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CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli received tika from his sisters on the occasion of Bhai Tika on Thursday. The former prime minister received tika from his sisters—Bishnu Maya Dhakal, Koisalya Koirala and Bishnu Kumari Paudel—at his residence in Balkot this afternoon. Talking to journalists after receiving tika, Oli said that it is necessary to protect and promote festivals. Similarly, Nepal Samajbadi Party Chairman Baburam Bhattarai also received tika from his sisters at his residence on Thursday.  

The most important day of Tihar, the festival of lights, is being marked today with sisters offering 'tika' to their brothers. Sisters throughout the country offer 'tika' to their brothers wishing them happiness, long life and prosperity on the occasion of Bhai tika. In return, the brothers pledged to protect their sisters from all kinds of adversities. The auspicious hour for offering the 'tika' is 11: 37 am this year. It, however, can be held until sunset. On this day, brothers are seated at a specially anointed place around which a trail of mustard oil is drawn. The sisters then offer the brothers 'tika' and garlands of 'Dubo' and 'Makhamali'. After placing colourful 'tika' on the foreheads of their brothers, sisters offer them a treat consisting varieties of sweets, walnut, spices and 'Sel', a special kind of bread cooked in oil. Brothers also offer their sisters 'tika' in return, wish them happiness and good luck, and give them presents. The occasion commemorates a legendary event in which a sister has won a boon from 'Yama', the deity of death that her brother would not die until the mustard oil is dried up and the garland of 'Dubo' and 'Makhamali' faded. The Bhaitika tradition is so strong in Nepali society that even those who have no brothers or sisters of their own receive tika from others whom they regard as brothers and sisters.  

Three persons died and 12 other sustained injuries when a jeep they were traveling in met with an accident at Sulichaur in Sunilsmriti Rural Municipality-4, Rolpa on Wednesday. The deceased have been identified as Narayan Rijal (60) and Bishnu Rijal (58) of Ghorahi Sub-Metropolitan City-6 and Phamsi KC (50) of Rapti Rural Municipality-1. The four-wheeler (Lu 1 Ja 3234) was heading towards Gajul from Sulichaur when the incident occurred this afternoon, the District Police Office, Rolpa said. Among the injured, five are undergoing treatment at the Primary Health Centre in Sulichaur and others have referred to Kohalpur for treatment.  

At least 26 people were injured by a magnitude 6.4 earthquake that rocked the northern Philippines, forcing the closure of an international airport, sending panicked residents into the streets and causing substantial damage to a hospital, Aljazeera reported. The earthquake, which struck at about 10:59pm on Tuesday (14:59 GMT) near the upland town of Dolores, was felt as far away as the capital Manila, more than 330km (205 miles) to the south. Police and civil aviation officials said that at least 26 people were injured in Ilocos Norte, the home province of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, where the international airport in the capital city of Laoag was ordered to close temporarily on Wednesday due to damage from the earthquake.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit China on November 1 upon invitation by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday, Global Times reported. Shehbaz is among the first batch of foreign leaders to visit China after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) which concluded on Saturday, demonstrating the special friendship and strategic mutual trust between China and Pakistan, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Wednesday's routine news conference. The visit will also be Shehbaz's first visit to China since taking office in April, a continuation of the positive momentum of close high-level contacts between the two countries, Wang said. During his visit, Shehbaz is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. He will also hold talks with Premier Li Keqiang, and meet with Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Li Zhanshu. The leaders will have in-depth exchanges of views on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of common concern, and jointly plan and put forward the blueprint for the development of China-Pakistan relations, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. Wang noted that China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic partners and ironclad brothers. The two countries have always understood each other, trusted each other and supported each other over the past 70 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties. In recent years, the two countries have moved forward side by side in the changing world, joining hands to tackle the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and major natural disasters, building the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor with high quality, deepening all-round exchanges and cooperation, and carrying out close coordination and cooperation on international and regional affairs, Wang said, according to Global Times. The spokesperson said that China looks forward to working with Pakistan in order to take this visit as an opportunity to further promote all-weather and high-level strategic cooperation, build a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era, and make greater contributions to the maintenance of regional peace and stability and international fairness and justice.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that the government will hold the elections to the House of Representatives and Province Assembly slated for November 20 in a free, fair and peaceful manner. Speaking at a program organized to mark Nepal Sambat 1143 (New Year of Newar community) in Thimi of Bhaktapur on Wednesday, Prime Minister Deuba, who is also the President of ruling Nepali Congress, urged political parties, intellectuals, civil society and all the people to help from their areas to make the elections successful. He said that the elections are important to strengthen the economy and to protect the constitution of the country. The prime minister urged all to participate actively in the elections. He further said that the country has to learn from the people like Shankhadhar Shakhwa who held Nepal’s history high. Shankhadhar Shakhwa a philanthropist who cleared all debts of the people of Nepal during the regime of Lichchavi king Ananda Dev. This event is commemorated as the beginning of the epoch of Nepal Sambat. On the occasion, Prime Minister Deuba garlanded the statue of Shankhadhar Shakhwa.

Goru Puja or ox worship and Govardan Puja are being observed throughout the country today on the fourth day of the five-day-long Tihar festival celebrated by the Hindus in the country. The Govardhan Puja rituals are being observed today with the replicas of the Govardhan Mountain made out of the cow dung. People prepare a mixture of the cow dung and ochre formed into a paste and apply on the courtyard of their homes and on the floors today. The rituals are linked to the Hindu God Sri Krishna who, according to the legend, lifted the Govardhan Mountain by his hand and protected the people of a place called Gokul from torrential rains caused by Indra, the God of rain. It is believed that the rain God was angered and thereby caused the heavy downpour. Similarly, the ox is also worshipped today as it is a very useful animal in different agricultural works in Nepal which is a predominantly agricultural society. Similarly, Mha Puja is celebrated on the fourth day of Tihar by Newar Community. It also falls on the Newari New Year which is based on the Newar calendar, Nepal Sambat. Mha Puja literally refers to self worship, making offering to one’s body.

The Election Commission has issued a directive to immediately remove fake pages and groups. The poll body issued the directive saying that the people have been spreading rumors about the election candidates through the fake pages and groups. The Commission said that anyone found involved in such activities will be fined up to 100,000 or jail sentence up to five years or both.