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The Hatiagola Food Depot located in the remote northern area of Sankhuwasabha has seen a shortage of rice.

Locals have been deprived of accessing subsidized rice with the annual food quota limiting to 500 quintals.

There has been a shortage of rice in the food depot for the last 15 months. The Food Management and Trade Company said it has not been able to supply subsidized rice due to lack of timely completion of the administrative process.

Bhotkhola Rural Municipality chair Wangchhedar Bhote said there has been a shortage of rice in Hatiyagola food depot since last year.

He complained that although the District Administration Office had approached the Provincial Food Management and Trade Company Biratnagar and the Central Office, Kathmandu, in writing, the supply of rice to the Hatiagola food depot was not made even during the festive season.

There is a shortage of rice in the depot, Bhote said, adding the closure of the border transit point in Kimathankana due to landslides in China has caused more problems to the people of Bhotkhola.

Most of the people of Bhotkhola Rural Municipality have been relying on the border Chinese markets for daily necessities including food.

Vehicular movement has been banned there since September 28 due to a landslide in Changa, China.

A quota of 1,500 quintals has been stipulated for the district headquarters Khandbari and 500 quintals in Bhotkhola in the northern region.

Seven people, including three men and four women have so far lost their lives to dengue infection in Gandaki Province.

The Ministry of Health shared that a 48-year-old man of Tanahun had breathed his last on July 25 due to dengue infection.

Since then, dengue infection claimed a 40-year-old man from Kaski on August 6; a 52-year-old woman from Kaski on August 15, and a 61-year-old man from Myagdi on September 4.

According to the ministry data, three women aged 81, 70 and 75 years died in Kaski during September and October.

Information Officer and senior Health Education Officer at the Ministry, Prashant Raj Sharma, said 12,726 dengue cases have been confirmed in Gandaki since January 2024.

He further informed the province capital Pokhara has been the most affected by dengue infection. So far, 6,452 people have been confirmed infected in Pokhara Metropolitan City alone.

A total of 70 dengue cases were reported in January, while the number of infected people has increased to more than 12,500 in the nine months since then. Officer Sharma said the rate of dengue infection has been increasing since July last year. He said 728 dengue cases were reported in July; 4,083 in August and 6,720 in September.

Kaski has so far the highest number of dengue infected people with 6,548 while Manang has the lowest with two.

A total of 2,861 cases of dengue have been confirmed in Tanahun; 1,146 in Parbat; 664 in Gorkha; 539 in Baglung; 443 in Syangja; 213 in Myagdi; 181 in Nawalpur; 120 in Lamjung and nine in Mustang.

Doctors have warned of a higher risk of dengue infection from June to November.

The auction for the Nepal Premier League (NPL) concluded in Kathmandu on Sunday, with eight franchise teams securing their lineups for the upcoming season. Each team purchased three players in Grade A, four in Grade B, and three in Grade C. Out of the 164 players who participated in the auction, 80 players were sold to various teams.

Eight marquee players were already snapped up by the teams, including Kushal Malla for Chitwan Rhinos, Sompal Kami for Karnali Yaks, Rohit Kumar Paudel for Lumbini Lions, Dipendra Singh Airee for Sudurpaschim Royals, Sandeep Lamichhane for Biratnagar Kings, Aasif Sheikh for Janakpur Bolts, Karan KC for Kathmandu Gurkhas, and Kushal Bhurtel for Pokhara Avengers.

Wicketkeeper Anil Kumar Sah was the most sought-after player, with bids from all eight franchise teams. Gulsan Jha, Lokesh Bam, and Rupesh Singh also attracted bids from seven teams each.

Below are the players sold in the NPL auction:

Chitwan Rhinos  

Rijan Dhakal, Kamal Singh Airee, Sharad Vesawkar, Bipin Rawal, Santosh Karki, Dipesh Shrestha, Amar Singh Rautela, Deepak Bohra, Ranjit Kumar, Gautam KC.

Karnali Yaks  

Gulsan Kumar Jha, Nandan Yadav, Mausam Dhakal, Arjun Gharti, Dev Khanal, Rit Gautam, Bhuban Karki, Dipendra Rawat, Dipak Dumre, Unish BS Thakuri.

Lumbini Lions  

Surya Tamang, Bivek Yadav, Sundeep Jora, Aashutosh Ghiraiya, Tilak Raj Bhandari, Durgesh Gupta, Arjun Saud, Dinesh Adhikari, Abhishek Gautam, Bikas Aagri.

Sudurpaschim Royals

Aarif Sheikh, Abhinash Bohra, Binod Bhandari, Ishan Pandey, Arjun Kumal, Khadak Bahadur Bohora, Naresh Budhayer, Amit Shrestha, Naren Saud.

Biratnagar Kings  

Lokesh Bam, Pratish GC, Basir Ahmad, Rajesh Pulami Magar, Jitendra Kumar Mukhiya, Anil Kharel, Dipak Bohora, Subhash Bhandari, Naren Bhatta, Mrinal Gurung.

Janakpur Bolts  

Lalit Rajvanshi, Anil Kumar Sah, Rupesh K Singh, Aakash Tripathi, Kishor Mahato, Shubh Kansakar, Sher Malla, Hemant Dhami, Arniko Prasad Yadav, Tul Bahadur Thapa Magar.

Kathmandu Gurkhas  

Shahab Alam, Bhim Sharki, Rashid Khan, Shankar Rana, Dipesh Prasad Kandel, Sumit Maharjan, Krishna Karki, Bivek KC, Pratik Shrestha, Raju Rizal.

Pokhara Avengers  

Sagar Dhakal, Akash Chand, Kiran Kumar Thangunna, Narayan Joshi, Bipin Khatri, Dilip Nath, Trit Raj Das, Sunam Gautam, Dinesh Kharel, Amrit Gurung.

The Election Commission and the National Women Commission have submitted their annual reports to President Ram Chandra Paudel.

The reports, incorporating the works carried out by the two constitutional bodies in the fiscal year 2080-81 (2023-24), were presented to the Head of State amidst separate programmes held at the Office of the President in Shital Niwas today.

Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya and National Women Commission Chairperson Kamala Parajuli presented the annual report of their respective commissions.

On the occasion, President Paudel said that periodic election is the basis for consolidation of the federal democratic republic and for the nation's development and stability. He opined that it (periodic election) is the beauty and mandatory aspect of democracy, as it is through the election that people achieve their democratic rights and privileges.

Similarly, after receiving the National Women Commission report, the President said that although women participation is encouraging in some areas due to the sustained efforts, the representation of women, who make up more than half the population of the country, was still not satisfactory in the decision-making level. 

"It is seen that the women's participation in and contribution to other key sectors of life needed to be ensured through even more effective means. I am confident that the NWC will carry out works toward that end in a more vigorous and effective way in the coming days," President Paudel said.

On Oct 5, Srinu Pandranki, also known as Zero Infinity, celebrated his 37th birthday by unveiling two new books: Nine Crazy Stories and Cute Little Stories. The launch event took place at the Hard Rock Café in Kathmandu, Nepal, and was marked by a lively atmosphere as literature enthusiasts gathered to witness the release of Pandranki’s latest works. 

Nine Crazy Stories, an imaginative collection of nine short tales, was launched by Bibek Ojha, a celebrated Nepali author and Madan Puraskar winner, known for his works Ailani and Aithan. Ojha praised the book’s ability to push the boundaries of storytelling, with each tale set in a unique and unconventional world.

The second book, Cute Little Stories, which features seven heartwarming tales for young readers, was unveiled in a touching moment by three children on stage. Their involvement symbolized the book’s focus on the magic of friendship and the bravery needed to face fears, making the event even more meaningful. Srinu Pandranki, an author known for works in both English and Telugu, has previously written X Square, Second Chance In Time, and Nijanga Nenena (in Telugu). 

Committed to his annual tradition, Pandranki releases a new book every year on his birthday. In addition to his literary pursuits, he is also an accomplished filmmaker, having produced over 30 short films and four music videos across six different countries, including Nepal. His passion for storytelling extends to his global filmmaking journey, with the goal of capturing stories from every corner of the world.

Digital Rights Nepal (DRN) has released an in-depth analysis paper on the government’s proposed ‘Social Media (Usage and Regulation) Bill 2080’. The paper, which critiques and provides recommendations based on Nepal’s constitution, international human rights laws, and expert consultations, was formally presented on Oct 6 to the Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung, by Santosh Sigdel, the Executive Director of Digital Rights Nepal.

During the handover ceremony, Secretary of the Ministry, Radhika Aryal, expressed that the analysis paper will be instrumental in finalizing the bill. The bill, organized into eight chapters and 64 sections, outlines provisions for establishing a Social Media Management Council and Center, registering platforms, and enforcing penalties for prohibited activities.

The analysis specifically scrutinizes vague prohibitive clauses on social media content, criminal defamation provisions, mandatory platform registration, and regulations on content removal. Additionally, it raises concerns about the criminalization of anonymous or pseudonymous identities, stressing the need to protect freedom of expression and other fundamental rights.

Sigdel emphasized that the Supreme Court recently instructed the government to draft laws on social media regulation, and the analysis paper offers valuable insights for developing rights-based and effective legislation. The full text of the analysis is available on the Digital Rights Nepal website.

Sowinska Agnieszka (23) from Poland died while trekking around the Suryakunda area, the border of Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts last night.

According to the Rasuwa District Police Office Chief Keshab Bhattarai, Agnieszka with passport number 'FE 3051811' died and her body was retrieved with the help of the Nepal Army Shreenath Battalion and the Nepal Police and brought to Gosaikunda before sending it to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) Maharajgunj on a helicopter for post-mortem examination.

The postmortem report is awaited to determine the cause of the death which may be due to altitude sickness or other factors, it has been learnt.

Firms with foreign direct investment repatriated Rs 10.07bn in fiscal year 2023/24. This represents a decline of 27.23 percent compared to fiscal year 2021/22, when foreign investors repatriated Rs 13.84bn.

According to Foreign Investment in Nepal-2024, published by the Department of Industry (DoI), 86.7 percent of the dividend in 2023/24, or Rs 9.34bn, was repatriated by investors in the manufacturing sector. Twenty manufacturing industries with FDI repatriated dividends during the year. Likewise, foreign investors in eight energy sector companies took home Rs 367.6m.

The report states that the number of manufacturing industries repatriating dividends reached 43, up from 41 in the previous fiscal year. Since a lion's share of FDI in Nepal is in the manufacturing sector, it tops the list of sectors in terms of dividend repatriation.

Eight service sector industries and five tourism firms reported Rs 277.91m and Rs 55.45m in dividends in the review year. In 2022/23, ten service firms repatriated Rs 1.12bn, while six tourism firms sent back Rs 81.34m.

Firms in the infrastructure and mineral sectors did not make any dividend repatriations this year, according to the report. In 2022/23, one infrastructure firm had repatriated Rs 19.89m.

The report states that agricultural firms have repatriated dividends for the first time in three years. Rijal Tashi Industries, which has FDI from Bhutan, repatriated Rs 25m in 2023/24.

Dividend repatriation by investors in the IT sector fell significantly to Rs 9.3m in the current fiscal year.

In fiscal year 2022/23, investors in the manufacturing sector repatriated Rs 8.80bn, followed by the ICT sector, with Rs 3.67bn in dividends repatriated.

In FY 2021/22, foreign investors repatriated Rs 13.68bn in dividends. Manufacturing sector investors took back Rs 8.63bn that year, while those in the ICT sector repatriated Rs 4.80bn. During the year, 38 firms with foreign investment repatriated dividends, according to the report.

Dabur Nepal and Unilever are among the manufacturing companies that repatriated high dividends during fiscal year 2023/24. Asian Paints, Berger, and KNP Nerolac also repatriated significant dividends during the review year, according to an official from the DoI.

Likewise, firms sent abroad Rs 2.79bn in royalties in the first eight months of fiscal year 2023/24. According to the report, 115 manufacturing firms sent Rs 2.47bn, followed by tourism and energy-based firms, which sent Rs 129.97m and Rs 123.18m, respectively.