- Thursday, 15 January 2026
The Rising Nepal
Jill Biden pays surprise visit to Ukraine, meets first lady
Jill Biden made an unannounced visit to western Ukraine on Sunday, holding a surprise Mother’s Day meeting with first lady Olena Zelenska as Russia presses its punishing war in the eastern regions. Biden traveled under the cloak of secrecy, becoming the latest high-profile American to enter Ukraine during its 10-week-old conflict with Russia. “I wanted to come on Mother’s Day,” the U.S. first lady told Zelenska. “I thought it was important to show the Ukrainian people that this war has to stop and this war has been brutal and that the people of the United States stand with the people of Ukraine.”
Tara’s image returns from Yale
The Consulate General of Nepal in New York and the Yale University Art Gallery, Connecticut USA, jointly announced the transfer of the Nepali sculpture - Buddhist Goddess Tara/Parvati from the permanent collection of the Yale University Art Gallery to Nepal on Friday. Acting Consul General at the Consulate General of Nepal in New York Bishnu Gautam oversaw the return of the artwork in partnership with Yale. The retuning argillite-stone sculpture of Tara/Parvati that dates back to the late ninth to early 10th century was donated to the gallery by one donor in 2015.
DNPWC constructing two zoological parks
Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) has been constructing two big Zoological Parks at two different parts of the country. Bhanu Zoological Park, the largest semi-open zoo in the country, is being constructed in Tanahun district, which covers areas at Ward No. 5 and 6 in Bhanu Municipality and Ward No. 11 and 12 in Vyas Municipality.
EC allows help to disabled voters
The Election Commission (EC) has granted permission to the disabled voters to seek help from their family members while casting vote. Issuing a press statement on Sunday, the EC said it has granted permission for the presence of helpers to the needy disabled voters across the country to cast votes in the local election of May 13. Shaligram Sharma Paudel, spokesperson for EC, said that the EC had urged all the Returning Election Officers to help the needy and physically disabled voters in their respective polling stations.
EC urges media to abide by code of conduct
The Election Commission (EC) has urged all the media and media personalities not to publish/telecast any contents going against the election code of conduct 2022. Issuing a statement on Sunday, the EC said that all the candidates should be treated equally and the right to privacy and information of the voters should be maintained in all aspects by the media. Shaligram Sharma Paudel, spokesperson for the EC, informed that a few media outlets were found not abiding by the election code of conduct while publishing/telecasting information regarding the local level election.
Newspaper Of Nation
Gorkhapatra, the country’s oldest publication, celebrated its 122nd anniversary, the other day. A living witness to the nation’s political, economic, social and cultural vicissitudes, the Gorkhapatra has been disseminating official and unbiased information to the readers. Its role in raising the people’s socio-cultural consciousness has been hailed by all segments of the society. It has been continuously running since it first came out in 1958 B.S. This is indeed a rare feat in the media sector in the entire South Asian region. By bringing out special pages in 38 national languages, it has helped protect and promote various languages from being extinct. The daily has transformed itself into a robust public media though many regimes came and went in course of time. It is striving to move with pace of time in terms of content quality, look enhancement, technological adoption and market outreach.
Lords Of Hindsight Retract
In global power politics, the focus is on lording it over others. Economic interests reign supreme in the conduct of foreign relations, often couched in diplomatic niceties and formal trappings. Hidden if feasible but explicit when it comes to a crunch, trade, commerce and industry are the ultimate basis of bilateral and multilateral ties. Noted geo-strategist and former United States Secretary of State Henry Kissinger years ago confessed that use of nuclear weapons could not be ruled out if conditions seriously threatened American industry. There was hardly a murmur of protest from any significant quarters in the US or its first cousin continent of Europe. This spring’s Ukraine crisis reiterated the probability of nuclear war if nuclear club members did not — or were not made to — exercise restraint. Others with ambitions to enhance their role in setting international agendas and extend their influence must be assessing the war in Ukraine and visualise future scenarios that could involve them directly or impact their core interests.
A Dad’s Dilemma
A week ago, I took my son to a vaccination campaign at a school where I completed by secondary education. When the queue was too long, I decided to take him on a tour to the school where I spent most of my childhood as a student. Things have changed a lot at the school after I graduated from there almost two decades ago. There’s a small station for kids to hang, slide, swing and play. I set my son free to let him enjoy with himself while he was still in my surveillance. ‘Helicopter parenting’ is not what I believe in. I have cultivated a parenting philosophy that allows the kids to be ‘happy-go-lucky’, unless what he is doing doesn’t harm anyone.
'Press freedom soul of democracy'
President Bidya Devi Bhandari has said that there can be no institutional development of democracy without freedom of expression and freedom of press. Speaking at the National Journalism Award and Senior Journalist Felicitation Ceremony organized on the occasion of the 7th National Journalism Day 2079 BS, she said that the press in Nepal has played an important role in the transformation of the society. "Responsible journalism is indispensable in democracy. The press must work to provide accurate facts and information to people," President Bhandari said.
Achham voters in confusion over how to cast vote
Voters in Achham district are in confusion over how to cast vote in the upcoming local-level elections. That’s because they haven’t been taught that by the concerned authorities yet. Unaware about the right way to vote, many voters there fear that their votes may turn out to be invalid. Even the candidates who went on a house-to-house campaign to request for votes also did not tell them how to cast their votes, said the locals.
Beyonce receives first-ever Daytime Emmy Award nomination
Beyonce received her first Daytime Emmy nomination for the upbeat track she wrote for her mom Tina Knowles-Lawson’s Facebook Watch show. The 40-year-old singer was recognized in the outstanding original song category for her 90’s sitcom-inspired tune, Talks With Mama Tina Theme Song, which debuted in December. Despite earning eight Primetime Emmy nominations since 2013, the mom-of-three has yet to take home one of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ prestigious trophies.
‘Doctor Strange 2’ star Olsen on how Johansson taught her to be a superhero
Actress Elizabeth Olsen’s character Wanda Maximoff in the ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ is at her most complex, as her relationship with the title character essayed by English star Benedict Cumberbatch, grows more tangled over the course of the film. However, Olsen, whose portrayal of the mystical Scarlet Witch has made her a consistent MCU fan favourite, says that no matter what Wanda goes through, she’ll continue to defend the character, reports ‘Variety’.
Exemplary implementation of poll code of conduct in Narainapur
Narainapur Rural Municipality, in Banke district, has seen exemplary implementation of election code of conduct among all the local bodies in the district. Resham Acharya, the Returning Election Officer in the municipality, said that the local body had conducted several election campaigns lawfully. “The status of implementation of law here is better than any other municipality for the nearing local polls,” he said. He added that the parties and candidates were working hard to ensure full compliance of the code of conduct and that he was happy to see the code of conduct being obeyed properly. “Other local bodies, however, have violated the code of conduct.”
Election campaign intensifies in Banke
The election campaign of the Muslim community in Nepalgunj intensified after the end of Eid, major festival of the community. Candidates in different wards have been engaged in a fast-paced campaign to win over voters by visiting their homes. They have intensified the propaganda by forming groups, resulting in a hot election atmosphere. Regardless of the blistering heat, the candidates and their supporters seem to be busy campaigning even in the scorching afternoon sun. They are seen carrying umbrellas, holding water bottles in their hands and washing their faces with water.
Crop insurance not included in election manifestoes
Farmers in Sankhuwasabha have been facing loss of millions of rupees due to damage of crops caused by various natural calamities. Even though crops worth millions of rupees are destroyed every year, no one has paid attention to crop insurance. While the election activities are on the rise in the district, the manifestoes of the political parties do not even include the crop insurance scheme.
