Submit your Article

Minister for Foreign Affairs Arzu Rana Deuba has reached New Delhi, the capital city of India, on Thursday afternoon on a visit.

According to her secretariat, the foreign minister reached New Delhi following her prayers and worships at Baba Baidhyanath Dham in Jharkhand, India.

Upon her arrival at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs of India, Munu Mahawar and Nepali Ambassador to India, Dr Shanker Sharma had welcomed Minister Rana.

During her visit, Minister Rana is scheduled to participate in the Raisina Dialogue programme organized by The Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in New Delhi from March 17 to 19 in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs of India.

Additionally, she will address separate sessions titled 'Status and Problems of Climate Change and What the South wants?' on behalf of Nepal, apart from addressing the 'Digital Public Infrastructure Conclave'.

Moreover, Minister Rana is also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with her Indian counterpart Dr S Jaishankar and counterparts from other friendly countries, her secretariat informed.

Prime Ministers, foreign ministers, leaders and policy makers from various countries across the world will participate in the Raisina Dialogue.

Nepal Police apprehended 55 individuals from the Kathmandu Valley on Thursday on charge of unruly activities during the Holi celebrations.

Spokesperson of District Police Range in Kathmandu Superintendent of Police Apil Raj Bohara said 52 men and three women were nabbed from different locations in the valley.

Likewise, police impounded 253 vehicles from different sites in the districts of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur.

Of them, 49 drivers and motorcyclists were held on charge of drunk driving and eight others on other charge of narcotics. 

Security has been beefed up in Kathmandu Valley in view of Holi festival.

Chief of Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office, Senior Superintendent of Police Binod Ghimire, shared that traffic checking campaign has been accelerated in Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur districts of the Valley from this morning.

He added that this year those violating the traffic rules not only face traffic action, but they will be made to stand on the road whole day and will not be allowed to participate in Holi celebration the rest of the day.

Security personnel have been mobilized with necessary gear at more than 120 places in the Kathmandu Valley for the same.

Traffic Police and Civil Police personnel have jointly launched the security checking campaign. Nepal Police have requested one and all to celebrate Holi festival only with family and relatives in a friendly environment and as per the time-honoured tradition.

Requesting to play Holi being disciplined, District Administration Office of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur districts said action would be taken against those celebrating Holi in unruly manner.

Holi, one of the major festivals observed in Nepal, is being celebrated in the hilly parts of the country today.

The festival of goodwill and harmony will be celebrated in Tarai tomorrow.

Also called Phagu Poornima, people celebrate this festival by smearing colorful powders and throwing colored water at each other while dancing and singing.

People of all ages, old and young as well as children participate in the festival.

Since age-old times, the Holi festival has been observed as a celebration of the victory of truth over falsehood.

As it is celebrated by one and all, the Holi festival has contributed to minimizing inequality and discrimination in the society.

Meanwhile, President Ram Chandra Paudel has expressed his belief that the Phagu Poornima or Holi festival would contribute to further strengthening social harmony and national unity in the country.

In a message of best wishes today on the occasion, he said that the festival helps the ethnic, linguistic and culturally diverse Nepali society maintain unity amidst diversity.

“Unity amidst diversity is also the identity and unique characteristic of Nepalis. I am confident that this festival will contribute to further strengthening social harmony and national unity among all Nepalis by renouncing anger and resentment and fostering love and affection,” reads the message.

Describing Nepali society as diverse and colourful as the various colours played during Holi, he has also expressed his heartfelt wishes for happiness, peace and prosperity to all Nepali sisters and brothers living at home and abroad on the auspicious occasion of Holi.

Vice-President Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav, Speaker Devraj Ghimire, National Assembly Chairperson Narayan Prasad Dahal, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN (Maoist Center​​​​​) Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' have also issued separate statements extending their best wishes to all those celebrating the festival today.

Rainfall with thunder and lightning is likely to take place in the hilly areas of Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces today.

According to meteorologist Govinda Kumar Jha at the Weather Forecasting Division, the rainfall is a result of a combination of local winds coupled with partial influence of the westerly winds.

With pre-monsoon activities already coming into play, rain with thunder and lightning is likely in the afternoon while the weather will remain generally clear at night.

Since Wednesday evening, light to moderate rain has occurred in the hilly areas of Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces.

However, the Division has stated that there is no possibility of rain tonight as the weather system that causes rain has developed in Gandaki Province and exited through Koshi Province.

It may be noted that the weather has remained cloudy in various parts of the country including the Kathmandu Valley for the past few days.

As a result, the country's air traffic has also been affected due to the adverse weather.

According to the Tribhuvan International Airport, domestic as well as international flights had to be put on hold in the sky for some time on Wednesday afternoon due to low visibility.

The Supreme Court has quashed the contempt of court case filed against Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, for not meeting sufficient grounds for it to be established.

A joint bench of Justices Hari Prasad Phunyal and Nityanand Pandey today ruled that the contempt of court case does not hold sufficient ground to be entertained.

It may be noted that Senior advocate Kumar Sharma Acharya and advocate Kanchan Krishna Neupane had filed a petition at the apex court in 2077 BS, arguing that PM Oli's comment on the case related to the dissolution of the then House of Representatives, which was sub judice at the Constitutional Bench of the court, and statements targeting senior advocate Krishna Prasad Bhandari amounted to a contempt of court.

Prior to this, a single bench of Justice Manoj Kumar Sharma had issued an order requiring Oli to appear in person and submit a written response.

As per the order, Prime Minister Oli had appeared in person and submitted a written reply.

The 4th edition of Ilam Literature Festival is all set to be held in Ilam Bazaar of Ilam district on March 14 and 15.

According to press statement released by Prakash Thamsuhang, chair of the Festival, many authors, artists, intellectuals and politicians from Nepal, India and Bangladesh will participate in the two-day festival.

With the slogan 'Literature for Tourism', the two-day festival will include more than 20 sessions. "Prof. Anand Kumar from India will be delivering the keynote speech on Democracy and Environment," as per the statement. 

Anand Kumar is the former professor of Jawaharlal Nehru University and chair professor of Goa University.

Organized by Ilam Municipality, Literature, Art and Music Foundation of Ilam and IlamSahitya Samaj in association with the Nepal Academy, Nepal Fine Art Academy and Red Panda Network, the festival will consist of many sessions on literature, commerce, environment, music, culture and politics.

Khagendra Sangraula will speak on his bygone days with journalist Deepak Sapkota. Krishna Khanal, Narayan Kaji Shrestha 'Prakash', Gagan Kumar Thapa, and GokarnaBista are scheduled to speak on the topic 'Politics: Optimism or Pessimism'.

Poet Hangyug Agyat will speak on the beauty of the village while Tikaram Yatri, Ani Chhoing Dolma and Min Dolma will discuss the session 'Art and Spirituality.'  Likewise, journalist Phanindra Sangam will discuss with poets Shrawan Mukarung, Mishra Baijanti and Avaya Shrestha in the session 'Poetic Sense and Effect'. 

Journalist Raman Paudel will talk with Prithvi Subba Gurung, Minister for Communication and Information Technology, on the issue of social media while singer Prakash Saput will speak on caste-based discrimination.

Similarly, professional Nepali translator Ken Subedi will moderate the session ' Embodying Diversity in South Asia Through Translation' in which Shahed Kayes, from Bangladesh, Dr. Balram Adhikari and Chandra Gurung from Nepal will take part. Moreover, PradipMeyangbo will talk to Arjun Mabuhang and Sandhya Subba on 'Mundhum and Environment'.

Basanta Basnet, Srijana Pokhrel, GirirajBaskota, Chhabilal Khatiwada, Bishnu Kafle, Prabin Khaling, Tika Chhetri, YogendramanShrestha, Krishna Paudel, Gayatri Thegim, Bishnu Bishwas, Asha Uparkoti, Milan Tamli, Premika Rana Magar, Shankar Tiwari, Krishna Baral, Shailendra Adhikari and Deepa Dahalwill speak on different topics.

Similarly, other participants include Navaraj Parajuli, Madhuraj Kerung, Shiva Rijal, KomalPhuyal, Rajan Mukarung, Naresh KangmangRai, Dewan Kirati, Munaraj Sherma, Mahendra Birahi and others. Shanaz Parveen, AnjumanAra, Lovely Yesmin from Bangladesh and others will join poetry recitation.

According to Festival chair Thamsuhang, the Festival will include Ilam Poetry Concert, a Ghazal symposium and others. 

It is informed that Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation and Culture, Badri Pandey, will inaugurate the Festival.

"We believe that we can promote tourism through art and literature," chair Thamsuhangsaid. The festival will be held at Gautam Buddha Conference Hall in Ilam Bazaar.

The first commercial chartered flight will be operating on the Pokhara- Chengdu (China) route from March 18 in a bid to regularise international flights at Pokhara Regional International Airport in Kaski.

The regular operation of international flights from the airport had not been possible since two years of the launch of the airport.

According to Pokhara Tourism Council Chair, Taranath Pahari, the first operation of a commercial charted flight is scheduled to take place on March 18 for Chengdu.

Efforts to this end have been made from the private sector, it is said. China Travels International, Chengdu, the Embassy of China in Nepal and the Sichuan Airlines have collaborated with the Council towards that end.

Likewise, the Council has the support of Nepal-based Chinese Overseas Association.

The step is expected to be a cause for the boom the Province tourism business. They aim to welcome around 1,250 Chinese tourists directly from Sichuan province in China at the airport in the next three months.