Nepse surges by 3. 76 points on Monday

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 3. 76 points to close at 1,993.02 points on Monday. Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 1. 76 points to close at 387. 46 points. A total of 3,440,900 unit shares of 222 companies were traded for Rs 1. 26 billion. In today’s market, all sub-indices saw green except for Banking, Life Insurance, Mircrofinance, Mutual Fund and Investment. At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 2. 85 trillion.

Conflict victims, rights defenders hand over memo to UN Resident Coordinator Richard Howard

A group of conflict victims and human rights defenders handed over a memorandum to the UN Resident Coordinator Richard Howard on Monday. The letter was addressed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres alerting him to “multiple flaws” in the transitional justice amendment bill before Nepal’s Parliament. A copy of the letter was handed over for transmission to Michelle Bachelet Jeria, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The letter seeks the good offices of the Secretary-General to ensure necessary amendment of provisions that are perpetrator-friendly. It reminds the Secretary-General that the United Nations has been a meaningful partner in Nepal’s peace process, which makes it surprising that the respective Special Rapporteurs, the OHCHR and other UN entities have not publicly reacted to the transitional justice bill. Among other matters, the memorandum states that the transitional justice bill does not follow the directives of the Supreme Court of Nepal and violates international principles and practice on transitional justice. Issues related to differentiations made between ‘murder’ and ‘cruelly conducted murder’, coercion on victims for amnesty, provisions for reduced sentencing and absence of due process are some of the flaws mentioned. The absence of the issue of child soldiers in the bill, even though it has been so well recognized by the United Nations in the context of Nepal, is also mentioned as a grievous flaw. All in all, “the amendment bill is designed to provide de facto immunity to perpetrators of both sides (Maoists and state security personnel)”, states the letter. The letter states that “Nepali society is capable of developing a just, humane and realistic transitional justice process, one that will be exemplary at the international level. This is also why we hope that the United Nations will remain engaged on the matter.” The text asks the Secretary-General’s good offices to seek amendment to the bill as recommended by victims of conflict and human rights defenders. At the meeting, following presentations by victims’ representatives and human rights defenders, UN Resident Coordinator Richard Howard updated the gathering on the United Nations’ position and activities related to transitional justice in Nepal and said that the Organization remained committed to values inherent in the transitional justice process.  

PM Deuba in Sheetal Niwas to hold discussion on Citizenship Bill with President Bhandari

Prime Minister and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba along with his office bearers have reached Sheetal Niwas to discuss the Citizenship Bill. Earlier, President Bhandari had returned the Citizenship Bill to the Parliament with a 15-point message for reconsideration. But, the House of Representatives endorsed the bill without any change. The bill is in the National Assembly. On Sunday, the upper house sent the bill to the Legislation Management Committee of the Parliament for clause-wise discussion. The ruling coalition is in favor of endorsing the bill at the earliest while the main opposition CPN-UML is against the same. Of late, President Bhandari has intensified discussions after knowing that the bill would come to her for certification without any change.

Bill on Truth and Reconciliation Commission tabled in Parliament

A bill related to Truth and Reconciliation has been tabled in the Parliament on Monday. During the Parliament meeting held on Monday, Law Minister Govinda Prasad Sharma presented a proposal to consider the bill on Enforced Disappeared Persons, Truth and Reconciliation Commission (Third Amendment), 2079. The discussion has started on the bill.

Speaker Sapkota directs government to resolve problems of Tribhuvan University

Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota has directed the government to resolve the problems of Tribhuvan University, the oldest university of Nepal. Sapkota issued the directive to resolve the problems at the earliest after the main opposition CPN-UML demanded a ruling to sort out the issues. Speaking at a meeting of the House of Representatives on Monday, UML lawmaker Pradeep Gyawali said that the ruling parties have been attacking the university time and again. He accused the government of being a mute spectator instead of taking action against those who are trying to destroy the university. “The university is on the verge of collapse. Thousands of students have left the country,” he said, adding, “The case filed against the attackers of the professor has been withdrawn. The main opposition cannot be a mute spectator.” It has already been three months that the student unions have padlocked the university.

Plans afoot to clear basement of Suraj Arcade

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City is making preparations to clear the basement of New Road-based Suraj Arcade. A team of the KMC has reached the Suraj Arcade for the same. The Metropolitan City team reached there after Mayor Balen Shah directed the officials to clear the basement of the Suraj Arcade and to demolish the structures built illegally around the shopping center. The KMC swung into action after the Suraj Arcade management ignored a 35-day notice of the Metropolitan City to clear the underground parking area. The parking on the street has caused chaos in the area after the Suraj Arcade does not allow parking in the basement. Earlier on Sunday, the KMC dismantled the structures constructed above the subway in Ratnapark.

India v Pakistan: Hardik Pandya leads India to dramatic Asia Cup win

Hardik Pandya led India to a dramatic final-over win over Pakistan in the sides' opening match of the Asia Cup, BBC reported.

With India chasing 148 from 20 overs, Hardik hit the fourth ball of the final over for six to seal a five-wicket win.

The all-rounder struck three fours in the 19th over to reduce the equation from 21 runs from 12 balls to seven from six, before Ravindra Jadeja was bowled at the start of the last over.

Hardik finished 33 not out from 17 in reply to Pakistan's 147 all out.

Virat Kohli also made 35 from 34 balls before he was caught off left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz, who took 3-33 and bowled the final over in Dubai.

After Jadeja fell for 35, new batter Dinesh Karthik took a single and Nawaz bowled a dot ball but, with six needed from three, Hardik cleared the long-on boundary, according to BBC.

Mohammad Rizwan top-scored with 43 from 42 balls for Pakistan, while India seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar took 4-26 as Babar Azam's side were dismissed in 19.5 overs.

It was the great rivals' first meeting since the T20 World Cup last autumn, an encounter Pakistan won by 10 wickets.

The win puts India top of Group A in the Asia Cup - which is being played in the Twenty20 format in this edition - above Pakistan and Hong Kong. Afghanistan thrashed Sri Lanka in the Group B opener on Saturday - a group which also includes Bangladesh, BBC reported.

The top two teams in each group go into the Super Four phase, which is then played in a round-robin format before the top two meet in the final on 11 September.

EU faces 'awful' winters without gas cap - minister

Belgium's energy minister has warned that EU countries will face "five to ten" "terrible" winters if nothing is done to reduce natural gas prices, BBC reported.

Calls are mounting for an EU-wide cap on the price of gas and its decoupling from the price of electricity.

EU states have been struggling with huge energy price hikes since key gas supplier Russia invaded Ukraine in February, triggering sanctions.

But Germany says it is replenishing its gas stores faster than expected.

Western countries backing Ukraine are trying to cut the amount of Russian gas and oil they import. Russia, which supplied the EU with 40% of its gas last year, has in turn restricted supplies.

Belgian Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten wrote on Twitter that gas prices in Europe needed to be frozen urgently, adding that the link between gas and electricity prices was artificial and needed to be reformed.

"The next five to ten winters will be terrible if we don't do anything," she said. "We must act at source, at European level, and work to freeze gas prices."
Electricity prices have also been soaring in Europe, and reached record highs this week. Gas is a major source of electricity generation.

In Germany, the year-ahead contract for electricity reached €995 (£844; $991) per megawatt hour on Friday while in France, it rose to €1,130. This represents a more than tenfold increase in both countries from last year, AFP news agency notes, according to BBC.

"We have to stop this madness that is happening right now on energy markets," Austria's Chancellor Karl Nehammer said.

Electricity prices must go down, he said, calling on the EU to decouple electricity and gas prices.

"We cannot let [Russian President Vladimir] Putin determine the European electricity price every day," he added.

Germany - the largest importer of Russian gas in 2020 - has been racing to bolster its gas reserves before winter despite Russia cutting deliveries.

Its aim is to fill its gas capacity to 85% by October. It has implemented energy-saving measures to do so.

Economy Minister Robert Habeck said such measures - along with buying gas from alternative suppliers - had enabled Germany to fulfil its goal sooner than anticipated, BBC reported.

He estimated that the 85% target could be reached by the start of September.