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.

Yet another journalist has become a victim of violence and intimidation, reinforcing the fact that the authorities are still failing to ensure a safe environment for them to perform their duties. On Friday night, unidentified miscreants attacked a crime reporter of Bangla daily Jugantor with some sort of powdery substance that stung, leading to his hospitalisation.

Despite the private sector's recommendations to amend about two dozen laws to promote both foreign and domestic investment in the country, the government has yet to make any changes. With only a week left before the Nepal Investment Summit-2024 begins, where the government aims to attract foreign investment, the private sector is concerned about the absence of legal reform

The world’s largest elections begin this weekend in India, amid claims that the race to lead the country has already been won. If Narendra Modi were to secure a third term with a big parliamentary majority, his achievement would match that of the country’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Whatever the outcome, the loser has been Indian democracy. Unlike Mr Nehru, who anonymously criticised his own leadership, Mr Modi has little time for his opponents.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a bountiful monsoon. Rainfall from June-September is expected to be 6% more than the 87 cm, which is considered to be the average rainfall the country receives during these months.

The breakthrough of the Nagdhunga-Sisnekhola tunnel marks a significant leap forward in Nepal's development. For Nepalis who have only traveled abroad through the tunnel and heard that it was possible, such journeys are now feasible within the country. This tunnel route, built primarily for transportation, has become a milestone in the country's developmental history.

The integrity of financial institutions is critically important for the economic stability of any country. In Nepal, where commercial banks play a critical role in the nation's financial infrastructure, the importance of ensuring adherence to good governance practices cannot be underestimated. Recent findings from the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) in its 'Bank Supervision Report 2022/23' have raised significant concerns about the operational and systemic integrity of these institutions.