Deputy Attorney General Ghimire resigns

Deputy Attorney General Tek Prasad Ghimire resigned from his post on Wednesday.

A Cabinet meeting held on July 20 had decided to approve Ghimire's voluntary retirement.

Government spokesperson and Minister for Communications and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung informed about this while making public the decisions of the Cabinet meeting held on July 20 during a press conference.

 

 

Gold price increases by Rs 2, 100 per tola on Wednesday

The price of gold has increased by Rs 2, 100  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 197, 600 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 195, 500 per tola on Tuesday.

Similarly, the price of silver has increased by Rs 30 and is being traded at Rs 2, 350 per tola today.

 

PM Oli to make special address in Parliament today

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is making a special address in the meeting of the House of Representatives today.

Prime Minister Oli will make the special address at 1 pm today, CPN-UML Chief Whip Mahesh Kumar Bartaula said. 

He will address the Parliament, focusing on the government's major achievements in the past year, upcoming priorities, and contemporary issues raised by opposition parties including the main opposition party in the federal Parliament.

Meanwhile, the Parliament Secretariat has stated that the Prime Minister will also respond to questions asked by lawmakers today under the regular agenda of the p

Parliament.

 

PM to respond to lawmakers’ queries in Parliament today

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will be responding to questions raised by lawmakers in the meeting of the House of Representatives today.

Similarly, Speaker Devraj Ghimire is scheduled to present a proposal seeking consideration on the 'Ship (Operation and Management) Bill, 2081, which originated in the National Assembly.

Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Damodar Bhandari will table a proposal seeking general discussion on the WTO Agreement on Concessions in the Fisheries Industry.

Furthermore, three parliamentary committees—the Public Accounts Committee, the Legislative Management Committee, and the Federalism Strengthening and National Concerns Committee are holding meetings today.

The PAC will discuss 'complaints related to the construction of the Jagadulla Hydropower Project' while the Legislative Management Committee will hold clause-wise discussion on the ‘Water Resources Bill, 2081’.

The Federalism Strengthening Committee will discuss the progress status of projects of national pride under the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport.

 

UN body says Israeli forces have killed over 1,000 aid-seekers in Gaza since May, as hunger worsens

More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since May while trying to get food in the Gaza Strip, mostly near aid sites run by an American contractor, the U.N. human rights office said Tuesday, Associated Press reported.

Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed 25 people across Gaza, according to local health officials.

Desperation is mounting in the Palestinian territory of more than 2 million, which experts say is at risk of famine because of Israel’s blockade and nearly two-year offensive. A breakdown of law and order has led to widespread looting and contributed to chaos and violence around aid deliveries, according to Associated Press.

Trump says trade deal struck with Japan includes 15% tariff

President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the U.S. and Japan have struck a deal that will lower the hefty tariffs Trump had threatened to impose on goods from its Asian ally while extracting commitments for Japan to invest $550 billion in the U.S. and open its markets to American goods, Reuters reported.

The agreement - including a 15% tariff on all imported Japanese goods, down from a proposed 25% - is the most significant of the string of trade deals the White House has reached ahead of an approaching August 1 deadline for higher levies to kick in.

"This is a very exciting time for the United States of America, and especially for the fact that we will continue to always have a great relationship with the Country of Japan," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

Industry and government officials briefed on the agreement said the deal also lowers the tariff to 15% from 25% on Japanese autos, which account for more than a quarter of all the country's exports to the U.S, according to Reuters.

Protests in Ukraine as Zelensky signs bill targeting anti-corruption bodies

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a bill that critics say weakens the independence of the country's anti-corruption bodies, sparking protests and drawing international criticism, BBC reported.

Critics say the new law undermines the authority of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (Nabu) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (Sapo) - placing them under the control of the prosecutor general.

In an address on Wednesday, Zelensky said both agencies would still "work", but needed to be cleared of "Russian influence". 

After the bill passed, hundreds of people gathered in Kyiv for the biggest anti-government protest since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, according to BBC.

Former President Bhandari should not return to party politics: UML CC

The ruling CPN-UML has concluded that former President Bidya Devi Bhandari, who has served as the Head of State and the Supreme Commander of the Nepal Army, should not return to active party politics.

The party's Central Committee meeting that concluded last night decided that it was not appropriate for someone who has already become the Head of State and the patron of the republic to rejoin active politics, Rajendra Gautam, the party's publicity department chief, said.

At a press conference organized at the party's central office in Chyasal, Lalitpur following the CC meeting, Gautam said the Central Committee has concluded that it is against the Constitution, and norms and values of the party.

The CC has also removed the age limit of 70 years as well as the two-term limit, paving the way for current Chair and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to extend his term as the party chair.

This decision will be formalized after it is passed in the upcoming statutory convention.

According to Gautam, Vice Chairman Surendra Pandey and Yubaraj Gyawali and standing committee member Karna Bahadur Thapa had expressed their disagreement over the decision to not allow former president Bhandari to rejoin the party.

The meeting also unanimously passed the statute amendment report by Vice Chair Bishnu Prasad Poudel and the organizational proposal report by General Secretary Shankar Pokharel.