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The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 12. 10 points to close at 2,727.26 points on Wednesday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 2. 35 points to close at 486. 36 points.

A total of 20,153,993-unit shares of 316 companies were traded for Rs 9. 65 billion.

Meanwhile, Aatmanirbhar Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (ANLB) was the top gainer today with its price surging by 10. 00 percent. Likewise, Nepal Finance Ltd. (NFS) the top loser with its price dropped by 8. 91 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 4. 33 trillion.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that all should move ahead actively to make the campaign against human trafficking successful.

In a message today on the occasion of 18th National Anti- Human Trafficking Day, Prime Minister Oli extended best wishes, saying this Day could give more inspiration to all to end human trafficking. The Day is being observed today under the slogan, "Commitment of Three-Tier Governments: Solidarity of All against Human Trafficking".

"Human trafficking and smuggling are a heinous crime of human civilization. Nature, form and destination of human trafficking and smuggling have been found continuously changing with the passage of time", reads the message. 

"Most of the women are trafficked while going as domestic workers to the countries where the government has banned foreign employment from Nepal. As well as teenage girls working in the entertainment sector are also at high-risk from the point of view of human trafficking" reads the message.

Prime Minister Oli mentioned that the government has been launching different awareness programs to reduce growing trafficking to children and teenage girls.

The government has been strictly implementing laws formulated to end human trafficking, he explained.

Chief Election Commissioners from the member countries of the Forum of the Election Management Bodies of South Asia (FEMBoSA), who are presently in Kathmandu for the 12th annual meeting of the Forum, paid a courtesy call on President Ram Chandra Paudel on Thursday.

During the meeting at the Office of the President, Shital Niwas today, President Paudel stressed that periodic elections are the cornerstone of democracy and means of ensuring citizens' access to and ownership of the state. He underlined the need to guarantee that each election is free and impartial. 

The Head-of-the State expressed his hope that the Conference would enhance impartiality, accountability, and fairness in elections across South Asia. "I hope that the Forum will continue to contribute to promoting and strengthening democracy through free, fair, reliable, and transparent election processes."

He as the President of the Chair country of the Forum said that Nepal is committed to achieving the collective goals of the organization and addressing the challenges collectively.

On the occasion, Chief Election Commissioner, Dinesh Thapaliya, briefed the President about the Conference, according to the Office of the President.

The Chief Election Commissioner and representatives from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Maldives among others were present on the occasion.

The two-day FEMBoSA event hosted by the Election Commission of Nepal was inaugurated by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Wednesday.

Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has shared that the government has set a target of developing Dodhara Chandani of Kanchanpur as the largest checkpoint.

"Discussions are underway for developing Kanchanpur as the tri-national border", mentioned Home Minister Lekhak.

He explained that a decision was already taken to establish immigration office at Tinkar of Darchula in the near future which would connect Kanchanpur with China.

At a press meet organized by Press Union Kanchanpur at Mahendranagar today, the Home Minister stressed that India was ready to construct Dohara Chandani dry port, adding, activities for its construction would begin soon.

Stating that a new political equation between the two largest parties in the Parliament—CPN-UML and Nepali Congress was made, he urged one and all not to doubt the understanding reached between the two parties.

"The government has been formed by signing a seven-point agreement between the two parties. This alliance will exist till the coming election", underlined the Home Minister.

On the occasion, he shared, "I have taken the Nirmala Panta murder case seriously. This case will be thoroughly investigated."

A 13-year-old Nirmala Panta of Bhimdutta Municipality-2 in Kanchanpur was murdered after the rape on July 26, 2018.

The third edition of the Kathmandu Kalinga Literary Festival (KLF) is set to take place on Sept 7-8, in Kathmandu. The festival, set to feature over 300 writers from across South Asia, will be inaugurated by Tourism and Culture Minister, Badri Prasad Pandey.

This year’s festival is themed “Nepal: The Gateway to Asian Art, Culture, and Literature” and will celebrate Nepal’s rich cultural heritage and its connections to South Asia. Renowned figures such as writer Dr Abhi Subedi, diplomat and novelist Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri, Indian economist and author Sanjeev Sanyal, and Nepal Academy Chancellor Bhupal Rai will be among the Guests of Honor, as per the organizers.

On the second day, British Ambassador to Nepal, Rob Fenn, will serve as the Chief Guest, while the event will also feature prominent writers and poets from India, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka.

Founding Member and Director of KLF-Kathmandu, Ranjana Niraula, expressed excitement about the festival, stating, “This edition will offer a lifetime experience for literature, music, art, and culture enthusiasts. It will also deepen the long-standing ties between Nepal and South Asia, as we explore emerging global cultures.”

In addition to panel discussions and keynote sessions, attendees can look forward to events highlighting literature, art, music, poetry, and storytelling. Notable sessions include topics like ‘Rethinking Development and Diplomacy in the Digital Age’, ‘The Role and Future of Literature in the Age of AI,’ and ‘Gorkha Identity: Opportunities and Blues’.

The festival, hosted at Hotel Himalaya in Kathmandu, will run across three halls and include over 60 sessions across two days.

The monsoon-induced disaster victims in Melamchi have not yet received a grant amount for the past three months.

There are complaints that the beneficiaries have not been able to get the due amount for the construction of the house in the previous fiscal year.

Panchpokhari Thangpal Rural Municipality Chair Tashi Lama said the construction of the houses has started, but the installment amount has not been paid.

"Some people have rebuilt their houses on loan, and the beneficiaries, hopeful to repay loan from the government grants, have been facing problems due to non-release of the grant amount", he said.

Due to delay in the construction of houses, the affected people are forced to live in risky places.

Rabi Raj Dhital, disaster focal person at the District Administration Office, said the Integrated Work Procedure is being prepared by amending the Work Procedure, 2077 BS, adding payment process has been delayed due to the reason.

He said National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) has stopped the payment in the pretext of formulating a new integrated work procedure including the earthquake victims of western Nepal in its scope and providing the grant amount by constructing houses accordingly.

Dhital said that the problem will be resolved as soon as the procedure is finalized. As many as 1,893 families have been affected by monsoon-related disasters, according to the data of beneficiaries as per the reconstruction and rehabilitation procedure of private houses affected by monsoon-related disasters prepared by the NRA in 2077 BS.

However, there is no exact data of the people affected by the monsoon-related disasters before.

According to the procedure prepared in 2077 BS, provision has been made to provide a grant amount of Rs 500,000 in mountainous districts, Rs 400,000 in hilly districts and Rs 300,000 in Tarai districts for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of houses affected by the disaster-related incidents that took place after May 2020.

Sindhupalchowk falls within the mountainous district. According to the working procedure, the federal government will bear 55 percent in the case of the municipality and 60 percent in the case of the rural municipality. Likewise, the province is obliged to bear 30 percent, rural municipality 10 percent and municipality 15 percent.

Melamchi Municipality Mayor Aitman Tamang said though the local governments had sent the details of the flood-affected people to the District Disaster Management Committee for necessary decisions, the grant amount had not been paid to the victims due to the procedure.

Hari Sharan Shrestha, a local of Melamchi-11, a flood victim, complained that even after three years of the house being washed away by the floods of 2021 and subsequent floods in Melamchi and Indrawati rivers, there has been a problem due to lack of funds for reconstruction.

"There was assurance of giving money on installment basis, but due to lack of regular payment, many victims who have constructed houses by taking loans are facing problems", he said.

The flood had taken away the house of Asmita Danuwar, a local of Phatte of Melamchi Municipality-11. Her family has been forced to live in tents.

Asmita complained that she had been compelled to pay the interest of the loan taken from microfinance when the installment did not come on time even though the process of construction of the house started. The houses of the beneficiaries who have been established as per the procedure have not yet been fully reconstructed.  

Over 720,000 tourists have entered Nepal in the first eight months of the year 2024.

According to the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB)'s data, 720,334 tourists had visited Nepal in the eight months from January to August of 2024.

The arrival of foreign tourists has increased by 8.3 percent, the NTB sources informed.

A total of 5,566 more tourists visited Nepal in August this year compared to the same reporting period last year. A total of 67,153 tourists had visited Nepal last year while it was 72,719 in August 2024.

NTB Director Maniraj Lamichhane said the number of foreign tourists has been increasing in recent days. He expressed the belief that a significant number of tourists would come from other countries including neighboring countries in the coming days as a result of tourism promotion programs.

According to the board data, the highest number of 25,832 tourists came from India, 6,614 from China, 5,614 from the US, 4,851 from Sri Lanka and 3,077 from Bangladesh in August this year.

A total of 41,304 foreign tourists had visited Nepal in August 2022, 6,093 in the same period in 2021 and 94,749 in August 2019. The highest number of 111,376 tourists visited Nepal in March, while July received the lowest number of 64,599 tourists.

A total of 79,100 tourists had visited Nepal in January; 97,426 in February; 111,03,076 in April; 90,211 in May, 76,736 in June and 72,719 in August.

Foreign tourist arrivals have continuously increased after the COVID pandemic. A total of 1,014,885 tourists visited Nepal in 2023.

The government has set a target of attracting 1.6 million foreign tourists in the current fiscal year's budget.

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has set a target of attracting 1.6 million tourists in the current fiscal year by implementing the Tourism Strategy Plan (2016-25) and the Visit Nepal Decade. The Department of Tourism is also constructing infrastructure by identifying 100 tourist destinations.

The Rastriya Prajatantra Party has demanded information pertaining to the project with suspected irregularities in the gas production company operating in Jhapa.

The party has demanded detailed information of all the activities being carried out there with the Kankai-Birta-Arjun Renewable Energy and Waste Management Company built at Sukedangi in Kankai-2, Jhapa with the joint investment of World Bank, local bodies and consumers.

A team of Rastriya Prajatantra Party central member Khusbu Oli and RPP Jhapa Chairman Keshav Prasad Ojha has demanded details in writing of the project with Kankai Municipal Chief Rajendra Kumar Pokharel with suspected irregularities.

The cost of the project, which started at Rs 140 million, has now reached Rs 220 million.

According to the Right to Information Act 2064, the government and public agencies must provide the information demanded by any citizen.

Pokharel is the coordinator of the project’s high-level mechanism.

“The detailed project report of the project which was finalized at Rs 140 million with 40 percent investment from the World Bank and 60 percent investment from the remaining three municipalities and local consumers, is now in a state of closure. Costs are constantly increasing. But there has been no progress,” Oli said after registering the application, adding, “Even the financial report has not been made public. Even the assembly meeting could not be held.”

Oli said that this project was started with an ambitious plan to deliver gas to every house without any pre plan and management.

She further said that there is enough room to suspect irregularities as the project is on the verge of closure.

According to her, the project has not progressed.

Saying that many people will lose their money if this project is closed, Oli said that she demanded the information as per the Right to Information Act to draw the attention of the stakeholders immediately.

Kankai, Arjundhara and Birtamod Municipalities of Jhapa established a company with an objective to produce biogas from waste in partnership with the World Bank and the private sector.

More than 750 consumers have invested from Rs 10, 000 to Rs 10 million in the plant.

“It is the right of the people to know about the progress of the project according to the investment and other aspects of it. This is why I have taken this initiative as a responsible citizen, a local and a politician,” she said.

Oli was of the opinion that the right to information will help in maintaining good governance and transparency as well as in controlling corruption.