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Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has appealed to all to help the people suffering due to floods, landslides and inundation, by considering it as the pain of the nation.

At a press conference held today at the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers at Singha Durbar, Prime Minister Oli urged one and all to support the search, rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts underway across the country. "This pain is not only the government's concern, but the whole society's pain. We are all saddened by the disaster," Prime Minister Oli said.

"Damage has also occurred due to some structural shortcomings. In the future, when the structures are built it will be made as such to withstand disasters and stronger in the long-term," he noted.

On the occasion, Prime Minister Oli expressed his commitment to correct shortcomings, if any, in the rescue and search operations due to the large-scale disaster that the government had not anticipated and hence not prepared for. He emphasized that the state and the society should make maximum use of the available resources to address the current adverse situation in the country.

The Merchant Bankers Association of Nepal (MBAN) successfully held its 15th Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Sept 30, in Naxal, Kathmandu, where its 6th Executive Committee was elected. The newly appointed leadership team includes Ramendra Rayamajhi from NIC Asia Capital Limited as Chairperson, Manis Narayan Joshi from Nabil Investment Bank Limited as Vice-chairperson, Nirmal Bhattarai from Garima Capital Limited as General Secretary, and Shivanth B Pande from NIMB Ace Capital Limited as Treasurer. Additionally, Sandip Karki from Siddhartha Capital Limited, Lekhnath Pokhrel from Nepal SBI Merchant Banking Limited, and Pushpa Sharma from Kumari Capital Limited were elected as committee members. 

The election process was carried out in a positive and collaborative environment, reflecting the association’s commitment to a shared vision for the future of merchant banking in Nepal. The new executive team has pledged to work on improving capital market accessibility, promoting sustainable financial practices, and strengthening relationships with regulatory bodies to foster the growth of Nepal’s financial sector.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 114. 70 points to close at 2,623.56 points on Tuesday.

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 19.46 points to close at 470. 81 points.

A total of 17,507,555-unit shares of 307 companies were traded for Rs 7. 61 billion.

Meanwhile, Butwal Power Company Limited (BPCL), Gurkhas Finance Ltd. (GUFL), Goodwill Finance Limited, Shree Investment Finance Co. Ltd. (SIFC) and Central Finance Co. Ltd. (CFCL) were the top gainers today, with their price surging by 10. 00 percent.

Similarly, NMB 50 (NMB50) was the top loser as its price fell by 3. 86 percent.

Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has said that the recent flooding and landslides caused by the monsoon rains have so far resulted in 218 deaths, the missing of 27 people, and 143 injuries. He said the government is engaged in the post-disaster response with high priority.

In a meeting of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee, House of Representatives, today, the minister said that the government is focused on the search, rescue, and relief efforts in the wake of disasters.

Search and rescue operations are underway, he said. The distribution of relief materials to the affected is going on. The injured are being treated free of cost.  The District Disaster Management Committees are focused on the dispatch of relief materials and the rehabilitation of the survivors in an effective way.

According to the minister, a total of 4,022 people trapped in the districts were rescued with the help of the Nepal Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, and volunteers.

The Kathmandu Valley and the Bagmati Province were affected the most by the rains which is said to be the most significant in the 50 years.

A total of 3,906 Nepal Army soldiers, 14,802 personnel of the Nepal Police, and 12,023 of the Armed Police Force have been mobilized for the search and rescue operations after the disasters.

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

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 160, 000 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 160, 500 per tola on Monday.

Similarly, the price of silver has dropped by Rs 15 and is being traded at Rs 1,925 per tola today.

The international launch of Captain Rameshwar Thapa’s book Into the Fire took place in New Delhi during a special ceremony. The event, part of the 4th Delhi edition of Kitab Jatra, was graced by Acting Nepali Ambassador to India Dr Surendra Thapa, former Indian Ambassador to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri, and renowned expert on India-Nepal relations, Ashok Mehta, along with other distinguished guests.

The ceremony also featured a panel discussion on Nepal-India relations. In his remarks, Acting Ambassador Thapa highlighted the importance of literature in understanding historical events, noting that Into the Fire sheds light on significant incidents from the past. “The study of literature is crucial, regardless of one’s profession or business,” he stated. Former Ambassador Puri praised Captain Thapa for providing valuable insights into the politics and geopolitics of Nepal, emphasizing that the book will serve as an important resource for the younger generation to understand the country’s past and present challenges. He urged the youth to read the book to gain a deeper understanding of Nepal’s complex history.

Captain Thapa explained that the book portrays Nepali society during the 10-year armed conflict, expressing confidence that the lessons learned from this period will help prevent a recurrence. He described the book as a significant document for future generations to understand the socio-political dynamics of that era. “Nepal and India share a long-standing, cordial relationship, and we must work to deepen it,” he remarked, stressing the need to enhance bilateral economic ties and cooperation.

Thapa also referenced Bal Aditya Guru, noting that the young prodigy often described Nepal and India as the land of gods. Guru, who has already published several books at the age of seven, was lauded for his contributions to the literary world, with Thapa highlighting his valuable insights into both Nepal and India’s histories.

Ashok Mehta emphasized the book's importance in understanding the Maoist conflict and its impact on Nepali society. He further advocated for continued dialogue between Nepal and India, particularly concerning the ongoing suspension of Nepali recruitment into the Indian Army, urging both governments to take action on the issue.

Atul K Thakur, Secretary of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, praised Into the Fire for its detailed account of Nepal’s past, stating that it offers a valuable perspective on the country’s history and current situation. He underscored the importance of strengthening Nepal-India relations.

Chairperson of the Kitab Jatra Foundation, Rishi Ram Adhikari, expressed his delight at the book’s release during the fourth edition of the festival, commending Thapa for his insightful depiction of Nepali society.

Prior to the international launch, Into the Fire was released in Kathmandu in the presence of Bal Aditya Guru, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. The book is the English translation of Thapa’s earlier work Barud Mathi Udda.

Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba and Chief Executive Officer of Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a US agency, Alice P Albright, held a meeting on Monday.

The meeting held at Nepali Embassy in the US witnessed a discussion on issues like enforcement of the activities under the MCC project that Nepal signed in 2017. Timely completion of the project was stressed in the discussion, the Nepali Embassy stated.

The transmission line and road upgrade under the MCC project are being implemented in Nepal. Nepal has been provided USD 50 million assistance for the projects.

The meeting was held before Foreign Minister Rana left for Doha.

Minister Rana had arrived in the US to attend the 79th UNGA.

The Supreme Court has handed prison sentences to all those involved in the contempt of court case regarding the content broadcast and published under the name ‘Dark File’ on Sidhakura.com news portal and its YouTube channel.

A nine-member full bench of the Supreme Court ruled that Sidhakura.com committed contempt of court and sentenced the publisher, editor and those who provided false content for broadcast to jail terms.

The portal had created fake audio clips implicating Supreme Court Senior Justice Anand Mohan Bhattarai, Annapurna Media Network Chairperson Captain Rameshwar Thapa, Kantipur Media Group Chairperson Kailash Sirohiya, Annapurna Post Political Bureau Chief Surendra Kafle, and senior advocates Hari Upreti and Kishor Bista. A contempt of court case was filed against Sidhakura.com for publishing and streaming the said news content.

Rajkumar Timalsina, who created the ‘fake audio’, has been sentenced to six months in prison. Similarly, publisher Yuvaraj Kandel and executive editor Nabin Dhungana have been sentenced to three months in prison each. The portal has also been fined Rs 5,000. 

The apex court’s verdict states that the fine can be waived off if the portal apologizes. Likewise, if the publisher and editor submit a written apology regarding the published content, their sentences would be reduced to seven days. However, Timalsina must serve the full sentence.

The Supreme Court found that Timalsina provided false content to Dhungana and Kandel, and considering the nature, gravity and degree of guilt of this act, sentenced him to six months in prison under Section 17(4) of the Justice Administration Act, 2016. “Since Timalsina has shown no remorse or apologetic attitude even during the proceedings of this case, the imposed prison sentence should be implemented by keeping him in detention,” the verdict states.

In the case of executive editor Dhungana and publisher Kandel, the court noted that they did not produce the content themselves but received it from Timalsina. However, they failed to verify the content, which is a minimum requirement for anyone involved in mass communication. Considering the nature, gravity and degree of guilt of their actions, they have each been sentenced to three months in prison under Section 17(4) of the Justice Administration Act, 2016.

“They repeatedly published this content in their media outlet, spreading confusion about the court and creating distrust. This cannot be considered mere negligence or carelessness, but rather a deliberate attempt to spread rumors about this court, its judges and the overall judicial process, with the malicious intent to obstruct the administration of justice,” the Supreme Court ruled. 

Although Dhungana and Kandel claimed in their statements that their intention was not to commit contempt of court but merely to broadcast the received content, and apologized, their apology was not unconditional, the verdict states. “If they appear before this court and express unconditional apology and written commitment to not repeat such acts for the aforementioned contemptuous actions, only seven days of their sentenced imprisonment will be implemented and the rest will be immediately suspended. If they do not apologize or express commitment to not repeat such acts, they must serve the full sentence.”

Regarding Sidhakura.com, the court found it guilty of repeatedly publishing and broadcasting content that spreads confusion about this court and the overall justice system, creating distrust. This act constitutes contemptuous offense under Section 17(4) of the Justice Administration Act, 2016, and a fine of Rs 5,000 has been imposed. “If they publish or broadcast a corrigendum through the relevant medium or program within three months of receiving this order, stating that they trusted the source and published/broadcast without verifying the truth and facts, and inform this court, the record of this fine will also be cleared,” the apex court stated. “If such a correction is not published/broadcast, it should be recovered as government dues.”

The verdict was issued by a full bench comprising Chief Justice Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha and Justices Prakashman Singh Raut, Sapana Pradhan Malla, Prakash Kumar Dhungana, Hari Prasad Phuyal, Nahakul Subedi, Binod Sharma, Mahesh Sharma Poudel and Balkrishna Dhakal. 

Sidhakura had created and broadcast misleading propaganda material regarding then Supreme Court Justice Dr Anand Mohan Bhattarai, media entrepreneurs, lawyers and journalists. Supreme Court Deputy Registrar Govinda Ghimire had filed a contempt of court case against Sidhakura, arguing that this act had seriously affected the court’s administration of justice.

False, self-conceived, self-generated

The full bench ruled that the disputed content was not based on truth but was misleading, false, fabricated, fictional, self-conceived and self-generated. “It has been found that the basic responsibility of editors and publishers to verify the truthfulness when publishing such content has not been fulfilled,” the verdict states. “No attempt was made to contact court officials or those responsible for judicial administration to verify the truthfulness of such serious and sensitive content before broadcasting.”

The court found that Timalsina, Dhungana and Kandel produced and broadcast the disputed content with malicious intent, ill-will and tendency to obstruct the court’s administration of justice, spreading misleading rumors to create confusion and distrust towards the court, judicial process and overall justice system, thereby tarnishing the court’s dignity and prestige. 

Police investigation had confirmed the audio content was misleading and false. This was based on technical analysis of the audio file, statements from individuals said to be present when the audio clip was recorded, and technical examination of mobile phones. Deputy Inspector General of Police Nabinda Aryal’s investigation report was submitted to the court on this basis. The District Government Attorney’s Office then filed a case against Timalsina, Kandel and Dhungana in Kathmandu District Court on three charges including cybercrime. The court had released all three on bail. With Sunday’s Supreme Court verdict, all three will now have to serve their sentences.

Not within scope of press freedom 

The Supreme Court also ruled that the broadcast of self-conceived, self-generated, false, artificial and fictional audio does not fall within the scope of press freedom. “Such acts of publishing false content under the guise of press freedom to commit contempt of court cannot be acceptable. Therefore, it is confirmed and established that contempt of court was committed by violating the limits of press freedom through the production, publication and broadcast of the disputed content,” the verdict states.