Author: space4knews

Arsenal maintained their top spot with 82 points after 37 matches by defeating Burnley 1-0 in the Premier League. Kai Havertz scored the crucial goal in the 37th minute, securing an important win for Arsenal. With one match remaining, Arsenal now holds a five-point lead over Manchester City, significantly boosting their chances of claiming the championship. May 19, Kathmandu.

Thanks to Kai Havertz’s solitary goal, Arsenal defeated Burnley 1-0 to strengthen their position in the title race. The home match at Emirates Stadium saw Havertz capitalize on a pass from Bukayo Saka in the 37th minute to score. Following this victory, Arsenal has taken a commanding five-point lead over second-placed Manchester City, enhancing their prospects of winning the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years.

Arsenal currently leads the table with 82 points and only one game remaining. If Arsenal wins their remaining fixture, they will secure the season’s title. Manchester City sits second with 77 points from 36 matches. Should City fail to beat Bournemouth on Tuesday, Arsenal could be crowned champions a game early. However, if City wins, the title race will go down to the final matchday. Arsenal is scheduled to face Crystal Palace next Sunday.

File photo – The meetings of both houses of the Federal Parliament are scheduled for today, 5 Jestha, in Kathmandu, with the House of Representatives convening at 11 AM and the National Assembly meeting at 1:15 PM. The agenda includes continuing discussions on the principles and priorities of the Appropriation Bill, with Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle slated to respond to questions raised during the pre-budget debates.

Following the completion of the pre-budget discussions, the government is preparing to present the budget for the fiscal year 2083/084 on Jestha 15. According to Padma Prasad Pandey, Secretary General of the Parliament Secretariat, the pre-budget debate on the Appropriation Bill will resume today as scheduled, with Dr. Wagle providing answers to the queries posed during the session.

The meetings will commence with Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal reading out the details of an official communication received from the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers regarding additional responsibilities. The National Assembly meeting will follow a similar agenda.

After concluding the pre-budget discussions, the government is expected to release the full budget details on Jestha 15 for the upcoming fiscal year 2083/084.

May 18, Syangja – A young man has been arrested on charges of raping a 12-year-old girl in Syangja. Following the incident in Harinas Rural Municipality-6, police have taken the suspect into custody and initiated an investigation. According to the Syangja District Police Office, the report of the rape surfaced around 11 p.m. last Friday, prompting immediate police deployment.

After the incident, a joint police team from Syangja District Police Office and Chisapani Area Police Office arrested the 28-year-old accused, Sandeep Bik, on Saturday. DSP Prasanna Raj Chaudhary, the police spokesperson, informed that Bik is also a permanent resident of Harinas Rural Municipality-6. He was arrested near the scene of the crime, and an investigation is underway under charges of rape.

Following the incident, the victim underwent a medical examination and necessary legal proceedings were initiated. No further details about the condition of the girl have been disclosed. Due to the sensitive nature of the case involving child rights, police have refrained from releasing any information that might reveal the identity of the victim. DSP Chaudhary emphasized that the investigation is being conducted with utmost seriousness.

According to the spokesperson, a case of rape has been registered against the arrested individual. “Police were immediately deployed upon receiving information of the incident. The accused was taken into custody and the Syangja District Court granted a five-day extension for ongoing investigation,” he stated. The police have confirmed that the investigation continues with the collection of additional evidence, witness statements, and other related procedures in accordance with legal processes.

May 19, Kathmandu – Currently, the weather in Nepal is influenced by western winds and local air currents. As a result, there is light to moderate rain accompanied by thunder and lightning in some areas of Koshi, Bagmati, and Gandaki Provinces. According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology’s Meteorological Forecast Division, this afternoon, the hilly and mountainous regions of Koshi Province, along with Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces, are expected to experience generally cloudy conditions.

The hilly and mountainous areas of Madhesh Province and other provinces are forecast to have partly cloudy skies, while the rest of the Terai region will generally remain clear. Certain locations in the mountainous and hilly regions of Koshi, Bagmati, and Gandaki Provinces may see moderate rain and snowfall. Additionally, light rain and snowfall accompanied by thunder and lightning are possible in one or two places across the Terai, hilly, and mountainous areas of Madhesh, Koshi, Bagmati, and Gandaki Provinces.

Temperatures are likely to rise in the Terai areas of Sudurpashchim and Lumbini Provinces. Tonight, the mountainous and hilly regions of Koshi, Bagmati, Gandaki, and Lumbini Provinces are expected to be generally cloudy, with partly cloudy conditions elsewhere in the hilly and mountainous zones. Most of the Terai region is forecast to remain clear. The chance of light rain and snowfall accompanied by thunder and lightning will continue in one or two locations within the mountainous and hilly areas of Koshi, Bagmati, Lumbini, and Gandaki Provinces.

The latest film adaptation of “The Fire of Straw,” a story from the collection “Naso” by Gur Prasad Mainali, Nepal’s first modern short story writer, is currently being screened. This family drama, centered around the characters Chame and Gauthali, sustains the traditional notion that conflicts, quarrels, arguments, and even physical altercations between husband and wife are temporary. Yet, it emphasizes the ultimate reconciliation between spouses. Historically, this story has reinforced the proverbial saying, “The quarrel between husband and wife is like fire among straw.” We long accepted this idea. But is the relationship between husband and wife truly so limited? Despite disputes, torment, physical violence, verbal abuse, disrespect, and hateful words, can they still be loving, affectionate, responsible, and devoted to one another? Is such a possibility viable? In today’s context, these questions take on new meaning.

Mainali wrote this story at a time when the socio-political landscape reflected such views, regarding marital disputes as akin to fire among straw. It remains to be seen whether this perception still holds true. The collection “Naso,” published in 1965 (B.S. 2022), features eleven stories written from the early 1990s through after 2000, including “The Fire of Straw.” In 1983 (B.S. 2040), Indra Bahadur Rai published the story collection “Kathaputali ko Man” (The Puppet’s Mind), which contains four sub-stories under the title story, some of which appear to be based on the same narrative of Chame and Gauthali.

Within these stories, some characters exhibit a fragile sense of relationship security, as if swaying like leaves in the wind; others have attempted suicide. One tale set during the Panchayat era portrays a wife who commits suicide after marriage, while another recounts a life ending apart from her two children after a youthful marriage. Among the characters, some playing spouses are central, while others have minor roles. Rai’s stories demonstrate that marital conflict is not merely like fire burning straw. Contrasting Mainali’s assertion that “quarrels between husband and wife are like fire among straw,” Rai, nearly four decades later, challenged this old belief by indicating that the issue is more complex than just “fire among straw.”

Understanding that marital discord is more than just fire among straw has taken us years to grasp as a social reality. The stories published in 1983 reveal that men are not solely at fault in marital life; women also play a significant role. Although times have greatly changed, we still seem to be retelling the same old story of Chame and Gauthali. Does the dialogue “What can a wife do with a buzzing bee?” resonate with today’s generation, or is it outdated?

Stories like “The Fire of Straw” were written in the past. Should we continue to receive these narratives and their emotional underpinnings unaltered, or is there a need for change? When creating the film “The Fire of Straw,” did the producers, director, and actors study Indra Bahadur Rai’s “Kathaputali ko Man”? Are there new generations of readers and viewers who understand and critically evaluate this innovative story? These are questions worth pondering as the film reaches its audience.

Scientists have developed a new technology to produce clean and renewable hydrogen fuel using a cost-effective and durable cathode without platinum. The cathode, made from a mixture of rhenium phosphide and molybdenum phosphide, has been shown to operate continuously for 1,000 hours at high current densities. This innovation is expected to reduce the cost of clean energy and facilitate large-scale industrial hydrogen production. Kathmandu, April 18.

Researchers from Washington University in St. Louis have discovered an affordable and sustainable method to generate clean, renewable hydrogen fuel without using the expensive platinum metal. This new technology is anticipated to significantly lower the cost of clean energy in the future and support commercial-scale hydrogen production.

The process of splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity derived from renewable sources like solar or wind is known as a water electrolyzer. Hydrogen produced through this method serves as a completely pollution-free and clean fuel. However, until now, water-splitting systems required cathodes made from very costly platinum group metals, making the production of clean hydrogen fuel expensive.

Led by Professor Gang Wu of the McKelvey School of Engineering, the research team developed a novel composite cathode using a mix of two inexpensive phosphides: rhenium phosphide (Re_2P) and molybdenum phosphide. Rhenium facilitates easy binding and release of hydrogen on the cathode’s surface, while molybdenum accelerates the splitting of water molecules in alkaline electrolytes.

May 19, Kathmandu – Nepal Rastra Bank has set the foreign currency exchange rates for today. According to the central bank, the buying rate for the US dollar is NPR 153.86 and the selling rate is NPR 154.46. The buying rate for the European Euro is NPR 178.95 and the selling rate is NPR 189.64; for the UK Pound Sterling, the buying rate is NPR 205.48 and the selling rate NPR 206.28; for the Swiss Franc, the buying rate is NPR 196.64 and the selling rate NPR 196.40.

The Australian Dollar’s buying rate is NPR 110.38 and the selling rate NPR 110.45; Canadian Dollar’s buying rate is NPR 111.89 and selling rate NPR 112.32; Singapore Dollar’s buying rate is NPR 120.18 and selling rate NPR 120.65. The Japanese Yen’s buying rate for 10 units is NPR 9.68 and selling rate NPR 9.72; Chinese Yuan’s buying rate is NPR 22.63 and selling rate NPR 22.71; Saudi Arabian Riyal’s buying rate is NPR 41.00 and selling rate NPR 41.16.

According to the central bank, the Thai Baht’s buying rate is NPR 4.71 and selling rate NPR 4.72; UAE Dirham’s buying rate is NPR 41.89 and selling rate NPR 42.06; Malaysian Ringgit’s buying rate is NPR 38.69 and selling rate NPR 38.84. The South Korean Won’s buying rate for 100 units is NPR 10.25 and selling rate NPR 10.28; the Swedish Krona’s buying rate is NPR 16.31 and selling rate NPR 16.38; the Danish Krone’s buying rate is NPR 23.84 and selling rate NPR 24.04.

Nepal Rastra Bank has set the Hong Kong Dollar’s buying rate at NPR 19.65 and selling rate NPR 19.72; Kuwaiti Dinar’s buying rate at NPR 501.50 and selling rate NPR 503.46; Bahraini Dinar’s buying rate at NPR 407.95 and selling rate NPR 409.55; Omani Rial’s buying rate at NPR 399.63 and selling rate NPR 401.19. The Indian Rupee’s buying rate for 100 units is NPR 160 and selling rate NPR 160.15.

The central bank has stated that these exchange rates may be revised at any time if necessary. Commercial banks may set different exchange rates, and the updated rates are available on the central bank’s official website.

The 16th Central President Running Shield, organized by the National Sports Council, is scheduled to take place in Kathmandu from June 3 to June 5. The competition will feature events in athletics, volleyball, kabaddi, karate, taekwondo, and wushu. Kathmandu, May 18 – The National Sports Council (NSC) has confirmed that the 16th Central President Running Shield will be held in Kathmandu from June 3 to 5. This decision was made during a meeting chaired by Ramcharitra Mehta, NSC member-secretary and coordinator of the competition’s operation and management committee. Previously, the event had been planned for May 19 to 21 but has been postponed by two weeks. The competition will include contests in athletics, volleyball, kabaddi, karate, taekwondo, and wushu. The meeting was attended by Min Kumar Sharma, head of the Sports Competition and Planning Department, representatives from national sports federations of the respective games, and chief coaches. Addressing the meeting, member-secretary Ramcharitra Mehta emphasized the need to organize the event in a well-structured, dignified, and participatory manner.

The Nepal Bar Association has determined that the administrative action of refusing to register writ petitions filed in the Supreme Court and leaving them unattended without cause is beyond the authority of the Supreme Court administration. The Bar Association stated that the failure to comply with the order issued by Acting Chief Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla represents an extraordinary and abnormal administrative attitude. It further noted that such conduct is historically significant, recordable, and attracts the application of prevailing laws. Kathmandu, 4 Jestha.

The Nepal Bar Association emphasized that leaving writ petitions unregistered without reason obstructs access to justice. In an emergency meeting held on Monday afternoon, the Bar expressed serious concerns over the administration’s disregard of the order given by the Acting Chief Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla.

“The Nepal Bar Association holds that intentionally withholding writ petitions, which are legally required to be registered by the Supreme Court, without registration is clearly beyond the administrative authority and acts as an obstruction to justice,” stated a press release issued by General Secretary Kedar Prasad Koirala. The Bar also described the administration’s behavior as not only extraordinary and unnatural but also as an act to be historically recorded, which will not fade into oblivion and which invokes the relevant laws in force.

“The administration’s refusal to obey the order issued by the Acting Chief Justice, who carries the ultimate responsibility for judicial administration, is not only extraordinary and unnatural behavior but also an incident worthy of historic documentation and legal attention,” the Bar’s statement further said. The Bar called attention to the administration’s contempt in disobeying the Chief Justice’s directive to register the writ petitions that had been left pending.

In Kathmandu’s Chandragiri Municipality-3, Thankot Kharibot, 25-year-old Zakir Mansuri was killed following a minor dispute. Similarly, in Myagang Rural Municipality-4, Kimtang of Nuwakot, two brothers were shot dead over a trivial disagreement. In Lalitpur’s Patan, on March 29, brothers Sirjan Nembang and Sumit Nembang were also fatally attacked following a minor altercation.

As of May 18, in Thankot Kharibot, Chandragiri Municipality-3, Kathmandu, police reported that 25-year-old Zakir Mansuri, originally from Mahottari, was murdered on the night of May 15. The suspect, 38-year-old Sami Ahmad from Mahottari, attacked Mansuri with a vegetable-cutting knife. Mansuri was rushed to Medpoint Hospital in Satungal but was declared dead by medical staff. Kathmandu District Police Office’s SP Pawan Kumar Bhattarai noted that this homicide stemmed from a simple household dispute. Sami and Zakir are related through in-law ties, specifically as brothers-in-law and nephews. Following a disagreement between sisters-in-law, the nephew was killed, confirming that minor familial disputes led to the fatal incident.

Zakir is not the first victim to lose life over such minor quarrels. In the past month, similar cases have risen. For example, on May 13, in Kimtang, Myagang Rural Municipality-4, Nuwakot, the bodies of two brothers, 43-year-old Somanath Tamang and 36-year-old Suryaman Tamang, were discovered. Their bodies were hidden with stones in the Kimtang River. SP Bipin Regmi of Nuwakot reports that police began searching after receiving an immediate tip-off around 10 a.m. The incident took place near the district border. According to police, the brothers were shot dead. The family stated that both brothers left home Tuesday morning to build a channel but lost contact afterward. The site is approximately a five-hour walk from the road and near Dhading district. Police investigations suggest the murder arose out of a minor dispute. Six people were detained during the investigation; four were released, with charges pursued against two, Dhan Bahadur Tamang and Som Bahadur Tamang, both laborers arrested from Dhading. Authorities clarified that there was no major conflict. The deceased brothers worked in a local petty contract business, and rising tension emerged after they refused work given to others. Following the dispute, the victims headed towards the river on a motorcycle, where the two accused were waiting armed. Police confirm the brothers were assassinated with homemade guns along the route.

A similar case unfolded in Patan, Lalitpur, where on March 29, brothers Sirjan and Sumit Nembang were killed over a minor misunderstanding. The incident started when calls intended for them mistakenly went to a man named Sanjiv Nepali. The two parties, strangers to each other, argued over the unsolicited call. Lalitpur’s SSP Hobindra Bogati explained that they arranged a meeting in the Krishna Temple area of Patan. During the confrontation, a physical fight broke out, culminating in Sanjiv stabbing the brothers to death. Police have filed charges against Sanjiv Nepali, 21-year-old Gagan Sunar from Nawalparasi, and 27-year-old Bikash Limbuwa from Jhapa. Sanjiv faces life imprisonment charges, while the other two stand trial as accomplices. All three have been remanded to Nakhu prison. This tragic death, initiated by a wrong number phone call, highlights how minor incidents have led to fatal outcomes in the Kathmandu Valley.

On May 6, around 2:30 p.m., 22-year-old Bipin Ghimire, a resident of Kirtipur Municipality-10, Podetol, originally from Dhurkot Municipality-7, Gulmi, was murdered. After being stabbed with a sharp weapon, Ghimire collapsed and was declared dead upon arrival at Kirtipur Hospital. Both the victim and the murderer were friends. The incident escalated from a dispute that led to a stabbing. CCTV footage from the scene shows a group of six, including Bipin. Police state that the root of the homicide was a disagreement over cannabis possession. The main suspect, Sujan Shahi, was apprehended by a Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office team in Chobar, Kirtipur, following a gunfire exchange. So far, four suspects have been arrested; one remains at large. Authorities have confirmed no major conflict was involved, and the motive was related to drug disputes.

On the evening of March 9 in Pokhara, Sirjana Paudel KC was brutally murdered. Operated a shoe shop at Prithvi Chowk, Paudel was fatally attacked with a kukri knife, collapsing at the scene. Following the suicide of her eldest wife by poisoning, Sirjana had married Krishna KC four years earlier. Krishna passed away two years ago, and the couple had a three-year-old daughter. Police report that the ongoing family feud and disputes over inheritance led to Sirjana’s murder, with a nephew implicated in the crime.

These incidents underscore a disturbing trend where individuals resort to extreme violence, including homicide, over trivial disagreements. Police officials highlight that various stresses and depression may increase aggression levels among individuals. Psychiatrists explain that losing self-control in moments of intense impulse can lead to brutal crimes, reinforcing how minor conflicts sometimes escalate fatally. As people perceive growing quarrels, although attempts to resolve them independently increase, underlying personality issues may prompt uncontrolled anger and disastrous consequences. Law enforcement also points to societal influences, environmental factors, peer groups, and the digital world as contributors to escalating aggression and violence.