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Nepali Congress lawmaker Kamala Devi Panta has been elected unopposed as chairperson of Development, Economic Affairs and Good Governance Committee under the National Assembly on Monday.

A meeting of the committee held today in Singha Durbar elected Panta as the chairperson. Chairperson of the NA, Narayan Prasad Dahal, administered oath of office and secrecy to newly elected Chairperson Panta.

On the occasion, NA Chair Dahal congratulated and extended best wishes to Panta. There is a provision in the National assembly Regulations that a NA member elected as Chairperson of the committee has to take oath of office and secrecy before the NA Chairperson. 

Soon after taking oath of office and secrecy, Chairperson Panta assumed office. The term of the Committee Chairperson is of two years.

On the occasion, Chairperson Panta expressed belief that she would play an active role to maintain good governance and effectively raise important issues including economic empowerment to achieve sustainable development goals and to reduce risks of climate change.

Saying good governance would not be promoted until corruption is reduced, she shared that the committee would be active for the same.

CPN-UML Lawmaker Sonam Gyaljen Sherpa has been unanimously elected the President of the Federation Strengthening and National Concern Committee under the National Assembly on Monday.

The National Assembly Chair Narayan Prasad Dahal administered the oath of office and secrecy to Sherpa.

Committee President Sherpa assumed office immediately after taking the oath.

On the occasion, he expressed the commitment to carry out works under his responsibility remaining within the parameters of the constitution.

Sherpa vowed to work towards formulation of the required laws and facilitating the same while in the committee which is taken as the 'mini parliament'.

The term of the Committee President is two years.

Ukraine urged Global South countries on Friday to do more to prevent their citizens from being recruited to fight for Russia in its war on Ukraine, presenting to the public what it said were eight prisoners of war from such countries.

Those people included five men from Nepal, and one each from Cuba, Somalia and Sierra Leone, according to Petro Yatsenko, a representative at the Ukrainian government’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

“By showing these citizens who are captured, we are saying that perhaps it is necessary to use more radical, more effective steps so that tens, hundreds of these people won’t be conned by agitators,” he told reporters in Kyiv.

“If we take a country with a low level of income per population, there is a high probability that some citizens of that country may be recruited by Russia and used as storm-troopers, cannon fodder,” Yatsenko said.

Last week, India said it uncovered a major trafficking network which it said lured young men to take jobs in Russia before sending them to the front. In December, Nepal said it asked Moscow not to recruit its citizens into the Russian army and to send back any Nepali soldier serving there.

“As long as they aren’t decreed by a court to be mercenaries, we are treating them in the same way we are treating other prisoners of war,” Yatsenko added. He said the number of foreigners fighting for Russia appeared to have risen as the flow from Russian prisons dropped.

Russian response

French President Emmanuel Macron should stop sending weapons to Kiev and propose a ceasefire agreement to parties to the Middle East conflict, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. Commenting on the latest initiative by the French leader who said he would ask Russia to observe a ceasefire in Ukraine during the Paris Olympics, the Russian diplomat said: “I come forward with a proposal in response to Macron’s: Stop supplying weapons being used to kill (civilians) and also stop sponsoring terrorism.” “I also suggest that Macron come up with a similar proposal to the parties to the Middle East conflict. A lot probably depends on what France says there,” Zakharova maintained. — TASS

The main opposition Nepali Congress has called for an impartial investigation into cases of cooperative fraud.

When a meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR) commenced, NC lawmakers stood up from their seats, prompting Speaker Devraj Ghimire to grant time to NC general secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa to express his views.

Thapa highlighted allegations against incumbent Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, Rabi Lamichhane, in cooperative disputes, questioning his suitability to remain in office amid these controversies.

According to Thapa, Minister Lamichhane is allegedly embroiled in disputes related to Surya Darshan and Suprim Cooperatives, casting doubt on his eligibility for the ministerial position until these issues are resolved. Thapa underlined the need for an impartial investigation, stating, "It is uncertain whether he is guilty or not. He will undergo an investigation. However, he faces allegations of cooperative misappropriation. The question arises whether the accused individual can ensure an impartial investigation."

Thapa stressed on the need of creating an environment for cooperative victims to reclaim their deposits, calling on Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal to make efforts towards establishing such an atmosphere.

He said while the NC wished for a smooth operation of the House, they awaited a prompt response from the Prime Minister regarding its concerns.

After listening to Thapa, the Speaker expressed hope that the government would pay attention to the matter, acknowledging its significance.

Former Speaker and CPN (Maoist Center) Vice-Chairman Krishna Bahadur Mahara, who was arrested in connection to a gold smuggling case, has been taken to the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police.

He was brought to Kathmandu after being taken under control from Bhairahawa on Monday.

Police apprehended Mahara while was heading towards Rolpa via Rupandehi.

He was taken to the CIB directly from the Tribhuvan International Airport.

Police are preparing to ask the Kathmandu District Court to extend the remand of Mahara to carry out further investigation.

Earlier, police had released Maoist Center Vice-Chair Mahara after recording this statement in the gold smuggling case.

Police took him under control after a high-level commission formed under the headship of former high court chief judge Dilli Raj Acharya to probe the gold smuggling recommended action against Mahara.

The commission had recommended action against 21 individuals including nine Chinese nationals.

The commission had also recommended action against 12 persons including former Speaker of the House of Representatives Mahara.

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane submitted the report, presented by the commission on Thursday, to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Friday.

Later, a meeting of the Council of Ministers decided to implement the report of the commission.

Acting on the same, Home Minister Lamichhane directed the concerned security agencies to arrest the people involved in the gold smuggling.

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

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 124, 500 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 125, 000 per tola on Friday.

Similarly, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 123, 900 per tola. It was traded at Rs 124, 400 per tola.

Meanwhile, the silver is being traded at Rs 1,520 per tola today.  

Two persons died in a jeep accident at Nepane in Annapurna Municipality-4 of Myagdi district in the wee hours of Monday.

The deceased have been identified as vehicle owner and driver Ganesh Shrestha (37) and Lal Bahadur Tilija of Pauuddar, Purna Payeja, ward member of Annapurna Rural Municipality-5, said.

Police, however, are yet to officially confirm the incident and the deceased.

The incident occurred when the four-wheeler (Ga 1 Ja 7653) heading towards Pauuddar from Pokharebagar of Annapurna Rural Municipality fell some 200 meters down the road.

DSP Madan Kunwar of the District Police Office, Myagdi said that a team from Ghara and Bhurung has reached the incident site and started collecting the bodies.

He further said that police are investigating the incident.

Police have arrested CPN (Maoist Center) Vice-Chairman Krishna Bahadur Mahara in connection to the gold smuggling case.

According to a police source, he was apprehended from Bhairahawa on Monday morning.

Police nabbed Mahara while he was going to Rolpa via Rupandehi.

Earlier, a high-level commission formed to probe the gold smuggling had recommended action against 21 individuals including nine Chinese nationals.

The commission had also recommended action against 12 persons including former Speaker of the House of Representatives Mahara.

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane submitted the report, presented by the commission on Thursday, to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Friday.

Later, a meeting of the Council of Ministers decided to implement the report of the commission.

As per the same, Home Minister Lamichhane directed the concerned security agencies to arrest the people involved in the gold smuggling.