Submit your Article

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.

The man suspected of stabbing renowned author Salman Rushdie in western New York pleaded not guilty Saturday to attempted murder in the second degree and other charges, his attorney says, CNN reported.

Hadi Matar, 24, is accused of stabbing Rushdie -- whose controversial work has triggered death threats -- at a speaking engagement on Friday, authorities said. 

Matar, a New Jersey resident, also was charged with assault in the second degree, with intent to cause physical injury with a deadly weapon. Matar pleaded not guilty, according to Nathaniel Barone, his public defender. The attorney said Matar has been "very cooperative" and communicating openly, but he did not discuss the content of those conversations.

He was refused bail and remanded to the Chautauqua County Jail. Matar's next court appearance is Friday.

Rushdie, 75, was stabbed on stage at the Chautauqua Institution before he was slated to give a lecture, New York state police said Friday. He was airlifted to a hospital in northwestern Pennsylvania and underwent surgery, a Pennsylvania police official said. The hospital said it had no update to provide on his condition Saturday.

Rushdie's injuries included three stab wounds to the right side of the front of his neck, four stab wounds to his stomach, a puncture wound to his right eye, a puncture wound to his chest, and a laceration on his right thigh, according to Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt, who provided details of the injuries during Matar's arraignment.

Rushdie may lose his right eye, the county prosecutor added, according to CNN.

On Friday, Rushdie was put on a ventilator and was unable to speak, his agent, Andrew Wylie, told The New York Times. "The nerves in his arm were severed; and his liver was stabbed and damaged," Wylie said. "The news is not good."

The FBI is working with local and international authorities in its investigation into the attack, including "international partners in the United Kingdom to provide additional resources, since the victim is a UK-US dual citizen," a spokesperson told CNN on Saturday.

Barcelona were frustrated in their opening La Liga game as Rayo Vallecano held on for a goalless draw, BBC reported.

Robert Lewandowski was among the summer recruits that were making their debuts, but he could not break the deadlock.

The Poland striker was adjudged offside with a first-half effort, and smashed the best chance after the break wide.

Sergio Camello nearly grabbed a winner for Vallecano, while Barca midfielder Sergio Busquets was sent off in stoppage time for a second yellow card.

Having registered four of their new signings to play only 24 hours before kick-off, there was a cause for optimism around the Nou Camp as the game began.

Barca had been unable to register new players because of La Liga financial regulations, but freed up funding with several "economic levers" which allowed Lewandowski, Andreas Christensen and Raphinha to start this game, while Franck Kessie was named on the bench. 

The hosts had 21 shots to Vallecano's four, but as the game wore on. tensions began to grow as the visitors remained resolute in defence.

Lewandowski, signed from Bayern Munich for £42.6m, had the best chance after the break when he spun his marker but could only fire wide as he failed to score on the opening day of a season for the first time in eight years, according to BBC.