Author: space4knews

Kathmandu, April 1 – Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi stated that the future decisions regarding the Strait of Hormuz rest solely with Iran and Oman. Speaking on Wednesday, he emphasized that only Iran and Oman should make decisions related to the Strait of Hormuz’s future. Araqchi’s statement has been widely shared on social media platforms by Iranian embassies in various countries. In India, the Iranian embassy also echoed this position…

March 19, Sarlahi – Two teenage girls were found dead, hanging from a mango tree in Ramwan, Ward No. 5, Godaita Municipality, Sarlahi. According to the District Police Office of Sarlahi, the deceased are Sangeeta Kumari, approximately 15 years old, daughter of Vinod Das from Ramnagar-6, Sisautha, and Nagina Kumari Das, about 17 years old, daughter of Indrajit Das.

Police spokesperson and DSP Saroj Rai stated that both girls were discovered hanging from the mango tree. Locals spotted the bodies and alerted the police. The bodies have been sent to Provincial Hospital, Malangwa, for post-mortem examination. Further investigation into the incident is currently underway, according to police authorities.

Licenses and cash seized from middlemen at the transport office. Two middlemen have been arrested on charges of causing unnecessary trouble at the Madhyapur Thimi Transport Office in Bhaktapur. Over two days, 32 middlemen were arrested from four transport offices in Kathmandu, with investigations ongoing. According to the Kathmandu District Police Office, 53 bill books and NPR 122,000 were recovered from those arrested.

On March 19 in Kathmandu, two middlemen were apprehended at the Transport Management Office located in Radharadh, Madhyapur Thimi Municipality-5, Bhaktapur. The arrested individuals are 29-year-old Yamakumari Shrestha from Jugal Rural Municipality-3, Sindhupalchok, and 30-year-old Sunil Thapa from Kalika Municipality-6, Chitwan. The police team deployed from Thimi Police Post arrested them. They face allegations of causing unnecessary inconvenience to service users and obstructing public service delivery.

Middlemen have long been accused of creating hurdles and charging fees under the pretense of fast-track services related to license issuance, renewal, blue book renewal, and vehicle registration provided by the transport offices. Following numerous complaints from service recipients, AIG Ishwor Karki, Chief of the Kathmandu Valley Police Office in Ranipokhari, stated that a campaign has been initiated to legally take action against those causing undue inconvenience. “There will be no exemption for those engaging in illegal activities. Police will bring those obstructing work and causing trouble within legal boundaries,” he said.

On the same day two were arrested in Bhaktapur, 15 middlemen were also detained in Kathmandu. Seven were arrested on Tuesday at the Small Bharyang Transport Office in Kathmandu Metropolitan City–15 by the Swayambhu Police Post. The arrested include 36-year-old Balbahadur Sunar from Rautahat, 39-year-old Bijyan Rai from Umakunda Rural Municipality-4, Ramechhap, 31-year-old Sanjay Rajwahak from Tarkeshwar, Kathmandu, 36-year-old Bimal Tamang from Raniban, Kathmandu, 35-year-old Ramesh Karki from Khandadevi Rural Municipality-7, Ramechhap, 36-year-old Kalpana Lamsal from Nilkantha Municipality-5, Dhading, and 39-year-old Uddhav Khanal from Belkotgadhi Municipality-12, Nuwakot. According to SSP Ramesh Thapa of the Kathmandu District Police Office, 53 bill books and NPR 122,000 were recovered from them. They face allegations of causing difficulties to service seekers and obstructing public services by promising bill book renewals.

An ongoing middleman control campaign is being conducted in Kathmandu District and its subordinate offices. Similar to the Swayambhu Police Post, eight middlemen were arrested on Tuesday by Thangkot Police Post. Among those arrested were 25-year-old Pasang Tamang from Kuleshwor, Kathmandu; 30-year-old Sunil Lama from Temal Rural Municipality-8, Kavre; 23-year-old Sudip Magar from Chandragiri Municipality-6, Kathmandu; 20-year-old Buddha Tamang from Thakre Rural Municipality-4, Dhading. Others arrested include 26-year-old Sumesh Nepali from Thaha Municipality-9, Makwanpur; 24-year-old Aman Tamang from Thakre Rural Municipality-4; 18-year-old Ujwal Singh from Telkot Rural Municipality-4, Bajhang; and 26-year-old Dilip Rai from Kerabari Rural Municipality-5, Morang.

Previously, a joint team from the Lalitpur District Police Office and Satdobato Police Post arrested 15 middlemen at the Transport Management Office in Ekantakuna. SP Gautam Mishra of the Lalitpur District Police Office informed that four among those arrested had been apprehended previously. In total, over two days, 32 middlemen have been arrested from four transport offices across the valley. They are currently in custody with investigations ongoing.

Complaints have also been received about middlemen actively operating in other government offices such as the Department of Foreign Employment and Passport Office. Previously, the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office had repeatedly arrested middlemen from the Passport Department. With renewed complaints of middlemen harassing service recipients, police have also conducted raids and arrests targeting middlemen at the Government Attorney’s Office.

March 19, Kathmandu – The Kalimati Fruits and Vegetable Market Development Committee has set the wholesale prices for agricultural produce today. According to the committee, the prices are as follows: large Indian tomatoes at NPR 70 per kilogram, small local tomatoes at NPR 32 per kilogram, small Indian tomatoes at NPR 35 per kilogram, small Terai tomatoes at NPR 40 per kilogram, red potatoes at NPR 20 per kilogram, Indian red potatoes at NPR 23 per kilogram, and dried Indian onions at NPR 36 per kilogram.

Similarly, carrots (local) are priced at NPR 30 per kilogram, carrots (Terai) at NPR 25 per kilogram, cabbage (local) at NPR 30 per kilogram, cabbage (Naribal variety) at NPR 20 per kilogram, local cauliflower at NPR 60 per kilogram, Jyapu variety cauliflower at NPR 80 per kilogram, Terai cauliflower at NPR 50 per kilogram, white radish (local) at NPR 20 per kilogram, hybrid white radish at NPR 30 per kilogram, long eggplant at NPR 60 per kilogram, and round eggplant at NPR 80 per kilogram.

Other prices include long beans (stemmed) at NPR 130 per kilogram, peas pods at NPR 70 per kilogram, local green beans at NPR 80 per kilogram, hybrid green beans at NPR 60 per kilogram, Rajma variety green beans at NPR 120 per kilogram, Tatte beans at NPR 90 per kilogram, bitter gourd at NPR 150 per kilogram, bottle gourd at NPR 80 per kilogram, Terai parwar at NPR 100 per kilogram. Ghiraula is set at NPR 100 per kilogram, ripe pumpkin at NPR 60 per kilogram, long green pumpkin at NPR 40 per kilogram, round green pumpkin at NPR 40 per kilogram, okra at NPR 120 per kilogram, pumpkin at NPR 70 per kilogram, bitter melon at NPR 60 per kilogram, pindalu at NPR 60 per kilogram, and skus at NPR 45 per kilogram.

Additional prices are as follows: mustard greens at NPR 50 per kilogram, spinach at NPR 70 per kilogram, chyamsur at NPR 90 per kilogram, mustard leaves at NPR 50 per kilogram, fenugreek at NPR 90 per kilogram, green onions at NPR 80 per kilogram, bakula at NPR 60 per kilogram, tarul at NPR 80 per kilogram, female mushrooms at NPR 140 per kilogram, male mushrooms at NPR 380 per kilogram, king mushrooms at NPR 300 per kilogram, and shiitake mushrooms at NPR 1,000 per kilogram.

Most houses made of bricks, uniformly designed streets, and an advanced sewage system equipped with flush toilets. Hearing this might evoke the image of a modern city, but in reality, it depicts the urban centers of the ancient Indus Valley civilization from thousands of years ago. This civilization was highly advanced and is believed to have coexisted alongside ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia – yet relatively little is known about it. One of its enduring mysteries stems primarily from its still undeciphered script, which continues to baffle historians.

The Indus Valley Civilization reached its peak phase between 2600 and 1900 BCE. However, its origins trace back even earlier, approximately around 4000 BCE, explains Dr. Sangaralingam Ramesh, a lecturer at the University of London and University College London. This civilization was centered around the Indus River, in present-day Pakistan and India. It encompassed not only agricultural villages but over 1,400 towns and cities, with the largest urban centers being Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. According to Dr. Ramesh, the Indus Valley civilization was larger than both ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, housing around one million people across 80,000 settlements.

1. Advanced Urban Planning
   Dr. Ramesh points out that the Indus Valley civilization was among the first to construct homes from bricks. “The cities were constructed with straight roads set at right angles,” he describes. “They had wells, toilets within houses… and an advanced drainage system that predates the Roman civilization’s by about 2,000 years.” Excavations of this drainage system and bathing facilities reveal an emphasis on hygiene and awareness of disease control within the society. The density of urban areas facilitated effective supply chain management, which simplified trade. “They traded goods ranging from wood, copper, gold, to cotton textiles with ancient Mesopotamia,” Dr. Ramesh adds.
2. Collective Governance Structure
   According to Dr. Ramesh, the organization of urban areas suggests more facets of their society. “There are indications of simple yet effective civic administration that managed infrastructure across towns and settlements,” he comments. “Their governance system appears to have been collective rather than highly centralized, with no evidence of royal courts or elite rulers.” These features distinguish the Indus Valley from other contemporary societies.
3. Relative Equality and Peaceful Existence
   Evidence indicates some degree of social stratification in the Indus Valley, but it is not as pronounced as in other societies. “Social hierarchies are easily identifiable in Egypt and Mesopotamia, but in the Indus civilization, while house sizes vary slightly, the differences are not substantial,” Dr. Ramesh explains. Archaeologists have found signs of injuries on some skeletons; however, they consider this society more peaceful compared to others. “There are scant signs of warfare, fewer indications of a weapon-bearing elite class, and fewer trauma marks on skeletal remains compared to other ancient Near Eastern regions,” he notes. Nonetheless, this does not imply complete absence of violence. The lack of evidence may also shape this perception. “If there were no monuments or inscriptions about war, later researchers would find fewer traces of violent conflict,” he adds.

Many More Mysteries Remain
Much about the Indus Valley civilization remains unknown. One key reason, Dr. Ramesh suggests, is the limited archaeological excavation. “The civilization extended as far as Afghanistan, where current conditions are not conducive for excavations,” he says. Another factor could be the materials and methods they used in construction. “While Egypt and Mesopotamia utilized durable stone, the Indus people primarily used baked mud bricks and fired bricks,” he explains. “The absence of large stone temples, palaces, or royal tombs complicates reconstruction of the Indus state.” But the greatest challenge remains the inability to decipher the ancient Indus script.

Characters engraved on stones in the Indus Valley represent a script described by Dr. Nisha Yadav of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai as “the most attempted yet still undeciphered script.” “Every ten days I receive emails claiming: ‘I have deciphered the Indus script,'” she remarks. However, no interpretation has gained scientific consensus. According to Yadav, deciphering is difficult because the script is brief, containing only five to fourteen symbols per inscription. A detailed ‘Rosetta Stone’-like artifact has yet to be found.

The Rosetta Stone is a world-famous ancient artifact inscribed with the same text in Egyptian hieroglyphics, Demotic script, and Classical Greek, which facilitated understanding of hieroglyphs. Nevertheless, Dr. Yadav’s research using computer modeling has revealed patterns in the symbols. Syntax rules and evidence of “inherent logic” within the script have been identified. “If we can read it, it would be like opening a treasure trove of knowledge,” she states. Decoding the script could illuminate the civilization’s beliefs, worldview, and clarify the role of inscriptions on trade goods and stones.

What Happened to This Civilization?
One leading theory for the decline of the Indus Valley civilization is environmental change. “Around 1900 BCE, they left these sites and relocated elsewhere, with archaeologists and climate scientists linking this to changes in rainfall and weather patterns,” Dr. Ramesh explains. Excavations at Mohenjo-Daro also reveal efforts by inhabitants to protect themselves from flooding. Dr. Ramesh emphasizes that understanding this is crucial for modern society because, “If glaciers today are melting rapidly, history could repeat itself.” He underscores that unlike then, we currently have technologies to monitor natural changes, and using this knowledge wisely can ensure sustainability of our civilization.

The first meeting of the House of Representatives after the recent election, scheduled for Thursday afternoon, presents a scene that, in terms of seat distribution and faces, differs from the past few decades, though experts note that the agenda items remain largely conventional. This time, out of 275 seats, 182 members were elected from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (Raswpa), a party established just before the last general election. Having secured a strong mandate from the people, the party is entering Parliament; a former House Secretary observed that maintaining balance within parliament will depend largely on the leadership of the ruling party.

The newly elected House with a five-year tenure will commence its session the same day the National Assembly convenes, where Raswpa representatives will not be present. The parliamentary secretariat has released a tentative list of eight agenda items for the House meeting set for 2 PM. The session will begin with the national anthem, followed by senior member Arjun Narasingh KC, designated as the speaker for the meeting, reading the official letter summoning the session delivered from the President’s office.

Subsequently, information regarding the Prime Minister’s appointment and the formation of the Cabinet will be conveyed to the House. Meanwhile, as a new rulebook has not yet been created, the House will operate under the procedural rules adopted in 2023 (2079 BS), which will be presented for approval in the agenda. Also included are the nomination of members who will chair proceedings in the Speaker’s absence and scheduled party-based statements, mirroring previous sessions.

The agenda also likely includes setting the date for the Speaker’s election, slated for the 22nd of this month. Following this, Home Minister Sudan Gurung is expected to present three ordinances introduced by the election government led by Sushila Karki. Additionally, a condolence motion honoring five late former members of parliament will be part of the meeting’s business.

March 31, Kathmandu – Currently, western and local winds are partially active across the country. Their influence has resulted in partly cloudy skies in various regions and generally cloudy weather in some areas. According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, there is generally cloudy weather in the hilly and mountainous areas of Koshi and Sudurpashchim provinces, as well as other provinces. The rest of the country is expected to experience partly cloudy conditions.