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A province-level security workshop has successfully concluded, focusing on essential security strategies to ensure the upcoming House of Representatives elections are conducted in a fair and fear-free manner. 

The workshop, which commenced in Rupandehi, Lumbini Province on November 25, wrapped up on Tuesday in Janakpur, Madhesh Province. 

Jointly organized by the Ministry of Home Affairs of the federal government and the provincial government, this annual workshop has been a staple for years. This year's discussions reportedly placed a greater emphasis on internal security and election-specific safety measures. 

During the Madhes Province-level security workshop in Janakpur, Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal affirmed that the current government is committed to holding the House of Representatives elections on the scheduled date.

As per the Home Minister's Secretariat, he has directed all four security agencies to ensure the elections are conducted in a clean, fair, and fear-free environment. 

The government has rolled out the Integrated Security Plan-2082 to guarantee that the House of Representatives elections, set for March 5, are executed in a clean, fair, and fear-free manner. 

In addition, the Election Police Recruitment, Selection, Appointment, and Deployment Procedures, 2082, have been approved and are currently being implemented. Consequently, the Nepal Police is advancing with the selection of 133,980 election police personnel. 

For this election, approximately 88,000 personnel from the Nepali Army, 77,000 from the Nepal Police, and around 34,000 from the Armed Police will be deployed. The Nepal Police have categorized 2,845 polling stations as general, 4,442 as sensitive, and 3,680 as highly sensitive, and have established security measures accordingly.

President Ram Chandra Paudel has conveyed his belief that festivals such as Maghe Sankranti enhance feelings of brotherhood, mutual harmony, and tolerance among all Nepalis. 

On the occasion of Maghe Sankranti and the Maghi Festival, 2082 BS, he offered his best wishes for happiness, peace, and prosperity to all Nepali brothers and sisters, both within the country and abroad. President Paudel remarked, "I believe that festivals like Maghe Sankranti not only aid in fostering ethnic harmony, respect for diversity, and national unity in Nepal's multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, and multicultural society but also nurture feelings of brotherhood, mutual harmony, and tolerance among all Nepalese." 

The Maghe Sankranti or Makar Sankranti festival is celebrated joyfully by various communities in Nepal, each in their unique manner. 

Notably, the Tharu community observes the Maghi festival as their New Year. Families traditionally enjoy the festival by indulging in delicacies such as ghee, chaku, tarul, laddus, sel roti, dhikri, and khichdi. 

President Paudel also highlighted that it is customary for people to take a holy bath in sacred rivers and confluences like Barahkshetra, Devghat, and Ridi Kshetra, and to worship at temples on this day. 

He emphasized that such festivals, as unique intangible cultural heritage, play a significant role in showcasing our country to the world. 

In his message of best wishes, he expressed, “I hope that Maghe Sankranti and the Maghi festival motivate all of us to preserve our culture and create a civilized, cultured, and egalitarian society.”

Similarly, while extending the best wishes on the occasion, Vice President Ramsahay Prasad Yadav has emphasized the conservation and sustainable use of biological resources. 

He has highlighted that all citizens and relevant stakeholders must be conscious about the conservation and sustainable use of resources. 

Vice President Yadav stated, “In Nepal, the day of the Maghi festival is also observed as National Agricultural Biodiversity Day. 

All three levels of government have been given the responsibility for conservation, and since Nepal is a signatory to international treaties, the importance of biodiversity conservation has increased even more.

Maghe Sankranti or Makar Sankranti is being celebrated throughout the country today. It is observed by taking holy dips in rivers and ponds, worshiping at various temples and savoring delicacies like ghee, yam, Khichadi and sweets such as Chaku and sweets made of sesame and molasses.

According to astrological charts, Makar Sankranti has special significance as the sun starts its ascendancy entering into the northern hemisphere from this day onwards.

On this day, sunlight moves from the Tropic of Capricorn towards the Tropic of Cancer. It is believed that the days get longer and nights shorter from today itself. According to ‘Bhabisya Puran’ and ‘Dharma Sindhu’, religious texts, devotees will get special blessings and will have a robust body if they observe the festival as per the rituals.

Likewise, the Newar community observes the festival by taking ghee, Chaku and remembering departed souls. This festival is called ‘Ghyo Chaku Sallnhu’. The seniors apply mild-hot edible oil to the heads of juniors on this day.

A large number of devotees throng Devghat, Barahchhetra, Ridi, Panauti, Dolalghat and Kankai in Nepal and Prayag and Gangasagar in India to take a holy bath and perform Shraddha.

The festival has significance in view of Ayurveda and medical science as well. Food items that are taken on this day are the sources of a balanced diet which increases the immunity power of the human body. On this day, a festival is organized at the Tilmadhav Narayan Temple in Taumadhi Tole, Bhaktapur, where puja of Deepakankar Buddha is performed.

The Tharu and Magar communities celebrate this festival as Maghi with much fanfare and gaiety. Likewise, the people in the Tarai districts mark the day as the festival of baths known as Nahan.

The government has announced a public holiday on the occasion of Maghe Sankranti/Maghi festival.

U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters that Ukraine - not Russia - is holding up a potential peace deal, rhetoric that stands in marked contrast to that of European allies, who have consistently argued Moscow has little interest in ending its war in Ukraine, Reuters reported. 

In an exclusive interview in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to wrap up his nearly four-year-old invasion of Ukraine. Zelenskiy, the U.S. president said, was more reticent.

"I think he's ready to make a deal," Trump said of the Russian president. "I think Ukraine is less ready to make a deal."

US envoy Steve Witkoff has announced the start of phase two of President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza, with a technocratic Palestinian government established in the territory, BBC reported. 

Under phase one, Hamas and Israel agreed a ceasefire in October, as well as a hostage-prisoner exchange, a partial Israeli withdrawal, and an aid surge.

Witkoff said phase two would also see the reconstruction and full demilitarisation of Gaza, including the disarmament of Hamas and other Palestinian groups, according to BBC. 

The US and UK are reducing the number of personnel at the Al-Udeid air base in Qatar, as US President Donald Trump considers whether to take action against Iran over its crackdown on anti-government protests, BBC reported. 

Officials have told CBS, the BBC's US partner, that the partial American withdrawal was a "precautionary measure". The BBC understands some UK military personnel are also being removed. 

A Qatari government statement said the measures reportedly being taken by the US were "in response to the current regional tensions".

Denmark's foreign minister has said there is a "fundamental disagreement" with the US over Greenland after talks at the White House, BBC reported. 

Lars Lokke Rasmussen said the meeting with Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday had been "frank but constructive". But he added that US President Trump was insisting on "conquering" Greenland which was "totally unacceptable". 

"We made it very, very clear that this is not in the interest of [Denmark]," he said, according to BBC. 

The Special General Convention of the Nepali Congress has elected Pradeep Paudel and Gururaj Ghimire as party General Secretaries.

The general convention representatives unanimously elected Paudel and Ghimire as the party general secretaries.

Similarly, Gagan Kumar Thapa has been unanimously elected as the President and Bishwo Prakash Sharma and Pushpa Bhusal as the Vice Presidents.