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Domestic flights at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) have been affected today owing to adverse weather. The adverse weather and low visibility affected the flights schedule to Pokhara and Bharatpur.

TIA General Manager Jagannath Niraula, however, said that international flights are continuing.  Flights to other domestic airports in the hilly areas have also been disrupted.

Buddha Air's Information Officer Dipendra Kumar Karna also confirmed that they are waiting for the weather to be cleared to operate flights on the Pokhara and Bharatpur routes. 

Currently, there is an influence of a monsoon wind across the country.

According to the Meteorological Forecasting Division, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, the monsoon trough is positioned slightly northward from the average location, triggering the partial to general rainfall across the country.

There remain chances of heavy rainfall at a few places in the Gandaki and Lumbini Provinces and at one or two places in the rest of the provinces today.

Ministers of the Federal Parliament have begun to shift from Harihar Bhawan, Pulchowk to the newly-constructed quarters in Bhaisepati. As of now, five ministers have shifted to the Bhaisepati quarters along with the Vice-chairperson of the National Assembly (NA), informed the Ministry of Urban Development. 

According to the spokesperson and joint secretary at the Ministry of Urban Development, Binu Bajracharya Kunwar, Deputy Prime Ministry and Finance Minister Bishnuprasad Poudel, Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Devendra Dahal, Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration Rajkumar Gupta, Minister for Water Supply Pradip Yadav, and Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens Nawal Kishor Sudi have shifted to the Bhaisepati quarter along with NA Vice-chairperson Bimala Ghimire. By mid-August, the ministry aims to move all ministers from Harihar Bhavan to Bhaisepati quarters for renovating and developing Harihar Bhavan as residency for judges in line with a decision of the Council of Ministers made in March. The plan is to accommodate 20 judges and one chief registrar at Harihar Bhawan. 

According to engineer Ranjit Das, physical progress of the ministers’ quarters at Bhaisepati has reached 99 percent with 30 buildings already constructed—24 are for ministers, two for NA chairperson and Vice-chairperson, and one for deputy speaker of the House of Representatives.

Additionally, three buildings are under-construction for security personnel in more than 93 ropanis of land, with all buildings adhering to the construction code for heritage buildings in Kathmandu. 

The project site will consist of security guard buildings, helipad, health club, grocery, community hall, management office, swimming pool and parking. Quarters for state heads and chief ministers are already in operation on the site as part of a project with an investment of Rs 1.34bn (approx) already gone into the project.

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 100 per tola in the domestic market on Tuesday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 152, 200 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 152, 300 per tola on Monday.

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 1,810 per tola today.

The United Nations (UN) Ad Hoc Committee finally adopted the convention on cybercrime.

The recent meeting of the UN Ad Hoc Committee to Elaborate a Comprehensive International Convention on Countering the Use of Information and Communications Technologies for Criminal Purposes adopted the convention, which would be presented before the UN General Assembly later this year.

The UN member states at the Ad Hoc Committee brought the first global instrument on cybercrime after three years of debates. But human rights experts and civil society organizations across the globe have shown concern over the convention.

The updated draft text of the convention stressed the need for enhancing coordination and cooperation among States along with technical assistance and capacity-building, and transfer of technology on mutually agreed terms.

It also underscored improvement of national laws and frameworks to make national authorities resourceful so that cybercrimes would be dealt effectively in all its forms.

It has further necessitated cooperation among the states to prevent and fight one of the pressing problems of time, cybercrime, where the national, regional and international organizations, civil society, academia and private entities could play their roles.

Addressing the Ad Hoc Committee meeting, Nepali diplomat at Nepal's Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, Shivani Basnet, viewed, "We firmly believe this convention not only amplifies the voice of all nations but also reinforces the principle of multilateralism as we come together to tackle shared challenges of cybercrime."

She laid emphasis on the need of technical assistance and capacity building of Nepal to bridge the cooperation gap and enhance readiness to combat cybercrime.

Basnet reminded that like other countries irrespective of affluence and less privilege. Nepal is at risk of cybercrime.

"Nepal also deeply appreciates robust safeguard and emphasis on human rights in the convention," she reminded.

About the development, the Geneva Internet Platform mentioned, "The Committee Chair emphasized that the convention is a criminal justice legal instrument and the aim is, therefore, to combat cybercrime by prohibiting certain behaviors by physical persons, rather than to regulate the behavior of member states."

The global organizations working in the sector of technological freedoms and human rights had put forth their suggestions and amendments to the document. They showed concern whether convention would foment State surveillance while coping with cybercrimes.

Even a CSO from Nepal, Freedom Forum, had joined the global alliance of civil society organizations seeking guarantee of human rights in the convention.

The effect of monsoon wind is still continuous in the country.

The low-pressure belt of monsoon is slightly towards the northern part of its average location, according to the Weather Forecasting Division.

The Division informed that some parts of Madhes, Bagmati, Gandaki and Lumbini Provinces have witnessed light to moderate rainfall, while one or two places of the rest of the provinces are witnessing light to moderate rainfall along with thunder and lightning.

There will be general weather change across the country in the afternoon. But, few places in Gandaki and Lumbini provinces and one to two places of rest of the provinces will have heavy rainfall.

The traditional festival of Gaijatra or the ‘cow festival’ is being observed in three cities of Kathmandu Valley and some other places in the country amidst much fun, gaiety, humor, satire, and entertainment.

The festival, beginning on the first day of the waning moon in the month of Bhadra (Bhadra Pratiprada) as per the lunar calendar, lasts for a week.

During this time-honored tradition, people of all ages in the guise of cows and lunatics go around the city, wearing odd costumes to commemorate those who died during the past one year.

The bereaved families offer fruits, bread, beaten rice, curd, and money to those participating in the procession including the cows.

This festival is believed to have started during the time of King Pratap Malla, who, in a bid to console his queen, grieved at the death of her son in a smallpox epidemic and ordered his people to organize humor and satire programs in various comic postures.

This tradition continued in the form of the Gaijatra festival during which people also vent out their feelings towards social and political anomalies, human follies and other contemporary affairs through comic skits, cartoons, and the like.

The government has announced a public holiday in Kathmandu Valley on this day. Apart from the Valley, the festival is also observed in Banepa, Dhulikhel, Trishuli, Dolakha, Khotang, Bhojpur, Chainpur, Ilam, Dharan, Biratnagar, Birgunj, Bahrabise, Hetauda and Pokhara.

Nepal is going to export an additional 251 megawatts of electricity to Bihar and Haryana states of India.

 The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) under the Ministry of Power of India has given approval to the Nepal Electricity Authority to export an additional 125.89 megawatts to the state of Haryana and 125 MW to Bihar.

The NEA is currently selling 190 megawatts of electricity to the state of Haryana.

The surplus electricity in Nepal is sold to Bihar and Haryana every year from June to October. Along with this, the amount of electricity to be sold to the state-level distribution companies of India has reached 360 megawatts.

The Student Council of Thames International College (SCOTIC) organized an inter-college student meet titled ‘Dristi’ on Aug 9. The event brought together over 50 students from various Bachelor-level colleges across Kathmandu. It featured a public speaking and leadership seminar, as well as an educational summit where students from different institutions shared their experiences and perspectives on educational issues.

Participating colleges included Thames International College, Prime College, Kathmandu Model College (KMC), Kantipur College of Management and Information Technology (KCMIT), Presidential Graduate School, King’s College Nepal, The Westminster College, IIMS College, and Uniglobe College.

The event’s first major highlight was the Public Speaking Seminar, designed specifically for students in leadership roles. The seminar focused on enhancing communication and leadership skills, providing attendees with valuable insights and practical techniques to improve their public speaking abilities—essential for both academic and future professional success.

After the seminar, participants were divided into discussion groups focusing on key topics related to their academic and extracurricular experiences. Avenue 1 explored ‘Academic Affairs’, comparing traditional exam-based assessments with assignment-based evaluation methods. Avenue 2 examined the ‘Importance and Impact of Extracurricular Activities’, discussing how these activities influence student life. Each group engaged in robust discussions, sharing ideas and building networks with peers from other institutions. 

Following the group discussions, an Educational Summit was held where students presented their insights on the topics. The entire summit was documented, and the conclusions will be circulated as needed.

Thames International College’s Inter-College Student Meet was a resounding success, showcasing the benefits of collaborative learning and the importance of building connections across academic institutions. The event facilitated meaningful interactions and highlighted the value of interdisciplinary approaches in addressing contemporary challenges. The Student Council looks forward to continuing this tradition and enhancing student engagement in future editions.

Nirwan Maharjan

Thames International College