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The 132-kV double circuit transmission line, considered as the significant for quality power supply to Dhanusha, Mahottari and surrounding areas, has come into operation.

According to the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), construction of the transmission line from Dhalkebar of Dhanusha to Loharpatti of Mahottari, and the Loharpatti 132-kV substation has completed and it has come into operation from today.

The project was constructed at a cost of around Rs 1.13 billion by the government and NEA in order to improve power supply in Dhanusha and Mahottari, to manage the rising demand of power as well as to make power supply reliable and efficient.

The length of the double circuit transmission line is 23 kilometers. A total of 91 towers have been constructed for the transmission line. There are 132/33 kV, two power transformers of 30-MVA capacity, and a transformer of 22.5 MVA in the sub-station. Overall, the capacity of the substation is 82.5 MVA.

Around 150,000 customers under Janakpur, Jaleshwor, Gaushala and Yadukuwa distribution center would be benefitted once the sub-station starts supplying power.

Director of NEA Madhes Province Office, Munindra Thakur, said with the commencement of power supply from the substation, problems like electricity leakage, low voltage and electricity tripping would be resolved.

The power was being supplied in the area from Dhalkebar via Mujaliya of Janakpur. The construction of the project started around three years ago.

Pradip Dhakal of Nepal has won the primary election for mayor of Herndon City, Virginia.

Dhakal, a member of Herndon City Council, had filed his candidacy for the post of mayor of Herndon City from the Democratic Party.

Following the win, the Fairfax County Democratic Committee has also endorsed Dhakal for mayor of Herndon.

Out of 641 voters in the primary election, 94 percent voted for mayor.

Dhakal secured 345 votes to win the primary election for the post of mayor.

“I filed a nomination for the post of mayor after achieving success in all the previous terms with a long experience as a local representative,” he said, adding, “That is why, I am confident that I will win the final election for the mayor.”

The final election for the post of mayor of Herndon City will be held in November.

As a local representative, he has won the election three times as Herndon City Council Member

Herndon City's former mayor and almost all the members of the Council had openly supported the candidacy of Dhakal for the post of mayor.

Nepali communities had also organized election centric campaigns to get him elected.  

“It is a proud moment for the Nepali community that he won the primary election for mayor with a majority of votes,” Parshuram Bhandari, a Nepali living in the US, said.

Patan High Court Judge Rameshwor Regmi passed away on Wednesday. The 61-year-old Regmi was suffering from brain cancer.

Judge Regmi died in the course of treatment at the Nepal Cancer Hospital, Harisiddhi, Lalitpur, said Information Officer of High Court Patan, Arjun Acharya.

Regmi, Joint-Secretary in the judicial service, was appointed as Judge of High Court, Patan, in 2077 BS.

The last rites of Regmi were performed at Pashupati Aryaghat this morning, Acharya added.

The High Court Patan's scheduled programs for today have been postponed in mourning.  

The 78th Independence Day of India was celebrated by organizing a program in the Indian Embassy premises on Thursday.

Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava hosted the national flag and read out the message of Indian President “Droupadi Murmu”.

Independence Day celebrated in the premises of the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu was followed by a cultural program by the students of Kendriya Bidhyala.

On the occasion, Indian Ambassador Srivastava also felicitated widows and next of kin of deceased Gorkha soldiers of Indian Armed Forces with cheques and blankets. Books for libraries were also handed over to various institutions.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has also congratulated his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi and the people of India on the country’s 78th Independence Day.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, August 15, broke the record of his immediate predecessor Manmohan Singh by hoisting the national flag from the ramparts of the Red Fort for the 11th consecutive time on Independence Day.

With this, Narendra Modi has become the prime minister to hoist the Tricolour for the third highest time. The record lies with first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru who did the honours 17 times from 1947 to 1964.

Speaking on the 78th Independence Day of India, Modi touched upon a number of domestic and international issues, including the current Bangladesh political crisis.

It was Modi's longest Independence Day speech at 98 minutes. Modi's Independence Day speeches average at 82 minutes — longer than any other prime minister in India's history.

His longest I-day speech before Thursday was 96 minutes in 2016 while his shortest speech was in 2017 when he spoke for around 56 minutes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi speech: Key takeaways

1. PM Narendra Modi hoped that the situation in Bangladesh will improve soon even as he expressed concern over the safety of Hindus and other minorities in that country. Modi said India will always be supportive of Bangladesh's growth and development. “As a neighbouring country, I can understand the concern regarding whatever has happened in Bangladesh. I hope that the situation there gets normal at the earliest. The concerns of 140 crore countrymen to ensure the safety of Hindus and minorities there - India always wants our neighbouring countries to walk the path of prosperity and peace. We are committed to peace...In the days to come, we will continue to wish well for Bangladesh in its 'Vikas Yatra' because we think about the welfare of humankind.”
2. PM Narendra Modi made an unequivocal pitch for a uniform civil code in the country, asserting that a "secular civil code" in place of the existing "communal" one is the need of the hour.
3. Modi said there is a need to widely publicise punishments given for atrocities against women, so that there is a fear of consequence. The PM added that said his government has worked on a "women-led development model," but he was still concerned over incidents of rape and violence against women. The Prime Minister said there is anger among people against such incidents. "We have worked on a women-led development model. Whether it is innovation, employment, entrepreneurship, in every sector women are marching ahead," Modi said.
4. Modi also pushed for major reforms in the farm sector on the occasion of the 78th Independence Day celebrations and emphasised efforts to make the lives of farmers in the country better. The PM commended farmers for choosing organic farming and added that the country's farmers can make India the organic food basket of the world as it moves towards its goal of Viksit Bharat.
5. Modi said 75,000 more medical seats will be created in the next five years. Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 78th Independence Day, Modi said even today, children, mostly belonging to the middle class, are going abroad for medical education. They spend “lakhs and crores” on medical education abroad, he said.
6. The PM said many global companies want to invest in India and asked the state governments to compete among themselves to attract them. Modi said most of the people he met in his third term wanted to invest in India.
7. Modi, in an indirect attack on the opposition, said while the nation is moving forward with a unified resolution, some people cannot "tolerate" the progress. "We are moving forward with the same resolution, but there are some people who cannot tolerate progress or think of India's progress unless it benefits them. They want anarchy. The country needs to protect itself from this handful of pessimistic people," the Prime Minister said.
8. Narendra Modi slammed the culture of patronage and “termite” of corruption, saying that some people glorify it but he will persevere against them. Modi expressed concern over corruption and its glorification, describing it as a major issue for the society. “I know I have to pay a price for this battle, my prestige may be at stake, but national interests are more important than personal prestige,” he said.
9. Asserting that India has the ability to stage large-scale global events, Modi said the country is leaving no stone unturned in its efforts to host the Olympics in 2036. Along with India, several other nations such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey are positioning themselves as strong contenders to host the sporting spectacle. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is expected to decide the host only next year after holding its elections.
10. Modi emphasised bringing “one nation and one election” in the country adding that these days every welfare scheme is linked to elections. “Continuous elections in the country are causing headraces in development. Welfare schemes in the country are now linked to the elections,” the PM said. Hindustan Times

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday delivered his longest Independence Day speech at 98 minutes as he addressed the country from the ramparts of historic Red Fort.

Modi's Independence Day speeches average at 82 minutes longer than any other prime minister in India's history.

His longest I-day speech before Thursday was 96 minutes in 2016 while his shortest speech was in 2017 when he spoke for around 56 minutes.

On the 78th Independence Day, Modi also became the prime minister to hoist the tricolour on Independence Day and deliver a speech for the third highest time.

 Modi delivered his first Independence Day speech in 2014, which lasted for 65 minutes.

His speech in 2015 lasted for about 88 minutes. This was Modi's 11th address as PM and his first after taking charge for a third term.

 In 2018, Modi addressed from the ramparts of the Red Fort for 83 minutes. Subsequently, in 2019, he spoke for nearly 92 minutes, which was his second-longest to date.

In 2020 Modi's I-day address lasted for 90 minutes.

His Independence Day speech in 2021 lasted 88 minutes and in 2022 he spoke for about 74 minutes.

Last year, Modi's speech was 90 minutes long.

 Before Modi, Jawaharlal Nehru in 1947 and IK Gujral in 1997 had the longest speeches at 72 and 71 minutes, respectively.

Nehru and Indira also gave the shortest speeches on record at 14 minutes in 1954 and 1966, respectively.

Former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and Atal Bihari Vajpayee also gave some of the shortest Independence Day speeches from the Red Fort.

Singh's speeches in 2012 and 2013 lasted only 32 and 35 minutes, respectively. Vajpayee's speeches in 2002 and 2003 were even shorter at 25 and 30 minutes. Business Standard

The gold is being traded at Rs 150, 500 per tola in the domestic market on Thursday.

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 1,740 per tola today, according to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association.

Two persons died and seven others were injured when a Bolero jeep met with an accident in Sindhuli on Thursday.

The four-wheeler (Ba 20 Cha 8283) was heading towards district headquarters from Tilkanya when the tragedy occurred at Chiyabari in Kamalamai Municipality-2.

Locals said that the two persons died on the spot and seven others sustained injuries.

The injured have been taken to the Sindhuli Hospital.

The BP Highway has been obstructed following the incident.