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An inmate has died at Jaleshwor jail on Friday.

The deceased has been identified as Jajkaran Yadav (80) from Loharpatti Municipality-1 of Mahottari district, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police Prakash Bista.

Yadav had been serving the 20-year jail term for murder. He suddenly fell unconscious at 2 am today.

He was rushed to Provincial Hospital at Jaleshwor for treatment but doctors pronounced him dead on arrival. The body has been kept at the hospital for post mortem, police added.

The country is to witness rainfall along with thunder and lightning in most parts of the country today.

The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has said the monsoon has affected Province-1, Madhes Province, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province. Even the local wind and westerly wind have a general impact in the provinces of western belt of the country.

Similarly, the country is currently bearing the impact of the low pressure belt of Uttar Pradesh and vicinity of India.

However, partly to general weather change is forecasted in some parts of Province-1, Madhesh Province, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province.

Particularly, Province-1 is to see heavy rainfall.

The latest update showed that Kathmandu Valley recorded a minimum temperature 19.8 degree Centigrade and maximum 29.2 degree Centigrade.

The import of petroleum products via country's major Birgunj transit point has surged by 78 percent in 11 months of the current fiscal year compared to the corresponding period last fiscal year, the Birgunj Customs Office said.

The import of as much as 1,418,217 kilolitres of petroleum products worth Rs 74 billion 346 million 600 thousand was made through this transit from July 16, 2021 to June 14, 2022 of the fiscal year 2021/22.

Whereas 2,531,660 kilolitres of petroleum products worth Rs 153 billion 360 million 700 thousand has been imported via Birgunj transit in the 11 months of the current fiscal year 2022/23. This volume of import is 78.51 per cent more than that of 11 months of the previous fiscal year.

Similarly, the import of LP gas has increased by around 8 per cent. 258,150 metric tonnes LPG has been imported through Birgunj transit in the last 11 months of the current fiscal year as compared to 239,638 metric tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year. The import of LPG during the period this fiscal year is more by 18,500 metric tonnes.

Although the import of diesel, petrol, aviation fuel and LP gas has increased that of kerosene has decreased by 30 per cent, said Sumit Gupta, Information Officer of the Birgunj Customs Office.

According to him, approximately 34 per cent more revenue than that collected in 11 months of last fiscal year has been collected during the corresponding period of the current fiscal year with the increase in the import of petroleum products. Revenue Rs 54 billion 539 million 200 thousand was collected last fiscal year whereas Rs 72 billion 822 million 600 thousand has been collected from fuel imports in this fiscal year.

Seventy per cent of fuel and 85 per cent of LPG that is consumed in the country is imported through Birgunj transit.

The government has expressed grief over the loss of lives due to an earthquake in Afghanistan on Wednesday.

The quake is reported to have killed more than 1,000 people.

“Nepal is deeply saddened by tragic loss of lives due to devastating earthquake in Afghanistan. We extend deepest condolences to the bereaved families and wish for speedy recovery of the injured. Nepali people stand in solidarity with people of Afghanistan at this difficult hour,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs twitted today.

The magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck south-east part of Afghanistan early on Wednesday about 44 km from the city of Khost and tremors were felt as far away as Pakistan and India.

Nepal Workers and Peasants Party Chair Narayan Man Bijukchhe has accused the medical mafia of preventing Bhaktapur municipality from getting permission to upgrade Khwopa College into a university and running medical classes there.

While inaugurating the 12th assembly of Bhaktapur Municipality here today, the leader said the municipality had proposed to the government to grant the status of university to the college and allow it to introduce MBSS classes at a very reasonable price.

"But our plan to ensure MBBS programme within the locality got aborted due to the medical mafia," he said, adding that medical mafias were active in making sure that the government does not accept the proposal.

He took time to say that the nation and people were suffering due to the dominance of those leaders who have no idea about the country's needs. "Those in power are ignorant about nation's geography, conditions and history."

The airlines companies have agreed to operate the domestic flights in a regular manner.

Earlier, the companies had announced to suspend domestic flights from today in protest against the government’s decision requiring them to operate from their base station.

The airlines companies agreed to operate the domestic flights on regular basis following talks with the government last night.

The Tribhuvan International Airport Office stated that the domestic airlines have started their flights since the morning today. TIA Office spokesperson Tek Nath Sitaula said that the domestic airlines have been operating regular flights since the morning.

Buddha Air’s information officer Deependra Kumar Karna said the airlines started regular domestic flights from 11 am.

Further talks are being held today between the Airlines Operators Association of Nepal and the related government bodies regarding the demands put forth by the former.

The talks last night was held at the initiation of the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. High officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) director general Pradip Adhikari and AOAN president Capt Rameshwor Thapa among other airlines operators participated in the talks.

Lawmakers have welcomed the government’s decision not to proceed with the State Partnership Programme (SPP) proposed by the United States of America. 

Putting their views at today’s meeting of the House of Representatives, Bhim Rawal and Hari Raj Adhikari welcomed and thanked the government for this decision while Rawal demanded that the Prime Minister additionally clarify the matter at the Parliament. 

Sanjaya Kumar Gautam urged the government to seek alternatives to resolve the crisis of fertilizers, and increasing price of petroleum products and to adopt preparedness to reduce loss caused by monsoon-caused disasters. 

Anil Kumar Jha asked the government to take initiatives to save Gaur and other rural areas in Rautahat district that are at risk of being flooded due to ‘unmanaged’ Intensive Urban Development Project under the Ministry of Urban Development. 

Rajendra Prasad Lingden criticised the government for not exempting taxes on electric vehicles in the budget for the next fiscal year, 2022/23 under the ‘influence of a handful businesspersons’ instead of encouraging them in the context when the price of petroleum products is soaring. 

Prem Suwal and Khaga Raj Adhikari accused the government of ‘undermining’ the health insurance programme by handing it to the private sector.

The Parliament sent the 'Social Security (First Amendment) Bill-2079' and the 'Acid and other Hazardous Chemical Substances (Regulation) Bill-2079' to the concerned committees for clause-wise discussion.

In the meeting of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand presented the proposal, seeking consideration to send the bills to the concerned committees for the clause-wise discussion.

The proposal was passed unanimously.