Nepal Highlights

KATHMANDU: Mahashivaratri is being celebrated across the country on Wednesday by observing fast and performing pooja in honour of Lord Shiva. Pashupati Area Development Trust said all necessary preparations are made to welcome around 800,000 devotees in the holy site of Pashupatinath Temple, from all over the country and abroad.

The health condition of former Prime Minister and Nepali Congress (NC) founder leader, Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, who is undergoing treatment at Norvic Hospital since past few weeks has further worsened  Wednesday.

An alleged poacher has been shot dead by security personnel in Chitwan National Park. The deceased has been identified as Raj Kumar Darai of Kumroj, a village in the bufferzone of the park. Security agencies told armymen patrolling Churiyamai area inside the park Friday opened fire after some attacked them by rolling boulders from a vantage point. Security personnel have arrested two others involved in the incident.

Two persons have been killed when an wild elephant attacked them last night in Triyuga municipality, Udaypur.

Jung Bahadur Bogati, who started the Nepali version of the brail script, has passed away at the age of 70, in Patan, last night. Bogati was rushed to Patan Hospital after he suffered a stroke Thursday night. He died while undergoing treatment the after a few hours. The Nepali version of the brail script introduced by Bogati has enabled thousands of visually impaired persons in Nepal to read and write. Bogati himself was visually impaired. He was born in 1996 Bikram Era.

Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has hiked the price of kerosene and deisel each by Rs 3 per litre with immediate from Tuesday. An NOC board meeting held Monday evening decided to hike the prices to synchronise it with the international market.

Principal of Baghbhairav Higher Secondary School Shiva Prasad Nyaupane in Thokarpa VDC of Sindhupalchok has been thrashed by his own student, reports say. Pandav Nepal, a twelfth grade student, attacked his principal in presence of the other teachers over a dispute about a maths teacher.

At least 16 persons have been killed and an estimated two dozen persons injured when a passenger bus skidded off the road and fell into a gorge in Hansapur of Arghakhanchi district, Sunday morning.

Two persons have been killed when a truck hit a motorcycle they were traveling on at New Road in the beautiful lake city Pokhara, this morning.

A fire has engulfed Nepal Academy hall in Kamaladi, Kathmandu, Saturday afternoon. The fire started from a curtain in a window of the hall. An organisation named Crystal Vision is organising a function there. There are about 1000 persons inside the hall. A team of fire-fighters from Basantapur is working to take the fire in control.

Nepali Yarshagumba pickers faced a tough time this season after loads of small consignments were returned due to 'lack of quality.'The price of yarshagumba has reduced steeply due to the surplus created by the return. According to informed sources, Nepalis export yarshagumba to China. However, Chinese businessmen who take yarshagumba and process it in labs to produce various medicines refused to accept consignments this time saying the supplied yarshagumba were of low quality. Yarshagumba is a herb found in high altitude which is believed to increase potency and cure many other diseases. The herb is also found in lower altitudes, but they lack quality. Some of them which are found in very low altitude are even poisonous. Yarshagumba which are found above the altitude of 5000 metres from sea-level is of best quality experts say.

The Kathmandu District Court (KDC) has rejected the cabinet decision to withdraw charges against president of Reporters Club Rishi Dhamala and two other journalists on Friday.

The China festival has kicked off in capital Kathmandu Saturday. Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and the Chinese ambassador to Nepal jointly inagurated the festival.

The government has decided to withdraw case of arms and ammunitions filed against president of Reporters’ Club Rishi Dhamala. A cabinet meeting held at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Singha Durbar, Sunday took this decision.