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Madhes Province Chief Minister Lalbabu Raut along with other ministers staged a sit-in on the premises of the office of Province Chief in Janakpur from Sunday demanding adjustment of police force.

Home and Communications Minister Bharat Prasad Sah said that the sit-in will be continued for a week against the federal government.

Chief Minister Raut said that they were compelled to stage the sit-in after the federal government turned a blind eye to their demand of adjusting the police force despite repeated requests.

He claimed that the Madhes government took this step for the successful implementation of federalism.

“It is not possible to develop the province without its own police administration,” Chief Minister Raut said, adding, “As per the constitution, the province government has been given the authority to maintain peace and security. The protest will be continued until the federal government gives the rights provided by the constitution of the province.”

Chief Minister Raut, Home and Communications Minister Bharat Prasad Sah, Energy and Drinking Water Development Minister Om Prakash Sharma, Physical Infrastructure Development Minister Ram Saroj Yadav, Home and Communications State Minister Rubi Kumiar Karna, Province Assembly members Sailesh Yadav, Chameli Devi Das, Saraswati Chaudhary and Pramila Devi Das had participated in the sit-in.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 27. 92 points to close at 2,010.01 points on Sunday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 4. 76 points to close at 386. 90 points.

A total of 4,559,022 units of the shares of 227 companies were traded for Rs 1. 87 billion.

Meanwhile, Upper Hewakhola Hydropower Company Limited was the top gainer today with its price surging by 8. 10 percent. Likewise, Gurans Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited was the top loser with its price dropped by 7. 18 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 2. 87 trillion.

A meeting of the Legislature-Parliament has been postponed due to lack of quorum.

Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota announced that the meeting has been postponed as the lawmakers present in the meeting stood at 67 which should be 69.

Finance Minister Janardan Sharma had presented the Public Debt Management Bill, 2079 for discussion during the meeting today.

During the meeting, lawmaker Prem Suwal demanded that the number of lawmakers be counted.

Later, Speaker Sapkota ordered the Parliament Secretariat staffers to count the number.

The staffers did and found that only 67 lawmakers were present in the meeting.

Consequently, Speaker Sapkota announced that the meeting has been postponed.

The next meeting will take place on Tuesday.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 500 per tola in the domestic market on Sunday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers' Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 97, 800 per tola today.

Meanwhile, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 97, 300 per tola.

Similarly, the price of silver has increased by Rs 25 and is being traded at Rs 1,250 per tola today.

Thirteen passengers were killed while five were injured when a sugar-laden truck came into contact with coaster in Rahim Yar Khan’s (RYK) Liaquatpur tehsil, according to a Rescue 1122 handout, Dawn reported.

According to the handout, the accident occurred in Feroza town and rescue officials from Liaquatpur and Khanpur tehsils along with 10 emergency vehicles as well as district administration’s cranes were involved in the rescue and clearance operation.

The handout said that the dead and the injured were moved to Feroza Rural Health Centre for treatment.

RYK Deputy Commissioner (DC) Syed Musa Raza told Dawn.com that the rescue operation was completed after 7:30pm.

He said that an inquiry would be initiated to ascertain the main reason for the incident after the completion of rescue activities, according to Dawn.

According to a handout from the district information office, medical aid was being provided to the injured and the DC instructed that the bodies be sent back to their native areas after identification.

CPN-UML lawmaker Yogesh Bhattarai has urged Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balen Shah to come to the UML headquarters with a concrete proposal to manage waste.

Saying that the government has not shown any interest in managing the waste of Kathmandu, Bhattarai urged Mayor Shah to come to the UML headquarters.

He said so while speaking at the meeting of the House of Representatives.

“It has already been 71 days that the waste has not been collected from Kathmandu. Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has not taken any initiatives for the same,” adding, “That is why, I urge Mayor Balen Shah to come to the UML headquarters with a concrete proposal.”

“The UML will support you fully and firmly,” Bhattarai further said.

He urged all to be united to protect Kathmandu which is rich in culture.  

A man was murdered in Gorkha on Saturday.

Buddhi BK (35) of Dharam Panima, Palungtar Municipality-5 was murdered last night.

He was attacked while returning home after taking part in Ropai Jatra at Thanti Pokhari at around 10 pm.

Critically injured in the attack, BK was rushed to the Aanppipal Hospital for treatment but doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

SP Kedar Khanal of the District Police Office, Gorkha said that they have taken three persons under control in suspicion for their involvement in the incident.

Sri Lanka said on Saturday it has agreed that the Chinese survey vessel pol can dock at its southernmost port, the Chinese-run Hambantota on August 16, despite security concerns raised by neighbouring India and the United States, Reuters reported.

Foreign security analysts describe the Yuan Wang 5 as one of China's latest generation space-tracking ships, used to monitor satellite, rocket and intercontinental ballistic missile launches.

Both China and India have tried to expand their influence in Sri Lanka, which is facing its worst economic crisis in its post-independence history.

India has provided more help to Sri Lanka this year than any other nation. But it fears its bigger and more powerful rival China will use the Hambantota port near the main Asia-Europe shipping route as a military base.

Sri Lanka formally handed over commercial activities at the port to a Chinese company in 2017 on a 99-year lease after struggling to repay its debt.

The Pentagon says Yuan Wang ships are operated by the Strategic Support Force of the People's Liberation Army, according to Reuters.

On Friday, India rejected claims that it has put pressure on Sri Lanka to turn the vessel away.

"We reject categorically the 'insinuation' and such statement about India. Sri Lanka is a sovereign country and makes its own independent decisions," Arindam Bagchi, a foreign ministry spokesman, said.