- Saturday, 30 August 2025
Kathmandu, Aug 3: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is leaving for Turkmenistan today, leading a Nepali delegation to attend the Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries.
The conference is scheduled to take place in the City of Awaza on August 5-8.
According to the Foreign Ministry, Prime Minister Oli is visiting Turkmenistan at the official invitation of President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedow, and UN General-Secretary Antonio Guterres.
During the conference, PM Oli is scheduled to address the programme in the capacity of Chair of the Global Coordination Bureau of Least Developed Countries.
Similarly, the Prime Minister would co-chair one of the high-level roundtable meetings and also deliver remarks at various programmes.
On the sideline of the conference, PM Oli will hold bilateral talks with heads of the delegation from various countries, as well as high-level office-bearers of the UN and other international organisations.
Prime Minister Oli would be accompanied by his wife Radhika Shakya, Chief Advisor Bishnu Prasad Rimal, federal parliament member Surya Bahadur Thapa Chhetri, and senior government officials. PM Oli is scheduled to return home on August 8.
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Late Bagale’s contributions to the change spectacular: President Deuba
Chitwan, Aug 3: Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba has lauded the notable contributions of the late Chandrakanta Bagale to bring today’s change.
At a condolence meet organized at Bagale residence in Bharatpur Metropolitan City-4, Trichowk today, Deuba said the roles he played in the movements waged change were spectacular.
Deuba further said the NC would ever recognize and honour those contributing their time for the party organization.
The party leadership is ever ready to realize the dream of the seniors, he said, expressing commitment to felicitate dedicated senior leaders.
Bagale who was born in Suryapal Village-8 of Lamjung in 15 Poush 1986 BS had passed away on 10 Shrawan 2082 BS. He was 97.
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PM Oli congratulates Bantamweight Champion Rabindra Dhant
Kathmandu, Aug 3: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has congratulated Nepal’s athlete Rabindra Dhant for winning the Matrix Fight Night (MFN 17) Bantamweight Championship.
Taking to his social media today, PM Oli congratulated and celebrated remarkable achievement of Bantamweight Champion Rabindra.
The PM wrote, “Rabindra Dhant has succeeded in becoming the Bantamweight Champion in the Matrix Fight Night (MFN 17) by defeating India’s Chungreng Koren. Heartiest congratulations to Rabindra for bringing the title home for the first time.”
It may be noted that Rabindra secured the historic victory by defeating defending champion Chungreng Koren in the MFN 17 Bantamweight Championship which was held in Greater Noida in India last night.
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Emphasis on making traffic management of Kathmandu more effective
Kathmandu, Aug 3: Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Devendra Dahal has laid emphasis in making traffic management in the Kathmandu Valley more effective and user-friendly, highlighting the region’s role as the federal capital and its rich cultural diversity.
Minister Dahal expressed his dismay that although Kathmandu Valley, comprising districts like Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur, is the centre of country’s economic, cultural and administrative activities, its transport system remains unorganized.
Dahal, thus, called for decisive steps to streamline the transportation system in the Valley in a meeting of stakeholders on the Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Kathmandu Valley Urban Transport System Master Plan Project in Lalitpur today.
He worried that the state of transportation system had deteriorated despite the rollout of first transport management related master plan in 2012 and update later in 2017.
The Minister also noted the increasing number of vehicles, unorganized urbanization, and insufficient infrastructures contributing to traffic jams, delays and rising air pollution had not only negatively impacted transportation system but also economic productivity and public health.
He, therefore, viewed that there should not be any delay in effectively managing transportation system.
The Minister cautioned, “If we do not take decisive actions now, the situation will further deteriorate which will negatively impact the environment of the Valley and put its sustainability at risk. This Project could be our last chance to find both short-term and long-term solutions.”
Similarly, Minister for Forest and Environment Ain Bahadur Shahi reaffirmed the commitment for the cooperation and coordination on the part of his Ministry for effective traffic management in the Valley.
Likewise, Keshav Kumar Sharma, Secretary at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, underscored multilateral coordination for ensuring sustainable, safe and inclusive transport system in the Kathmandu Valley.
During the meeting, experts of the concerned agencies had presented concept paper on how to make transport system effective and user-friendly in Kathmandu Valley.
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Dhimichour of Jumla turning attractive tourism destination
Jumla, Aug 3: Dhimichour, located in Chandannath Municipality-4 of Jumla district, is being developed as an attractive hub for domestic tourists.
There is a spacious plain area in the mid part of the dense forest which is popular as Dhimichour (Dhani Ground).
The place enrich with tourism potentials has increasingly attracted domestic and foreign tourists of late.
Locals said fragrance of flowers blossoming in the area coupled with mind-blowing ambience and scenic beauty here has allured increasing number of tourists.
Mayor of Chandannath Municipality, Surendra Bahadur Mahat, shared that the number of tourists visiting Dhimichour is on the rise with the local government intensifying publicity and promotional activities of the place.
Dhimichour is one hour walk from the district headquarters, Khalanga. Mainly, tourists prefer to visit the place during the period from mid July to mid September.
Himmat Budhthapa, a local, informed that huge number of domestic tourists usually visit Dhimichour on Friday, Saturday and public holidays.
With the increasing inflow of tourists, income generation of the local people has also increased, shared Laxmi Khatri.
She, however, shared that wrappers of biscuits, noodles, and water bottles thrown haphazardly by the tourists have not only polluted the surrounding of Dhimichour but also made it ugly.
She called for the authorities concerned to make necessary arrangement for garbage management.
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Rain brings respite to farmers in Siraha, paddy plantation begins
Siraha, Aug 3: Farmers in Siraha district who had been worried of long spell of drought felt a sigh of relief after rainfall last night.
The rain has brought cheers to the farmers as nearly 50 per cent paddy field has yet to be planted due to short of rainfall.
Farmers had witnessed their farmlands drying up, seedlings turning yellowish and paddy plantation becoming almost impossible due to lack of water. However, last night’s rain has brought some hope, said Birendra Chaudhary, a local farmer, of Lahan-8.
“There is hope the seeds that had turned yellowish could be transplanted. Although the water for plantation is still insufficient,” he mentioned.
Badri Narayan Yadav, Agriculture Coordinator at Lahan Municipality, also echoed the same notion. According to him, even the recent rainfall was not adequate. “If it rained continuously for a day or two, planting paddy would be easier. But looking at today’s weather, it does not seem likely,” mentioned Yadav.
In southern part of Siraha, underground water source were used for paddy plantation, but most of the farmers in the northern side of the district were not able to do so.
According to the Agriculture Knowledge Centre Siraha, only 50 per cent of the paddy plantation had been undertaken as of last Friday.
Monsoon active in Madhesh but rainfall still inadequate
According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, the monsoon’s low pressure line is currently shifting towards Nepal. This has caused light to moderate rainfall in some areas.
However, this system remained active in India for a long time resulting in dry conditions in Madhesh region.
The Department recorded light to moderate rainfall in various areas across the Madhesh Province in the past 24 hours.
The data unveiled by the Department showed that Siraha and Saptari recorded the highest amount of rainfall with 99.4 mm and 91.8 mm, respectively, while Sarlahi reported lowest rainfall with 48 mm in the Province.
Continuous rainfall over the next few days is still necessary to complete paddy plantation for the remaining farmlands in Siraha and other districts across the Province.
It may be noted that the cabinet meeting on July 23 had declared Madhesh Province a disaster-hit zone for a period of three months, citing acute waster shortage caused by prolonged drought.
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Narayangadh-Butwal road project’s timeline extended by one year
Nawalpur (Nawalparasi), Aug 3: The deadline of the Narayangadh-Butwal road project under the East-West Highway has been extended by a year.
The deadline of the national pride project has been extended up to 23 July 2026 when the road construction saw only 70 percent progress by the end of the timeline extended for the third time.
Public Information Officer at the Narayangadh-Butwal Road Project, Engineer Shiva Khanal confirmed the extension of the project deadline fourth time.
“The period extended for fourth time is the final one”, he said, adding the timeline has been extended when the contractor has pledged to complete the road project during the period.
Sharing that blacktopping has been completed in all areas apart from Daunne in the eastern section of the road stretch, he said remaining works would be completed in a year.
“The contractor has intensified the road widening works of late”, Khanal said, adding the human resources deployed are being focused on placing RCC on Daunne road and building two remaining bridges.
In the extended timeline, construction of around 65-km four lane road in the eastern section, dividers in the mid of the road and 17.5-km service road would be completed, he said.
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Two nabbed with brown sugar in Saptari
Rajbiraj (Saptari), Aug 3: Police have nabbed two persons with brown sugar in Chhinnamasta rural municipality-1, Barahibirpur of Saptari district today.
Police had to open fire in the air to arrest them. A team deployed from the District Police Office, Saptari, arrested Bishal Raya of Chhinnamasta rural municipality-1 and Manoj Raya of Dakneshwori-7 by opening two rounds of fire in the air.
Chief of the Saptari Police, Gautam KC, shared that the team seized more than 100 grams of brown sugar from them. The police had to open fire after Bishal and Manoj tried to flee the scene during an arrest attempt, KC added.
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