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Driven by the dream of a better life, Hari Prasad Aryal left his hometown of Waling, Syangja, in October 2023 and flew to Russia. 

The 23-year-old, who had served in the Nepal Army for nearly three years, enlisted himself in the Russian Armed Forces and was soon thrust into the battlefield with the Ukrainian army. Hari lost his life sometime in December last year. 

Until December 8, Hari kept in touch with his family, sharing snippets of his life in the foreign military. However, the prolonged silence raised concerns, and his family, desperate for answers, reached out to his friends. Hari’s middle brother, Raju, told ApEx that they learned about Hari’s death through other Nepali enlistees in the Russian army. The government would confirm his demise only in January.

Hari, the youngest of three sons, had initially joined the Nepal Army after completing his twelfth grade. But fueled by a desire for better financial prospects, he left the army to explore opportunities in foreign security forces. His ambitions unfortunately led to his untimely death.

Hari’s parents Rudra Prasad and Balkumari have been devastated by the loss of a son who harbored dreams of giving his family a better life. 

Despite Rudra Prasad receiving a pension from his previous work in India, it proves insufficient for the family. Hari's two brothers, Kamal and Raju, sought employment in Dubai for better opportunities. 

Kamal, the eldest, couldn't attend Hari’s last rites, having returned to Dubai just five months ago. Raju, currently home for Dashain-Tihar celebrations, extended his leave upon hearing the tragic news and plans to return to Dubai in the second week of February.

 “We don’t find good job opportunities here. If our salaries could cover family expenses, none of us would have sought employment abroad,” said Raju.

The Aryal family hails from Mankhu, located just half an hour's drive from the district headquarters, Waling. Despite owning a small piece of farmland, crop damage caused by monkeys forced them to leave the village, and they now live in a rented apartment in Waling.

“Hari's dream of building a good house for his parents remains unfulfilled,” said his uncle Buddhi Aryal. 

Rudra Prasad, nearing 80 and grappling with asthma, frequently succumbs to emotional breakdowns as he reminisces about his youngest son.

Despite discussions with authorities to repatriate Hari’s body, the family were informed of the impossibility. So the family performed the last rites without the physical presence of the deceased, using a small dummy made of Kush grass to symbolize Hari's body. The funeral rites were carried out on the banks of the Kali Gandaki river recently. 

Hari’s social media presence painted a picture of a young man in the Russian military uniform, sharing moments from his life in the military. In a poignant video posted on October 28, Hari can be seen singing a song about the plight of migrant workers, surrounded by fellow Nepalis in Russian military gear. 

His last post on December 4 featured a video of friends heading to the warfront with the caption: “Life is like this, we will meet if we come back, otherwise…” 

The number of taxpayers has increased in recent times in the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC).

The number of taxpayers was 324, 120 last financial year and it has reached 343, 340 in the current financial year, said Dhruba Kafle, the Chief of KMC's Revenue Department.

According to Kafle, 35, 057 taxpayers have increased under the heading - 'rental taxpayers', 31, 916 have been added under the heading of business taxpayers and 52, 486 have added under the heading of property taxpayers.

The number of taxpayers has gone up in other tax headings as well. The metropolis' revenue collection has also significantly increased with the increase in the taxpayers.

Kafle said that KMC has collected approximately Rs 5 billion in revenue until the half of the current financial year.

KMC has been collecting revenue under 36 various headings, including property, house rent, business, advertisement, entertainment, land and VAT.

Normal life in Madhes Province has been affected from the biting cold in the past three weeks. The cold has badly affected life in the districts of Eastern Terai including Mahottari.

Locals said that livestock were also affected due to freezing cold and harsh winds coupled with thick fog.

People's mobility has reduced in both city and rural areas in the district. The business people said that the sale of thick woolen clothes has increased with the dip in weather.

Likewise, medical practitioners have shared that there has been a surge in the number of patients suffering from colds, coughs, asthma and others in the district hospitals and health facilities. Children, elderly people and pregnant women are at the receiving end due to the severe cold.

The people in different places in the district are seen keeping themselves warm by burning fire in the open space while some local levels are providing firewood for free and are distributing blankets and other warm clothes.

The Tribhuvan International Airport Customs Office arrested a man earlier today along with half kilogram of gold.

Khagendra Darji of Jhapa district had arrived home from Doha of Qatar this afternoon carrying 499 grams of illegal gold.

Chief of TIA Customs Office Dr Tokraj Pandey confirmed that Darji, who had smuggled gold in the form of liquid substance, was arrested this afternoon acting on a tip-off.

Darji had landed at TIA from Doha on an aircraft of Himalaya Airlines.

The officials are working to ascertain whether Darji himself brought the gold or carried it for others working as an agent.