed list of proportional candidates.
President Bidhya Devi Bhandari has reduced the imprisonment of 681 prisoners and pardoned the sentences of 21 people on the occasion of Constitution Day 2079 and National Day
According to the Criminal Offenses Act of Article 276 of the Constitution, Article 37 of 2074 and Rule 3 of the Criminal Offenses Regulations of 2076, and according to the order of the Supreme Court, the president can waive the imprisonment of prisoners on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers. According to the provision, the sentence of 681 prisoners from different prisons in the country has been reduced and pardoned.
Similarly, according to Article 276 of the Constitution, Article 159 of the Civil Criminal Procedure Code, 2074, the President’s Office informed that the sentences of 21 prisoners were pardoned on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers.
The Council of Justice and the Judicial Service Commission have recommended the name of the Chief Electoral Officer and Electoral Officer to the government for the upcoming elections.
The Judicial Council has recommended the District Judge as the Chief Election Officer and the Gazetted Second Class Officer of the Judicial Service as the Election Officer.
The Judicial Council and Judicial Service Commission has recommended 94 District Judges including backup as Chief Electoral Officer, 88 Gazetted Second Class Officers of Judicial Service as Election Officers and 20 as Backup Election Officers.
The National Human Rights Commission has requested to remove the obstruction on the suspended Chief Justice Cholendra Shamsher Jabra. In a statement issued by the commission after monitoring the residence of the Chief Justice, it has been requested to end this kind of detention according to the constitution and law.
It is the responsibility of the state to respect the personal freedom, freedom of movement and privacy rights of any person provided by the constitution. Therefore, the commission urges all the related parties to end this kind of detaining act by relying on the constitution and the law.
The commission said that it went to monitor Rana after receiving information that the security personnel did not allow him to leave the residence without any reason.
The commission said that people entering and leaving Rana’s residence were monitored, vehicles leaving the residence were strictly checked and Rana’s vehicle skirting team was also removed.
According to the information received, Jabara was held captive by the security personnel assigned at his house on the strict order from the goverment,”said the commission.
The Patan High Court has issued a short-term interim order in the name of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City and instructed it, not to destroy the illegal structure built by the Tukucha river.
The High Court issued a short-term interim order on the writ filed by Bholavikram Thapa on behalf of President Travels and Tours Pvt. Ltd.
Judge Dipendra Bahadur Bam’s bench has issued an interim order in the name of Kathmandu Metropolitan City to prevent the destruction of the illegal structure built by the Tukucha river, without any legal procedure and proper compensation.
Kathmandu Metropolis has been moving forward with speed to remove the illegal structures built by the Tukucha river.
The Election Commission has fixed two days today and tomorrow to submit the closed list of proportional candidates for the upcoming House of Representatives and State Assembly elections to be held on November 20.
According to the press release issued by the commission, the closed list of proportional candidates should be submitted on Ashwin 2 and 3, 2079 BS. In addition, the Commission has requested to submit the closed list of candidates by completing the process according to the mentioned Acts, Rules and Regulations and the guidelines and maintaining representation according to the principle of proportional inclusion.
The Election Commission will scrutinize the closed list submitted from Ashwin 4th to 9th and inform the parties to correct the closed list if deemed necessary. Similarly, the commission also said that the closed list can be revised from the 10th to the 16th of Ashwin while being limited to the issues mentioned in the closed list.
The impeachment recommendation committee has submitted a report to Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota citing 9 reasons for impeachment against the suspended Chief Justice Cholendra Shamsher Jabara.
In the report submitted by the committee to Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota, it has been mentioned that Jabara violated the law by reducing the Sentence in Ranjan Koirala’s case, and violated the code of conduct to be observed by judges by not taking the Constitutional appointment case to the hearing process.
It has also been mentioned that Jabara failed to fulfil the duty according to the constitutional provision of taking the final responsibility of administration of justices. Committee has also accused him for violating the law by not inviting international bids for the contract related to the construction of the Supreme Court.
Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office of Hungary Gergely Gulyas has expressed his views on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and said that Russia can declare victory against Ukraine at any time if it wants.
Gulyas said that both Russia and Ukraine are finding it difficult to get out of the current state of war, but Russia can declare victory against Ukraine at any time if it wants to. He also warned NATO not to get involved directly, saying that sanctions against Russia are profiting instead of causing losses to Russia. He also said that European Union policies have pushed Russia away from Europe, and Russia is moving closer to Asia.
While condemning Russia’s military action in Ukraine, Hungary has also said that it is not ready to impose any kind of sanctions on Moscow against the national interest.
Nepal won the SAFF Women’s Championship 2022 by defeating India by 1-0 in the semi-final match today.
In the 45th minute of the match, Rashmi Ghising managed to score a goal for Nepal.
In the first match of the semi-final, Bangladesh defeated Bhutan by 8-0. Nepal entered the final after today’s victory. Nepal will compete against Bangladesh in the final match on Monday.
According to Nepal Rastra Bank, the country’s Balance of Payments (BOP) remained at a deficit of Rs.22.63 billion in the review period compared to a deficit of Rs.38.75 billion in the same period of the previous year. In US Dollar terms, the BOP remained at a deficit of 177.68 million in the review period compared to a deficit of 325.53 million in the same period of the previous year.
The current account remained at a deficit of Rs.16.26 billion in the review period compared to a deficit of Rs.47.29 billion in the same period of the previous year. In US Dollar terms, the current account registered a deficit of 127.68 million in the review period compared to the deficit of 397.36 million in the same period last year.
Foreign exchange reserves in descending order: Gross foreign exchange reserves decreased 1.5 percent to Rs.1197.85 billion in mid-August 2022 from Rs.1215.80 billion in mid-July 2022. In the US dollar terms, the gross foreign exchange reserves decreased 1.2 percent to 9.42 billion in mid-August 2022 from 9.54 billion in mid-July 2022 Of the total foreign exchange reserves, reserves held by NRB decreased 0.7 percent to Rs.1049.11 billion in mid-August 2022 from Rs.1056.39 billion in mid-July 2022.
Reserves held by banks and financial institutions (except NRB) decreased 6.7 percent to Rs.148.74 billion in mid-August 2022 from Rs.159.41 billion in mid-July 2022. Based on the imports of first month of 2022/23, the foreign exchange reserves of the banking sector is sufficient to cover the prospective merchandise imports of 9.4 months, and merchandise and services imports of 8.0 months.
Price increase by 8.26 percent: The y-o-y consumer price inflation stood at 8.26 percent in the first month of FY 2022/23 compared to 4.35 percent a year ago. Food and beverage inflation stood at 7.11 percent whereas non-food and service inflation stood at 9.18 percent in the review month.
Under the food and beverage category, the prices of ghee & oil, fruits, restaurant & hotel, alcholic drinks and milk products & eggs sub-categories rose by 19.58 percent, 18.79 percent, 11.84 percent, 10.24 and 10.19 percent respectively on y-o-y basis.
Likewise, under the non-food and services category, the prices of transportation, health, furnishing & household equipment, education and housing & utilities sub-categories rose by 23.88 percent, 10.54 percent, 9.04 percent, 8.11 percent and 7.86 percent respectively on y-o-y basis.
The President of China has said that he is willing to work alongside Moscow to increase stability in the world.
Chinese President Xi Jinping told his Russian counterpart that Beijing wants to work with Moscow to take the responsibility of great powers at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Samarkand.
President XI also said that China is willing to make efforts with Russia to play a guiding role to inject stability and positive energy into a world rocked by social turmoil.
likewise, President Putin praised the “multifaceted ties” the two countries have forged.
President Putin affirmed Moscow’s support for Beijing’s ‘One China’ policy and condemned “the attempts at provocations by the United States in and around Taiwan.
President Putin thanked China for its cooperation on the foreign policy stage and said,”We highly value the balanced approach of our Chinese friends when it comes to the Ukrainian crisis.”
The government has decided to dismiss the case related to the Tikapur incident. The cabinet meeting has decided to amend the law regarding the Tikapur incident and dismiss the case.
The government has also instructed the Ministry of Home Affairs to proceed with the dismissal process of the case related to the Tikapur incident. The decision of the Council of Ministers states, “The Council of Ministers will make a political decision to settle administrative and semi-judicial cases as soon as possible and in the case of cases that conflict with the law, it has been decided to dismiss the case by amending the law.”
On 2072 BS., there was a clash between protesters and the police in Tikapur of Kailali, and 8 people including 5 Nepal Police and 2 armed forces officers and 1 child were killed along with Senior Superintendent of Police Seti Zone SSP Laxman Neupane. In the Tikapur incident, District Court Kailali and High Court Dipayal had sentenced Resham Chaudhary, who is said to be the main accused, to life imprisonment.
Along with this, the government has also decided to proceed with the process of dismissing the cases of Biplav and his party members.
The government has decided to dismiss the cases of leaders and activists of the Biplav-led party.
The meeting of the Council of Ministers has made a political decision to resolve the cases of administrative and semi-judicial nature as soon as possible and in the case of cases that conflict with the law, it has been decided to dismiss the case by amending the law.
Welcoming the government’s decision, party spokesperson Prakand issued a press release and thanked everyone who participated in the negotiation process.
After the Federation of Petroleum Transporters issued a warning to stop the transportation of petroleum products from Ashwin 1st 2079 BS., Nepal Oil Corporation has asked the Federation of Petroleum Transporters to withdraw the protest program.
The Federation of Shipping Professionals has announced the protest demanding an adjustment on shipping charges and so on. The Federation of Nepal Petroleum Transportation Professionals has requested all the federation members to stop the petroleum products shipment from all the depots across the country.
On the other hand, the Oil Corporation said, that the corporation has drawn serious attention to the disruption program that has been announced to completely stop the supply system. It also has requested the federation to withdraw the protest while also considering the country’s existing legal system regarding the strike.
The government has decided to take a soft loan of $275 million from the World Bank.
Government Spokesperson Gyanendra Bahadur Karki informed that the decision was taken by the meeting of the Council of Ministers.
According to Karki, this loan has been approved for the transport and trade relations enhancement program.
Karki also informed that it has been decided to form a negotiation team to receive a 12 million dollar grant from the Asian Development Bank for the strengthening and empowering women’s protection program.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has promised that no activity against China will be allowed on Nepali soil.
During a meeting at Singha Durbar, between the Chinese delegation led by Li Zhanshu and Prime Minister Deuba, he informed that Nepal’s foreign policy is based on the principle of Panchsheel and said that Nepal is committed to the One China policy.
PM Deuba praised China’s cooperation in the economic and social sector of Nepal and said, “we will not allow any activity against China to be carried out on Nepali soil.” Prime Minister Deuba expressed his belief that the agreement will further strengthen the relationship between the two countries.
During the meeting, President Zhanshu said that friendly relations have been established between the two countries as good neighbors for more than six decades.President Zhanshu also recalled the understanding meeting and visit between the then Prime Minister BP Koirala and the Chinese leadership in the 1960s. He also said that China is serious and conscious about Nepal’s sovereignty, geographical integrity and national unity.
Washington has granted visas to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and other high-level diplomats. The decision will allow Moscow’s representatives to visit New York for the United Nations General Assembly, despite being under US sanctions.
Moscow had repeatedly criticized Washington for refusing to grant visas to the Russian diplomats to attend the 77th session of the assembly.
The US slapped personal sanctions on high-level Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, following the launch of Moscow’s military offensive in Ukraine in February.
Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov accused Washington earlier on Tuesday of “breaking their obligations” by delaying the granting of visas.“Let’s hope that the United States will deliver on its duties,” he said, saying that Washington must grant visas to everyone scheduled to attend the General Assembly.
The 77th session of the UN General Assembly will open on September 13, 2022, though the main event of this session will be the ‘High-Level week’ from September 20 to 26, which will be attended by many world leaders and foreign ministers.
A six-point memorandum of understanding has been signed between Nepal and China.
Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota from Nepal and Chinese National People’s Congress President Li Zhansu signed the memorandum of understanding.
The MoU was signed during a program held at the Federal Parliament Building, New Baneshwor. In the MoU, which also mentions the issue of BRI, both sides agree to strengthen and develop mutual trust, respect each other’s independence, sovereignty and geographical integrity, respect each other’s freely chosen social system and development path, and support each other’s core interests and important concerns.
Chinese National People’s Congress President Li has arrived in Nepal. A Nepalese team including Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota reached the airport to welcome Li and his team who arrived at Tribhuvan International Airport at 3 o’clock today.
The government has made special security arrangements for the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s confidant, Chairman of the National People’s Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) Li Zhanshu.
Lee, who is coming to Nepal via Russia and Mongolia, is scheduled to return to China via South Korea from Nepal. Lee’s 100-member jumbo tour team, which includes 6 ministerial-level leaders, came to Nepal in a special plane. According to the Chinese Constitution, Li is second in rank and third in the Communist Party of China (CPC).
President Lee will hold a bilateral meeting with Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota today. During the bilateral talks, the Parliament Secretariat informed that an agreement will be reached between the Federal Parliament of Nepal and the National People’s Congress of China regarding bilateral cooperation and exchange of visits. Speaker Sapkota will host a dinner in Lee’s honor today. President Lee is scheduled to meet Prime Minister and Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, National Assembly Speaker Ganesh Timilsena and Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka on Tuesday.
President Lee will meet President Bidya Devi Bhandari at Sheetal Niwas on Wednesday. On the same day, UML President KP Sharma Oli and Maoist Center President Pushpa Kamal Dahal are scheduled to meet separately. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lee is scheduled to return from Nepal on Thursday.
All committees of the Nepal Student Union of Tribhuvan University in Kirtipur have been dissolved.
Dujang Sherpa, the President of the Union, has informed that all the committees active in Tribhuvan University have been dissolved after the cause of continuous lockout and agitation that had become controversial.
Sherpa also said that with the dissolution of all the committees, the process of the convention will be taken forward. It has been mentioned in the statement that the central representative will hold a campus convention as soon as possible to legally embody the Nepal Student Union. Sherpa has requested all their friends to join the convention process and not to do any organizational activities and act against the rules during the vacancy of the committee.
The Election Commission has fixed two days to submit the closed list of proportional candidates for the upcoming House of Representatives and State Assembly elections.
According to the press release issued by the commission, the closed list of proportional candidates should be submitted on Ashwin 2 and 3, 2079 BS. In addition, the Commission has requested to submit the closed list of candidates by completing the process according to the mentioned Acts, Rules and Regulations and the guidelines and maintaining representation according to the principle of proportional inclusion.
The Election Commission will scrutinize the closed list submitted from Ashwin 4th to 9th and inform the parties to correct the closed list if deemed necessary. Similarly, the commission also said that the closed list can be revised from the 10th to the 16th of Ashwin while being limited to the issues mentioned in the closed list.
Chinese Communist Party (CPC) Standing Committee, National People’s Congress Chairman, Li Zhanshu will be arriving in Nepal today. The government has made special security arrangements for the visit of Li, a confidant of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Lee, who is coming to Nepal via Russia and Mongolia, is scheduled to return to China via South Korea from Nepal. Lee’s 100-member jumbo tour team, which includes 6 minister-level leaders, is about to arrive in Nepal on a special plane. According to the Chinese Constitution, Li is second in rank and third in the Communist Party of China (CPC).
President Lee will hold a bilateral meeting with Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota today. During the bilateral talks, the Parliament Secretariat has informed that an agreement is being made between the Federal Parliament of Nepal and the National People’s Congress of China regarding bilateral cooperation and exchange of visits. Speaker Sapkota will host a dinner in Lee’s honor today. President Lee is scheduled to meet Prime Minister and Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, National Assembly Speaker Ganesh Timilsena and Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka on Tuesday.
President Lee will meet President Bidhya Devi Bhandari at Sheetal Niwas on Wednesday. On the same day, UML President KP Sharma Oli and Maoist Center President Pushpa Kamal Dahal are also scheduled to meet separately. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lee is scheduled to return from Nepal on Thursday.
On the first trading day of the week, NEPSE drops by 11.46 points and halts at 1926.28.
Similarly, the sensitive index also decreased by 2.10 points and stopped at 374.73 points. Today, when 25,24,224 shares of 221 companies were traded, the total transaction amount reached 74,72,26,625 rupees. In today’s business, all sub-indices except others have decreased.
The Development and Technology Committee under the House of Representatives has instructed the government to take action against the responsible officials including the project chief involved in the contract management process of the Kathmandu-Nijgadh Expressway project.
The meeting of the committee held at Singha Darbar on Sunday has directed to take action against those involved in the contract management process based on the report of the inquiry committee regarding the contract agreement of the project. Kalyani Kumari Khadka, chairperson of the committee informed that the Prime Minister and Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Defense have been alerted to take action against the relevant officials as the work of the contract process has not progressed according to the Public Procurement Act.
The meeting has also submitted and passed the site observation report of Janakpur-Jayanagar and Janakpur-Kurtha-Bardibas-Nijgarh sections under the railway infrastructure project with suggestions. In the report, the government has also been instructed to immediately proceed with a clear action plan for the long-term management of the manpower required for train operations.
The committee has asked the government to proceed with setting up its own washing center, workshop and fuel station with high priority.
On the first day of the sohra shraddha today, the pratipada and Dwitiya TITHI have fallen together on the same day, so the shraddha of both the Tithi will be performed on the same day.
According to the Vedic Sanatan culture, Hindus perform paternal deeds called Shraddha in memory of their departed ancestors, wishing for their salvation.
Pitri Karma, which started from Purnima and lasts for 16 days is called sohra Shraddha. At this time, there is a religious belief that Pitri come and live in the homes of their descendants on earth. It is believed that by doing PITRI KARMA, the blessings of the ancestors will continue. According to Vedic Sanatan culture, Shraddha is performed twice a year. First, on the tithi of death of the ancestors and secondly, on sohra Shraddha.
Every year on the auspicious occasion of the sohra Shraddha performed in the name of the ancestors, a tarpan is given to the ancestors. At this time, PINDA is also offered in the name of ancestors.
A mythological story of the beginning of the sohra shraddha:
The story of the initiation of the sohra shraddha is connected with the battle of the Mahabharata. Karna, known as the Danveer, reaches heaven after his death in the Mahabharata war. In heaven, Indra gives him only gold and silver to eat, which is impossible to eat. Then Karna questions King Indra, why did you give me gold and silver instead of food to eat? Indra replied that Karna had donated only gold and silver and ornaments throughout his life but had not donated any grain or food, so he gave gold and silver instead of food to eat. But when Karna says that he did not know any about it, Indra sends Karna back to earth. Returning to earth, Karna fed the poor people and animals and donated as much as food he could. Since that period was for sixteen days, there is a religious belief that sohra shraddha started after that incident and during this period it is believed that,Yamaraj also leaves all the ancestors free to go to their respective homes.
Meaning of those Nepali words used above which doesn’t have a specific word in english:
Shraddha:A ritual being performed in the memory and salvation of ancestors
Sohra shraddha: A ritual being performed for 16 days in the memory and salvation of ancestors
Tithi: Date according to hindu(Nepalese) ancient calender
Pratipada: First day of the hindu(Nepalese) ancient calender
Dwitiya: Second day of the hindu(Nepalese) ancient calender
Indra: God of heaven
Yamraj:God of death
Karna: son of sun
Danveer: person who offers or give away all or part of his/her belongings or properties to someone else/philanthropist
Pitri: Departed ancestors
Purnima: Full moon day
Tarpan: Handfull of water pouring on the name of ancestors remembering theirr name and praying for the peace of their soul
Pinda: A kind of food prepared in a round shape (made of barley,sesame seads,Milk,yogurt and other ingredients) to offer in the name of ancestors
The discussion of the top leaders of the ruling coalition for seat distribution ended without a conclusion.
The meeting of the top leaders of the coalition and the task force leaders, held at the Prime Minister’s official residence, Baluwatar, on the seat distributions failed to reach an agreement.
The Nepali Congress, CPN Maoist Center, CPN Unified Socialist Party, Janata Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Janamorcha, which are in the alliance, agreed to coordinate the upcoming elections but no agreement has been reached yet. Despite dozens of discussions, which party will get how many seats have not been decided.
The Congress has claimed 100 seats in the alliance, while the Maoist Center has claimed 60, the Unified Socialists have 40, the Jaspa has claimed 32 and the Janamorcha has claimed 2 seats. The leaders say that the problem is that all the parties are not ready to back down from their claims. The leaders say that even though they could not reach an agreement on the distribution of seats for months, there is no possibility of breaking the alliance.
As the date of submission of the list of candidates for proportional representation is approaching, the pressure has increased on the parties to finalize the seat distribution. The meeting will be held again at 8 o’clock tomorrow.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of India issued a joint statement and informed that Nepal-India Foreign Secretary-level bilateral talks will be held on Bhadra 28, 2079 BS. Although the foreign secretary-level mechanism, which is going to be held after a gap of almost 2 years, has been given the responsibility of solving the border problem between the two countries, there is still confusion about whether the border dispute of Lipulek and Kalapani will be discussed in the talks or not.
Nepal’s Foreign Secretary Bharatraj Paudyal will go to New Delhi on 28 Bhadra 2079 BS., for bilateral talks. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the agenda of the discussion between Paudyal and Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Quatra will be to discuss overall bilateral cooperation, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of India has said that they will discuss issues including the commitments made during high-level visits between the two countries.
There has been a border dispute between Nepal and India for a long time. The border problem became more complicated when India issued a new territorial map on Kartik 2076 BS.,including Nepalese land of Kalapani,Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura.Nepal sent a diplomatic note protesting against the action of Nepalese land encroachment. But India kept avoiding the talks and 6 months later built a track unilaterally in the region. After that, Nepal released a new map covering the territory of Kalapani, Lipulek and Limpiyadhura on Jestha 7, 2077 BS. Since then, there has been no discussion on the border dispute between Nepal and India.
India has encroached on Nepal’s border at more than a dozen places including Kalapani, Dashagaja and Susta.
The life of the country has been affected by the floods and landslides caused by the incessant rains since a few days ago. Due to floods and landslides, dozens of houses have been damaged and many families have been displaced.
Dozens of families have been displaced in Darchula due to floods and landslides that have occurred since last night. According to the police, seven people, including four people from the same house, are missing and five people died due to the flood in Mahakali river and Lasku river.
Due to the flood, the road connecting Duhun Vyas through Khalanga and the road from Ringaltal to Kalunbir under Darchula Tinkar road has been blocked. The Darchula Tinkar road built through the Mahakali embankment has been completely damaged, while the motorized bridge and suspension bridge built over the Lasku river have been swept away. Dasharathnagar Basic School in Khalanga has also been swept away by the flood.
Locals said that five jeeps, a tractor and a trolley which were parked at night on the Darchula Tinkar road were swept away.
The government has decided to observe three days of mourning in honour of the British Queen Elizabeth.
In a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, the government of Nepal has decided to observe three days of mourning from Bhadra 25th to 27th 2079 BS., in her honour and to fly the national flag at half-mast in government offices as well as all Nepalese embassies and diplomatic missions abroad.
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday at the age of 96. The Government of Nepal has expressed deep sorrow over the death of Queen Elizabeth and wished for the eternal peace of the departed soul. The government has expressed its condolences to the British government, the British people and the bereaved British royal family.
The eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II assumed the crown after her death.
The former Prince Charles is now the King of the United Kingdom following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II in Scotland on Thursday.
The long-serving heir apparent takes over the monarchy at the age of 73, assuming ownership of her title and role as head of the Commonwealth, as well as her land and property. His longtime companion Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, becomes queen consort.
Queen Elizabeth II’s “loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world,” the newly-ascended King wrote in an official statement released by Buckingham Palace on Thursday. “During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.”
The prince’s official website redirects audiences to the main Royal Family site, which has been temporarily replaced with a screen memorializing Queen Elizabeth II and hinting at the “appropriate changes” being made to reflect the new leadership.
The newly-crowned monarch, whose full name is Charles Philip Arthur George, has opted to keep the name Charles III for his official title.
Elizabeth, one of the world’s longest-ruling monarchs in history, died at the age of 96 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
Queen Elizabeth II, the UK’s longest-reigning royal and among the world’s longest-ruling monarchs in history, has died at the age of 96 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
Prime Minister Liz Truss paid tribute to Elizabeth II and hailed the new monarch, King Charles III.
“Queen Elizabeth II was the rock on which modern Britain was built. Our country has grown and flourished under her reign,” she said.
“Today the crown passes as it has done for more than 1,000 years to our new monarch, our new head of state, His Majesty King Charles III,” she said, adding: “We must come together as a people to support him, to help him bear the awesome responsibility that he now carries for us all.”
Her reign lasted 70 years, making her the longest-serving British ruler in history.
Even after a long time and repeated meetings and discussions, the top leaders of the coalition parties have not been able to make a concrete decision about the issue of seat allocation for the upcoming elections.
The task force formed by the alliance party for the distribution of seats in the upcoming elections also submitted its report without the number of seats in the meeting of the top leaders held in Baluwatar.
It is said that the task force has submitted a report after obtaining consensus in the constituencies for the House of Representatives and the Provincial Assembly. However, the task force has not made any decision about how many seats will be distributed to whom and where, and the task force has said that the issue will be sorted out by the top leaders of the party.
The task force said that a report has been submitted covering the agreed issues and the top leaders will decide on the issues yet to be agreed upon.
Even after the report of the task force, todays meeting ended without a concrete conclusion on the issue of seat distribution.Next meeting has been called out for tomorrow.
President Bidya Devi Bhandari has appointed Harishchandra Ghimire as ambassador to Myanmar and Dilliraj Poudel as ambassador to Malaysia.
The spokesperson of the President’s Office has informed that, According to Article 282 of the Constitution of Nepal, they have been appointed ambassadors on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers.
Similarly, it has been informed that the President has appointed ambassador to Britain Gyan Chandra Acharya as a non-resident ambassador for Malta and ambassador to US Sridhar Khatri as a non-resident ambassador for Costa Rica.
Kathmandu District Court has issued an arrest warrant against Sandeep Lamichhane, captain of the Nepali national cricket team, who is accused of rape.
After the arrest warrant has been issued, the police have prepared to make a formal request for Lamichhane’s return through the Nepal Cricket Association (CAN) and if Lamichhane does return even after that, he will be brought back to Nepal through Interpol or other means, the police said.
Suspension from the Nepali National Cricket Team Cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane, accused of rape, has been suspended from the Nepali national cricket team by the Nepal Cricket Association (CAN).
After the arrest warrant was issued by the Kathmandu district court against Nepali national cricket team captain Sandeep Lamichhane, who was accused of rape, the CAN meeting suspended him from the national cricket team.
The Election Commission has announced the election schedule for the House of Representatives and State Assembly elections to be held on Mangsir 4, 2079 BS.
The Commission has said that the nomination papers of the candidates will be registered on Ashwin 23 2079 BS., and the list of candidates whose nomination papers have been registered will be published.
Similarly, it is said that complaints could be filed against the candidates on Ashwin 24,2079 BS., nomination papers and complaints will be examined and decided on the 24th and 25th of Ashwin, and the list of candidates will be published on Ashwin 25,2079 BS.
According to the commission. It has been said that the candidates can withdraw their names on Ashwin 26, 2079 BS., and the final list of candidates will be published on the same day and they will be given the election symbols.
Dengue has spread all over the country. Shukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital have started to grow a crowd as the number of dengue patients has increased.
After the increase in the number of patients, the hospital has extended the emergency service in the corridor outside the ward. According to the hospital, they have extended the emergency service with 5 extra beds in the corridor as the number of dengue patients increased.
Currently, more than 200 people are coming to Dengue Clinic in Teku Hospital daily, while more than 70 patients are coming to the emergency department.
Arbitrary fees for testing
Laboratories have been found charging up to four times more in the name of dengue testing. According to an official of the National Public Health Laboratory, dengue can be tested for up to 400 rupees after adding the cost of the test kit. However, government laboratories are also charging high fees for the dengue test. The dengue test fee at the National Public Health Laboratory costs 800 rupees. Some of the private clinics and lab has been charging Rs. 1200 to Rs. 1500 for the test.
At Shukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital Teku, the test fee cost Rs. 500.
Nominations have been registered for the chairmanship of four thematic committees of the National Assembly. Although the election was scheduled to be held on Thursday, the nomination was unanimous after one candidate filed for each post.
Beduram Bhusal, who is also the general secretary of the Unified Socialist Party, has been nominated for the chairmanship of the Legislative Management Committee of the National Assembly, while UML’s Parvati Rawal (Dilkumari) has been nominated for the chairmanship of the National Concerns Committee.
Similarly, Maya Prasad Sharma of the Maoist Center has been nominated as the Chairman of the Delegated Management and Government Assurance Committee.
Prakash Panth of the Nepali Congress has been nominated for the chairmanship of the Sustainable Development and Good Governance Committee.
Elections are held every two years for one-third of the members of the 59-member National Assembly. The rules of the National Assembly stipulate that the committee should be reconstituted and the chairman should be changed after one-third of the members’ posts become vacant.
The parliamentarians of Province 1 have registered a writ in the Supreme Court against the directive the Election Commission gave to prohibit the spending of the MP Development Fund. On Bhadra 20 2079 BS., MPs of Province 1, Sarita Thapa, Mohan Kumar Khadka, Savitri Regmi, Padamkumari Gurung, with the help of Advocate Pesal Kumar Neupane, the legal advisor of the Province 1 government, filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the instructions of the Election Commission, demanding an order to spend the MP Development Fund.
Election Commission had instructed the provincial government not to implement the budget saying that spending the amount would be against the code of conduct as the date of the election had been announced.
The parliamentarians of Province 1 have insisted that the government allocated the money prior to the announcement of the election and that the people’s right to development will be curtailed if the money is not spent. The petitioner MPs has demanded that the money allocated by the government should be spent by the parliamentarians to ensure the right to development according to the principle of economic equality, social justice and inclusiveness.
The Supreme Court has ordered to call the Election Commission to discuss on the issue on Bhadra 27 2079BS.
A complaint has been lodged with the police against the captain of the Nepali cricket team, Sandeep Lamichhane, on charges of rape.
According to District Police Kathmandu, a complaint has been registered against Lamichhane at Police Circle Gaushala on the charge of raping a 17-year-old minor.
According to the police, the victim was a fan of Lamichhane and they used to communicate on Snapchat. According to the statement, Lamichhane proposed to meet her and took her to Nagarkot for a visit. The victim, who was staying in a hostel in Kathmandu, said that the hostel closes at 8 pm, but when they returned from Nagarkot, it was already late at night. It is said that Lamichhane, who came back to Kathmandu, forced her to stay in a hotel at night and raped her. This incident happened on Bhadra 5th 2079 BS. and the day after the incident, Lamichhane went to Kenya to play T20 series.
Based on the complaint, a detailed medical examination of the victim has also been done and the police have started an investigation into the incident.
Nepal won today’s match under ‘Women’s SAFF Championship 2022’ by defeating Bhutan.
Nepal won the match held at the Dasharath Stadium with a wide margin of 4-0. Savitra Bhandari scored the first goal in the 12th minute and the second goal in the 68th minute. Similarly, Anita Basnet scored the first goal in the 73rd minute and the second goal in the 84th minute.
CPN-UML has objected to the government’s move to extend the tenure of the House of Representatives and the Provincial Assembly.
In the meeting of the House of Representatives today, Member of Parliament Sher Bahadur Tamang said that the bill related to tenure should be withdrawn by addressing today’s parliament meeting from the government side. He stressed to the fact that Parliament should be dissolved after announcing the election. Tamang made it clear that taking the fresh mandate of the people should not be delayed and urged to accept the opinion of the people.
Similarly, MP Gokul Prasad Baskota commented that the alliance is trying to prolong the life of the parliament by imprisoning democracy in its fist. He asked what conspiracy they were trying to do in two months by extending the tenure of the House of Representatives and the State Assembly.
He commented that prolonging the life of the parliament means stifling democracy. Baskota made it clear that CPN-UML will not agree on this bill.
Rescue efforts are underway following a earthquake that killed at least 65 people and left hundreds stranded in China’s southwestern Sichuan province.
Rescuers scoured through rubble in remote villages on Tuesday to find survivors and those missing after the earthquake triggered landslides and shook buildings as far away as the provincial capital Chengdu, 200 km (124 miles) from the epicentre.
The local meteorological department has warned that Luding county will also experience rain for three days, potentially hampering rescue efforts.
It has been reported that 243 houses had collapsed and 13,010 had been damaged and more than 50,000 people have been relocated and tents have been erected to provide shelter following the earthquake.
Rescuers are working to restore telecommunications services and power and water utilities, as well as delivering food supply to residents. The quake cut power to several towns, while a number of highways collapsed and seven small-to-mid-sized hydropower stations suffered damage.
Applications will be opened on Bhadra 30, 2079 BS. for temporary police recruitment required for the upcoming election.
Notice regarding the recruitment will be published on Bhadra 26 2079 BS., in the National Daily newspaper. According to the selected schedule of temporary Police, the application will be opened from Bhadra 30 to Ashwin 6 2079 BS.
According to the schedule, the deadline for the selection process will be completed within 5 days on 9, 11, 12, 13 and 14th of Ashwin 2079 BS. The result will be published on Ashwin 25 2079 Bs., and the training will begin after the distribution of the appointment letter on Ashwin 30 2079 BS.
After completing the training on 8th Kartik 2079 BS., they will be deployed on duty the next day onwards. It is mentioned in the schedule that the temporary Police will be released from duty on Mangsir 8 2079 BS. after the election is over.
The Kremlin has said that the Russian gas supplies to Europe will not resume until Western sanctions against Moscow are lifted.
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said that sanctions were the sole reason behind Russia’s decision to shut the Nord Stream pipeline. Moscow initially said it was shutting the pipeline for maintenance.The Nord Stream pipeline is the single biggest gas pipeline carrying gas between Russian and western Europe.
EU officials have repeatedly accused Russia of intentionally reducing the flows in retaliation for Western sanctions. The United States has also accused Russia of using energy as a weapon, adding though that Europe will have enough gas to face the winter months.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the EU needs to step up plans for renewable energy products and to reform its electricity market.
Meanwhile, energy prices have hit new highs,forcing countries to accelerate their search for alternatives to Russian gas.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, will not be attending the upcoming 77th General Assembly of the United Nations (UN).
During the participation in the UN general assembly, Pm Deuba was supposed to have a bilateral visit between the US and Nepal. But as the date of the election in Nepal has been fixed and no concrete date from the US for a bilateral visit has been set, he will not be attending the UN General Assembly.
Earlier, arrangements were made to hold a bilateral visit between US and Nepal. But it was postponed after the rejection of SPP by the Nepal government in June.
According to the information received, Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka will attend the UN general assembly on behalf of Nepal. But no decision has been finalised yet and the next cabinet meeting will decide regarding the matter, said an official of foreign affairs.
Usually, The head of government or head of state of the member countries of the United Nations participates in the General Assembly and express their views on the world stage on behalf of their respective countries.
Interview scheduled for Ashwin 25 and Ashwin 26,2079 BS.
The Teachers Service Commission has released the result for the secondary level, Nepali subject teacher(third-grade) .
The Commission conducted the examination on 15 Chaitra 2078 BS. and Ashad 9 2079 BS.
According to the notification issued by the Commission, the interview of all the candidates of Province-1 and Madhesh Province (candidates from No. 1 to 10) will be held on Ashwin 25,2079 BS., at 8 am.
Similarly, the interview of the candidates of Madhesh Province (all candidates above No. 11), Karnali, Gandaki and Bagmati Province (all candidates above No. 26) will be held on Ashwin 25,2079 BS., at 2 o’clock in the afternoon.
Similarly, the commission said that the interview of all the candidates of Bagmati Province (candidates from No. 1 to 25), Lumbini Province and all the candidates of Far Western Province will be held on Ashwin 26,2079 BS., at 8 am.
The Election Commission has instructed the government to stop all the decisions on employee transfers and political appointments from today.
In order not to affect the upcoming election, the deadline set by the Commission for employee transfers and political appointments has expired.
Shaligram Sharma, the spokesperson of the Election Commission, informed that the government had been instructed earlier to decide on the transfer and appointment of employees within September 5. According to the commission, there will be no ban on regular promotions and postings.
The Citizenship Bill returned to Parliament for reconsideration by President Bidya Devi Bhandari has been passed without any amendments and sent to the President’s Office for re-verification.
The Citizenship Bill passed by the National Assembly and the House of Representatives was certified by Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota and sent to the President’s Office for re-verification.
There is a constitutional provision that the bill coming for re-verification must be verified by the President within 15 days. President does not hold any legal right to return the bill that came for re-verification.
Liz Truss, leader of the ruling Conservative Party, is set to become the Britain’s third female prime minister.
Truss is set to become the Britain’s next prime minister after defeating rival Rishi Sunak in Monday’s internal vote for the leadership of the Conservative Party. In the election, Truss received 57 per cent of the votes, while her opponent Rishi Sunak received 42 per cent of the votes.
Boris Johnson, who was dragged into a controversy within the party, announced his resignation from the post of Prime Minister last July. Despite replacing Johnson as the leader of the Conservative Party and the Prime Ministership, those dissatisfied with Johnson’s policies have commented that Truss is a product of Johnson’s political legacy and cannot be expected to make any radical changes.
Truss will be the third female Prime Minister in British political history. Margaret Thatcher became the first Prime Minister of Britain from 1975 to 1990, while Theresa May became the second female Prime Minister of Britain from 2016 to 2019.
A meeting has been held between Chief of Army Staff Prabhuram Sharma and Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pandey.
Pandey, who is on a five-day visit to Nepal, had a meeting at Jangi Adda today with the commander in chief of Nepal army Prabhuram Sharma. According to the Directorate of Public Relations and Information of the Nepali Army, bilateral interests and mutual relations were discussed in the meeting. It is said that this kind of meeting will strengthen the mutual relationship between the armies of the two countries. On that occasion, Pandey also planted trees in the main building complex of Jangi Adda.
Pandey will be honoured with the status of the commander in chief of the Nepal Army by President Bidya in a special ceremony at Sital Niwas today.
Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pandey has arrived in Kathmandu. Rathi Balkrishna Karki of the Nepalese Army welcomed the Indian military delegation led by Pandey at the Tribhuvan International Airport.
Pandey will be honoured with the status of the commander in chief of the Nepal Army by President Bidya Devi Bhandari tomorrow. According to the tradition between the Nepal Army and the Indian Army, the status of the honorary chief of the commander will be provided to each country’s chief of the army staff.
It is said that there will be a courtesy meeting with Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Tuesday.
Pandey who arrived in Kathmandu with a five-member team will pay homage to the BIR ISMARAK at SAINIK MANCH Tundikhel, inspect the military base and hold discussions with the Chief of Army Staff Prabhuram Sharma.
Rajendra Lingden, MP of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, has announced that he has resigned as a member of the House of Representatives, saying that even after the election date has been set, the coalition government is trying to extend the life of the parliament.
In his final address to the House of Representatives meeting on Sunday, Lingden said, “I will not be present here from now on.” The salary allowance facility sent to my name should be stopped. I am ready to write that if it should be given somewhere.” ‘
Lingden expressed his displeasure with the government’s preparation for the extension of the life of the parliament While the election date has already been announced.
The government has proposed to reduce the requirement of 5 days for the bill to be matured to one day and reduce the time for amendment from 72 hours to 24 hours and is preparing to move forward with the bill on the tenure of the House of Representatives .
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has asked all government employees to suspend all the programs of the movement and assist the government in preparing for the elections.
Addressing a program organized by the Nepal Civil Servants Union in Kathmandu on Sunday, Prime Minister Deuba requested the employees to support the government in preparation for the federal and state elections.
He promised to bring the Federal Civil Code soon while addressing the legitimate demands of the employees. Saying that he is aware of the suggestions made regarding the Act, he promised that while advancing the Act, along with the demands of the employees, the way of timely improvement will be adopted.
Likewise, senior Congress leader Ramchandra Paudel said that the constitution is a changeable document and the law should be finalized so that the legitimate demands of the employees are addressed.
In the program, the employees urged the government to pay special attention to other matters for their moral development.
Shekhar Koirala group within the Congress has warned that an atmosphere of rebellion will arise within the party if they compromise on less than 100 of the 165 seats in the House of Representatives.
While Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who is also the president of the Nepali Congress is showing flexibility to preserve the alliance , Shekhar Koirala has taken a stand to not retreat from 100 seats in HoR election.
Koirala said that if there is a rebellion in the Congress, the alliance will not benefit either. Koirala said that he has also conveyed his point to the Chairman of the Maoist Center, Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
Koirala said that ticket distribution within the party should also be done in a fair manner. He said that if the distribution of tickets could not be fair, their would be several consequences in the result of the election.
The coalition meeting is scheduled to be held today at 3 pm. Before the meeting of the alliance, there was also a ‘one-to-one’ discussion between Deuba and Dahal in the morning.
The statement of the suspended Chief Justice Jabara, taken by the House of Representatives’ impeachment recommendation committee has ended for today.,
Earlier, the committee, which asked only six questions in two days, today asked Jabara five questions in one hour.
In today’s statement, Jabara has said that the impeachment against him is misleading and futile and despite following the constitution, the political parties are trying to take revenge on him.
During the statement, Jabara admitted that he had made a mistake in the case of then DIG Ranjan Koirala and said that he apologized if he had been impeached based on that. However, he explained that the sentence was reduced for the upkeep of the minor sons of the accused.
The next meeting of the committee will be held on the 26th of Bhadra 2079 BS.at 12:30 p.m.
The top leaders of the coalition parties have been engaged in continuous discussions for the past few days about the distribution of seats in the upcoming elections.
Due to the stand of the top leaders of the coalition party, no concrete decision has been made regarding the distribution of seats. The meeting of the top leaders of the coalition party and the members of the task force has been scheduled to be held today at 3 pm at Baluwatar, the official residence of the Prime Minister, to give a final conclusion on the issue of seat distribution, which is seen as a challenge as the election is approaching.
While the Congress claimed 100 seats in the previous meeting, the Maoist Center claimed 60, the unified Socialist Party 40, the Jaspa 32 and the Jan Morcha 2 seats.
It seems that the continuous discussions between the top leaders of the coalition parties regarding the sharing of seats will have a concrete decision today.
Nepalgunj Medical College, located in Kohalpur, Banke, has stopped dialysis services for patients due to a lack of funds from the government.
According to the hospital, the service had to be stopped after the Ministry of Health did not send for 14 months. Nepalgunj Medical College, which has been doing dialysis for 18 to 20 people daily, has stopped the service, and the patients are in trouble now.
When a patient undergoes dialysis, they get free service at the rate of 2500 rupees and the government has to provide that amount to the hospital. But as the government did not provide funds on time, the patients were deprived of services because they could not purchase the necessary equipment and continue the treatment, the hospital said. However, the hospital said that it will start the service this evening after they have been able to order supplies. But those supplies can only treat the limited number of patients and hardly last for week.
The third day testimony of the suspended Chief Justice Cholendra Shamsher Jabra has begun today.
The House of Representatives, impeachment recommendation Committee is taking statements with Jabra. Earlier, the committee took statements from Jabra on Bhadra 15 and 16, 2079 BS., where he had given a statement that he is not guilty of what he has been accused of.
The committee meeting was reconvened today as there are still questions to be asked to Jabara. 43 questions have been prepared for the statement. Out of which, only 6 questions has been asked till date.
An 11-member committee has been formed to investigate the impeachment.
The MPs of the ruling party filed an impeachment against Jabara on Falgun 1, 2078 BS, saying that he violated the constitution and laws by doing actions contrary to his official responsibilities.
CPN-UML deputy secretary general and former foreign minister Pradeep Gyawali have said that it would be morally and politically unfair for the caretaker government to extend the term of parliament after the date of the House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly elections has been announced.
Speaking at a press conference organized by Press Chowtari Nepal Palpa in Tansen today, leader Gyawali said, ‘We had a clear opinion that it is unfair to continue the Parliament after announcing the date of the election”. He said that the government has not consulted with the opposition when taking such an important decision and UML will not support extending the tenure of the House of Representatives and the State Assembly.
He said that when the ground is cleared for a fresh mandate the Parliament will automatically dissolve after the election date is announced according to the universal principle.
Stating that the continuation of the Parliament even after the nominations been registered for the election, would not allow the election to be a healthy competition.
Nepal won the one-day series by defeating Kenya by 17 runs in the match held in Nairobi, Kenya on Saturday.
After winning the toss, Nepal went to bat first and managed to score 230 runs. Rohit Paudel scored the highest 78 runs for Nepal. Similarly, Arjun Saud scored 5, Dev Khanal scored 37, Sompal Kami scored 26, Gyanendra Malla scored 25, Basir Ahmed scored 17, Mohammad Adil Alam scored 14 and Karan KC scored 11.
Kenya, who entered the field with a target of 231 runs, managed to add only 213 runs in 46.3 overs.
Nepal who won the T-20 series earlier also won the previous match by 7 wickets on Friday.
The National Assembly has passed the Citizenship Bill without any amendments.
The Citizenship Bill, which was returned with a message from the President for reconsideration was passed by the House of Representatives with no changes to its previous content and presented to the National Assembly.
The previous meeting of the National Assembly unanimously passed a resolution to refer the Bill to the Legislative Committee for a discussion and the Legislative Committee meeting also passed the Citizenship Bill without any amendments.
Earlier, the Legislative Committee presented the bill with the report to the National Assembly.
The National Examination Board has published the results of class 12.
According to the grading system 2078 BS., the board has announced the results of the class 12 exam conducted from Jesth 16-25, 2079 BS.
For the first time, the board has implemented the system of mentioning (NG) non-grading in the grade sheet if a minimum of 35% marks is not obtained in the theory exam and a minimum of 40 marks should be obtained in the practical exam.
This year, on the regular side, 188,000 students have been classified as non-grading, while the number of students obtaining 4 GPA is zero.
The board also said that students who are mentioned as NG cannot be admitted to higher education and if they get NG in only two subjects, they can give the exam for grade enhancement.
More than 400,000 students participated in the examination conducted in 1,292 examination centers across the country.
How to Check Exam Result ?
Students can go to the website of National Examination Board www.neb.gov.np and Nepal Telecom website: www.neb.ntc.net.np to check the result.
Students can get the result via SMS Service:
Send SMS to 1600 for the NTC service users: Type NEB Symbol No. and send SMS to 1600
Students can get the results using IVR Service of NTC:
Dial the number 1601 of Nepal Telecom and follow the instructions accordingly to get the result
Grade increase exam on 30th and 31st of Ashwin 2079 BS.
The examination board has said that the grade enhancement examination of class 12 will be conducted on 30th and 31st of Ashwin 2079 BS.
President Joe Biden has said,” Supporters of Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (Maga) agenda are a threat to democracy .”
“Maga forces are determined to take this country backwards,” he said.He said that the Republican party today is dominated, driven and intimidated by Donald Trump and the Maga Republicans, and that is a threat to this country.”
Meanwhile, Republicans said
California Congressman McCarthy, the Republican leader in the US House of Representatives, said that President Biden has insulted and tried to divide Americans.
He also said that Biden should apologize for denouncing tens of millions of Americans as fascists because they disagreed with his views and policies. He said that his policies have weakened the US and betrayed the trust of the US and that the nation has suffered great losses during his reign.
Trump, meanwhile, responded to Biden’s comments by saying, “If he doesn’t want to make America great again, he certainly shouldn’t be representing the United States of America.”
The former British ambassador to Myanmar and her husband has been sentenced to one year in prison by the country’s military authorities.
Vicky Bowman and her husband, former political prisoner Htin Lin, have been sentenced to one year in prison by a military court in Myanmar for violating immigration laws. The couple were arrested at their home in Yangon. Vicky Bowman served as Ambassador to Myanmar from 2002 to 2006.
Htin Lin is an artist and former political prisoner who was a member of the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front, an armed resistance group that was formed in 1988 after a popular student-led uprising against the military junta.
The arrest of the ambassador couple comes after Britain recently announced sanctions against Myanmar military officials, citing deadly attacks on Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.
Myanmar’s military court has sentenced Aung San Suu Kyi to three more years in prison for election fraud.
Suu Kyi, the country’s former leader, has now been sentenced to 20 years in prison in 11 cases, while the judgment on other charges is pending.If convicted on all charges, she could be sentenced to nearly 200 years in prison. However, she has denied many of the allegations against her.
Nobel prize winner Suu Kyi, 77, has spent most of her time under house arrest in the capital Naypyitaw, but the new sentence could include hard labour.
The court found her party, the National League for Democracy, guilty of fraud in the November 2020 general election. The army launched a coup last year after alleging there had been massive fraud in the vote
Civil rights and democratic groups have denounced the legal action against Suu Kyi and others as a farce. The United Nations said she is facing a “false trial”. Meanwhile,Myanmar’s military regime says Suu Kyi’s trial is part of a legal process.
While North Korea is preparing for another nuclear test, the United States, South Korea and Japan have jointly announced that their response to North Korea’s next nuclear test will be strong and maximum.
Speaking to reporters after a joint high-level meeting between the United States, South Korea and Japan, South Korea’s top security advisor Kim Sung-han said that if North Korea conducts another nuclear test, there will be a strong reaction from the three allied countries.
He also said that if North Korea, which has already conducted six nuclear tests, conducts its seventh nuclear test, the reaction will definitely be different from the previous one. However, it has not been revealed what the strong response he mentioned will be and what its nature will be.
North Korea has vowed to advance the development of its nuclear weapons at the fastest possible pace and said it is fully prepared to respond to any threat with a nuclear war deterrent.
Indian Oil Corporation has sent a new price list of petroleum products today.
According to the new price list of IOC, the per litre price of petrol has been increased by Rs 1.39 and diesel per litre by Rs 6.12. According to Nepal Oil Corporation, with the new price list, the profit of petrol has decreased by Rs 2, while the loss of diesel will be Rs 12. Similarly, the price of jet fuel has also been increased while the price of gas has been reduced by one rupee per cylinder.
Currently in Nepal: petrol price is 181, diesel and kerosene price is 172 and gas per cylinder is 1800.
According to the new price list sent by IOC, Nepal oil corporation has increased the price of diesel and kerosene by Rs.6 per liter.. However, the corporation did not adjust the price, showing losses and debts, even though the price decreased 3 times in a row earlier.
The statement of the suspended Chief Justice Cholendra Shamsher Jabara has started for the second day today.
The House of Representatives, impeachment recommendation Committee is taking statements with Jabra. Yesterday, Jabara answered four questions in the parliamentary committee spending almost four hours. Committee had prepared 43 questions for Jabara’s statement. Jabara had given a statement that he is not guilty of what he has been accused of.
An 11-member committee has been formed to investigate the impeachment.
The MPs of the ruling party filed an impeachment against Jabara on Falgun 1, 2078 BS, saying that he violated the constitution and laws by doing actions contrary to his official responsibilities.
According to Hindu culture and traditions, Rishi Panchami, which falls on the day of Bhadra Shukla Panchami, is celebrated by Nepalese women worshipping Sapta Rishi. There is a special crowd of female devotees in the country’s sacred religious places and Risheshwar Temples today. Rishi Panchami is celebrated as a part of Teej and today Teej is considered to be over with the completion of Rishi Panchami rituals.
According to ancient beliefs, Rishi Panchami is celebrated as a day for women (who have started menstruating) to perform puja to make their bodies clean and pure. Since life is not possible without the creator, the women, there is a custom in the scriptures to respect women and compare the days of women’s menstruation according to the four goddesses. Chandalini on the first day of menstruation, Brahmadhatini on the second day, Dhobini on the third day and bath on the fourth day are the customs of purification.
Today, women brush their teeth using upamarga (Dativan) i.e. a plant with special natural herbal properties. After chewing the pieces of 108 sub-routes (Dativan) , women go to a nearby river or pond and bathe using mud. Upamarga in Sanskrit means disease killer. It is believed that it will not cause various types of diseases in the body; even if it is present, it will be cured. In this way, after bathing in the morning and purifying the body and soul, the women worship the seven sages including Kashyapa, Bhargadoj, Vishwamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni and Vashishta by installing Kalash and Ganesha. Finally, after the Brahmin worships according to the custom, the ritual of Rishi Panchami is considered to be complete.
The Citizenship Bill has been passed by the Legislation Committee of the National Assembly without any amendments.
The Citizenship Bill, which was returned with a message from the President for reconsideration was passed by the House of Representatives with no changes to its previous content and presented to the National Assembly. The previous meeting of the National Assembly unanimously passed a resolution to refer the Bill to the Legislative Committee for a discussion. The Legislative Committee meeting today passed the Citizenship Bill without any amendments.
Despite the written disagreement of the UML, the majority of the ruling coalition party has passed the bill. It is said that the Legislative Committee will present the bill with a report at the National Assembly meeting on Thursday.
Iran has officially approved the use of cryptocurrencies for imports instead of US dollars and euros, according to Reza Fatemi Amin, the Iranian Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade.
Minister Amin has also announced that all issues related to crypto-assets, including how to provide fuel and energy, and how to grant licenses have been prepared.
The Islamic Republic of Iran said it imported nearly $10 million worth of goods in early August using digital currency. August’s first crypto transaction, which tested the trade through digital currency is expected to ease trade with other countries by replacing U.S. economic sanctions on Iran.
By the end of September, Iran is expected to widely increase the use of cryptocurrency in foreign trade.
In 2019, Iran’s government amended its Digital Assets and Transactions Law to allow locally mined crypto to pay for imports, as Iran struggles with a number of other economic sanctions, including restrictions on the country’s oil, banking and shipping sectors.
Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev dies at the age of 91 who brought the Cold War to a peaceful end.
Born in 1931, Gorbachev became the general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1985 and opened up the Soviet Union to the world and introduced a set of reforms. At the time, he was 54 – the youngest member of the ruling council. He was The Soviet Union’s first and only elected president.
Though the attempted coup against him in August 1991 failed, Gorbachev’s authority did not survive for long. He was unable to prevent the collapse of the Soviet Union, from which modern Russia emerged. By December that year, the leaders of the Soviet republics of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus signed the Belovezh Accords, effectively breaking up the Soviet Union against the desires of the majority of its citizens.
He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in for the leading role he played in the radical changes in East-West relations”.
He is seen in the West as an architect of reform who created the conditions for the end of the Cold War in 1991 – a time of deep tensions between the Soviet Union and Western nations, including the US and Britain.
He will be buried in Moscow’s Novodevichy cemetery, the resting place of many prominent Russians, next to his wife Raisa who died of leukaemia in 1999.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and former USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev, 12 June 2002
Tributes have been paid worldwide, saying he changed the course of history.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his “deepest condolences” on the death of Mikhail Gorbachev to his family and friends.
Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev signing the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 1987
US President Joe Biden expressed his deepest condolences over the death of Mikhail Gorbachev to his family and friends, praising his willingness to “risk his entire career” for a “safer world and greater freedom for millions of people.” He has described Mikhail Gorbachev as a “man of remarkable vision.”
Suspended Chief Justice Cholendra Shamsher Jabara has reached Singha Darbar to give his statement on the impeachment.
The previous meeting of the impeachment recommendation committee called Jabara for a statement today. The chairman of the impeachment recommendation committee, Ram Bahadur Bista has informed that the committee has decided to call for his views on the impeachment issue.
After the committee made a public appeal and demanded to provide evidence against Jabra, Nepal Bar Association and legal professionals also submitted documents and evidence against Jabra to the committee.
The MPs of the ruling party filed an impeachment against Jabara on Falgun 1, 2078 BS, saying that he violated the constitution and laws by doing actions contrary to his official responsibilities.
Election Commission has issued a code of conduct for the upcoming elections.
The Commission has issued the Code of Conduct for Election today, including the rules to be followed by political parties, leaders-activists, candidates, media organizations, security personnel, various professionals and voters.
It has been mentioned by the Election Commission that Prime Ministers and Ministers, officials of the local executive and local people’s representatives are not allowed to participate in the campaigning of political parties. They will not be allowed to use government resources when going to campaign.
In the code of conduct, it is stated that direct candidates for the House of Representatives and State Assembly elections must also submit their property details and personal details.
In the code of conduct, it is mentioned that political parties or candidates should not carry logos, stickers or any other type of things with the candidate’s election symbols or flags during rallies or public meetings. .
It has been mentioned in the code of conduct that campaigning should be done only from 7 am to 7 pm and more than one political party or candidate should not hold a program or meeting at same place at the same time on the same day.
Two leaders of the Maoist center have been appointed as ministers in the Karnali state government.
Krishna Shah has been appointed as Minister of Economic Affairs and Planning and Rato Kami as Minister of Water Resources and Power Development. Shah is an MP from Jajarkot while Kami is a directly elected MP from Rukum . It is said that the state chief Tilak Pariyar is preparing to administer the oath of office and secrecy to the two newly appointed ministers today.
The Maoists recalled the previous two ministers, Economic Affairs and Planning Minister Vindman Bista and Water, Resources and Energy Development Minister Ganesh Prasad Singh and appointed new ministers.
Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota has ruled the government to solve the problem at Tribhuvan University as soon as possible.
In today’s House of Representatives meeting, Speaker Sapkota directed the government to solve the problem as soon as possible, saying that the protest program including the lockout in Tribhuvan University has affected teaching and learning.
Earlier, CPN-UML MP Pradeep Kumar Gyawali demanded the time and objected to the lack of action against those who attacked professors at Tribhuvan University and demanded the speaker rule the government to solve the problem.
MP Gyawali, mentioning that the Prime Minister and Home Minister themselves have reached the top position of the country through student politics, also questioned whether they have taught their student organization to commit hooliganism.
The Citizenship Bill, which was returned with a message from the President for reconsideration, has been sent by the National Assembly to the Legislation Management Committee for discussion.
In the meeting of the National Assembly held today, the proposal of Home Minister Balkrishna Khand was unanimously approved to send the citizenship bill to the Legislation Management Committee.
The Citizenship Bill will now be discussed in the Legislation Management Committee of the National Assembly and submitted to the Assembly again along with the report of the committee.
The next meeting of the National Assembly will be held on Bhadra 16 2079 BS.
The US Navy has announced that the two US warships are passing through the Taiwan Strait.
Washington has said that the two guided-missile cruisers – the USS Antietam and the USS Chancellorsville – are the commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and are demonstrating freedom of navigation through international waters.
Meanwhile, Beijing said such provocative actions are being monitored maintaining a high alert and is ready to defeat any provocation.
Tensions between Taiwan and China have increased following a visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan earlier this month.
At least 23 people have been killed and dozens injured in clashes between militias backed by Libya’s rival government.
Saturday’s fighting in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, was said to be the worst in two years, sparking fears that the country could be plunged into full-scale war.
Emergency services spokesman Malek Merset said that they were trying to evacuate injured civilians caught up in the fighting. The Ministry of Health said that more than 140 people were injured and more than 64 families had to be evacuated from areas around the fighting.
The struggle for power in Libya has pitted the Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli, led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibah , against a rival administration led by Fathi Basagha, backed by the eastern-based parliament. GNU accused Bashagha of backing out of talks to resolve the crisis.Meanwhile,Bashagha, backed by Libya’s parliament and eastern-based military strongman Khalifa Haftar, said that the GNU’s mandate had expired.
The letter received from the President’s Office regarding the Citizenship Bill returned for reconsideration by honourable President Bidya Devi Bhandari will be presented in today’s meeting of the National Assembly.
Today’s meeting at 1:01 p.m. has an agenda for the National Assembly Secretary Rajendra Phuyal to inform about the returned bill with a message from the President. Similarly, it is mentioned in today’s agenda that Phuyal will also inform about the message received from the House of Representatives regarding the Citizenship Bill. After that, the discussion on the Citizenship Bill will proceed in the National Assembly.
The Citizenship Bill, which was sent back for reconsideration by President Bidya Devi Bhandari with a 15-point message, was passed by the House of Representatives on the 2nd of Bhadra and sent to the National Assembly.
If the Bill is again passed by the Parliament and sent to the President for approval, this time the constitutional right to withdraw the Bill is not given to the President.
Devotees visiting Pashupatinath temple on the occasion of HARITALIKA TEEJ will be fined if they take pictures of the original temple and its premises. Taking pictures inside the main temple of Pashupatinath is prohibited.
Pashupati Area Development Fund, Culture Preservation Division, informed that they made this preparation after the trend of taking pictures of forbidden places and posting them on social media and creating Tiktok increased. Employees of the fund will be monitoring the main temple area to stop the devotees from taking photographs.
Devotees will be fined Rs 2,100 for taking pictures of the sanctum sanctorum, Rs 1,100 for taking pictures of the main temple and Rs 500 for taking pictures of the main temple premises.
Male pilgrims will be banned from Pashupatinath Temple after 6 am on the day of TEEJ, on the 14th Bhadra 2079 BS.
Four main entrance to enter the premises The fund is going to arrange a new line system to make it easier for the pilgrims . There will be four main entrance to enter the premises.
1: Devotees can enter from the Tilganga tourist ticket counter area and enter the Pashupatinath temple through the eastern door of Ram Mandir-Aryaghat area. Arrangements have been made to keep the shoes and slippers of the devotees entering through this route in the central area after crossing the two bridges over the Bagmati river going to Aryaghat. Jayavageshwari Toll Improvement Committee has got the responsibility of volunteering to keep shoes and slippers safe in this area.
2: Second entrance will be from Mitrapark area. The shoes and slippers of the devotees entering from here can be kept in the area in front of Shankaracharya MATH. Pashupati Creative Youth Club has taken the responsibility of helping the devotees to keep their shoes and slippers safe.
3: Third entrance will be from Gaushala-Pingalsthan-Panchdeval area. The shoes and slippers of the devotees who enter from this entrance will be kept in front of the Bajraghar. Amar Navkanteshwar Youth Club has taken the responsibility of managing the shoes and slippers of this place.
4: The fourth entrance will be from Guhyeshwari-Umakund-Kailash south section. The shoes of the devotees entering through this route will be placed in the open area in front of Guru Mandir. Navarath Scout Group has taken the responsibility of keeping the shoes and slippers safe in this area.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba inaugurated the Butwal International Conference Center today.
Prime Minister Deuba, who reached Butwal by helicopter of the Nepalese army, inaugurated the conference center today in a formal ceremony. Along with the Prime Minister, Home Minister Balkrishna Khand, Urban Development Minister Metmani Chaudhary, UML leaders Vishnu Paudel and Ramkumari Jhankri were also present in the program.
The main hall of the international conference center built on 9 bigha land of Butwal Mandap in Ramnagar has a balcony of 400 seats and a lower level of 300 seats with a capacity of 1000 seats. The total seating capacity of the conference center is 2,700 seats, including the main hall and 12 other halls designed for conferences and seminars.
The international convention center built at a cost of more than 1 billion rupees has 5 entrances, a helipad and a parking facility for 400 four-wheelers and 400 motorcycles.
The National Independent Party has called for a Valley convention at Khulamanch at 1 o’clock in the afternoon today.
According to the National Independent Party, the convention will form the committees of all the 3 districts in the valley and the aspiring candidates who want to establish the wave of change will speak from the same platform for the first time.
Party President Rabi Lamichhane, who announced the establishment of the party from the National Assembly in Kathmandu on Ashar 7 2079 BS, is now moving ahead with the search campaign for candidates who want to run from the National Independent Party in an upcoming election. President Lamichhane has urged everyone to attend the program and promised to establish the era of youth, the era of the capable and the era of new political culture in the country.
Provincial MP Biraj Bhakta Shrestha, environmentalist Dr. Araniko Pandey, activist Pukar Bam, youth leader Dr. Pranay Shamsher Rana, educationist Shishir Khanal will address the program today in Khulamanch.
Colonel Tan Kefei, the spokesperson of China’s Ministry of National Defense, said that any form of external interference by third parties in the border dispute between China and India is unacceptable.
The Chinese Ministry of Defense has opposed the move targeting the joint military exercise between the US and Indian forces in the disputed China-India border area.
According to Indian media, the 13th edition of the India-US joint special forces exercise “Purva Vajra Prahar 2022”, has started on August 8 at the Special Forces Training School in Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh and will continue for about 20 days.
Similarly, the military of the two countries will hold a joint military exercise in mid-October at an altitude of 10,000 feet in Auli, less than 100 km from the disputed China-India border.
China has said that it is closely monitoring India-US joint military exercises and said that military cooperation between related countries, especially exercises and training activities, should not target third parties and should be suitable for regional peace and stability.
Tan noted that China and India have maintained effective communication at all levels and agreed to properly resolve disputes through bilateral dialogue and according to the content of the relevant agreements between China and India in 1993 and 1996, both sides have stated that they cannot conduct military exercises against each other in areas close to the Line of Actual Control. He also urged the Indian side to strictly follow the important agreement reached between the leaders of the two countries, honor their commitment to resolve the border issue through bilateral talks and take concrete steps to maintain peace in the border area.
The Nepali Congress has instructed the lower level to recommend the name of candidates within a week for the House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly elections to be held on November 20 .
It has been instructed to decide on the names of the candidates by the 1st of September and send them to the center by the 5th. According to the constitution of the party, if there is no agreement on the direct side, it has been instructed to recommend the names of three people at most through the majority process and two people at most on the proportional side.
Proportional MP of 074 is not allowed On the other hand, while the party is giving instructions to recommend the name of the candidate, the MPs who were elected proportionally in the previous election of 2074 will not be able to give candidacy again this time.
Earlier, the Nepali Congress decided that the members of the House of Representatives and the members of the Provincial Assembly who were proportionally elected in the 2074 election cannot become candidates again and instructed the lower level not to recommend their name as a candidate again.
According to Article 33 (2) of the Constitution of the Congress, a member who has been elected proportionally once cannot become a candidate again in the same election system.
A memorandum of understanding has been signed between the Armed Police Force and the Nepal Electricity Authority regarding the construction and operation of an electric vehicle charging station.
The MoU was signed by Inspector General Raju Aryal on behalf of the Armed Police Force and Executive Director Kulman Ghising on behalf of the Authority in a program held at the Armed Police Headquarters Halchok on Friday.
According to the MoU, charging stations will be established at 17 locations including 2 petrol pumps currently operated by the Armed Police Welfare Center and 15 suitable locations of Armed Police offices. The charging station will be operated under the welfare fund in the long run.
According to the MoU, the authority will purchase all the equipment and build the infrastructure of the charging station at its own expense. Repair and regular servicing of the equipment will also be done by the authority itself. The Armed Police will provide a suitable location for the construction of the infrastructure and after construction, will operate and protect the charging station. It has been arranged that charging stations cannot be allowed to be operated by third parties/organizations.
While operating the charging station, the authority should make arrangements to allow the general public to use it easily at the rate determined by the authority. The authority will collect the fee paid by the consumer while charging the vehicle. According to the provisions of the Electricity Distribution Regulations, the Welfare Center of the Armed Police will receive 50 percent of the total profit from the electricity tariff rate as operating and management expenses of the charging station.
The authority is constructing the stations that can charge quickly at 51 locations across the country to encourage the use of electric vehicles. Every charging station being constructed by the authority will be equipped with a 142 kW charger, a 50 kVA transformer for power supply, and an online billing system.
Fast charging 60 kilowatt DC and 22 kilowatt AC chargers will be placed at the charging station. With this, three vehicles including a big bus can be charged simultaneously.
The software of the charging station will be kept in the authority’s data center which can serve more than 300 chargers. All 50 stations will be controlled from Kathmandu. After charging the vehicle, the customer can pay the bill through the QR code and mobile app.
Earlier,A memorandum of understanding has already been signed between the Authority and the Nepal Police to establish charging stations at 25 different places.
The passport department at Tripureshwar will be using the underground area of its building for the parking of the customer’s vehicles from Sunday.
After the Kathmandu Metropolitan City removed the chairs in the underground area of the department on Friday, the department issued a notice, informing that the underground area of the building will be opened for parking of the customer’s vehicles from Sunday.
Earlier, the department was using the area as a holding area for service users. After customers coming to the department started parking on the road in front of the department, the metropolis cleared the holding area saying that there was a problem in traffic management.
The impeachment recommendation committee has issued a public notice today, asking to provide any evidence, documents or information against the suspended Chief Justice Cholendra Shamsher Jabara within 3 days.
It seems that after the committee started its study on the impeachment motion against Jabra, the process of evidence collection has been advanced. In the notification issued by the impeachment recommendation committee, it is said that the meeting of the impeachment recommendation committee formed by the House of Representatives dated 2079/5/8 has requested that evidence, documents and information related to the impeachment charges be provided to the committee by issuing a public notice from all the entities or individuals concerned with this matter. Since it has been decided to request evidence, documents and information, it is requested that such evidence, documents and information be sent to this committee within three (3) days from the date of publication of this notice.
Ghanshyam Bhusal, the leader of CPN-UML, has said that the Congress used communists against UML.
In a four-page document addressed to Chairman Oli at the Politburo meeting that started on Thursday, Bhusal said that the Nepali Congress has used communists against the UML.
He also said that only the majority of the Communist Party can return the lost opportunities and that all Communists should be united and CPN-UML should take initiative. Mentioning the loss in the local elections due to the division of CPN, he also requested to make the topics of discussion open and based on ideas, and not to be influenced by the mentality of revenge.
Nepal won the first T20 international match against Kenya by 5 wickets.
Kenya, who lost the toss and batted first, lost 8 wickets in the scheduled 20 overs and managed to score 130 runs. The Nepali team, which entered the field with a target of 131 runs, managed to add 133 runs after losing 5 wickets in 19.2 overs.
After winning the first international match under the leadership of newly appointed coach Manoj Prabhakar, Nepal has taken a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. The Nepalese team on the tour of Kenya will play 5 T-20 and 3 ODI series.
Nepal is currently ranked 14th in the World T-20 international rankings. In the 2024 T-20 World Cup, the top 12 ranked countries will be selected for the World Cup, apart from the host nation.
87 political parties are going to participate in the elections to be held on November 20.
The Election Commission has informed that 87 parties have been registered to participate in the elections. Among them, the number of parties participating individually is 75, while the number of parties participating in joint groups is 4, according to the commission. According to the Commission, there will be 79 election symbols for the House of Representatives elections.
Similarly, the maximum number of 75 parties are going to participate in the province. Among them, 72 parties will participate in the Bagmati state assembly election, 70 in province 1, 66 in Gandaki, 68 in Lumbini, and 64/64 parties in Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces. According to the commission, the number of parties participating in the joint group in state assembly elections is 4/4.
The ruling coalition has instructed the task force to study the situation in all constituencies of the country and submit a report. The alliance meeting held at Prime Minister’s residence Baluwatar on Thursday instructed to study the situation of all 165 constituencies and submit a detailed report.
After the meeting, Congress leader Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, who is also the Minister of Communication and Information Technology, informed the matter. He said that according to the instructions given by the top leaders of the alliance, the working group will discuss and submit a report to the leadership.
There has been an instruction to assign responsibility to the working group. It has been decided that we will meet at 4 o’clock today and submit the report to the leadership after discussing it as a whole according to the instructions given by the top leaders. Now the working group has been instructed to prepare a basis and submit a detailed report on the current situation of 165 constituencies,” he said.
Malaysia’s former Prime Minister Najib Razak has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after the court rejected his appeal.
The 69-year-old former PM was charged with a corruption scandal involving state-owned wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
He was convicted in July 2020 but had been out on bail during the appeal.
In 2020, a court found him guilty on seven counts – centred on a total of 42m ringgit ($9.4m; £8m) which was transferred from SRC International – a former unit of 1MDB – into his private accounts.
He was sentenced to 12 years’ jail and a fine of 210m ringgit ($46.8m; £39.7m).
Najib’s wife, Rosmah Mansor, faces separate money-laundering and tax evasion charges related to a solar hybrid project – to which she has pleaded not guilty. The High Court is scheduled to deliver her verdict on 1 September.
The Supreme Court has given the final verdict in the case of staff adjustment.
The Constitutional Bench of Chief Justice Deepak Kumar Karki, Judges Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha, Anil Kumar Sinha, Bam Kumar Shrestha and Tank Bahadur Moktan has given the final verdict in 98 cases filed related to staff adjustment. Some of the filed cases have been dismissed, while in some cases, writs have been issued as per the request of the petitioners.
The employees whose petition has been dismissed will have to work in the place where they have been reinstated. Similarly, the adjustment of the petitioner employees of the case in which the writ was issued has been cancelled. Now the government will have to manage them according to the order of the Supreme Court.
With today’s verdict of the Supreme Court, the way has been cleared for the Public Service Commission to conduct the examination as per required.
After the Kathmandu Metropolitan City started to tighten the footpath trade, the vendors submitted a memorandum to the Kathmandu Metropolitan City and protested in front of the office of the Metropolitan City today.
Today, they have submitted a memorandum with 3 points demand in the name of Swatantra Rastrawadi Swarojgar Shramik Sangharsh Samiti.
They protested in front of the office of the Metropolitan city, demanding the street vendors to be documented and provided with identity cards, not to be displaced without an alternative, and the inhuman behaviour of the administration to be stopped. They have also demanded the previous agreement be implemented.
A Facilitation and Monitoring Committee will be formed to facilitate the waste management of Kathmandu Metropolitan City.
The meeting held under the coordination of Urban Development Minister Metmani Chaudhary decided to form the committee. Members of the House of Representatives from Kathmandu, Nuwakot and Dhading will be included in the committee.
While giving information about the formation of the committee, Nepali Congress leader Gagan Thapa said that the garbage in the valley has started to rise and everyone’s help is needed to prevent the problem from happening again.
He said that the Metropolitan city is continuously doing the work to be done in terms of waste management. He also said that the committee will coordinate and facilitate with the government and agencies at the same level to carry out the works according to the agreement on time.
Pakistan’s political atmosphere is heating up after the police filed a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act against the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, for his controversial comments at a public rally.
Former Prime Minister Khan’s lawyers appealed to the Islamabad High Court on Monday for pre-arrest bail and were granted protective bail till Thursday, but the possibility of him appearing in the capital’s anti-terrorism court has increased.
Khan has been accused of “threatening” state officials and challenging the law by protesting the arrest and alleged torture of his chief of staff Shahbaz Gill in Islamabad on Saturday evening. Gill was charged with treason after being accused of inciting a mutiny against the country’s powerful military.
Khan said the police tortured Gill in custody and that it was part of a “conspiracy” to pit his party against the army.
Islamabad Police said that those who threaten the police or make false accusations will be dealt with according to the law.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah also said the government is preparing to file a case against the former prime minister for his “provocative speech”.
Janata Samajwadi Party President Upendra Yadav has demanded the resignation of Madhesh Chief Minister Lal Babu Raut.
After the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority filed a corruption case in a special court determining the irregularities in the Chief Minister’s Swachhta Abhiyan and Beti Bachau, Beti Padhau Abhiyan the resignation has been demanded.
Determining that there was a corruption of more than a 100 million rupees in the purchase of bicycles, the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority has filed a corruption case in a special court against, the then State Secretary of the Chief Minister’s Office Yamprasad Bhusal, Deputy Secretary Dilip Kumar Pradhan, Senior Divisional Engineer Bhagwan Jha, Officer Eighth Level Surendra Kumar Karna, Assistant Accountant Rajaram Mandal, Swarth Mahato, Mohan Kumar Das and Om Satya Sai Pvt Ltd managing director Renu Aggarwal. Questions have also been raised against the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority for giving immunity to Chief Minister Raut and the Chief Secretary in corruption cases.
After the investigation by the Authority, the Detailed Plan Report (DPR) file of 32 projects made under the Chief Minister Swachhta Abhiyan and the file related to the purchase of bicycles have also been made disappear.
Former President Trump and his legal team filed a motion Monday evening seeking an independent review of records seized by the FBI during the Mar-a-Lago raid. Trump has said the raid on his residence ahead of the 2022 midterm elections was a politicized attempt to silence a key Republican voice. A 27-page document filed in a Florida court has stated that the raids were conducted as part of an effort to prevent Trump from running again for president. It also says that the law should not be used as a weapon for political purposes.
According to the motion filed Monday evening in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Trump and his legal team are seeking an order appointing a special person to review records obtained during the search. It has been demanded to block the further review of seized materials Until a special person is appointed and to return the items, not within the scope of the government-issued warrant.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a brief statement that relevant individuals and agencies are aware of Trump’s case and will respond to the matter in court. A federal court also said the warrant issued to raid Mar-a-Lago was allowed based on probable cause.
The FBI raided Trump’s Florida estate on August 8 and seized an eleventh set of classified files.
As a result of the Strike called by the four communist parties, there have been sporadic incidents of vandalism across the country.
In Kathmandu Valley, the effect of the strike is normal. Police have been deployed at every crossroads for security.
Although private and public vehicles and shops have been operating in the valley since morning, protestors have vandalized Transport vehicles in Thapagaon and koteshwor for disobeying the strike. Police have arrested the people who were protesting in Kathmandu.
Similarly, District Police Office, Dang has informed that a tipper No. RA 1 KHA 1694 was set on fire in Ghorahi sub-metropolis-3 of Dang on Tuesday morning. There was also a scuffle between the Nepal Police and the blockaders in Kavre Banepa.
During the strike, a suspicious object resembling a bomb was found in Baitadi,Dhulikhel and Kailali.
The Communist Party of Nepal led by Netra Vikram Chand Biplav, the Communist Party of Nepal led by Rishi Kattel, the Scientific Socialist Communist Party led by Aahuti and the CPN Maoist Socialist led by Karnajit Budhathoki called for strike, saying that the coalition government led by Deuba passed the MCC agreement, violated the 3-point agreement with the Communist Party of Nepal, and issued the arrest warrant against Biplav and their cadres.
The united front of four communist parties issued a statement on the 12th of August and called for strike under a predetermined program.
The meeting of the Impeachment Recommendation Committee is scheduled to be held today at 2 pm.
According to Ram Bahadur Bista, a senior member of the Impeachment Recommendation Committee, today’s meeting includes the agenda of passing the internal procedure of the committee distributed in the previous meeting and submitting the investigation agenda on Chief Justice Cholendra Shamsher Jabara.
On February 13, 98 parliamentarians of the coalition party filed an impeachment against Jabara in the House of Representatives, alleging 21 accusations.
Twitter has “suspended” the accounts of seven Serbian embassies and consulates in the US, Belgrade’s Foreign Ministry said.
Serbia has asked Twitter to unblock the accounts, saying such censorship is unacceptable in a European democracy that supports freedom of expression.
Serbia’s foreign ministry said the accounts of embassies in Armenia, Ghana, Iran, Indonesia, Kuwait, Nigeria and Zimbabwe were “suspended”. Twitter said it did so without any explanation or prior notice of a possible violation of the social network’s rules.
The accounts of 16 diplomats, including 13 MPs from the ruling Progressive Party, were also closed without explanation last week, and Twitter reportedly targeted Serbian accounts for suspension.
Kathmandu Metropolitan City has started removing shops from the underground parking.
A team including the mayor of the metropolis, Balendra Shah, reached the Baneshwor Complex and removed the shops from the underground parking.
35 days ago, the metropolis issued a public notice and said that the structure will be removed if it is not used according to the purpose for which it was created on the map. Suraj Shakya, head of the building department, said that while building a structure of 10,000 square feet, basement parking is mandatory on the map. Shakya said that the Kathmandu Metropolitan City passes the map of more than 100 buildings that are more than 10,000 square feet every year. Basement parking is required to be made in those structures. But the basement is being used for other purposes.
Image: Kathmandu metropolitan city
It has been stated that the Metropolitan city will regularly monitor such structures and remove the shops from the basement, which supposed to be the underground parking.
According to the Election Commission, only the two main campaigners of each political party will be allowed to use helicopters for the House of Representatives and State Assembly elections. The commission has made such a provision in the election code of conduct. The commission also discussed the code of conduct with representatives of political parties on Monday.
In the Election Code of Conduct, 2079, the Commission has mentioned who can use helicopters and who cannot, under the conduct to be adopted while using vehicles.
It is said in the code of conduct, ‘The political party must submit the names of two main campaigners to the commission for campaigning and only the main campaigner allowed by the commission can use the helicopter service.’ It is said that officials in the federal government, state government and local executive cannot be part of such campaigners. ‘However, no minister or official of the local executive will be allowed as the main preacher.’
During the election campaign, candidates can use a maximum of two two-wheeled or three-wheeled or four-wheeled electric and mechanical powered light riding vehicles in the respective constituencies or places where they are candidates, with the permission of the election officer, and a maximum of four horses in places where such vehicles are not operated. During the election campaign, it has been said that ‘vehicles with foreign number plates will not be given such permission’.
Similarly, it is said that the vehicles that have been licensed in the name of one party or candidate should not be used by other parties or candidates or used by other candidates. Transportation of voters in vehicles taken by candidates is also prohibited.
The Election Commission has also put forward a proposal that more than 25 people will not be allowed to participate in election campaigning.
Candidates should submit their property details while registering their nomination
Similarly, the estimated election expenses and sources should be informed at the time of filing the nomination papers. The commission is also going to arrange for the candidates to submit their property details and personal details while registering their nomination papers.
Niharika Rajput (Sonalikumari Singh), who has been demanding the DNA test of her son born out of rape and rape accused Shivraj Shrestha, has ended her hunger strike.
Niharika Rajput, who has been on a hunger strike for 17 days, has ended her strike by agreeing on 3 points with the government. In the presence of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Gobind Prasad Koirala, Chief District Officer of Kathmandu Gobind Prasad Rizal and Niharika reached the three points agreement.
It has been agreed that the public prosecutor will demand the court for DNA testing of the pending case in Janakpur High Court on behalf of Niharika.
Similarly, to make the DNA test reliable, it has been demanded to adopt the necessary procedure before the court and after these demands are fulfilled, it is mentioned in the consent letter that Niharika will end her strike
The hearing of the case filed by Niharika in the High Court has been fixed for the 24th of August, saying that the District Court Dhanusha has acquitted the rape accused Shrestha.
Shrestha, whom Niharika accused of rape, was arrested and detained by the police a few days ago on charges of indecent behavior.
Home Minister Balkrishna Khan’s PSO (Personal Security Officer) Senior Deputy Inspector Tank Karki has been dragged to the police headquarters for investigation after allegations of setting up gold smuggling.
The police head office has informed that he has been removed from responsibility and an investigation has been started and if the truth is found, action will be taken accordingly.
The inspectorate under the direct supervision of the Inspector General of Police has formed a committee and proceeded with the investigation.
It is alleged that Karki arranges the delivery of smuggled gold from Dubai to the destination and he takes money for this.
The daughter of a close aide of Russian President Vladimir Putin has died in a suspected car bombing.
According to Russia’s Investigative Committee, Darya Dugin, the 29-year-old daughter of Alexander Dugin, died in the explosion.
It is believed that the explosion was intended to kill Alexander Dugin, a Russian philosopher known as “Putin’s brain”.
Alexander Dugin and his daughter went to attend a festival near Moscow and even though they were scheduled to return from the festival in the same car, they decided to travel separately at the last minute. It is said that the car belongs to her father Alexander Dugin.
According to the investigation committee, experts are currently inspecting the scene and the vehicle has been removed from the scene for further examination. The investigation committee said it has obtained the recording from the car’s dash cam and is continuing its investigation.
Dugin is known for his staunch anti-Western and ‘neo-Eurasian’ views. Westerners describe Dugin as a prominent ultra-nationalist figure close to the Russian president. Western media have portrayed him as a major force behind key aspects of President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy. However, despite his reputation in the West, in Russia he has never received official support from the Kremlin and is largely considered a marginal figure.
The Election Commission has informed that only the party and the candidate’s election symbol will be printed on the ballot paper for the upcoming House of Representatives and State Assembly elections.
The Commission has said that the ballot papers will be printed with only the symbol of the candidates who will be nominated in the upcoming elections, as many votes were invalidated when the ballot papers were printed with election symbols even for the registered parties and independent candidates in the local level elections.
The commission has informed that four separate ballot papers, ballot marking places and ballot boxes will be arranged for the upcoming elections.
US troops have reportedly been sent to northern Kosovo after talks between the Serbian and Kosovo leaders collapsed
The NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) has increased its patrols of the northern part of the province amid ongoing tensions between Belgrade and Pristina.
Troops were deployed in significant numbers to two checkpoints at the border between Serbia and Kosovo, the reports said, adding that KFOR had vowed to “intervene” if necessary.
The move follows the collapse of talks between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti on Thursday.
“We would like to assure everyone that KFOR is ready to intervene, if necessary,” the NATO-led force said. The development comes just three days after NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg vowed that the military bloc would take action if “stability” in Kosovo is jeopardized. He also urged “all sides” to “show restraint and avoid violence.” The NATO chief also met both Vucic and Kurti earlier this week.
Meanwhile,Moscow has accused the West of fueling the conflict between Belgrade and Pristina and pressuring Serbia to adopt anti-Russian sanctions supported by much of the continent.
According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Weather Forecasting Division, the low-pressure line of Monsoon is currently located in the west and in the southeast part of the country.
At present, there is partial to general rain across the country. There is light to moderate rain with thunder/lightning in some places of Province 1 and one or two places in the rest of the provinces.
August 21 (Sunday)
Afternoon: Lumbini Province, Karnali Province and Sudurpaschim Province will be normal cloudy and partly cloud will be in other provinces. There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder/lightning at some places in the hilly areas of the country and a few places in the rest of the country.
Night: There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder/lightning at a few places in Bagmati Province, Gandaki Province and Lumbini Province and at one or two places in the remaining provinces.
August 22 (Monday)
Afternoon: There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder/lightning at some places in the hilly areas of the country and few places in the rest of the country.
Night: Partial cloud over the country. Chance of light to moderate rain with thunder/lightning at few places over Province 1, Bagmati Province, Gandaki Province, Lumbini Province and Sudurpaschim Province.
August 23 (Tuesday)
Afternoon: Partial cloud over the country. There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder/lightning at some places in Province 1, Madhesh Province and Bagmati Province and few places in the rest of the region.
Night: There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder/lightning at some places of Province 1, Madhesh Province and Bagmati Province and few places of remaining provinces. Also, it seems that there is a possibility of heavy rain in one or two places of Province 1.
Warnings and advisories for the next 24 hours: Partial to moderate rain will prevail across the country. There is a risk of landslides in some hilly areas and few places in the rest of the area as there is a possibility of light to moderate rain with hunder/lightning. Also, it is requested to take necessary precautions as the water level may rise slightly in the rivers and canals and the daily life/transport area may also be affected.
Nepali Congress leader and member of the House of Representatives Pradeep Giri has passed away.
Giri, who was suffering from throat cancer, died at the age of 74 at Medicity Hospital in Lalitpur at 9.30 pm on Saturday night during treatment.
Giri, who has been undergoing treatment for throat cancer in India for a long time, was admitted to Medicity Hospital after returning to Nepal.
He was born in Bastipur, Siraha, in the year 2004 BS., as the son of his father Mitralal Giri and Punyaprabha Giri. He received his master’s degree in philosophy and economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University in India. Leader Giri, who was also a companion of BP Koirala, was a strong thinker of contemporary politics in Nepal. During his political career, he also spent four years in prison.
Giri has published more than a dozen books on subjects including biography, women, Marxism and economics.
He has been active in parliamentary politics since 2051BS. and has become a member of Parliament several times, but never became a minister.Giri, who was elected from Siraha 5 in the 2051BS. parliamentary election, also won as a member of parliament in the 2064 BS., 2070 Bs. and 2074 BS. elections.
The Standing Committee meeting of the CPN Maoist Center has appointed Dev Gurung as the General Secretary.
In the standing committee meeting held at the party’s central office, Koteshwar Parisdanda, President Pushpa Kamal Dahal proposed the names of 21 other officials including Gurung.
Narayankaji Shrestha has been proposed as the senior vice president and Krishna Bahadur Mahara as the vice president. Similarly, Girirajmani Pokharel, Barshman Pun, Haribol Gajurel, Pampha Bhusal, Janardhan Sharma, Matrika Yadav and Shakti Basnet have been proposed as deputy general secretary.
Similarly, Dinanath Sharma, Chakrapani Khanal, Devendra Poudel, Lilamani Pokherel, Ganesh Shah, Hitman Shakya, Hit Raj Pandey, Dilaram Sharma and Ram Karki has been proposed as the secretaries, while Shriram Dhakal has been proposed as the treasurer.
According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Weather Forecasting Division today, there will be partly normal rain across the country. Light to moderate rain with thunder/lightning is likely at some places in Bagmati Province, Gandaki Province, Lumbini Province and Sudurpaschim Province and a few places in the rest of the province. There is also a possibility of heavy rain with thunder/lightning at one or two places in Lumbini and Sudurpaschim Pradesh.
At night, there will be partial to normal rain over the country. There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder/lightning at a few places in Bagmati Province, Gandaki Province and Lumbini Province and one or two places in the remaining provinces. Heavy rain with thunder/lightning is likely at one or two places in Gandaki.
Due to heavy rains, there is a risk of soil erosion and landslides in the highlands. Also, it is requested to take necessary precautions as the water level may rise in the rivers and canals and the daily life/transport area may also be affected.
The Election Commission has instructed Gandaki Province and Province 1 not to distribute money to MPs under the Constituency Infrastructure Special Program.
In a press release, it has been said that Gandaki province and province 1 have drawn the attention of the commission for their acts of providing budgets through the constituency infrastructure special program when the term is about to end.
When the election process has already started, it cannot be considered normal to conduct any program that would affect the fairness of the election, and the more distribution-oriented program may raise questions about the integrity of the election, the Commission has given instructions to the above-mentioned state governments to refrain from taking the mentioned actions.
Russia’s state-owned gas company Gazprom will shut down the Nord Stream 1 pipeline for three days from August 31 to September 2, citing maintenance on the pipeline.
The closure of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline for three days is expected to further increase Europe’s energy disruptions. Following Gazprom’s announcement, European gas prices rose 7% to over $2,600 per thousand cubic meters.
According to a statement issued by Gazprom, the installation of turbines at a major compressor station along a pipeline connecting western Russia and Germany will be carried out jointly with experts from the German manufacturer, Siemens, according to the current maintenance contract.
According to Gazprom, five turbines need to be operated to pump gas at full capacity. This is the last one of the six turbines in the pipeline that was in operation. Due to sanctions imposed on Russia, a turbine brought to Canada for repair is currently stuck in Germany.
European Union countries have condemned this step of Russia as energy politics by Russia.
The state agency that collects data, which has been under the name of the Central Statistics Department for 64 years according to the Statistics Act 2015, is now going to be transformed into the National Statistics Office. According to the Statistics Bill passed by the Federal Parliament, this office, which was under the National Planning Commission in the past, will now be under the office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.
On11 March 2020, the then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli registered the Statistics Bill in the National Assembly. This bill was passed by the National Assembly on 4 August 2021 and sent to the House of Representatives. The House of Representatives on 10 August 2022 passed the bill that came with amendments from the National Assembly with a majority.
Initially, it was mentioned in the proposed bill that the National Statistics Office will be an autonomous body. “There will be a national office as a central body for statistical work” was mentioned in subsection 1 of section 18 of the proposed bill.
The Legislation Management Committee of the National Assembly changed it and made the Statistics Office under the Prime Minister’s Office. After the words “as a central body” in sub-section (1), the words “under the office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers” have been added.
It was mentioned in sub-section 2 of section 18 of the proposed bill that “there will be other statistical offices under the authority of the office in the number and location specified by the Government of Nepal”. The Federal Parliament has deleted the other words in sub-section (2).
According to Home Minister Balkrishna Khand, Statistics Department has offices in 33 districts. There is a current obligation to look at 77 districts from the office of 33 districts. According to Khand the issue of expanding offices in all districts will be included in the regulations.
The Department of Statistics has been compiling an integrated system of data collected by government agencies and public institutions. According to the new bill, it is mentioned that the proposed National Statistics Office will maintain coordination between the management of the national statistics system and the agencies affiliated to the system. At the same time, a provision has been added in the bill to manage and maintain uniformity of the statistics of the union, state and local levels by creating standards, criteria and statistical classification of central statistics according to the constitution.
According to the bill, a National Statistics Council will be established under the chairmanship of the Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission for the purpose of guiding, directing, controlling and regulating the proper development, management and research related activities of the National Statistics System.
The members of the Council include the Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Finance, the Secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Agriculture, Home, Education, Labor, Federal Affairs, the Ministry of Health, and the secretary of each provincial government’s planning ministry. The Council will have the authority to formulate short-term, medium-term and long-term plans and policies related to statistics, and to coordinate the management of statistics at the federal, provincial and local levels.
A provision has also been added that the state government or local level can produce, process, store, publish and distribute the information or data they need. However, the information related to the statistics collected by the state and local levels must be provided to the relevant ministries of the Government of Nepal (Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers). The Statistics Office under the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers will take the details of the statistics collected by the provinces and local levels and make a comprehensive report.
After the bill passed by the Federal Parliament and approved by the President and implemented, data collection and publication will be more strict. Organizations formed for statistical purposes must be registered. It has been made mandatory to obtain prior permission for data collection and to verify it before publication. Asking for permission for data collection is not guaranteed. If they are not willing to give the permission, the permission authority has the right to stop it.Data should be published only after getting it certified by the National Statistics Office. Otherwise, punishment will be imposed.
However, according to subsection 8 of section 7 of the passed bill, no permission will be given to collect data on issues that adversely affect the country’s governance system or peace and security, the country’s national interest, social or cultural harmony or diplomatic relations.
Kim Jong-un’s sister has warned the South Korean president to keep his mouth shut and stop talking nonsense, rejecting South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s offer of a massive economic aid package if North Korea gives up its nuclear weapons program.
Kim Yo Jong, the brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and a senior official in the country’s ruling party, has called Seoul’s offer of financial aid in exchange for giving up its nuclear weapons an absurd dream.
Kim expressed anger at the state media’s comment on Yoon Suk Yeol’s proposal, saying that no one would trade their fortune for corn cakes.
”It would have been better for his image to shut his mouth than to talk nonsense because he had nothing good to say,” she said.
Vedic Sanatan Dharma devotees are celebrating Shri Krishna Janmashtami with devotion and worship according to Hindu culture.
Shri Krishna Janmashtami’is celebrated today as Lord Krishna, the pioneer of Gyanyoga, Karmayoga and Bhaktiyoga, was born as the son of Vasudeva and Devaki in the captivity of maternal uncle Kansha on the midnight of Bhadra Krishna Ashtami in Dwapara Yuga.
On this day, devotees flock to Krishna temples across the country to worship Lord Krishna. According to Hindu culture, it is believed that Krishna was born as the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu to protect all human beings from injustice, tyranny and demonic tendencies. It is mentioned in the religious texts that Lord Krishna of Mathura was taken to Gokul by his father to save him from his maternal uncle Kansha on the night of his birth.
Along with Lord Krishna, Radha is also worshipped on this day. Lord Krishna and Radha’s love relationship is described despite being married to Rukmini.
There is a religious belief that the holy book Srimad Bhagavad Gita originated during the battle of Kurukshetra between the Pandavas and the Kauravas during the preaching of Arjuna.
In Srimad bhagavata Gita Krishna says to Arjuna: Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya, Glanirbhavati Bharat Abhyutthanam dharmasya, tadatmanam srujamyham
Meaning: Whenever religion is lost in the world and unrighteousness prevails, Then, for the protection of religion, I myself will come to this earth with a new avatar.
The Nepal Citizenship (First Amendment) Bill-2079, which was returned with a message from President Bidhya Devi Bhandari, has been passed.
Home Minister Balkrishna Khand’s proposal to pass the Nepal Citizenship Bill 2079, which was withdrawn by President Bhandari, was passed by the majority.
After the main opposition party CPN-UML demanded a division of votes, Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota called for a vote on the Citizenship Bill. 135 votes were cast in favour of it while 60 votes were cast against it.
More than 77 parliamentarians from the ruling party and the opposition expressed their opinions while participating in the discussion on the bill.
In the constitution, the president is given the right to withdraw the bill only once. If the bill is again passed by both the houses, there is a constitutional provision that the President must certify it. After the approval of the President, the bill will become law.
The employees of the Engineering Services Group of the Ministry of Urban Development have protested in front of the Ministry in Singhadabar. The employees of the Civil Group, Building and Architect sub-group of the Ministry of Engineering staged a symbolic protest.
The employees started protesting after the government decided to bring the Doli Department under the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration under the name of the Department of Settlement Development and Infrastructure Facilitation under the Ministry of Urban Development and occupy the jurisdiction of the Urban Department. Ekaraj Adhikari, the coordinator of the movement and joint secretary of the Ministry of Urban Development, said that a memorandum has been submitted to the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration and the Ministry of Urban Development to immediately correct the decision made by the Council of Ministers.
According to the joint secretary , if the government does not listen to the demands of the engineers immediately, they will stop the work of the urban departments across the country and warned that the technicians will resign en masse.They have demand that local infrastructure department as provided in point number 305 of the budget of the financial year should be abolished and at most 10 percent of the technical staff in the department will remain in the local infrastructure development facilitation unit under the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration and the rest of the staff will be adjusted in the provinces and federal ministries related to physical infrastructure. Employees have warned that If the demand is not heard, we will stop work all over the country and will also resign collectively.
All technicians from Nepal Engineering Service, Civil Group, Building and Architect sub-group participated in the movement. The official trade union of civil servants, Nepal Civil Service Organization, Civil Service Union, National Employees Organization and Integrated Government Employees Organization Urban Development Departmental Working Committees are united in the movement.
A writ petition has been filed in the Supreme Court today demanding the recognition of the cryptocurrency.
Advocate Sagar Baral and others filed a petition in the Supreme Court demanding that the decision of Nepal Rastra Bank not to give legal recognition to digital currency including crypto should be annulled and that digital currency should be given legal recognition.
In the writ, the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Nepal Rastra Bank, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Nepal Police Headquarters have been made opponents. The preliminary hearing on the application will be held next Monday.
China’s ambassador to the UK has urged London not to follow the US lead on Taiwan independence.
The Chinese ambassador has warned that British and American intervention in Taiwan could lead to war, claiming that Beijing’s relationship with London has reached a crossroads over the issue of Taiwan’s independence.
The Chinese ambassador to the UK, Zheng Zeguang, presented his government’s position on the Taiwan issue and announced that Taiwan had become a “touchstone issue” for China, the US and the UK.
China’s ambassador to Britain has said that over the years, the US has undermined the principle of the One China policy by approving arms sales to Taiwan and playing the ‘Taiwan card to contain China.
Beijing’s Ministry of Defense said Chinese troops will travel to Russia to take part in joint military exercises starting later this month. India, Belarus, Mongolia and Tajikistan will also be involved in the Vostok military exercise.
Beijing and Moscow have close defence ties and China has said it wants to take bilateral ties to a “higher level” despite Moscow facing international sanctions and widespread condemnation over its February 24 attack on Ukraine.
A statement issued by China’s Ministry of Defense said, “The aim is to strengthen practical and friendly cooperation with the militaries of the participating countries, increase the level of strategic cooperation between the participating parties, and strengthen the ability to deal with various security threats”.
Relations between Russia and China have grown increasingly close under Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, and Beijing has come under pressure to oppose sanctions imposed by many Western countries over the war. Beijing said its decision to participate in the joint exercises was “irrelevant to the current international and regional situation”.
A year ago, Russia and China held joint military exercises in north-central China involving more than 10,000 troops. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu praised the exercise conducted in China’s Ningjia and suggested that it could be further developed.
In October, Russia and China held joint naval exercises in the Sea of Japan..The Vostok exercise is the second joint military exercise by the Chinese and Russian forces this year.
Niharika, who attempted self-immolation in front of the President’s office, is currently in the Nepal Police Hospital. Niharika has continued her hunger strike even in the hospital. Niharika Rajput presented 10 demands to Law Minister Bandi and Attorney General Khati, who came to meet Niharika at the hospital on Wednesday.
Niharika’s 10 point demand:
1) There must be an order for a DNA test in the hearing on the 24th of August. If the hearing is not approved or there is no order, I will start the fast to death again in front of the Supreme Court from 10 am on the 25th.
2) Blood samples of the opponent and my son should be taken in front of me while taking samples for the DNA test. During this test, it should be done at the police lab and the National Forensic Science Laboratory in Khumaltar, and my people, including me, should be present during that work.
3) DNA test report should come as soon as possible.
4) If the police who initially investigated my case are investigated and found guilty, immediate action should be taken against them.
5) There should be an arrangement to send two senior government lawyers from the Attorney General’s office to the High Court of Janakpur for the hearing on August 24 and the final judgment debate, and those lawyers should be ok by me.
6) My case should be heard on ‘First Track’.
7) The judge who decided my case in Janakpur district should be investigated and punished.
8) The rights of children born to all victimized mothers like me, including myself, to live with dignity should be ensured in the law.
9) Both the Law Minister and the Attorney General should sign this agreement and proceed with the legal process.
10) If all the above-mentioned demands are not met, I will again start a hunger strike before the Supreme Court and I will not be removed from there by the police or the government.
Earlier, Home Minister Balkrishna Khand promised to address her 5-point demands. But after the promises made by the government were not implemented. She continued her hunger strike in various places including Maitighar, Supreme Court and Singha Darbar. Meanwhile, the police arrested her several times from the hunger strike site. Saying that the state could not give justice no matter what was done, in the end she attempted self-immolation by sprinkling petrol on her body in front of the President’s residence.
The General Impeachment Recommendation Committee of the House of Representatives has prepared a draft to finalize the procedure to start the study on the impeachment proposal against the suspended Chief Justice Cholendra Shamsher Jabara.
After about 6 months, the first meeting of the committee held today at Singh Darbar has also decided to give the right to the secretariat to prepare the draft agenda for finalizing the indictment in the next meeting.
It has been reported that the meeting of the committee held today will discuss and decide on the draft procedure in the next meeting. According to the committee, the committee has prepared a draft of the procedure by using the authority given by sub-rule (5) of rule 163 of the House of Representatives Rules, 2075 to present the agenda in the next meeting on behalf of the secretariat in coordination with all the committee members.
It is prohibited to take gas cylinders inside the Singha Darbar from today.
According to the government’s policy to encourage the use of electricity for cooking, it has been banned from taking gas cylinders inside the Singha Darbar from today.
One of the security personnel stationed at the gate of Singha Darbar said that they had been ordered not to allow taking gas cylinders inside.
Through the budget for the financial year 2079/80, the government said that it will encourage the use of electricity and it will start from within the Singha Darbar.
Gas cylinders are being used in the canteens of ministries and agencies in Singha Durbar. Now there will be an electric stove.
Earlier, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supply has written to all the ministries and agencies within the Singh Darbar and the budget item no. 253 was instructed to implement effectively and replace the gas cylinders .
The first meeting of the impeachment recommendation committee formed to discuss the impeachment against the suspended Chief Justice Cholendra Shamsher Jabara will be held today at 11:30 am in the auditorium of the Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee at Singhdarbar.
On February 13 2022, 98 parliamentarians of the coalition party filed an impeachment motion against Jabara in the House of Representatives, alleging 21 accusations.
The House of Representatives meeting held on the 6th of March formed an 11-member committee to investigate the impeachment of Chief Justice Cholendra Shamsher Jabara. Similarly, the meeting of the House of Representatives held on the 7th of August passed the decision to send to the impeachment recommendation committee after a theoretical discussion on the impeachment proposal against Jabara.
The committee said that in today’s meeting of the committee, the preliminary study will be started by discussing the procedure regarding the impeachment against Chief Justice Jabara.
Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba has nominated 10 female members to the Central Committee.
Kiran Yadav (Mahottari), Radha Ghale (Kathmandu), Dhana Khatiwada (Lalitpur), Urmila Thapalia (Dhading), Rukmini Koirala (Morang), Kalyani Rizal (Kathmandu), Goma Bhattarai (Jhapa), Ganga Shahi (Rupandehi) Lakshmi Khatiwada (Sunsari) and Sita Devkota (Nawalpur) have been nominated as a member of the Central Working Committee.
It is stated in the press release that they have been nominated as central members in accordance with subsection 10 of Article 21 of the legislation.
After local residents blocked a vehicle carrying garbage from Kathmandu Valley, the police fired tear gas and aerial fire.
During the tension that started between the police and the local residents after blocking the vehicle carrying garbage, the local residents started throwing stones at the police and the police fired tear gas and aerial fire. The police said that they used tear gas and aerial fire to disperse the crowd of local residents who were protesting during the clashes that started when the locals started throwing stones at the police.
Russia has warned of a “direct military confrontation” with the US.
The Russian Embassy in the United States has warned that the behaviour of the United States on the world stage may lead to a direct conflict between the nuclear nations.
In a statement released by the embassy through its Telegram channel, the United States continued actions without regard for the security and interests of other countries may contribute to the threat of nuclear conflict.
The embassy also says that the US move to engage more in a hybrid confrontation with Russia in the context of the Ukrainian crisis has unexpectedly increased the direct military confrontation of the nuclear powers.
The statement also noted that the US had recently withdrawn from two major arms control treaties, the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which banned certain classes of land-based missiles, and the 1992 Open Skies Treaty, which allowed for surveillance flights over each other’s territories.
The embassy also urged the United States to take a closer look at its own nuclear policy instead of making baseless accusations against countries whose whose worldviews do not coincide with the American ones.
Diplomats of the embassy have said that we will faithfully fulfill our obligations as a nuclear weapons state and make every effort to reduce nuclear risks.
The embassy issued such a statement after the United States accused Moscow of using the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine as a cover for its soldiers. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Russia’s action “the height of irresponsibility”.
Refuting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s statement, Moscow said that its own artillery fire by the Ukrainian army had caused several fires and power outages in many places this month.
Russia initiated a UN Security Council meeting last week regarding the situation around the Zaporozhye power plant. Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia urged the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to inspect the nuclear power plant as soon as possible and said that Russia would fully cooperate with it.
The meeting of the ruling coalition is currently sitting to discuss the preparation and distribution of seats for the upcoming house of representative and provincial assembly elections.
A meeting of the ruling coalition is being held at the Prime Minister’s residence, Baluwatar.
In the meeting, the issue of the Citizenship Bill has also been discussed. Similarly, CPN Maoist Center’s Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has informed other parties of the alliance about Bamdev Gautam and Baburam Bhattarai running for the upcoming election from the Maoist Center.
The deadline for party registration for the elections to be held on November 20 is ending today.
The Election Commission started the party registration program on August 7. According to the notification issued by the commission, today is the last day for party registration. Election Commission spokesperson Shaligram Sharma Paudel said that the political parties interested in participating in the elections should register their parties within office hours today. According to Paudel, the political parties registered in the Commission till 4th August 2022 will be allowed to register for the direct and proportional election.
According to the Commission, 62 parties have been registered till now. When applying for party registration, the full and short name of the political party, the date of establishment, the date of registration with the commission, the address of the central office, the mailing address, telephone number, email, website and social network account must also be disclosed.Election commission has mentioned that the number of officers and members of the party’s central executive committee, state and district committees, the date the party submitted its annual audit report to the commission, the date of the last election of the party’s central level and state executive committee, and the number of officers and members of the party’s central level and central executive committee, state and district committees should also be disclosed for the registration.
The 55th meeting under the House of Representatives’ eleventh session is today at 11 am.
According to the Secretariat of the Parliament, the matter of informing about the Citizenship Bill, which was returned with a message from the President, has been included in today’s Parliament meeting agenda.
In the first number of the possible agenda of today’s meeting of the House of Representatives, it is mentioned that the Secretary of the House of Representatives will inform regarding the return of the Citizenship Bill with a message for reconsideration from the Honorable President.
Full text of the Citizenship Bill with a return message from the President:
The Nepali Army and the US Army are going to start a one-month joint military exercise from today.
The Directorate of Public Relations and Information of the Nepali Army has informed that a joint military exercise will be held between the Rangers of the Nepali Army and American Army from today . A total of 96 people including 80 people from the Nepalese army and 16 people from the American army will conduct a joint military exercises on the law and military decision-making process related to armed conflict in the cantonment and Nagarkot area.
A US Army unit led by Captain Blake has arrived in Nepal on Monday.
According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Weather Forecasting Division, the Monsoon low-pressure line is currently located to the south. There is a partial change in most parts of the country. Light rain is falling at one or two places in Province 1, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province.
16 August(Tuesday)
Afternoon: There will be partial to normal change in the hilly areas of the country and partial change in the rest of the country. Light to moderate rain with thunder/lightning is likely at a few places in the hilly areas of the country and one or two places in the rest of the country.
Night: There will be partial to normal rain in the hilly areas of the country and partial rain in the rest of the country. There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder/lightning at a few places in the hilly areas and one or two places in the rest of the country.
17 August (Wednesday)
Afternoon: There will be partial to normal change in the hilly areas of the country and partial change in the rest of the country. There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder/lightning at a few places in Province 1, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province and one or two places in the remaining provinces.
Night: There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder/lightning at a few places in Province 1, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province and one or two places in the remaining provinces. There is also a possibility of heavy rain with thunder/lightning at one or two places in Gandaki province.
18 August(Thursday)
Afternoon: There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder/lightning in some hilly areas of the country and few places in the rest of the country. There is also a possibility of heavy rain with thunder/lightning at one or two places in Gandaki and Lumbini regions.
Night: There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder/lightning at a few places in Province 1, Madhesh Province, Bagmati Province, Gandaki Province and Karnali Province and few places in the remaining provinces. There is also a possibility of heavy rain with thunder/lightning at one or two places in Gandaki, Lumbini and Far-West Provinces.
Warnings and advisories for the next 24 hours :
There will be partial to normal rain in the hilly areas of the country and partial rain in the rest of the country. There is a risk of landslides, and mudslides as there is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder/lightning in a few places in the hilly areas of the country and one or two places in the rest of the provinces. Also, it is requested to take necessary precautions as the water level may rise in the rivers and canals and the daily life/transport area may also be affected.
The Citizenship Bill, which was passed by the House of Representatives and the National Assembly and submitted to the President for verification by Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota, has been sent back to the Parliament. President Bidya Devi Bhandari has said that the Citizenship Bill needs to be reconsidered, and the question has been raised as to what will happen to the Citizenship Bill, which has been sent back to Parliament. However, according to the legal provisions specified in the Constitution of Nepal, if any bill other than the Finance Bill submitted to the President for verification needs to be reconsidered, the President can send the bill back to the Parliament in accordance with Article 113, Clause 3 of the Constitution.
Now, regarding the bill sent back by the President, it has been explained in Article 113 of the Constitution of Nepal, Clause 4: “If the President returns a bill with a message, both Houses will reconsider such a bill and pass it as presented or resubmitted with amendments, the President shall certify it within fifteen days of its submission.” Now, based on this provision of the constitution, the House of Representatives and the National Assembly can again submit the bill with the old format or amendments to the President for verification. It has been explained that the bill coming for re-verification will be verified by the President within 15 days.But the president is not given the legal right to return the bill that came for re-certification.
The Citizenship Bill, which was passed by the House of Representatives and the National Assembly and submitted to the President for verification by Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota, has been sent back to the Parliament.
It is mentioned in the statement issued by the President’s Office that President Bidhya Devi Bhandari has sent it back to the Parliament saying that it is necessary to reconsider the Citizenship Bill.
In a statement issued by the President’s Office, it is mentioned that the bill to amend the Nepalese Citizenship Act 2063, which was submitted for verification in accordance with Article 113, Clause 2 of the Constitution of Nepal, has been sent back to the House of Representatives along with a message in accordance with Article 113, Clause 3 of the Constitution of Nepal.
The Nepali Congress has entrusted party president Sher Bahadur Deuba with the task of sending the official letter of nomination of candidates for the upcoming House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly elections.
The meeting of the work performance Committee held at the Party Central Office Sanepa has decided to give instructions through the Central Office to propose and recommend the names of direct and proportional candidates for the election of the House of Representatives and the Provincial Assembly, but to give the final responsibility of sending the nomination letter to Chairman Deuba.
Similarly, today’s meeting has entrusted the chief secretary of the office, Krishna Paudel to register the party to participate in the election. The meeting also decided to conduct an election-focused nationwide campaign from 26th August to the 9th of September.
39 local levels of Madhesh province have not submitted their budget details for the financial year 2079/80. According to the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, out of a total of 136 municipalities in Madhesh province, it has been found that the local level has not submitted the budget statement.
According to the ministry, among the local levels that have not entered the budget details so far, there are three in Province No. 1, four in Bagmati, 10 in Lumbini, three in Karnali and four in Far West Province. All municipalities of Gandaki province have entered the budget details.
Spokesperson and Joint Secretary of the Ministry Basant Adhikari informed that the local levels that have not entered the budget have been instructed through a circular to enter the budget details in the Ministry’s portal as soon as possible.
Resham Kandel, Chief Deputy Secretary of the Ministry’s Local Level Coordination Branch informed that 63 different local levels have not submitted budget details for the current year out of the 753 municipalities in the country.
According to the law, there is a provision in sub-section (6) of section 71 of the Local Government Operation Act 2074 that the town/village assembly must pass the budget for the next financial year by the end of the fiscal year.
It has been proposed to recruit 120,000 temporary police officers for the House of Representatives and State Assembly elections to be held on November 20.
The police head office has submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Home Affairs for the recruitment of temporary police officers for election security with a 40-day term/contract period. As the ballot boxes of the House of Representatives and the State Assembly are separate, it is necessary to hire more temporary police than in the local level elections, and accordingly, the number has been determined and a proposal has been submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs, said the police chief Dhiraj Pratap Singh.
The police head office also said that the temporary police and ex-security personnel employed in the previous elections will be given first priority. It is also said that the facilities of the security personnel to be deployed in the upcoming elections will be determined based on the local elections. In the local elections, the facility was determined to provide a lump sum of 30 thousand 240 rupees for 40 days. 6 thousand rupees for clothing allowance, 7 thousand 200 rupees for food allowance and 1 thousand rupees for one time transport fare. But since the salary of all national service employees has increased by 15 percent from 1st of Shrawan, it has been mentioned that the salary of temporary police can also be determined accordingly.
Meanwhile, for election security, Nepal Police and Armed Police have formed election cells from the center to the district level, while the Nepali Army has also said that the work of security preparation and management has progressed. In addition, the Ministry of Home Affairs has formed a mechanism consisting of representatives of all four security agencies under the coordination of Chief of Security and Coordination Division Fanindramani Pokharel to prepare the draft of the Election Security Action Plan. The Election Commission has also formed a high-level committee for election security under the coordination of Commissioner Ishwari Paudel. The same committee will coordinate and facilitate election security management with the Ministry of Home and Defense and the heads of all four security agencies.
After pressure from the Tharu leaders of the Nepali congress party, Prime Minister Deuba has instructed the Home Minister to proceed with the necessary process regarding the Tikapur incident.
The government has discussed the issue of the Tikapur incident with the officials of the Tharu Kalyankarini Sabha. Home Ministry spokesperson Fanindramani Pokharel said that the implementation of the 6-point agreement with the KP Sharma Oli-led government was discussed. Spokesperson Pokharel said that both sides have done their homework and will hold a meeting again.
Assembly General Minister Premi Lal Chaudhary said that the discussion was focused on the Tikapur incident and the release of prisoners including Resham Chaudhary. Chaudhary says that since the Tikapur incident is a political issue, they have requested to resolve it politically.
Tharu leaders of Congress have analyzed that Resham Chaudhary’s party has become a big factor in the federal and state elections. They believe that if he is released under the leadership of the Congress, it will be beneficial in the elections and the votes of the tharu leaders will be secured.
Former Member of Parliament and Central Member of the Assembly Rukmini Choudhary also said that the current government should implement the agreement which was done during the KP Oli led government.
Tharu leaders from congress had suggested to the Prime Minister that the Tikapur incident should be put aside by following the agreement made by the previous government. Prime Minister Deuba has also assured Tharu leaders that he will solve it through the legal process.
The meeting of the Central perfomance Committee of Nepali Congress will be held today at the party central office in Sanepa.
According to the spokesperson Praka sharan Mahat, Sher Bahadur Deuba has called a meeting of the central perfomance committee at 9 am.
Spokesperson Mahat also informed that a meeting has been called to decide on the party registration for the purpose of the election, to discuss on the preparation of the election and to discuss about the training of the elected people’s representatives, which is scheduled to be held on the 15th and 16th of August.
According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Weather Forecasting Division there is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder/lightning in some hilly areas and a few places in the rest of the country. There is a possibility of heavy rain at one or two places in Province No. 1 and Bagmati Province.
Similarly, during the night, It will be cloudy in hilly areas of the country and there will be partial to normal clouds in the rest of the country. There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder/lightning at a few places in Province No. 1, Bagmati Province, Gandaki Province and a few places in the remaining provinces. There is a possibility of heavy rain at a few places in Gandaki Province and one or two places in Province No. 1, Bagmati Province and Lumbini Province.
According to Vedic Sanatan religion and culture, every year Hindus celebrate Janai Purnima (Rishi Tarpani), Rakshya bandhan festival on Shravan Shukla Purnima. Today people go to nearby temples and shrines across the country to celebrate the festival. On this day, one goes to a nearby shrine, river, lake or pond, takes a bath and wears a {JANAI-(Janai is a sacred cotton thread worn across the chest by Hindu males who had done Bratabandha) & DORO}sacred thread from Guru Purohit.
People have a religious belief that the sacred thread tied around their wrists provides protection from negative elements. There is also a belief that Guru Brihaspati tied a sacred thread to protect the gods who were being chased by demons in Satya Yuga. It is believed that the sacred rope tied on the wrist today will open the gateway to heaven if tied on the tail of a cow in Cow Tihar.
Yen Baddo Valiraja Danvendra Mahavalas Tyen Twa Pratibadhnami rakshye ma chal ma chal Meaning: I bind you with the same sacred thread( made of raw thread), which bound the great king of the demons, Bali, will protect you forever.
Brahmin and Kshatriya men who have done Bratabandha have a tradition of changing their JANAI on this day. Out of the six threads of the two knots in Janai, the three threads on one knots are Brahma, Bishnu and Maheshwar and the three threads on the other knots are considered to be the yoga of karma, worship and knowledge. This day is also called Rishi Tarpani because people worships eight sages including Arundhati, Kashyapa, Atri, Bharadwaja, Vishwamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni, Vashishta and Agastya.
There is also a tradition that today, sisters wishes for longevity and success of their brothers and tie Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi on the wrists of their brothers. Rakhi is especially important in Terai region of Nepal.
On this day, 9 types of sprouted Legumes(black lentils, soybean, peas, chickpea, fava beans, mung beans,blackeye beans, red kidney beans and broad beans) are boiled and eaten which is called KWATI. There is a religious and Ayurveda classical belief that if you eat kwati , the body’s resistance to disease will increase and the body will remain healthy and strong.
According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Weather Forecasting Division, there is a partial change in Province No. 1, Madhes Province and Bagmati Province and normal to complete change in the rest of the provinces, Gandaki Province, Lumbini Province, Karnali Province and a few places in the hilly areas of Far West Province, light to moderate with thunder/lightning. It’s raining.
11 August 2022(Thursday)
Afternoon: Partly to partly cloudy over the country. Chance of light to moderate rain with thunder/lightning at some hilly areas and few places in rest of the country. There is a possibility of heavy rain at one or two places in Bagmati and Karnali regions.
Night: There will be partial to normal change in the hilly areas of the country and partial change in the rest of the country. There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder/lightning at a few places in Province 1, Bagmati and Gandaki provinces and at one or two places in the rest of the region.
12 August 2022 (Friday)
Afternoon: Partly to partly cloudy over the country. Chance of light to moderate rain with thunder/lightning at few places of the country and one or two places over rest of the country.
Night: There will be partial to normal change in the hilly areas of the country and partial change in the rest of the country. Light to moderate rain with thundershower/lightning is likely at few places over hilly areas of the country.
13 August 2022 (Saturday)
Afternoon: Partly to partly cloudy over the country. Chance of light to moderate rain with thunder/lightning at some hilly areas and few places in rest of the country. There is a possibility of heavy rain at one or two places in Province No. 1 and Bagmati Province.
Night: It will be cloudy in hilly areas of the country and there will be partial to normal clouds in the rest of the country. There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder/lightning at a few places in Province No. 1, Bagmati Province, Gandaki Province and few places in the remaining provinces. There is a possibility of heavy rain at a few places in Gandaki Province and one or two places in Province No. 1, Bagmati Province and Lumbini Province.
Warning/Advisory for next 24 hours:
There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder/lightning at some hilly areas and few places in the rest of the country and heavy rain at one or two places in Province No. 1, Bagmati Province, Gandaki Province and Karnali Province. , there is a risk of landslides and debris flow. Also, everyone is requested to take necessary precautions as the water level in rivers and canals may rise and the daily life/transport area may also be affected.
An important agreement has been reached between Nepal and China in the field of infrastructure development, including the expansion of the Rasuwagadhi-Kerung cross-border railway.
During the delegation-level talks between Narayan Khadka and his counterpart Wang Yi on Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that there was an agreement to increase cooperation in the fields of trade, connectivity, investment, health, tourism, poverty alleviation, agriculture, disaster management, education, culture and people-to-people interaction.
In a meeting with Foreign Minister Khadka, the Chinese Foreign Minister announced that the pre-feasibility study of the Kerung-Kathmadu railway will be completed with a subsidy, the ministry said.
Similarly, the construction of electrical transmission across the Nepal-China border was also discussed in the meeting.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wang has also promised financial support for the construction of electrical transmission lines. Earlier, during Wang’s visit to Nepal, it was agreed to extend the period of pre-feasibility study of the Nepal-China cross-border electrical transmission line by two years. According to the Nepal Electricity Authority, homework is being done to proceed with the pre-feasibility study. But the two sides have yet to agree on its format.
During the talks, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang announced 15.5 billion rupees (800 million Chinese Yuan) in aid to Nepal for 2022.
Nepal’s commitment to one China policy
In the bilateral meeting, Foreign Minister Khadka said that Nepal strongly supports the one China policy. He assured that Nepalese land will not be used against China.
Similarly, Wang reiterated his unconditional support for Nepal’s sovereignty, independence and geographical integrity. He also said that China will continue to help Nepal according to the development needed and priorities of the Nepalese government.
China has announced an end to unprecedented military exercises around Taiwan that began after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s controversial visit to Taipei.
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army announced that it had successfully completed assignments around the island, but said regular patrols would continue.
Col. Shi Yi, the spokesman for the Eastern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), said it would continue “military training and preparation” and “regulate patrols in the Taiwan Strait to resolutely protect national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
“We will work with the greatest sincerity and do our best to achieve peaceful reunification. But we will not abandon the use of force, and we reserve the option of taking all necessary measures,” the White Paper issued by Beijing said. Also, the white paper also mentioned that this contingency is necessary to prevent external interference and separatist activities.
The Election Commission has expressed its commitment to carry out the general elections in a fair, reliable, frugal and fearless manner with the participation of more people by adopting the good practices adopted earlier.
While reviewing the progress of the local level election, 2079 election campaign and voter education program held by the commission on Tuesday, the commission expressed its determination to make the election successful by including the suggestions, feedback and good practices received during the election. The Commission has expressed its concern that the voting of the educated people of the urban areas was less than that of the uneducated people of the remote villages in the last local level elections.
Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapalia made it clear that due to the short period of time, it was not possible to do as much work as expected in the last local level elections, and he expressed his determination to complete the elections of the House of Representatives and the Provincial Assembly to be held on November in a simple, easy and frugal manner by including the good aspects of the previous election.
Chief Election Commissioner Thapalia clarified that the commission is in favor of holding the upcoming general elections in partnership and cooperation with all the responsible agencies of the state including media. Mentioning that the state-run mass media will play an important role during the election campaign, he requested everyone to participate in the election process by making maximum use of their resources.
The government has prepared to make a legal arrangement to maintain the service period of civil servants up to 60 years. The Federal Civil Service Act, 2049 Amendment Bill prepared by the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, it is sought to increase the service period from 58 years to 60 years. The draft bill has been sent to the Ministry of Finance for approval.
It seems that the Bill seeks to bring the Unified Civil Service Act by unifying the previous Civil Service Act and the Health Service Act. It is proposed that the Health Services Act be repealed after the bill becomes legal.
In the draft of the bill provided by Ministry of Finance sources, it is mentioned that after the promulgation of the Act, the service period of 58 years will be maintained at 59 for two years. And after two years it will be increased to 60. The Ministry has proposed to increase the age limit in two stages as new personnel will not be able to enter the service when the age limit is fixed from 58 to 60 years.
In the proposed amendment bill, it is stipulated that permanent employees in the federal civil service will not be subject to age limit to be candidates for provincial or local service posts. And there is a proposal that there will be no age limit for provincial civil servants to be candidates for local service. Local service employees can also be candidates for state service. If they change the service, the old period will also be counted.
But to come to the upper level, the employees will have to compete in the limited quota within the inter-level competition. It is said in the bill, “A system to provide opportunity to change levels through inter-level competition.” There is no restriction on competing from any level to another level in inter-level competition.
In the bill, if there is a vacancy in a local level within the province and if the position has to be filled by promotion, the employees of all local levels within the province can compete for promotion.
A provision is also proposed in the bill to allow employees working at the local level to be transferred to another local level within the province. But for that, every state government will have to make a certain basis and criteria.
Former Controversial Indian Cricketer Manoj Prabhakar has been appointed as the head coach of Nepal’s National Cricket Team.59 years old Prabhakar was appointed by (CAN) the cricket association of Nepal on Monday.
Manoj Prabhakar was found guilty of match-fixing and was charged by the BCCI and subsequently banned from playing cricket for the Indian National team. Prabhakar was also sacked as Delhi’s coach two days before the start of the 2011-12 Ranji Trophy season. He was also a bowling coach of the Afghanistan cricket team and head coach of the Rajasthan Cricket team.
The Democratic Socialist Party (LOSAPA) and Rastriya Ekta Party have reached an agreement on party unification.
LOSAPA president Mahant Thakur and Rashtriya Ekta Party president Premdeep Thamsuhang have jointly signed a five-point agreement and agreed to party unification. Rastriya Ekta Party has been taken over by LOSAPA as per the agreement reached by Rastriya Ekta Party by accepting the name, flag and seal of LOSAPA. According to the agreement, all organizations of Rastriya Ekta Party will be accommodated in LOSAPA.
It has been agreed that Rashtriya Ekta Party President Prem Kumar Thamsuhang will be accommodated as a central executive member of LOSAPA and will be given the responsibility of Province 1.
On the second trading day of the week, today NEPSE decreased by 17.68 and closed down at 2106.15. Similarly, the sensitive index also decreased by 3.44 and stopped at 406.11 points.
Today, 65,27,414 shares of 214 companies were traded, and the total transaction amount reached 2,857,072,961 rupees. In today’s business, all other sub-indices except the Manufacture & production and Mutual funds have decreased. Today, Gurans Microfinance and Himalayan Hydropower managed to trade on a positive circuit level.
Nepali Congress has decided to deploy its central leaders in all 77 districts to prepare for the provincial and federal elections scheduled to be held on November 20.
While the issue of seat distribution has not yet been decided, the Nepali Congress is going to mobilize its central members in all 77 districts of the country for the election campaign. The Nepali Congress has emphasized that there should be practical, scientific and natural electoral harmony by saying that the coalition parties should also be taken along.
Earlier, the meeting of the ruling alliance held at Baluwatar, the official residence of the Prime Minister, also constituted an 11-member committee to decide the issue of seat distribution.
Similarly, the Nepali Congress has also informed that a training program will be organized in Kathmandu on 15th and 16th of August to train the elected people’s representatives at the local level.
As the Ministry of Finance announced a new and different salary scale than the one mentioned in the budget statement, the employee in Sighdurbar has gone on strike. The ministry’s regular operations are affected when the civil servants in Sighdurbar went on strike.
The lower level employees have ‘pen down’ today in the first phase of the protest saying that the salaries of the higher level employees have been increased much against the budget announcement.
The organization of government’s employees has issued a press release and said that it has taken serious notice of the fact that the new and different salary scale of the national service employees with the seal of the Ministry of Finance and the signature of the responsible officer has increased the confusion among the common national service employees and that two different documents have been published by a responsible organization.
The employees gathered in the hall of the Ministry of Information and Communication has said that they will submit a memorandum to the Minister of Finance, Minister of General Administration and Federal Affairs, Chief Secretary and Finance Secretary.
It has been agreed to coordinate the elections between the ruling coalition parties in the upcoming House of Representatives and State Assembly elections. The meeting between the top leaders of the coalition parties held today has informed us that according to the agreement, the seat distribution will be finalized by the end of August.
Today’s meeting of the ruling alliance held at Baluwatar, the official residence of the Prime Minister, has also constituted an 11-member committee to decide the issue of seat distribution. Krishna Sitaula, Gyanendra Bahadur Karki and Gagan Thapa of Congress are in the committee, while Dev Gurung and Barshman Pun from CPN-Maoist Center are in the committee. Similarly, Vice President Pramesh Hamal and General Secretary Beduram Bhusal from Ekikrit Samajwadi Party, Rakam Chemjong and Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav from Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) and Himlal Puri and Anand Sharma from Rashtriya Jan Morcha are in the committee.
The committee has been given the responsibility to submit a report along with the decision on seat distribution within the end of August.
Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka is scheduled for a three-day official visit to China on Tuesday.
Foreign Minister Khadka is going to visit China at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry has mentioned that Foreign Minister Khadka will be visiting China from the 9th to11th of August.
On the 10th of August, there is a delegation-level bilateral discussion between the two ministers in Qingdao, the eastern city of Shandong Province. Foreign Minister Wang Yi will also be hosting a banquet in honour of Khadka and the members of the delegation, while there is a repatriation program on the 11th.
The Election Commission has decided to stop the voter list registration process.
Election Commission has decided to stop the voter registration after the meeting of the Council of Ministers announced the election of the House of Representatives and the Provincial Assembly on November 20. The Election Commission has decided to postpone the voter list registration for the time being in view of the upcoming elections.
The Election Commission has said that the voter list registration by the district election office and other related offices will be suspended from the 5th of August, but arrangements will be made to take fingerprints by the 6th of August for those who have already applied online and submitted the form.
The government has dismissed Yuvraj Adhikari, the Executive Chairman of Nepal Airlines Corporation.
The meeting of the Council of Ministers held today decided to dismiss Chairman Yuvraj Adhikari. Earlier, he was suspended on charges of irregularities within the corporation and misbehaving with employees. He was also asked for clarification on the controversy, including entrusting the sale of tickets to an organization without public competition. After the Supreme Court overturned his suspension, he returned to work. But today’s meeting of the Council of Ministers finally dismissed him as he could not improve the situation of the corporation.
The Council of Ministers meeting held today has announced that elections for the House of Representatives and the Provincial Assembly will be held on November 20.
Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, Government Spokesperson and Minister of Communication and Information Technology, while announcing the decision of the Council of Ministers meeting held at Singh Darbar, informed that the election of the House of Representatives and the Provincial Assembly will be held on the 20th of November.
According to the suggestions given by the Election Commission to the government, the government announced the decision to hold the elections on November 20th after reaching an agreement between the parties to hold the federal and provincial elections at one stage.
After defeating the Maldives by 4-0 and Sri Lanka by 3-0 in the first two matches, Nepal lost to India by a wide margin of 8-0 in the third match of the SAFF U-20 Championship.
After scoring 1 goal in the first half of the game, India scored 7 consecutive goals in the second half of the game. With today’s match, Nepal’s goal of playing the final has been added to the challenge. After winning three matches, Bangladesh is at the top of the league with 9 points, while India is at the second position with 6 points. Nepal has managed to collect 6 points from three games, but Nepal is behind India in terms of goal difference.
In order to play the final match, Nepal has to win the next match with Bangladesh, while India has to lose in the next match with the Maldives or the match has to end in a tie.
CPN Maoist Center leader Janardan Sharma has been re-appointed as Finance Minister.
Sharma, who resigned after becoming controversial in the budget issue of the financial year 2079/80, will take charge of the finance minister again after being cleared by the parliamentary investigation special committee.
It is said that on the recommendation of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, President Bidya Devi Bhandari appointed Sharma as a minister to take charge of the Ministry of Finance again. It is also said that Sharma will take the oath of office and secrecy today.
The agitating squatters, who have been demanding the protection of the Chure area and the provision of land to the squatters, have protested by sleeping on the road in front of the office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers in Janakpurdham on Sunday.
Protesters demand that land should be provided to the squatters, and the investigation report made by the government on encroached forest areas should be made public.
They said that the land has been provided to other people without giving land to the real landless and they have said that there should be an investigation on the matter and that land should be provided to the real landless people.
Dang, local residents and public representatives have locked the gate of the aviation fuel depot at Tarigaon Airport in Tulsipur.
Locals and public representatives locked the gate of the air-fuel depot at Tarigaon Airport in Tulsipur saying that the Bowser machine used for filling the aircraft is going to be taken back. After a long time, only Nepal Air Service Corporation’s aircraft have been taking flight at the airport. There have been difficulties for other airlines to start a flight in Tarigaon due to the lack of a fuel depot. The locals with the Deputy Mayor of Tulsipur Sub-metropolitan Syani Chaudhary have jointly locked the gate of the air-fuel depot at the airport, saying that the government is trying to shut down the airport by taking back the Bowser machine.
It is said that the president of the Tulsipur Chamber of Commerce and Industry has sent a letter to all the relevant agencies on the matter and has also warned that if their demands are ignored, they will conduct a strong agitation program.
Applications for secondary education examination SEE grade enhancement supplementary examination have been started.
According to the Examination Control Office, the supplementary examination will be conducted on August 27 and 28. The Examination Control Office said that students who want to take the exam for grade enhancement should apply by August 21.
Students will be allowed to give supplementary examination for maximum two subjects only.To participate in the exam, students have to pay Rs. 500 and fill the form in the concerned school. According to the Examination Control Office, on August 27, there will be an examination of compulsory English and only one subject, while the students who will take the exam of two subjects will be allowed to take the examination of the subject with a small code. Similarly, on August 28, the students who will take the exam for two subjects will take the exam for the subject with big code, according to the examination control office.
An earthquake occurred in Khotang at 8:13 am on Sunday.
The National Earthquake Measurement and Research Center has reported that an earthquake of 6 magnitudes occurred with the epicentre around Martimbirta in Khotang.
The shock of the earthquake was also felt in districts around Khotang and Kathmandu. An earthquake destroyed 2 houses in Bhojpur Municipality-12 Taksar and one house in Sakela Rural Municipality. The exact details of what other damages were caused by the earthquake have not yet been confirmed.
Beijing has begun military exercises near Taiwan as US lawmaker Nancy Pelosi began her controversial tour of Asia.
China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has begun military exercises off the coast of Fujian province, which lies between the mainland and Taiwan. China publicly announced the military drills amid rising tensions with Washington over the self-governing island.
Xinhua news agency reported that the military exercise was held near the Pingtan Islands off the coast of Fujian from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Chinese President Xi Jinping also reportedly warned US President Joe Biden by telephone on Thursday that Beijing would not tolerate “external interference” in China’s dealings with Taiwan.
The parliamentary special investigation committee constituted to investigate the then Finance Minister Janardan Sharma on the charge of unauthorized persons entering the Ministry of Finance and changing the rates of taxes and customs during the preparation of the budget for the financial year 2079/80 has submitted its report to the Parliament today.
In the 129-page long report prepared by the 11-member parliamentary special committee led by MP Laxmanlal Karna, it has cleared Sharma saying that no such concrete evidence has been found against him.
According to paragraph 4 of the report published by the committee, It has been concluded that Sharma is set to be free of all charges.
Regular flights of 2 planes of Yeti Air have been cancelled due to malfunctions in the aircraft.
ATR 72 flight number 672 of Yeti Airlines, flying from Pokhara to Kathmandu, was returned to Pokhara after about 6 minutes of takeoff after the left engine of the plane showed signs of malfunction. The plane carrying 45 passengers made an emergency landing at Pokhara airport.
Similarly, YT 786 flight with 60 passengers from Biratnagar to Kathmandu was also cancelled due to an engine malfunction. There was a problem with the engine when the plane was about to take off. The airline cancelled the flight after the incident.
The 48th meeting of the eleventh session of the House of Representatives is being held today.
In today’s Parliament sitting to be convened at 11 am, the Parliament Secretariat has published a 5-point agenda for discussion. Industry, Commerce and Supply Minister Dilendra Prasad Badu is scheduled to submit a proposal to consider the Standard Measures and Weights (Fifth Amendment) Bill 2076. Similarly, a proposal to consider the Accreditation Bill 2076 is also included in today’s agenda.
In today’s House of Representatives meeting, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is scheduled to submit the Nepal Service Special Bill 2076 to Parliament for discussion. In addition to these, it has been mentioned in today’s agenda published by the Parliament Secretariat that 3 other bills will be discussed in today’s Parliament meeting.
The Nepal Citizenship (First Amendment) Bill, 2079 has also been passed by the National Assembly.
The Citizenship (First Amendment) Bill, 2079 was passed by the majority of the parliamentarians present in the National Assembly after the discussion held on Thursday. The Speaker of the National Assembly Ganesh Prasad Timilsina announced that the bill was passed by the majority.
The Citizenship Bill passed by the National Assembly will now be sent by the National Assembly to the House of Representatives and the House of Representatives will send it to the President. It will come into effect after the President authenticates it and publishes it in the Gazette.
Biplava-led CPN has shown a black flag to American Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu, who arrived in Kathmandu today for a three-day visit to Nepal.
Biplav cadres showed a black flag to Lu and his team at Gaushala. Demanding the cancellation of MCC and SPP, they showed a black flag to Foreign Minister Donald Lu. The police have arrested the cadres who showed the black flag to Foreign Minister Lu.
It is said that the arrested are Prakash Shahi, President of All Revolutionaries, General Secretary Lalit BK, Secretariat Member Tara Sanjel, Central Members Prem Sijapati, Lalit Bam, Ramesh Rawat and Bhaktapur Coordinator Ashok Mahatara.
US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu has arrived in Nepal.
Lu, who arrived in Kathmandu today for a three-day visit to Nepal, is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka on Friday. According to the US embassy in Nepal, there is a program to present an award for corporate excellence to Poorna, an American manufacturing company based in Nepal.
Lu is believed to have played an important role in getting the MCC approved by the Nepalese parliament. At a time when the Nepal government has decided not to proceed with the disputed US State Partnership Program (SPP), Lu’s visit to Nepal has been taken very seriously in the Nepali political circle.
The local residents of Sisdol and Bancharedanda have announced that they will not allow garbage to be thrown in Sisdol and Bancharedanda from August 17.
The local residents of Sisdol and Bancharedanda said that the garbage from Kathmandu Valley will not be allowed to be dumped in Sisdol and Bancharedanda from August 17, saying that the agreement made with the locals of Sisdol and Bancharedanda has not been implemented.
The local residents of Sisdol and Bancharedanda organized a press conference at Kathmandu today and said that the government and the Kathmandu Metropolitan City have not taken any steps to implement the agreement.
Gas prices rose after Russia cut gas supplies to Germany and other Central European countries.
European gas prices rose 2% to an all-time high after Russia invaded Ukraine. Critics have accused the Russian government of using gas as a political weapon. Similarly, Ukraine has accused Moscow of cutting gas supplies to spread terror among people.
On the other hand, Russian energy firm Gazprom has said that the gas supply has been reduced due to maintenance work on turbines.
A few weeks after Nepal’s rejection of the State Partnership Program (SPP), US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Donald Lu will be in Nepal on Thursday.
US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Donald Lu will be arriving for two days visit to Nepal. He is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka during his visit. Yet, no other detailed information has been disclosed about his visit to Nepal.
Previously, it was said that he played an important role to ratify the MCC agreement from the parliament. He was even highly criticized after his separate telephone conversations with Nepalese leaders to ratify the MCC agreement by February 28 and a threat saying, ”Washington would review its relationship with Nepal and understand that China is behind Nepal’s failure to ratify the compact. This incident was later disclosed by Maoist leader Prachanda.
Former US President Donald Trump said that America has become a beggar nation while addressing the America First Agenda Summit. Trump has also accused the Democrats and the Biden administration of bringing America to its knees.
He also said that inflation has gone to the highest in 49 years and the price of oil has hiked. Referring to President Joe Biden’s request during his visit to Saudi Arabia with Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman to increase oil production and reduce global dependence on supplies from Russia, Trump said that America has also lost its energy independence.
In the world, America is facing historical humiliation one after another, he said that the series of murders and crimes in cities governed by Democrats has also increased. Trump said that in the upcoming midterm elections, the American people will “reject the failed regime of Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and the radical left,” and that the Republican Party will win the next presidential election.
The International Relations Committee of the House of Representatives has demanded a reason for not sending the decision not to participate in the State Partnership Program (SPP) to the US.
The government had decided not to participate in the SPP and said that it would write to the US through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Accordingly, the Ministry of Home Affairs has sent the decision of the Council of Ministers to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. But the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet sent a letter to the US.
The meeting of the International Relations Committee held on Wednesday to discuss the issue questioned,” why the government’s decision not to participate in the SPP was not sent to the US?”
Chief of the committee, Pavitra Niraula Kharel informed that the meeting decided to write a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Defense demanding the reason for not writing to the US. The committee has also demanded all the documents shared about the SPP from the Ministry of Defence.
China has opposed a bill introduced by US Senator Marco Rubio to punish Beijing for buying oil from Moscow.
Beijing opposed a proposal by US Senator Marco Rubio to ban any entity that buys oil or other energy supplies from Russia and delivers them to China. Speaking at a regular press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said, “China has always been against unilateral and illegal sanctions that have no basis in international law.” He also said that the general economic and trade cooperation between China and Russia is not against any third party and it will not be affected by any kind of external interference. He also said that Senator Rubio, who knows no political ethics, wants to blame China for everything.
The anti-China proposal, introduced by Rubio along with fellow Republicans Rick Scott and Kevin Cramer, aims to punish any entity that insures or registers tankers carrying oil or liquefied natural gas from Russia to China.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a statement today, asking citizens not to go abroad to work on a visit visa.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has requested Nepali citizens not to go and work on visit visas as there is no legal basis to provide insurance, compensation and relief during the rescue and return of such citizens.
It has been mentioned in the statement issued by the ministry that even Nepalese who go abroad for employment must complete the process of labour approval and other procedures as per the prevailing laws from the relevant agencies.
In the statement issued by the Ministry, even the local level has been requested to keep records of such persons when the citizens within their area go abroad for travel or employment. In the statement issued by the joint secretary/spokesperson of the ministry, Fanindramani Pokhrel, it is requested to use the visit visa only for tourism and not to be tempted to go abroad for employment on the visit .
Nepali Congress leader Shekhar Koirala has said that only if the three conditions of the Congress are met, it will be possible to coordinate in the election with the coalition parties.
While speaking at a press conference organized by Nepal Press Union in Birgunj, leader Koirala said that electoral coordination with the coalition parties in the upcoming elections would be possible only if economic policy, foreign policy and a permanent government under the leadership of the Congress for 5 years will be accepted. He also said that discussions are going on between the coalition parties on this matter.
In addition, Koirala also said that it is impossible to go to the elections by distributing the seats per the demand of the Maoist Center. Pointing to the party president, he has also claimed that Congress will win the next election if the party gives tickets to qualified candidates without dividing tickets on a factional basis.
The Judicial Council has decided to transfer 224 district judges.
The council meeting held on Tuesday decided to transfer 224 district judges. Similarly, the council meeting held today also decided to publish notices for the appointment of 27 vacant judges in the High Court. List of Judges being transfer:
President Bidhya Devi Bhandari has appointed ambassadors for Spain, Russia and Denmark.
On the recommendation of the Council of Ministers, President Bhandari has appointed ambassadors for Spain, Russia and Denmark. Among the newly appointed ambassadors, Sharmila Parajuli Dhakal for Spain, Milanraj Tuladhar for Russia and Prof. Dr. Ramswarth Rai has been appointed.
Similarly, the Nepali Ambassador to India Dr. Shankar Prasad Sharma has been appointed as Non-Resident Ambassador to Bhutan.
The report of the CCTV footage of the Ministry of Finance has been submitted to the Parliamentary Special Investigation Committee by the police forensic team. The meeting of the committee held at 8 o’clock in the morning opened the sealed report, but it was said that it should be analyzed by the experts of the laboratory. Secretary of the committee Surendra Aryal said that the Sealed forensic report given by the police was opened, but since it is a technical matter, it has to be discussed with the experts, and then the detailed information about it will be released only after getting information from the experts of the laboratory.
After the CCTV footage was deleted from the Ministry of Finance, the investigation committee sent the forensic lab of the police to recover the footage. After the investigation committee did not find any concrete evidence during the investigation, it has been demanding that the facility of tracking the call details and location of the then Finance Minister Janardhan Sharma should be provided. However, members of the ruling party protested against providing the call details to the committee saying that it would violate the right to privacy.
In today’s match under SAFF U-20 Championship, Nepal defeated the Maldives by 4-0.
Dipesh Gurung, Sugam Suwal, Kritish Ratna Chunju and Mangya Nakarmi scored 1-1 goals for Nepal in the match at Kalinda Stadium in Bhubaneswar, India. Nepal scored 1 goal in the first half of the game and scored 3 goals in the second half of the game.
Nepal will play the second match of the tournament against Sri Lanka on Wednesday and the third match will be played against India on 31 July.
At the program of the National Vibhuti Bhimsen Thapa Memorial Foundation attended by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, slogans were raised demanding the repeal of the Citizenship Bill.
Slogans were raised against Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba in a program organized by the Rastriya Bibhuti Bhimsen Thapa Memorial Foundation at Pragya Bhawan in Kamaladi. When Prime Minister Deuba was about to get on the stage to give his speech, a group of people present there chanted slogans against the Citizenship Bill, MCC and Sher Bahadur Deuba, demanding to protect the Nation.
After the incident, security personnel escorted Prime Minister Deuba to the stage, while the police escorted the protestors out of the venue.
After the announcement of the monetary policy for the financial year 2079/80, the stock market increased by 61.05 points on Sunday and increased by 54.45 points to 2132.96 on Monday.
NEPSE index increased by 2. 62% While the sensitive index measuring the turnover of ‘A’ class companies has also increased by 9.05 points to 407.38 points.
Along with the NEPSE index, the trading amount has also increased to 4,106,818,941 rupees. All the sub-indices went green with 7 companies trading in a positive circuit while 9,944,048 shares were traded of 214 companies.
Today’s meeting of the National Assembly has unanimously approved the proposal to consider the Nepal Citizenship (First Amendment) Bill, 2079 received with a message from the House of Representatives.
After the proposal is approved unanimously, according to rule 106 of the National Assembly Rules 2075, the parliamentarians can register the amendment proposal in the bill branch under the National Assembly.
The next meeting of the National Assembly is scheduled to be held on Thursday 28th July at 11 am.
The police have arrested 4 people on the charge of murdering a 4-year-old girl after rape.
A 4-year-old missing girl from Birgunj Metropolitan City-2 Chhapkaiya was found dead in a bush of empty land in Birgunj-2 Chhapkaiya on 23 July. During the investigation, the police arrested the 12-year-old youth who first reported that the body had been found, and when the involvement of 3 other people including the same child was found, the police arrested the other 3 accused and started further investigation.
In the preliminary investigation of the police, it has been revealed that the murder took place after forced coercion. The police have said that they are conducting a further investigation against the 4 accused persons for the crime of rape and murder.
Droupadi Murmu took oath as the 15th President of India today. She was escorted by Vice-President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha M Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to the Central Hall.
She was administered oath by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana at a ceremony that was held at Parliament’s Central Hall in the presence of former president Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In her first address as President, Murmu said that her election to the top constitutional post proves that in India, the poor can not only dream but also fulfil those aspirations.” I have been elected during an important time when the country is marking 75 years of Independence,” she said. Droupadi is the youngest person to take oath as the President of India.
More than 15 houses have been damaged due to floods and landslides in Tamakosi rural municipality-4 Malukhola Bazar of Dolakha.
The affected people have been rescued from the houses damaged by floods and landslides with the help of police and local residents. Due to floods and landslides, transport services have been blocked in the Malukhola road section and electricity supply has also been stopped in the area.
Similarly, more than 30 families have been displaced in Shailung Rural Municipality-8 due to the landslides that came with the incessant rains. More than 25 households of Bigu Rural Municipality-4 Singti Bazar have been affected by the landslide, while Bhimeshwar Municipality-2 Dakthali has also been affected by the landslide.
Nepal Citizenship (First Amendment) Bill 2079 has been tabled in today’s meeting of the National Assembly.
The Nepal Citizenship (First Amendment) Bill, 2079, received with a message from the House of Representatives, was presented by Rajendra Phuyal, Secretary of the National Assembly, in today’s meeting.
Similarly, the message from the House of Representatives regarding the Nepal Engineering Council (First Amendment) Bill 2076 and Senior Citizens (First Amendment) Bill 2075 was also presented in today’s meeting.
A team of police today raided the Blue Sky Call Center in Tilottama Municipality Jankinagar and arrested more than 150 employees including 7 operators.
It is said that they were arrested on the basis of a preliminary investigation of the police that they were active in online fraud business and were scamming people by saying that they had won the lottery on WhatsApp and Facebook.
According to the preliminary investigation of the police, the call center, which is also believed to be owned by foreign nationals, used to scam citizens in Nepal and India by sending various tempting and spam messages.
Three people were killed and 12 people were injured when a falling tree hit a moving bus and a scooter in Bhaktapur.
According to the police, 3 passengers were killed and 12 were injured when a falling tree hit the Ba 2 Kha 3584 numbered bus and Ba 61 Pa 3978 numbered scooter going from Kathmandu to Dudhpati in Bhaktapur. The injured have been taken to the hospital for treatment .
July 24, Jhapa: Three teenage girls were found hanging dead on a tree in Bellegaon of Kachankawal-5 Pathamari Jhapa.
Three teenage girls who had gone out for a walk since 11 o’clock on Saturday were found hanging on a tree in the Sunkosi tea garden. According to the police, the deceased has been identified as 16-year-old Kareena Ganesh, Kalpana Ganesh and 17-year-old Anjali Ganesh.
The police have prepared to send the bodies for post-mortem, and in the preliminary investigation of the police, it is suspected that they may have committed suicide.
The main opposition party CPN-UML has said that it will protest against the Citizenship Bill.
Speaking at a press conference organized by Press Chautari Karnali in Birendra Nagar, Surkhet, CPN-UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel said that UML will hold a protest against the Citizenship Bill on 1st August.
General Secretary Pokharel has also criticized the government saying that the Citizenship Bill was passed by the Parliament to maintain the power and alliance and this is the government’s unworthiness. Pokharel has also commented that it is doubtful that the Citizenship Bill passed rigt after Prachanda’s visit to India.
The meeting of Province No. 1 Provincial Assembly will be held today at 1 o’clock in the afternoon.
The State Assembly Secretariat has informed that the meeting of the State Assembly, which was postponed on July 3, will begin today as the budget session continues.
In Province 1, a dispute has arisen regarding the naming of the province.
There is no concrete definition of social rights, but they can be called subject rights because social rights are the rights of subjects or the people under the constitution arising from the social contract. In other words, these rights are different from natural rights deriving from the natural law. It is said that the state is built by the people. No supernatural or divine power has created or built it. Therefore, every state must protect its citizens, particularly those destitute individuals, groups and communities. In this 21st century, almost all states are considered public welfare states (states supposed to guarantee the social rights of their people in their respective countries) in the world. However, all these social rights are closely connected to human rights and are important to everyone. Strictly speaking, social rights are connected to the right to life of every individual. When a child is born, he/she becomes a member of society and as a social member; he/she gets social rights.
Although social rights are closely related to human rights and the right to life of every person, the history of these rights doesn’t seem to be very old nor do the states mention clearly that these rights are the social rights in their respective constitutions Acts. This doesn’t mean that social rights have not been addressed by any countries. These rights are addressed by many countries for many years but not in the concrete or codified form, in conjunction with other rights i.e. human rights, fundamental rights, civil rights, political rights etc. These rights were not codified for a long time till the European Council issued a policy recommendation for its member states to promote access to social rights for young people from destitute neighborhoods in 2015. If we study it, we can firmly say that social rights are based on the ideas of equality and guaranteed access to essential social and economic goods, services, and opportunities to every individual irrespective of one’s religion, opinion, caste, race, or gender and so on. Additionally, these rights can be taken as an understanding of what is required to satisfy people’s social needs by promoting social inclusion and social solidarity. In this way, social rights are not only moral and social rules but legal rules too. But many analysts have distinguished these rights from civil rights. According to them, civil rights are absolute and must be provided in any civilized society whereas social rights are relative or are necessarily contingent on a society’s level of economic development.
What Kinds of Rights come under Social Rights?
As a member of society, all the rights of people related to food, shelter, cloth, health, education, social security, etc. belong to social rights. However, we should keep in mind that these rights tend to promote social inclusion and social solidarity. It means people from destitute and marginalized communities are given priority to get access to quality education, secure employment, health care etc. Primarily, access to food, health, shelter, education, employment and public services could be taken as social rights.
Significance:
Social rights are as important as a society. Just as it is difficult to imagine a person without society, so it is difficult to imagine a person without social rights. It means social rights are closely connected with the life of a person living in a society. They are very important to everyone, particularly to destitute, minority and marginalized individuals, groups or communities. Since these rights include the above-mentioned things i.e. From access to adequate food to social safety or protection; equality, well-being and dignity of any person are the hubs of these rights. Without social rights, no one can survive or live peacefully. Any person is like a paralyzed patient in absence of social rights and we know that the paralyzed person can’t move his/her body despite having full body parts. Let’s clarify it with some examples. If a baby is born in a poor family then obviously, he/she becomes poor & he/she won’t have proper foods to eat. In that case, he/she has a right to adequate food which is one of the social rights. Getting food to survive is his/her social right that a state must fulfil because the state is like a guardian of the people and the people are like offspring. So, the state has to guarantee the social right of the people in a public welfare state. Similarly, every single baby gets the right to life after birth, regardless of gender, family status or economic condition. If the child is deprived of any of its rights then the state must take stern steps through its various mechanisms against the wrongdoer and should make every effort to compensate the victim and save his or her life.
The significance of social rights is increasing day by day all over the world. On the one hand, these rights are incorporating core values of every society such as equality, dignity, fairness, freedom etc. by providing detailed guidance for policy and practice. On the other hand, these rights are establishing a culture of accountability for social policies. Here, accountability is to be understood in many forms ranging from the ballot box to the media to the court premises. Social rights are considered emancipatory, empowering, and transformative for people to bring happiness and peace to society and are widely relevant to the “everyday lives” of millions of people.
Social Rights in Nepal:
Social rights in Nepal have been addressed in the constitution of 2015 A.D. since its preamble. Most of the social rights are addressed under or in the name of the fundamental rights and duties. The major social rights mentioned in the constitution are the right to freedom, equality, discrimination, religion, culture, education, employment, health, food, shelter, social security, justice, rights of the child, Dalit, women, senior citizens and consumer.
“our problems stem from our acceptance of the filthy, rotten system.”
Dorothy Day
Out of these rights, some rights such as the right relating to education, the right to employment, and rights relating to health, food, and shelter are very serious and sensitive matters in the current situation. It would not be an exaggeration to say that these rights are only confined to the piece of paper. Today, thousands of people are dying due to starvation, and thousands of children are illiterate or are deprived of going to school. Many peoples are dying from not getting treatment on time. Millions of citizens of this country are bound to leave for foreign employment. But the state or government has done nothing to address such burning issues despite it being mentioned as fundamental or social rights in the constitution.
The way forward:
To advance and protect social rights, first, the legislature should make laws addressing the fundamental rights guaranteed by the constitution. In the absence of law, no case is generally allowed to enter the ordinary courts and cannot be enforced or executed accordingly. Due to a lack of adequate resources and means, Nepal cannot guarantee all the mentioned fundamental rights (social rights) in practice, but the state or government can guarantee the social rights of the people in general by controlling widespread stinking and tragic corruption. To promote and protect the social rights of the people, executive and legislative determination is urgently required. The pressure from civil society advocating the social rights of the people is also needed. Social rights literature should be written effectively and broadly by addressing many issues including health, education and work. Also, judicial determination or the role of the court should be crucial and active so that social rights can be strongly advocated and argued before the courts. For this, first, the judges should have the appropriate expertise, and secondly, they shouldn’t be conservative.
Conclusion:
Social rights are often viewed and analyzed by linking to human rights, fundamental rights, legal rights, political rights, civil rights, etc. Except for a few countries including the revised European social charter, most countries have incorporated social rights into their constitution and laws without naming their social rights. And the importance of social rights is expanding across the world. People started to say housing is a social or human right and education is a right not a commodity, etc. As social rights deal primarily with how people live and work together and the basic needs of life, they are gaining momentum. It is not difficult to implement explicit social rights in practice, but to implement implicit social rights, the door of the court must be knocked on eventually depending on the systems of the concerned country. In this regard, Ms. Dorothy Day said, “our problems stem from our acceptance of the filthy, rotten system.” But at last, we shouldn’t forget that social rights are not a panacea.
The controversial Citizenship Bill has been passed by a majority in the Parliament session held today.
The bill to amend the Citizenship Act 2063 presented by Home Minister Balkrishna Khand has been passed by the majority of the Parliament meeting today.
Nepali Congress, CPN Maoist Centre, United Socialist Party and Janata Samajwadi Party were in favor of the Citizenship Bill, while CPN UML, Rashtriya Janamorcha and Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party were against saying that foreign women who marry Nepalese men should not be granted citizenship immediately.
However, they did not object to other aspects of the bill to amend the Citizenship Act 2063.
Nepal Rastra Bank today announced the monetary policy for the financial year 2079/80. Nepal Rastra Bank’s Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari announced the monetary policy today through a press conference.
The announced new monetary policy has increased the bank rate from 7% to 8.5%.Similarly, the minimum limit of 40 million has been removed in share mortgage loans while the maximum limit of 120 million has been maintained .
Congress President and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba said the journalism sector should be more responsible for the country and the people.
During the opening ceremony of the 9th Convention of Nepal Press Union in Hetauda, PM deuba urged the journalists to be responsible and accountable refining itself with the help of advanced technology.
Addressing the ceremony he also said that the journalists should not forget their responsibility under the guise of press freedom as press has an important role to strengthened the democracy.
Soon after addressing the ceremony he returned back to Kathmandu.
Dinesh Gunawardena has been appointed as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.
Gunawardena, a veteran member of the ruling Sri Lanka People’s Front and an ally of the Rajapakse political family, took the oath of office and secrecy today.
Gunawardena became the Prime Minister after Ranil Wickremesinghe became the President. 73-year-old Gunawardena had previously served as Foreign Minister, Education Minister and Home Minister.
The ninth convention of Nepal Press Union, a journalist organization close to the Nepali Congress, has started today in Hetauda.
Anita Bindu and Shiv Lamsal are competing for the post of president in the ninth convention of Nepal Press Union inaugurated by Prime Minister and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba.
A faction of the party has been seen in the convention of Nepal Press Union, where Anita Bindu from the Deuba-led founding party and Shiv Lamsal from other groups are competing with the panel.
From the Deuba panel, Saroj Adhikari is contesting as Senior Vice President, Jagannath Dulal as General Secretary, Keshav Sawad as Deputy General Secretary, Khagendra Bhandari as Secretary, Menuka Dhungana as Women’s Secretary and Madhav Dhital as Treasurer.
Dilip Poudel as General Secretary, Vishnu Chhetri as Deputy General Secretary, Prem KC as Senior Vice President and Nakul Aryal, Bhishmaraj Ojha and Shekhar Regmi as Open Vice Presidents are seen in the competition from the other panel.
More than 1,600 convention delegates from all over the country will participate in the convention.
The government is preparing to pass the disputed citizenship bill in today’s meeting of the House of Representatives.
According to the Parliament Secretariat, it has been mentioned in the agenda that Home Minister Balkrishna Khand will submit a motion to pass the Nepal Citizenship (First Amendment) Bill, 2079 in today’s meeting of the House of Representatives, which will be held at 1:00 PM.
Coalition government withdrew the previous citizenship bill prepared by the then Oli government and registered a new bill.
Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi submitted his resignation to Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale presidential palace in Rome on Thursday.
Draghi’s resignation comes after several key parties in his coalition boycotted a confidence vote in the government .After the resignation of the Prime Minister, Italian President Sergio Mattarella is now said to start the phase of consultation to get another majority between the parties in the Parliament or call for immediate elections.
Draghi’s resignation comes despite his popularity within the country and support from world leaders.World view him as an important European voice in standing up against Russian President Vladimir Putin and his war in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, a fear has been raised that Draghi’s resignation may destabilize the European Union’s third-largest economy.
Student organizations belonging to the ruling coalition party have demonstrated at Maitighar Mandla demanding the dismissal of Nepal Rastra Bank’s Governor Mahaprasad Adhikari.
Today, on the third day of the demonstration students staged a cartoon demanding the dismissal of the governor at Maitighar Mandla. Student organizations protested against the governor saying that, Governor Adhikari so called M Adhikari has violated the Rastra Bank Act 2058 and has flouted the law and is active in destroying the country’s economy by being a member of the opposition party.
Under the pre-announced program, the Student Organizations have said that they will organize a protest program in colleges across the country tomorrow.
Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota has instructed the government to provide information about the US military partnership program SPP after the lawmakers of the ruling party and opposition raised questions in the parliament.
Speaker Sapkota ruled on this after the lawmakers raised a questions saying,” why Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet sent any correspondence to the US almost a month after the cabinet meeting decided to write a letter saying that Nepal will not participate in the SPP?” soon after Sapkota said,”My attention has been drawn to what honorable members of the parliament have raised about the SPP agreement. In this regard, I instruct the Government of Nepal to inform about the decision and the status of its implementation.
In today’s Parliament meeting, Maoist Chief Whip Gurung raised a question saying that the government is in the process of passing the SPP under two different names.
Similarly, CPN-UML MP Dr. Bhim Bahadur Rawal also objected to the fact that the ministry of foreign affairs did not wrote a letter to US saying that the SPP would not be implemented despite the decision of the Cabinet.
The deadline of the Parliamentary Special Inquiry Committee formed to investigate Finance Minister Janardhan Sharma has been extended by 7 days.
Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota extended the term of the parliamentary special investigation committee by 7 days after the meeting approved the proposal made in the House of Representatives. Earlier, a 10-day deadline was given to the committee formed to investigate the matter of unauthorized persons entering the ministry and changing the tax rate to benefit limited individuals and organizations during the preparation of the budget for the financial year 2079-80.
Earlier,Secretary of the committee Surendra Aryal requested to extend the deadline as the investigation was not completed.
The process of extending the deadline of the parliamentary special inquiry committee has been initiated which is investigating the alleged involvement of unauthorized persons in the preparation of the budget
As the parliamentary special inquiry committee has not been able to complete the work within the specified period, Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota is likely to provide more time to the committee in today’s Parliament meeting. Earlier, 10 days time was provided for the investigation. Surendra Aryal, secretary of the committee have requested that the required time be extended.He also said that the CCTV footage has been sent to the police to recover it and it is not yet decided when the report will come.
During the investigation, the committee questioned the outgoing Finance Minister Sharma for about 3 hours today. He has denied the allegation that other than the concerned officials of the Ministry of Finance were involved in the budget preparation.
Almost a month after the cabinet meeting decided to write a letter to the US saying that it will not participate in the SPP, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet sent any correspondence to the US in this regard.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet written to the US to provide the information regarding the government’s decision not to participate in the US State Partnership Program (SPP) .While the leaders of various political parties are questioning the fact that the letter has not been sent to the US according to the decision of the Council of Ministers , the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that it is only doing homework with the relevant agencies.
Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a regular press conference on Wednesday and informed that there is a need to discuss the matter with the Ministry of Defence, the Nepali Army and other agencies and that the homework is being done.
”We will correspond with the United States through the diplomatic mechanism at an appropriate time regarding the decision of the Nepal government,” said the Ministry of Foreign affairs.
Pubudu Dashanayak, head coach of the Nepali national cricket team, has resigned from his post.
While saying that Pubud has resigned from the coach due to personal reasons, cricket fans have been demanding the resignation of the coach and captain Sandeep Lamichhane due to the declining performance of the national team. Pubud sent his resignation to CAN via email about a week ago. Pubudu, who signed a two-year contract with CAN last November for a second term, submitted his resignation within 8 months.
Pubudu was the coach of the Nepali team for the first time from 2011 to 2015.
Nepali Congress has appointed Chitralekha Yadav as the party’s chief whip and Meen Bahadur Vishwakarma as the whip.
Nepali Congress Party Chairman and Parliamentary Party Leader Sher Bahadur Deuba on Wednesday appointed Yadav and Vishwakarma as the chief whip and whip of the party. Yadav and Vishwakarma have been appointed to fill both the vacant posts after Balkrishna Khan, who was the Chief Whip before, became the Home Minister and Pushpa Bhusal, who was the Whip, became the Deputy Speaker.
The Special Investigation Committee of the House of Representatives is going to take a statement from Janardan Sharma, who resigned after it was revealed that unauthorized persons were involved in the budget preparation.
The parliamentary special committee formed to investigate the involvement of unauthorized persons in budget preparation has already taken statements from 10 officials under the Ministry of Finance. During the statement, the officials of the ministry has denied that unauthorized persons had entered during the budget preparation.
Before the statement, the committee requested to provide the CCTV footage , but the Ministry of Finance did not provided the footage saying that, the footage will remain only for 13 days and the others will be deleted automatically. Amid various discussions and debates that the CCTV footage may have been deleted to destroy the evidence, the investigation committee is going to send the CCTV footage to the forensic lab under the Nepal Police to recover it. However, the police said whether the CCTV footage can be recovered or not depends on the condition of the hard disks.
Amid all these incidents, the investigation committee will take a statement from Janardan Sharma today. According to the course of events, the committee has not been able to gather any such concrete evidence against Sharma even if the statement taken with the officials of the Ministry of Finance is to be considered as the basis. However, what Sharma will say in today’s statement has become a matter of interest.
Russian President Putin has said, Ukraine has shown no desire to meet the terms of what he described as a preliminary peace deal reached in March.
Speaking on television after his visit to Iran, Putin said that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have offered to mediate between Russia and Ukraine. However, when asked about a possible meeting with Zelensky, he said Ukraine is not sticking to the terms of the initial peace deal that was “practically achieved” in March.
“The final outcome, of course,” he said, “depends on the will of the contracting parties to implement their agreement.” But Kiev seems to have no desire for a peace deal .”
Student organizations belonging to the ruling coalition party have announced a five-days protest demanding the dismissal of Rastra Bank’s Governor Mahaprasad Adhikari.
In a joint statement the students union has demanded the dismissal of the governor saying that, Governor Adhikari so called M Adhikari has violated the Rastra Bank Act 2058 and has flouted the law and is active in destroying the country’s economy by being a member of the opposition party.
As part of the strike they have announced five days continuous protest in various form demanding the dismissal of the governor.
Iran’s foreign currency exchange starts trading in the riyal-ruble currency pair.
Iran’s official foreign exchange has listed the Russian currency and said it will begin trading in the ruble-riyal currency pair. The listing came ahead of President Putin’s visit to Tehran, and the head of Iran’s central bank described it as “an important step in the development of economic relations between Iran and Russia.”
Moscow had previously promised to phase out the use of the US dollar in its trade with Iran. Trade between the two countries has grown by 31% in the first four months of this year.
Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow and Tehran are preparing a major new cooperation agreement, saying that Russia and Iran are among the most sanctioned countries in the world and that both countries will work together to reduce the impact of international sanctions on the economy.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned to freeze the NATO expansion in Sweden and Finland if they fail to fulfill their agreement. Turkey has demanded that Sweden and Finland end the embargo on arms sales to Turkey and punish the rebels of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, taken refuge in Sweden and Finland who have been declared terrorists by Turkey. Until the end of June, Turkey blocked the invitation of Sweden and Finland to become NATO members, but after the trilateral memorandum signed in Madrid, it allowed Sweden and Finland to be formally invited to the summit in Spain. However, Erdoğan has been saying that he will stop both countries from joining NATO until the demand is met, saying that Turkey’s stance on it’s demand remains.
Although Finland and Sweden remained neutral during the Cold War, both countries applied to join NATO on May 18 amid security concerns following the Russian military invasion of Ukraine. They can only be the members if approved by the parliaments of the 30 NATO countries.
After the US House of Representatives adopted the text of the National Defense Authorization Act that would require Turkey to submit additional certifications before buying F-16 fighter jets, Erdogan is said to have issued a conditional warning to Sweden and Finland to join NATO Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has said that Turkey should not play the F-16 “quid pro quo” for the Nato expansion in Sweden and Finland . He also said that said he could get congressional approval for it.
The meeting held on Monday of the Promotion Committee of the Police Head Office has recommended the promotion of 34 Police Inspectors (Inspectors) to Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSP) of Nepal Police.
It is said that 34 police inspectors have been recommended for promotion according to sub-rule 4 of rule 27 of the police regulation 2071 (with amendments). List of police inspectors recommended for promotion:
Elections have started today in India to elect the President.
The election for the 15th President of India has started from 10 am today. Draupadi Muram from the ruling party National Democratic Alliance and Yashwant Sinha from the opposition party are contesting in the election.
Due to the support of other parties, Murma is seen as a strong candidate. It is said that both houses of India, Rajya Sabha and Assembly members will vote in the election and the results of the election will be announced by Thursday.
Along with the decline in the price of crude oil in the international market, the price of petroleum products purchased by Nepal Oil Corporation from India has also decreased.
According to the reduced prices, since Saturday, the Oil Corporation has purchased petrol at a lower price of Rs 15.76 per liter and diesel at a lower price of Rs 16.56 per liter.
Even though Nepal Oil Corporation purchased petroleum products from India at a reduced price, due to the arrears that the corporation has to pay to the IOC and the long-standing losses, the price of petroleum products will not be adjusted according to the new prices.
Due to pressure on foreign exchange reserves, the government has banned the import of motorcycles above 150 cc and mobile phones worth more than 300 US dollars until August 30.
Earlier, the government had banned the import of motorcycles above 250 cc and mobile sets priced above US$ 600 in April.
According to the government, it is said that the current system will not be applicable in case of those who have completed the process of import through banking before 17 July 2022. After the decrease in foreign exchange reserves, the government has been tightening the import of luxury goods.
According to the Department of Water and Meteorology, Weather Forecast Division, there is currently a general effect of Monsoon air across the country.
According to the Meteorological Department, there will be partly to normal weather changes across the country this afternoon. There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder/lightning at some places in the hilly areas of the country and few places in the rest of the country.
Similarly, the hilly areas of the country will have partial to normal weather changes tonight, while the rest of the country will have clear weather. There is a possibility of light to moderate rain at a few places in Province 1, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province and one or two places in other provinces.
US President Joe Biden, who arrived in Saudi Arabia to rebuild the Saudi-US relationship, has said that he raised the issue of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in his meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.
After the October 2018 murder of journalist Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, US intelligence agencies accused Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman with murder.
Aside from Khashoggi’s murder, President Biden discussed increasing oil supplies to the market and announced that Saudi Arabia would open its airspace to the aircrafts flying to and from Israel, which was previously banned.
The Chinese embassy in Nepal has retaliated by denying the statement made by US Ambassador nominee Dean Thompson at a hearing of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the MCC had been passed by the Nepali parliament despite the China’s disinformation.
A statement issued by the spokesperson of the Chinese embassy in Nepal said that the remarks of the US side were completely baseless and they not only condemned China but also insulted Nepal and its people.
The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact has been hotly debated between Nepal and the United States, and the Nepali Parliament has passed a “explanatory declaration” specifically stating that Nepal’s constitution will be above the Compact and other related agreements. The declaration states that Nepal will not be part of any US military alliance, including the Indo-Pacific Strategy. It is also said that the government of Nepal and the people of Nepal have done legitimate work in favor of the national interest to protect their sovereignty and independence.
China firmly believes that in pursuing international development cooperation, the principle of mutual respect and equality should be maintained, the sovereignty and people’s will of the relevant countries should be fully respected, and the internal affairs of any country should not be interfered with, and no coercive diplomacy, and certainly the sovereignty of other countries for selfish gains. And the statement states that there should be no violation of interests.
The statement said that as Nepal’s friendly close neighbor and development partner, China would protect Nepal’s sovereignty, independence and national interest and help the Nepalese people to choose their own path of development freely and contribute to Nepal’s socio-economic development.
Pushpa Bhusal has been elected for the position of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Pushpa Bhusal, who received 148 votes out of the total of 242 MPs present in the Parliament, has been elected to the post of Deputy Speaker by the majority of the existing members. There were 93 votes against Bhushal and one vote in favor of not voting.
The Upendra Yadav faction of the Janata Samajwadi Party has dismissed 9 central leaders including Federal Council Chairman Baburam Bhattarai. Accusing him of playing a role in dividing the party, the central committee meeting held in Birgunj decided to remove Bhattarai and the leader of his faction on Thursday.
According to JASAPa executive member Prakash Adhikari, Federal Council Chairman Bhattarai, executive members Mahindra Yadav, Hisila Yami, Ganganarayan Shrestha, Prashant Singh, Durga Shob, Ramesh Yadav, Bhakta Bahadur Shah and Dan Bahadur Chaudhary have been relieved of their posts.
The extended meeting of the Bhattarai faction held in Kathmandu on Tuesday and Wednesday decided to separate from the JASAPA and form a new party.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that the government has no plans to buy weapons for the police.
Deuba said this while answering the questions raised by the leaders at the meeting of the Congress Central Working Committee held in Sanepa on Thursday.
Congress leaders has suggested Deuba ,that it would not be right to buy arms when the country is facing an economic crisis.
During a meeting held in Baluwatar on Thursday morning, Prime Minister Deuba urged to bring a policy to improve the current economic situation. While the NRB is preparing to bring monetary policy, Prime Minister Deuba discussed the recent economic situation of the country with Governor Adhikari.
Governor Adhikari had replied to Prime Minister Deuba that the monetary policy has been prepared to address the current problems in the country’s economic sector. Governor Adhikari briefed Prime Minister Deuba on the economic situation in the country.
Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Dilendra Prasad Badu and Minister for Communications and Information Gyanendra Bahadur Karki were present at the discussion. NRB is preparing to bring monetary policy in the first week of Shrawan.
Prime Minister Deuba is also handling the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance. Deuba has taken control over the ministry after Finance after Minister Janardan Sharma’s resignation, who was dragged into the investigation into irregularities in budget formulation.
A fire has broken out at Nanglo Restaurant at Tinpaini Chowk in Biratnagar. A fire broke out in the restaurant on Thursday afternoon.
Police said that the restaurant was completely burnt down due to the fire. The fire also damaged the house of Moti Dugad, a member of the House of Representatives, near the restaurant. The cause of the fire has not been identified yet.
On behalf of the ruling coalition, Nepali Congress Whip Pushpa Bhusal (Gautam) has nominated for the post of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Bhusal registered the candidature with the support of Devprasad Gurung, the chief whip of the Maoist Center and Laxmikumari Chaudhary of the United Socialist Party.
After the nomination, the final list of candidates will be published today at 1:30 pm and the election will be held tomorrow at 3 pm.
Pushpa Bhusal, who was elected as a proportional MP from Arghakhanchi in the 2070 election, has been involved in the active politics of the Nepali Congress for a long time.
Bhusal, who has a bachelor’s degree in law and a master’s degree in political science, has also become a central member of the Nepal Bar Association. She is the daughter of Kashinath Gautam, who was the health minister in BP Koirala’s cabinet in 2015 BS.
Nepal has defeated Scotland by 5 wickets in the triangular series of ICC Men’s World Cup League Two.
Batting first after losing the toss, Scotland managed to add 144 runs in 42.5 overs in the stipulated 50 overs game.
The Nepali team, which entered the field with a target of 145 runs, lost 5 wickets in 25.1 overs and won the match. In the first match, Nepal lost to Namibia by 40 runs and registered its first victory of the series by defeating Scotland.
Liu Jianchao, head of the International Liaison Department of the Chinese Communist Party, who arrived in Nepal on Sunday, returned home at 10 pm on Wednesday after a four-day visit to Nepal.
During the visit, Jianchao met with the President, Prime Minister and leaders of various political parties. During the meeting, Jianchao expressed the view that anti-China activities should not be allowed on Nepali soil, while Prime Minister Deuba said that Nepal is committed to the one-China policy.
During the meeting, Liu Jianchao said that China’s relations with any country would not be guided by ideology and adding to that he said,”China will always cooperate with all political parties in Nepal and support the government of Nepal.”
Similarly, issues of mutual interest including Nepal-China relations were discussed during the meeting, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Office of the Auditor General (OAG) has submitted the annual report for the fiscal year 2077-78 BS (2020-21) to the President Bidhya Devi Bhandari today.
Auditor General Tankamani Sharma Dangal submitted the organisation’s 59th annual report to President Bidya Devi Bhandari during a programme at the Presidential Residence, Shital Niwas.
A fire has broken out at Bhrikuti Mandap in Kathmandu.
The fire broke out in a wheelchair warehouse at Bhrikuti Mandap, police said. The fire brigade of Kathmandu Metropolitan City is trying to control the fire and fire brigade has also been called from Lalitpur Metropolitan City.
Efforts are being made to put out the fire with the help of police and locals. The cause of the fire has not been identified yet.
President Bidhyadevi Bhandari and Liu Jianchao, head of the International Relations Department of the Chinese Communist Party, held a courtesy meeting at the President’s residence today.
On the last day of his four-day visit, Jianchao arrived at Shital Niwas today for a courtesy call on the President. During the meeting, President Bhandari said that the relations between Nepal and China were historic and that Nepal would move forward in its development process with its neighbors and allies.
Chinese leader Jianchao, on the other hand, said that he had come to Nepal to expand relations between all political parties of Nepal and that China-Nepal relations were developed on the basis of friendship, and mutual benefit.
Earlier, Jianchao met with the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and leaders of other political parties.
Maoist central lawmakers have demanded an investigation into NRB Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari.
Maoist lawmakers have demanded an investigation into the case of Governor Adhikari,being a member of the UML’s Finance and Planning Department. However, it is unknown at this time that if he is the M Adhikari, a member of the UML’s Finance and Planning Department or not.
A questioned has been raised that,does Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari implement the policy of the government or follow the policy of the opposition when he is a member of the Finance and Planning Department of the CPN-UML.
The lawmakers have accused him for helping the main opposition in a planned manner by staying in the party discipline committee and deteriorating situation of the economy.
After the resignation of the then Deputy Speaker Shiva Maya Tumbahamphe, the Federal Parliament, which has been vacant for almost four years, is going to hold elections for the post of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
In today’s meeting of the House of Representatives, according to Rule 8 of the Rules of the House of Representatives 2075 BS, an agenda has been included for the Speaker to fix the date and time for the post of Deputy Speaker. According to the legal provision that the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker should not belong to the same party, the Deputy Speaker should now be from a party other than the Maoists. Similarly, the constitution has also made provision for women to hold one of the posts of Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
The European Union has approved one billion euros infinancial aid to Ukraine.
EU finance ministers have approved one billion euros in economic aid to help Ukraine meet its immediate needs.The amount was approved as the first installment of the nine-billion-euro aid pledged to Kiev last May.
The Czech finance minister Zbynek Stanjura said the assistance would help Ukraine meet its needs and ensure the operation of critical infrastructure.
Sher Bahadur Tamang and Bhim Rawal of the CPN-UML and Prem Suwal of the Nepal Mazdoor Kisan Party (NMKP) have registered notices of protest against the Citizenship Bill.
The lawmakers have registered a notice of protest even before the discussion on the citizenship bill in the parliament.
The lawmakers have opposed the new bill saying that it was the negligence of the State Management Committee to withdraw the bill and bring a new one after the State Management Committee had submitted its report after extensive discussions.
Ram Bahadur Baniya of the CPN-UML defeated Rang Bahadur Khati of Nepali Congress with 4777 votes for the post of mayor. His rival Khati received 3774 votes in the election.
Similarly, UML’s Mayakumari Khadka defeated Nepali Congress’ Rita Shahi for the post of deputy chief of the municipality with 4727 votes. Shahi got 3755 votes.
UML has won in wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 10 of the municipality along with the panel while Nepali congress has won in wards 7 and 8.
The re-election was held in the municipality on July 7 after the election was rigged on May 13. There were 13,659 voters in Budhiganga and 9,128 votes were casted during the re-elction.
Liu Jianchao, the newly appointed head of the International Liaison Department of the Chinese Communist Party, has arrived in Nepal.
Jianchao, who landed at Tribhuvan International Airport from an Air China flight at around 11 this morning, was welcomed by Deputy Chief of Protocol of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Rewati Poudel, leader of the major parties’ foreign departments.
It is said that the six-member Chinese delegation will discuss Nepal-China relations and issues of mutual interest during the 4 days visit.
Jianchao is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and Foreign Minister Dr. Narayan Khadka today.
He is also scheduled to meet President Vidyadevi Bhandari, UCPN (Maoist) Central Committee Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and CPN-UML Chairman KP Oli.
The United Kingdom has announced a new military program to train 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers.
In a statement, the UK said the first group of Ukrainian had arrived in the UK.
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said the use of world-class expertise by the British military would help Ukraine rebuild its military and increase resistance to defend its sovereignty and the right to choose its own future.
The training will also provide volunteers with no military experience to be effective in front-line combat. The training, based on basic British military training, will teach weapons handling, battlefield first aid, fieldcraft, patrol tactics and the rules of armed conflict.
Leaders of Sekhar Koirala’s panel have called a meeting at Koirala’s liaison office in Baluwatar at 1 pm today who has been accusing Nepali Congress party president Sher Bahadur Deuba of running the party in an arbitrary manner and not following the constitution.
Before the meeting of the Central Committee of the Nepali Congress starting from Monday, Dr. Koirala’s panel have called a meeting to form a unified view of the suporting leaders .
Even before this, the leaders of Koirala’s panel have been opposing the party president saying that the party president Deuba has run the party in an arbitrary manner and has engaged in factional politics.
Protestors in Srilanka stormed a rally on Saturday smashing the police barricades and took controlled over the presidential residence.
President Rajapaksa flee after the prtoestors took controlled over the building.His whereabouts remain unknown, although police say he was escorted to a safe place.
People of Srilanka have been staging anti-government protests in Srilanka, saying the political leaders is not doing well for the country amid economic crisis. Protesters had earlier surrounded the residences of leaders of various political parties and set fire to their homes.
Pictures and videos of black-clad protesters carrying Srilankan flags entering President Rajapaksa’s residence in the capital Colombo have gone viral on social media.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has called an emergency meeting of party leaders amid crisis.
The Home Ministry has recommended 32 Superintendents of Police (SPs) for promotion to Senior Superintendents of Police (SSP).
Pursuant to sub-rule 4 of rule 27 of the Police Rules 2071, the promotion committee meeting held today has recommended to promote 32 Superintendents of Police to the rank of Senior Superintendent of Police from the same group.
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has died after being shot . Abe died at the hospital while undergoing treatment.
Former Prime Minister Abe was shot twice while addressing a public event in the western Japanese city of Nara. Former Prime Minister Abe, who was admitted to Nara Medical University, died at the hospital while undergoing treatment. The assailant named Tetsuya Yamagami has been arrested by the police and kept at the Nishi Police Station. Abe served as Japan’s prime minister from 2012 to 2020. Abe, an influential leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, resigned as prime minister in 2020.
The Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation has changed the policy of 2071 BS to lease the government land.
Earlier, the legal provision of renting government land for only 30 years has been reversed and provision has been made to lease it for 40 years at a time.
Under the new policy, government land can be leased for 5 years in short term, 15 years in medium term and 40 years in long term. Although the government has extended the time limit for leasing, the minimum price for leasing has remained the same. There is no increase in the lease amount even in the new strategy issued after 8 years.
The Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee of the parliament has agreed to extend the time limit in rape cases. As per the agreement, the term will be one year for adults and two years for minors.
According to the agreement, any minor who has been raped will have to lodge a complaint three years after the completion of 18 years, i.e. till the age of 21, while in the case of an adult, a complaint has to be lodged within two years of the incident.
Provision has been made to file a complaint within two years and three months of being released from custody or abduction if raped while in custody or in abduction. Similarly, persons with disabilities, senior citizens and mentally disabled persons have to lodge a complaint within three years of the incident.
Bajura: The counting of votes in the election of Budhiganga Municipality Ward No. 1 and 10 has started according to the Office of the election Officer.
The election, which was suspended due to rigging in the May 13 was held again yesterday. In yesterday’s election, 66.83 percent of the votes had been cast. The Office of the election Officer has hold an all-party meeting this morning and agreed to count the votes by 2-2 wards at once. Police said that security has been tightened in Budhiganga Municipality during the counting period.
Ram Bahadur Baniya of UML and Rang Bahadur Khati of Nepali Congress are contesting for the post of mayor of Budhiganga Municipality,while Maya Khadka from UML and Rita Shahi of Nepali Congress from the coalition are contesting for deputy.
The meeting of the Gandaki Provincial Assembly has been postponed after the obstruction of the main opposition party CPN-UML.
The opposition party CPN UML has obstructed the meeting saying that the mid-term budget expenditure structure has not been brought, more internal debt has been mentioned in the budget than specified in the budget and real information about the infrastructure development budget should be given.
CPN-UML, has said that the budget should be reduced to the extent of error and plans should be cut and the meeting will not be held until a satisfactory reply.
The T20 Cricket World Cup trophy will be brought to Nepal for the first time. The trophy will be brought to Kathmandu during the T20 World Cup Trophy Tour.
T20 World Cup will be started from October 16 in Australia. According to the International Cricket Council (ICC), the trophy tour has started from today .
The journey to take the trophy to different cities of the world has started 100 days before the start of the World Cup. The ICC has stated that the trophy will will be brought to Kathmandu on August 30. The trophy tour will be conducted in 35 cities in 13 different countries.
Earlier, the trophy of the ODI Cricket World Cup in 2019 was brought to Nepal.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia is ready to engage in peace talks with Ukraine, but those who deny the possibility of talks and try to prolong the ongoing conflict will only make the situation worse.
President Putin has challenged those who say Russia has lost its grip on the Ukraine conflict can try and defeat us on the battlefield. He also said that those who think we are loosing our grip should know that we haven’t started anything yet.
Putin said it is a tragedy for the Ukrainian people that the West is willing to fight till the last Ukrainian. He also said that NATO had jeopardized Russia’s consistent efforts to create a fair international security system .
He said the West’s goal of provoking a conflict between Russia and Ukraine had clearly succeeded, but that Moscow’s launch of a military operation in Ukraine was a defeat of the West. He also said that the beginning of this war is the beginning of the complete dissolution of the American world order.
Liu Jianchao, the newly-appointed head of the International Liaison Department of the Chinese Communist Party, is scheduled to visit Nepal next Sunday.
The visit of Jianchao in Nepal will be for 4 days.He is scheduled to meet the President and the Prime Minister as well as the top leaders of the CPN-UML and the Maoist Center during the visit.
He was formerly the chief spokesman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the former director- general of its Information Department.
The Election Commission has estimated that it will cost Rs 10 billion to hold the state and House of Representatives elections this year.
The commission estimates that the expenditure has been hiked due to the increase in salaries, allowances, daily allowances and travel expenses and other facilities. Increase in number of voters, increase in polling stations and polling booths, increase in use of information technology, cost of preparation of polling materials and voter education materials, current market price and transportation cost has made an election expensive compared to the previous election.
Finance Minister Janardan Sharma has resigned from his post.
Finance Minister Sharma was sharply criticized for manipulating the tax rate in the interest of a limited number of individuals and organizations by taking unauthorized persons to the ministry during the preparation of the budget for the fiscal year 2079/80. Lawmakers from the main opposition and coalition parties have been demanding an investigation into the incident and the resignation of the finance minister. Sharma resigned as soon as the parliament formed a special parliamentary committee to investigate the incident.
An 11-member committee to investigate the incident The federal parliament has decided to form an 11-member parliamentary committee to investigate the incident of tax manipulation.
It has been agreed to form the committee with 4 members from UML, 2/2 from Congress and UCPN (M), 1/1 from loktantrik samajwadi, Janata samajwadi and Ekikrit samajwadi and the coordinator will be selected from among the 11 members.
Telephone conversation between French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Putin has been leaked.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called the leaking of a telephone conversation between French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin a “violation of diplomatic etiquette.”
Stating that such recorded talks should not have been unilaterally made public in the context of diplomatic dignity, Lavrov said there was nothing to embarrass Russia about the content of the talks between the two leaders.
Secret phone conversation between President Putin and President Macron, a day before the Military operation in Ukraine was revealed by broadcaster France 2 in a documentary on the French president’s handling of the conflict.
Western Countries have called on international sports federations to remove Russians and Belarusians involved in the Ukraine invasion from the sports governing board.
The 35 nations of the West and Japan and South Korea have issued a joint statement saying not to hold any international sports events in Russia or Belarus and ban their citizens from international competitions.
The statement also called for the suspension of Russian and Belarusian governing bodies by international sports federations. Meanwhile, international governing bodies have banned Russia and Belarus from participating in the World Ice Hockey Championships.
The speaker of Russia’s lower house of parliament has asked to rescind a sea treaty that establishes the country’s maritime border with Norway.
Speaking to the parliament, State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin asked the head of the chamber’s international affairs committee to scrap the treaty, as Norway has been blocking food deliveries destined for Russian-populated settlements on the Svalbard archipelago.
The treaty was signed in 2010, aiming to put an end to disputes between Russia and Norway in the Barents Sea, the part of the Arctic Ocean adjoining the northern coasts of Norway and Russia.
According to the Department of Water and Meteorology, Weather Forecast Division, monsoon wind is currently affecting the country. Currently, Gandaki, Lumbini, Karnali and Far Western Provinces have normal to full cloud cover while the rest of the provinces have partial to normal cloud cover. Light to moderate rains are falling in many places of Gandaki and Lumbini provinces as well as light thunderstorms in Bagmati, Karnali and far western provinces.
July 5(Tuesday)
Afternoon: There will be partial to normal cloud cover across the country. There is a possibility of light to moderate rain in many parts of the country. There is a possibility of heavy rain in one or two places of Far Western Province and Gandaki Province.
Night: There is a possibility of light to moderate rain in most parts of Province No. 1, Karnali and Far Western Province and some parts of the rest of the province. There is a possibility of heavy rain in one or two places of Far Western Province and Karnali Province.
July 6(Wednesday)
Afternoon: There will be normal cloud cover across the country. Light to moderate rains are expected in many parts of the country, while heavy rains are also expected in Gandaki, Lumbini, Karnali and one or two places in the far western states.
Night: There will be partial to normal cloud cover across the country. There is a possibility of light to moderate rain in some parts of the country.
July 7 (Thursday)
Afternoon: There will be partial to normal cloud cover across the country. There is a possibility of light to moderate rain in some parts of the country.
Night: There will be partial to normal cloud cover across the country. Light to moderate rains are expected in some parts of the country, while heavy rains are also expected in Lumbini and one or two places in the far western states.
Warning for the next 24 hours:
Light to moderate rains are expected in many parts of the country and heavy rains are also expected in Gandaki, Karnali and one or two places in the far western states. Everyone is requested to take necessary precaution as the water level may rise and daily life / transport sector may also be affected.
Nepal Oil Corporation has again increased the price of petroleum products.
Nepal Oil Corporation has stated that the price of petroleum products will be increased with effect from 12 midnight today. The corporation has announced a price hike of Rs 2 per liter on petrol, Rs 9 per liter on diesel and kerosene and Rs 5 per liter on domestic aviation fuel.
According to the price hike, the price of petrol has gone up to Rs 181 per liter, diesel and kerosene to Rs 172 per liter and domestic aviation fuel to Rs 190 per liter.
The meeting of the Madhesh Pradesh Sabha has been obstructed by the Loktantrik Samjwadi Party (LOSAPA) .
lawmakers from LOSAPA has obstructed the meeting, accusing Finance Minister Shailendra Sah of illegally allocating Rs. 200 million in his home district Saptari .But Finance Minister Sah said that he has allocated the budget for the flood-hit Saptari as per the decision of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport.
However,The lawmakers of the LOSAPA had said that the statement of the Finance Minister is not satisfactory and the meeting would be adjourned until a parliamentary committee is formed to investigate the matter.
Deepak Singh, an Indian security guard working at the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, has been shot dead. According to the embassy, Singh, who was on duty, shot himself and committed suicide.
Indian embassy has told that the investigation of the incident will be carried out by the embassy itself.
Locals have protested against the death of 15-year-old Binod Shahi of Panchadewal Binayak Municipality-4 in Achham saying that the government prosecutor’s office had played a role in saving the accused.
The situation in Achham district headquarters Mangalsen has become tense due to clashes between police and locals after locals tried to surround the district government prosecutor’s office and court during the protest. Police have also fired tear gas and aerial fire to control the situation.
Police had arrested seven people, including Mayor Ambika Chalaune during the investigation.
The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has earned Rs 1.72 billion by selling electricity in the Indian market in the last one month(June 2-June 30) .
NEA, which has been allowed to sell 364 MW of electricity in the Indian market, has been selling the surplus electricity in the Indian market through six hydropower projects.NEA Executive Director Kulman Ghising also said that the export of electricity is projected to be around Rs 5 billion in the current fiscal year and Rs 20 billion in the coming year.
Less than a week after the unified socialist party reshuffled its ministers, Janata Samajwadi Party (JASAPA) is also preparing to recall its ministers and send new ones.
JASAPA Chairman Upendra Yadav has informed that he is preparing to recall the current ministers and appoint new ones. At present, the party is represented by Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration Rajendra Shrestha, Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Mahindra Rai Yadav, Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Renu Kumari Yadav and Minister for Forest and Environment Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav. While preparing to recall the ministers in the government, it has been said that no decision has been made on who will be sent to the government as the new ministers.
The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has issued a notice prohibiting begging in public places within the metropolitan area.
In the information issued by the metropolis, begging in kathmandu public places by any means or in any way is strictly prohibited.However,sadhus, saints, monks or jogis are allowed to beg from house to house or in any religious or cultural function according to the tradition passed down from time immemorial .
It has been mentioned that within 10 days from the date of publication of the notice, action will be taken in accordance with Article 126 of 2074 BS, Local Government Operation Act 2074 BS and prevailing law if anyone breaks the rule.
The metropolis has also said that it will manage to help the helpless, sick, disabled and people in need of assistance.
A study conducted by the Health Office, Kathmandu, has found diarrhea and cholera bacteria in the jars and government tap water distributed in Kathmandu. The Health Office, Kathmandu, has urged the people to drink jars and bottled water only after boilling. Adding to the situation authorities has warned that if we are not careful in time, it will create a dire situation.
Monitoring by the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control also found that the water from jar water distribution and treatment industries and companies are not suitable to drink directly . The health office has requested to drink only boiled or chlorinated liquid after finding diarrhea and cholera bacteria in the drinking water while testing the water sample distributed in the valley.
Bacteria of diarrhea and cholera in jars and government tap water distributed in Kathmandu
A study conducted by the Health Office, Kathmandu, has found diarrhea and cholera bacteria in the jars and government tap water distributed in Kathmandu. The Health Office, Kathmandu, has urged the people to drink jars and bottled water only after boilling. Adding to the situation authorities has warned that if we are not careful in time, it will create a dire situation.
Monitoring by the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control also found that the water from jar water distribution and treatment industries and companies are not suitable to drink directly . The health office has requested to drink only boiled or chlorinated liquid after finding diarrhea and cholera bacteria in the drinking water while testing the water sample distributed in the valley.
South Korea’s immigration department has arrested 13 Nepalese working illegally.
The identities of the arrested Nepalese have not been disclosed. However, the Immigration Office has stated that all the arrested Nepalis will be repatriated to Nepal.
According to the Immigration Department, nine of the arrested were staying even after their visa expired and four others have been arrested for working elsewhere before the completion of contract without permission.
Bulgaria is set to expell 70 Russian diplomats. This will be the first time that so many diplomats have been expelled from the Balkans at once.
Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said,”They are being expelled because our services have identified them as the people working against our interests.”
Meanwhile,Russia has also banned US President Biden’s wife Jill and daughter Yashley from entering Russia.Russia has previously banned hundreds of US diplomats from entering Russia, including US President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced plans for a second referendum on Scottish independence in October next year. Sturgeon also warned of legal action to ensure voting if the British government tried to stop it.
Sturgeon said the Scottish government, led by the pro-independent Scottish National Party, would outline plans for a second referendum in October 19 2023 and write a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Addressing parliamentarians in the Scottish Parliament, she said she would not accept Scottish democracy as a prisoner of Prime Minister Boris Johnson or any British prime minister and would never allow that to happen.
About 5.5 million Scottish voters rejected independence in a 2014 referendum. But Scotland’s semi-autonomous government has called for a second referendum saying that, British government supported the decision to leave the EU, despite the opposition from a majority of Scots.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Johnson and his ruling Conservative party have opposed a second referendum, saying the 2014 referendum had concluded everything.
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace and senior military official Patrick Sanders have warned that the military should be mobilized against the threat posed by Russia.
Defense Secretary Wallace also suggested that the government should increase defense budget in the face of the growing threat. He told the military think-tank at the Royal United Service Institute that “long-range missiles alone cannot guarantee security if Russia lash out against wider Europe. “
He also called for the military to be ready before it is too late to address the lessons learned from Ukraine.
The G7 leaders have ended their meeting in Germany with an agreement to assist Ukraine as much as possible and isolate Russia.
The G7 summit is pushing for a long-term strategy with a plan to limit Russia’s oil revenue, which is helping to finance a war against Ukraine.
During the three-day meeting, the G7 leaders agreed to ban Russian gold imports and increase aid to food-strapped countries through a blockade on Ukraine’s grain shipments via the Black Sea.
As the road from Sisdol to Bancharedanda has to be repaired, waste management work in Kathmandu Valley will be affected today and tomorrow (Tuesday and Wednesday).
Garbage collection will be stopped today and tomorrow due to the problems on the way to Bancharedanda as the garbage has been piled up on the way to Sisdol of Nuwakot. To reach Bancharedanda, two kilometers from Sisdol, vehicles have to cross a pile of garbage and that has been difficult due to the regular rainfall.
The Department of Environment of Kathmandu metropolis has stated that it is going to clean the place by stopping the work as there is a danger of an accident while transporting the garbage from the valley.
After the split of the Nepal communist party, Bamdev Gautam, who has been playing a neutral role , has announced the Nepal Communist Party Ekta Rastriya Abhiyan at the Reporters Club on Tuesday afternoon.
Nepal communist Party Rastriya Ekata Abhiyan established with the objective of reorganizing the disbanded NCP / Nepal Communist Party and creating an environment to move forward by working together in the upcoming federal and state elections will have 75 member central committee.
There will be a standing committee with 15 members for day-to-day operations. The party, which has adopted the concept of multi-post system, will have one chairman and seven vice-chairmen, one general secretary, one deputy secretary general, one secretary and one treasurer . Including Bamdev Gautam himself there are 8 members in the central secretariat.
The Nepali stock market, which has been declining for a long time, suddenly rose by 94.92 points on Sunday, but the gradual decline of Nepse has not stopped.
Tuesday Nepse stopped at 1921.31 falling by 11.82 points. Today’s toatal share turnover shrunk to Rs.1,058,263,522 declining by 0.61 percent . With the trading of 3,037,680 shares of 230 companies, all indicators except bank and life insurance declined.
The bodies of 46 dead immigrants have been found inside a truck trailer in San Antonio, Texas, on the US-Mexico border while entering the United States illegally.
Their bodies were found inside the trailer of a truck parked next to a railway track in a remote area on the southern outskirts of the city, a San Antonio Fire Department official said. According to the preliminary investigation of the police, it is estimated that they died due to high temperature and lack of water inside the trailer of the truck.
Police said that three suspects have been detained during the preliminary investigation of the incident. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that it is investigating the “alleged human trafficking” in coordination with local police.
Republicans have criticized Biden’s border strategy ahead of the midterm congressional elections in November, who vowed to reverse Donald Trump’s tough immigration policies.
The newly appointed ministers of the Unified Socialist Party have taken oath of office and secrecy today. President Bidhya Devi Bhandari administered the oath of office to the newly appointed ministers at Shital Niwas.
Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Jeevan Ram Shrestha, Minister for Urban Development Metmani Chaudhary, Minister for Health and Population Bhawani Prasad Khapung, Minister for Labor, Employment and Social Security Sher Bahadur Kunwar and Minister of State for Health and Population Hirachandra KC were appointed from unified socialist party.
TheCPN-Unified Socialist party has included new faces in the cabinet after a long period of internal disputes within the party over the issue of ministerial reshuffle. Recalling the old ministers, the Unified Socialists have appointed Jeevan Ram Shrestha as Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Metmani Chaudhary as Minister for Urban Development, Sher Bahadur Kunwar as Minister for Labor, Employment and Social Security, Bhavani Khapung as Minister for Health and Population and Hirachandra KC as Minister of State for Health and Population. Non-MP Sher Bahadur Kunwar has also been appointed as the Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Security in the reorganized Council of Ministers. According to Nepal’s constitution, a person must be an MP to become a minister. But this is not the first time a non-MP has been made a minister in Prime Minister Deuba’s cabinet. Law Minister Gobind Bandi, who was appointed earlier, is also a non-MP. However, if non-MPs are appointed as ministers, they must seek a vote of confidence from parliament within six months. But with less than six months remaining to go to the election, the government has been sharply criticized for recalling former ministers and appointing non-MPs just to settle the internal issues of politiacal party.
The swearing in of the newly appointed ministers will take place on Monday at 11 am, according to the Office of the President.
The Office of the President has stated that the new ministers have been appointed on the recommendation of the Prime Minister in accordance with Article 76, Clause 9 and Article 78, Clause 1 of the Constitution. Implementing the decision of the CPN-Unified Socialist Party to recall the old ministers from the party and appoint new ones, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has reconstituted the cabinet.The CPN-Unified Socialist has included new faces in the cabinet after a long-running internal dispute within the party over the issue of ministerial reshuffle.
Urban Development Minister Ram Kumari Jhankri, Health and Population Minister Birodh Khatiwada, Labor Minister Kishan Shrestha and Tourism Minister Prem Ale have been recalled and the new faces of the Unified Socialists Jeevan Ram Shrestha, Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Metmani Chaudhary, Minister of Urban Development, Sher Bahadur Kunwar, Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Security, Bhavani Khapung, Minister of Health and Population, and Hira KC, Minister of State for Health and Population has been appointed as the new ministers.
The stock market, which has been declining continuously for a long time, rose by 94.92 points on Sunday.
The stock market rose 5.10 percent on Sunday and stopped at 1956.98 points. Along with this, the sensitive indicator alsoincreased by 4.91 percent. The total turnover reached Rs 2,196,141,849 with 6,363,590 shares traded on Sunday. While shares of 230 companies were traded, 21 companies broke the circuit level and all the sub-indies grew green.
The government has reduced the fare of public transport after the Oil Corporation reduced the price of petroleum products with effect from Saturday midnight.
Under the provision of automatic adjustment of fares in case of changes in fuel price by 5 percent or more, the fare of passenger vehicles has been reduced by 5.41 percent, freight vehicles on hilly roads by 6.97 percent and freight vehicles on Terai roads by 7.68 percent.
Nepal Oil Corporation is going to announce the new price of petroleum products with effect from midnight today.
Under the new price to be announced by the corporation, the price of petrol will be reduced by Rs 20 and diesel by Rs 29. The new price of petrol will be Rs 179 and the new price of diesel and kerosene will be Rs 163.
The cabinet meeting convened after a meeting of the ruling coalition at the PM’s residence in Baluwatar agreed to reduce the price of petroleum products by reducing the tax on petroleum products.
Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Thapaliya has informed that the Election Commission is preparing for the state and federal parliamentary elections by November 25.
Addressing a meeting of the Women and Social Affairs Committee, Thapaliya said that the participation of women in the local level elections was low and urged the parliamentarians to play a role in registering at least 33 percent women candidates in the state and federal parliamentary elections.
He also said that some legal and practical issues need to be settled in accordance with the spirit of the constitution.
The European Parliament has adopted a resolution with 529 votes in favour to 45 against and 14 abstentions that calls on heads of state – who hold their summit on Thursday and Friday – to grant EU candidate status to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova “without delay”.
They should do the same with Georgia “once its government has delivered” on the priorities indicated by the European Commission, the parliament said in a statement.
“Ukrainians, Moldovans and Georgians deserve to live in free, democratic and prosperous countries that are proud and committed members of the European family,” it added.
Nepal has slipped eight position below to 176th position in the latest rankings released by FIFA on Thursday. Earlier, Nepal was ranked 168th in the ranking released in March.
Nepal had lost all three matches of the group stage in the final round of the AFC Asian Cup in Kuwait last May. In the selection, Nepal lost 2-0 to Jordan, 4-1 to Kuwait and 7-0 to Indonesia. Losing in three games has also affected the rankings.
This is the first time since 2014 that Nepal has lost such a huge position in the ranking at once. In September of that year, Nepal dropped 17 places at once.
Among the South Asian nations, Nepal is after India and Maldives. India is ranked 104th and Maldives 156th. After Nepal, Bhutan is ranked 186th, Bangladesh 192nd, Pakistan 196th and Sri Lanka 207th.
In the world rankings, Brazil remains at the top and Belgium remains at the second position, while Argentina has risen to the third position. France dropped to fourth place while England remained in fifth place.
Spain is sixth, Italy is seventh, the Netherlands is eighth, Portugal is ninth, and Denmark is tenth. Leading Asian nations are Iran at 23rd and Japan at 24th.
The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has decided to take action against the people of Kathmandu for mixing decomposable and non-decomposable garbage in the same place without classifying them.
The Kathmandu Metropolitan City had earlier agreed with the affected locals of Sisdol and Bancherdanda landfill sites to sort the garbage at the source and allow the dumping of garbage only in the status quo till the end of Ashad. However, the residents of the landfill site have warned to stop dumping garbage if any unclassified garbage comes to the source from first of Shrawan.
The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has stated that action can be taken against those who do not classify waste at source as per the provisions of Section 51 (th) of the Environment and Natural Resources Protection Act 2077 BS and Section 38 (th) of the Waste Management Act 2068 BS.
Taliban, which came to power after the fall of a Western-backed government, has appealed for international assistance following the devastating earthquake in Afghanistan.
Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a senior Taliban official, said in a statement that Afghanistan needs an international assistance as they are in the midst of a humanitarian and economic crisis and that the government is unable to provide financial assistance to its people.
The quake has so far killed more than 1,000 people and injured more than 1,500. Houses and physical structures have been destroyed. Heavy rains and a lack of resources have hampered rescue efforts. Rescuers say the death toll could rise further.
The Nepal Army has stated that it has not entered into any agreement with the United States regarding the State Partnership Program (SPP).
The Directorate of Public Relations and Information of the Nepal Army has issued a press release today stating that it has drawn its attention to the media reports about the SPP. The statement said that the Nepal Army had not entered into any agreement or understanding with the US military or the US government regarding the SPP and that there is no process to reach such an agreement in the coming days.
The statement also said that the military has always been clear and vigilant that no military agreement should be reached with anyone in the future that would adversely affect Nepal’s non-aligned foreign policy, Nepal’s unique geopolitical position and strategic sensitivities.
Meanwhile,the US embassy said that in 2015 and 2017, the then Chief of Army Staff Rajendra Chhetri had applied to join the SPP twice and the offer was accepted in 2019.
The US Embassy in Nepal has said that the US has accepted Nepal’s offer to participate in the State Partnership Program (SPP).
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Manuel P. Micaller, charge D’Affaires of Mission of the US Embassy in Nepal, said that Nepal had written to the SPP twice in 2015 and 2017 to participate in the SPP and that the US had approved it in 2019.
The US embassy also said that no agreement is required to join the SPP. According to the embassy, the then Chief of Army Staff Rajendra Chhetri signed the petition twice in 2015 and 2017. Stating that the request has been submitted to the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the United States approved the proposal in 2019 and included in the report of Indo-Pacific Strategy.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that he will not enter into any agreement against the national interest after reports emerged that the government is positive about the US military agreement on the State Partnership Program (SPP).
In a meeting with top leaders of the ruling coalition, Prime Minister Deuba assured that no agreement would be reached against the national interest after the government was sharply criticized at the civilian level for being positive about the US military agreement on the State Partnership Program (SPP).
The Election Commission (EC) is starting the work of compiling the voter list across the country from today targeting the upcoming election of the House of Representatives and the State Assembly.
The Election Commission has stated that voter list compilation will be done from all 77 Election Offices, District Administration Offices and Area Administration Offices.
The commission also said that if there is any error in the voter list it can be corrected during this period and the voter list can be transferred to a suitable place. The commission has stated that those who have temporarily resided outside their permanent address for work or any other reason can register their names in the voter’s list from the place of residence.
According to the Meteorological Department, Department of Water and Meteorology, there is a general effect of monsoon winds in Province No. 1, Madhesh Province, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province and effect of local winds and east-west low pressure of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar of India in other parts of the country .
At present, there is a complete change in Province 1, Madhesh Province and Bagmati Province and there is partial change in the rest of the land. Light to moderate rain with thunder / lightning is falling in a few places of State 1, Madhesh and Bagmati.
June 15 2022 (Wednesday)
The weather will be generally clear with partial to moderate cloud cover in the hilly areas of other provinces including Province 1, Madhesh , Bagmati and Gandaki . There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder / lightning in one or two places in the hilly terrain of Province 1, Madhesh , Bagmati and some parts of Gandaki Province. There is a possibility of heavy rain in one or two places of Province 1, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province.
June 16 2022 (Thursday)
Afternoon: There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder / lightning in some places in the hilly terrain of Province 1, Madhesh Province, Bagmati Province and some of the Gandaki Province.
Night: The weather will be generally clear in the hilly areas of other provinces including Province 1, Madhesh Province, Bagmati Province, Gandaki and Lumbini Province. There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder / lightning in one or two places in the hilly terrain of Lumbini province, Province 1, Madhesh Province, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province. There is a possibility of heavy rain in one or two places of Province 1, Madhesh Province and Gandaki Province.
June 17 2022 (Friday)
Afternoon: Province 1, Madhesh Province, Bagmati Province and some area of Lumbini and Gandaki Province will have partly to moderate cloud cover. There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder / lightning in some places in the hilly terrain of Province 1, Madhesh Province, Bagmati Province, Gandaki Province and some area of Lumbini province.
Night: The weather will be generally clear in the hilly areas of other provinces including Province 1, Madhesh, Bagmati , Gandaki and Lumbini . There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder / lightning in one or two places in the hilly terrain of Lumbini province , Province 1, Madhesh , Bagmati and Gandaki Province.
Warning and counseling for the next 24 hours.
There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning at one or two places in the hilly terrain of Province 1, Madhesh Province, Bagmati Province and some of area of Gandaki Province. There is a risk of erosion, landslides and debris flow in the area as well as rising water level in rivers and streams may affect daily life .
In areas without rainfall, it is requested to take necessary precautions to avoid the effects of rising temperatures.
Stating that the explanation of Finance Minister Janardan Sharma regarding the involvement of unauthorized persons in the Ministry of Finance during the preparation of the budget was not satisfactory, the main opposition party UML has obstructed today’s meeting of the House of Representatives demanding formation of a parliamentary inquiry committee.
Finance Minister Sharma said that the allegation are false and fictitious. He also clarified that the budget was formulated by a committee headed by the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and the Secretary of Revenue and he also acted in accordance with the responsibilities given to him.
Meanwhile, UML chief whip Bishal Bhattarai said that CPN UML would not allow the parliament to function until a parliamentary committee is formed to investigate the issue.
The meeting of the National Assembly convened for Wednesday has been postponed .
The Parliament Secretariat has stated that the meeting of the National Assembly has been postponed to June 16 2022. Earlier the meeting was scheduled for June 15.
This has been mentioned in the statement issued by the Secretary General of the Federal Parliament Dr. Bharatraj Gautam.
UML’s Narayan Prasad Adhikari has been elected as the chairman of the District Coordination Committee Chitwan.
In the election between the ruling coalition and the UML, 7/7 number of vote for the each candidate made the result equal. After the equal number of vote a lottery system was held for the final result. From a lottery between Purna Bahadur Ranabhat of the alliance and Narayan Prasad Adhikari of the CPN-UML,Adhikari emerged victorious .
Kalpana Kafle Sapkota, a candidate of the unified socialist from the coalition, was elected unopposed as the deputy chief.
Minister of State for Health of Lumbini Bimala Oli has been arrested by the police.
Police have arrested Oli on the charge of assaulting Ekraj Basnet’s wife and daughter, a resident of Tulsipur Sub-Metropolis-5.District Police Chief SP Suresh Kafle said that Oli has been taken under control after the locals reported the incident.
Minister of State Oli has been involved in various controversies in the past as well. Earlier, after a picture of YCL activist Ekraj Basnet and Oli became public on social media, Oli objected to the attempt of her character assassination by associating a photo with a man.
College students have staged a protest demanding the reconstruction of Trichandra College in Kathmandu, which was damaged by the earthquake. Students gathered in front of the college on Tuesday to protest against the failure to rebuild and upgrade the long-dilapidated college buildings.
Students protested by reading a book for half an hour on the street in front of the college. During the protest they displayed the banners with slogans such as ‘Save Trichandra, Save Ghantaghar’ , ‘History is collapsing, government is silent’.
The visit of General Charles A. Flynn, Commanding General of the US Army Pacific Command, to Nepal has made the politics of Nepal even more turbulent. However, since the MCC’s approval, there has been a strong presence of US diplomats in Nepal. Opposition party leaders had said that, the visit of General Flynn to Uzra Zeya (the coordinator for Tibetan affairs), shows that Nepal has forgotten its independent foreign policy and is moving towards military policy.
Oppositio party leaders have been accusing the government saying that, the PM is secretly preparing to sign the SPP agreement during his visit to US. Some of the MP’s has asked to cancel the visit of PM and army chief to US. Although the United States has repeatedly written to Nepal to participate in the State Partnership Program since 2015, no agreement has been reached to date.
The main opposition UML MP Dr. Bhim Rawal has accused the government of secretly preparing to sign a state partnership program under the US Department of Defense.
At a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on International Relations, Rawal said the government had violated Nepal’s non-aligned foreign policy. He also demanded that the Parliament be informed about the visit of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to the United States.
MP Rawal has also claimed that Prime Minister’s wife Arju Rana had gone to India for advice before Prime Minister Deuba’s visit to the US.
The meeting, which started at the party’s central office in chyasal a while ago, will discuss the review of local elections, the completeness of departments and contemporary politics. The meeting will also discuss the action plan for the upcoming state and House of Representatives elections.
Similarly, the issue of providing training to the elected people’s representatives in the local electionswill also be discussed.
Regarding the recall of Finance Minister Jarnadan Sharma Internal discussions have started within the CPN-Maoist center.
Representatives of the Maoist center are now engaged in internal discussions on the issue of recalling Finance Minister Sharma, who has been repeatedly dragged into controversy. It has been learned that the issue has been discussed for more than two hours after Chairman Prachanda called Finance Minister Sharma to his private residence Khumaltar after the UCPN (Maoist) was dragged into a controversy over the issue of action of the Finance Minister.
Removal of sharma was demanded earlier too, who has been repeatedly criticized for his role in the governor’s suspension and for his controversial remarks. However, after the government being criticized for the budget,now internal discussions have started for sharma’s removal.
Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) has stopped trading of shares of Nepal Investment Bank and Mega Bank.
With the agreement of merger between Investment Bank and Mega Bank, the trading of shares of both the banks has been stopped. Earlier, the two banks had written to Nepse to suspend their share trading for the purpose of merger.
After the merger, the name of the bank will be Nepal Investment Mega Bank Limited. As per the preliminary agreement reached between Investment Bank and Mega Bank, the bank will become the largest commercial bank in Nepal after the merger. The merger work has been moved forward so that the business will start in an integrated manner by the end of September.
The main opposition party CPN-UML has registered a motion to adjourn the parliament.
Chief Whip of the CPN-UML Vishal Bhattarai and 15 other UML lawmakers have filed a motion to adjourn the parliament.
The proposal submitted by the UML to the Parliament Secretariat has demanded the discussion about the solutions on providing the chemical fertilizers on time to the farmers.UML has accused the government being not serious about the issues of the farmers problems.
Proposal to adjourn Parliament registered by CPN-UML has also been included in the agenda of the parliament
Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal has urged the Nepal Army to rescue Mila BK of Belkotgadhi Municipality-12, Nuwakot, who climbed on the wire of Trishuli Matatirtha transmission line under Kakani Gaonpalika-7 on Saturday afternoon.
NEA had stopped the flow of electricity in the transmission line and shutdown production from Trishuli 3A and other nearby power plants after BK climed on the wire of the transmission line.
Nepal Army has been instructed to rescue the man using the helicopter after he refused to get down despite the efforts of the police and locals.
In the meeting of the House of Representatives, UML MP Surya Prasad Pathak has demanded to inform the House about the visit of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to the United States.
Pathak also said that the visit of the Prime Minister and the Chief of Army Staff to the United States has raised suspicions that Nepal may be participating in the Indo-Pacific Strategy.
Stating that the remarks made by the Chief Whip of the ruling party regarding national security sensitivities have raised concerns about national independence, sovereignty and geographical integrity, Pathak demanded that the Speaker should rule on the issue to the Prime Minister.
Chief Whip of the UCPN (M) Dev Gurung had also demanded in the House of Representatives to postpone the visit of the Prime Minister and the Chief of Army Staff to the United States regarding the national security sensitivities. Gurung also remarked that the current foreign policy is shifting to military policy.
About one week after the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) started selling the surplus electricity consumed in the country at competitive rates in the Indian Energy Exchange Market, 364 MW of electricity has been exported to India from today.
NEA, which has been allowed to export only 364 MW of electricity, had earlier been exporting 23 MW of electricity from Trishuli Hydropower Project, 14.39 MW from Devighat Hydropower Project, 140 MW from Kaligandaki Hydropower Project, 67 MW from Marsyangdi Hydropower Project and 68 MW from Madhyamrsyangdi Hydropower Project. With the addition of 51 MW of electricity generated from Likhu-4 of Green Ventures under the private sector from Friday, Nepal has exported electricity at full capacity as per the agreement.
The excess electricity during the rainy season is being exported to the Indian market on a daily basis through the Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur 400 KV interstate transmission line.
In the energy exchange market of India, electricity is being auctioned in 96 blocks every 15 minutes. The Government of India allows to buy and sell in those blocks up to a maximum of Rs.12IC. The price will be decided differently according to the rate of supply and demand in each block.
The Teachers Service Commission has made public the results of the internal competitive written examination for the post of secondary level, first class teacher conducted on 4th April 2022..
According to the information issued by the commission, the interviews of those who have passed the written test will have interview on 5th July 2022.
The Kathmandu Metropolitan City and the locals of Sisdol and Banchare Danda reached an 18-point agreement on waste management at midnight on Friday.
As soon as the agreement reached last night, the the passage for the waste management in Banchare Dada has been cleared. As per the agreement between the people’s representatives of the landfill site affected area and the metropolis, garbage will be transported only at night from now onwards. For the locals, the metropolis has agreed to compensate the affected locals, allocate regular budget and build infrastructure.
As per the agreement reached between the metropolis and the locals, the road section to reach the landfill site will be constructed within three months and the necessary lights and other infrastructures will be constructed.
Nepal oil corporation has increased the price of fuel with effect from midnight on Thursday. Petrol price has gone up by Rs 8 per liter and kerosene and diesel by Rs 12 per liter, according to the Nepal Oil Corporation. The board of directors of the corporation has decided to increase the price saying that the price of fuel has increased in the international market and the arrears due to the Indian Oil Corporation have piled up.
Now, a liter of petrol will cost Rs 178 while kerosene and diesel will cost Rs 165. Even after price adjustment, the corporation claims a loss of Rs 24.70 on petrol and Rs 18.01 on diesel.
Thailand has became the first country in Asia to decriminalize cannabis.
Thai Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he expected legal cannabis production to boost the economy but cautioned that recreational use of the drug remains illegal.Tough penalties will still apply to those who use the drug to get high.”We still have regulations under the law that control the consumption, smoking or use of cannabis products in non-productive ways,”said Anutin.
Under decriminalization, it is no longer a crime to grow and trade marijuana and hemp products, or use parts of the plant to treat illnesses. Cafes and restaurants can also serve cannabis-infused food and drinks , but only if the products contain less than 0.2% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the plant’s main psychoactive compound.
Anutin also said he hopes the Thai cannabis industry will generate billions of dollars in income by boosting agriculture.”We expect the value of [the cannabis] industry to easily exceed $2 billion dollars,” he said, highlighting recent incentives such as collaborating with the Agriculture Ministry to distribute 1 million free cannabis plants to households across the country.
At least one person was killed when a Chinese military plane crashed in a residential area of central China on Thursday, China’s state-run national broadcaster CCTV reported.
During the training, a People’s Liberation Army Air Force J-7 crashed in Hubei province, damaging several homes, CCTV reported. One person was killed and two others were injured in the accident. The pilot, who sustained minor injuries, successfully parachuted out of the plane before the crash, according to Xinhua.
The pilot and injured civilians have been sent to hospital for treatment. Videos posted on social media show some homes on fire due to an accident near Laohekau Airport in Xiangyang, Hubei Province. The cause of the accident and related damage are being investigated.
Charles A. Flynn, Commanding General of the US Army’s Indo-Pacific Command, has arrived in Nepal.
Flynn, who arrived in Nepal after a four-day visit to India, was welcomed at the Tribhuvan International Airport by a high-ranking Nepal Army official.
Flynn is scheduled to meet with Chief of Army Staff Prabhuram Sharma at the Army Headquarters on Friday. He will also hold other high-level political talks in coordination with the US Embassy in Nepal and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On Saturday, Flynn will go to a mountain flight and after returning from there, he will participate in the program arranged by the embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On Sunday, Flynn will go to the Birendra Shanti Sainik Training Center in Panchkhal, Kavre and after that he will address the students at the Command and Staff College of the Nepal Army in Shivapuri.
After visiting Shivapuri, he will return home on the evening same day.
The Kathmandu-Muglin road section, which was blocked due to landslide caused by incessant rains, has been restored.
Landslide removal was started on the road section as soon as the rainfall subsided. As the stones and soil piled up by the landslide have been removed, the two-way traffic has been restored.
Even though the landslide has been removed, it would take some time for the traffic to move smoothly due to the pressure of hundreds of vehicles parked on the road since last night.
The road was blocked due to landslide caused by incessant rains since last night.
Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has started exporting electricity worth Rs 75 million to India daily.
According to the NEA, the amount of electricity exports has increased as soon as the electricity generated from Marsyangdi and Madhyamrsyangdi enters the Indian energy exchange market.
NEA, which has been granted permission to export up to 364 MW of electricity, is now exporting 284 MW of electricity to India. NEA is currently exporting 23 MW of Trishuli Hydropower Project, 14.39 MW of Devighat Hydropower Project, 138.91 MW of Kaligandaki Hydropower Project, 66.14 MW of Marsyangdi Hydropower Project and 41.81 MW of Madhyamrsyangdi Hydropower Project. From this, Nepal will be earning about 75 million rupees in a day.
In the energy exchange market of India, electricity is being auctioned in 96 blocks every 15 minutes. The Government of India has allowed to buy and sell in those blocks up to a maximum of IC 12rs. The price will be decided differently according to the rate of supply and demand in each block.
Nepal lost to Jordan with 2-0 in the first match of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers at the Javer Al-Ahmed International Stadium in Kuwait.
Experienced players including captain and goalkeeper Kiran Chemjong, vice-captain Rohit Chand, Anjan Bista, Vimal Ghartimagar and Sujal Shrestha were left out of the team.After a dispute between the coach and the players Nepal played the game without 11 senior players of the team in the captainship of Navyug Shrestha.
Nepal will face Kuwait in the next match on Saturday.
Due to the continuous rain, the road has been blocked by a landslide at Ghopte Bhir on the road section about two kilometers from Muglin under Prithvi Highway towards Kathmandu at around 11 last night.
According to the District Police Office, Chitwan, the landslide could not be removed due to incessant rains. Even if the rain stops, it will take time to remove the landslide as the landslide with large stones has piled up on the road.
Similarly, Muglin Narayangadh road section has also been blocked due to landslide at Namsi Bridge in Topekhola under Ichchakamana Village Municipality-6 of Chitwan. Similarly, floods and landslides caused by incessant rains since last night have blocked the road at more than a dozen places on the Baglung-Galkot section of the Mid-Hills Highway. From Ghodabandhe of Kathkhola village municipality-5 to Galkot municipality-1 Dudilabhati . The road has been blocked due to floods and landslides in more than a dozen places on the highway section in Narethanti area.
Two planess from New Delhi, the capital of India, had been diverted due to bad weather at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu.
Vistara Air flight from New Delhi had been diverted to Lucknow, and the Indigo Air flight from Delhi has diverted back to Delhi.
The flight of Nepal Airlines from Tokyo, Japan and the flight of Korean Air from Korea are in the process of landing after being held for a while due to the bad weather condition.
The weather in Kathmandu had deteriorated on Wednesday evening after a sudden downpour.
The terrorist group threatens to carry out suicide attacks in response to a remarks about the Prophet Muhammad by Nupur Sharma, the spokeswoman of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Al-Qaeda had released a letter saying the states of Delhi, Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat would be targeted.The group vowed to use suicide bombers, and attack Hindu politicians living in fortified compounds.
On May 26, Sharma took part in a TV debate and expressed her views on the Prophet Muhammad . The video later went viral, and was condemned by many Muslims country.
Sharma later apologized on Twitter, claiming that she never intended to insult anyone’s religious beliefs.
However,her apology failed to quell Muslim anger, which has spread far beyond India. As of Today, Indonesia, UAE, Maldives, Jordan, Bahrain, Libya, Qatar, Kuwait, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Afghanistan have all lodged official complaints over the comments made by Sharma.RT
The Ministry of Finance has formed a committee to study the problems of the share market as the share market is declining regularly.
The Ministry has requested the Executive Director of the Securities and Exchange Board to submit a report with solutions. For the study, a committee has been formed with one representative each from the Ministry of Finance and Nepal Rastra Bank, with the representative of the Securities and Exchange Board as the member secretary.
Finance Minister Sharma has been criticized for ignoring the share market and not being serious about the issues of market.
Speaker Agni Sapkota has directed the government to investigate the death of Kishore Binod Shahi of Panchadewal Municipality of Achham and take action against the culprit.
In the meeting of the House of Representatives, Speaker Sapkota said that he had taken serious note of the fact that the police had refused to take any action in the incident of Binod Shahi’s death and had not even conducted a postmortem of the body.
According to a complaint lodged by a Nepali Congress (NC) cadre on the issue of dispute between the NC and UML cadres in the local level election, a clash ensued when the police tried to arrest the UML cadres involved in the incident. Shahi, a member of a CPN-UML supporter’s family, was later found dead. As the situation became tense after Shahi was found dead, a CIB team was also mobilized to investigate the incident.
The Department of Roads has banned digging and demolition of roads from1st of Ashad till the end of Bhadra.
The Federal Road Monitoring and Supervision Office, Kathmandu has issued a notice stating that digging and demolition of roads will not be allowed from the 1st of Ashad till the end of Bhadra.
The department has also stated that strict action will be taken as per the Public Roads Act 2031 BS for forcibly digging roads and disobeying the directives of the department.
A single woman has been killed by setting a fire in Shailyashikhar Municipality-1 of Darchula district.
According to police, the body of 40-year-old Aniva Khadayat was found burnt near her house. Preliminary police investigations have confirmed that she was killed by setting fire to a haystack near her house. Khadayat, who lost her husband about eight years ago, has two daughters and a son. Police have arrested Birendra Khadayat and Tula Khadayat of the same village for investigation.
US Army Pacific Commanding General Charles A. Flynn will pay a four-day visit to Nepal from tomorrow.
Spokesperson of the Nepal Army Narayan Silwal said that General Flynn is scheduled to meet with the Chief of Army Staff Prabhuram Sharma. General Charles A. Flynn is scheduled to arrive in Nepal on Thursday tomorrow by a special US Army aircraft.
It is said that such a visit will further enhance the friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries, including the Nepalese and US forces. However, General Flynn’s visit to Nepal after the PM Deuba and Chief of Army Staff Sharma’s visit been scheduled to the US has been analyzed as a geopolitical link of the US Indo-Pacific Strategy against China.
The Yampaphant and Ghansikuwa sections of Tanahu will be closed for five hours daily from today under the Mugling-Pokhara road expansion work.
The road will be closed for five hours daily from today as excavation work has to be done in the section under the Mugling-Pokhara road expansion plan. Vehicles have been banned from operating at Yampaphant in Bandipur Gaonpalika-5 and Ghansikuwa section of Byas Municipality-12 from 11 pm to 4 am till further notice.
Roads will be closed at night because of the inconvenience of regular traffic. Road widening is underway on the eastern side of the project. The contract for the eastern section has been awarded to China Communication Construction. Trees along the highway have been cut down for road expansion. So far, 3,014 trees have been cut down in the eastern part.
Work has also started from the western section under the Mugling-Pokhara road expansion work. The contract for the west (Jamune-Pokhara) section has been awarded to Yanhui Kaiyuan Highway and Bridge Construction Company. The four-lane road is being constructed with the loan assistance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as the traffic congestion is increasing on the road which was demarcated in 2026 BS. Eighty kilometers of road has been divided into two sections and contracted.
31 new motorable bridges will be constructed along the four-lane road at a distance of 80 km from Aabukhaireni to Pokhara.
The Far West and Madhesh State Governments are going to make public the policy and program for the Fiscal Year 2079/80.
Both the states have convened a meeting of the state assembly today at 4 pm to make public the policy and program for the fiscal year 2079/80. The provincial heads of both the provinces will present the policies and programs of their respective provinces.
Regarding the budget for the Fiscal Year 2079/80, it has been stated that both the states will present policies and programs by giving priority to agriculture, education, health and employment. There is a provision that the state government will present the budget on June 15 every year.
A CIB team has been mobilized to investigate the death of 15-year-old Binod Shahi of Panchadewal Binayak Municipality-4 of Achham.
Binod Shahi who has been missing since May 31, was found dead near his house on Saturday. After the dispute between the NC and UML cadres in the local level election, NC lodged a complaint against UML cadres.Shahi gone missing after a clash ensued when the police tried to arrest the UML cadres involved in the incident. Shahi, a member of a CPN-UML supporter’s family, was later found dead. A CIB team has been mobilized to investigate the incident as the situation became tense after Shahi was found dead.
Nine people have been killed and about three dozen others injured when a passenger bus (Lu 2 Kha 3841) heading to Bhairahawa from Janakpur had an accident on Bhairahawa-Parasi road .
The bus fell into the river below the Rohini river bridge at around 5:45 am on Sunday. The injured passengers have been rescued by security personnel and locals and rushed to the hospital for treatment. Nine injured passengers died in the hospital during treatment.
According to the Meteorological Department, Department of Water and Meteorology, Nepal is currently affected by local winds and a low pressure line extending east-west from Uttar Pradesh in India to East Bangladesh.
Currently, light rain is falling in one or two places of State 1, Madhesh State and Bagmati State with partial to normal cloud cover. In the rest of the country, the weather is generally clear with partial cloud cover.
According to the Meteorological Department, Department of Water and Meteorology, three-day weather forecast for the entire country:
June3, 2022 (Friday)
Afternoon: Part 1, Madhesh Pradesh, Bagmati Pradesh and Gandaki Pradesh will have partly to moderate cloud cover and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy weather. There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning in a few places in Province 1, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province and one or two places in Madhesh Province.
Night: Partly to moderate cloud cover in the hilly areas of the country including Province 1 and the weather will be generally clear in the rest of the country due to partial cloud cover. There is a possibility of light rain with thunder / lightning in a few places of Province 1 and in one or two places of hilly areas of Bagmati and Gandaki.
June 4,2022 (Saturday)
Afternoon: There will be partial to normal cloud cover in the hilly areas of the country including Province 1 and there will be partial cloud cover in the rest of the country. There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder / lightning in a few places in Province 1, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province.
Night: Partly to moderate cloud cover in the hilly areas of the country including Province 1 and the weather will be generally clear in the rest of the country due to partial cloud cover. There is a possibility of light rain with thunder / lightning in a few places in hilly areas of Province 1 and in one or two places in hilly areas of Bagmati and Gandaki.
June 5,2022 (Sunday)
Afternoon: Partly to moderate cloud cover in the hilly areas of the country and partial cloud cover in the rest of the country. There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunder / lightning in some places of State 1, Bagmati State and Gandaki State and in one or two places of Madhesh State.
Night: There will be partly to moderate cloud cover in the hilly areas of Province 1, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province and other provinces. The weather will be generally clear with partial cloud cover in the rest of the region. There is a possibility of light rain with thunder / lightning in a few places of State 1 and in one or two places of hilly terrain of Bagmati State and Gandaki State.
Warning and counseling for the next 24 hours.
There is a possibility of light to moderate rain with thunderstorms / thunderstorms and windstorms in a few places in State 1, Bagmati State and Gandaki State and in one or two places in Madhesh State.
The Rastriya Prajatantra Party has demanded reforms in the form of government and electoral system to end corruption and instability.
In the meeting of the Central Working Committee held in Dhulikhel, the issue of changing the form of government to have a directly elected Prime Minister and a King was discussed. RPP Chairman Rajendra Lingden has demanded that the current form of government and electoral system be reformed to have a fully proportional parliament, a directly elected executive prime minister and king as a guardian institution.
Nepal Students Union, a sister organization of Nepali Congress, has locked the central office of Tribhuvan University in Kirtipur.
In a statement issued today, the Nepal Students’ Union (NSU) said that the central office of the TRI has been locked. The statement said that the NSU had locked the office saying that its demands had not been addressed and warned that if their demands are not addressed, they would retaliate.
The statement said that the Nepal Students’ Union had earlier locked the central office of the TRI and it was regrettable that the lock was broken by pasting a fake statement with the signature of in-charge Safal on the letter pad of the Central Command of the Communist Party of Nepal (Revolutionary).
Chairman of the Unified Socialists Madhav Kumar Nepal has said that immediate unity between leftist is not possible.
Addressing a press meet in Surkhet, he said that the rumors of electoral unity with the UML were baseless and untrue. During his address, Nepal said, “Such rumors have been spread by arrogant and conspirators trying to break the alliance and there is no possibility of any unity or electoral coordination with the CPN-UML.”
Nepal has said that the current Left-Democratic Alliance will be continued till the upcoming state and House of Representatives elections.
Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has started exporting electricity from Trishuli and Devighat hydropower plants to India. In India’s competitive energy exchange market , Nepal has its electricity for sale in a ‘block’ every 15 minutes.
Although electricity for each block is sold at different prices, India has set a limit of Rs 12 per unit. Although the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) will get a maximum price of up to Rs 12, electricity will be sold at an average price of 6.28 Indian rupees (10 rupees 4 paise Nepali rupees) per unit. NEA is also preparing electricity for sale of Kaligandaki A Hydropower Project.
Nepal had sought approval from Indian companies for the sale of 200 MW of electricity after receiving approval for the sale of up to 364 MW of electricity in the Indian market. NEA has also called for tenders to sell the electricity stored in Nepal during the rainy season in India. NEA has prepared to export the surplus electricity through Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur 400 KV inter-country transmission line.
A meeting between the top leaders of the five ruling parties to review the local elections has discussed when the parliamentary elections will be held.
At a meeting of top leaders held in Baluwatar for the first time since the local elections, the top leaders of the coalition have confirmed that there was an informal discussion on the issue of parliamentary elections.
According to the top leaders of the coalition, the meeting also discussed about holding the parliamentary election on 13 November or 20 November. Meeting also decided to consult the Election Commission about the date.
The Nepali stock market has declined for the third day in a row after the budget of the Fiscal Year 2079/80. The Nepali stock market has been declining day by day even though it has declined by only a few points as compared to yesterday. The market, which had declined by 35.53 points yesterday, has declined by 7.21 points today and stopped at 2130.71.
Compared to yesterday, the number of shares traded and the total transaction amount has also decreased.While 3,020,067 shares of 227 companies were traded, the share amount has shrunk to 1,078,484,182.
President Biden has announced to send more advanced rocket system in Ukraine to help defend itself.Mr Biden said the lethal aid would strengthen Kyiv’s negotiating position against Russia and make a diplomatic solution more likely.
The weapons will help to strike enemy forces more precisely from a longer distance.New weaponry will include the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).The systems can launch multiple precision-guided missiles at targets as far as 70km (45 miles) away – far further than the artillery that Ukraine currently has. Helicopters, anti-tank weapons, tactical vehicles and spare parts are to be included in what will be the 11th package of military aid approved by the US for Ukraine since the invasion began in February.
Previously Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused the West of “pumping up the Ukrainian nationalists with weapons” and said that any cargo of arms bound for Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Moscow.The ministry has said that Nato countries are “playing with fire” by sending weapons to Ukraine.
Denmark has become the fifth country to be cut off from Russian natural gas following the refusal of its biggest power wholesaler Orsted to pay for deliveries in rubles. Supplies to Shell Energy Europe Limited in Germany have also been halted for the same reason.
Russia’s new payment mechanism requires gas buyers from “unfriendly” countries that have placed sanctions on Moscow to open accounts in Russia’s Gazprombank. They can then deposit funds in their currency of choice, which the bank converts to rubles and transfers to Gazprom.
The Russian energy giant recently suspended gas exports to Bulgaria, Poland, Finland and the Netherlands after they refused to comply. According to the Russian Energy Ministry, about two dozen European companies have so far opened ruble accounts. RT
After a two-months restriction, China eased covid sanctions on the World Trade and Economic Center Shanghai. China has eased sanctions, allowing about 25 million people to move freely around the city.
Despite China’s easing of sanctions, China’s overall policy of “zero covid” remains. Those suspected of covid will still have to stay in quarantine or hospital. Residents will have to show a green health code on their smartphone to leave their residential compounds and enter other outdoor areas. Those wishing to use public transport or enter banks or malls must show a negative PCR test certificate for the last 72 hours. However, they will not be able to leave Shanghai, and anyone traveling to another city will have to stay in a quarantine for 7 to 14 days .Cinema halls, museums and gyms and schools will remain closed.
Tennis superstar Rafael Nadal beat longtime rival and world No. 1 Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros early Wednesday to advance to the semifinals at the French Open.
The 59th installment of the storied rivalry between the two all-time tennis greats was another thriller, with Nadal winning 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(4). The quarterfinal match, which ended after 1 a.m. local time in Paris, lasted more than four hours and was one of the most anticipated of the tournament. The 35-year-old Spaniard is seeking a record-extending 14th French Open title and also a record-extending 22nd major title. Nadal will face Alex Zverev of Germany in the semifinals. Zverev, the world No. 3, advanced after besting 19-year-old Spaniard and world No. 6 Carlos Alcaraz in four sets on Tuesday. In their head-to-head matches, more than any other two men in the sport’s professional era, Nadal has beaten Djokovic 29 times, while Djokovic has won 30.cnn
England confirms Matthew Potts will make Test debut against New Zealand.
Durham seamer Matthew Potts will make his England debut in the first Test against New Zealand on Thursday.
The 23-year-old has been picked ahead of Somerset’s Craig Overton and will join an attack led by the two most prolific wicket-takers in English history, James Anderson and Stuart Broad, at Lord’s.
The share market has declined for the second day in a row after the budget of FY 2079/80. The market, which had declined by 35.53 points today, has stopped falling at 2137.92 points. The market had declined by more than 50 points on the first day after the budget.
While 37,69,812 shares of 229 companies were traded, the share amount has shrunk to 1,317,699,090.
In view of flight safety, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has decided not to allow planes to fly until the weather is clear at the departing airport and the airport to be reached and the flying route.
The decision was taken after 22 people were killed in a Tara Air plane crash. Preliminary investigation have also shown that adverse weather conditions was the main reason for the Tara Air plane crash.
Earlier, the planes were allowed to fly after the weather at the departing airport and the destination airport is ensured, but now the authority instructs that the flight will only be allowed after the weather is clear on the flight route too.
While participating in the discussion on the budget in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, the leaders of the main opposition party CPN-UML and parties outside the government have criticized the budget and questioned its relevance.
Vice Chairman of the main opposition party UML and former finance minister Bishnu Poudel has said that the budget brought by the government is against federalism. Poudel also remarked that the budget has cut the rights of the state and local levels. He was outraged that the government had cut off the power of the state and local levels to choose their own plans, saying it was an anti-federal move.
CPN-UML Secretary Yogesh Bhattarai said that the budget presented by the government is standing at a crossroads and was aimless. He said that the budget would not benefit the country. This budget stands at a crossroads. Smells like Mao and Marx. There is no destination of this budget. Bhattarai had criticized the budget for not increasing the budget for education and health as the commission would not come from such sectors. Criticizing Finance Minister Sharma, Bhattarai said that the briefcase was not smashed while the budget was presented by the Finance Minister in the Parliament and it was a positive achievement and is the sign of Nepal’s democracy and constitutional process being matured.
Anil Kumar Jha, an MP from Loktantrik Samajwadi Party (LOSPA), said that the budget was brought for the upcoming elections focusing on the party cadres. It seems the budget is to engage your cadres in the election to be held in 6 months. He has criticized the government saying that the budget has been prepared in such a way that some sort of amount could be distributed to two to four lakh cadres.
The hearing on IGP appointment dispute has been postponed by the supreme court today.
The case against Inspector General of Police (IGP) promotion was scheduled to be heard in a joint sitting of Justices Bishwabhar Prasad Shrestha and Dr. Kumar Chudal in the Supreme Court today. Though a hearing has been scheduled, the Supreme Court has adjourned the hearing in the case of three DIGs Ishwar Babu Karki, Ghanshyam Aryal and Prakash Jung Karki saying that the time limit has not been met.
DIG Bishwaraj Pokharel had filed the writ petition after the government decided to appoint Dhiraj Pratap Singh as IGP. In the writ petition, Pokhrel has demanded to be IGP. AIG Pokharel had filed a writ petition at the apex court alleging that the government had promoted IG by violating seniority .
The government has closed the main entrance of the tunnel of Melamchi Drinking Water Project and water supply from Melamchi to Kathmandu will be stopped for next four months.
The Melamchi Drinking Water Development Committee has stated that the tunnel had to be closed due to the onset of rainy season. Although the Melamchi water supply has been resumed in Kathmandu by constructing a temporary structure at the dam site in Sindhupalchok, it is said that the tunnel has been closed due to the possible danger in the rainy season. The project committee has informed that Melamchi water will be distributed only from mid october, so that the water of Melamchi could be pumped into the tunnel again after regular rains stopped.
The coastal area of Melamchi is still at risk of landslides and floods . Therefore, Melamchi water could not be brought to Kathmandu after the monsoon became active.After the flood damage in 2078 BS., the project has put forward a plan not to distribute water till mid october by closing the main gate of Melamchi.
European Union to cut Russian oil imports by 90 percent by the end of the year
EU leaders on Monday agreed at a summit focused on helping Ukraine to ban most Russian oil imports to the European bloc by the end of the year.
The agreement covers more than two-thirds of Russia’s oil imports. The EU agreement is expected to effectively cut oil imports by about 90% by the end of the year.
It also agreed to provide 9 billion euros in aid to support Ukraine’s economy. But it is unknown at this time that if the amount will be a loan or a grant . This is the sixth EU embargo on Russia. Earlier, the United States and Europe had imposed various sanctions on Russia.
The government has formed a five-member commission to find out the cause of the Tara Air plane crash on Sunday.
The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has constituted a commission headed by Senior Aeronautical Engineer Ratish Chandra Lal Suman to investigate the accident..
The members of the commission are Captain Dipu Jwarchan, Senior Maintenance Engineer Upendra Lal Shrestha, Senior Meteorologist Maniratna Shakya and Technical Joint Secretary of the Ministry Wuddhisagar Lamichhane.
The committee has a mandate to find out the cause of the accident and recommend measures to prevent such incidents from happening again in the future, said Home Ministry Joint Secretary Hom Prasad Luintel.
On Sunday, a twin-engine plane of Tara Air en route to Jomsom from Pokhara was found crashed at the foot of Manapathi Himal in Mustang. All people on board were killed in the crash.
The International Relations Committee of the Parliament has directed the government to move ahead with the construction of Nijgadh International Airport by removing the legal hurdles.
Despite the Supreme Court order not to build Nijgadh Airport and to study its alternative arrangements, the government has included Nijgadh International Airport in its budget for the fiscal year 2079/80. A meeting of the International Relations Committee of the Parliament has directed the government to expedite the construction of the airport by removing the legal hurdles as soon as the budget includes Nijgadh Airport.
The committee has concluded that the decision to stop the construction of Nijgadh International Airport is not appropriate from any point of view.
Newly elected Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Balendra Shah (Balen) has taken oath of office and secrecy. Chief Election Officer Raju Kumar Khatiwada administered the oath of office to Mayor Shah at the National Assembly. After Shah took the oath in Nepali language, he also recited the oath in Nepal Bhasha. After taking oath, Shah administered the oath of office to Deputy Mayor Sunita Dangol and elected ward chairpersons and members. Shah also said that the he has decided to broadcast every meeting of metropolis live after taking oath.
The Department of Transportation has issued a notice today stating that all online applications for driver’s licenses have been canceled.
The department said it would launch a new online system, but all previous applications were canceled . Also, those who want to apply for a new application can login to applydl.dotm.gov.np and fill out a new application from 6 pm today. For the additional category, the application will be opened from next Monday, it is mentioned in the information issued by the department. Click here to fill out a new application form.
The National Examination Board has started this year’s Class 12 examination all over the country at once. According to Dr. Mahashram Sharma, Chairman of the Board, the Class 12 examination has started peacefully in 1292 examination centers in all 77 districts from 8 am today.
The National Examination Board has stated that the questions have been sent online to all the examination centers half an hour before the commencement of the examination and arrangements have been made to make photocopies of the questions and distribute them to the students.
For the past two years, due to the epidemic of Kovid-19, online arrangements were made to send questions to students’ homes. The board has stated that the same arrangement has been made this year as well.
Missing plane of Tara Air has been found crashed.The wreckage of the missing plane has been found at an altitude of 14,500 feet.
Locals had informed the Nepal Army rescue team after finding the wrecked plane on a hill at the foot of Manapathi Himal, three hours above Kowang. It is suspected that all the passengers on board died in the accident and the bodies of the deceased will be brought to Kathmandu.
It is estimated that the plane crashed into the Manapathi Himal after turning left from the sky of Titi Lake at the foot of Nilgiri Himal due to heavy clouds at Jomsom Airport.
The search for the missing Tara Air flight has been stopped for today.
Nepal Army rescue team has informed that the search operation has been stopped today due to darkness and unfavorable weather. The search operation had to be postponed due to inclement weather and the rescue team of the Nepal Army will resume the search operation from tomorrow morning. The army’s air rescue team has now returned to Jomsom.
Cabinet approves budget for FY 2079/080 Today’s meeting of the Council of Ministers has approved the budget for the Fiscal Year 2079/080. Finance Minister Janardan Sharma is scheduled to present the approved budget in the parliament today.
After discussing the policies and programs made public by the government, the size of today’s budget to be presented in the parliament will be around Rs. 17.5 trillion.
Tara Air’s plane with call sign 9N Alpha Echo Tango , which flew from Pokhara to Jomsom, has been out of contact since this morning.The plane was in contact with the Pokhara airport tower when it reached Lete Pass and then suddenly lost contact.
The search for the pane has been made intensified. A team of 10 Nepal Army personnel and two members of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) went to find the location of the mobile phone while tracking the phone of Captain Prabhakar Ghimire. A Himalayan rescue team has also been sent from Kathmandu and the ground search team of Nepal army has also been deployed.
The plane was carrying 19 passengers and three crew members
A Tara Air flight bound for Jomsom from Pokhara at 9:55 am has lost contact.
It has been learned that the 9N Alpha Echo Tango was in contact with the tower of Pokhara Airport when it reached Lete Pass and then suddenly lost communication. Two private helicopters from Mustang and Pokhara have been used for the search operation after the plane lost contact and preparations are being made to use Nepal Army helicopters in the search operation.
It is said that there were 13 Nepalese, 4 Indians, citizens of 2 other countries and 3 crew members on board.
On the occasion of the 15th Republic Day, President Bidhya Devi Bhandari has expressed her best wishes to move forward on the path of achieving prosperity including social justice by further strengthening national unity.
In a congratulatory message issued on the occasion of Republic Day, President Bhandari wished happiness, peace and prosperity to all the Nepalese at home and abroad.
The message says, “On this historic day, I would like to express my heartfelt best wishes, with the expectation that the country’s geographical integrity, national sovereignty, independence and national unity will be further strengthened and motivated to move forward on the path of social justice and prosperity.” The real message of the republic is to bring meaningful and positive change in the lives of the people and move Nepal forward as a developed nation with a strong and self-reliant economy.
President Bhandari paid a heartfelt tribute to the martyrs who sacrificed their precious lives for the establishment of a democratic republic.
Profits of state-owned enterprises have been declining due to weak government policies and inefficient managerial capacity.
According to the economic survey submitted by the Ministry of Finance, the profit of public enterprises has decreased by 45.42 percent and dividend by 52.33 percent as compared to the last fiscal year.
According to the data released by the Ministry of Finance, out of the 44 public enterprises with full and majority investment of the government, 22 are in profit and 19 are in loss. Net profit of such enterprises , which was Rs. 48.29 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year, has come down to Rs. 26.35 billion.
The government, which has adopted open market economy, has so far privatized 30 corporations. Twelve of the 30 public sector enterprises privatized by the government have been scrapped in line with the government’s policy of making loss-making state-owned enterprises profitable.
The Economic Survey of the fiscal year 2022/23 is to be presented at the House of Representatives (HoR) on Saturday.
Though there was a pre-scheduled agenda for presenting Economic Survey in the parliamentary meeting on Friday, it was not materialized due to obstruction of CPN-UML, the main opposition party.
There is an arrangement for presenting the Economic Survey before the unveiling of upcoming year’s budget. Minister for Finance Janardan Sharma is scheduled to present the economic survey in the parliament on Sunday.
Likewise, Finance Minister Sharma will also present the annual budget for the fiscal 2022/23 in the joint meeting of federal parliament .
The Constitution has set Jestha 15 (May 29) as the date for presenting the budget in the federal parliament.
Absconded former DIG of the Armed Police Force Ranjan Koirala has been arrested after the Supreme Court overturned its verdict.
According to the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office, he was arrested while hiding in a house in Baneshwor. Koirala was sentenced for life imprisonment for the charge of killing his own wife.Later he was released after the former Chief Justice Cholendra Shamsher Jabra and Justice Tej Bahadur KC reduced his life sentence to eight and a half years.
Koirala was released from Delhi Bazaar prison on July 29, 2020 .Koirala was lost of contact after the Supreme Court overturned his sentence.
A resolution has been filed in the National Assembly demanding complete removal of the time limit for filing a complaint for punishment for child sexual abuse. Nepali Congress MP Kamala Pant filed the resolution in the Parliament Secretariat on Friday with the support of all parties and independent MPs.
The proposal also calls for revision and reconsideration of the provision of time limit for filing a complaint in rape cases against other than children.
The resolution proposes to review the law as the incidence of sexual violence against children is on the rise in the society, due to fear, greed or various physical and mental conditions.
The government has decided to reduce the tax on petroleum products after widespread protests and criticism from the people.
Although the government has given its consent to the Ministry of Finance to remove the tax on two headings, it has not been decided which heading tax will be reduced and how much. The government has moved ahead with discussions on reducing the customs and infrastructure tax by Rs 5 each to Rs 10 in total.
The government has been levying Rs 25.23 as a custom tax and Rs 10 as infrastructure tax per liter in petrol. Similarly, diesel is taxed at Rs 12.2 pais as a custom tax and Rs 10 on infrastructure tax.
CPN-UML has blocked the parliament after Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Dilendra Prasad Badu termed the remarks made by CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli as gradeless and baseless .
CPN-UML lawmakers had blocked the house after Minister Badu termed the remarks made by leader KP Sharma Oli during the discussion on the policy and program as baseless and said that Mr.Oli could not see anything except the commission as he used to do so before he lost the prime ministerial power.
CPN-UML Chief Whip Vishal Bhattarai demanded that the statement be removed from the record. The main opposition party, the CPN-UML, has also challenged the formation of a parliamentary inquiry committee to confirm the allegations. After the UML’s obstruction, the parliament sitting has been postponed.
Newly elected Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Balendra Shah has said that the voters of Kathmandu Metropolitan City are his family and everyone’s support is needed to make Kathmandu a beautiful city.
He made the remarks as soon as the Election Commission announced the final results.Shah’s supporters have staged a victory rally in kathmandu.
Balendra Shah, an independent candidate for the post of mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, got 61,767 votes while his nearest rival Nepali Congress candidate Sirjana Singh got 38,341 votes and CPN-UML candidate Keshav got 38,117 votes.
Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Prem Bahadur Ale and European Ambassador Nona Deprez have discussed the issue of lifting the air embargo imposed on Nepal from the EU security list. During the discussion, Minister Ale urged to lift the air embargo imposed on Nepal.
Reminding that Nepal’s aviation sector is now safer than in the past and Nepal is above average with a score of 70.1 percent in terms of safety implementation under the eight categories prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organization, Minister Ale urged to lift the air embargo.
Eight years ago, the EU blacklisted Nepal’s international aviation and banned flights to European countries, citing poor security in Nepal’s aviation sector. However, even after the ICAO lifted the ban on Nepal, Nepali pilots have not been allowed to fly, demanding more qualifications and training to meet international standards. Meanwhile, Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Pradip Kumar Adhikari said that Nepal has provided training and qualifications for pilots.
Currently in Nepal, Nepal Airlines, Buddha Air and Himalayan Airlines are awaiting EU approval for international flights.
The Election Commission has decided to hold re-election in Budhiganga Municipality of Bajura stating that the election was not fair.
The Election Commission (EC) has decided to hold re-polling in Bajura’s Budhiganga Municipality following clashes at polling stations on election day, beating of candidates, expulsion of voters and seizure of polling booths by Congress and UML cadres.
The Commission has decided to instruct the Election Officer to fix the date and time of polling as soon as possible as per sub-section (4) of section 41 of the Local Level Election Act, 2073 BS. The commission has also directed the government to take departmental action against the chief district officer of Bajura, Nepal Police and the district chief of the Armed Police Force for the election offenses.
The Supreme Court has reversed the earlier decision of a joint bench of the Supreme Court to release former DIG of the Armed Police Force Ranjan Koirala on charges of murdering his wife.
Chief Justice Deepak Kumar Karki, Justices Tanka Bahadur Moktan and Dr. Kumar Chudal’s full bench has reversed the earlier decision.
Koirala, who was imprisoned for only eight and a half years, was released after the decision of the Supreme Court made earlier. He will now have to spend about 11 and a half years in prison.
A bench of suspended Chief Justice Cholendra Shamsher Jabra and Justice Tej Bahadur KC had quashed Koirala’s imprisonment two years ago.
The Supreme Court has issued an order not to build an international airport in Nijgadh, Bara.
A full bench of Justices Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha, Harikrishna Karki, Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada, Prakash Man Singh Raut and Manoj Kumar Sharma has issued an order not to build an airport in Nijgadh.
The apex court issued the order while hearing a writ petition filed by senior advocate Prakash Mani Sharma.
The passport department will be open on Sundays, the day of public holiday. The department will be open on holidays to make electronic passports available easily.
According to the information issued by the Passport Department, as the pressure of service recipients in the department is increasing remarkably, it has started providing passport service even on public holidays.
The department will be open every Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm effective from May 29.The department is also providing passport related services to the service recipients who book the date to apply for the passport.
Youth Renaissance Nepal Chitwan has organized a motorcycle rally in Narayangarh protesting against the move of the state mechanism and the government. The protest, which started from Pokhara Bus Park in Narayangarh with slogans, “Stop foreign intervention, stop border encroachment, Indo-US Army leave Nepal”, reached the Central Bus Terminal and turned into a corner rally.
About 60 motorcycles and 100 youths were participated in the rally. The program was addressed by Samundra Chhetri, Central Chairman of Youth Renaissance Organization Nepal. Addressing the corner meeting, Chhetri protested against the rising prices of petroleum products in Nepal and said that the government has not been able to come up with any long-term plan to control the prices. Stating that the government has remained silent against the increasing violence against women, border encroachment and foreign intervention in the country, he warned that now the independent and patriotic youth will unite and take strong action against it. He also said that the youth renaissance organization will now take strong action against corruption in every government body.
Central members of Trimul Nepal Party Sant Bahadur Ghising, Rishi Khatiwada and Navin Gaire were present in the program coordinated by Youth Renaissance Organization Nepal Chitwan.
India has decided to ban the export of sugar and all its raw materials from its country with effect from 1st June.
India has decided to ban exports, citing the Russia-Ukraine war. This could have a direct impact on the Nepalese economy, which is dependent on Indian production. India has said it will suspend exports for the next four months.
Rabindra Mishra, chairman of Bibekshil Sajha, has resigned from his post. He informed this by writing the status on the social network Facebook.
He said that he had resigned on moral grounds due to the disappointing results of the local elections. He also said that he would remain an ordinary member of the party and urged all the party members to join the party who had resigned earlier. The full text of his resignation letter is as follows:
Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has increased the salaries of national cricketers and staff.
The CAN meeting held on Tuesday has informed that the salary of the players has been increased. According to CAN, the monthly salary of all male players in Central Contract has been increased by Rs.10000. So on,six thousand for A & B grade women’s team players and five thousand for C grade women’s team players has been increased.
Similarly, the monthly salary of field staff has been increased by Rs 3,000, field office assistant by Rs 5,000 and pitch curator of TRI ground by Rs 6,000.
According to the increased remuneration, A grade players will get Rs 60,000 and B and C grade players will get Rs 50,000 and Rs 40,000 respectively. Similarly, A grade female players will get a monthly salary of Rs 21,000, while B and C grade players will get Rs 18,000 and Rs 15,000 respectively.
North Korea fired three ballistic missiles on Wednesday morning.
The missiles were fired less than a day after US President Joe Biden returned to the United States, promising to step up measures to stop North Korea during a visit to South Korea and Japan.
North Korea has been testing ballistic missiles since the beginning of the year.
During Biden’s visit, US and South Korean officials reportedly warned that North Korea was preparing for a weapons test. During Biden’s visit, Biden and his South Korean counterpart, Eun Suk-yol, agreed to conduct large-scale military exercises and deploy additional US strategic assets if necessary to halt North Korea’s rapid weapons tests.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has became the first Gulf state to record a case of monkeypox.In the UAE, health officials announced a case had been detected in a traveller who had recently visited west Africa and is now receiving medical treatment.
The Czech Republic and Slovenia also reported their first cases on Tuesday, joining 18 other countries to detect the virus outside its usual Africa base.That number is expected to rise further still, but experts say the overall risk to the general population remains low.
Outbreaks of the virus have been found in Europe, Australia and America.The symptoms often include a fever and rash – but the infection is usually mild.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says the virus can be contained with the right response in countries outside of Africa where it is not usually detected.
The government has presented policies and programs for the coming fiscal year.
President Bhandari presented the policy and program in the joint sitting of the federal parliament. Full text of the policy and program presented by the government.
Less than a week later, the Nepal Oil Corporation has again increased the price of fuel. The corporation has increased petrol, diesel and kerosene by Rs 10 per liter. According to the new price, petrol will cost Rs 180 per liter and diesel and kerosene Rs 163 per liter.
Similarly, the price of cooking gas has increased by Rs 200 per cylinder. According to the new price, the per cylinder of gas has reached 1800. Oil Corporation has increased the price of fuel saying that the loss has increased. According to the corporation, the new price will be effective from 12 tonight.
The government has promoted one Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Nepal Police and one Deputy Inspector General of Armed Police to the post of Additional Inspector General (AIG). The cabinet meeting today promoted DIG of Nepal Police Basanta Lama and DIG of Armed Police Force Narayan Dutta Poudel to AIG.
Promoted lama will retire in a few days due to age limit. Poudel, on the other hand, has become the sole claimant to lead the Armed Police Force after the current Inspector General Raju Aryal. As there are two AIG posts in the armed forces, the government has given only one promotion to Poudel.
Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police Dhiraj Pratap Singh has given the rank to Lama who was promoted to AIG of Nepal Police today.
Demonstration has taken place in front of the Prime Minister’s residence in Baluwatar demanding action against the perpetrators of sexual violence against a teenager participating in a beauty pageant.
The youths have spontaneously staged a sit-in in front of the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar by launching a campaign in the name of ‘Occupy Baluwatar’ to demand justice for the girl who was raped in the name of beauty pageant eight years ago.
The victim had revealed on social media that a beauty pageant organizer had raped her after she was unconscious with a drink given by the organizer.
They have also demanded the removal of the time limit on serious issues like rape in the demonstration which started demanding not to weaken the morale of the victim and punish the accused.
Birendra Majhi of Janmat Party led by CK Raut has been elected as the mayor of Hanumannagar Kankalini Municipality of Saptari. Majhi has been elected mayor after defeating the outgoing mayor Shailesh Kumar Sah. Majhi won by getting 6,407 votes. His nearest rival Sah got 6,246 votes.
In the previous local level election Majhi was the candidate from the then Forum and Sah had was the candidate from the then Rajpa who won the election. After Rajpa and the Forum together formed the LOSAPA, both of them were in Jaspa. But after Jaspa decided to field Sah as the candidate, Majhi joined the Janmat Party only a day before the nomination.
Similarly, Sarita Devi Siplia Yadav from JASAPA has been re-elected as the Deputy Mayor of Hanuman Nagar Kankalini. She was elected deputy mayor with 6,512 votes. Her nearest rival Rekha Devi Mandal of Janmat Party got 5,982 votes. In Hanumannagar Kankalini Municipality, which has 14 wards, Jaspa has won in 7 wards, Maoist Center in 4 wards, Janmat Party in 2 wards and Congress candidate in one ward.
A meeting of the coalition held at the PM’s residence in Baluwatar today has called upon the party cadres to move forward with mutual cooperation and mutual support by coordinating the election according to the place and situation.
The meeting also said that it will move forward by putting aside all the differences of yesterday. An appeal signed by the top leaders of the coalition has also requested for support to the coalition.
NP
