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Foreign Minister NP Saud held a telephone conversation with his Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen on Tuesday.

Minister Saud had urged Cohen for necessary coordination and facilitation to repatriate the bodies of Nepali students killed in the attacks by Hamas in Israel.

He also urged Cohen to help in the treatment of Nepali nationals and help in searching for a Nepali national who has been missing following the attacks in Israel.

Minister Saud has urged his Israeli counterpart to help in providing basic essentials to the Nepali nationals who were relocated to a safer place by the Israeli army.

He also informed Minister Cohen that some Nepali citizens living in bunkers have been asking to arrange safe accommodation.

Saying that the Foreign Ministry has been collecting details of the Nepali nationals living in Israel, Minister Saud urged the Israeli government for the necessary assistance to repatriate the Nepali nationals stranded in various places of Israel.

During the conversation, Minister Saud expressed his sympathy for the loss of property caused by the attacks of Hamas and said that the government of Nepal stands in support for Israel in this difficult time.

Dubbing the Hamas group as terrorist, Foreign Minister Cohen expressed heartfelt condolences over the death of 10 Nepali students in the attacks by Hamas.

He expressed his commitment to extend necessary assistance to send the bodies to Nepali students back home.

At least 1,152 cases of scrub typhus have been reported in Sudurpaschim Province in the past two months alone.

According to Hemraj Joshi, Vector Control Inspector of the Sudurpaschim Provincial Health Directorate, Dipayal, Kailali district reported the highest 440 scrub typhus cases. Similarly, 140 cases have been reported in Darchula, 133 in Bajhang, 111 in Achham, 94 in Dadeldhura, 90 in Kanchanpur, 89 in Doti, 48 in Baitadi and seven in Bajura.

The patients are receiving treatment in the various health institutions of the respective districts.

Some of the patients have been discharged. Last year, the province reported 275 cases.

Dadeldhura had the highest 545 cases. Similarly, 529 cases were reported in Kailali, 377 in Kanchanpur, 324 in Darchula, 179 in Baitadi, 141 in Achham, 63 in Bajhang and 62 in Bajura. Symptoms include high fever, headache, excessive sweating, red eyeballs, diarrhoea and rashes over body parts.

People with any of these symptoms should visit a doctor for a diagnosis as symptoms are matched with that of COVID-19, said Joshi, adding that patients will get completely treated after taking medicines. "The infection can take a serious form if not treated timely. It attacks and may damage the brain, liver, lungs and other organs."

The disease spreads to people by the bite of a mite infected with the bacteria that causes scrub typhus fever. It does not spread from person to person, he said. "Infected mites are found in shrubs, farmlands, forests and around houses. To be safe from the insects, people should wear clothes that cover their whole body while working in the farmlands or forests." The infection takes place from July to October.

On the first day of advance ticket booking at Gongabu Bus Park for the upcoming Dashain, Tihar, and Chhath festivals, over 24,000 individuals have reserved their seats to travel to their hometowns.

The government opened advance ticket booking for long and medium routes from Monday targeting passengers going to their homes in districts outside the Kathmandu Valley and vice-versa for the upcoming festivals.

The number of passengers at the bus park has increased this year as opposed to previous years, it has been said. Ticket counters at the bus park have been crowded with passengers going to places like Darchula, Dadeldhura, Dhangadhi, Tikapur, Bajhang, Bajura, Salyan, Rukum, Puythan and Rolpa in the west and Taplejung, Ilam, Kakadvitta, Udayapur and other places in the east.

According to Pankaj Malla, Spokesperson for the Lhotse Multi-Purpose Pvt Ltd, the operator of the bus park, 24,340 people received tickets on Monday, the first day of advance ticket booking.

Aspiring passengers reached the bus park on Sunday night seeking tickets.  However, ticket booking for short routes will be opened from Ghatasthapana, the first day of the 15-day Dashain festival, which falls on October 15 this year, said authorities.

The government is at work to open road permits for traffic in all areas of the country for Dashain. Every year, around 2.2 million passengers leave Kathmandu for their home during Dashain.

Meanwhile, Lhotse Multipurpose Pvt. Ltd. has added 24 booking counters at the bus park in collaboration with transport entrepreneurs, according to Malla.

From the bus park, around 1,000 public vehicles commute between Kathmandu and more than 68 districts outside on a daily basis, said transport entrepreneurs.

Meanwhile, police have deployed security forces in plain clothes in the bus park area to contain the potential offenses during the festival time.

Senior Superintendent of Police Bhupendra Bahadur Khatri, the Chief of Kathmandu District Range, said that over 50 police personnel have been deployed in the area.

The Range has set up citizen help desks at 14 locations in Kathmandu district under the special security plan implemented in view of the festival time.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 19. 06 points to close at 1,889.59 points on Tuesday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 3. 45 points to close at 361. 31 points.

A total of 4,287,424-unit shares of 282 companies were traded for Rs 1. 28 billion.

Meanwhile, Upper Lohore Khola Hydropower Company Limited was the top gainer today with its price surging by 5. 86 percent.

Likewise, Barahi Hydropower Public Limited was the top loser with its price dropped by 7. 64 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 2. 88 trillion.

Last week, the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) came up with their respective reports highlighting the state of Nepal’s economy. 

Both reports state that Nepali economy, which is currently going through a recession, will grow in the coming days mainly due to the positive indications in agriculture, tourism and remittances.
For the first time, the government has acknowledged that the nation is in a recession, which is primarily caused by a decline in industrial production, low investment, liquidity crisis, high-interest rates, widening trade deficit, low capital spending, and decrease in tax revenue.

The IMF’s prediction is that Nepal’s economy will grow by 3.5 percent in the current fiscal year. Similarly, the World Bank has projected that Nepal’s economy is poised to achieve a growth rate of 3.9 percent.

In September, the Asian Development Bank had anticipated Nepal’s economy to grow by 4.3 percent in 2024, up from the estimated growth of 1.9 in the fiscal year 2023.  

Nepal’s external situation has improved because of responsible fiscal and monetary policies, robust remittances, and rising tourism. After slowing down in 2018, growth is anticipated to pick up in the fiscal year 2023/24 to 3.5 percent, although it will still be below potential due to weak domestic demand and high inflation.

The Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement’s third review calls for a disbursement of about $51.3m, and the Nepali government and IMF team have agreed at the staff level.

Despite monetary easing, necessary balance sheet repairs have been preventing credit expansion. The ECF’s reforms seek to increase credit stability and promote economic growth while preserving external and price stability. In order to increase demand, the budget calls for accelerating the planned increase in capital spending.

Senior economist at the IMF Tidiane Kinda stated in a statement that regardless of monetary easing, loan growth has been constrained by the need to restore balance sheets following the credit boom and a downturn in the real estate market. In August, Nepal’s inflation maintained its high at 7.5 percent, according to the IMF, but it is anticipated to decline. The forecast for Nepal over the medium term is still positive, as planned investments in infrastructure, particularly in the energy sector, are anticipated to help sustain potential growth.

The Nepali government is working to strengthen Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT), notably by amending existing AML regulations to conform to global norms. On the country’s side, however, growth is projected to have slowed in the most recent financial year due to import restrictions from the previous year, regulatory uncertainty regarding land markets and construction licensing, lower credit flows, and weaker domestic demand in the context of significant post-Covid emigration outflows.

The resulting revenue shortfall caused the fiscal deficit to increase in the most recent fiscal year, but it did so at a level that still fits with a manageable level of public debt, demonstrating budgetary restraint. However, there seems to be a contradiction in the IMF, World Bank, and Nepal government’s perceptions.

The expansion of Nepal’s economic growth is predicted by the World Bank for the upcoming fiscal year. The World Bank claimed that it anticipates Nepal’s economy will rebound to a 3.9 percent growth rate in the fiscal year 2024. It also indicated that Nepal's Gross Domestic Growth Rate will stay at 1.9 percent this year.

According to the update, Nepal can revive its economy by fostering tourism as well as export and remittances. Even while Nepal’s economy currently benefits greatly from tourism, there are still chances for more investments to increase returns, particularly for local communities. This is significant since Nepal is one of many nations attempting to solve the Covid-19 pandemic-related development setbacks while attempting to limit massive biodiversity losses.

Within the next three years, Nepal hopes to become a middle-income country, and the government has been painting a picture of a thriving economy based on data showing rising remittances and improvements in the tourism industry. However, the general state of the nation’s economy is getting worse by the day.

Chiranjibi Nepal, former governor of Nepal Rastra Bank and a senior economist, points out that the World Bank's optimistic outlook is in contrast to the challenging reality on the ground. He emphasizes that to truly understand a country's financial condition, we must observe local financial developments. He argues that international reports tend to highlight the positive aspects and may not accurately reflect the true economic situation. Nepal's government should focus on policies that stimulate local financial markets instead of relying solely on external reports.

“These reports are made by financial backers which demonstrates the positive side. How could a financial backer focus his/her interest into destruction?” he says. 

Senior economist Dr. Chandra Mani Adhikari says Nepal’s economy is distinct from other nations. This is the busiest time of year for Nepal’s economy, but it appears to be stagnating this year due to limited expansion, low wages, inflation, inadequate investment, corruption, lack of private sector confidence, youth migration, and sudden radical shifts in policy.

These are just a few of the economic features that Nepal is experiencing, Adhikari says, The Nepali economy has become stuck in a downward spiral of high inflation and sluggish growth.

“The banks have money deposited by particular persons that is fixed, and people are also cautious about spending because of the financial crisis, thus money movements in marketplaces are minimal these days. The government is unable to invest money on the market and reassure its citizens that everything is alright,” he says. “To stimulate the economy, the government should increase its development expenditure, which injects money into the market.”

The Human Rights and Peace Society (HURPES) staged a protest in front of the President’s Office on Monday, in a bid to prevent the abuse of presidential powers to grant reprieve to criminals under Article 276 of the Constitution. The demonstrators demanded a serious investigation to check if financial manipulations influenced the process of granting presidential pardons.

Article 276 of the Constitution states that the President may, in accordance with law, grant pardons, suspend, commute or remit any sentence passed by any Court, judicial or quasi-judicial body or administrative authority or body.

President Ramchandra Paudel, acting on a recommendation from the Council of Ministers, had remitted the term of Yograj Dhakal ‘Regal’, a murder convict doing a 20-year term, on the occasion of the Constitution Day. 

Recent presidential moves, including this particular pardon, have raised concerns among the public, including human rights campaigners. 

The protesters displayed placards pointing out that the recent pardon was an act of injustice against the victim and the family. They also wanted to know if the high office wants to boost public faith in the democratic republic or spread hatred through such moves. 

The placards also displayed messages calling one and all not to glorify murder and violence and to expose crimes that the state has committed in the name of granting amnesty. Through their placards, the protesters also sought to drive the point home that there can be no amnesty for heinous crimes, including murder.

From among the protesters, police arrested 11 people—founder president of HURPES Krishna Pahadi, president Ramkrishna Baral, advisor Uttam Pudasaini, general secretary Renuka Paudel, treasurer Kiran Dhakal, secretary Chandramani Banjara, central member Diwakar Pudasaini, Kathmandu Branch president Bhagwan Pudasaini, rights activists Rita Adhikari, Madhu Pudasaini and Lakshman Pudaisaini.

An alleged gangster and the then president of Tarun Dal Banke-3, Regal used to ‘extort transporters’ operating buses between Nepal and India. Regal had killed Chetan Manandhar at a hotel in Surkhet Road area on 13 July 2015, per court verdicts. On 24 April 2018, a bench of Banke district court judge Bishnu Subedi had convicted Regal as the mastermind behind the crime and sentenced him to 20 years behind bars.

Regal, at large after the murder, had surrendered before the court after police launched a series of encounters against gangsters.

Manandhar’s family had objected to the presidential move and his wife, Bharati Sherpa, had moved the apex court stating that convict Regal’s release against the Constitution.

The Supreme Court then had ordered the government to furnish written clarifications within seven days regarding the case.

The Office of the President, Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, Ministry of Home Affairs and District Administration Office, Banke have been made the defendants in the case.

Responding to a writ from Bharati Sherpa, the victim’s wife, a bench of Justice Manoj Kumar Sharma had ordered the government to provide security to the victim’s family and the authorities to submit to it copies of all relevant decisions related to the case and ordered the Attorney-General to appear in the court in person on the day of the hearing.

Minister for Foreign Affairs NP Saud has urged people not to visit Israel individually or politically except in case of official decisions at the political level.

His statements come in the wake of wars between Hamas and Israel.

The minister made this statement while informing the Foreign Relations and Tourism Committee of the House of Representatives about the attacks in Israel by Hamas and the situation of Nepalis in war-torn Israel.  

Saying the situation in Israel is sensitive following Hamas attacks, he urged people not to politicize this situation.

"The situation is sensitive. So, people are requested not to visit Israel at person or political levels except in case of political decisions. We should not politicize this situation."

In the meeting, lawmakers praised the Government of Nepal for its rescue of Nepali people trapped in Israel. They also suggested the government continue rescue efforts.

Foreign Minister NP Saud has said that continuous efforts are being made to keep Nepalis, who are at risk in Israel, in a safer place.

During a meeting of the International Relations and Tourism Committee of the House of Representatives held in Singha Durbar on Tuesday morning, Minister Saud said that 55 Nepalis have been relocated to a safer place with the help of Israel government on Monday.

He said that initiatives are being taken to keep other students, who are at risk, in a safer place.

Minister Saud said that 55 Nepalis—32 of Sudurpaschim University and 23 of Agriculture and Forest Science University—who have been taking refuge in a risky area in comparison to the southern part of Israel, have been relocated to a safer place.

He said that arrangements have also been made to keep some Nepalis, who are staying in the farm houses in the northern region, in the bunkers in a safe way.

Minister Saud further said that online registration has been started to collect details of the Nepalis, who want to return to Nepal, from the Nepali Embassy and more than 200 have been received so far.

The Minister said the aircrafts of Nepal Airlines and Himalaya Airlines are on standby to carry out rescue operations.

According to Minister Saud, coordination and facilitation are being made with the government of Israel to identify the actual situation of Nepalis and to rescue them.

Around 4,500 Nepalis are currently employed as caregivers in Israel. Additionally, there are 265 Nepali students studying there as part of the ‘Learn and Earn’ program of the Israeli government, Foreign Minister Saud had said in the Parliament meeting on Sunday.

Ten Nepali students enrolled in educational institutions in the southern region of Israel have lost their lives in the attack by Hamas on Israel.

According to Nepali Ambassador to Israel Kanta Rijal, the deceased have been identified as Narayan Prasad Neupane and Ashish Chaudhary of Kailali, Ganesh Kumar Nepali of Bajhang, Dipesh Raj Bist and Lokendra Singh Dhami of Darchula, Anand Sah of Dhanusha, Rajesh Kumar Swarnkar of Sunsari, Rajan Phulara of Doti, Padam Thapa and Prabesh Bhandari of Salyan.

Dhan Bahadur Chaudhary from Tikapur, Himanchal Kattel from Gorkha, and Bidhan Sejuwal from Salyan were injured in the attack. They are receiving treatment at a local hospital. Reports suggest that one of the injured is in a critical condition. A person is still missing.