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The Embassy of Israel handed over personal belongings of the October 7 Hamas terror attack victims, and other Nepali students who participated in the ‘Learn and Earn Program’ in Israel in 2023.

These personal belongings, carrying deep sentimental value, were handed over to their rightful owners today at the Embassy, reads a statement issued by the Embassy of Israel on Tuesday.

Ambassador Shmulik Arie Bass made personal efforts to bring these suitcases back to Nepal.

He met with Dhan Bahadur Chaudhary, one of the survivors of the Hamas attack, and six other students and victims’ families.

Ambassador Bass expressed his heartfelt support, listened to the victims’ stories, and extended his best wishes for their future.

The people of Israel stand in unwavering solidarity with the affected Nepali families, and wish for the fast return of Bipin Joshi, the Nepali hostage held by Hamas.

Deepak Bhatta (name changed), a resident of Kailali who has been living in Qatar for three years, lost money after purchasing a scooter advertised for sale online. He is now facing theft charges.

Bhatt had exchanged an iPhone he purchased abroad as payment for the scooter. However, the seller, a young man, had stolen the scooter, which belonged to another woman, and sold it to Bhatta. When Bhatta attempted to use the scooter, the seller disappeared, leaving Bhatt entangled with the Valley Traffic Police Office after the owner filed a complaint about the theft.

According to data from the Valley Crime Investigation Office, Kathmandu, 963 complaints of online fraud have been registered since July 2024, amounting to a total fraud of Rs 378,590,336. Of these, 82 cases have been resolved, with Rs 17m recovered, said Kazi Kumar Acharya, spokesperson for the office.

Acharya detailed various forms of fraud reported, including 26 complaints of lottery scams, 111 cases involving fraudulent claims of parcel arrivals, and 95 incidents of OTP code fraud. Additionally, 215 complaints were related to scams through fake advertisements, while 29 cases involved general scams, 25 stemmed from hacked social media accounts, and 346 were linked to online job scams.

Police have arrested 13 individuals, including one woman, in connection with these cases.

Fraudulent schemes in Nepal have become increasingly sophisticated. Have you received a message from an unknown number claiming you’ve won a lottery or received a gift from abroad? Be cautious—criminal gangs are exploiting such tactics to deceive people.

These fraudsters are using over 500 phone numbers and have targeted unsuspecting victims by promising lottery winnings, parcels, or dreams of traveling to the United States. Hobindra Bogati, spokesperson for the Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police (CIB), confirmed that organized gangs are involved in these online scams.

Bogati also noted that fraudsters are monitoring financial transaction apps like eSewa and Khalti. If users are not careful, these criminals can hack into their accounts and steal money. The number of complaints about financial fraud through such platforms is rising, prompting the CIB to issue warnings.

Social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, WhatsApp, Messenger, Viber, and Imo, are increasingly being exploited for fraudulent activities. Scammers have even targeted government employees by impersonating officials from app headquarters or social media offices.

Fraudsters use AI-generated voices to claim parcels have arrived or demand courier fees. They also send internet links to gain access to victims' devices and banking apps, stealing money through fraudulent transactions.

Gangs also lure victims by uploading attractive videos and photos on various sites under the guise of online businesses. Customers are often duped into paying advances for goods that are never delivered. Police have received numerous complaints of financial fraud, including Rs 5.7m in Pokhara, Rs 1.6m in Chitwan, Rs 550,000 from government employees, and millions from various companies and organizations.

The CIB has urged the public to remain vigilant and avoid responding to calls or messages from unknown numbers. Investigations into these cases are ongoing.

The Birgunj Metropolitan City has decided to halt classes of schools here for three days with immoderate fall in temperature.

In recent days, the district has seen thick fog. The metropolis has decided to grant a three-day winter holiday from January 8-10. Issuing a public notice, BMC Education Officer Hari Raut shared the decision to give three days winter holiday to both public and private schools.

"In view of adverse impact on students' health due to the rising cold, the metropolis instructed all the concerned schools to halt classroom-based teaching and learning in the schools".

However, the metropolis asked the schools to assign students so that they can continue their study at home. The administrative work of the school would be continued during the holidays, he clarified.

Similarly, Parsagadhi Municipality has also issued a public notice on January 5 and decided to grant winter holiday to public and private schools from January 6 to January 14, said Education Section chief Dev Kumar Giri. 

Snowfall along with moderate rain has occurred in high hill territory of the Taplejung district since Tuesday evening.

Normal life has been affected due to snowfall in the northern higher belt of the district, including Pathibhara Temple – a pilgrimage site located at an altitude of 3,794 meters.

Constable at Phedi-based police post Milan Katuwal informed that the trekking route leading to Pathibhara Temple and settlement at Phedi has been receiving snowfall.

This time there has been a brief rainfall in some places of the district after a long time. The farmers who cultivated winter crops were facing problems due to the dearth of rain for a long time after the winter. Farmers said the rainfall with snow will provide some relief.

Executive Director of Pathibhara Area Development Committee, Prajin Hangbang said that the number of pilgrims visiting Pathibhara has decreased for some days due to rise in cold.

However, the arrival of domestic religious tourists has been increasing in Pathibhara every year due to snowfall.