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Two elephant calves born at the Elephant Breeding and Training Center at Khorsor, Chitwan National Park, are to be sent to Qatar on December 17.

The two calves named Rudrakali and Khagendra Prasad, raised and trained at the breeding center, and sheltered in Sauraha Hattisar, are about to be transferred to Qatar. Rudrakali is seven years old and Khagendra Prasad is six years old. 

Dr Haribhadra Acharya, the Information Officer of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, said that the two elephant calves are to be sent to Qatar on December 17, via a chartered cargo plane from Bhairahawa International Airport.

Acharya said that preparations are being made to send the elephants to Bhairahawa from Sauraha a day earlier after coordinating with the plane's flight schedule and assessing the road conditions. 

These elephants are going to be kept at Al Khor Park's zoo in Doha, Qatar.

According to Information Officer Acharya, two mahouts are also going to Qatar under the leadership of park animal technician Dinesh Dhakal, accompanying the calves. 

They will return home after ensuring the management of the elephant calves there.

Previously, Nepal has been presenting various wild animals such as the one-horned rhinoceros and elephants to different friendly nations as gifts. 

These wildlife gifts have been presented to strengthen the bilateral relations and to project the importance of Nepal's biodiversity at the international level.

Acharya said that this is the first time that Nepal is sending elephants as presents to another country.

The elephant breeding center, established in 2044 B.S. with 16 elephants brought from India, two from Myanmar, and two from Thailand, has so far bred and raised 68 elephants. 

Six of those born here have died. It is said 61 elephants have been trained here. 

Previously, Nepal has given 26 rhinos, 10 tortoises, one wolf and two leopards to various countries since 1985.

Nepal had expressed its commitment to gift elephants to Qatar during the official visit of then President Bidya Devi Bhandari in 2018.

The CPN-UML has decided to change the structure of office bearers.

The Central Committee meeting held today prior to the start of the closed session of the 11th General Assembly has decided to remove the post of senior vice chairperson.

Standing Committee member Sher Bahadur Tamang informed that the meeting has decided to float a statute amendment proposal to form a 351-member committee including 19 office bearers by removing the post of senior vice chairperson and adding the post of secretary.

Actor Hailee Steinfeld and her husband, Josh Allen, are expecting their first baby together. Steinfeld shared the news on Friday through her Substack newsletter while highlighting her favorite moments of the year. The announcement included a short video of the couple holding hands beside a small snowman. Steinfeld is seen wearing a sweater reading “mother,” while Allen kneels to kiss her baby bump. The reveal came just a day after Steinfeld’s 29th birthday. Allen is also 29.

The couple married earlier this year in a private ceremony in California after dating since 2023. Steinfeld is known for her roles in Hawkeye, Pitch Perfect and Sinners. Congratulations poured in from across sports and entertainment circles, with the NFL sharing the video on social media. Meanwhile, Allen and the Buffalo Bills are preparing for a crucial AFC East matchup against the New England Patriots this weekend.

Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Kulman Ghising directed the contractor company to expedite the completion of the under-construction Muglin-Pokhara road.

While inspecting the western section of the Prithvi Highway from Jamune to Pokhara today, he directed the construction company to complete the work on time and facilitate smooth traffic.

On the occasion, he acquired information about the progress made so far from Jamune to Pokhara under the western section and expressed his commitment to assist in resolving issues.

A physical progress of 59.76 percent and financial progress of 47.80 percent has been made so far in terms of road expansion in the western section.

According to Krishna Bahadur Kunwar, the Head of the project, laying the first layer of asphalt has been completed in one direction on 37.4 km out of the 48.88 kilometre stretch. 

He informed the Minister that a four-lane asphalt road was completed on 29.61 km and a two-lane asphalt road was completed on 7.79 km.

Out of 12 bridges in the section, 11 have been constructed while a bridge is under construction over the Seti River.

Project Head Kunwar said that in the last fiscal year, out of the target to upgrade 25 km of road in the western section to four lanes, 23.08 km was asphalted.

The project office stated that out of the target to construct 66 culverts, 65 have been completed, and out of the target to construct 51.5 km of drainage, 45.2 km has been completed.

An agreement was signed with the construction company on May 17, 2021. 

The deadline for completion of the project with a cost of Rs 7.40 billion is on December 31.

Comedian and actress Amy Schumer has announced that she and her husband, chef Chris Fischer, have decided to end their marriage after seven years. In a statement shared publicly, Schumer said the decision was difficult but amicable, adding that they still love and respect each other and will continue to focus on raising their son. The couple asked for privacy during this time.

Schumer and Fischer married in February 2018 in Malibu, California, and welcomed their son in May 2019. They also collaborated professionally, starring together in the Food Network series Amy Schumer Learns to Cook and the HBO mini-series Expecting Amy, which documented Schumer’s challenging pregnancy.

Schumer’s Hulu dramedy Life & Beth was partly inspired by her marriage. She rose to fame with the 2015 film Trainwreck and remains active in comedy and acting. Fischer is an award-winning chef and cookbook author.

The CPN-UML Central Committee held its last meeting today before the start of the closed-door session of the party's 11th National Congress. 

The meeting was held to discuss the agenda of the closed session. 

Opening the meeting, Chairman KP Sharma Oli said that the presence of party cadres at the inauguration ceremony of the National Congress yesterday confirmed the relevance of political parties in the country.

At the meeting, General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel presented the agenda including the election schedule, code of conduct, and current issues to be presented in the closed session.

Lionel Messi’s tour of India kicked off chaotically on Saturday as fans threw objects, ripped up seats and invaded the pitch at Kolkata’s Salt Lake stadium after the Argentine soccer great made only a brief appearance at a ticketed event, Reuters reported. 

Satadru Dutta, the event’s chief organiser, has been detained by police, said Rajeev Kumar, director general of West Bengal police.

Messi was scheduled for a 45-minute visit to the stadium, but his appearance lasted just 20 minutes. Tickets for the event were priced from around 3,500 rupees ($38.65) - more than half of average weekly income in India - but one fan said he had paid $130, according to Reuters. 

International human rights groups have condemned the re-arrest of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi in Iran, with the Nobel committee calling on Iranian authorities to immediately clarify her whereabouts, Reuters reported. 

Mohammadi's French lawyer, Chirine Ardakani, said on X that the human rights activist was arrested on Friday after denouncing the suspicious death of lawyer Khosrow Alikordi at his memorial ceremony in the northeastern city of Mashhad.

Mashhad prosecutor Hasan Hematifar told reporters on Saturday that Mohammadi was among 39 people arrested after the ceremony, according to Reuters.