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The price of gold has increased by Rs 300 per tola in the domestic market on Friday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 119, 100 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 118, 800 per tola on Thursday.

Meanwhile, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 118, 550 per tola. It was traded at Rs 118, 250 per tola.

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 1,470 per tola today.

A five-year-old girl has been murdered after rape in Dhanusha.

According to a preliminary investigation, the girl of Kushamaha-5, Sabaila Municipality-9 of the district was raped and later strangled to death.

The District Police Office, Dhanush said that the girl’s body was found in a pit at around 8 pm on Thursday.

The parents of the girl informed the police after she, who had gone with a neighbor of the village on a motorbike, did not return home till 9 pm on Wednesday.

Later, a police team deployed from the District Police Office, Dhanusha started searching for the girl and found her body at Sabaila Municipality-9 on Thursday night.

Meanwhile, police have arrested two persons for their alleged involvement in the incident.

Police said that they are looking into the case.

Two persons died and another sustained injuries when a motorbike they were riding on met with an accident in Dhanusha on Friday.

The deceased have been identified as Bharat Sahani (25) of Kamala Municipality-8 and Bijay Kumar Sahani (30) of Bideha Municipality-1 of Dhanusha, DSP Ranjan Awa, spokesperson at the District Police Office, Dhanusha, said.

DSP Awa said that Satrughan Sahani of Janakpurdham Sub-Metropolitan City-12 was injured in the incident.

He has been taken to the Kathmandu-based Neuro Hospital for further treatment.

The incident occurred when the two-wheeler (Pradesh 2-02-002 Pa 4092) heading towards Dhalewar from Janakpurdham went out of control at Sapahi in Laxminiya Rural Municipality-4 at around 3 am today.

Police said that they are looking into the case.

The Armed Police Force seized goods worth Rs 3.2 million which were imported from India by evading taxes.

DSP Mahendra Bharati said that the goods were confiscated on Thursday during the security check at Simalghari of Khajura Rural Municipality-6, Banke.The police also seized a truck used to supply the goods from India by evading taxes.

The seized goods include cloths, copper idols, kitchen items, goods for decoration and others.

DSP Bharati shared that two persons including the truck driver were also held. The truck driver is Indian national Sakir Hussein.

Of the total 717 jailbirds in Chitwan prison, 111 are found to have suffered from different diseases.

The officials at the prison office shared that more than half of the patients are suffering from high blood pressure.

Kamal Prasad Acharya, chief of the prison, said that the number of patients in Chitwan jail is on the rise. This is also due to the arrival of the jailbirds from other districts for treatment.

The inmates from Nawalparasi, Dhading, Gorkha, Makawanpur and other neighboring countries are taken here for their medical treatment, Acharya shared.

Currently, 26 diabetes patients and four people living with HIV are doing their time in Chitwan jail.

Likewise, there are three thyroid patients, four heart patients, for epilepsy patients and five mental patients.

The Chitwan prison is overcrowded as well since more than 200 inmates are housed than the jail's capacity.

The jail administration also shared that the officials have faced difficulties for the treatment of the jailbirds for lack of sufficient budget. "We are taking support from donors for the treatment of jailbirds for lack of budget to purchase medicines," Acharya shared.

COP28 has concluded with an agreement that signals the ‘beginning of the end’ for the fossil fuel era by laying the ground for a swift, just and equitable transition supported by substantial emissions reductions and increased financial commitments.

Despite this progress, the absence of a concrete deadline for phasing out fossil fuels remains a notable shortcoming, particularly in meeting the crucial 1.5-degree temperature rise limit. While celebrations echo in the Western world, the outcome has left least developed and developing countries dissatisfied.The most celebrated outcome for countries like Nepal is the operationalization of loss and damage funds. But pledges made by big countries to the fund are disappointingly low at $700m.

 Studies show developing nations require a minimum of $400bn annually to effectively address loss and damage due to climate change. Furthermore, the operational details of the fund and its beneficiaries remain unclear. Nevertheless, Nepal achieved success in highlighting the agendas of mountainous regions and issues related to the least developed countries during COP28. 

High-level rhetoric does not automatically translate into action. We have struggled to attract sufficient funds from international sources in the past. For instance, due to a lack of sufficient homework and preparations, Nepal received very minimal support from the Green Investment Fund. While Nepal is technically eligible for loss and damage funds, the responsibility lies with the country to conduct thorough groundwork and preparations. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal has returned home after attending the COP28. However, he has not held any meeting with agencies concerned to undertake the necessary preparations.

The Prime Minister is just engaged in a publicity stunt saying that Nepal has been loud and clear this time without specifying what that means. The global community is well aware of the severe impacts of climate change in Nepal. It is a brutal reality that Nepal is not alone in facing these challenges. Securing climate finance is a competitive process and it is contingent on a nation’s capacity. As far as documentation is concerned, Nepal has done a commendable job. 

The Ministry of Forests and Environment has done adequate study about the multifaceted impacts of climate change. However, Nepal lags behind in enhancing capacity for negotiations and research. While the ministry is the nodal agency for handling such issues, there is a lack of coordination among government bodies. PM Dahal should, therefore, form a high-powered mechanism dedicated to climate-related issues. The PM’s efforts to advocate for Nepal’s agenda will be judged by tangible actions, not mere words.

Former Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand has been released on bail.

Khand, who was apprehended in connection with the fake Bhutanese refugee scam, was released after posting a bail of Rs 3 million set by the Patan High Court.

A single bench of Judge Krishna Ram Koirala on Thursday issued an order to release Khand on bail.

After the Kathmandu District Court issued an order to send 16 individuals including former Home Minister Khand to the prison in the fake Bhutanese refugee scam, they filed an appeal at the high court on August 1, 2023.

Hearing the same petition, the Patan High Court on December 1 issued an order to keep the then Home Secretary Tek Narayan Pandey, former minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, Indrajit Rai, security advisor of the then Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, Angtawa Sherpa, Keshav Dulal, Sanu Bhandari, Sagar Rai, Govinda Kumar Chaudhary aka Bikram and Sandesh Sharma in custody.

Similarly, the court issued an order to release Teknath Rijal on a bail of Rs 1.5 million, Sandeep Rayamajhi on a bail of Rs 3 million and Narendra KC on a bail of Rs 1 million.

The high court also issued an order to release Hari Bhakta Maharjan, Laxmi Maharjan, Shumsher Miya, Ashish Budhathoki, Tek Gurung, Ram Sharan KC and Keshav Tuladhar on bail.

The government has promoted Joint Secretary Sewa Lamsal to the post of Secretary.

A Cabinet meeting held on Thursday decided to promote Lamsal to the vacant post of Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Lamsal is the first woman to become Foreign Secretary.