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President Ram Chandr Paudel has appointed ambassadors to various five countries in accordance with the recommendation of the Council of Ministers.

Spokesperson at President's Office, Shailaja Regmi Bhattarai, informed that President Paudel appointed Prakash Mani Paudel as Nepal's resident ambassador to Portugal, while Sanil Nepal to Spain, Prof Dr Kapilman Shrestha to South Africa, Sewa Lamsal to Belgium and Dr Shiva Maya Tumbahamphe to South Korea. 

The Biratnagar Kings defeated Chitwan Rhinos by 51 runs in the second match of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) held at TU Cricket Ground in Kathmandu today.

The Chitwan Rhinos, chasing the target of 182 runs set by the Biratnagar Kings, scored only 130 runs losing six wickets in 20 overs.

Amar Rautela of Chitwan Rhinos made the highest scores of 42 runs. He hit two sixes and three fours over 29 balls.

Likewise, Santosh Karki of the same team scored 28 runs, team captain Kushal Malla managed 25 runs and Rabi Bopara 20 runs. Other players from the Chitwan Rhinos, however, failed to score double digits.

Chitwan Rhinos' Rijan Dhakal took two wickets. Captain Kushal Malla, players Sohail Tanvir and Basil Hameed each claimed one wicket.

Likewise, Biratnagar Kings' captain stood as a standout bowler in the match fetching two wickets for his team. Other team members- Chris Sole, Basir Ahmad, Subash Bhandari and Lokesh Bom took one wicket each.

The Biratnagar Kings, which had won the toss and opted to bat first, garnered 181 runs losing five wickets in the stipulated 20 overs.

Basir Ahmad emerged top scorer for his team by securing half century for his team.

He made 68 runs off 44 balls which included four sixes and four fours. Likewise, Martin Guptill chipped in 45 runs while Rajesh Pulami contributed 33 runs, Nicholas Kirton 8 runs and Deepak Bohora 4 runs. Victorious Biratnagar Kings made 23 additional runs.

The Tanahun Hydropower Project, under construction on the Seti River in Tanahun, has achieved 63 percent completion. With a reservoir capacity of 140 MW, the project is scheduled for completion by July 2025. It is being developed with major investment from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and is closely monitored by a high-level team from ADB and the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA).

On Monday, a team led by ADB’s Nepal Resident Mission Director, Arnaud Kushwa, and NEA’s Executive Director and Chairman of the Tanahun Hydropower Board of Directors, Kulman Ghising, conducted an on-site inspection. They reviewed the construction progress, including the 140-meter-high main dam (Package-1), the underground powerhouse, hydromechanical and electromechanical installations, and the main tunnel (Package-2).

The team held detailed discussions with project management, consultants, and contractors to assess progress, identify challenges, and evaluate the construction schedule. Tanahun Hydropower Managing Director Kiran Kumar Shrestha and Project Chief Shyamji Bhandari provided updates on ongoing activities and existing hurdles.

Highlighting ADB’s focus on the project’s environmental and social safeguards, Mission Director Kushwa urged swift resolution of current challenges to ensure timely and high-quality completion. NEA Executive Director Ghising emphasized the significance of the reservoir-based project in addressing the seasonal electricity demand-supply imbalance and called for collective responsibility to meet the project deadline.

Ghising noted that while structures like the powerhouse and transmission lines are nearing completion, the dam construction remains particularly challenging and sensitive. He directed all stakeholders to prioritize dam construction. Under Package-1, grouting work is ongoing in the lower section of the main dam, with crusher and moisture plants prepared for operations. Main dam construction is set to begin soon, with Package-1, undertaken by Song Da Corporation, Vietnam-Kalika Construction Nepal JV, currently 36% complete.

Package-2, which includes the construction of tunnels, the powerhouse, and hydromechanical and electromechanical equipment installation, is being executed by SinoHydro Corporation of China. The civil structure of the powerhouse is nearly complete, and the tailrace construction has been finished, bringing overall physical progress of this package to 62 percent.

Package-3 involves the construction of a 220 kV double-circuit transmission line from Damauli to Bharatpur in Chitwan, being implemented by KEC International Limited, India. Of the 94 towers required along the 34.7 km route, foundations for 78 towers have been laid, and 69 towers have been erected. The overall progress of this package stands at 74 percent.

Kathmandu Gurkhas defeated Lumbini Lions by 18 runs in the second match of the Nepal Premier League on Wednesday.

In the match held at the TU International Cricket Ground, Lumbini failed to reach the target of 104 runs set by Kathmandu Gurkhas.

Sandeep Zora was the highest scorer with 26 runs for Lumbini. For Kathmandu, captain Karan KC took four wickets and Dipesh Kandel took three wickets. Similarly, Jehard Erasmus took two wickets.

Earlier, Kathmandu, won the toss and decided to bat first and scored 103 runs in 19.2 overs.

Bhim Sarki top-scored with 31 runs followed by Dan Dwthwaite who contributed 21 runs.

For the bowling side, Saad Win Zafar took three wickets while Abhishesh Gautam and Ramon Simmonds took two wickets each.

Lumbini managed to collect just two points in six matches with five loss and one win.

With this defeat, Lumbini have been eliminated from the competition in the league stage, before playing one last game.

With the win, Kathmandu have risen to the fifth place in the points table.

A prominent global advocate for media rights and Chairperson of Media Action Nepal, Laxman Datt Pant, has urged authorities to uphold independent journalism and critical voices in Nepal, emphasizing that dissent should not be stifled under the pretext of combating misinformation or disinformation.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Digital Rights Conference organized by the Digital Freedom Coalition in Kathmandu, Pant highlighted the need for respect for both online and offline criticism, urging the government to address governance shortcomings instead of silencing independent media or netizens.

Pant called on lawmakers to ensure that reforms in laws governing digital spaces and media are grounded in Nepal’s constitutional guarantees of fundamental rights and its commitments to international human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

“Suppressing free expression in digital spaces without assessing actual harm contradicts the principles of a democratic state,” Pant remarked. He stressed the dual importance of producing factual information while respecting criticism aimed at enhancing governance and strengthening democratic checks and balances.

Pant further reminded that Nepal’s constitution prohibits pre-censorship of journalistic content, warning that any demands for journalists to take down news before publication violate fundamental rights. Pant's comments come amid growing concerns over increasing restrictions on digital space in Nepal.

Khadka Raj Shahi of Nepal Workers and Peasants Party has won the by-election held today for the post of Chair of Tilagufa Rural Municipality ward-4 of Kalikot.

Shahi secured 143 votes while his nearest rival CPN (Maoist Center)'s candidate Naishobha Shahi got115 votes, said chief returning officer Ananda Raj Pant.

Pant said that Ain Bahadur Shahi of CPN-UML got 78 votes, Pail Bahadur Shahi of Nepali Congress got 49 votes, Gogan Bahadur Shahi of Rastriya Prajatantra Party got 17 votes and Gagan Bam of Rastriya Swatantra Party got five votes in the by-election.

Out of a total of 609 voters, 411 (67.48 percent) votes were cast in the election.

Of them 217 women and 194 men took part in the election.

The by-election was held after Par Bahadur Shahi, who won as a Maoist centre candidate in the local elections held in 2079 BS, died in a landslide.

Almost 62 percent of the voters cast their vote in the by-elections held at some local levels for 41 posts, the Election Commission (EC) said.

EC Spokesperson Nita Pokharel Aryal said that almost 62 percent of 226,799 voters cast their votes as per the report received so far.

The by-elections were held for 41 posts including a mayor, two deputy mayors, two rural municipality chairs, four rural municipality deputy chairs and 33 ward chairs of the local levels.

The EC said that the by-elections were completed peacefully in all the voting centres from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Meanwhile, the EC has issued directives to begin the counting of votes after the collection of the ballot boxes.

The Commission has also thanked the federal, province and local governments for the support, coordination and cooperation to successfully hold the elections.

The by-elections to 41 positions at different local levels held today concluded in a peaceful manner, the Election Commission (EC) said.

EC Spokesperson Nita Pokharel Aryal said that the election that started at 7:00 am continued until 5 pm and was held in a peaceful environment.

The by-elections were held for 41 posts including a mayor, two deputy mayors, two rural municipality chairs, four rural municipality deputy chairs and 33 ward chairs of the local levels.

In the by-elections, 376 candidates are vying including the independent and political party candidates.