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Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is reported to be unwell, according to his secretariat, which confirmed he developed a fever on Tuesday. Prime Minister Oli's Press Coordinator, Ram Sharan Bajgai, stated that blood samples have been sent to the lab for further testing. "After the report comes, the rest will be known," Bajgai told ApEx.

Despite his condition, Prime Minister Oli continued with official duties, holding a meeting with Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak and Chief Secretary Ek Narayan Aryal on Tuesday. According to the Prime Minister's Secretariat, the meeting involved discussions on contemporary issues. Further updates on his health are awaited following the lab results.

District Court Kaski Judge Chandrakanta Paudel's bench on Tuesday ordered Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President Rabi Lamichhane, arrested on charges of cooperative fraud on Oct 18 to be kept in detention for 10 more days for investigation, after District Police Kaski had initially requested a 25-day extension.

This marks the third extension in the investigation period for Lamichhane. Previously, the court extended the deadline by six days and then by seven days, with the last deadline set to expire on Oct 30. The additional 10-day deadline, granted today, will be counted from Oct 30.

Lamichhane was arrested at the RSP party office in Banasthali, Kathmandu. RSP leader Deepak Bohora noted that Lamichhane was unable to celebrate Bhai Tika this year while in custody, but received blessings via a photo from two of his sisters and well-wishers.

Bohora also shared that Lamichhane has been occupying his time in detention by reading various books. In the wake of Lamichhane's statement, police are conducting further investigations into other individuals associated with him.

The price of gold has decreased by Rs 2,800 per tola (11.66 grams) in the domestic market today.

The Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers' Association has determined the price of hallmark gold at Rs 168,200 per tola today. It was Rs 171,000 per tola on Oct 31. 

Similarly, silver is being traded at Rs 2,030 per tola today. Earlier, it was Rs 2,090 per tola. 

Boeing workers have voted to accept the aviation giant's latest pay offer, ending a damaging seven-week-long walkout. Under the new contract, they will get a 38 percent pay rise over the next four years.

Striking workers can start returning to their jobs as early as Wednesday, or as late as 12 November, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) union says. The walkout by around 30,000 Boeing workers started on 13 September, leading to a dramatic slowdown at the plane maker's factories and deepening a crisis at the company.

IAM said 59 percent of striking workers voted in favour of the new deal, which also includes a one-off $12,000 bonus, as well as changes to workers' retirement plans. "Through this victory and the strike that made it possible, IAM members have taken a stand for respect and fair wages in the workplace," union leader Jon Holden said.

The union had previously called for a 40 percent pay increase and workers had rejected two previous offers from the company. "While the past few months have been difficult for all of us, we are all part of the same team," said Boeing's chief executive Kelly Ortberg. "There is much work ahead to return to the excellence that made Boeing an iconic company."

In a sign of how seriously the White House took the strike at one of the country's most important companies, acting US Labor Secretary Julie Su flew to Seattle last month to help with negotiations. Boeing has been trying to shore up its finances and end the strike, which has now cost it nearly $10bn, according to consulting firm Anderson Economic Group.

In October, its commercial aircraft business reported operating losses of $4bn for the three months to the end of September. Last week, the firm launched a share sale to raise more than $20bn. It came after warnings that a prolonged strike could lead to downgrades of Boeing's credit rating, which would make it more expensive for it to borrow money.

Last month, the firm said it would lay off around 17,000 workers, with the first redundancy notices expected to be issued in mid-November.​​​​​​​ The latest crisis at Boeing erupted in January with a dramatic mid-air blowout of a piece of one of its passenger planes.​​​​​​​ Its space business also suffered a reputational hit after its Starliner vessel was forced to return to Earth without carrying astronauts.

Agencies

Two individuals wanted under Interpol's red corner notice for defrauding over 40 Nepali citizens have been apprehended in Cambodia and repatriated to Nepal, police report.

Binu Shakya of Mankha, Sindhupalchowk, and Sujan Acharya of Triyuga Municipality-10, Udayapur, were accused of swindling Rs 52m by falsely promising foreign employment opportunities in Singapore. Interpol’s Cambodia bureau, in coordination with Nepal Police, facilitated Shakya's arrest, confirmed Deputy Inspector General Dan Bahadur Karki, spokesperson for Nepal Police.

The red corner notice, issued on 2 Feb 2024, following Nepal Police's request, led to the suspects’ detention on Sept 17. Acharya was brought back to Nepal on Oct 25, while Shakya has now been handed over to the Police Circle, Kalimati, for further legal action.

Police have fired tear gas at the RSP protest in Pokhara when the cadres of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) tried to break the restriction area.

The cadres of RSP organized a protest while Rabi Lamichhane, the former chief of Gorkha Media Network and Chairperson of RSP, was brought to court for extending remand on Tuesday.

After Lamichhane's arrest, RSP leaders and cadres have been protesting, saying that there is political bias.

Paris: Nearly 20,000 people were forcibly displaced in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics from tent camps or shelters in the Paris region, a coalition of more than 100 community groups said Monday.

In its report, the group Le Revers de la Médaille, which translates as “the other side of the medal”, claimed that 19,526 people were displaced from informal housing between April 2023 and Sept 2024 as part of what it calls “social cleansing” by authorities. The report notes that some people were evicted multiple times and, as a result, may be counted more than once.

As the city prepared to host millions of spectators for the Games, facilities and infrastructure underwent significant renovation, which the report alleges included the eviction of migrants and squatters from visible locations near event venues.

Paul Alauzy, spokesperson for Le Revers de la Médaille, claimed that there is direct evidence linking these displacements to Olympic preparations.

“There are images, internal government documents, and eviction orders explicitly referencing the Olympics as justification,” Alauzy said on Monday.

The group’s data highlights a surge in eviction operations—260 between April 2023 and Sept 2024—up 41 percent from the same period in 2021-2022. The report also notes that over 4,500 minors were among those displaced.

French officials did not immediately respond to the group’s estimate. The city imposed exceptionally strict security measures for the Games and notably the unprecedented opening ceremony all along the Seine River, which required a double-checked process and a QR code to attend.

In August, Marc Guillaume, the prefect for the Île-de-France region, which encompasses Paris, stated in a radio interview that eviction rates had not increased due to the Olympics and that every displaced individual was offered alternative housing.

French President Emmanuel Macron also addressed the issue in August, claiming that France had successfully created a social legacy linked to the Olympics.

“I’m not forgetting that we have succeeded in creating a social legacy for the Olympic Games, with more than 200 marginalized people who used to live on the streets around the venues now having a permanent home,” Macron said at a conference on Aug 12, the day following the Olympics closing ceremony.

In its report, the coalition is now advocating for a reevaluation of the Olympic hosting model, proposing a permanent site for future editions and more sustainable practices to mitigate the risk of displacements.

AP

The rituals associated with the Chhath festival have commenced today, marking a significant cultural and religious celebration dedicated to the "Sun God." This festival highlights humanity's gratitude toward nature and reveres the sun through various rituals and offerings.

The main rituals are conducted over four days and include arba-arbain, kharana, and the offerings of argha to both the setting and rising sun. Today, devotees observe the arba-arbain ritual, also known as nahaya-khaya, during which they begin their fast, abstaining from meat, fish, onions, garlic, millet, and yellow lentils. Early in the morning, devotees take holy dips in ponds and rivers before starting their fast.

On the second day, Panchami, the kharana ritual symbolizes the “dilution of sins.” The area where the Chhath rituals take place is cleansed with a mixture of cow dung and water, and a paste made from Arba rice flour and holy water is sprinkled over the site to consecrate the altar. Devotees maintain a strict fast, refraining from drinking water, and offer payas (rice pudding) to the moon after moonrise.

The third day, Shasthi, involves preparing various delicacies from rice and wheat flour, ground using traditional tools. Family members gather at the designated water body, bringing an array of offerings while singing devotional and folk songs. Offerings include treats like thakuwa, bhusawa, khajuri, and perukiya, along with fruits such as coconut, oranges, and bananas, all carried in large baskets. Before placing the offerings on the bank, devotees prostrate five times and draw ‘aripan’ sketches to sanctify the area. They then enter the water to worship the setting sun with their offerings.

The fourth and final day of Chhath features parvan rituals. Devotees return to the pond or riverbank early in the morning to repeat the previous evening’s rituals, offering argha to the rising sun. After completing the offerings, they listen to priests chanting from the Surya Purana scripture and recounting stories related to Chhath fasting.

Originally celebrated in the Mithila region, the Chhath festival has gained popularity in hilly areas and throughout Nepali society.