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Nepal and Qatar have reached to an agreement and understanding to collaborate in the art and culture, education, communication, youth and sports, legal assistance, and the industry and commerce sectors.

These agreements and MoUs were signed today on the occasion of the state visit of Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, said Amrit Bahadur Rai, spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The two countries signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on collaboration in the area of art and culture, exchange of news between the official news agencies of Nepal and Qatar, and exchange of cooperation in the education sector.

The agreements and MoUs were signed in the presence of the Qatari Emir and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal following bilateral talks between them at the Soaltee Hotel today.

The Agreement signed today is on Cooperation and Exchange of News between National News Agency, Nepal (RSS) and Qatar News Agency (QNA).

The MoUs signed include: the Memorandum of Understanding  for cooperation in the fields of culture and arts between the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation of Nepal and the Ministry of Culture of the State of Qatar; the Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in the field of education, higher education and scientific research between the Government of Nepal and the Government of  the State of Qatar; the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of youth and sports between the Government of Nepal and the Government of the State of Qatar; the Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation between the Office of the Attorney General of Nepal and the Public Prosecution of the State of Qatar and the Memorandum of Understanding  on cooperation in the field of diplomatic training and education between the Institute of Foreign Affairs (IFA) of the Government of Nepal and The Diplomatic Institute of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 500 per tola in the domestic market on Wednesday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 136, 000 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 135, 500 per tola on Tuesday.

Similarly, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 135, 350 per tola. It was traded at Rs 134, 850 per tola.

Meanwhile, the price of silver has increased by Rs 10 and is being traded at Rs 1,670 per tola today.

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who is on a two-day state visit to Nepal, and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal held a meeting on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Dahal and Qatari Emir Al Thani held a one-to-one meeting at Hotel Soaltee this morning, the Prime Minister’s Secretariat informed.

During the meeting between the delegations led by the Qatari Emir and Prime Minister Dahal, matters related to bilateral relations, mutual cooperation and interests and regional and international issues will be discussed, the Foreign Ministry said.

After the meeting, bilateral agreements and memorandum of understandings (MoUs) will be signed in their presence.

The MoUs will be signed between Nepal and Qatar in the fields of youth and sports, higher education and scientific research.

The two countries are also scheduled to sign MoUs on art and culture, attorney general's office and foreign affairs, Amrit Bahadur Rai, spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said.

Prime Minister Dahal will host a luncheon in honor of the Qatari Emir.

The Qatari arrived in Kathmandu on Tuesday at the cordial invitation of President Ram Chandra Paudel.

He will leave Kathmandu for Qatar this afternoon.

Three persons died when a jeep and a motorbike collided with each other at Jhiljhile in Shivasatachhi-8 of Jhapa district on Wednesday.

The incident occurred when the motorbike (Me 3 Pa 5001) heading towards Surunga from Damak along the East-West Highway collided head-on with the jeep (Pra 1-01-001 Cha 9329) at around 5 am today.

Among the three persons riding on the bike, two died on the spot and one breathed his last on the way to the B & C Hospital, DSP Krishna Kumar Chand of the District Police Office, Jhapa said.

The identities of the deceased are yet to be established.

Meanwhile, police have impounded both the vehicles and arrested the jeep driver Rishi Raj Giri (45) of Mechinagar Municipality-6 for the investigation.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has stressed the need to remain alert with the new challenges emerging in the health sector.

In his address to the first convocation ceremony of the Patan Academy of Health Sciences today, PM Dahal instructed the agencies concerned to pay special attention to resolve the problems seen in the health sector.

"The Academy should develop more infrastructure to overcome and manage any challenges that may arise in the health sector", he said, laying special emphasis on making the hospital services more quality and effective.

On the occasion, the Prime Minister underlined the need to produce skilled and socially responsible doctors for quality health care in rural areas, according to the PM's personal secretariat.

Underscoring the need to expand access to health services to the rural areas, PM Dahal cited COVID-19 pandemic situation to note the general public of Nepal can get universal health care services only if the public health institutions are effective and efficient.

The government has placed high priority on developing the capacity of all public hospitals, the PM said, instructing the Academy to take further initiative to provide specialized health services, including access to health services to all, quality of service as well as identifying social, cultural and environmental factors affecting public health in the community.

PM Dahal also took the opportunity to appreciate the Academy's recent initiatives of launching health insurance and community-based service delivery in collaboration with local governments.

The Prime Minister highlighted the urgency for establishing an integrated institute of health sciences and removal of duplication in medical education and health services for the management, operation and regulation of all medical and health sciences related institutions in the country.

"Attention should be paid to enhancing capacity of all health institutions to provide basic and quality health services to all citizens", he said, informing the government was making necessary ground works towards developing Nepal as a hub of medical education. 

The Kathmandu University Architecture Club (KUARC), in collaboration with the Department of Civil Engineering at Kathmandu University (KU), is set to host Prarambha’24, an architectural event on April 25 and 26 at the KU premises in Dhulikhel. “Building upon the success of previous editions, Prarambha’24 promises to be even more enriching, aiming to bridge the gap between academia and industry while promoting architectural innovation and excellence,” say the organizers.

Prarambha is an annual architecture festival designed to connect architecture students and professionals from Kathmandu University with the wider community, fostering collaboration and promoting architectural awareness. The organizers anticipate that this year’s event will have an expanded scope and attendance, with over 5,000 students and professionals expected to participate.

Leading up to Prarambha’24, several pre-events were organized as part of the main exhibition. The ‘ROOTS’ exhibition held at Panauti and the Bhaktapur mini-exhibition at Bhaktapur Durbar Square aimed to educate the general public about Nepal’s rich architectural heritage. Additionally, a rammed earth workshop offered students practical experience in traditional construction techniques, encouraging them to explore alternative building methods.

“Recognizing that a festival should also include fun, we incorporated various sports events such as cricket and marathon, along with an online musical challenge, into the pre-events of Prarambha’24,” says Kartabya Regmi, Secretary of the KUARC. “Architecture can be a hectic subject for students, so we thought that by including some engaging and enjoyable activities alongside educational events, we could better capture the interest of students and the public.”

The two-day event includes a book launch for ‘KU Archive’, panel discussions on various aspects of architecture and related issues, stalls showcasing architectural designs, an exhibition, and the announcement and prize distribution for project competition winners. There will also be food stalls and other attractions. Additionally, on the evening of April 26, there will be a musical session with performances by over 25 local and emerging singers. 

President Ram Chandra Paudel hosted a state banquet in honor of the Emir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who is in Kathmandu for a two-day state visit.

On the occasion, different cultural performances were performed.

In the banquet, First Lady Sabita Paudel, Vice President Ram Sahaya Prasad Yadav, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Speaker Devraj Ghimire and National Assembly Chairman Narayan Prasad Dahal were present.

Chief Justice, Deputy Prime Ministers, former prime ministers, ministers, lawmakers, industrialists and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.

Earlier today, President Paudel and Emir of the State of Qatar held bilateral talks at the Office of the President in Sheetal Niwas.

Likewise, two countries' delegations are scheduled to hold bilateral meetings on Wednesday.

President Ram Chandra Paudel has requested Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar to help release Nepali student Bipin Joshi, who has gone missing since the attack by Hamas in Israel.

President Paudel made this request during a bilateral meeting held with the Qatari Emir at the President’s Office in Sheetal Niwas earlier this afternoon.

At the cordial invitation of President Paudel, Emir Al Thani of Qatar arrived here this afternoon on a two-day state visit to Nepal.

On the occasion, President Paudel said that Bipin's release was a matter of interest and concern and urged the Emir of Qatar to take initiative for his release, according to Kiran Pokharel, the President's Press Advisor.

In response, the Emir of Qatar said that he had taken some initiative on the matter in the past and that he would take further initiatives in this regard.

Bipin Joshi, a Nepali student in Israel, remains missing following the attack in Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023.