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The price of gold has increased by Rs 1, 400 per tola in the domestic market on Monday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 167, 400 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 166, 000 per tola on Friday.

Similarly, the price of silver has increased by Rs 15 and is being traded at Rs 2,085 per tola today.

The 5th Kathmandu Symposia on Advanced Materials (KaSAM) concluded at Park Village Resort in Kathmandu, gathering over 200 scientists, researchers, and students from around the globe. Organized by the Nepal Polymer Institute (NPI), Tribhuvan University, College of Biomedical Engineering and Applied Sciences, India’s Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University, and Germany’s Institute für Polymerwerkstoffe (IPW), the three-day event focused on interdisciplinary research in materials science.

Key sessions explored innovations in smart materials, sustainable technologies, and bio-based materials, underscoring the importance of material science research in societal applications. “This year’s conference was dedicated to disseminating Nepal’s latest scientific advancements globally,” said Rameshwar Adhikari, President of NPI and KaSAM-2024 Chair.

Distinguished speakers included Vice-chancellor Keshar Jung Baral of Tribhuvan University and Vice-chancellor Poonam Tandon of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University, with attendees from Nepal, India, the USA, Germany, and Japan. The event featured 151 research papers and awarded standout presentations with the Best Poster Award. Notably, three MoUs were signed to foster institutional collaborations between universities and scientific organizations in Nepal, India, and Germany.

The event was supported by various Nepali institutions and private sector entities, including the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, NAST, and Nabil Bank. In the closing remarks, Hari Sharan Adhikari, Vice-president of NPI, announced that the sixth KaSAM conference will take place in Pokhara in 2026, aiming to further strengthen global partnerships and advance material science research in Nepal.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli instructed the concerned ministries and agencies to eloquently advocate for climate justice in the impending COP-29 climate conference.

PM Oli directed the relevant ministries and agencies to strongly raise the issues relating to climate justice for vulnerable countries like Nepal as articulated by Nepal in the UN's 79th General Assembly (UNGA).

The UN climate conference is taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan from November 11 to 22 this year. The Nepali delegation to the conference is being led by President Ram Chandra Paudel.

Addressing the third meeting of the Environment Conservation and Climate Change Management National Council at the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers today, Oli urged the Nepali delegation to put forward Nepal's clear stance and perspective on climate change and its impact in the upcoming COP-29.

PM Oli has been championing climate justice and advocating for compensation for Nepal from the countries responsible for significant carbon emissions, highlighting the adverse effects of global warming on the Himalaya region and its habitat.

He is calling for an action-plan from the global community aimed at maintaining environmental balance from high mountains to sea.

Prime Minister Oli directed to give priority to intensive forest expansion by ending the situation where there is no forest in the designated forest areas. He emphasized that even though Nepal has 46 percent of forest area, only 28 percent of special forest area should be expanded in the remaining 12 percent area.

Prime Minister Oli urged the authorities to work to maintain at least 40 percent forest area and mentioned that Nepal is contributing to global environmental cleanliness by keeping forests, mountains and valleys.

In Nepal, 17 percent of the land is mountains and 7 percent is lakes. Prime Minister Oli also instructed not to delay the approval of the Ministry of Forest for the work that the government has decided for the project. He said, "The Ministry of Forest should not act as if it brought the forest from its own home. During the construction of the project, there have been complaints that the Ministry of Forest has stopped the decisions made by the Council of Ministers.

Protecting the forest according to the need, the industry will be allowed to operate in places where there is no forest. The meeting reviewed the work of the council for one year and informed about the status of implementation of the decisions of the previous meeting, the effective participation of Nepal in the World Climate Conference (COP-29) to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan in November 2024, changing the name of the Ministry of Forests and Environment to Forests, Environment and Climate Change and It has decided to take guidelines etc. for the next one year.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Urban Development Minister Prakashman Singh, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, Physical Infrastructure and Transport Minister Devendra Dahal, Forest and Environment Minister Ain Bahadur Shahi, Chief Ministers of various provinces, National Planning Commission Vice Chairman Dr Shivraj Adhikari, chief secretary Eak Narayan Aryal and others.

Newly amended laws in Nepal to tackle crimes committed during its decade-long bitter civil war could instead deprive victims of justice and grant amnesty to those culpable, rights lawyers warned Thursday.

Both government forces and former rebels are accused of carrying out torture, killings, rapes and forced disappearances during Nepal's Maoist insurgency.

The conflict ended in 2006 with a peace deal that brought the rebels into government and promised justice for the victims, whick included more than 16,000 dead and around 1,000 missing.

Nepal's two transitional justice commissions began operating in 2015, but failed to resolve a single case, despite receiving over 60,000 complaints of murders, torture and unexplained disappearances.

In August, parliament passed long-delayed amendments to the transitional justice act aiming to address this.

But a team of international rights lawyers, in a report released Thursday and based on a research mission to Nepal, warned the changes could do the opposite and exclude "swathes of victims" from justice.

The lawyers added that the new law "permits amnesties which would prevent criminal accountability for gross violations of human rights".

The lawyers said that until addressed, the "doors to the regular justice system should not be closed".

The group was supported by rights organisation Peace Brigades International (PBI).

Kishali Pinto-Jayawardena, a constitutional lawyer from Sri Lanka, and part of the team, said effective justice was not possible so long as the law "excludes certain gross violations, opens the door for amnesties and allows for the exclusion of certain victims".

Just two convictions related to crimes committed during the civil war crimes have been handed down in civilian courts. One was linked to the murder of a teenage girl. The other was related to the killing of a journalist.

As of October in the current fiscal year 2024/25, Nepal’s trade deficit has decreased by 3.96 percent compared to the previous year. In the last fiscal year, Nepal faced a trade deficit of Rs 366.8bn, while in the first three months of this fiscal year, the deficit stands at Rs 352.3bn, indicating some improvement.

Nepal’s economy has long relied heavily on imports, with exports constituting only about 10 percent of total imports. For every Rs 100,000 of imports, only Rs 10,000 worth of exports occur, leading to a persistent trade deficit. In the first three months of the current fiscal year, both imports and exports have decreased.

The country continues to face trade deficits year after year due to its inability to increase domestic production. The trade deficit remains substantial because exports cannot keep pace with imports. However, a slight reduction in imports has recently contributed to a minor decrease in the deficit, though the change is not significant. Business owners report that the production capacity of domestic industries is steadily declining.

Petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, vehicles and parts, plastic goods, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, vegetables, textiles, and food items make up the largest share of imports, significantly widening the trade deficit. Nevertheless, imports have contracted compared to the same period last fiscal year.

According to foreign trade statistics released by the Customs Department on Wednesday, approximately Rs 47.75bn worth of goods were imported in October last year. In the first three months of fiscal year 2024/25, imports have decreased by 4.17 percent. Goods and services imports have led to an outflow of foreign currency equivalent to Rs 390.75bn, with petroleum products alone accounting for Rs 66.9bn, the largest share. Iron and steel follow, with an import value of Rs 33.11bn.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the production capacity of domestic industries has declined, which has also hindered exports. Compared to last fiscal year, exports have decreased by 6.11 percent at the start of October. Last year, exports totaled Rs 40.8bn in the first three months, while this year, they have fallen to Rs 38.3bn. The main export items include tea, coffee, spices, carpets, rugs, and handicrafts.

While imports amount to Rs 39bn, exports total just Rs 38bn, and petroleum products alone account for Rs 66.9bn in imports. Approximately 60 percent to 65 percent of all goods and services imported into Nepal come from India. Currently, Nepal imports essential goods and services from 132 different countries.

The production of export goods in Nepal has helped increase export volumes and earn foreign currency. In the first three months of this fiscal year, exports of tea, coffee, and spices reached Rs 3.4bn. The second-largest export is human-made staple fiber, valued at Rs 3.2bn, while carpets and other textile floor coverings are the third-largest, at Rs 377m. Other exports are valued at less than Rs 3bn.

In the first three months of the fiscal year, goods and services worth Rs 2.4bn were imported from India, accounting for 62 percent of total imports. Imports from China totaled Rs 78.6bn, while imports from Ukraine, Australia, and Argentina were Rs 6.5bn, Rs 5.6bn, and Rs 4.9bn, respectively.

Nepal imports basic goods and services from 132 countries while exporting to around 100 countries. India remains Nepal's top export market, with exports totaling Rs 24.8bn as of October. The United States is the second-largest export destination, accounting for Rs 4.7bn in the first three months. Exports to Germany, the UK, and Japan totaled Rs 1.23bn, Rs 13m, and Rs 59.9m, respectively.

Thailand’s Ambassador to Nepal Suwapong Sirisorn shared his enthusiasm for music and cultural collaboration between Nepal and Thailand, highlighting both countries' rich traditions in art and culture.

Ambassador Sirisorn expressed a personal love for music, mentioning his admiration for Nepal's folk culture and music.

He noted that Thailand has a tradition of training those interested in music from a young age, and he and his family have a deep-rooted interest in musical pursuits.

The ambassador announced his intention to initiate a joint cultural program featuring both Nepali and Thai artists on Thailand’s National Day, aiming to strengthen cultural ties between the two nations.

Ambassador Sirisorn shared these sentiments at a folk music presentation event organized by the Music Research and Development Forum (MRDF) Nepal.

During the event, Nepali artists performed both traditional Nepali and Thai melodies, using local instruments, and Sirisorn joined the artists by playing the flute to a Thai song, showcasing his musical talent.

The program included performances by Gita Pandey, Rajesh Kumar Shrestha, KC Raja, Sharad Rai and Sukrimaya Moktan (Neema), who played traditional instruments such as the flute, madal, sarangi, and tungna, creating an enchanting musical atmosphere.

On this occasion, senior journalists Shiromani Dawadi and Dabbu Kshetri and Nepalese music initiator Soman Saiju engaged in an interaction with the Ambassador, highlighting the potential support from Thailand for the advancement of Nepali music.

The gold is being traded at Rs 166, 000 per tola in the domestic market on Friday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the price of silver has dropped by Rs 25 and is being traded at Rs 2,070 per tola today. 

A couple was found dead early this morning in their home at Binabari of Laljhandhi Rural Municipality-1 in Kanchanpur district.

Ramesh Badayak (45) and his spouse Kamala (43) were found dead in their bedroom, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of Kanchanpur Umesh Prasad Joshi.

DSP Joshi said that the incident is suspicious adding that bruises of the sharp weapons are visible on the body parts of the deceased.

"Blood is also found at the scene and investigations have been initiated," he added.