Submit your Article

Three women who arrived back in Australia after spending years in Syrian detention camps have been charged, with one facing an allegation of joining Islamic State and two others facing allegations of crimes against humanity, The Guardian reported. 

The women were among a group of 13 women and children who arrived on separate flights – one into Sydney and one into Melbourne – on Thursday evening.

Two women from the group – Kawsar Abbas, 53, and her daughter Zeinab Ahmad, 31 – were arrested by officers from the Victorian joint counter-terrorism team (JCTT) at Melbourne airport.

Abbas and Ahmad were charged with crimes against humanity including enslavement and using a slave. Abbas was also charged with possessing a slave and engaging in slave trading, Australian federal police confirmed on Friday, according to The Guardian. 

With their location trackers shut off to avoid Iranian attacks, the United Arab Emirates and buyers have recently sailed several tankers loaded with crude through the Strait of Hormuz in a bid to move oil bottled up in the Gulf by the Middle East conflict, according to industry sources and shipping data, Reuters reported. 

The volumes are a fraction of the ‌UAE's typical exports before the US-Israeli war on Iran, but they demonstrate the risks the producer and buyers are willing to take to free up oil sales.

The United States and Iran exchanged fire on Thursday (May 7) in the most serious test yet of their month-long ceasefire, but Iran said the situation returned to normal while the Americans said they did not want to escalate, Reuters reported. 

Iran's military said the US targeted two ships entering the Strait of Hormuz and carried out strikes on Iranian territory. The US military said it fired in response to Iranian attacks.

An outbreak of hantavirus on board a cruise ship is not the start of a pandemic, the UN health agency has said, BBC reported. 

Maria van Kerkhove, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the World Health Organization (WHO), told a news briefing that it was not the same situation as six years ago with Covid-19, because hantavirus spreads through "close, intimate contact".

Health authorities are racing to trace dozens of people who have recently disembarked from the Dutch vessel MV Hondius.

The Constitutional Council's meeting has put forth the name of Supreme Court Justice Dr Manoj Sharma as the future Chief Justice. 

The meeting, which was chaired by Prime Minister and Chairman of the Constitutional Council Balendra Shah, endorsed the name of Sharma for the future Chief Justice today. 

Following the meeting, Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal announced that Sharma's name has been put forward for the upcoming Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. 

Once the council's recommendation is made, the parliamentary hearing committee will approve the name for the official appointment. 

Sharma is set to become the 33rd Chief Justice.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF)'s Executive Board has decided to extend the timeline of the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement implemented for Nepal by an additional two months. 

According to the press release issued by the IMF on Wednesday, the program would continue up to  July 11, 2026 with the extension. 

The timeline has been extended to allow sufficient time for the completion of the seventh and final review of the ECF arrangement, the IMF informed. 

The 38-month IMF arrangement for Nepal was approved on January 12,  2022. 

Under this program, Nepal obtained access equal to 180 percent of its 'Special Drawing Rights' (SDR) quota, amounting to 282,42 million US dollars. 

According to the IMF, two additional months were added to provide sufficient time for the seventh and final review under the IMF program. 

Nepal has committed, through the IMF program, to maintaining financial stability, strengthening foreign exchange reserves, improving public financial management, and advancing economic reform programmes.

Two Indian trekkers, who were stuck due to snowfall in the course of trekking to Mustang, have been safely rescued.  

A joint team of Nepal Army and Nepal Police rescued them on Wednesday night. They were heading towards Mustang from Manang. 

A heavy snowfall took place in the Muktinath and Thorang La Pass area on Wednesday. 

Phanik Tony (29) and Mitra Bindu (30) of Kerala in India, were stranded after they were unable to locate the trail at Chisapani of Baragung Muktichhetra-2.  

A trekker Mitra Bindu had informed the District Police Office, Mustang, about their condition. 

The joint team had safely rescued the Indian trekkers from Drum Camp in the lower area of Thorang Pass, said Lieutenant Colonel at the Indra Baks Battalion, Gaurav Dhoj Khand.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) surged by 6. 94 points to close at 2, 718. 16 points on Thursday. 

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 0. 95 points to close at 464. 08 points.

A total of 6,684,007-unit shares of 334 companies were traded for Rs 1. 54 billion.

Meanwhile, Swabalamban Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (SWBBL) was the top gainer today with its price surging by 12. 19 percent.

Similarly, Forward Microfinance Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (FOWAD) was the top loser as its price fell by 13. 24 points. 

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 4. 63 trillion.