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President Ram Chandra Paudel on Monday reached Doha to attend the Second World Summit for Social Development.

The President is leading a 12-member Nepali delegation to the Summit at the invitation of the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

High-ranking officials of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar and Nepali Embassy in Qatar including Nepali Embassy, Ramesh Chandra Poudel, Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations, Lok Bahadur Thapa, welcomed President Paudel upon his arrival at Doha-based Hamad International Airport, according to President Paudel's Secretariat.

President Paudel is scheduled to address the Plenary Meetings and the High-Level Roundtable of the Summit on November 4.

The President is scheduled to hold meetings with the UN Secretary General and the Amir of Qatar, it has been said.

 On the sidelines of the Summit, the President will also meet some world leaders attending the event.

It is said that the Summit would make a shared commitment on cooperation and assistance for social development. The Summit is also expected to hold intensive discussions on development inequalities in the world, demographic imbalances and the impacts of technology on the society.

The First World Summit for Social Development was held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1995.

President Paudel is accompanied by his spouse Sabita Paudel, Kiran Kumar Pokhrel, media expert to the President, Secretary of the President's Office, and other senior officials of the Government of Nepal.

The President and the delegation will return to Kathmandu on November 6.

The new sugarcane crop has sprouted in the fields, but farmers are still waiting for the subsidy payment for the previous harvest. According to Shyambabu Ray, coordinator of the Central Sugarcane Struggle Committee, the government has yet to address the demands of sugarcane farmers who staged a protest in Kathmandu a month ago. The aggrieved farmers complain that even the government led by Sushila Karki has shown little seriousness in responding to their concerns.

Naresh Singh Kushwaha, a farmer leader from Mahottari, said that the delay in receiving the subsidy has spoiled the Dashain, Tihar, and Chhath festivals for many farmers. Before Dashain, the protesting farmers had met with the newly appointed Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Madan Pariyar, urging him to release the pending subsidy for last year’s sugarcane. Although Minister Pariyar had assured them that the payment would be made soon, Ray told ApEx that the government has not released the funds even after the major festivals have passed.

“Last year’s sugarcane subsidy remains unpaid. Even though the new government has promised to release it, there’s no sign of when that will actually happen,” Ray said.

According to the committee, sugarcane farmers are still owed Rs 755m in subsidies for the fiscal year 2024/25. Last year, a total of 21.572m quintals of sugarcane were sold to 13 sugar mills across the country. The government had announced a subsidy of Rs 70 per quintal for sugarcane cultivation, meaning farmers should have received Rs 1.515bn in total.

However, the then KP Sharma Oli government reduced the subsidy by half, citing a budget deficit, and decided to provide only Rs 35 per quintal. In response, farmers launched a Kathmandu-centric protest. Following the agitation, the Ministry of Finance released Rs 754m—covering the reduced amount—but farmers continue to demand the full Rs 70 per quintal promised earlier.

Mahashankar Thing, a central member of the Sugarcane Producers Federation, said the government has not shown any seriousness toward their demands. He noted that the government has been allocating funds for sugarcane subsidies under the national budget since 2008.

“We are not asking for handouts,” Thing said. “We are only demanding the rightful value of our labor, in exchange for the VAT that the government has already exempted on agricultural products.”

Ministers for Economic Affairs from all seven provinces have jointly called on the federal government to increase fiscal equalization grants in line with the growth of the federal budget and to make the grant distribution process more transparent, predictable, and stable throughout the fiscal year.

Issuing a ‘Hetauda Declaration’ after a national workshop on “Strengthening Fiscal Federalism and Future Directions” in Hetauda, they emphasized that fiscal federalism—the cornerstone of Nepal’s federal structure—cannot function effectively unless provinces receive timely and adequate financial transfers from the federal government. They said that inconsistencies in grant allocation and mid-year cuts have hampered provincial planning and implementation of development projects.

The declaration was signed by Minister for Economic Affairs of Koshi Province Ram Bahadur Magar; Chief Minister and Minister for Economic Affairs of Madhesh Province Jitendra Sonal; Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning of Bagmati Province Prabhat Tamang; Minister for Economic Affairs of Gandaki Province Dr. Takaraj Gurung; Minister for Economic Affairs of Lumbini Province Dhanendra Karki; Minister for Economic Affairs of Karnali Province Rajiv Bikram Shah; and Minister for Economic Affairs of Sudurpaschim Province Bahadur Singh Thapa.

“The federal government’s annual budget has grown steadily, but fiscal equalization grants to provinces have not kept pace,” the ministers said. “We urge the federal government to increase the grant proportionally, ensure transparency in allocation, and refrain from reducing any form of grants during the fiscal year.”

The gathering discussed the financial challenges faced by provinces, including delayed budget disbursement, limited revenue authority, and frequent changes in grant formulas. The provincial economic affair ministers added that unpredictable grant flows were disrupting essential service delivery, delaying capital expenditure, and weakening local fiscal discipline.

The ministers also raised concerns about the lack of clarity in intergovernmental fiscal transfers and the need for better coordination between federal, provincial, and local governments. They stressed that fiscal equalization grants should be distributed based on clear, evidence-based criteria that reflect population size, development needs, and geographic disparities.

The meeting also called for reforming the existing fiscal transfer system to strengthen fiscal autonomy at the subnational levels. The ministers urged the National Natural Resources and Fiscal Commission (NNRFC) to play a more active role in ensuring equitable resource distribution and monitoring compliance with constitutional principles of fiscal federalism.

The joint gathering concluded with a commitment from all seven provinces to present a unified stance on fiscal decentralization in future discussions with the federal government.

The Westerly wind has its partial influence over Nepal at present, according to the Meteorological Forecasting Division.

The Division stated that the weather will be generally cloudy in the hilly areas of the country including Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpashchim Provinces while it will be partly cloudy in the remaining areas this afternoon.

Similarly, there are chances of light to moderate rainfall and snowfall at a few places in the hilly region of Gandaki, Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim Provinces, and at one or two places in the hilly region of the rest of the provinces. There is a possibility of light rainfall at one or two places of the Tarai region of Lumbini and Sudurpaschim Provinces.

The Division stated in a press release today that the weather will be generally cloudy in the hilly areas of the country including Bagmati, Gandaki and Lumbini Provinces, while the weather in the rest of the areas will be partly cloudy.

There is a possibility of moderate rainfall and snowfall in some places of the hilly and mountainous areas of Gandaki, Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim Provinces and in one or two other hilly areas, the Division said.

The government has directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to recall Nepali ambassadors from 11 countries and assign them duties with the ministry.

The government's move comes after the Supreme Court on Sunday issued an interim order against the government's decision to recall Nepal's ambassadors from 11 countries.

The ministry stated that the government has sent a letter on Monday, requesting the recall of ambassadors from 11 countries.

Ministry's spokesperson Lok Bahadur Paudel Chhetri said the ministry received the letter on Monday.

A meeting of the Council of Ministers held on October 16 had decided to recall the 11 ambassadors who had received political appointments by November 6.

A writ was filed in the Supreme Court claiming that the government's decision was not lawful.

After the preliminary hearing of the case, the Supreme Court issued an interim order to the government on Sunday not to implement the decision.

The Nepali film Hostel 3, the third installment of the popular Hostel franchise, has crossed borders and won hearts in India, marking another milestone for Nepali cinema. After achieving a record-breaking 51-day run in Nepal, the film has now replicated the same success in India.

According to Indian distributor Suraj Khadka, Hostel 3 has completed 51 consecutive days of screening at the SVF Cinema, Rink Mall in Darjeeling, where it has been showing since Sept 5. The film was distributed in India by Gorkha Film Production and Super Cinema, reaching over 50 theaters across Sikkim, Darjeeling, Siliguri, Guwahati, Assam, and Manipur.

Director Sashank Kandel expressed his delight at the film’s achievement across the border. “First of all, I want to thank Durgesh Films for trusting and permitting the production of such a large franchise,” he said. “I am equally grateful to everyone involved in production, distribution, and promotion for making this possible.”

Hostel 3 portrays the ups and downs of campus life, exploring themes of love, friendship, and struggle—making it particularly popular among the youth. The film features Paras Bam Thakuri (Kulboy), Rihan Giri, Padam Tamang, Ashish Ghimire, Simran Pant, Hena Nagarkoti, Sama Parajuli, Umar Khan, Santosh Baniya, and Ashish Purush in key roles.

The film’s writer and associate director is Madhav Sharma, with Suresh Kandel and Govinda Adhikari serving as producers. The co-producers include Shishir Gyawali, Anish Sigdel, and Kundan Gupta. Shankar Koirala is the executive producer, and Kosis Raj Kshetri worked as the line producer.

Following its commercial success, Hostel 3 is now available for streaming on Cinemaghar App. Viewers can watch the movie via Google Play Store, App Store, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, and LG WebOS, or through web browsers and Chromecast on their computers.

The first-ever Kathmandu Horror Film Festival (KHFF) concluded on Sunday evening, marking a milestone for Nepal’s film industry. Organized by the Nepal Film & Cultural Academy, the three-day festival celebrated horror cinema as a form of art and cultural expression, bringing together filmmakers and audiences from across the world. Featuring 25 films from 15 countries, KHFF showcased a powerful blend of creativity, emotion, and storytelling that pushed the boundaries of the genre and elevated Nepal’s cinematic identity on the global stage.

Academy Vice-president Shiv Puri said the festival was an effort to use film as a medium to connect culture, messages, and creativity. He noted that this event had opened the door toward achieving that goal, setting the foundation for greater collaboration between Nepali and international filmmakers.

The festival opened with Shaman, a visually mesmerizing Russian film directed by Mikhail Merzlikin, which drew viewers into the mystical world of a Siberian village where the lines between spirits and humans blur. Set on the banks of the Yenisei River, the film follows a shaman who guides villagers between the spirit and human realms from his yurt, watched over by an unseen female spirit. The screening was praised for its poetic portrayal of ritual, desire, and faith. The grand opening ceremony saw the presence of diplomats, filmmakers, and cultural figures who hailed the festival as a bold and refreshing step for Nepali cinema.

The first day of KHFF offered a journey into psychological and emotional horror. A Year of Marriage (Mexico), directed by Pablo Camargo Lopez, explored love and decay as a newlywed couple receives a mysterious creature as a wedding gift, testing the fragility of their relationship. The Leopard (India), directed by Mukti Krishan, portrayed the fear and paranoia of urban life after a leopard’s intrusion leaves a boy deeply traumatized. The day closed with Labinak (Indonesia) by Azhar Kinoi Lubis, a gripping cannibalistic horror film about a teacher who uncovers an ancient ritual tied to a powerful foundation. The film went on to win Best Feature Film at KHFF 2025.

The second day balanced international narratives with Nepali originality. Khel (Nepal), directed by Anurag Pradhan and Astha Shrestha, told the story of a group of girls revisiting their haunted dormitory to finish an unfinished game, blending friendship, guilt, and the supernatural. Another Nepali film, Down by the Riverside, directed by Anuska Anada, offered a minimalist yet haunting portrayal of a father whose peaceful day by the river turns into a surreal journey through the unknown. The Indian film Bokshi, directed by Bhargav Saikia, became one of the festival’s most talked-about screenings for its meditation on myth, superstition, and womanhood. It later received the Jury Special Award for its cultural and visual brilliance.

The final day featured two powerful titles—The Ritual (Nepal) and Foreigners Only (Bangladesh). Directed by Bishal Roka Magar, The Ritual follows a man’s rebellion against sacred traditions and the terrifying spiritual consequences that follow. Foreigners Only, directed by Nuhash Humayun, told the story of a homeless tannery owner’s desperate fight against urban discrimination in Dhaka. Its gripping metaphorical horror earned Humayun the Best Youth Filmmaker Award.

In addition to Labinak winning Best Feature Film, A Year of Marriage (Mexico) took home the Best Short Film Award, while Bokshi (India) received the Jury Special Award. The festival’s organizers expressed their satisfaction with the enthusiastic audience turnout, calling it “beyond expectations.” Viewers praised KHFF’s professional execution and its unique focus on horror as a serious cinematic art.

Over three thrilling days, KHFF captivated local and international audiences with its diversity of themes, ranging from emotional trauma to folklore and superstition. Audience members described the festival as “a hauntingly beautiful experience” and “a new identity for Nepali horror cinema.” The Nepal Film & Cultural Academy extended heartfelt thanks to sponsors, filmmakers, volunteers, and attendees for their contribution to the festival’s success.

Vice President Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav has been assigned to perform works, duties and responsibilities of the President in absence of President Ram Chandra Paudel.

President Paudel left for Qatar this morning to participate in the Second World Summit for Social Development to be held in Doha, Qatar, from November 4-6.

The Vice-President was designated to perform the President's functions in accordance with Article 67 (2) of the Constitution, reads a press release issued by Spokesperson at the Office of the President, Pradip Kumar Koirala.