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CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman and former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that his party has not prioritized the issue of joining the government.

Talking to the media in Chitwan today, the Maoist Center Chairman argued that some people were making interpretations as if the Maoist Center was expecting to join the government while the party was criticizing the wrongdoings of the government. 

"This government is not performing well. We should not interpret as if we are willing to join the government while raising issues about the government's performance. We are not expecting to join the government. We are not concerned about this," the Maoist Center Chairman elaborated. 

On the occasion, he said that his party would resume the party strengthening campaign along the Mid-Hill Highway after a month adding that the party would push for new agendas after holding its central committee meeting. 

"So, we have oriented our party to listen to the people's voices now instead of the government. The campaign is being resumed to address the people's concerns," Prachanda stated. 

Likewise, the Maoist Centre Chairman shared that his party was intact after the recently concluded standing committee meeting and the meeting's decisions would be firmly implemented.

In a separate context, he voiced support for expediting the construction works of the Gautam Buddha International Cricket Stadium in Bharatpur.

Nepali Congress President and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that Gender sensitivity is an important issue of overall social transformation.

At a workshop on gender sensitivity organized by the Nepali Congress at its central office, Sanepa, today, President Deuba said that a respectful, safe and inclusive society can be built if we all become sensitive on this matter. "The party will initiate necessary efforts to implement the ideas and suggestions related to gender sensitivity based on collaboration and coordination with all sides concerned." 

Sharing that social democratic political parties of various countries are associated with the social democracy network, he added this network has been making contemporary political, economic and social debate of the Asian region deeper and broader.    

Social democracy has been working as a strong platform for making inclusive law based on development, equality and justice, he stressed. 

On the occasion, NC President Deuba remembered Nepali Congress leader and founding President of Nepal Women's Association, Mangala Devi Singh, adding that Singh struggled for establishing women's right to vote in the first municipal council election held in 2004 BS.

Similarly, NC Joint General-Secretary Bhishma Raj Angdambe laid emphasis on the need of making gender equality effective while another Joint General-Secretary Mahalaxmi Upadhyay said gender equality is the matter of concern of all, not only of women.  

President of Nepal Women's Association, Usha Rawat, pointed out the need of making society aware about gender equality.

The Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (KAPP) signed contracts on Sunday with Saudi's ACWA Power and the Gulf Investment Corporation for phases two and three of the Al-Zour North power plant, Reuters reported.

The value of the phases of the power plant project exceeds 1 billion Kuwaiti dinars ($3.27 billion), the Kuwaiti authority's director general told Reuters. He said the investors, not the government, will bear the cost.

The signing ceremony on Sunday sets in motion one of the biggest electricity projects in the Gulf country as it seeks to address severe electricity shortages, according to Reuters.

South Korea's military shrank by 20% in the past six years to 450,000 troops, largely due to a sharp drop in the population of males of enlistment age for mandatory service in the country with the world's lowest birthrate, a report said on Sunday, Reuters reported.

The dramatic decline in the pool of available males for military service is also causing a shortfall in the number of officers and could result in operational difficulty if it continues, the defence ministry said in the report.

The report was made to the ruling Democratic Party member of parliament Choo Mi-ae, whose office released it.

South Korea's military has steadily declined since the early 2000s when it had about 690,000 soldiers. The pace accelerated during the late 2010s and there were about 563,000 active-duty soldiers and officers in 2019, according to Reuters.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday that Kyiv "values and fully supports" a joint statement by European leaders on achieving peace in Ukraine while protecting Ukrainian and European interests, Reuters reported.

French, Italian, German, Polish, British, Finnish and European Commission leaders on Saturday welcomedU.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to try to end the war, but emphasised the need to pressure Russia and provide security guarantees for Kyiv.

"The end of the war must be fair, and I am grateful to everyone who stands with Ukraine and our people today for the sake of peace in Ukraine, which is defending the vital security interests of our European nations," Zelenskiy wrote on X, according to Reuters.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that the government was determined to seek a permanent solution to the problem of irrigation in the Tarai.

Taking to social media, PM Oli expressed happiness over completion of 76.54 percent paddy plantation in eight districts of Madhes Province. He mentioned that the government is determined to find a permanent solution to irrigation by ending the dependency on rainwater in Tarai in the coming year.  

"I made an aerial inspection of the drought-hit zone in Tarai a few days ago. The government took special decision of relief and support in Tarai area, declaring Tarai-Madhes as drought-hit zone", the Prime Minister opined. 

PM Oli writes, "Activities for the installation of 500 deep-boring had been started for the time being. The construction of Sunkoshi-Marin diversion has been forwarded for a long-term solution. The rainfall also took place in Tarai-Madhes last week which has helped the paddy plantation. Total 76.54 percent paddy plantation has been completed in eight districts of Madhes Province. I hope that paddy will be planted in the remaining areas within a few days."

A Royal Bengal tiger has been found dead near Malibasti of Thori Rural Municipality-4 in Parsa district.

Information Officer at the District Police Office, Kishor Lamsal, shared that the tiger was found dead about 500 meters south from the Postal Highway in Malibasti at 7:30 am today. 

A team under the command of Assistant Sub Inspector Dharmendra Sah from Police Post Bijaybasti has been deputed after locals informed about the incident. 

A team from the Parsa National Park has also reached the incident site for the necessary investigation. 

Ranger Jayram Neupane of the Parsa National Park said that the dead tiger has been brought to the Parsa National Park for postmortem.

Three persons were injured when a train hit a car near Thapa Chowk in Brahmapuri, Janakpurdham Sub-Metropolitan City-9.

The Nepal Railways train coming from Pipradhi Station in Mahottari to Janakpurdham hit the car (Bagmati Province 01-025Cha 1290) at 8: 30 am today, District Police Office Spokesperson Barun Bahadur Singh.

According to local eyewitnesses, a loud noise was heard when the train hit the car, which was reportedly carrying three people. 

Luckily, the occupants of the car escaped with minor injuries, while the car suffered significant damage.

The train service was disrupted for some time after the accident. 

Further investigation is underway on the matter, shared Police Spokesperson Singh.