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Newly appointed Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Zhang Maoming paid a courtesy call on National Assembly Chairman Narayan Prasad Dahal on Monday. 

During the meeting held at Chair Dahal's office in Singha Durbar, they discussed matters including relations between the two countries, parliamentary cooperation, mutual assistance and contemporary issues. 

Talking about long-standing relations between Nepal and China, Chair Dahal viewed the relations between the two countries are strong and deep not only at diplomatic level but also at people-to-people level. 

He mentioned that formation of a new government is in the process after completion of the election to the House of Representatives on March 5 in Nepal. 

The NA Chairperson also lauded the Chinese support to Nepal's development, according to Dahal's Secretariat. 

On the occasion, Ambassador Zhang shared that friendly relations based on mutual interest have been maintained since establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Nepal. 

Collaboration and cooperation between the two countries have remarkably increased and the relations between the two countries have reached a new height after the exchange of presidential visits of both countries, he argued.  

NA Secretary Tul Bahadur Kandel, employees at Foreign Ministry and Federal Parliament Secretariat and the officials of the Chinese Embassy were present in the meeting.

Ten people have been killed after a fire broke out in the trauma centre of a government hospital in the eastern Indian state of Odisha, BBC reported. 

All the victims were patients, while 11 hospital staff are being treated for burns suffered while trying to rescue patients, state Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said.

The fire - suspected to be caused by an electrical short circuit - started in the trauma care ICU of SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack city around 02:30 local time on Monday (21:00 GMT Sunday), according to BBC. 

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 26. 07 points to close at 2, 798. 83 points on Monday. 

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 6. 38 points to close at 480. 41 points.

A total of 30,790,211-unit shares of 345 companies were traded for Rs 1. 61 billion.

Meanwhile, Salapa Bikas Bank Limited (SABBL), Reliance Spinning Mills Limited (RSML), Upper Hewakhola Hydropower Company Limited (UHEWA) and Solu Hydropower Limited (SOHL) were the top gainers today with their price surging by 10. 00 percent.

Likewise,  Siddhartha Equity Fund (SEF)was the top loser as their price fell by 4. 39 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 4. 74 trillion.

Five people have gone missing in the Baridya National Park. 

They have been identified as Resham Samaseli (25), Ram Bahadur Gharti (34), Rabilal Damai (41) and Sunil Samaseli (30) of Barahatal Rural Municipality-1 and Durga Bahadur Sijali (45) of Gangae of Lekbeshi Municipality-5. They reportedly entered the park area for alleged 'hunting'. 

They have been missing since Sunday evening, according to the District Police Office, Surkhet Deputy Superintendent of Police Mohan Jung Budthapa.  

A four-member security team has been mobilized for the search of the missing ones, the Surkhet Police said. 

The District Police Office, Bardiya has been informed about the incident. 

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Political thriller One Battle After Another has dominated this year's Oscars, scoring six wins including best picture, BBC reported. 

It marks the first best picture and best director win for Paul Thomas Anderson, who had never previously won an Oscar despite being one of Hollywood's most respected film-makers. 

"You make a guy work hard for one of these, I really appreciate it," he joked in his acceptance speech, adding that making the film had been a "wonderful, wonderful journey".

Other winners included Sinners star Michael B Jordan, who beat Timothée Chalamet to the best actor award; and Irish actress Jessie Buckley, who was recognised for her role in Hamnet, according to BBC. 

One hundred and eighty inmates out of those escaping the Nawalparasi Jail during Gen Z movement last September are still at large. Of them, 150 are men and 30 women.  

A total of 546 detainees had escaped from the Nawalparasi Jail on September 9. Of them, 362 returned to jail while four others have been kept in another prison, said an employee at Jail Administration Nawalparasi, Kiran Aryal.

Some of the detainees had returned to prison themselves while police had arrested some others. 

The Jail Administration had issued a notice, asking the escaped detainees to return to the jail. 

The district custody had 575 detainees before the Gen Z movement. 

Of them, 41 were Indian prisoners. Thirty eight Indian prisoners are still absconding while police arrested three Indian detainees and handed them to the custody. 

Deputy Superintendent of Police at the District Police Office, Bir Dutta Panta, shared that search for those at large is on.

A demonstration was held in Kakarvitta, demanding justice to 16-year-old Inisha BK from Surkhet, who was allegedly murdered after rape. 

On the initiation of the Pragatisheel Youth Club, Dhulabari, the rally was organized today which later converged into a corner meeting. 

School students, teachers, human rights activists, representatives from various organizations and media persons joined the protest rally. 

The participants carried placards that read 'Let's stop murder and violence', ' where the daughter is scared, that society turns to failure'. 

The participants including women rights activists Radha Pradhan, Puja Sapkota and Binay Karki demanded fair investigation into the case, bringing those responsible under the purview of law. 

The gathering concluded that such a type of heinous crime has made the society unsafe. The victim must get justice, they asserted. 

Reconstruction of the BP Highway damaged by repeated landslides and floods has been intensified so that it could be brought to use for normal vehicle movement in Kavre section before monsoon. 

The shortest route to link the eastern hilly and southern plains to the federal capital, Kathmandu, was damaged heavily during the monsoon last year. The reconstruction was launched from three sections along the Highway.

Chief senior divisional engineer Suman Yogesh informed that they had intensified reconstruction activities to bring to use the Highway in a normal manner. The speed of activities at present suggests the highway operation in full scale in Kavrepalanchok section before the rainy season, according to him. 

The BP Highway was damaged significantly by the landslides and floods triggered by the late monsoon rains occurred in September 2024. 

Among four damaged sections, the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is assisting in reconstruction of the 3.2km stretch- from Barkhekhola to Piple. A contract for this is being made in a month. 

RCC walls are being constructed in the washed out sections of the roadway. Widening of road from Dalabesi to Narke via Mangalbar and Charsayabensi is also going on at present. 

However, it will take two years to complete the reconstruction of the damaged roads in Kavrepalanchok and Sindhuli districts, it is said. Nearly 30 km stretch of the Highway was destroyed by the rain-triggered floods and landslides. 

After reconstruction, the roadway will have two lanes. There will be five motorable bridges as part of the roads. For the 8.5km road stretching from Dalabensi to Charsayabensi, a company, Khani-A1-Kamaljit, has been contracted at Rs 1.42 billion. 

Similarly, Lama-Nawakantipur JV has been contracted for the reconstruction of 11.08 km section from Charsayabensi to Bhakundebensi; and Kharidhunga-Ghising-Kshitiz JV has been contracted for building the road in a 4.90km distance that covers Nepalthok to Barkhekhola.