Submit your Article

Miss Universe 2023, Sheynnis Palacios, has made her first visit to Nepal. As per the Miss Universe Nepal organizers, this marked a historic moment for the country’s beauty pageant community. Palacios, who is also a mental health advocate and audiovisual producer, is in Nepal to witness the pre-judgment round of Miss Universe Nepal 2024.

Sangita Puri, National Director of Miss Universe Nepal, expressed her excitement, calling the visit a milestone for Nepal’s pageant fraternity. Palacios herself shared her enthusiasm, emphasizing her commitment to promoting causes like women’s empowerment and diversity.

During her stay, Palacios will participate in cultural exchanges and visit iconic sites, with her presence expected to boost Nepal’s tourism and economy. The Miss Universe Nepal 2024 grand finale is set for Sept 7.

Two children have died and two others were injured when an improvised explosive device exploded in Dandagaon, Falelung Rural Municipality-5, Panchthar.

Eleven-year-old Deepsan and two-year-old Prinsa, children of Dilip Sanwa were injured in the blast and rushed to District Hospital Phidim. However, they succumbed to their injuries. Prinsa died on the way to Ilam while Deepsan passed away at the B&C Hospital in Birtamod, Jhapa this morning, according to the Panchthar District Police Office.

Likewise, 11-year-old Pawan Rai, son of Gyan Bahadur Rai, was injured in the incident and is undergoing treatment at the district hospital. Seven-year-old Pawan, the son of Deepak Rai, has returned home after treatment at the local health center.

District Police Office Chief Hemant Bhandari Chhetri said more suspicious items had been found at the scene of the blast. A team of the Nepali Army has reached the spot and started defusing them.

The IED exploded in the house owned by Aitaraj Kerung but currently being used by Gyan Bahadur Rai's family. The explosion occurred while the children were playing on Thursday afternoon.

Police said that they are looking into the incident.

Police have arrested a 51-year-old man from the state of Texas on the charge of murdering 21-year-old Nepali student Muna Pandey.

Pandey was reported to have been murdered at her apartment in Houston, Texas last Saturday. According to police, Bobby Singh Shah was arrested on the charge of murdering Pandey and his photo has been released.

The Houston Police found Pandey's body in her apartment at 6363 West Airport Boulevard last Monday at 5:35 p.m. The staff of the apartment had called the police.

Police recovered the body of Pandey who was shot dead. The police had released the picture of the suspect on Wednesday.

Suspect Shah was arrested the same evening.

The government should take a bold decision if it wants to save the national flag carrier.

The grounding of two wide-body and one narrow-body aircraft is costing the national flag carrier Rs 50m in lost business every day. Experts say the present situation of the NAC is due to poor planning and maintenance issues. The Airbus A330, ‘Annapurna’, has been undergoing a C-check in Italy for the past two months. The aircraft should have returned a month ago. No flight schedule has been arranged for the other A330, ‘Makalu’, which is preparing to leave for a C-check. The Airbus A320, Sagarmatha, is grounded due to hydraulic system problems. This leaves only one operational aircraft for international routes, which has severely limited the national carrier’s capacity to serve its network.

The impact of this fleet mismanagement will cost the NAC dear. The lucrative Kathmandu-Narita route alone is costing the airline Rs 180m in lost revenues every week. The losses would be much higher during the approaching Dashain-Tihar festive season when the demand for seats peaks. This crisis exposes deep-rooted issues within NAC. The lack of a backup aircraft strategy, delays in maintenance scheduling and the mismanagement in coordinating repairs all point to systemic failures in the airline’s operations. The use of materials, which were not approved by the manufacturers during the repair of hydraulic issues in the Airbus A320, speaks volume about the mismanagement and lack of adherence to aviation safety norms. Running an airline requires more than just owning aircraft—it demands meticulous planning, efficient management and a proactive approach to maintenance. The NAC management has failed on all these fronts.

Nepal Airlines, as the flag carrier, is not just a commercial entity but also a symbol of the nation. It could tarnish Nepal’s image in the international arena and could have broader implications for tourism and international trade. Realizing this, the NAC management must expedite the return of its grounded aircraft to service. It must do a comprehensive review of the airline’s maintenance practices and scheduling to avoid a similar situation in the future. 

The government must decide whether it is viable to continue operating a state-owned airline in its current form. Many countries have successfully privatized their national carriers or entered into strategic partnerships with established international airlines. Many study committees have given similar suggestions to the government. The government should take a bold decision if it wants to save the national flag carrier.

The government has decided to renew the license of Ncell, the private sector telecom giant.

A Cabinet meeting held on Thursday made the decision to this effect, a minister informed.

The government has decided to renew the license of Nell for five years.

Ncell has to pay the amount due for renewal in four installments.

Ek Narayan Aryal has been appointed as the Chief Secretary of the government.

A Cabinet meeting held on Thursday decided to appoint Home Secretary Aryal as the Chief Secretary of the government.

Chief Secretary Liladevi Gadtaula is to retire on August 31.

Gadtaula was appointed as the Chief Secretary on July 25.

Aryal has previously served as Chief District Officers of Makawanpur, Kathmandu and Tanahun.

President Ram Chandra Paudel authenticated the Bill to amend the Commission of the Investigation on the Enforced Disappeared Persons and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act (TRC Bill) on Thursday.

The President assented to the Bill in accordance with Article 113 (2) of the Constitution.

The Bill was submitted to the President for authentication following its endorsements by both Houses of Parliament recently.

Two persons died and 27 others sustained injuries when a bus met with an accident near Ranjha Chowk in Banke district on Thursday.

The bus (Bhe 1 Kha 2128) was heading towards Nepalgunj from Dang when the incident occurred, said Deputy Superintendent Narayan Dangi of the District Police Office Banke.

The deceased have been identified as Dhana Bahadur Oli (60) and Santosh Bhusal (24), the bus helper, of Tulasipur, Dang.

The injured are undergoing treatment at the Bheri Hospital in Nepalgunj and at the Kohalpur-based Teaching Hospital, according to police.