The continued incarceration of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the midst of a general election highlights the hard political realities that seem to determine which leader gets prosecuted or arrested on allegations of corruption. Over the decades, it has become clear that only an unfriendly regime usually pursues charges against key political rivals; and that the status of relations between the party that runs the government of the day and those facing such charges dictates the course of action for supposedly independent agencies.

The elections held last Saturday in Bajhang for a provincial assembly member and a federal parliamentarian in Ilam have helped to understand where the country's political winds are blowing. The results of this election have also answered the question of which party, ideology, or leader the voters favor, or how much they dislike politics.

The curtains have been drawn on the two-day Nepal Investment Summit 2024, marking the conclusion of a significant event in the country's endeavor to bring in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for its prosperity. According to Sushil Bhatt, CEO of Investment Board Nepal, the summit garnered overwhelming interest from global business entrepreneurs and investors, with over 2500 attendees, including more than 800 international guests. Under the theme "Emerging Nepal," the summit successfully showcased Nepal as an attractive investment destination, highlighting priority projects in sectors such as Energy, ICT, Tourism, and Infrastructure.

After lengthy negotiations, the United States Senate has passed with bipartisan support a $95 billion programme to send aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. The final vote tally was 79-18, with three Democrats voting alongside 15 Republicans against the bill.

Nepal, a nation endowed with abundant natural resources and cultural richness, has traversed through turbulent times marred by poverty and conflict. However, amidst the struggles, Nepal has emerged resilient, having peacefully resolved armed conflicts and embraced inclusive democratic practices through the drafting of a progressive constitution in 2015 by the constituent assembly elected by the people.

The official visit by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, which ends today, has been marked by mutual praise, and promises to improve ties, particularly in the economic sphere.

The massive scale of resource waste incurred by a single project, the Election Commission's electronic voting machine (EVM) endeavour, has been outlined in a recent report by this daily. The now stagnant project began with the purchase of 1.50 lakh EVMs at a cost of Tk 3,825 crore ahead of the 2018 national polls to reduce the use of paper ballots. We are now left with 1.05 lakh out-of-order EVMs, worth Tk 2,467 crore of taxpayers' money.

The two-day state visit of Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the first by a head of state from Qatar since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1977, marks an important milestone in the bilateral relations between Nepal and Qatar. The visit culminated in the signing of various memoranda and agreements between Nepal and Qatar. The bilateral meeting resulted in eight deals—six at the government level and two involving the private sector.

Thousands of children, with bright minds and hopeful futures, are still denied the fundamental right to education in Sarlahi district in Madhesh province. Reportedly, around 8,000 children are out of school owing to various reasons even as a new academic session has already commenced.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb says that the economy has the potential to grow 10 times its size to $3tr for Pakistan to become a high-middle-income country by 2047. That kind of growth or economic transformation is difficult to achieve but not impossible.