Submit your Article

Indra Jatra has formally begun in Kathmandu Valley.

The biggest festival of the Valley began with the installation of a wooden pole (lingo) in the premises of Hanumandhoka, Basantapur Durbar Square on Tuesday.

The festival dedicated to Indra, the god of rain and king of heaven, is celebrated for eight days.

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has banned vehicles in the area where the Indra Jatra procession will take place.

The metropolis has restricted the movement of all types of vehicles in Basantapur, Maru, Chingamukal, Jaisidewal, Lagan, Brahmatole, Kohiti, Bhimsensthan on Thursday.

The movement of vehicles has been restricted in Basantapur, Pyafal, Yatkha, Naradevi, Tengal, Nyukha, Nhektala, Machhindrabahal, Indrachowk, Makhan and Hanumandhoka on Friday and Basantapur, Pyafal, Yatkha, Naradevi, Kilagh, Bhedasingh, Indrachowk and Makhan on Saturday.

On this occasion, Lakhe dance are performed on the streets of Kathmandu.

Meanwhile, the lingo, brought to Hanumandhoka from a jungle in Bhaktapur, was erected with the help of locals and Nepal Army personnel.

The lingo-erection procession was marked with fanfare.

Two rhinos of Chitwan National Park have been shifted to the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve.

Four-year-old Pushpa and two-year-old Anjali have been taken to the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve from the Chitwan National Park this morning.

Before being transferred to the Koshi Tappu, they were kept in the cage for the  past one week.

Wildlife technician Lal Bahadur Mahatara had monitored them.

Born in Tamaspur of Nawalpur under the Chitwan National Park in 2019, Pushpa was rescued from the muddy swamp.

Anjali was rescued from Dibyapuri area of Nawalpur, Chitwan National Park on April 5, 2021 during the rhino count when she was just one week old.

According to the data, there are no one-horned rhinos in Koshi Tappu. They are being transferred to Koshi Tappu for the first time.

Haribhadra Acharya, Acting Director General of the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Department, said that a technical committee had carried out a study on keeping the rhinos in Koshi two years ago.

The committee had concluded that the Koshi Tappu would be an appropriate habitat for rhinos.

Three persons died of dengue infection in Tanahun in the past two months. All three fatalities are from Byas Municipality.

They died from July 1 to September 25. 

Health section Chief of Byas Municipality Pramod Soti informed that dengue infection has been spreading in Damauli for the past few months. The municipality alone has 1,350 dengue patients now.

The municipality is preparing to mobilize its health workers at Damauli Hospital in the wake of a rapid rise in dengue patients. Even the hospital was complaining of shortage of human resources to provide smooth service. A doctor, two lab technicians and two others in the emergency section would be provided to the hospital, he added.

Meanwhile, the municipality has launched a public awareness campaign in every village. Search and destroy campaign would be in place to control the dengue spread.

Now, every ward is running a public health awareness campaign.

Similarly, Chief of Health Office in Tanahun, Shankar Babu Adhikari, urged one and all to maintain further alertness against dengue infection.

He expressed worry over shortage of beds in health facilities with the rise of dengue patients.

Most of patients at Damauli Hospital have dengue fever.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that he has a dream to build a 'digital Nepal' and wanted to work to that end.

The PM, who is currently on an official visit to the People's Republic of China, said this in remarks after making an observation of the Beijing-based digital company, Huawei, today.

"The present world is gradually moving towards the digital form with the growing advancement in science and information technology. We too have a dream of transforming Nepal into a digital Nepal," he said.

PM Dahal invited the Chinese investors to invest in the information technology sector in Nepal as it is still in the infancy in terms of the development of science and technology.

Stating that there are many areas for the Chinese industrialists and businessmen to invest in Nepal and the information technology sector is one among these which is new and profitable, he urged the Chinese investors to put in investment in this sector.

On the occasion, the Prime Minister said that the government will secure the investment of all investors of the world who come to Nepal for investment, while expressing commitment that the Government of Nepal would also create an environment conducive for the investment.

Along with the PM, the members of Nepali delegation accompanying him also visited the company's headquarters today. High officials of the company welcomed the PM and his entourage.

The multi-national company manufactures electronic goods and gadgets like mobile phones, laptop etc.

The inaugural Thunderbolts Cup-GEMS Sports Festival kicked off on Sept 24 at the GEMS campus, marking the commencement of an event set to see the participation of over 100 schools and more than 4,000 students from various corners of the country.

The Thunderbolt Cup 2023 promises an adrenaline-pumping competition spanning a diverse range of sports disciplines. From individual contests to team athletic games, it covers the spectrum with Football, Cricket, Swimming, Martial Arts such as Judo and Taekwondo, and popular indoor games like Basketball, Volleyball, Table Tennis, Futsal, and Chess.

The ceremony was inaugurated by the guest of honor, Dhruva Bahadur Pradhan, former Minister for Law and ex-Inspector General of Nepal Police (IGP). Pradhan underscored the pivotal role of sports in instilling discipline and character in individuals. Expressing his warm congratulations and appreciation to the GEMS family, he emphasized that while victory is a worthy pursuit, fostering friendship and peace should be equally prioritized in sports.

Among the other notable guests were Vishnu Gopal Shrestha, the founding president of Nepal Judo and Boxing Association; Pankaj Nembang, president of the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA); and Sitaram Shahi, Nepal’s pioneering swimming Olympian who represented the nation at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

The event’s theme, “Dream it, believe it, achieve it,” resonates with the vision and dedication of the GEMS School’s Sports and Co-Curricular Activities Department in orchestrating this grand competition, affirmed the organizers.

Adding to the event’s allure is the substantial reward of a cash prize totaling Rs 5,00,000, set to be bestowed upon the overall winners based on the total points amassed across various sports categories.

The primary objective of Thunderbolt Cup 2023 is to cultivate a robust sports culture and camaraderie among schools in Nepal, according to the organizers. They stated, “The Thunderbolt Cup 2023 promises to be a celebration of sportsmanship, teamwork, and unwavering dedication to fostering a promising enthusiasm for sports in the country. Sports enthusiasts and the like-minded community at large are invited to witness and participate in this extraordinary sporting spectacle, which is poised to leave an indelible mark in the annals of Nepali sports history.”

The events are slated to unfold over a span of 16 days, culminating on Oct 8.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 5. 89 points to close at 2,004.45 points on Monday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 1. 94 points to close at 383. 67 points.

A total of 6,516,006-unit shares of 284 companies were traded for Rs 1. 56 billion.

Meanwhile, Mai Khola Hydropower Limited was the top gainer today with its price surging by 10. 00 percent. Likewise, Shuvam Power Limited and Three Star Hydropower Limited were the top losers as their price dropped by 10. 00 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 3. 03 trillion.

During Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s official visit to China, the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) have solidified their commitment to strengthen economic ties and cooperation between Nepal and China.

This understanding culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between CNI and CCPIT. The MoU paves the way for the establishment of the Nepal-China Business Council, reflecting the deep-rooted friendship and the strategic geographical proximity between the two nations.

The primary objective of the Nepal-China Business Council is to enhance bilateral economic cooperation between the two friendly nations. To achieve these goals, CNI and CCPIT have outlined a comprehensive roadmap, including the formation of the council itself. Under the terms of the MoU, the Nepal China Business Council will consist of four members, with two representatives nominated by each organization. CNI will appoint two office bearers, and CCPIT will nominate two members to serve on the council.

Likewise the council’s functions will encompass the exchange of valuable information and insights to streamline business activities, conducting research and study-related initiatives, creating networking opportunities to fuel growth in business, trade, and investment, and organizing exchange visits, conferences, dialogues, webinars, seminars, focused group discussions, training programs, and trade fairs to explore and introduce markets and trade opportunities, while also examining policies and regulations in both countries.

In a clear indication of an economic slowdown, the country’s imports have declined by 5.06 percent in the first two months of the current fiscal. The country’s total import bill stood at Rs 259.749bn in the first two months of FY 2023/24 compared to Rs 273.599bn during the same period of FY 2022/23. 

Along with imports, Nepal’s exports also decreased 7.7 percent during the review period. The country exported goods worth 26.44bn in the first two months of the current fiscal compared to Rs 28.68bn during the same period of the last fiscal year. 

Despite major festivals such as Dashain and Tihar approaching, the imports in the month of Bhadra (mid-August-mid-September) surged meagerly compared to Shrawan (mid-July-mid-August). The latest foreign trade statistics from the Department of Customs show Nepal’s imports in Bhadra grew 0.98 percent. In previous years, the imports usually used to grow in Bhadra, the main month for importing essential goods for Dashain and Tihar.

Banks have reported fewer letters of credit (LC) issued during this period compared to the corresponding period last year, in an indication that the slowdown has hit the banking sector too. Banks’ staff had to work even during holidays to issue LCs during this period in previous years. Bankers say demand for loans and LCs has not come as expected. 

With imports not growing as expected and domestic economic activities subdued, the government’s revenue has remained dismal during the festive season. The initial two months of FY 2023/24 have seen no significant surge in revenue collection.

In fact, the current fiscal has witnessed a weaker performance in revenue collection compared to the previous fiscal. In the first two months of FY 2023/24, government revenue collection amounted to Rs 141.07bn, slightly lower than the Rs 143.81bn achieved during the same period in FY 2022/23.

The Customs Department's data show imports of major products including industrial products have declined in the current fiscal. The import of petroleum products has declined 15.286 percent in FY 2023/24. The country’s petroleum products' import bill stood at Rs 37.147bn in FY 2023/24 against Rs 43.850bn in FY 2022/23.

The imports of crude edible oils also plunged sharply. The imports of soybean oil dropped massively to Rs 2.96bn this fiscal compared to Rs 9.08bn in the last fiscal. The same is the story of palm oil whose imports plunged to Rs 2.31bn this fiscal compared to Rs 6.61bn.   

The onset of the festive period has failed to boost the imports of smartphones, with imports plunging by 13.18 percent in the first two months of FY 2023/24.