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The government and major political parties in the country have reached an agreement on creating an environment conducive for the upcoming March 5 elections to the House of Representatives.

The agreement was reached during a discussion held at the call of President Ram Chandra Paudel at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, Sheetal Niwas, on Tuesday afternoon, between Prime Minister Sushila Karki, Nepali Congress President and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN-UML Chair and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, and Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) Coordinator and former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

According to the President's Press Advisor Kiran Pokharel, an agreement has also been reached to hold detailed discussions later to create an environment for elections. 

"The election has been announced to provide a solution to the serious and sensitive situation in the country. Keeping this seriousness in mind, it is the responsibility of all of us to make the elections successful," Press Advisor Pokharel quoted President Paudel as having said in the meeting.

On the occasion, President Paudel also urged the top leaders of the three major political parties, including the Prime Minister, to make the upcoming House of Representatives elections scheduled for March 5 a success. 

Elections are the only suitable option to resolve the current complex circumstances facing the country.

Renish Phago, a veteran colourist with over two decades of experience in the Nepali film industry, has achieved a significant milestone with four films he colour-graded being listed on the official website of Assimilate Scratch, a globally recognized colour-grading software. The website, www.assimilateinc.com, now features four Nepali films: Pitambar, 12 Gaun, Outlaw and Mohar.

Phago said the recognition has motivated him to further raise his professional standards. “This marks a historic first for Nepal. It is the first time Nepali films have been included on the official platform of a globally recognized software through colour grading,” he said.

In addition to Nepali cinema, Phago is actively involved in colour grading for Bhojpuri films and music videos. Over the course of his career, Phago has colour graded more than 150 Nepali films. His recent releases include Maijaaro, Man Binako Dhan and Hari Bahadurko Jutta, with several other projects, such as Stree and Chhatishko Aagada.

Beyond his professional work, Phago is committed to developing skilled human resources in colour grading. “I have conducted many formal and informal training sessions. Nepal still lacks sufficient professional colourists, and building that workforce is essential. I want to share my knowledge and help train more people in the technical side of filmmaking,” he said.

Recently, Phago was honored with the Cultural Transformation Award 2025 by the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology and the Nepal Film Development Board, recognising his contributions to colour grading.

The foundation stone for the construction of a new school building at Shree Ninyukharka Secondary School in Dhurkot Rural Municipality–3 of Gulmi district with the support of the Government of India was laid on Tuesday under a High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP). 

The foundation stone was jointly laid by Gitanjali Brandon, Counsellor at the Embassy of India in Kathmandu, and Bhupal Pokharel, Chairman of Dhurkot Rural Municipality.

The project is being implemented with financial assistance of Rs 38 million from the Government of India. 

Under the initiative, a two-storeyed school building with classrooms and allied facilities, including furniture, will be constructed. The project is being executed through the Dhurkot Rural Municipality.

Local representatives, school management members, and other stakeholders welcomed the initiative and expressed appreciation for India’s continued developmental support in the education sector.

India and Nepal share close ties as neighbouring countries and development partners, cooperating across multiple sectors. The implementation of HICDPs reflects India’s ongoing support for Nepal’s development efforts, particularly at the grassroots level.

Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song paid a farewell call on President Ram Chandra Paudel today.

During the meeting held at Sheetal Niwas, they discussed the matters of Nepal-China relations and mutual welfare and interest, according to the Office of the President. 

President Paudel thanked Ambassador Chen for successfully completing his term.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 3. 27 points to close at 2, 584. 49 points on Tuesday. 

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 1. 57 points to close at 447. 58 points.

A total of 7,668,915-unit shares of 328 companies were traded for Rs 1. 47 billion.

Meanwhile, SY Panel Nepal Limited (SYPNL) was the top gainer today, with its price surging by 7. 01 percent. 

Likewise, Citizen Life Insurance Company Limited (CLI) was the top loser as its price fell by 5. 97 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 4. 33 trillion.

Temperature has started decreasing day by day across the country in recent days. 

Schools in some of the districts in Tarai have started closing their teaching learning activities due to fog and mist and the increasing cold. Snowfall is taking place in the mountainous region. There is fluctuation of temperature and weather in districts including in Kathmandu Valley. 

Kathmandu Valley recorded the coldest day today this year. 

According to the Meteorologist at the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Hari Prasad Dahal, the minimum temperature of Kathmandu Valley has dropped by around two degrees Celsius today as compared to Monday. 

Today's minimum temperature of Kathmandu Valley has been recorded at 4.9 degrees Celsius which was 6.8 degrees Celsius on Monday.

Most of the areas in Tarai of the country have been witnessing thick fog today. However, the weather in the mountain region is fair. 

Dahal added, "No weather system causing rain has developed. The Westerly wind has not been active. Areas of Tarai have been witnessing thick fog in lack of rainfall."

Jumla has recorded the lowest temperature today, which is minus 3 degrees Celsius.

Nepal’s foreign trade deficit during the first five months of the current fiscal year (mid-July to mid-December) has reached Rs 649.68 billion out of a total foreign trade volume of Rs 882.69 billion.

According to the foreign trade statistics released by the Department of Customs, imports during the review period stood at Rs 766.18 billion, while exports totaled Rs 116.50 billion. Compared to the same period last fiscal year, imports increased by 15.83 percent and exports rose significantly by 58.17 percent, the Department reported.

The country recorded a trade deficit of Rs 339.02 billion with India over the past five months. Imports from India amounted to Rs 434.06 billion, whereas exports were valued at Rs 95.04 billion. Likewise, imports from another neighboring country China totaled Rs 163.73 billion, while exports to that country were limited to Rs 466.8 million.

Romania emerged as the leading country in terms of Nepal’s trade surplus, with a profit of Rs 63.4 million. Nepal also recorded trade surpluses with Sweden and Iraq during the same period.

In terms of imports, petroleum products accounted for the largest share. 

The country imported diesel worth Rs 45.6 billion, petrol worth Rs 27.33 billion, and cooking gas valued at Rs 22.39 billion. 

Other major imports included smartphones worth Rs 19.13 billion, crude soybean oil amounting to Rs 46.97 billion, and iron products valued at Rs 21.84 billion.

Soybean oil was the single largest import item, totaling Rs 46.55 billion. 

In addition, Nepal imported large cardamom worth Rs 5.53 billion, carpets valued at Rs 4.13 billion, and sunflower oil worth Rs 3.73 billion during the review period.

China is likely to have loaded more than 100 intercontinental ballistic missiles across its latest three silo fields and has no desire for arms control talks, according to a draft Pentagon report which highlighted Beijing’s growing military ambitions, Reuters reported. 

China is expanding and modernizing its weapons stockpile faster than any other nuclear-armed power, according to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a Chicago-based non-profit. Beijing has described reports of a military buildup as efforts to “smear and defame China and deliberately mislead the international community.”

Last month, US President Donald Trump said that he may be working on a plan to denuclearise with China and Russia. But the draft Pentagon report, which was seen by Reuters, said Beijing did not appear to be interested, according to Reuters.