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Paddy production in Palpa district has increased two percent this year as compared to the previous year. The district saw the production of 32,019 metric tonnes of paddy this year as opposed to 31,428 metric tons in the previous year, according to the Agriculture Knowledge Center (AKC), Palpa. Paddy cultivation was done in 8,210 hectare of lands this year as compared to 8,206 hectares in the previous year. "Paddy production has increased this year despite insects having destroyed it in some areas," said the AKC chief Kamana Adhikari. Factors like irrigation, the use of modern technology and hybrid seeds have been thanked for the increment of paddy production, said the AKC information officer Milan Gaire. Farmers have switched to hybrid paddy seeds for high production. They have been using various types of hybrid seeds including 'Sabitri', 'Hybrid', 'Sanwa' 'Mansuli', 'US-312', 'Shanti', 'Series', 'Khumal-3' and 'Sukka Dhan'. Paddy thresher and ploughing lands with the use of a tractor and other modern technology have made it easier for farmers.  

A man who opened fire on a meeting of apartment block residents in a coffee shop in northern Rome has killed three people, including a friend of the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, the Guardian reported.

The suspect, 57, had been in a series of disputes with the residents’ association, a witness told Italy’s Rai News.

“He came into the room, closed the door and shouted ’I’ll kill you all’ and then started to shoot,” Italian news agency Ansa quoted another witness as saying. Residents managed to overpower and disarm him before police arrived.

Three other people were wounded in the shooting, with at least one of them suffering serious injuries.

Hours after shooting, Meloni posted on Instagram what appeared to be a recent picture of herself alongside Nicoletta Golisano, one of the victims, saying she was a friend, according to the Guardian.

“It is not right to die like this,” Meloni wrote of the woman, who she said had a husband and 10-year-old child. “Nicoletta was happy, and beautiful, in the red dress she bought for her 50th birthday party a few weeks ago. For me she will always be beautiful and happy like this.”

Police have not commented on the motivation for the shooting and Meloni’s post did not suggest it was political.

The prime minister said a shooting range from which the suspect had taken the gun used in the attack had been closed and placed under investigation by the authorities.

The mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, called an emergency security meeting for Monday after what he called “the grave episode of violence that has struck our city”.

When Ganga Parki returned home from school one day, she was surprised by a large number of guests laughing and dancing in the front yard. Soon her surprise turned into a shock when she found out that the people were there to celebrate her marriage of which she was unaware.  The 13-year-old broke down in tears and told her mother that she didn’t want to get married. Parki’s family members tried to persuade her to get married, telling her that the event had already been fixed. But the teenager stood her ground. The wedding was ultimately canceled. The incident took place in Doti district six years ago. Parki, now 19, says the incident changed her life. She is now a member of an adolescent club that actively prevents child marriage. She and her fellow club members educate parents and teenagers in their communities about the consequences of child marriage. The club was established as part of ActionAid Nepal’s local rights program to offer a variety of managerial support and training. Through eight adolescent clubs, eight youth groups, and seven child clubs in Dipayal Silgadhi Municipality, Shikhar Municipality, and KI Singh Rural Municipality of Doti, about 400 children, adolescents, and youths are actively involved in the fight against child marriage. They engage in community outreach programs like door-to-door campaigning and perform street dramas to discourage underage marriage.  “Some people claim that we are stopping child marriages out of jealousy because no one has come to us with a marriage proposal,” says Bimala Pariyar, one of the club members.   But criticisms and pushbacks have not deterred these youth activists. Thanks to their tireless campaigning and support from officials who are now pushing for a law at the local level to prohibit child marriage.  According to Bigyan Dewal, a former youth focal point person for Equity Development Center, Doti, Dipayal Silgadhi Municipality has created a draft version of the anti-child marriage ordinance and other local authorities are also committed to follow suit. The club has already prevented 13 child marriages in Doti. And most youngsters who were rescued from getting married off by their parents are now in school and actively involved in anti-child marriage campaigns.   Besides preventing child marriage, the club also gathers update on the situations of minors who were married as children and offer counseling to both parents and children. “Initially, nobody was in support of this youth-led campaign. But soon after they managed to prevent 11 child marriages, the local representatives were on their side,” says Dewal. Today, the club enjoys the support from local police, elected officials  and some parents. Some local units have even started allocating funds to empower the youths. For instance, in the fiscal year 2020/21, K.I. Singh Rural Municipality allocated Rs 50,000 for capacity building of youths and prevention of child marriage.  Many youngsters in Palpa are also involved in the fight against child marriage. In collaboration with ActionAid Nepal and with assistance from the ActionAid Denmark Global Platform, the Youth Fellowship Leadership Development Project was established in the Bagnaskali Rural Municipality in 2019. The project has involvement of youths and coordination with the local government to organize various campaigns to prevent and stop child marriage. Four child weddings have already been prevented as a result of the campaign, and one lawsuit has been filed. Bagnaskali Rural Municipality-1 in Palpa saw zero incident of child marriage this year compared to 10 in 2021.  This was possible due to teenage interventions, such as color analysis, orientation, and peer counseling. Through color analysis, 86 individuals this year who were most at risk of child marriage received counseling. About 500 adults from 398 families were also taught about the risks of child marriage. The members of the club, Yuva Sangam, led the initiative and gathered information on the hotspots for child marriage. In collaboration with the police, they formed a youth club to educate young people about the legal system in the battle against child marriage. To show the consequences of such dangerous practices, they included teachers and health professionals in their campaign.  “Everyone in our area now knows that child marriage is a bad thing. They have heard the testimonies of those who got married as children,” says Manoj Sharma, a club member.  Ishira’s parents married her off at a young age. But she was lucky enough to continue her studies. Today, she is an active member of the club that has been preventing child marriage in her area.  Srijana Gaire, another club member, says despite awareness campaigns, child marriage is still a fairly common practice because many people still think that it is normal.  “It will be easy to reduce child marriage if all municipal governments were to strongly support our campaigns,” she says. Bagnashkali Rural Municipality is one of the local units where the partnership between local government and youth activists against child marriage is bearing desired results. In the fiscal year 2021/21, the rural municipality allotted Rs 20,000 to keep the youth campaigns against child marriage running.  In Bajura district, too, a network of girl clubs is fighting against child marriage. It intervened and stopped four unlawful marriages this year in wards 3, 4 and 9 of Budhinanda Municipality.  Youth clubs in Siraha district are also writing a success story by lowering child marriage incidence with their campaignings in places like Dhangadhimai and Lahan. These clubs are supported by the local governments, ActionAid partner organization Dalit Janakalyan Youth Club, Women’s Rights Forum and other social organizations.   The same goes for Parsa, where local youths in some villages are campaigning against child marriage in areas where the practice is common. Based on one survey, they have achieved a 70 percent success rate in child marriage prevention.

An Armed Police Force constable died when a bus belonging to the Modern Indian School hit a scooter he was riding on in Kirtipur on Sunday. The deceased has been identified as Subash Chandra Ratal. The bus (Ba AAA 2908) heading towards Kirtpur from Chobar hit the two-wheeler at around 9 am today in Kirtipur Municipality-6, police said. Critically injured in the incident, Ratal breathed his last during the course of treatment at the Vayodha Hospital, Dinesh Mainali, spokesperson at the District Police Office, Kathmandu, said. Police said that they have impounded the bus and arrested its driver for investigation.