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Nepal’s second international airport Gautam Buddha International Airport built in Bhairahawa has been inaugurated on May 16.  Airbus A320 of Jazeera Airways of Kuwait has landed at the airport marking the official inauguration of the airport.  A special program in the presence of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba was organized to inaugurate the airport. 

Earlier, Tribhuwan International Airport located in the capital city of Kathmandu was the only international airport. 

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India’s ties with Nepal are unparalleled. Issuing a press statement ahead of Lumbini visit, Modi said the civilizational and people-to-people contacts between India and Nepal form the enduring edifice of our close relationship.

My visit is intended to celebrate and further deepen these time-honored linkages that have been fostered through centuries and recorded in our long history of inter-mingling, he said.

I also look forward to meeting Prime Minister Deuba again after our productive discussions during his visit to India last month, he said.  “We will continue to build on our shared understanding to expand cooperation in multiple areas, including in hydropower, development and connectivity.

• Vote counting for May 13 local elections is still in a preliminary stage. So, it is too early to make any conclusion. Preliminary counting indicates Nepali Congress is likely to emerge as the first party, CPN-UML second, and CPN (Maoist Center) in the third position. CPN-UML has been accused of voting rigging by the ruling coalition.
• In five Metropolitan cities, NC candidates are leading in Lalitpur and Biratnagar, in Bharatpur, there is tight competition between CPN-UML and Maoist candidates. In Pokhara, CPN (Unified Socialist) candidate is leading. In Kathmandu independent candidate Balen Shah is maintaining a lead with around 2000 votes.  In Birgunj, the  Janata Samajbadi candidate is taking a lead.
• Out of 11 sub-metropolitan cities, Nepali Congress is leading in four places, Maoist in two, UML two, RPP one, and independent two.
• So far, CPN-UML has won in 14 local governments, Nepali Congress 11, Maoist 9, and Unified Socialist 2
• Nepal Congress is leading in 281 places, UML 191 and Maoist in 111 and Unified Socialist 16 and Janata Samajbadi 32. Vote counting is too slow and may take several days to complete the counting. Election Commission is working to increase the number of counting centers.  

The main opposition CPN-UML has accused the ruling alliance of rigging the local level elections.

Issuing a statement on Sunday, party General Secretary Shankar Pokharel accused the ruling coalition of rigging during the elections and vote counting in a premeditated way.

Pokharel said that the ruling alliance has made the mockery of democracy and democratic practices.

He accused the Home administration of completely in favour of ruling alliance and against the CPN-UML during the elections.

The UML has urged the Election Commission to conduct re-voting and re-counting of votes as per the applications submitted by the UML central office and the concerned candidates to the election officers of the concerned municipalities and the commission.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba along with the ministers landed in Lumbini on Sunday.

They arrived in Lumbini to welcome Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and to take part in the Buddha Jayanti among other programs.

Along with Deuba, Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand, Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka and Tourism Minister Prem Ale arrived in Lumbini, the birth place of Lord Buddha, this afternoon.

Prime Minister Deuba is scheduled to inaugurate Gautam Buddha International Airport tomorrow.

He will inaugurate a meditation center in Lumbini at 9 am.

Similarly, Deuba along with his Indian counterpart will address a program organized by the Lumbini Development Fund on the occasion of Buddha Jayanti.

Prime Minister Deuba, ministers and chiefs of all the security agencies are in Lumbini at present. 

A large number of security personnel have been deployed in and around the Lumbini area.

Ruling coalition mayoral candidate Renu Dahal is leading the vote count in Bharatpur Metropolitan City.

Out of 4, 877 votes counted so far, Dahal secured 1, 727 votes.

Her closest contender Bijay Subedi of CPN-UML received 1, 647 votes.

Dahal and Subedi has a difference of 80 votes. 

Independent candidate Jagannath Paudel received 470 votes. 

Similarly, Nepali Congress deputy mayoral candidate Chitrasen Adhikari got 1, 895 votes and her contender Himala Gurung of Rastriya Prajantra Party garnered 1, 333 votes.

Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party mayoral candidate Sunil Prajapati has been leading the vote count in Bhaktapur.

Out of 16, 038 votes counted so far, Prajapati has secured 8, 566 votes.

His closest contender Nepali Congress candidate Ram Prasad Kasula has obtained 1, 806 votes, CPN-UML candidate Rabindra Lachimasyu and CPN (Maoist Centre) candidate Tulsibhakta Suwal garnered 1, 154 and 329 votes respectively.

Likewise, independent candidate Satyaram Twayena secured 1, 225 votes.

Independent candidate Balen Shah has still been maintaining the lead in Kathmandu Metropolitan City.

According to the Election Commission, he has received 2, 139 votes as of 1 pm.

CPN-UML candidate Keshav Sthapit has garnered 1, 199 votes while Nepali Congress candidate Srijana Singh secured 1, 057 votes.

Similarly, Sunita Dangol has been leading the vote count for the post of deputy mayor.

She obtained 2, 232 votes while Nepali Congress candidate Rameshwar Shrestha of CPN (Unified Socialist) has got 647 votes and Rastriya Prajantra Party's Binita Magaiya received 540 votes.