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A female elephant has been found dead at the Adarsha Community Forest in Charchabari of Buddhashanti Rural Municipality-3, Jhapa. The local residents informed the police after they saw the elephant dead this morning. Tirtha Timsina, a local resident, said that Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and Division Forest Office officials have reached the site. No electric fence was fixed on the site where the elephant was found dead. The reason behind the death has not been ascertained yet. So far, two elephants died in Jhapa in this fiscal year while five persons died from the elephant attacks, according to the Division Forest Office.

A Nepali migrant worker died in Portimao city of Portugal on Friday. The deceased has been identified as Ganeshman Sarangkoti (33) of Chandranagar in Khajura Rural Municipality-1, Banke. Sarangkoti, who went to bed after returning home from work on Thursday night, was found dead while asleep the next morning, said Rabin Adhikari, President of Non-Resident Nepali Association of Portugal. He arrived in Portugal after working in Dubai and Malta. His body has been kept in the hospital mortuary in Portimao. At the request of the family, necessary preparations are being made to send his body to Nepal, said NRNA Portugal Chair Adhikari. A fund-raising campaign has been started to collect funds to send the body to Nepal.

An earthquake has occurred in East Rukum on Sunday. According to the National Seismology and Research Center Lainchaur, Kathmandu, an earthquake measuring 4.1 in the Richter scale with its epicenter around Hukam Gaon in East Rukum took place at 2:59 am today. Earlier, an earthquake of the same magnitude had occurred on May 4 with its epicenter in Bajura district.  

Nepal is running over Rs 126 billion worth of trade deficit with Bhutan in the past five years. Exports and imports with Bhutan and Bangladesh are taking place through Kakadbhitta transit in the eastern border of the country. According to Purna Prasad Lamsal, the information officer for the Mechi Customs Office, Kakadbhitta, Nepal imported goods worth over Rs 177 billion from Bhutan through the transit in the past five years beginning the fiscal year, 2018/19 until 14 May, 2023 of the current FY, 2022/23. The exports to Bhutan during the same period amounted to more than Rs 50.7 billion. Trade deficit in the FY, 2018/19 amounted to over Rs 1.4 billion. Similarly, the FY, 2019/20 saw trade deficit worth more than Rs 993 million, over Rs 614 million worth in the FY 2020/21, more than Rs 908 million in the FY 2021/22, and over Rs 794 worth until 14 May, 2023 of the FY 2022/23. Nepal has been importing cement raw materials including gypsum from Bhutan, and exporting iron and iron-made products to the country. Nepal imported over Rs 1.3 billion worth of gypsum from Bhutan in 10 months of the current FY, and exported iron and iron-made products worth more than Rs 3.7 billion.

The Birgunj Metropolitan City has collected Rs 360 million in revenue in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year under 26 different headings. Birgunj is the only Metropolitan City in Madhesh Province. Chief of Revenue Section at the Metropolitan City Manoj Kumar Karn said that Rs 140 million was collected from the property tax, Rs 50 million from house rent tax and Rs 22 million from business registration fees among others. Likewise, Rs 27 million was collected from government property tax and Rs 20 million from other service fees. The revenue under the heading of housing registration is not likely to reach Rs 200 million this year though the fees under the same heading collected Rs 470 million last year, Karn added.  

With the announcement to begin the chartered flights from Pokhara to different cities of China from June 23 has made tourism entrepreneurs excited in the city. Addressing the 24th national conference and annual general meeting of Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) on Thursday, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Sudan Kiranti announced to begin the chartered flights to different cities of China from June. The announcement is expected to materialize the dream of Pokhara folks to start international flights from Pokhara. The Pokhara Regional International Airport was inaugurated on January 1 this year but no international flight has taken place since then. Chairman of Pokhara Tourism Council Pom Narayan Shrestha said, "We are excited from the announcement to commence chartered flights. This will mark the beginning of the international flights. This should be implemented at any cost." Likewise, chairman of NATTA Gandaki Province Hari Ram Adhikari said that this will be a good beginning for the tourism industry and will serve as a milestone for the entire country's tourism sector's development. It is said that around 80 percent of the total Chinese tourists visiting Nepal arrive in Pokhara city.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has reiterated that Nepal's foreign policy is conducted on the basis of Panchasheel or the five principles of peaceful co-existence. Replying to queries from lawmakers in the meeting of the House of Representatives today, he said Nepal's foreign policy would be advanced taking into consideration the national interest. Lawmaker Dilendra Prasad Badu had asked the PM how the government was planning to pursue Nepal's foreign policy. Similarly, Raghuji Panta had asked whether discussions would be held on the Nepal-India Treaty of 1950 and the protection of Nepal's border and territory during the PM's visit to India. In reply, PM Dahal said, "We will not give even an inch of our territory in the context of the border, nor do we want an inch of our neighbor’s territory. We will state this during the India trip. Nothing that affects Nepal's national interest and unity would be done." To a question by Deepak Giri as to when the Tarigaun airport in Dang would be upgraded, the Prime Minister said the government was serious regarding upgrading the airport and asserted that works would be initiated soon towards that end. Stating that corruption and misrule has been increasing in the country, Bidya Bhattarai asked what has the government been doing regarding corruption control and taking action against the alleged corruption scams related to the ex-Maoist combatants' camp, the Lalita Niwas and the fake Bhutanese refugee scandal. In reply, PM Dahal said, "The government will not spare the corruption and organized crime. The issue of the fake Bhutanese refugee scam has become the topic of Nepal's prestige. The government has adopted the policy of zero tolerance on corruption and the government is committed to it." On a question by Ramhari Khatiwada on post-earthquake reconstruction and the latest economic situation of the country, PM Dahal said that there has been a notable improvement in the remittance inflow and foreign currency reserve. He added that the public trust towards the state and government has increased due to the improved public service delivery. He also stated that the remaining installment of the amount earmarked for the earthquake victims would be distributed within the deadline. On the occasion, PM Dahal presented statistics on the progress made in education, health, literacy, economic development, agriculture, among other sectors following the establishment of republicanism in the country. Government has kept peace process in priority Likewise, in the course of the question-answer session, the Prime Minister said that the government has kept taking the peace process to conclusion in its priority and made it clear it would be completed as per the letter and spirit of the Comprehensive Peace Accord. "The remaining works of the peace process would be moved ahead with priority. The Bill related to Truth and Reconciliation and Enquiry on Enforced Disappeared Persons Commission is under study. I have been making efforts to forge broader political consensus on this topic," he added. Lawmaker Purna Bahadur Gharti Magar had asked the PM as to when the peace process and transitional justice would be concluded. The PM also reiterated that the government is ready to provide quality education in government schools and it has plans to provide employment to the youths within the country. There are several programs for enhancing the capacity of teachers as well. Lawmaker Ishwori Devi Neupane had asked about the government's plan of enhancing the quality of education in government schools and providing employment to youths within the country itself. Stating that all are aware about the overall economic development facing problems due to the setback on the economy, PM Dahal said programs creating employment opportunities were in the government's priority. He also said that the government has been working to cut back on unnecessary expenditure and strictly checking revenue leakage. The head of the government said there is a plan to encourage foreign direct investment and aiding the domestic industries for boosting Nepal's economy. Lawmaker Padam Giri had asked the PM about the government's plan regarding raising up the country's economy. To the question by Sishir Khanal as to when the Lal Commission's report would be made public, the PM said the report would be made public after the Supreme Court's order in this regard is settled. He maintained that there is also the international practice in which states are found not sharing such reports if they deem the issue is sensitive. He also refuted that the former disqualified Maoist combatants were being doled out money from the state coffers terming that as mere allegations. "An agreement was made in the CPA itself to keep the Maoist combatants in cantonment. If anyone files a case against me on this topic and I am convicted of any wrongdoing, I am ready to go to prison," the PM said, replying a question by Gyanendra Shahi, who asked about the authenticity of the 8460 'disqualified' Maoist combatants and the government's plan of providing Rs 200 thousand to each of them.  

A meeting of the Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee under the House of Representatives today unanimously endorsed its internal working procedure. The meeting was held at the Singha Durbar-based Committee office under the chair of Committee second senior-most (by age) member Mangal Prasad Gupta. Committee senior-most member and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba was not present in the meeting today. In the meeting, the entire Committee members were of the view of dispatching the bill relating to money laundering and transitional justice to the respective body for clause-wise deliberations. So, the Committee commenced the discussions on the TRC Act (Enforced Disappearances Inquiry, Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act, 2079 BS- third amendment). So far, 186 proposals have been registered, seeking the amendment to the Act. The Committee shall meet again at 11:00 am tomorrow and continue deliberations on the bill, according to Gupta.