HoR polls: Over 15 million ballot papers printed for FPTP category
More than 15 million ballot papers have been printed so far for the first-past-the-post (FPTP) category of the House of Representatives (HoR) elections scheduled for March 5.
The printed ballot papers are for 175 electoral constituencies of 53 districts, according to the Election Commission.
The EC said that the printed ballots papers are for Dolpa, Mugu, Jumla, Kalikot, Humla, Jajarkot, Dailekh, Rukum West, Salyan, Surkhet, Bajura, Achham, Bajhang, Doti, Dadeldhura, Darchula, Baitadi, Kailali, Kanchanpur, Panchthar, Ilam, Tehrathum, Bhojpur, Okhaldhunga, Sunsari, Taplejung, Sankhuwasabha, Solukhumbu, Khotang, Dhankuta, Baglung, Gulmi, Jhapa, Gorakha, Myagdi, Parbat, Bardghat Susta East (Nawalparasi), Morang, Udaypur, Mustang, Lamjung, Syangja and Bardiya among others.
These ballot papers have already been packed and packed boxes number 13,321. The printing has been continuous since the morning of January 30.
Currently, 1,000 boxes of ballot papers are being packed daily, while printing ranges between 1.3 million and 1.5 million ballot papers per day.
It is said that the EC requires printing over 20 million (total 20,323,000) ballot papers for the HoR direct election.
The printing of ballot papers has been underway at the Janak Education Materials Centre, Sanothimi since January 6. In the first phase, over a million (total 1,098,200) sample ballot papers were printed and distributed to various districts.
Meanwhile, under the proportional representation of the electoral system, over 20 million (total 20,830,000) ballot papers have been printed, packed and verified. They are now ready for dispatch.
Russian strikes near Kharkiv kill four, including children, Ukraine says
Overnight Russian air strikes have killed at least four people, including three young children in Ukraine's north-eastern Kharkiv region, local officials have said, BBC reported.
Regional head Oleh Synegubov said two boys, both aged two, a one-year-old girl and a 34-year-old man died after a drone hit their house in the town of Bohodukhiv.
A 35-year-old pregnant woman and another woman, 73, were injured in the strike on the town, Synegubov said, according to BBC.
Abuse of authority is a serious challenge on state's legitimacy, social justice: Prez Paudel
President Ram ChandraPaudel has shared that abuse of authority is not a minor mistake, it is a serious challenge upon the state's legitimacy and social justice.
Addressing a special program organized today on the occasion of the 35th Establishment Day of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), President Paudel said that the CIAA should pay attention to maintain good governance by fulfilling the assigned responsibilities.
He expressed the view that state's authorized bodies should work making people assure that no one could be exempted from legal accountability in the pretext of power and position.
President Paudel argued, "Abuse of authority is not only the violation of law, but also a serious blow on citizen's trust, faith and future. It damages the bridge of trust between the state and citizens."
"When public power is used for personal interest, the state's trust on citizens as well as citizens' trust towards the state becomes weak. It creates mistrust towards the rule of law, weakens faith in the law and undermines fundamental values of democracy," he underlined.
The President mentioned that corruption could be rooted out if hunger of power, position and property wealth is controlled.
It is possible to combat and prevent corruption if good conduct, integrity, impartiality, transparency, and fearlessness are embraced as a way of life, the President said, adding that he wished to see greater effectiveness in policy, methods, technology, and attitudinal reforms, as well as the development of discipline and good conduct as a system.
Stating that accessible and efficient service delivery for citizens and the proper functioning of the Constitution through good governance are the desired goals of the Constitution, the Head of State said that voices have repeatedly been raised urging the authorities concerned to fulfill these aspirations.
He made it clear that the recent youth movement was a demonstration of such expressions and desires, and called on everyone not to ignore these voices.
The President asserted that the fight against corruption is not the responsibility of any single institution; rather, it is a shared responsibility of all state apparatuses, political leadership, the bureaucracy, and civil society. According to the President, the fight against corruption will achieve its goals only through the joint commitment and coordinated actions of all these bodies.
“The struggle against the abuse of authority is ultimately a struggle for justice, equality, and good governance. Through this struggle, we can restore citizens’ trust in the system, strengthen democracy, and hand over a clean, competent, and reliable state to future generations.”
Strong political will is the first condition for combating corruption, the Head of State said, adding that he believes positive changes in the work culture of political officials will also guide the administrative sector toward greater accountability and integrity.
Mid-year budget review cuts GDP growth projection to 3.5%
The government has projected the country's economic growth rate to be limited to 3.5 percent.
This projection was made in the mid-year review of the current fiscal year's budget.
The annual growth rate of the gross domestic product (GDP) for the current year was estimated to be six percent.
However, due to the decrease in rice production, area and productivity, slowdown in the construction sector, and decline in real estate and land transactions, among other reasons, a new projection has been published in the mid-year review, indicating that the economic growth rate will shrink to 3.5 percent.
Last fiscal year's total GDP growth rate is estimated to be 4.6 percent.
As per the mid-year evaluation report of the budget, the preliminary estimate shows that the GDP at basic prices increased by three percent in the first quarter of the current fiscal year. The revised estimate suggests that the GDP at basic prices increased by 2.9 percent in the same period of the previous fiscal year.
It is estimated that the total value addition of the agricultural sector in the first quarter of the current fiscal year will expand by 1.36 percent compared to the same period of the previous fiscal year.
Particularly, based on the expectation of a decrease in rice production and an increase in livestock, vegetable, and fruit production, the growth rate of the value addition to the agricultural sector is expected to be relatively low.
In the current fiscal year, the production of food crops such as maize, millet, and buckwheat is expected to increase. In the previous fiscal year, the production of food crops like paddy, wheat, and maize is estimated to have increased by 2.67 percent and the production of cash crops by 2.01 percent.
The total value addition of the industrial sector is expected to increase by 5.44 percent in the first quarter of the current fiscal year compared to the same period of the previous year. The expansion of activities in the energy and construction sectors in the current fiscal year is expected to have a positive impact on the overall industrial sector.
In the first quarter of the current fiscal year, the total value addition of the production-based industries is expected to grow by 1.52 percent. During the same period, the total value addition of the service sector is expected to increase by 3.03 percent compared to the same period of the previous fiscal year.
It is estimated that the expansion in wholesale and retail trade, financial intermediation, general administration and defence, tourism activities, and personal services will have a positive impact on the overall service sector in the current fiscal year.
According to the mid-year budget review report, the average inflation for the first six months of the current fiscal year is 1.7 percent. In the same period last year, inflation was 4.97 percent.
Samar polling station in Mustang has just 36 voters
A total of 39 polling stations and centers have been established in Mustang, a mountainous district, for the House of Representatives (HoR) elections scheduled for March 5.
Mustang, which comprises five local levels, has the lowest number of voters—36—at the Samar Basic School polling center in Baragung Muktichhetra-3 Rural Municipality, according to the District Election Office.
Mustang has a single electoral constituency for the HoR elections, said District Election Officer Lokendra Gyawali.
The Janahit Polling Center in Jomsom, located in Gharpajhong Rural Municipality-4, has the highest number of voters at 689.
The updated number of voters in the district for the 2026 HoR election is 11,328.
The Election Commission (EC) will launch a voter education program to reduce the number of invalid ballot papers.
Training of trainers will start from today and the voter education program will be conducted in all 25 wards of the district, which is part of Gandaki Province.
UK doubles troops in Norway to counter Russian 'threat to Arctic'
The number of British troops in Norway will double over the next three years as part of efforts to combat Russian threats in the High North, BBC reported.
Defence Secretary John Healey said the number of armed forces personnel stationed in the Arctic nation would rise from around 1,000 to 2,000.
The commitment follows increasing concern among Nato allies about Russia's activities in the Arctic, including the reopening of old Cold War bases and a growing military presence in the region, according to BBC.
India tightens grip on social media with new 3-hour takedown rule
India’s government said on Tuesday social media companies would have to take down unlawful content within three hours of being notified about it, tightening an earlier 36-hour timeline in what could be a compliance challenge for Meta, YouTube and X, Reuters reported.
The changes amend India’s 2021 IT rules, which have already been a flashpoint between Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and global technology companies.
The amended rules also relaxed an earlier proposal that would have required platforms to visibly label AI-generated content across 10 per cent of its surface area or duration, instead mandating that such content be “prominently labelled”.
Netanyahu to meet Trump as Iran nuclear talks reach critical stage
President Donald Trump will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Wednesday, as tensions continue to rise across the Middle East and negotiations intensify over curbing Iran's nuclear weapons programme, BBC reported.
Netanyahu is expected to press Trump to pursue a deal that would halt Iran's uranium enrichment, and rein in its support for proxy groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.
"I will present to the president our outlook regarding the principles of these negotiations," Netanyahu told reporters before leaving for the US, according to BBC.
