Submit your Article

Nepal's Ambassador to Sri Lanka Purna Bahadur Nepali has presented his letter of credence to Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Monday.

Ambassador Nepali presented the letter of credence at a special ceremony held at the Office of the President, according to the Embassy of Nepal in Colombo today.

On the occasion, Ambassador Nepali, on behalf of President Ram Chandra Paudel, wished the Sri Lankan President for his personal happiness, good health as well as continued peace and progress of the people of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. 

Welcoming Ambassador Nepal, President Dissanayake wished President Paudel for the latter's personal happiness, good health as well as peace and prosperity of the Nepali people.

Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister, Secretary at the Office of the President, spouse of the ambassador, senior officials of the Office of the President and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were present on the occasion.

Han Jong-Hee, a senior Samsung Electronics executive credited with elevating the company’s television business, died Tuesday, the company said. He was 63, AP reported.

Co-chief executive Han, who was in charge of the company's mobile devices and consumer electronics divisions, passed away in a hospital following treatment for a heart attack, according to Samsung. Samsung became the world's top TV manufacturer when Han joined the business in 1988 and worked primarily in TV-related departments. He was named CEO and co-vice chairman in 2022.

Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and France football great Michel Platini were both cleared of corruption charges by a Swiss appeals court, two and a half years after they were first acquitted of the offences, Alzajeera reported.

The pair, once among the most prominent men in global football, were exonerated of fraud on Tuesday by the Swiss Criminal Court's Extraordinary Appeals Chamber in Muttenz, near Basel.
The hearing was held after Swiss federal prosecutors filed an appeal against the two men's 2022 acquittal in a lower court. Blatter and Platini had refuted the charges.

World Vision International (WVI) Nepal launched the Annual Progress Report for Fiscal Year 2024 on Tuesday at Kathmandu. The event showcased the key findings and the practices done by WVI Nepal in core areas of work, health, education, child protection, livelihood, advocacy, gender equality, and disaster risk reduction—implemented in close collaboration with government bodies, civil society, and local partners. The progress report also shared the achievements of two studies–‘Keeping Children Safe Online–A Study on Online Safety among Children in Nepal’ and ‘Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices on Substance Use among Adolescents in Nepal’.

Speaking at the event, the Mayor of Kirtipur Municipality, Krishna Man Dangol said, “We aim to declare Kirtipur Municipality a child-friendly municipality by 2026, and we look forward to the collaboration of WVI Nepal in achieving this goal.” He also emphasized that there is no child labour in the municipality. Similarly, National Director of WVI Nepal Roslyn H. Gabriel said, “Keeping children safe is crucial to helping them reach their full potential. As risks to children continue to grow, World Vision remains committed to delivering impactful programs that protect and support the children and communities we serve.”

The KP Sharma Oli-led government has faced widespread criticism for removing Kulman Ghising from the top post of Nepal Electricity Authority.

The decision to remove Ghising from the post of Managing Directing of power utility is being criticized by the ruling party Nepali Congress as well.

Meanwhile, various organizations have staged demonstrations in Maitighar and New Baneshwor today in protest against the government decision to sack Ghising.

A Cabinet meeting held on Monday dismissed Ghising from his position and appointed Hitendra Dev Shakya to the post.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 55. 90 points to close at 2, 584.88 points on Tuesday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 8. 12 points to close at 435. 30 points.

A total of 11,155,955-unit shares of 325 companies were traded for Rs 5. 18 billion.

Meanwhile, 9.5% NCC Debenture 2086 (NCCD86) was the top gainer today with its price surging by 4. 52 percent. Likewise, Narayani Development Bank Limited (NABBC) was the top loser as its price fell by 9. 97 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 4. 28 trillion.

Hetauda Cement Industry, which has been closed for a long time, is going to resume production from the first week of April.

Acting General Manager of Hetauda Cement Industry, Engineer Nabin Kumar Karna, said that preparations are underway to start production after the maintenance of the machinery of the industry has been completed, raw materials needed for the industry are ensured and the employees agreed to work.

"It took some time to repair the machine as it was old and damaged. It is a machine installed at the time of the industry's establishment and it had to be replaced with a new machine. But due to financial problems, it was not possible immediately and we got the machine repaired,” he said.

According to him, cement can be produced using the repaired machine and there is some stock of raw materials required for the operation of the industry while it has been ensured that some more will be brought.

"At present, we have around 100 tons of coal in stock. More coal is coming from tomorrow, so there is not much of a problem with raw materials,” said Acting General Manager Karna.

He said that the electricity problem the industry was facing would also be solved. "Talks have been held with Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) for regular power supply to run the industry. NEA has committed to provide regular electricity," he added.

The industry management had stopped the production of cement from October 1, 2024 as it had to repair various equipment of the industry.

Due to the closure of the industry, the employees have not been able to get their salaries and allowances for the last three months.

The industry, which has a capacity to produce 16,000 sacks of cement per day, has been hit hard due to financial problems and other reasons.

The Hetauda Cement Industry was established at Lamsure of Hetauda in 1977 and it started production from 1987.

The construction of three 132kV substations in Amlekhgunj and Prasauni (Bara) and Birgunj (Parsa) is in its final stage to enhance the reliability and quality of electricity supply for industrial corridors and general consumers.

Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Executive Director Kulman Ghising, after conducting an on-site inspection, directed project managers and contractors to expedite the substation and transmission line construction. Highlighting their importance in managing electricity demand in the Birgunj region and facilitating trade with India, he urged all stakeholders to be responsible and ensure timely completion.

The Amlekhgunj 132/66 kV substation is being developed to address power supply issues in the Pathlaiya-Simara-Birgunj industrial corridor and meet rising demand. Most of the main equipment has been installed, with operations expected to begin by the end of May.

Both circuits of the 66 kV line supplying electricity from Hetauda to the Simara-Birgunj industrial corridor have been looped in and out of the substation. Previously, the long, low-capacity 66 kV line caused voltage issues, which will now be resolved as the 132 kV transmission line becomes the primary power source. The substation is equipped with 132/66 kV, 200 MVA, and 66/11 kV, 20 MVA power transformers.

A 2.8 km 132 kV underground transmission line is under construction to connect Prasauni and Birgunj substations. The underground transmission line is expected to be completed within a month, while installation of equipment and civil works at the substations are ongoing.

Upon completion, the Birgunj area will have 132 kV and 66 kV power sources, ensuring a stable and high-quality electricity supply. Currently, power is supplied to Kalaiya (Bara) from the Birgunj substation, but once the Prasauni substation is operational, supply will be redirected there, reducing the load on Birgunj.

The NEA is expanding high-capacity transmission and distribution infrastructure to support existing and future industries in Simara, Nijgadh, Birgunj, Parwanipur, Pokhariya, and Prasauni within the Bara-Parsa Industrial Corridor. A new 132 kV transmission line from Parwanipur to Pokhariya and the Pokhariya substation is also under construction to meet growing industrial electricity demands.

Additionally, a 400 kV substation is being built in Nijgadh (Bara) under the Hetauda-Dhalkebar-Inruwa 400 kV transmission line project, with an extension to Pokhariya via Ramouli. The proposed 65 km transmission line will include three 400 kV substations in Nijgadh, Ramouli, and Pokhariya. The Nijgadh-Ramouli-Pokhariya transmission line survey has been completed, and land compensation for the Ramouli substation has been finalized.

The Nijgadh substation will be funded through a concessional loan from the Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank), while the 38 km Nijgadh-Ramouli transmission line and Ramouli substation will be financed by the Asian Development Bank. Furthermore, the Aurahi-Simra 132 kV transmission line is being developed to serve the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Simra, Dumarwana, and surrounding areas.