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The District Administration Office has continued curfew in Nepalgunj of Banke.

A total of 25 persons—five security personnel and 17 general public—were injured in the clash that occurred amidst the curfew, the Office said.

Of them, 21 have already returned home after treatment while one is undergoing treatment at the Bheri Hospital.

The District Administration Office clamped a curfew in Nepalgunj until further notice following religious unrest reportedly emerged from a status posted on social networking sites targeting the Muslim community.

The local administration has urged one and all not to upload any contents that could disturb social harmony.

Nepalgunj-based political parties, religious leaders, civil society representatives and the general public have appealed for restoring peace and harmony in the town.  

Chief District Officer of Banke Bipin Acharya said that the district administration has initiated a process for an all-party meeting to bring the situation under control, but the time has not been fixed yet.

He said that the curfew has been continued and the people entering Nepal via the Jamunaha point are being escorted to destinations.

SSP Min Bahadur Bista said that 1,500 Nepali arrived from India have been safely escorted to the places from where they could reach the destinations safely.

Nepalis are returning home from various places in India including Simla, Kalapahad and Delhi via the Jamunaha point in the district.

The Ministry of Health and Population has directed all health institutions across the country to keep a permanent notice board mentioning that action would be taken against those who manhandle and interfere with the safety of health workers.

Issuing a notice on Wednesday, the ministry asked the health institutions to keep a permanent notice board at least six feet in height and four feet in width.

According to the ministry's spokesperson Dr Prakash Budhathoki, the board should mention that activities like manhandling health workers, and padlocking and vandalizing health institutions are punishable as per the provision in the Clause 3 of the Safety of Health Workers and Health Institutions Act, 2066, and mention the provision of offenses and punishments mentioned in the Clause 15.  The government is committed to take action against those who attack the health workers, he said.

An application can be filed in the respective institution or the district administration office or the Nepal Medical Council and the Ministry of Health and Population in case of the charge of negligence on the part of health workers, said the notice.

According to the Act, arson of a health institution is punishable by two to five years in prison or a fine of Rs 200,000 to Rs 500,000 or both. Similarly, assaulting health workers or employees or vandalizing a health facility or any activities that damage a health institution is punishable by up to three years in prison or a fine of Rs 300,000 or both.

Similarly, encircling a health facility or affecting the treatment of patients or manhandling heath workers or employees is publishable by up to one year in prison or a fine of Rs 100,000 or both.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 9.24 points to close at 1,967.97 points on Wednesday.

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 0.51 points to close at 374. 90 points.

A total of 4,323,021-unit shares of 284 companies were traded for Rs 1. 18 billion.

Meanwhile, Madhya Bhotekoshi Jalavidyut Company Limited was the top gainer today, with its price surging by 10. 00 percent. Likewise, Samata Gharelu Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited was the top loser as its price fell by 6.61 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 3. 00 trillion.

Alice Albright, chief executive officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, is confident that two vital projects—a transmission line’s construction and road upgrades—under MCC Nepal Compact will be completed within the five-year deadline. Initiated in August, just four years and 11 months remain to meet this goal. 

In an exclusive conversation with a select group of journalists, Albright highlighted that the top leaders of Nepal's three major political parties—CPN (Maoist Center), Nepali Congress, and CPN-UML—stand firmly in favor of these projects’ execution.

After meetings with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli, she said that she received  their unequivocal commitment to removing any obstacles that might hinder the progress of these projects.

“I am very optimistic that the project would be completed in the next five years and the Nepal government has indicated their full commitments,” she said.  

Asked about the support of the United States for the interpretative declaration adopted by Nepal's Parliament during the MCC endorsement, she affirmed, “We agree with it… we have already implemented the project.”

During the press conference, senior officials from MCA-Nepal reported that they have not encountered any major challenges in the field during the project's implementation.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 300 per tola in the domestic market on Wednesday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 106, 900 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 106, 600 per tola on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 106, 400 per tola. It was traded at Rs 106, 100 per tola.

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 1,310 per tola today.

A person lost his life to the earthquake in Bajhang.

The deceased has been identified as Gunamati Dhami (40) of Jayaprithvi Municipality-11, Okhal.

Inspector Dipesh Chaudhary, Information Officer at the District Police Office, said that Dhami died after he got trapped in the landslide following the earthquake on Tuesday.

A police team has been mobilized to the incident site, it has been learnt.

As many as 11 persons were injured in the incident.

Two of them returned home after receiving treatment at the District Hospital.

Police said that the earthquake caused damage to 135 houses in the district.

Chaudhary further said that at least 60 houses were damaged in Thalara and 41 houses in Jayaprithvi Municipality. 

Two earthquakes measuring 5.3 and 6.3 on the Richter scale respectively jolted Bajhang district on Tuesday afternoon

Nepal-India Chamber of Commerce & Industry (NICCI) welcomed the member delegates of BIBN Friendship Car Rally at NICCI Secretariat, Kathmandu.

The car rally was organized by North East Federation on International Trade (NEFIT), India which embarked on its journey from Guwahati of India on 28th October 2023.

The rally made its entry into Nepal via Panitanki-Kakarvitta custom on October 1, 2023 and reached its destination in Kathmandu on October 2, 2023.

This exhilarating rally is scheduled to conclude on October 9, 2023 in Guwahatti, India with a closing ceremony there.

NICCI Secretary General Ramesh Sharma along with Treasurer Kunal Kayal, Executive Member and convener of the Trade and Transit Committee at NICCI Rajan Sharma and other NICCI officials welcomed the delegates of the car rally with garland and tika at NICCI Secretariat in Narayanchaur, Naxal, Kathmandu, reads a statement issued by NICCI.

In a significant development, during the welcome ceremony, NEFIT and NICCI formalized their commitment to future collaboration in areas of bilateral trade promotion, economic cooperation, educational and cultural exchange by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).  The MoU was signed by Ramesh Sharma, Secretary General of NICCI and Mrinal Hatkhowa, Secretary General of NEFIT.

The agreement marks another milestone in NICCI’s efforts to strengthen ties with Indian Trade and Industry-related organizations. It follows closely on the heels of the MoU signed between NICCI & BCC&I, Kolkata on September 28, 2023.

Mrinal Hatkhowa, Secretary General of NEFIT, expressed his gratitude to NICCI for the warm welcome extended to the NEFIT team and members of the Car Rally in Nepal.  He emphasized the potential for future collaboration envisioned through MoU, according to the statement.

Rajan Sharma, Executive Member and Convener of Trade and Transit Committee at NICCI, emphasized the commonalities between Nepal and India, including climate, culture, lifestyle and people-to people connections. He highlighted the multitude of areas where NICCI and NEFIT can collaborate and extend cooperation in the spirit of “GROW TOGETHER”.

The MoU signed today represents just the beginning of a promising partnership, and both organizations are eager to explore opportunities for further collaboration, the statement reads.

The delegates and officials of NICCI engaged in a fruitful exchange of views and experiences during the program, setting the stage for dynamic and mutually beneficial partnership.

NICCI and NEFIT are excited about the prospects that lie ahead and look forward to fostering stronger economic ties, promoting cultural exchange, and advancing bilateral trade relations between Nepal and India.

CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma has come down heavily on the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led ruling coalition, likening it to a slow poison for the republic and questioning its commitment to democracy, the Constitution and its conduct of foreign relations. 

Oli launched a multi-pronged attack against the Dahal-led dispensation through his address to the House of Representatives on Tuesday, saying, “This government cannot administer one fatal dose (to democracy and the republican order). Nonetheless, it is acting as a slow poison for democracy and the Constitution. 

He accused the Dahal-led dispensation of suppressing the voices of the people and conspiring to render the Parliament useless by not giving businesses to the House and its committees. 

Oli went on to elaborate the characteristics of the dispensation thus, “While this government does not do what the Constitution has told it to do, it does what the Charter has barred it from doing—without fail”. 

Referring to the recent Cabinet decision to declare Fagun 1—the day the Maoist insurgency was waged 27 years ago (13 Feb 1996)—as a public holiday, the UML chair accused the government of glorifying violence through the move. The decision to celebrate the day has further hurt the sentiments of conflict victims, Oli said, demanding that the next Cabinet meeting withdraw the decision. 

He also protested the government move to grant blanket amnesty to criminals in the name of marking Constitution Day and turning the President into an entity that does the government’s bidding. 

Oli also took the government to task on ongoing investigations into corruption cases. The government opened Lalita Niwas scam files with much hullabaloo, now it is finding it hard to close them, Oli claimed, “The (60-kg) gold-smuggling case is also giving the government a hard time.” 

The government’s good governance campaign is actually aimed at shielding smugglers and murderers, he went on. 

This dispensation has appointed those candidates, who failed exams for district judges, as well as those who helped out election candidates from the ruling dispensation as judges, he maintained, adding that it is futile to hope for a better performance from this government. 

The conduct of diplomacy also came under Oli’s crosshairs as the latter blamed PM Dahal for failing to raise Nepal’s concerns during his recent visits to the United Nations, China and India.