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Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has directed the stakeholders to ensure that patients coming to the Bir Hospital, the oldest hospital of the country, seeking treatment will have no complaints about its services. He described the Bir Hospital as the pillar of the health sector.

During the meeting with office-bearers of the National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS) today, PM Dahal mentioned that the services at Bir Hospital should also be affordable and of quality as the medical services provided from the Hospital bear the health image of the country.  

Sharing that the government was effortful to provide the means and resources demanded by the hospital, he laid emphasis that the hospital should provide its services in a manner so that the people feel them.

The Prime Minister added that he has initiated discussions on the process of appointment of the NAMS chancellor, assuring of making arrangements that the specialist of the respective sector should be appointed as the chancellor.

Similarly, Vice-Chancellor of the NAMS, Dr Bhupendra Kumar Basnet, said there is excessive pressure of patients at the Bir Hospital and urged the Prime Minister to provide means and resources required for the hospital, according to PM Dahal's private secretariat.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 0. 62 points to close at 2,088. 99 points on Thursday. Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 2. 19 points to close at 384. 14 points.

A total of 22,132,768-unit shares of 307 companies were traded for Rs 4. 30 billion.

Meanwhile, Nirdhan Utthan Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited, Samaj Laghubittya Bittiya Sanstha Limited, Mid Solu Hydropower Limited, Trishuli Jal Vidhyut Company Limited and Muktinath Krishi Company Limited were the top gainers today with their price surging by 10. 00 percent. Likewise, 9% Nepal SBI Bank Rinpatra 2089 was the top loser as its price fell by 9. 60 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 3. 28 trillion.

Irish Upper House Chairperson, Jerry Buttimer, has paid a courtesy call on President Ram Chandra Paudel.

During the meeting held at the Office of the President, Sheetal Niwas, today, President Paudel said sustainable economic development is in the priority of the incumbent government and the Nepali people are confident that it would contribute to institutionalize democracy, inclusiveness and federalism.

President Paudel laid emphasis on the need of moving ahead cooperating on the matters of mutual interests in the bilateral, regional and multilateral areas in future by further strengthening the relations between Nepal and Ireland.

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 200 per tola in the domestic market on Thursday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 118, 300 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 118, 500 per tola on Wednesday

Meanwhile, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 117, 750 per tola. It was traded at Rs 117, 950 per tola.

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 1,410 per tola today.

The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has suspended cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane a day after he was sentenced to jail for rape.

The Kathmandu District Court on Wednesday sentenced Lamichhane to eight years in jail along with Rs 500,000 as fine and compensation after finding him guilty of rape, CAN Chairman Chatur Bahadur Chand said.

Chand said that the former national cricket team captain has been suspended from all domestic and international tournaments after he was proven guilty of rape.

On Dec 29 last year, a single bench of judge Sishiraj Dhakal had issued a verdict in consonance with Section 219 (3) (e) of Civil Code 2074, finding Lamichhane guilty of raping ‘Gaushala 26’. 

The verdict has established that the accused “raped the victim taking advantage of her poor economic condition” and convicted him as per clause 219—1, 2 and 3 (d)—of the Criminal Code Procedure.

The case started unraveling after Lamichhane’s arrest from Tribhuvan International Airport on Oct 6 last year, on the basis of a complaint accusing him of raping a minor on Sept 6 the same year.

Citing statements from both the parties, the CCTV footage and an eyewitness account, the verdict states that ‘Gaushala 26’ and Lamichhane stayed at a hotel room in Kathmandu after their return from a journey to Nagarkot, adding that Lamichhane had raped her in the room.

However, a controversial legal provision vis-a-vis jail terms of 6-10 years means Lamichhane can still appeal against this judgment at a higher court by staying out of prison.

Teaching and learning activities have been affected due to the cold that has been increasing for the past few days. As a result, community schools in Siraha have started to close.

A dip in the mercury coupled with cold waves led to health complications in the students, leading the local levels to start issuing school closure notices. Due to the increased cold, the number of students coming to school has already dropped.

Accordingly, the Golbazaar Municipality issued a notice on Tuesday stating that the teaching and learning activities in the community schools in the municipality has been halted. For now, the school will be closed until January 15, said Subodh Kumar Lama, of the education unit of the municipality,

Similarly, Lakshampur Patari Rural Municipality has issued a notice stating that the community schools have been closed for a week with effect from Tuesday. Naraha rural municipality has also issued a similar notice.

Daily life in the Tarai has been affected after the temperature dropped along with dense fog and cold waves, since the past few days.

Himalaya Airlines has become the country’s first and the only IOSA Registered Operator. The Airlines received its milestone achievement with the issuance of IOSA certification by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on 28 Dec 2023 with the validity until 3 Mar 2025.

The certificate reads “Himalaya Airlines Pvt Ltd has been successfully registered as an IOSA Operator under the IATA Operational Safety Audit program (IOSA), in accordance with the provisions of the IOSA Program Manual.”

The IOSA certification for Himalaya Airlines confirms that Himalaya Airlines adheres to the highest safety standards and best practices, providing passengers with a secure and reliable travel experience. As the first and only IOSA certified airline in Nepal, Himalaya Airlines gains international recognition for its commitment to safety. The rigorous IOSA audit process also evaluates and enhances various aspects of H9’s operations, leading to certifiable efficiency, risk management, and overall performance, states a press release issued by the company.

Vijay Shrestha, Vice President of Himalaya Airlines, expressed, “This milestone signifies a positive shift in Nepal's aviation industry. We are proud to lead by example, setting new benchmarks for safety and operational excellency. This certification not only validates our ongoing efforts to maintain the highest safety standards but also positions us as a trusted airline in the global aviation community. We look forward to continuing to raise the bar in the years to come.”

The IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) is a globally recognized and standardized audit program for airlines developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline with the primary goal of enhancing operational safety and promoting a common safety standard within the aviation industry.

This process involves an audit of an airline’s policies, procedures, and practices. It includes both document reviews and on-site assessments. After successful completion of Audit and compliance of all findings IOSA certification is provided to airlines. IOSA registration is thus seen as a mark of safety excellence, and is also the prerequisite for IATA membership.

The newly appointed Secretary General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Md Golam Sarwar, paid a courtesy call on President Ram Chandra Paudel in Sheetal Niwas on Wednesday.

During the meeting, President Paudel said that Nepal, as the founding member and the current Chair of SAARC, is fully committed to move forward the SAARC process in the spirit of unity and solidarity among the member countries.

The President also expressed his hope that the SAARC other member nations too will give an impetus to the SAARC by means of cooperation and understanding, the Office of the President stated in a media release.