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Australian Ambassador to Nepal Felicity Volk paid a courtesy call on Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal at the latter’s office in Singha Durbar on Monday.

During the meeting, the duo discussed matters of bilateral interest and concerns of both the countries, it has been learnt. 

On the occasion, Minister Bhusal stressed the need for further strengthening the bilateral ties between the two countries. 

She underscored the need to increase mutual cooperation between the two countries to deal with ongoing global COVID-19 and climate change challenges.  

Praising the ambassador’s role in further strengthening the Nepal-Australia partnership, the minister thanked the Government of Australia for its help in Nepal’s economic and social development. 

In response, Ambassador Volk ensured that the Government of Australia would continue its assistance for the enhancement of Nepal’s economic and humanitarian capacity. 

The ambassador also said that the Australian government was interested in providing its support and cooperation in hydropower, renewable energy and the promotion of electric vehicles in Nepal. 

Australian Ambassador to Nepal Felicity Volk paid a courtesy call on Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal at the latter’s office in Singha Durbar on Monday.

During the meeting, the duo discussed matters of bilateral interest and concerns of both the countries, it has been learnt.

On the occasion, Minister Bhusal stressed the need for further strengthening the bilateral ties between the two countries.

She underscored the need to increase mutual cooperation between the two countries to deal with ongoing global COVID-19 and climate change challenges. 

Praising the ambassador’s role in further strengthening the Nepal-Australia partnership, the minister thanked the Government of Australia for its help in Nepal’s economic and social development.

In response, Ambassador Volk ensured that the Government of Australia would continue its assistances for the enhancement of Nepal’s economic and humanitarian capacity.

The ambassador also said that the Australian government was interested in providing its support and cooperation in hydropower, renewable energy and the promotion of electric vehicles in Nepal.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal held a meeting at the former's official residence in Baluwatar on Monday morning.

It has been learnt that the duo discussed Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) during the meeting.

Ruling coalition partners have not reached an agreement to endorse the MCC from the Parliament yet.

A Nepali Congress leader said that the task force has been trying to forge consensus on the issue.

According to a source, Dahal and CPN (Unified Socialist) Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal among other leaders have agreed in principle to move ahead by ratifying the MCC.

A court in army-ruled Myanmar will start an election fraud trial of deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb. 14, a source familiar with the proceedings said on Monday, after she was accused of influencing the 2020 vote to win a second term in office, Reuters reported.

Suu Kyi faces trial in more than a dozen cases and so far has been sentenced to a combined six years in detention by a court in the capital Naypyitaw, in legal proceedings derided by the international community as a sham.

She has denied the military's accusations of fraud in a 2020 poll swept by her National League for Democracy (NLD) party.

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Suu Kyi, 76, is accused of influencing the election commission during the ballot. Former president and ally Win Myint and Min Thu, a former cabinet member, face the same charges, said the source, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue.

The trio have been charged under section 130-A of the penal code and face up to three years in jail and a fine if found guilty. It adds to a slew of cases against Suu Kyi that carry combined maximum prison terms of more than a century. L4N2UB1FJ

A spokesperson for the junta did not answer a call seeking comment. The military government has previously said Suu Kyi would be afforded due process by an independent court.

The military said it took power because its complaints of fraud by the NLD, which won the 2020 election in a landslide, were being ignored by the election commission. The NLD says it won fairly.

Suu Kyi was arrested in the hours before the Feb. 1 coup last year and the junta's critics say the charges against her are designed to ensure she can never return to politics.

The trials are taking place behind closed doors and defence lawyers, previously the only source of information on the proceedings, are currently the subjects of a gag order.

Police on Sunday carried out a raid at an online gambling den at Boudha and arrested 74 persons involved in the unlawful activities. 

A police team deployed from the Metropolitan Police Circle, Boudha raided a restaurant and rounded up 66 men and eight women while they were playing online bingo.

Subash Ghising is the owner of the restaurant.

Police said that they have recovered around Rs 600,000 from the scene.

Indian high performance coach Raghuram Srinivas has been appointed as the fielding consultant of the Nepali national cricket team.

According to the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), he arrived in Nepal on Sunday to take the responsibility of the close camp.

Srinivas was the fielding coach when Nepal's head coach Pubudu Dassanayake was the coach of the United States.

Dassanayake expressed his happiness over the arrival of Srinivas in Nepal.

Nepal are playing T20 World Cup Global Qualifuers in Oman on February 17. 

Flights to and from the Dhangadhi Airport have been affected due to adverse weather since this morning.

Civil Aviation Authority Dhangadhi Chief Ram Krishna Bhatta said that all the flights had to be suspended due to poor visibility.

He said that flights of Buddha Airlines, Shree Airlines and Sourya Airlines have been affected.

A total of seven flights are scheduled from the airport on a daily basis.

Three flights were suspended yesterday also due to bad weather, he said.

Protesters against a vaccine mandate for truckers crossing the US-Canada border have brought Canada's capital city to a standstill for a second day, BBC reported.

Thousands of demonstrators joined the so-called Freedom Convoy in Ottawa.

Police have started investigations after several incidents, including the appearance of swastika flags and footage of a woman dancing on the tomb of the unknown soldier.

Defence Minister Anita Anand said the incidents were "beyond reprehensible".

Ottawa police said in a Twitter post that "several" investigations were now under way into the "desecration" of a number monuments in the capital city, as well as "threatening/illegal/intimidating behaviour to police/city workers and other individuals and damage to a city vehicle". 

Elsewhere across the city, truckers blocked the streets around Canada's parliament building and Ottawa's Mayor Jim Watson said some protesters had harassed staff at a soup kitchen, demanding free meals after they were turned away by restaurants for their refusal to comply with indoor mask mandates.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family also left their home in Ottawa over safety concerns on Saturday. 

Around 90% of Canada's 120,000 cross-border truckers are now vaccinated, in line with the country's adult population. 

The demonstration has grown beyond a call to end the cross-border mandate to a push to an end to all vaccine mandates nationwide, and some demonstrators have pledged to continue their protests they are removed. 

Mr Trudeau called the protesters "a small fringe minority" during a press conference earlier this week. 

Conservative leader Erin O'Toole has met some of the protesters and has spoken in favour of the right to peaceful demonstration, but criticised "individuals desecrating" memorials in Ottawa. 

Mr Trudeau's Liberal government brought in the vaccine mandate on 15 January that would require unvaccinated Canadian truckers crossing the two nations' border to quarantine once they return home. 

The US has also recently said that foreign truck drivers must show proof of vaccination to enter the country.