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Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has said the industrial customers would have to bear with power cuts in the evening time until the re-operation of Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project which was damaged by flooding and landslide on September 27 and 28.

NEA Managing Director Kul Man Ghising said it has been difficult to manage power supply in the winter, as the 456 MW-capacity Upper Tamakoshi Project's power generation has been closed due to the damage caused by the floods and landslide. Upper Tamakoshi is the largest among the hydroelectricity projects connected to the National Transmission Grid.

According to him, power supply to the industrial customers had to be cut down during the peak hour in the evening when there is high electricity consumption due to the problem to do with managing the demand.  

The NEA said although there will be some power cuts to the industrial sector with high power demand until power generation is started from the Upper Tamakoshi Project, power supply will be continued to other customers.

It clarified that power supply to the industrial zones had to be cut down to some extent because power production of the run-of-the-river hydropower projects decreases by one-third of their capacity in the winter season as the volume of water in the rivers and streams reduces, and the NEA has not been able to import power from India to meet the domestic demand in the peak hour.

Repair and maintenance of the Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project is being carried out with the target of starting power generation by December 25.

According to NEA, the Central Electricity Authority of India has given permission to import up to 654 megawatts power daily, including 600 megawatts via the 400 kV Dhalkebar-Muzzafarpur Cross-border Transmission Line and 54 megawatts via the 132 kV Tanakpur-Mahendranagar Transmission Line, until March 15, 2025, for managing the power demand during the winter season.

However, there is the provision that electricity cannot be imported during the peak hour from 5p, to 9 pm, according to NEA.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 2.95 points to close at 2,633.87 points on Tuesday.

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 0.37 points to close at 451. 66 points.

 A total of 8,939,348-unit shares of 318 companies were traded for Rs 4. 34 billion.

Meanwhile, Support Microfinance Bittiya Sanstha Ltd. (SMB) was the top gainer today, with its price surging by 10. 00 percent. Likewise, Kutheli Bukhari Small Hydropower Limited (KBSH) was the top loser as its price fell by 10.00 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 4. 36 trillion.

There is no dearth of restaurants and bars in Kathmandu. But many options can mean you don’t know where to go when it’s time for some rest and relaxation. While some serve great coffee and cocktails, the ambiance can be a bit off-putting, especially in winter when you might want to bask in the sun or get cozy by the fire. Others might not have the mocktails and milkshakes you were looking for while being really high on aesthetics. But there are some places that get it all right. This week, we bring to you five places that are really good places to relax in and grab a drink while taking in your surroundings.

Evoke 

This popular restaurant is located in Jhamsikhel, Lalitpur, right opposite Hotel Vivanta. It’s a quaint little space with both outdoor and indoor seating areas. The food is great but the drinks are even better. Their coffee is just right, neither bitter nor sour. The price is also reasonable. Their garden area, with huge lush green plants, gives you a very cozy and calming vibe. House of Palettes is located in its premises so you also have the option to ‘paint and sip’ if you feel up to it and have some time to kill.

Roadhouse Cafe

Roadhouse is popular for their pizzas and pastas but a lesser known fact is that their mocktails hit the right spot. They seem to have recently revamped their menu and added some pretty cool drinks to the list. The cocktails are a bit on the stronger side so you will be getting value for money. But their range of teas and coffees and other non-alcoholic beverages are what makes us love this place. The good thing is that they have so many outlets, all around Kathmandu and Lalitpur, that you can just pop into one wherever you are.

La Terrasse 

This restaurant, bar, cafe, and bakery in Chundevi, Maharajgunj, was a relatively recent find for us. It’s a great place for hosting small events as well as basking in the sun on the terrace while sipping on some IPA. There is a range of drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, with more varieties of beer than available elsewhere. Since it’s located on an inner road, it feels quiet and calm. You can choose to sit by yourself, sip on some coffee or cocktail and read or work without loud noises disturbing you.

Maak Ara

A place for great breakfast and amazing smoothie bowls, Maak Ara serves equally good drinks. The interesting names will have you chuckling and rolling your eyes but you can’t resist ordering a few. They pay attention to presentation, ensuring your drink is a visual treat as well. They don’t do very good matcha drinks but the rest are perfect. The music can be a bit loud on the weekends making conversations slightly difficult but their DJ knows how to mix music so you might not mind it all that much.

Filli Cafe

The winter weather calls for some hot tea, and there is perhaps no better place to have a cup than Filli Cafe. They have outlets in Labim Mall, Pulchowk, Lazimpat, Thamel, and even Boudha. Their milk teas are to die for and they have recently introduced a wide variety of Bubble Teas as well. You can also buy packs of tea to take back home. Their food menu is limited but the momos and sandwiches are delicious. 

The price of gold has increased by Rs 200 per tola in the domestic market on Tuesday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 151, 400 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 151, 200 per tola on Monday.

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 1, 840 per tola today.

The Open Nepal Initiative (ONI) highlights the increasing number of incidents of online violence targeting women politicians in Nepal.

The report published by the ONI reveals how this pervasive issue undermines democratic participation and silences critical voices in public discourse.

Based on monitoring the social media accounts of 12 prominent women politicians over three months (August–October 2024), the findings expose alarming patterns and underscore the urgent need to create safer digital spaces.

The report documents a disturbing upward trend in online violence against women in politics. In August alone, 24 incidents were recorded, with "Insult and Hate Speech" accounting for 67% of the cases. The following month saw 35 incidents, with 74.3% falling under the same category, along with cases of physical threats and sexualized distortions. October witnessed a record 44 incidents, with "Insult and Hate Speech" maintaining a 70.5% share. “These attacks not only target women’s political stances but also degrade them based on their gender, attempting to diminish their credibility and silence their voices,” states the report.

The study identifies Twitter as the primary platform for online abuse, responsible for most incidents during the three-month period. The anonymity and reach of social media platforms enable perpetrators to launch coordinated attacks, spreading disinformation and gendered hate speech against female politicians.

The most targeted female politicians included Toshima Karki and Sumana Shrestha of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and Arzu Rana Deuba of Nepali Congress (NC). Lawmaker Karki, a former State Minister for Health, faced the highest volume of abuse for advocating disaster preparedness and addressing corruption allegations. Similarly, Shrestha, known for her anti-corruption stance, experienced sustained online harassment, particularly for defending her party leader against fraud allegations.

Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba became the target of misogynistic comments and false corruption allegations, with users associating her with scandals despite her diplomatic achievements. “These cases highlight how female politicians, regardless of their political affiliations or contributions, are disproportionately targeted with abuse and disinformation,” according to the report.

Lead researcher of the report Deepak Adhikari noted that women politicians are often attacked not for their policies but for their gender, with perpetrators questioning their competence and motives to undermine their credibility. “Twitter’s prominence in these cases underscores the need for platform accountability in addressing gender-based online violence,” he said. “The constant barrage of abuse discourages women from participating in public life, weakening democratic representation and diversity.”

The study recommends several measures, including strengthening cyber laws, organizing public awareness campaigns, establishing support mechanisms, offering legal and psychological support for women politicians experiencing online abuse, and ensuring social media accountability.

Adhikari stressed that the findings highlight a digital-age crisis where platforms intended to foster dialogue have become tools for silencing women. “Online violence against women in politics threatens not only their personal well-being but also the democratic principles of equity and representation,” he said, urging governments, social media companies, and civil society to collaborate in creating safe, inclusive digital spaces where women can lead without fear.

The CPN (Unified Socialist) has made it clear that it would not forward the unification bid with any political party for now.

The ongoing Standing Committee meeting of the party concluded that it would not be unified with any other parties until there were similarities in future action plan and principles.

The meeting passed the proposal presented by General Secretary Ghanashyam Bhusal.

The party further decided to field party leaders as candidates in the coming election across the country. It also underlined the need for consolidating party organisation. Bhusal presented a report on the party's future programs and policy.

The meeting continued at the party central office, Aloknagar, since December 11 witnessed views from all leaders on the action plan the party needs advancing.

Vice Chairman Jagannath Khatiwada shared the information that the party would conduct a programme named ‘party with village people’ in a bid to consolidate party organization.

The taskforce led by party Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal will present the division of portfolios among leaders, which would be endorsed by the meeting, said Khatiwada. It is said the only competent leaders would be picked for heading various departments and sister organizations.

The Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists (Nefej) has drawn the attention of the government towards the haphazard use of dozers in the name of infrastructural development in the villages without paying attention to environmental and other issues.

As a result, the land has loosened and become weak not only in the rainy season but also in the dry season.

Issuing a statement on Monday, the Nefej said that not only the local government, but also the local political parties and other stakeholders need to be serious to stop the reckless use of dozers in the name of development, stressing that the general public also needs to raise their voice on such issues.

The Nefej said that it would like to draw the attention of the government to stop such destructive activities being carried out in the name of development just to spend the allocated budget and to secure votes.  Mainly, the federal government needs to pay attention to such issues.

“There was a water crisis in many districts this time due to floods and landslides. The destruction of traditional water sources and drawing water from rivers and streams through pumps are the key reasons. The crisis was a result of floods and landslides sweeping away the pumps and wells and lacking of traditional water sources,” reads the statement, underscoring that the concerned authorities need to pay special attention to the protection of traditional water sources in the villages while carrying out reconstruction.

The issue of illegal extraction of riverbed materials and operation of crusher industries all over the country has been in discussion for a long time. But the concerned authorities have not been giving attention.  The earth is being weakened by the operation of crusher industries on one hand and on the other hand the haphazard dumping of dust and granules from mines and crushes have been causing a huge damage to the environment.

The crushers being operated illegally and haphazardly could not be brought under the law owing to the protection from the political and administrative levels. The issue was discussed for some time soon after the floods, but now the relevant authorities have forgotten this issue and the crushers have started operating again without paying attention to the environment. The concerned authorities need to pay serious attention to the matter, the statement further reads.

“The reconstruction work is progressing gradually. It is high time that the local governments need to formulate policy in such a way so that the damage that may occur in the future before the common people build their houses and other structures could be minimized. People should not be allowed to build houses in steep places and to leave a certain space while building houses on the river banks among others.”

At least 246 people died, 178 were injured and 18 are still missing in the floods and landslides that occurred on September 26, 27 and 28 across the country.

The government is preparing to set a limit of Rs 2.5m on individual deposits in cooperative institutions, citing increased risks stemming from large deposits driven by high-interest incentives.  

The government plans to introduce the savings cap and a host of other reform measures through an ordinance, according to an official of the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives, and Poverty Alleviation.  

This is in line with the recommendations made by the Parliamentary Special Committee on the Investigation of Misuse of Cooperative Deposits led by lawmaker Surya Thapa. The committee made a slew of recommendations ranging on limits on savings and loans in cooperatives, as well as forming a regulatory authority and credit information center for the sector.  

The official said the ordinance also proposes creating a Cooperative Regulation Commission and a Credit Information Centre, among other institutions, as recommended by the committee.  

This, however, is not the first time that the government is preparing to introduce a savings cap in cooperative institutions. Two years ago, the government had proposed to introduce an individual savings cap of Rs 2.5m in cooperative institutions through an amendment to Article 52 of the Cooperative Act, 2017. However, the Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee of the lower house rejected the proposed amendment.  

The committee also rejected a proposal for the regulation of cooperatives with capital above Rs 250m and an annual turnover of over Rs 500m by the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB).  

Lawmakers from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) had expressed dissatisfaction with the decision to reject the amendment proposal. Interestingly, RSP President Rabi Lamichhane has been in the custody of Kaski police since Oct 18, under investigation for his alleged role in the misuse of deposits from the Pokhara-based Suryadarshan Saving and Credit Cooperative.  

The number of troubled cooperatives unable to return public deposits has been on the rise, mainly due to a lack of strong regulatory and oversight mechanisms. To address this, the ministry drafted the ordinance, proposing measures to regulate savings and credit cooperatives.  

Earlier this year, parliament amended the Nepal Rastra Bank Act, 2001 and the Cooperative Act, 2017, granting Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) the authority to regulate, inspect, and issue directives for cooperatives involved in savings and loans. This paved the legal way for the central bank to regulate cooperatives with capital or annual turnover exceeding Rs 500m.