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Madhya-Pahadi Lokmarga Project Engineer Hari Kumar Pokharel has been arrested on the charge of raping a woman.

District Police Range, Kathmandu deputy speaker Anil Adhikari confirmed the arrest of Pokharel.

A few days ago, a woman of Ramechhap and currently residing in Kathmandu had filed a complaint at Women Cell of the Kalimati Police Beat saying that she was raped by Pokharel.

Based on the same complaint, police apprehended Pokharel.

Police said that they are looking into the case.

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 900 per tola in the domestic market on Friday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 112, 600 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 113, 500 per tola on Thursday.

Meanwhile, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 112, 050 per tola.

Similarly, the price of silver has dropped by Rs 40 and is being traded at Rs 1,450 per tola today.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has invited United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres to visit Nepal.

PM Dahal said that he extended an invitation to visit Nepal to Secretary General Guterres while returning home from Rome, Italy after taking part in a program of the United Nations.

Speaking to journalists at the Tribhuvan International Airport, PM Dahal said that United Nations Secretary General Guterres will visit Nepal soon.

“I have extended an invitation to the Secretary General of the United Nations to visit Nepal. He will visit Nepal soon,” the PM said.

On the sidelines of the event, Prime Minister Dahal had held a meeting with the UN Secretary General in Rome.

During the meeting, they discussed Nepal-UN relations, Nepal’s contribution to establish world peace, climate change and food security among other issues.

CPN-UML province Parliamentary Party leader Hikmat Kumar Karki has been reinstated as the acting chief minister of Koshi Province.

He will assume the office today itself.

Karki was appointed as the acting chief minister after the Supreme Court removed Congress province Parliamentary Party leader Uddhav Thapa from the post of chief minister.

He will work as the chief minister till August 2.

Earlier on Thursday, the apex court had ordered province Chief Parshuram Khapung to proceed with the process to appoint a new chief minister by August 2 while annulling the appointment of Thapa.

Karki, who is in Kathmandu, will head towards Biratnagar after some time to take charge of the office.

With Karki’s reinstatement, the ministers in the government under his leadership will also take over the responsibility of the ministries.

In the UML-led government, Buddhi Kumar Raj Bhandari was the Minister for Social Development and Tourism, Forest and Environment, Til Kumar Menyangbo Minister for Drinking Water, Irrigation and Energy and Health.

Similarly, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) province Parliamentary Party leader Bhakti Prasad Sitaula is the Minister for Industry, Agriculture and Cooperatives and Physical Infrastructure Development.

Karki was appointed as the chief minister for the second time on January 8, 2023.

The Karki-led government fell after losing the vote of confidence in Parliament on June 30.

After that, province Chief Parshuram Khapung called for the formation of a new government as per Article 168 (2) of the Constitution.

After  counting the signatures including that of Speaker Baburam Gautam, province Chief Khapung appointed Nepali Congress leader Thapa as the chief minister on July 6.

On July 7, leader Karki filed a writ at the Supreme Court against the decision.

Hearing the case filed against the Koshi government, a full bench of Justices comprising Ishwor Prasad Khatiwada, Ananda Mohan Bhattarai and Til Prasad Shrestha annulled the appointment of Thapa and directed province Chief Khapung to appoint a chief minister of the coalition government within seven days.

Wrapping up his visit to Italy, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal returned home on Friday.

Leading a delegation, Prime Minister Dahal had left Kathmandu for Italy on July 22 to attend the 'Food System Summit +2' organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome, Italy.

In his address to the 'Food System Summit', PM Dahal had underlined the need for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to spur investment in agriculture to cope with climate change and other hazards and strengthen adaptation capacity.

PM Dahal had addressed the 'United Nations Food Systems-2023 Stocktaking Moment'.

He highlighted the effectiveness of Nepal's ongoing mid-day meal program in the health and overall educational improvements of the students.

During his stay in Italy, PM Dahal had held separate meetings with the Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina and UN Secretary-General Antonio Gutterres.

He also had a meeting with the World Food Program (WFP)'s Executive Director Cindy Mccan, FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu and International Fund for Agriculture Development's President Alvaro Lario.

PM Dahal had also participated in a reception hosted by the Non-Resident Nepali Association, Italy in Rome.

PM Dahal also had a separate discussion with the members of Nepali Progressive Forum chapters of Italy, Belgium, Spain, Croatia, Portugal, Austria and Ireland.

The PM-led delegation comprises his personal secretary and daughter Ganga Dahal, Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Dr Beduram Bhusal, National Planning Commission Member Dr Jayakant Raut, high-ranking government officials, security personnel and others.

What does a quintal of gold making it through an international airport indicate? 

A security breach of titanic proportions. 

On July 19, the illegal gold concealed inside brake shoes ‘imported’ from Hong Kong in the name of Ready Traders passed through the Tribhuvan International Airport customs as security arrangements failed.  

But a team from the Revenue Investigation Department managed to intercept and seize the consignment from Sinamangal, a stone’s throw from the TIA. 

An ongoing investigation into this audacious breach has thus far brought 16 suspects under its dragnet. Public perception is that those arrested are but some small fries and that the big fish are beyond the reach of the long arm of the law.

The citizenry has reasons to be skeptical vis-à-vis the illegal gold probe, given that investigations into previous cases of gold smuggling, the Bhutanese refugee scam and the Lalita Niwas land-grab have failed to make progress beyond a point.

Frustrated with endemic corruption, political instability and the lack of rule of law as well as good governance, the citizenry has already started speculating reasons behind this inertia at a time when a deeper feeling that the high and the mighty can get away with anything is taking root in the country.

Like previous mind-boggling TIA breaches, the quintal-heavy breach has given rise to more questions than answers.

How did the cargo evade air-tight security at Hong Kong? What exactly went wrong with the screening system at the TIA that day, and how? How many times has the system gone ‘haywire’ in recent days? What amount of such illegal cargo has already made it through?   

Is the notorious ‘setting’—a prevalent collusion between the elements of bureaucracy, politics and powerful business interests—also behind this breach?

Was a falling out within the setting behind the confiscation of the cargo?

What was the end destination of the illegal cargo?

The nature of the entire operation indicates that it’s a transnational crime as the flight carrying the cargo had originated in Hong Kong. Apparently, a country that barely requires 40 kg of gold daily does not need a quintal of gold.

While the public can only speculate, the government has the wherewithal to get to the root of the case and book the guilty by working closely with transnational and international law enforcement agencies, if need be.

What directions this and other cases take will depend on one thing: The political will on the part of the government.

If the government is really serious about restoring faith in the current political system, it should be able to unravel the quintal-heavy case and other high-profile cases, come hell or high water, given that the cost of its failure will be too high for the country and the people.

The second meeting of the National Assembly on Thursday endorsed the Bill to amend some Nepal Acts.

The bill was brought with a purpose of taking action against those involved in usury by addressing the problems of victims.

The NA passed the bill again accepting the amendment to the bill related to usury sent by the House of Representatives with amendment and message.

On the occasion, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Dhanraj Gurung presented a proposal for the passage of the bill.

The bill was put to a decision after none of the lawmakers took part in discussion on the bill.

Now, the bill will be sent for the process of authentication.

NA Secretary Dr Surendra Aryal tabled the bill in today's first meeting.

The HoR had passed the bill with amendment on July 16.

The NA will next meet at 1:01 pm on August 3.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 29. 71 points to close at 2,126. 48 points on Thursday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 5. 26 points to close at 403. 84 points.

A total of 6,271,777-unit shares of 271 companies were traded for Rs 3. 12 billion.

Meanwhile, NIC Asia Flexi CAP Fund was the top gainer today with their price surging by 7. 39 percent.

Likewise, Kisan Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited was the top loser with its price dropped by 8. 68 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 3. 12 trillion.