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The Muslim community has been protesting in Birgunj since Sunday morning following the vandalism of a mosque in Dhanusha.

A group of unidentified persons vandalized a mosque at a Muslim Tole in Sakhuwa Maran, Dhanukamala Municipality-6, Dhanusha, and burned a copy of the Quran, according to an information circulated on social media.

The demonstrators have burned tires on the streets and shouted slogans in various places including Ghantaghar in Birgunj and Murali among others.

Meanwhile, a minor clash broke out between protesters and police at Idgah Chowk in Chhapakaiya.

Pollice also fired five rounds of tear gas shells to control the situation.

A police man sustained minor injuries in the incident.

The protesters have demanded immediate arrest and action against those who entered and vandalized mosques, the holiest places for Muslims, and burned the religious book, Quran.

Somnath Ghimire, a longtime Woodside resident and community leader, will formally announce his candidacy for the New York State Assembly in District 30 at a public event on 01/11/2026 at 6:30 pm at Gulshan Terrace.

"At its best, Queens is a place where every family belongs and has a voice," said Ghimire. "I'm stepping forward because District 30 deserves leadership that understands our communities and is committed to delivering real, smart practical solutions that work for everyone."

At the announcement event, Ghimire will outline his vision for a stronger and fairer Queens. His stated priorities include affordable housing, strong public schools, worker protections, and inclusive representation for all residents of Assembly District 30.

"I believe public service means listening, showing up, and fighting for the people we represent," Ghimire added. "Together, we can build a Queens where every family has the opportunity to thrive."

Further details are expected to be released following the announcement event.

Ghimire has lived in Woodside since 1996 and has spent more than two decades serving the Nepali American and South Asian community, advocating for workers, immigrants, and working families throughout Queens. His background includes serving as a 2020 Census Field Supervisor, helping ensure underrepresented communities were fully counted, and participating in human rights missions to 22 countries through the International Institute for Human Rights, Environment and Development (INHURED International).

Most places in the Tarai region will experience fog and mist today.

Furthermore, partial cloudiness will occur in the hilly and Himalayan regions of Koshi Province, as well as the high hills and mountain regions of Bagmati, Gandaki, and Karnali Provinces. The weather will be mainly fair in the remaining areas.

According to the 8 am bulletin published by the Meteorological Forecasting Division, there is a possibility of light rain and snowfall in one or two places of the high hills and mountain regions of Koshi, Bagmati, Gandaki, and Karnali Provinces.

Later tonight, fog will continue to persist in many places of the Tarai region.

Partial cloudiness will occur in the hilly and Himalayan regions of Koshi Province, as well as in the areas of Gandaki and Karnali Provinces. The weather will be mainly fair in the remaining areas.

There is also a possibility of light rain and snowfall in one or two places of the high hills and mountain regions of Koshi and Karnali Provinces.

The meteorological analysis by the Division also states that there is an influence of westerly winds across the country.

Solar energy producer, Jhapa Energy, has sold power worth Rs 47.1 million to Nepal Electricity Authority in five months.

The company produced 6.52 million units of power during the period from Shrawan to mid-Mangsir of the fiscal year 2082/83 from its 10-megawatt solar power project based in Buluchowk, Ward No. 4, Shivasatakshi Municipality, according the chair of the company's board of directors, Lal Bahadur Sanwa Limbu,

The Nepal Electricity Authority purchases the power produced by Jhapa Energy at the rate of Rs 7.30 per unit. It has been producing electricity commercially since the past two years.

Jhapa Energy has established the project in an area of 22 bigaha of land in Buluchowk, where 21,600 solar panels have been installed. The solar power generated from the project is transported to the Nepal Electricity Authority's Buluchowk substation, located within a kilometer, and connected to the national power grid.

Jhapa Energy had generated solar power worth Rs 50 million and sold it to the NEA in the fiscal year 2080/81.

Chairman Limbu said that sales increased to Rs 90 million in the fiscal year 2081/82.

The code of conduct for the upcoming elections to the House of Representatives has stipulated that the government and semi-government bodies are not allowed to carry out any activities in favor of or against any political party.

The code of conduct set by the Election Commission for the March 5 elections has provided that no resources of any project should be provided in a way that they can be used in favor of or against any party or candidate. No work should be done that would obstruct the election management and voter education and other programs run by the Commission in any way, or that materials or information related to the election should be damaged or altered in any way.

According to the code of conduct, no government or semi-government body or public organization or university or school or college should be used for or against election-related gatherings or publicity. Provisions have been made that jackets, shirts, vests, T-shirts, hats or caps, shawls, masks, lockets or any other type of clothing or symbolic materials such as stickers, logos, bags, badges, tattoos, etc. bearing the election symbols of political parties or candidates cannot be produced, used, sold, distributed or displayed.

The code of conduct has made provisions that political activities or publicity cannot be carried out on the property of a private organization or institution owned by any individual without the permission of the house or landowner.

The code of conduct prohibits the use of children in election publicity. The code of conduct also makes provisions that any kind of procession, public meeting, corner meeting, meeting, gathering or election propaganda cannot be carried out in a way that obstructs public mobility.

It also provides that false, misleading, or hateful information cannot be disseminated in any media, including social media.

The Nepal Trade Preference Program (NTPP) of the US government, which promised Nepali exporters rare, duty-free access to the US market, has expired, delivering far fewer benefits than many had hoped for.

The expiry of the NTPP on Wednesday midnight has ended duty-free access to the US market for 77 Nepali products. The US Congress passed a law in 2015 to support Nepal’s economic recovery following the devastating 2015 earthquakes. Under the law, products made in Nepal were allowed preferential access to the US market for a decade. The facility came into effect in early 2016.

The program covered a wide range of goods including textiles, ready-made garments, leather products, footwear, luggage, carpets, shawls, scarves, hats, handicrafts and travel goods, among others. 

However, Nepal failed to fully capitalize on the opportunity. According to the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, more than a dozen of the listed products were never exported to the US under the scheme. Other products were also exported in very small volumes.

According to the 2024 USTR Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the NTPP, total imports under the program were $3.9m and accounted for 2.9 percent of total US imports from Nepal in 2023. The largest import categories were container bags and boxes ($1.7m), handbags ($745,000), and hats and other headgear ($649,000). During the period, total US imports from Nepal totaled $134m.

Interestingly, Nepali exporters did not make a preference claim for export of 52 out of 77 products included in the list. “It might be that these goods did not meet the rule of origin, or it might be that the importer simply failed to file the claim for duty-free treatment,” the report states.

With the program’s expiry, all eligible products will now be subject to regular US customs duties. This is certain to affect the competitiveness of Nepali exports in the American market.

Analysts say Nepal failed to take much benefit from the program due to issues with product selection. They say the US government granted duty-free access mainly to handicraft products, shawls, travel materials and similar items. Since many of these products were already levied tariff in the US, the incentive did not make Nepali exports much more competitive.

Private sector representatives have long called for inclusion of high-potential products like ready-made garments and information technology services. The government even pushed for duty-free access for 30 additional goods and services. But it did not materialize. 

After the 7th Nepal–US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council meeting held in Kathmandu in Sept 2024, Nepali officials said that the US delegation had agreed to advocate for extending the NTPP. The Nepali delegation was led by then ministry secretary Govinda Bahadur Karki, while the US side was led by Brendan Lynch, Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia. 

Both sides had planned to hold the 8th TIFA Council meeting in Washington in 2025. The meeting was expected to focus on labor rights, investment, digital trade and the possible extension of the NTPP. However, the meeting did not take place.

Exporters say high production costs, weak supply chains, limited scale, and compliance affected Nepal’s ability to benefit from the scheme. Poor trade facilitation and lack of export readiness further weakened outcomes, they added.

Hand-knotted carpets were among the few products that benefited meaningfully from the preferential access. Nepali carpets enjoyed zero-duty access to the US market under the program. However, the Donald Trump administration imposed a 10 percent duty on these products in April, even before the NTPP expired.

With the duty-free window now closed, exporters say Nepal risks losing whatever foothold it had built in the US market. They say the government should push for extension for the facility by including new high-value products.

The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has unveiled its annual calendar for 2026, outlining a packed schedule of international and domestic tournaments involving Nepal’s men’s and women’s teams. CAN made the calendar public during a press conference on Saturday.

According to the calendar, Nepal will host the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier in January, while the men’s national team is scheduled to play the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in February. A Women’s Premier Cup has also been proposed. In March, the men’s team will compete in the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2, while the women’s team will play a bilateral series, and the U-19 team will tour Bhutan.

April will feature a series for Nepal ‘A’, along with series for the women’s team and the U-19 women’s side. In May, the men’s team will play League 2 matches followed by a T20I series, alongside series involving Nepal ‘A’ and the women’s team. The men’s team will continue with a T20I series in June, while the U-19 women’s team will tour Malaysia.

The calendar lists a League 2 series for the men’s team in July, along with the Women’s Asia Cup and the U-16 East Zone Cup. In August, Nepal will compete in the ACC Premier Cup and play a T20I series against Kuwait, with participation in the Top End series also planned. September will see bilateral series for both the men’s team and the women’s team, with the latter scheduled to play against the UAE.

In October, the men’s team will again feature in League 2, while the women’s team will play a tri-nation series. The Nepal Premier League (NPL) is scheduled for November, and both men’s and women’s international series are planned for December.

Nepal GoodWeave Foundation marked its anniversary by celebrating a collective birthday of children under its care at the transit home Hamro Ghar in Kathmandu on Wednesday. The children cut a cake together and received birthday gifts from GoodWeave and partner organizations.

Vice President of Nepal GoodWeave Foundation and President of the Nepal Carpet Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Balram Gurung, welcomed the participants. The program was chaired by Foundation President Yubaraj Bidrohi and attended by General Secretary Kiran Thapa, Treasurer Kalpana Timilsina, and guests including Working Women Journalists (WWJ) President Ramkala Khadka, Looniva President Rupa Munakarmi, among others.

Speaking as the chief guest, Deputy Mayor of Kageshwori Manohara Municipality Shanta Thapa said she was pleased to attend the event and acknowledged the foundation’s work in addressing child labor in the carpet industry and supporting children’s return to education. Foundation President Bidrohi said GoodWeave has been observing the collective birthday of children every year on January 1, noting that the initiative aims to promote a positive environment, emotional well-being, and social inclusion. He also encouraged the children to focus on positive actions in the New Year 2026.

Consortium Nepal President Pradeep Kumar Lamichhane said such collective celebrations could serve as a model for other child protection homes. The program also featured cultural performances by the children, and prizes were distributed to winners of sports, art, and other competitions organized by GoodWeave.