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Nepal reported 12 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 1, 473 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which seven returned positive. Likewise, 868 people underwent antigen tests, of which five were tested positive.

The Ministry said that no one died of the virus in the last 24 hours. The Ministry said that 16 infected people recovered from the disease.

As of today, there are 93 active cases in the country.

The weather will be partly to generally cloudy in most of the parts of the country with chances of heavy rain in some places today, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology said.

The monsoon has its influence in Province no 1, Madhesh, Bagmati and Gandaki provinces while the local wind and the Eat-West low pressure system prevailing in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar of India have their influence in the rest of the provinces.

The weather will be partly to generally cloudy in the hilly region of Province no 1, Madhes, Bagmati and Gandaki, among other provinces due to the impact of this weather system while partly to fair in the rest of the parts. There is the possibility of light to moderate rain accompanied by thunder and lightning at many places of province no 1, at some places of Madhes, Bagmati and Gandaki provinces and at one or two places of the hilly region in the remaining provinces.

There is possibility of heavy rainfall at one or two places of Province no 1 and Madhes province, it is stated.

The weather will be partly to generally cloudy throughout the country tonight with chances of light to moderate rainfall along with thunder and lightning at some places of Province no 1, Madhes, Bagmati and Gandaki provinces, and at a few places of the hilly region of the rest of the provinces. There is possibility of heavy rain at one or two places of Province no 1, the Meteorological Forecasting Division said.

The District Police Range, Kathmandu concluded that a contestant of a beauty pageant held eight years ago was raped by hoodwinking with the intention to exploit her. 

The police completed the investigation against Manoj Pandey with the conclusion that he raped the contestant by taking her under control.

An official at the District Police Office, Kathmandu, said that a probe team has submitted a report with an opinion by conducting the investigation under the Human Trafficking and Transportation (Control) Act, 2007.

In the report, the team said that Pandey will be charged under the Human Trafficking and Transportation as he drugged and raped the girl in various places by taking her under control.

Police have used the video statement made public by the victim and the statements of some witnesses as evidence.

Police have demanded 14 years of jail sentence—11 years for human trafficking and three years for sexually abusing the child—to Pandey.

Earlier, the girl came out with a series of videos on TikTok claiming that she was drugged and raped in 2014 when she was 16-year-old.

Pandey, the owner of Model Global Visas Consultancy, was apprehended on May 21 from Swoyambhu, four days after the girl shared harrowing experiences of being raped at the hands of Pandey some eight years ago on social media.

At a time when there is intense demand from across the country, including the voices raised in parliament for guarantee of chemical fertilizers to the farmers in the wake of monsoon, the Salt Trading Corporation Ltd has said it had begun importing the chemical fertilizer.

The Corporation responsible for importing the chemical fertilizer this year informed that 17,000 metric tons of DAP was already imported to the country and being distributed from various depots. Similarly, 22,000 metric tons of urea will also be imported within a week.

The Corporation was granted by the government to import as much as 100 thousand tons of chemical fertilizers, including 20,000 metric tons of DAP and 22,000 metric tons of urea. Remaining consignment of DAP had also arrived at Calcutta dry port.

Department manager at Corporation Brajesh Jha informed that 17,000 metric tons of DAP was being distributed from its depots. Remaining amount is also being brought. A sack of DAP chemical fertilizer weighs 50 kg.

It is said the current consignment in the country would be a huge relief to the scrambling farmers.

In the world agriculture market, the chemical fertilizer produced in Indonesia is considered the best. It is learnt that Agriculture Ministry has provided the grants of more than Rs 11 billion this year.

DAP is used for increasing the productivity of soil, while urea has nitrogen to grow plants.

According to Agriculture Ministry, some 200 thousand tons of chemical fertilizer is required for the cultivation done in a season. So, 500 thousand metric tons of fertilizers is used in Nepal annually. Agriculture sector contributes 27 percent to the gross domestic product in Nepal.

Similarly, with cereals having important role, rice production alone accounts 7 percent of GDP. Paddy is the major staple in Nepal.

The federal lawmakers in recent days have flared the voices for availability of chemical fertilizers.