October 7, 2024: Snapshot of today's main news

Kathmandu, October 7 — In this section, we present the key headlines of the day. If you've been busy and missed the news, we’ve got you covered. Here are the highlights.

Misinformation or miscommunication? The debate over PM Oli's Facebook post!

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli announced on Facebook on Sunday that vehicle movement has resumed on the Mechi Highway after repairing the Bailey bridge over the Hewa Khola, which was affected by flooding.

He also stated that the installation of a Bailey bridge over the Sunkoshi River on the BP Highway has begun and thanked the Nepali Army personnel involved in the construction.

 His post underwent several edits, clarifying the status of both bridges and reaffirming his gratitude to the army.

Opposition parties seized upon the topic of Prime Minister Oli's posts and corrections. Indra Angbo, leader of the Maoist Centre's Koshi Province parliamentary party, criticized Oli's status on Facebook with a screenshot, stating, "Who gives the Prime Minister such misinformation...? The Bailey bridge over the Hewa Khola has not been repaired for vehicular movement; only a temporary bridge has been made. It takes months to place a Bailey bridge. It is not possible to repair a bridge that has already been washed away."

KP Oli's Cabinet fails to publicize asset information

As the three-month mark approaches since the formation of the Cabinet, the asset details of ministers in KP Oli's government have yet to be made public. On July 15, Oli was appointed Prime Minister with the support of the Nepali Congress, the Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP), the Janamat Party, the Nagarik Unmukti Party (NUP), and several smaller parties.  

Oli's government includes two Deputy Prime Ministers, 20 ministers, and three state ministers.  

According to Article 31 (a) (1) of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority Act, 1991, individuals holding public office must submit an updated statement of their assets and sources within 60 days of taking office, and subsequently within 60 days of the end of each fiscal year. This statement should be submitted to the designated agency or authority as published in the Nepal Gazette.  

Former king's Bhutan visit: Not government concern, says spokesperson

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that it has not received any formal information regarding the former king's visit to Bhutan. While there are various discussions about the visit, the ministry responded that it is entirely a personal matter for the former king.

According to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Amrit Bahadur Rai, there has been no official information regarding the visit. “As far as I know, there is no information about the visit,” he told Ratopati on Monday afternoon.

Another official from the ministry mentioned that since it is a personal visit, it is not a matter of government concern. Although the Bhutanese government welcomed the former king with a “red carpet,” the official noted that no information was provided by the Bhutanese side, making it a natural private visit.

Similarly, government spokesperson and Minister of Information and Communications Prithvi Subba Gurung stated that the visit holds no significance. “There isn’t much discussion about that visit. The media has only speculated,” he said.

Difficulty securing public transport and flight tickets

The number of people leaving the Kathmandu Valley to return to their hometowns for the Dashain festival is increasing daily. Currently, it has become difficult to obtain long-distance public transport and flight tickets.

According to Bharat Bahadur Bohara, the chief of the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office and Deputy Inspector General of Police, from September 30 to October 6, a total of 363,164 people have left the Kathmandu Valley to celebrate Dashain. He mentioned that from Saturday evening at 6 PM until Sunday morning, 16,465 people exited Kathmandu.

Due to the exodus for Dashain, there is now significant traffic congestion at the valley’s border points and highways. Drivers report that in some areas, roads are collapsing or becoming impassable, causing considerable difficulties for vehicles and passengers.

Two dead in Sindhuli bus accident

A tragic accident on the Madan Bhandari Highway near Bhalkhada, in Hariharpur Gadhi Rural Municipality-5 of Sindhuli, resulted in the deaths of two passengers. 

According to Superintendent of Police (SP) Govinda Raj Kafle from the Sindhuli District Police Office, the bus, registered as Ba 01006 Kha 6785, crashed, leading to the immediate deaths of the two individuals and leaving 28 others seriously injured.

13 arrested for issuing fake tickets and overcharging passengers

The traffic police have arrested 13 individuals in Kathmandu for charging excessive fares from those trying to return to their hometowns for Dashain. Among those arrested are individuals involved in making fake tickets and overcharging passengers.

According to DSP Rabin Karki of the Valley Traffic Police Office, three people were arrested from Koteshwor and six from Balkhu.

He stated, "We have arrested 13 individuals from various locations, including Balkhu and Koteshwor, and handed them over to the relevant police station for legal action."

Government's misconduct: Collecting fees but not providing embossed number plates

The government has made embossed number plates mandatory for all newly registered vehicles. Vehicles will not be registered until the specified fee for the embossed number plates is paid. The Transport Management Office in Kaski has collected the fees for the embossed plates from newly registered vehicles, but has yet to provide the plates.

In the fiscal year 2023/24, a total of 10,191 vehicles were registered at the office, including 8,620 motorcycles, 1,149 small vehicles, and 422 large vehicles. According to the office, the fees collected are NPR 2,500 for motorcycles, NPR 3,200 for small vehicles, and NPR 3,600 for large vehicles.

Gold prices drop in Nepali market

Gold and silver prices have dropped in the Nepali market on Monday. According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers Association, the price of hallmark gold has decreased by NPR 500 per tola (11.66 Grams) compared to Sunday.

On Monday, the price of hallmark gold is set at NPR 160,500 per tola, down from NPR 161,000 the previous day. For 10 grams, hallmark gold is priced at NPR 137,605.

According to the association, the price of silver on Monday is NPR 1,980 per tola, a slight decrease from NPR 1,985 the previous day.

Blast kills two Chinese near Pakistan's Karachi airport

Two Chinese nationals have been killed and at least ten people injured after an explosion near Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, Pakistan.

The Chinese embassy in Pakistan said there were "some local casualties" in what it described as a "terrorist attack", though the overall death toll is still unclear.

The embassy added that the explosion targeted a convoy of Chinese engineers working on a power project in the country's Sindh province.

The separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which has in recent years carried out attacks on Chinese nationals involved in projects, has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Nobel Prize in medicine honors 2 scientists for their discovery of microRNA

Two scientists won the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine on Monday for their discovery of microRNA, tiny bits of genetic material that serve as on and off switches inside cells that help control what the cells do and when they do it.

If scientists can better understand how they work and how to manipulate them, it could one day lead to powerful treatments for diseases like cancer.

The work by Americans Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun is “proving to be fundamentally important for how organisms develop and function,” according to a panel that awarded the prize in Stockholm.

Ambros and Ruvkun were initially interested in genes that control the timing of different genetic developments, ensuring that cell types develop at the right time.

Their discovery ultimately “revealed a new dimension to gene regulation, essential for all complex life forms,” the panel said.

LeBron and son Bronny James play together in Lakers preseason game

LeBron James grew up without a father, and the top scorer in NBA history has often said he savors every moment and milestone he can experience with his own three children.

When he stepped onto a court Sunday night to play alongside his son, Bronny, for the Los Angeles Lakers, this moment was more than basketball history to him.

It was the realization of a family dream.

LeBron and Bronny became the first father and son to play in any NBA game together during the first half of the Lakers ' preseason contest against Phoenix, playing just over four minutes side-by-side in the second quarter.

Verdict announced in Man City's Premier League legal case

The verdict has been announced in Manchester City's legal case against the Premier League over its associated party transaction (APT) rules.

City had some complaints upheld, with two aspects of the APT rules deemed unlawful by a tribunal.

But the Premier League says the tribunal rejected the majority of Manchester City's challenges and "endorsed the overall objectives, framework and decision-making of the APT system".

APTs are aimed at the value of sponsorship deals with companies linked to clubs' owners.

This case is not directly related to the Premier League disciplinary commission which will hear 115 charges against City for allegedly breaching its financial regulations, some of which date back to 2009.

The tribunal ruled that shareholder loans should not be excluded from the scope of APT rules and that some amendments made in February by the Premier League should not be retained.

In this arbitration process, Chelsea, Newcastle and Everton all acted as witnesses for City.

Witnesses for the Premier League included Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham, Brighton and West Ham.

Former Netherlands midfielder Neeskens dies aged 73

Netherlands legend Johan Neeskens has died at the age of 73, the Dutch football federation has confirmed.

The former midfielder was part of the Ajax and Netherlands teams credited with creating "total football" in the 1970s.

"With Johan Neeskens, the Dutch and international football world loses a legend," the KNVB federation said in a statement.

Neeskens was capped 49 times for the Dutch and was part of the teams that finished runners up at the 1974 and 1978 World Cups.

At Ajax he helped them win the European Cup three times and their domestic league twice.

Masood, Shafique hundreds see Pakistan take control

Pakistan 328 for 4 (Masood 151, Shafique 102) vs England

Shan Masood's first hundred as Pakistan Test captain set the tone for a vastly improved display from the hosts at the start of their series with England. Abdullah Shafique slipstreamed Masood to end a run of poor form with his fifth Test century as England's inexperienced attack was made to toil on a day of high temperatures and hard yakka in Multan.

Things could have been worse for the touring side, who were staring down the barrel after Masood and Shafique assembled a near-chanceless double-century stand to see Pakistan to 261 for 1 during the evening session. But after Gus Atkinson conjured a breakthrough and Jack Leach saw off Masood for a sparkling 151, the late wicket of Babar Azam meant England could reflect on their efforts with some satisfaction.

Sanath Jayasuriya appointed Sri Lanka's full-time head coach

Sanath Jayasuriya has been appointed head coach of Sri Lanka's men's team until the end of the 2026 T20 World Cup. He had been their coach since early July, but had been functioning in an interim capacity. But having now impressed in the role, Sri Lanka Cricket has given him the full-time job.

Under Jayasuriya over the past few months, Sri Lanka won their first bilateral ODI series against India in 27 years, defeated England away in a Test for the first time in 10 years, and more recently whitewashed New Zealand 2-0 in home Tests to give the team an outside chance of qualifying for the World Test Championship final.