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South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung has declared his bid for the presidency, promising to fix inequality and spur economic growth.

In a video published on Thursday, Lee committed to address economic polarization, which he said was a major source of societal discord, emphasizing how he believed it had compounded recent political turbulence, Al Jazeera reported.

The presidential election was slated for June 3, after former President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment for declaring martial law in December was affirmed by the constitutional court on April 4.

Lee, the frontrunner in polls, promised to pursue large-scale government investments in technology and talent development to revitalize the economy, according to Al Jazeera.

Conservative opponents have warned that the opposition's return to power could weaken the alliance with the US and jeopardize improved relations with Japan, but Lee recommended a realistic approach to diplomacy.

With the arrival of the summer-autumn flight season in 2025, China Southern Airlines will optimize its flight layout starting from April 10, further enhancing the capacity of the China-Nepal route and promoting economic, cultural, and tourism cooperation between the two countries to new heights.

According to the latest flight schedule, China Southern will resume its night flight from Kathmandu to Guangzhou from April to October. The planned departure time from Kathmandu is 23:30, with one flight per day, Southern Airlines reported.

At the same time, the daytime flight schedule will be adjusted, with the overall departure time pushed back by 50 minutes, resulting in the planned departure time from Kathmandu being adjusted to 12:50. This optimization will enhance flight connections and allow passengers to arrange their schedules more comfortably. It is worth noting that the operating frequency of China Southern's daytime flights has also been adjusted at different times as per Southern Airlines.

From April 10 to May, daytime flights will operate four times a week (on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday). From June to August, daytime flights will be reduced to two times a week (on Sunday and Thursday). From September to October, daytime flights will resume daily. The number of seats planned by China Southern Airlines for this season has significantly increased. Approximately 45,000 seats will be offered from Kathmandu to Guangzhou, and over 46,000 seats from Guangzhou to Kathmandu. Compared to the same period last year, this represents an increase of more than 6,000 seats, a growth of 16.5% on the Kathmandu-to-Guangzhou route, and over 13,000 seats, a growth of 39.9% on the Guangzhou-to-Kathmandu route. This adjustment not only provides passengers with more travel options but also further facilitates economic, trade, and cultural exchanges between China and Nepal, according to Southern Airlines.

This increase in transport capacity coincides with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Nepal and the "China-Nepal Tourism Year."

The Kalikot-Surkhet road section along the Karnali Highway has been obstructed due to landslides triggered by incessant rainfall.

Following the obstruction, hundreds of passengers and freight vehicles heading to different destinations have been stranded mid-way.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ramesh Rawal said that the road has been completely blocked in more than two places following the landslide at Simlegad  in Khandachakra Municipality of Kalikot along the Karnali Highway.

He informed that the landslide completely blocked the road at Sisnegad in Sanni Triveni Municipality and Bhattadi in Raskot Municipality-8 in Kalikot along the Karnali Corridor.

Nepal Police personnel have been clearing the debris to bring back the vehicular movement on the road to normalcy.

Prof Dr Bijay Prasad Mishra has been elected as the President of the Nepal Bar Association.

He defeated senior advocate Raman Shrestha to be elected as the President of the Nepal Bar Association.

According to the final vote counting results, Mishra garnered 5, 052 votes while Shrestha obtained 2, 621 votes.

After being elected as the President, Mishra said that he would move ahead by uniting everyone.

Mishra said that he would take initiatives to establish the judiciary as the most trusted institution.

He went on to say that the Bar would also make an important contribution in amending the Constitution.

Similarly, Padam Prasad Limbu has been elected as the Vice President from Koshi Province, Ajay Shankar Jha from Madhes, Tej Bahadur Rawal from Bagmati, Bhupendra Khanal from Gandaki, Krishna Prasad Pokharel from Lumbini, Bibas Kumar Basnet from Karnali and Siddha Raj Ojha from Sudurpaschim.

Likewise, Saraswati Shrestha has been elected as the Vice President under women category.

Yagya Mani Neupane has been elected as the General Secretary and Jagat Bahadur Karki has Treasurer.

Mishra’s panel has clean swept the election of Bar Association.

Multiple Israeli strikes on residential buildings in Gaza City’s Shujayea neighbourhood kill at least 35 Palestinians and wound a further 55 while 80 people remain missing under the rubble.

Witnesses to the Shujayea attack say the Israeli strike was "a massacre in every sense of the word," as an overcrowded hospital seeks blood donors to treat dozens of critically injured survivors, according to Al Jazeera.

Israeli forces have carried out a major raid on the Balata refugee camp and nearby Nablus in the occupied West Bank.

Israel's war on Gaza has resulted in at least 50,846 recorded Palestinian deaths and 115,729 injuries, as reported by Gaza's Health Ministry. Over 61,700 individuals have been confirmed deceased by the Government Media Office, saying thousands of people missing under the rubble are presumed dead, Al Jazeera reported.

At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks and more than 200 were taken captive.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 5. 57 points to close at 2, 670.70 points on Friday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 0. 19 points to close at 446. 03 points.

A total of 11,384,725-unit shares of 321 companies were traded for Rs 5. 63 billion.

Meanwhile, Nepal Micro Insurance Company Limited (NMIC) was the top gainer today with its price surging by 9. 98 percent.

Likewise, Bottlers Nepal (Balaju) Limited (BNL) was the top loser with its price dropped by 4. 37 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 4. 43 trillion.

Australia has firmly rejected a proposal from Beijing to collaborate on countering US tariffs, instead reaffirming its commitment to diversifying trade partnerships and reducing dependence on China, its largest trading partner.

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles on Thursday dismissed the Chinese ambassador’s call for countries to “join hands” on global trade, insisting Canberra would not take sides in broader geopolitical contests, Reuters reported.

The diplomatic exchange comes following a substantial escalation in the US-China trade battle.

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced that he would hike tariffs on Chinese goods from 104% to 125%, while temporarily lowering taxes on dozens of other countries.

The move presents both opportunity and risk for Australia, which sends nearly a third of its exports to China, but less than 5% to the United States, according to Reuters.

Trump also imposed a flat 10% tariff on Australian imports—one of the lowest among his reciprocal tariffs—despite Australia being a key US security ally in the Indo-Pacific.

Australia's central bank has cautioned that ongoing global trade tensions, particularly between big economies such as the United States and China, might dissuade company investment and reduce household spending, adding uncertainty to the country's economic outlook.

The data released by the Lumbini Province Government states that 55 percent of the area has irrigation facilities. Irrigation facilities are available in 33 percent of the total irrigable land throughout the year.

Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, Bishnu Bhandari, informed that irrigation facilities have been provided in the province through various means and processes. Irrigation facilities have been provided to 21,055 hectares of land in Lumbini, while irrigation infrastructure has been strengthened in 73,768 hectares of land. 211 kilometers of embankments have been constructed for river control, through which 2,632 hectares of land have been raised and 14,119 hectares of land and 17,498 households have been protected.

According to the ministry, 403 irrigation dams and springs have been constructed and 832 kilometers of concrete canals have been constructed so far. There are 107 projects under the lift irrigation system, to which two new projects have been added in the current fiscal year. The installation of shallow and deep tubes has also been accelerated to expand irrigation access. 759 shallow tubes and 232 deep tubes have been installed. The number of pump houses has reached 386, while 82 projects have been electrified for irrigation purposes. 747 kilometers of pipeline have been laid under the pipeline expansion work.

Secretary Bhandari said that the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation of the provincial government has given priority to the expansion of irrigation infrastructure in line with the long-term vision of increasing agricultural production and maintaining economic, social and environmental balance. Various programs related to the construction of irrigation infrastructure, conservation of water resources and disaster management are being operated through the ministry.

Under the major projects, the Praganna Irrigation Scheme for Dang district and the Banganga Irrigation System of Kapilvastu are being operated. Separate irrigation management offices have been established for their management and maintenance. Minister Sita Sharma Chaudhary said that the provincial government has set a goal of increasing agricultural productivity, stabilizing food security and environmental sustainability through strengthening irrigation infrastructure.

Irrigation Day was celebrated in the province on Monday. The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Lumbini Province, organized a program on the occasion of Irrigation Day. Addressing the program, Lumbini Province Chief Minister Chet Narayan Acharya said that alternative measures can be put into practice to solve the water crisis arising in irrigation.

Chief Minister Acharya said that the water problem can be solved by building ponds and collecting rainwater and using it for both irrigation and drinking water. “If irrigation can be provided to barren land, it can also attract tourists. The water problem can be solved by building water reservoirs in the Tarai and hills. Rainwater can be collected and used for irrigation in winter,” he said.

Chief Minister Acharya, mentioning the need to focus on the conservation and economical use of water resources, expressed concern over the gradual depletion of both underground and surface water resources, which has led to the deterioration of irrigation projects. “The federal government has not been able to transfer those irrigation projects to the provinces. Due to this, farmers are not able to irrigate easily. The provincial government has taken this problem seriously.” He said that a solution to the irrigation problem would be found through coordination and cooperation, and that the problem had become more complicated when the groundwater irrigation projects operated by the federal government were not effective.