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Jazeera Airways, a Kuwaiti airline, is set to operate flights at Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) on a daily basis from September 16, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN). The airways has been conducting flights at the airport three days a week (Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays) since it started direct commercial flights between Nepal and Kuwait in May. For this, the airline has completed the due process, said CAAN Spokesperson Jagannath Niraula. Flights have been added, thanks to increasing occupancy rates, according to the airline. The airline company is operating flights to and from Nepal, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Europe. At present, only the airline has got permission to operate flights at the airport that came into operation commercially since May 16, said Niraula, adding that other airlines have also showed their interest to operate flights at the airport. Wizz Air, a Hungarian airline, is also scheduled to operate flights at the airport from October 30, he said. The flights will take place between Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates and Nepal three days a week. At present, 26 airlines including three Nepali ones have been conducting international flights at the Tribhuvan International Airport, one of the two operating international airports in Nepal. Before COVID-19, over 30 airlines were operating international flights, said Niraula. However, Nepal has got its international flights that were marred by global COVID-19 gradually returning to normalcy. Now, there are 70 percent occupancy rates under international flights, he said.

The Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office has taken action against 3,116 drivers for flouting the traffic rules in various places of Kathmandu on Monday. Among them, 176 faced the music for drunk driving, 117 for breaching the driving lane, 230 for not obeying the red light signal, 312 for blowing horn at no-horn areas, 68 for keeping unclear number plate or changing its shape and size and 2,213 for miscellaneous offenses, police said. The Office has urged one and all to obey the traffic rules.

Three women died after being struck by a lightning at Malahi in Garuda Municipality-3, Rautahat on Tuesday. Police identified the deceased as Sudmiya Devi (39), wife of Rup Narayan Shahi, daughter Jagiya Kumari (17) and local Satya Narayan Sahani’s daughter Manisha Kumari (18). Critically injured in the incident, they were rushed to the City Hospital but breathed their last during the course of treatment. The tragedy occurred while they were working in the paddy field of Saroj Sahani at around 7: 30 am today. Satya Narayan’s wife Saheli Devi (40) was injured in the incident. Police said that she is undergoing treatment at the City Hospital.

The cases of drug abuse and smuggling have increased sharply in the past three years in Kanchanpur. Youths carrying drugs as brown sugar, charas, and nitro vet are arrested on a daily basis. In one and half month of the current fiscal year alone, 31 youths including three Indians were arrested for drug supply. "The people with illegal drug are arrested every day," said Police Inspector at District Police Office, Bharat Giri, adding that youths are indulged in drug abuse. He warned that if the parents, society and all tiers of governments ignore this problem, it would emerge more seriously and challenging. Till date in the current fiscal year, police confiscated 127.07 grams of brown sugar, 2.24 charas, and 255 tablets of nitro vet.  Similarly, 11 cases have been filed against drug trafficking. Inspector Giri added that the data showed rising cases of drug abuse and trafficking. Police in plain clothes have been mobilized for taking under control the wrongdoers, while the police, community police and traffic police offices have been conducting public awareness programmes. In the fiscal year, 2076/77, total 55 cases were registered against drug abuse and supply, while it ratcheted up to 143 in 2078/79BS. The data maintained by police revealed that those involved in drug abuse and trafficking were held from Punarbas, Balauri, Beldandi and Dodhara Chandani which share open border to India. The Police Office has taken under control 33 Indian nationals in this connection since 2076.  Even an Indian drug smuggler was killed in the skirmish with police while he was supplying drug at border area of Belauri Municipality. There were 141 cases filed against drug smuggling in the fiscal year, 2077/78.