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Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s attention has been drawn towards the damage caused by the floods in the Hewakhola river of Sankhuwasabha district on Saturday night. A team led by Deepak Khadka, a member of Parliament from Sankhuwasabha held a meeting with Prime Minister Dahal this morning and apprised him of the damage caused by the floods in Sankhuwasabha. The delegation urged the government to take stock of the damage. In the meeting, Khadka said that the state suffered a loss of billions of rupees as a dozen hydroelectric power houses have been damaged due to the floods in Sankhuwasabha. He said the workers working in the power houses have also been missing in the disaster. Lawmaker Khadka urged the government to take stock of the damage and start initiatives for rescue and relief. On the occasion, PM Dahal expressed sorrow over the loss of life and property due to the floods. He said directives have been issued to the security bodies and employees to actively involve in search, rescue and relief. Khadka that the Prime Minister has said he would go to Sankhuwasabha to take stock of the damage. Lawmaker Khadka was accompanied by Province Assembly member Rajendra Karki and leaders of various political parties from Sankhuwasabha. The flooded Hewakhola has swept away seven houses and 17 workers at Hewakhola Hydropower have gone missing due to the disaster that hit Sankhuwasabha last night, the District Police Office, Sankhuwasabha said. The flood damaged the under-construction motorable bridge connecting Panchkhapan and Chainpur.  

This year's monsoon has entered the country since Wednesday. Though monsoon generally remains active in the country since June 13, this year it entered one day later, the Weather Forecasting Division at the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology said. Meteorologist Raju Pradhananga said the monsoon that entered into the country on Wednesday has reached Koshi, eastern Madhes, most of the areas of Bagmati and eastern territory of Gandaki Province. According to him, the monsoon will gradually remain active in other areas in some days. The Department has predicted below average rainfall in most of the places of the country this year. However, predictability of rainfall will vary in the territories. It may be noted that the Department had predicted above the average rainfall in the last two years. Rainfall was average last year. Meteorologist Pradhananga said four months from June to September is considered the monsoon period in Nepal. As many as 1.25 million people are predicted to be affected by monsoon-induced disasters in the country this year. This year monsoon will affect over 286,000 households, it is forecasted. In the past 24 hours, Khadibazaar of Lanjung saw the highest amount of rain (135.2 mm), the Weather Forecasting Division informed. Likewise, Kathmandu saw 39.5 mm rain on Wednesday, the division-issued bulletin said.

Measles has spread in 16 districts across the country, infecting over 1,300 people, according to a report published by the Family Welfare Division under the Department of Health Services. The virus has affected districts including Morang, Sunsari, Dhanusha, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Chitwan, Kathmandu, Kapilvastu, Arghakhanchi, Dang, Banke, Bardiya, Surkhet, Kailali, Kanchanpur and Bajura. Kailali, Sunsari and Mahottari have been most affected by the disease, said the Division director Dr Bibek Kumar Lal. One person has died from the disease in Nepalgunj in Banke district, according to the report. Dhangadhi Sub Metropolitan City, Gauriganga Municipality and Godavari Municipality in Kailali, Barju Municipality in Sunsari and Gaushala Municipality-2 and 5 in Mahottari have been hit hard by the virus. Vaccination campaign against the disease in the affected local levels has taken place, he said. The disease that was detected in Gokarneshwor in Kathmandu on June 7 has been contained, according to the Division. So far, 215,054 people between the age of six months and 15 years from the affected districts have been vaccinated, it has been said. The Child Health and Immunization Section launched the vaccination campaign against measles and rubella in Sunsari, Morang, Mahottari, Bardiya, Dang, Surkhet, Kailali, Kanchanpur and Bajura from June 8. The Ministry of Health and Population has asked people to get vaccinated against the diseases.

Long, medium and short distance vehicles heading outside the Valley would operate their service from the New Bus Park, Gongabu, from June 16. Organizing a press conference today, Microbus and Jeep Coordination Committee said jeep and microbus service, which is being operated from different places of Kathmandu, would be operated from the New Bus Park. Committee coordinator Rajendra Acharya said they decided to operate jeep and microbus service from New Bus Park to implement the decision of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City. The KMC had on June 2 urged the stakeholders to operate all vehicles traveling outside the Kathmandu Valley from New Bus Park. "We are ready to implement the decision of the local government. The KMC should strictly ask all bodies concerned to implement the decision. We are ready to support KMC", he mentioned. Microbus and jeep services are now in operation setting up counters at different places including Balkhu, Kalanki, Balaju, Machhapokhari, Gongabu and Koteshwor. Acharya urged passengers to get tickets from counters located at bus park. He also requested the KMC to make arrangements of 'pick and drop ' for a certain period of time in the previous places for the convenience of passengers while operating the microbus and jeep service from New Bus Park.    

The Tribhuvan University (TU) has sought applications from those campuses wishing to opt for a merger. The TU today issued a notice inviting applications from campuses affiliated to it or running as its constituent colleges that are interested in merging. Applications are needed to be submitted to the TU Office of Planning Directorate by mid-July. Campuses interested in merging are first required to take a decision on merging either through the Campus Assembly or the respective management committee, the notice stated. According to the notice, applications are sought separately from campuses agreeing for a merger and the documents should include a clear explanation of the reasons and relevance behind the proposed merger.  

Finance Minister Prakash Saran Mahat has said that the budget for the coming fiscal year 2023/24 was prepared in order to make the country's economy dynamic. At a program organized by Nepali Congress Constituency-7 here today, Finance Minister Mahat claimed that the budget for the coming fiscal year was prepared in order to run the country's economy keeping the nation and people in center. He said, "Some groups are not satisfied with the budget. We prepared it with firm determination without listening to any interest group. The budget helps to make the country dynamic. It has incorporated all areas." The finance minister said, "We have many expectations but means and resources are limited. We all should be involved to make the country's economy dynamic by using available means and resources as much as possible." Also the Spokesperson of the Nepali Congress Mahat said that it was necessary to maintain discipline in the party, adding a culture should be developed to respect each other in the party. He said that there is no need to make alliance with any political parties or forces if the NC becomes stronger, stating that no one is above the party.  

The country is now witnessing partial influence of westerly wind as well as a low-pressure system developed in Bihar of India. Hilly areas of Koshi Province, Madhes Province, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province are witnessing partly to generally cloudy weather while weather of rest of the areas would remain partly cloudy to generally fair due to this, according to the Meteorological Forecasting Division. Light to moderate rainfall is now taking place at some places of Koshi Province and Bagmati Province. The hilly areas including Koshi Province, Madhes Province and Bagmati Province would remain partly to generally cloudy while weather of the rest of other places is likely to remain generally fair this afternoon. There is a possibility of light to moderate rainfall along with thunder and lightning at few places of Koshi Province, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province as well as one or two places of hilly areas of the country. Today's minimum temperature of the Kathmandu Valley is 21 degree Celsius and maximum temperature 32.2 degree Celsius.  

Two women have been allegedly killed for dowry in Sarlahi, the district in Madhesh Province. Pharadawa of Haripur Municipality-3 and Laxmipur of Haripur-6 reported two cases of dowry-related deaths recently, according to police. Abdul Shah Phakir of Pharhadawa allegedly murdered his spouse Ida Khatun (23) accusing her of not meeting his expectation for a dowry, SP Naresh Raj Subedi of the District Police Office, Sarlahi said. Phakir was reportedly torturing her mentally, emotionally and physically for not convincing her parents to give him cash of Rs 100, 000. Following his torture, Ida went to her parents' home and returned sometimes back after the two families sat for discussions, according to police. Ida's father Mansur Sah said Abdul and his family were torturing his daughter time and again as they failed to meet their monetary demand. He said Ida's five-year-old son reported his grandfather that his mother was killed by the family. Sah said that he noticed Ida's body had residues of mud and a piece of cloth was pushed into her mouth. He said his daughter was first beaten to death and hanged to 'show' that she committed a suicide. Police have arrested two persons for their alleged involvement in the crime and Ida's body has been kept at the Provincial Hospital, Sarlahi for postmortem. Similarly, police seized the body of Indrakala Devi Shah (45) from a cremation pyre over the suspicious circumstances surrounding her death. It is learnt that Indrakala's husband Rajaram Sah beat her up for not meeting his dowry expectations. Though Indrakala was critically injured in the incident, she was not taken to a hospital, letting her die. She breathed her last after some time. DSP Dipendra Panjiyar, spokesperson at the District Police Office Sarlahi, said the police intercepted when Indrakala's body was being cremated, taking control over it after getting information that the body was being cremated at the local Lakhandehi river. The police sent the half-burnt body to the Provincial Hospital Sarlahi for postmortem, Panjiyar said. Indrakala's spouse Rajaram is absconding after the incident. Police have taken six persons who took the body for cremation without fulfilling the legal procedures into custody.